This video is just the tip of the iceberg of Chopin content I'll be producing this fall in partnership with the Chopin Foundation of the United States. Coming October 2nd is The Chopin Podcast - a 12-part series dedicated to all of Chopin's major compositional genres, with each episode starring Garrick Ohlsson. This is all in anticipation of the National Chopin Competition, to be held in January 2025. I will be there in Miami to host the livestreams for every round of the Competition, which you can watch on the US Chopin Foundation's RUclips channel (subscribe now!): www.youtube.com/@chopinfoundationoftheunite8079 To learn more about the Chopin Foundation, and the US National Chopin Competition, check out their website: chopin.org For more on The Chopin Podcast, visit chopinpodcast.com
@@benlawdy Glad to hear that! I've seen scam posters. BUT yes on the metronome issue. A Dutch musician is on the path of trying to convince us that the metronome markings we see in Beethoven and Chopin are to be whole beat and not for each click of the metronome. (And I just bought a metronome from Amazon yesterday. I disabled the bell.) He also reacted negatively to my comment that Seymour Bernstein made about Chopin's piano octave is narrower than our piano octave today. This was from the video where I learned the Bernstein is Chopin. Who knew!
@@jaikee9477 Maybe, because he was a little humble. But if we talk solely about piano, Chopin is arguably the greatest composer. For me and many others
I could literally listen to Garrick Ohlsson talk about wheat toast for 10 hours and be completely captivated - to hear him talk about Chopin is an absolute treat.
that's a serious pianist video right there... I'm so tired of these "masterclasses" where the "master"tells you to "breath the wave of the sound" or "feel the wind coming from the seat"... these are REAL good tips. loved !
1. Playing the thumb on black keys 2. Striking two keys with the thumbs 3. Finger sliding 4. Passing longer fingers over shorter fingers 5. Flatter fingers to obtain a singing touch 6. Finger substitution 7. Phantom melody 8. The "Three hand" effect 9. Rhythmic innovations 10. Sitting lower on the piano bench 11. Flutter pedal 12. Catching a dissonance in the pedal 13. Avoiding C Major 14. Against finger equalization 15. The liberated thumb 16. Coloratura
I overuse it for sure! 😆I also love the finger switching, sometimes, when left hand is not busy, I employ it for the most important note of the melody (cf. especially Raindrop), to have more precision (I'm a lefty), and then switch s3 to r4 finger, also a very satisfying feel
I've crossed paths with Garrick a number of times through the years -- even playing for him once -- and I've always thoroughly enjoyed our conversations. He really has been an inspiration for me. Brilliant, funny and very gracious and kind. Tonebase is lucky to have him.🎶🎹😁👍💯
What an absolute treasure to listen to Ohlsson speak on Chopin. Some of the most beautiful music ever written. I wish this video existed 20 yrs ago when I was studying and competing! As small and narrow-handed pianist, it would have been so liberating to come to terms with the “Siamese” fingers. I spent most of my studies strengthening and stretching fingers 4 & 5 and ended up with cubital tunnel syndrome. What innovative contributions Chopin made to the world of music. He walked so Rachmaninoff, jazz artists, and others could run. It’s a dream of mine to see the international Chopin competition in person some day! Thank you for making this channel accessible to everyone who loves music, and what an awesome T shirt😂
Here are three levels of genius at play in this video. The original genius to have composed with these ideas in mind. The modern genius to have mastered them and can understand and so brilliantly demon-splain them, and the third genius who can organize all of this into a business that allows me to see it. Geez.
As a polish amateur pianist who slightly regrets quitting music school in my teens, I have been absolutely in love with all your collaborations with Mr. Ohlson! I can’t say how much I’ve learned over the months I’ve been watching, on Tonebase and now here, every video is a revelation. Thank you so much. I’m very much looking forward to the podcast!
What I like about Garrick Ohlsson is that he admits when techniques are difficult. He does not show off like others pretending you can do it without problems and only by talent. Many top pianists lie about the tremendous amount of practice they do in order to become that good. He doesn´t. It is extremely hard work to get these pieces mastered. Talented or not so talented.
I will always love Garrick Ohlsson not only as a musician/artist but for me a teacher at SFCM. I graduated as part of the pre college program back in May of this year and now I'm attending Eastman School Of Music. I feel I owe a certain gratitude toward Ohlsson for where I am now.
Chopin is a world unto itself - a complete sub-genre in the history of Western music. There is so much complexity in his musical genius, all designed to take full advantage of an incredible instrument.
