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Doublereed Archive - Posting 000036.txt from 2003/01

From: herb fawcett <herbgosia@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [DR-L] recovering from a bad recital
Date: Mon, 6 Jan 2003 00:19:31 -0500

As my old teacher(Schoenbach) told me, "if you don't have it memorized, you
don't know it". I played my auditions with Stokowski, Szell, Fiedler, and
(can't remember his name) the man in New Orleans essentially by memory. The
one in New Orleans didn't go well because I hadn't mentioned that I was
without music, and some thought I was having reading problems. Sol had an
incredible memory as well as perfect pitch, but I was never able to get my
entire weekly lesson memorized, but I certainly come close to memorization
in preparation of any solo performances and extensive orchestral stuff that
I play now. I do, however, use the music as a crutch and as a way to avoid
wasting time on just memorization alone. Rote is useless, but knowing a work
well enough to play it without the print is a way to confidence.

Herb

> From: ContraReed@-----.com
> Reply-To: doublereed-l@-----.edu
> Date: Sun, 5 Jan 2003 19:29:17 EST
> To: doublereed-l@-----.edu
> Subject: Re: [DR-L] recovering from a bad recital
>
> In a message dated 1/5/03 5:54:14 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> Lisa.Vickery@-----.com writes:
>
> << My 10-year-old son recently was in a piano recital, and it was a disaster.
> Luckily, he's had several others that went off without a hitch. But for this
> one, he began playing his little Berlioz piece (which he'd played a million
> times by memory) and just choked about 2 lines into it. He started over, but
> hit the same problem at the same spot. He simply couldn't remember how it
> went. >>
>
> As someone who is not a great fan of performing from memory, I don't
> understand why some teachers feel they need to foist this on their students,
> especially younger ones. True, after practicing a piece you basically have
> it memorized, but it is nice to be able to have the music there just in case
> there is a case of nerves or forgeting in the performance. It's one thing to
> be able to play a piece from memory for your own personal amusement
> (amazement?) or for friends, but in the case of a stress producing recital,
> why add to it?
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