Basic Principles in Pianoforte Playing

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BASIC PRINCIPLES IN PIANOFORTE PLAYING
JOSEF LHMNNE
"J^his liulc book, writleii at tlic height of his carccr by Josef Lhcviniie, tlie "inward poet of the piano," is a dear statement of principles based on his lifelong experience in performance and teaching. Lhevinne was, with Rachmaninoff, Schnabel and Hof-niann, one of the great modern masters, and was the lirst artist invited to teach at ihe newly formed Juilliard Graduate School of Music.
Technique, though essential, must be subordinate to musical understanding. Complete knowledge of scales, apprehended not mechanically but musically; understanding of the uses of rests and silence, which Mozart considered the greatest effect in music; a feeling for rhythm and training of the ear: these arc the basic elements of a thorough grounding in musicianship and are accordingly emphasized in the opening chapters.
The heart of the book is devoted to the attainment of a beautiful tone. Anyone who has heard Lhevinne play... Tovább

Fülszöveg

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BASIC PRINCIPLES IN PIANOFORTE PLAYING
JOSEF LHMNNE
"J^his liulc book, writleii at tlic height of his carccr by Josef Lhcviniie, tlie "inward poet of the piano," is a dear statement of principles based on his lifelong experience in performance and teaching. Lhevinne was, with Rachmaninoff, Schnabel and Hof-niann, one of the great modern masters, and was the lirst artist invited to teach at ihe newly formed Juilliard Graduate School of Music.
Technique, though essential, must be subordinate to musical understanding. Complete knowledge of scales, apprehended not mechanically but musically; understanding of the uses of rests and silence, which Mozart considered the greatest effect in music; a feeling for rhythm and training of the ear: these arc the basic elements of a thorough grounding in musicianship and are accordingly emphasized in the opening chapters.
The heart of the book is devoted to the attainment of a beautiful tone. Anyone who has heard Lhevinne play or has listened to one of his recordings will know how great were his achievements in that area. The secret lay, at least in part, in the technique he called "the arm floating in air," and in the use of the wrists as natural shock absorbers. The achievement of varieties of tone, of the singing, ringing tone, of brilliancy, of delicacy and of power are all explained in terms of a careful analysis of the ways in which the fingers, hand, wrist, arm and indeed the whole body function in striking the keys. There are further remarks about how to get a clear staccato and an unblurred legato, about the dangers of imdue emphasis on memorization and the need for variety in practicing, and special comments on the use of the pedal, which should be employed with as much precision as the keys.
Throughout, specific musical examples are presented as illustrations. The author draws not only upon his own experience and methods, but upon the examples of Anton Rubinstein and of his teacher, Safonoff, for this remarkably lucid and concise formulation of basic principles.
Unabridged, slightly revised republication of the original (1924) edition. New foreword to the Dover edition by Rosinna Lhevinne. 18 musical examples, 2plates, 2 figures, xii 48pp. 5yg x
22820-7 Paperbound
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A DOVER EDITION DESIGNED FOR YEARS OF USE! We have made every effort to make this the best book possible. Our paper is opaque, with minimal show-through; it will not discolor or become brittle with age. Pages are sewm in signatures, in the method traditionally used for the best books, and will not drop out, as often happens with paperbacks held together with glue. Books open fiat for easy reference. The binding will not crack or split. This is a permanent book. Vissza