One of the main innovations of Chopin was the use of arm technique which as he explained in a letter to Kalkbrenner who advocated for no arm movements-that the entire body is used for the instrument.
chopin was the first composer who's pieces i dove in deeper a few years ago. now after watching this video, i really do notice the impact that this had on my playing,as i now play every piece with finger substitution, flatter fingers when needed, etc
Garrick is one of those pianists that sound great on recordings……….and surpasses all of your expectations during a live recital. I still can’t forget the glorious Busoni/Liszt recital he gave at Carnegie over 10 years ago. His recording of the complete works by Chopin are all “reference” recordings, but the Mazurkas, especially, are in another realm. Honestly, everything that Mr. Ohlsson performs is on the highest level.
It’s funny - Garrick and I talked about those accents, and he said he never understood them. The lower phantom melody is more “melodic” than those syncopated D’s. But I’m with you, I like when a pianist plays the accents. Go check out the interview I did with Avery Gagliano for tonebase. SHE does them, and we talked out it.
I’m sure Chopin liked them, too, especially in his first and last etudes from his first set, for example. I wonder when it became popular to pretend they do not exist, in pieces where they act as technical demands.
This video is a rare gem - it's a close insight into the actual specific aspects of Chopin's music and technique. While many listeners acknowledge the complexity of this music and recognizes the virtuosity of players who can perform it in a perceived beautiful way, an average listener or even a piano hobbyist (like me) can't really digest the specific difficulties or tricks. These well explained and demonstrated examples allow to appreciate performances to a much greater extent. Thanks a lot for organizing this talk too!
In a world filled with chaotic ignorance it is remarkably refreshing to dwell upon the realm of creativity and the tools of the genius of superb models as human beings and the light they shine on us: projected by great music: the language of a silent universe. Thank you immensly for your fantastic, inspiring, production
Had the privilege of seeing Mr. Ohlsson when he gave a recital at my school (in a college town, mind you - so awesome that he came here!). He gave an all-Chopin program if I remember correctly, with an encore of the beautiful Nocturne op. 9 no. 3 in B major. I played that piece for my junior recital a couple weeks later, and man did I have some new ideas after hearing him! Such a clear sound and deliberate usage of pedal. Also mesmerizing to watch his arm movements as he glides up and down the keyboard. So free and natural and but you can easily tell that he has put an incredible amount of thought into his technique and sound quality. Very kind and welcoming to chat with after too. He is way bigger in person lol.
There’s something about the way Garrick speaks that reminds me of John Williams - always interesting to listen to both speak about their respective expertise and craft and find it comforting.
This lesson would have been invaluable for me while i was struggling learning the four Ballades and the Preludes in my teens, back in the 50s. I really hope many young pianists follow it. Thank you.
Fantastic! Garrick is truly amazing how he explains everything so clear. Number 8, "The 'Three Hand' effect" reminded me of the Horowitz arrangement of The Stars and Stripes, a piece many of us have attempted..
Garrick Ohlsson is the kind of teacher I wish I'd had at Juilliard. In fact it was a friend of Garrick's who was also a friend of my family, who was also a mentor and even tuned our piano! And it was Garrick's LP of his live performances from his victory at the Chopin competition in Warsaw that inspired me to learn Chopin's Sonata op. 58, which I played at my Juilliard entrance exam. So even though we've never met, I feel a connection and a debt of gratitude for Garrick Ohlsson's great playing, long career, and now his great teaching. If you're reading this, Garrick, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I had a mentor whose piano lineage traced back to Liszt. As I struggled with the upward runs in the C# minor waltz, he guided me to turn the right elbow outwards, slightly above the level of the keyboard and play it deeper into the keys, which unlocked the run from playing in standard position. In passages like the 11 vs. 3 in the B flat minor Nocturne, I was guided to draw vertical lines upwards from the note stems of the left hand to find where in the spacing they intersected the right hand, as the notes are equally spaced on the page in both hands. After learning this way, the gentle rubato can be introduced to finalize the passage. I shed some teenage tears in learning these two techniques, still play them some 50+ years later...
It would be fascinating to hear maestro Ohlsson speak about the Godowsky Chopin studies from the perspective of how these build upon and extend Chopin's technical innovations.
Mr. Ohlsson is a treasure! Thank you Ben for facilitating us getting to hear/learn from him, back in the Tonebase days and now in this new series. Can't wait for the podcast!!
Great knowledge, great narration! I'm a guitar player with a little experience in playing the piano, but I studied some Chopin pieces 25 years ago (he was and is one of my favourites) and now I want to come back to this music! In 'Miles Ahead' movie Miles Davis sais Chopin is one of the greatest because there is a huge part of improvisation in his music. I agree completely. Thanks for this priceless video.
Garrick is the finest Chopinist of our age and we are so privileged to have him, but in my heart's desire, I want a video of Seymour giving his alternative viewpoint to everything that has been said 🪮
This was fascinating. For one thing, I had long thought that the Etudes were more about showing off your technique, rather than practicing it. But your deeper dive into how the fingers need to be used was illuminating. And this relates strongly to Chopin's enlightened insight about the human hand, which he accepted "as is," instead of taking a mechanistic view, which is still encountered today among under-qualified teachers. I also thought repeatedly of Ravel's piano writing. He wrote so perfectly for the hand, that (merely) playing the notes of certain showpieces like Jeux-d'eau and Ondine is not as difficult as it sounds. (Making music of it requires, of course, much greater facility, as well as artistry.)
Great video once again! Mr. Ohlson is such a wonderfully warm and generous musician-person, and it's always a gift to take part of his reflexions. Many thanks!
I’m surprised he didn’t mention how Chopin realized the 2nd finger was the pivot and by using that you can cover a wider range on the keyboard examples: prelude in d minor op 28 no 4 and etude f minor op 10 no 9
Oh that’s a good one! Yes Chopin simply came up with too many novel pianistic maneuvers to cover in a digestible video! I guess I’ll have to make a 12-part podcast series that continues to delve into them ;)
A beautiful and touching analysis shared by a gentle soul which loves what another gentle and delicate soul created. I feel only gratitude for videos like this one! Subscribed immediately to the podcast...
Found out about point 2 recently when playing the C minor and coming across the big 5-note chord in Bar 2. Literally googled 'Op 28, no 20 big chord' and thankfully someone on reddit had already answered this question.
Garrick Ohlson is appearing an amazing pedagog as well as pianist. His wording is thorough but simple and with him playing Chopins pieces to demonstrate what he has juct covered, Wow, I feel like I attended a top notch pedagogy class for so much about Chopin's inventive techniques ! Thanks and very greatful for it 🙏🏻
Garrick, Ben, as to innovation #12, catching a dissonance in the pedal and then the example of prelude #23: to me that "dissonant" has always been the logical start of the prelude #24, so it points ahead: which was maybe rare but not unheard of in composers before Chopin. That's only based on my hearing, I did not study the notes of the preludes. When I hear that "hanging dissonance" I immediately sit upright for the incredible passion of the 24th prelude ...
I think so too, but it’s worth noting that D minor is an unusual tonality for an F dominant 7th chord to “resolve” to. The E-flat falls to D, yes, but the other tones are not in tension with the d minor triad. In any case, there is a tradition of playing individual preludes on their own, including the F major. There’s no obligation to continue to the next prelude. Another interesting thing to note is that this harkens back to an older tradition of “preluding” where keyboardists wouldn’t bring closure to improvised preludes, but ended with a sonority that required some continuation or resolution in the larger work that followed. Back to your point, in this prelude (and only this one), I think Chopin is doing just that.
I would just like to express how much I appreciate your work, Ben. I’ve been playing all my life. Though I went to music school, I studied voice and always felt I’d somehow betrayed my younger, piano fueled self. These videos give me a chance at an education I’d never have otherwise.
the so-called 'phantom melodies' are simply a result of Chopin's arpeggiated lines being horizontal realizations of 3/4/5-voice contrapuntal progressions. he might add some ornamentations that further disguise this, but generally if you stack up the notes of each arpeggio to make a chord, and then play one chord to the next, you'll see multiple voices moving in a melodic fashion, rather than a single voice moving up and down in a less melodic fashion.
@@skern49 I agree with all of that except for the “simply” part. Such craftsmanship in voice leading amid complex textures is not as common among even other great composers.
I must ration the time I spend watching and listening to Mr Ohlsson, it is so addictive. What a treat. Would love to know why he chose a Bosendorfer for what appears to be his home..
@@morhywaden it’s an antique/ restored instrument. And a very fine one. I think it’s less about the brand and more about it just being a very special piano.
Excellent video. The piano is an unsurpassed gem. It’s always interesting to note what a world class performer chooses for his/her personal instrument.
The crazy thing is, so many of these techniques seem to be written into the music; ignoring ideology, they are the most natural physiological approaches for handling many passages!
mostly all of them are essential in Jazz piano, I consider Chopin the Composer who is a early Jazz musician. Unique harmonic and melodic ideas. Free spirit. Fantastic musician
That excerpt you chose from 4th Scherzo to demonstrate how Chopin's music, as far as practicable, "fits into" the hand, it is truly a delight to play, it sounds scintillating. I've, in my inner world, interpreted them to be giggles following some slightly risqué phrase (which is repeated but with the last note sharped, like a play on words - and followed by another set of giggles). That eruptive forte in both hands at the bottom of that page sounds to me like a true laugh - the sort when you have to lean against lamp-posts and wipe your eyes. It always gives me a pick-me-up playing those and making them as giggly as I possibly can.
Nice, thanks! But many of the mentioned finger techniques were actually prevalent in Bach times. For example, using thumb on black keys, substituting fingers in the same key, crossing the long fingers above the short, sliding from black to white (and even from white to white - a very common technique on organ). They were very handy as the organ keyboard is quite shallow, comparing to the piano keyboard. I believe, those techniques were banned after Bach, in Haydn/Mozart time, and were rediscovered by Chopin.
Exactly! A lot of these techniques were already pioneered and used by baroque (and even late renaissance) keyboardists... Including the usage of the thumb on multiple keys: I was just playing a Johann Kaspar Ferdinand Fischer Toccata with huge block chords where you have to use the thumb in this way.
thanks for sharing,such a pleasure listening to such a competent great pianist.Rather rare on you tube.Chopin really totally transformed the piano writing and the piano technique when you compare him to the predecessors it is so clear.
Thank you for your lecture! I advise mine advance students to watch it . I always follow you to enrich my experience on piano and expand my musical culture! Amazing,
Excellent! Number 11 (flutter pedal) was new for me, even though I involuntarily used it already, without being sure if this is good practice. Will try it in one of my next recordings.
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
This video is just the tip of the iceberg of Chopin content I'll be producing this fall in partnership with the Chopin Foundation of the United States. Coming October 2nd is The Chopin Podcast - a 12-part series dedicated to all of Chopin's major compositional genres, with each episode starring Garrick Ohlsson.
This is all in anticipation of the National Chopin Competition, to be held in January 2025. I will be there in Miami to host the livestreams for every round of the Competition, which you can watch on the US Chopin Foundation's RUclips channel (subscribe now!): www.youtube.com/@chopinfoundationoftheunite8079
To learn more about the Chopin Foundation, and the US National Chopin Competition, check out their website: chopin.org
For more on The Chopin Podcast, visit chopinpodcast.com
Laude and Lawdy?? Confusing.
@@ds61821 the first is how it’s spelled. The second is the phonetic pronunciation, since it doesn’t sound the way it looks.
@@benlawdy Yes but it's not the same person?
@@ds61821 I am me; yes, same person.
@@benlawdy Glad to hear that! I've seen scam posters. BUT yes on the metronome issue. A Dutch musician is on the path of trying to convince us that the metronome markings we see in Beethoven and Chopin are to be whole beat and not for each click of the metronome. (And I just bought a metronome from Amazon yesterday. I disabled the bell.) He also reacted negatively to my comment that Seymour Bernstein made about Chopin's piano octave is narrower than our piano octave today. This was from the video where I learned the Bernstein is Chopin. Who knew!
"Chopin is the greatest of them all, for with the piano alone he discovered everything."
- Claude Debussy
Chopin would very likely disagree and politely point towards Bach.
@@jaikee9477 Maybe, because he was a little humble. But if we talk solely about piano, Chopin is arguably the greatest composer. For me and many others
@@jaikee9477I think he said something like: If you want to talk to me after I die, play Mozart and I will hear you.
@@AliceInDarkness190The Hammerklavier has its own merits...
Great stuff
I could literally listen to Garrick Ohlsson talk about wheat toast for 10 hours and be completely captivated - to hear him talk about Chopin is an absolute treat.
that's a serious pianist video right there... I'm so tired of these "masterclasses" where the "master"tells you to "breath the wave of the sound" or "feel the wind coming from the seat"... these are REAL good tips. loved !
Garrick Ohlson, what a friendly, sophisticated and warm person! and amazing knowledge from direct experience, thanks for sharing.
Beautiful summary of this gorgeous man.
Such a wonderful man, and a great teacher.
1. Playing the thumb on black keys
2. Striking two keys with the thumbs
3. Finger sliding
4. Passing longer fingers over shorter fingers
5. Flatter fingers to obtain a singing touch
6. Finger substitution
7. Phantom melody
8. The "Three hand" effect
9. Rhythmic innovations
10. Sitting lower on the piano bench
11. Flutter pedal
12. Catching a dissonance in the pedal
13. Avoiding C Major
14. Against finger equalization
15. The liberated thumb
16. Coloratura
double thumbing is one of those oddly satisfying technics at the piano
👍. 👍👍👍👍👍👍😊
I overuse it for sure! 😆I also love the finger switching, sometimes, when left hand is not busy, I employ it for the most important note of the melody (cf. especially Raindrop), to have more precision (I'm a lefty), and then switch s3 to r4 finger, also a very satisfying feel
I've crossed paths with Garrick a number of times through the years -- even playing for him once -- and I've always thoroughly enjoyed our conversations. He really has been an inspiration for me. Brilliant, funny and very gracious and kind. Tonebase is lucky to have him.🎶🎹😁👍💯
@@shuetomtqasaab
Ah shit there was a flat
Yes, Chopin, almost composed nothing but piano music, but what craftsmanship, refinement, beauty and feeling in almost every one of his pieces.
What an absolute treasure to listen to Ohlsson speak on Chopin. Some of the most beautiful music ever written. I wish this video existed 20 yrs ago when I was studying and competing! As small and narrow-handed pianist, it would have been so liberating to come to terms with the “Siamese” fingers. I spent most of my studies strengthening and stretching fingers 4 & 5 and ended up with cubital tunnel syndrome. What innovative contributions Chopin made to the world of music. He walked so Rachmaninoff, jazz artists, and others could run. It’s a dream of mine to see the international Chopin competition in person some day! Thank you for making this channel accessible to everyone who loves music, and what an awesome T shirt😂
That section at 14:02 is so satisfying to play, really the most complex polyrhythm that I've ever found in Chopin.
I’ve played it and I agree! :)
Here are three levels of genius at play in this video. The original genius to have composed with these ideas in mind. The modern genius to have mastered them and can understand and so brilliantly demon-splain them, and the third genius who can organize all of this into a business that allows me to see it. Geez.
As a polish amateur pianist who slightly regrets quitting music school in my teens, I have been absolutely in love with all your collaborations with Mr. Ohlson! I can’t say how much I’ve learned over the months I’ve been watching, on Tonebase and now here, every video is a revelation. Thank you so much. I’m very much looking forward to the podcast!
What I like about Garrick Ohlsson is that he admits when techniques are difficult. He does not show off like others pretending you can do it without problems and only by talent. Many top pianists lie about the tremendous amount of practice they do in order to become that good. He doesn´t. It is extremely hard work to get these pieces mastered. Talented or not so talented.
I will always love Garrick Ohlsson not only as a musician/artist but for me a teacher at SFCM. I graduated as part of the pre college program back in May of this year and now I'm attending Eastman School Of Music. I feel I owe a certain gratitude toward Ohlsson for where I am now.
This has to be one of the best piano lessons I have ever experienced as I advance into my arthritic 60s.
Garrick is an absolute powerhouse
Chopin is a world unto itself - a complete sub-genre in the history of Western music. There is so much complexity in his musical genius, all designed to take full advantage of an incredible instrument.
Thanks so much for this very useful episode 🙏
One of the main innovations of Chopin was the use of arm technique which as he explained in a letter to Kalkbrenner who advocated for no arm movements-that the entire body is used for the instrument.
recording all of his works is a mental achievement.
chopin was the first composer who's pieces i dove in deeper a few years ago.
now after watching this video, i really do notice the impact that this had on my playing,as i now play every piece with finger substitution, flatter fingers when needed, etc
Garrick is one of those pianists that sound great on recordings……….and surpasses all of your expectations during a live recital. I still can’t forget the glorious Busoni/Liszt recital he gave at Carnegie over 10 years ago. His recording of the complete works by Chopin are all “reference” recordings, but the Mazurkas, especially, are in another realm. Honestly, everything that Mr. Ohlsson performs is on the highest level.
9:54 It's interesting how many pianists ignore Chopin's accents in favour of bringing out the phantom melody. I wonder who popularized that.
It’s funny - Garrick and I talked about those accents, and he said he never understood them. The lower phantom melody is more “melodic” than those syncopated D’s.
But I’m with you, I like when a pianist plays the accents. Go check out the interview I did with Avery Gagliano for tonebase. SHE does them, and we talked out it.
I’m sure Chopin liked them, too, especially in his first and last etudes from his first set, for example. I wonder when it became popular to pretend they do not exist, in pieces where they act as technical demands.
I have no idea why Ben left Tonebase, but I'm not mad about it when we're getting this high level of content.
Tonebase piano viewership tanked after he left
This video is a rare gem - it's a close insight into the actual specific aspects of Chopin's music and technique. While many listeners acknowledge the complexity of this music and recognizes the virtuosity of players who can perform it in a perceived beautiful way, an average listener or even a piano hobbyist (like me) can't really digest the specific difficulties or tricks. These well explained and demonstrated examples allow to appreciate performances to a much greater extent. Thanks a lot for organizing this talk too!
In a world filled with chaotic ignorance it is remarkably refreshing to dwell upon the realm of creativity and the tools of the genius of superb models as human beings and the light they shine on us: projected by great music: the language of a silent universe. Thank you immensly for your fantastic, inspiring, production
Had the privilege of seeing Mr. Ohlsson when he gave a recital at my school (in a college town, mind you - so awesome that he came here!). He gave an all-Chopin program if I remember correctly, with an encore of the beautiful Nocturne op. 9 no. 3 in B major. I played that piece for my junior recital a couple weeks later, and man did I have some new ideas after hearing him! Such a clear sound and deliberate usage of pedal. Also mesmerizing to watch his arm movements as he glides up and down the keyboard. So free and natural and but you can easily tell that he has put an incredible amount of thought into his technique and sound quality. Very kind and welcoming to chat with after too. He is way bigger in person lol.
There’s something about the way Garrick speaks that reminds me of John Williams - always interesting to listen to both speak about their respective expertise and craft and find it comforting.
This lesson would have been invaluable for me while i was struggling learning the four Ballades and the Preludes in my teens, back in the 50s. I really hope many young pianists follow it. Thank you.
Fantastic! Garrick is truly amazing how he explains everything so clear. Number 8, "The 'Three Hand' effect" reminded me of the Horowitz arrangement of The Stars and Stripes, a piece many of us have attempted..
Saw the title of innovation 9 and I immediately shouted ballade 4!
Probably my favourite passage in the entire Chopin repertoire
Garrick Ohlsson is the kind of teacher I wish I'd had at Juilliard. In fact it was a friend of Garrick's who was also a friend of my family, who was also a mentor and even tuned our piano! And it was Garrick's LP of his live performances from his victory at the Chopin competition in Warsaw that inspired me to learn Chopin's Sonata op. 58, which I played at my Juilliard entrance exam. So even though we've never met, I feel a connection and a debt of gratitude for Garrick Ohlsson's great playing, long career, and now his great teaching. If you're reading this, Garrick, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Your memories, experience and sharing them is admired and much appreciated.
The 2:01 transition is just sooo satisfying
I had a mentor whose piano lineage traced back to Liszt. As I struggled with the upward runs in the C# minor waltz, he guided me to turn the right elbow outwards, slightly above the level of the keyboard and play it deeper into the keys, which unlocked the run from playing in standard position.
In passages like the 11 vs. 3 in the B flat minor Nocturne, I was guided to draw vertical lines upwards from the note stems of the left hand to find where in the spacing they intersected the right hand, as the notes are equally spaced on the page in both hands. After learning this way, the gentle rubato can be introduced to finalize the passage.
I shed some teenage tears in learning these two techniques, still play them some 50+ years later...
I saw him play the Busoni concerto with the Cleveland Orchestra (Gilbert) about 5 years ago. Unforgettable!
Thanks!
A wonderful and masterful treatise on Chopin’s innovations! Thankyou for putting this together 🎹🙏
He and my professor were good friends, so I was able to meet him once. Incredibly nice man, and an unbelievably great pianist.
This is gold. Playing the piano since 20 years and never really realised all of this. Thank you Mr Ohlsson
It would be fascinating to hear maestro Ohlsson speak about the Godowsky Chopin studies from the perspective of how these build upon and extend Chopin's technical innovations.
Yes!!
Every word is gold.
Thanks!
Thank YOU!
Mr. Ohlsson is a treasure! Thank you Ben for facilitating us getting to hear/learn from him, back in the Tonebase days and now in this new series. Can't wait for the podcast!!
It's HEEEERE. The renowned great pianist Garrick Ohlsson, Thank you so much for your in-depth insights. Thank you Ben for delivering!
Listening to Garrick get tears in my eyes!!! What a beauty!!
Great knowledge, great narration! I'm a guitar player with a little experience in playing the piano, but I studied some Chopin pieces 25 years ago (he was and is one of my favourites) and now I want to come back to this music!
In 'Miles Ahead' movie Miles Davis sais Chopin is one of the greatest because there is a huge part of improvisation in his music.
I agree completely.
Thanks for this priceless video.
Garrick Ohlson and Ben Laude - Two of the good americans ❤
Wonderful. Thank you for these insights into Chopin's genius. And for recording all his works. He has always been my favorite.
I finally understand all the things I do to be able to play Chopin. Finger sliding, changing fingers on the same note etc. Thanks.
Garrick is the finest Chopinist of our age and we are so privileged to have him, but in my heart's desire, I want a video of Seymour giving his alternative viewpoint to everything that has been said 🪮
that transition at 8:42 though
What talent! Wish I had a teacher like Mr. Ohisson.
Or his hands--I read somewhere a long time ago that his hands span a twelfth. Must be nice!
This was fascinating. For one thing, I had long thought that the Etudes were more about showing off your technique, rather than practicing it. But your deeper dive into how the fingers need to be used was illuminating. And this relates strongly to Chopin's enlightened insight about the human hand, which he accepted "as is," instead of taking a mechanistic view, which is still encountered today among under-qualified teachers. I also thought repeatedly of Ravel's piano writing. He wrote so perfectly for the hand, that (merely) playing the notes of certain showpieces like Jeux-d'eau and Ondine is not as difficult as it sounds. (Making music of it requires, of course, much greater facility, as well as artistry.)
important to mention, that hearing you play Chopin is also great!! Its a dream of music!! Thanks for your wonderful play!!
Great video once again! Mr. Ohlson is such a wonderfully warm and generous musician-person, and it's always a gift to take part of his reflexions. Many thanks!
I’m surprised he didn’t mention how Chopin realized the 2nd finger was the pivot and by using that you can cover a wider range on the keyboard examples: prelude in d minor op 28 no 4 and etude f minor op 10 no 9
Oh that’s a good one! Yes Chopin simply came up with too many novel pianistic maneuvers to cover in a digestible video! I guess I’ll have to make a 12-part podcast series that continues to delve into them ;)
Garrick Ohlson. Wow! Great teaching from one of the great masters!
A beautiful and touching analysis shared by a gentle soul which loves what another gentle and delicate soul created. I feel only gratitude for videos like this one! Subscribed immediately to the podcast...
Found out about point 2 recently when playing the C minor and coming across the big 5-note chord in Bar 2. Literally googled 'Op 28, no 20 big chord' and thankfully someone on reddit had already answered this question.
Garrick Ohlson is appearing an amazing pedagog as well as pianist. His wording is thorough but simple and with him playing Chopins pieces to demonstrate what he has juct covered, Wow, I feel like I attended a top notch pedagogy class for so much about Chopin's inventive techniques ! Thanks and very greatful for it 🙏🏻
Garrick, Ben, as to innovation #12, catching a dissonance in the pedal and then the example of prelude #23: to me that "dissonant" has always been the logical start of the prelude #24, so it points ahead: which was maybe rare but not unheard of in composers before Chopin. That's only based on my hearing, I did not study the notes of the preludes. When I hear that "hanging dissonance" I immediately sit upright for the incredible passion of the 24th prelude ...
I think so too, but it’s worth noting that D minor is an unusual tonality for an F dominant 7th chord to “resolve” to. The E-flat falls to D, yes, but the other tones are not in tension with the d minor triad. In any case, there is a tradition of playing individual preludes on their own, including the F major. There’s no obligation to continue to the next prelude. Another interesting thing to note is that this harkens back to an older tradition of “preluding” where keyboardists wouldn’t bring closure to improvised preludes, but ended with a sonority that required some continuation or resolution in the larger work that followed. Back to your point, in this prelude (and only this one), I think Chopin is doing just that.
I would just like to express how much I appreciate your work, Ben. I’ve been playing all my life. Though I went to music school, I studied voice and always felt I’d somehow betrayed my younger, piano fueled self. These videos give me a chance at an education I’d never have otherwise.
What a wonderful video, Ben - thank you! And Garrick Ohlson seems like an amazing person as well as a glorious pianist.
I have to say, I absolutely adore the sound of Ohlson's piano!
the so-called 'phantom melodies' are simply a result of Chopin's arpeggiated lines being horizontal realizations of 3/4/5-voice contrapuntal progressions. he might add some ornamentations that further disguise this, but generally if you stack up the notes of each arpeggio to make a chord, and then play one chord to the next, you'll see multiple voices moving in a melodic fashion, rather than a single voice moving up and down in a less melodic fashion.
@@skern49 I agree with all of that except for the “simply” part. Such craftsmanship in voice leading amid complex textures is not as common among even other great composers.
THANK YOU. I immediately downloaded the entire Chopin works by Mr Ohlsson. I’m in another world already…aaah
I must ration the time I spend watching and listening to Mr Ohlsson, it is so addictive. What a treat. Would love to know why he chose a Bosendorfer for what appears to be his home..
@@morhywaden it’s an antique/ restored instrument. And a very fine one. I think it’s less about the brand and more about it just being a very special piano.
Also, there’s 10+ more hours of Garrick talking Chopin on the way starting next week. Plan accordingly…
@@benlawdy Thanks for the information and taking the time to respond. There is nothing quite like this in the UK .
I really wish this chap had taught me the piano, he makes everything complex, so simple and logical ....
This was such a treat to watch! Thank you
Mr Ohlsson is a true master, we are lucky to have these kinds of recordings for us AND future generations , thank you 🙏🏼
Excellent video. The piano is an unsurpassed gem. It’s always interesting to note what a world class performer chooses for his/her personal instrument.
The crazy thing is, so many of these techniques seem to be written into the music; ignoring ideology, they are the most natural physiological approaches for handling many passages!
Indeed. Chopin seemed to have the most intuitive understanding of what was possible on a keyboard of any composer in history.
mostly all of them are essential in Jazz piano, I consider Chopin the Composer who is a early Jazz musician. Unique harmonic and melodic ideas. Free spirit. Fantastic musician
You have no idea how this Podcast release is like Christmas and birthday at the same time for me, coming exactly at the right rime ❤
That excerpt you chose from 4th Scherzo to demonstrate how Chopin's music, as far as practicable, "fits into" the hand, it is truly a delight to play, it sounds scintillating. I've, in my inner world, interpreted them to be giggles following some slightly risqué phrase (which is repeated but with the last note sharped, like a play on words - and followed by another set of giggles). That eruptive forte in both hands at the bottom of that page sounds to me like a true laugh - the sort when you have to lean against lamp-posts and wipe your eyes.
It always gives me a pick-me-up playing those and making them as giggly as I possibly can.
Marvelous.. thanks.. chopin was so free.. dreamy.. poetic.. virtuoso full virtue.. most lovable of all.. right after mozart.. beethoven..
That was illuminating and beautiful, thanks for the huge insights in the master!
That hummingbird fingers sound effect happen when I was listening to that piece bunch of birds flew across at that moment it was amazing synchronized
25:59 Nice Chopin & List T-shirt. LOL.
Thank you for this marvelous content. Please feature Maestro Ohlsson as much as possible. Very significant material, well presented.
This was excellent! Love it how he plays opus 25 5 at a speed Chopin probably played it.
Thanks! I learned a lot and wow seeing Garrick’s hands move up close is a sight to behold
Many thanks for the masterclass! Maestro Ohlsson has given an engaging and eloquent exegesis of Chopin.
So refreshing to hear his playing enhanced by the warm Bösendorfer-Sound...
Wonderful. I could listen to him talk about, and play, Chopin allllllll day. Gorgeous piano too. 😍
I love the beautiful piece from the marche funebre. I first bought that by Arthur Rubinstein nearly 70 years ago.
Great, using snippets of your video-interview in my presentation video about the new pianoforte keyboard I have designed! Right on time!
GOD! This video is f*cking amazing! I love it! It's truly a free master class in Chopin! THANKS!
In his youth he was a sexy , exciting, showman, now he is a warm, engaging teacher with a sense of humor.
Nice, thanks! But many of the mentioned finger techniques were actually prevalent in Bach times. For example, using thumb on black keys, substituting fingers in the same key, crossing the long fingers above the short, sliding from black to white (and even from white to white - a very common technique on organ). They were very handy as the organ keyboard is quite shallow, comparing to the piano keyboard.
I believe, those techniques were banned after Bach, in Haydn/Mozart time, and were rediscovered by Chopin.
Exactly! A lot of these techniques were already pioneered and used by baroque (and even late renaissance) keyboardists... Including the usage of the thumb on multiple keys: I was just playing a Johann Kaspar Ferdinand Fischer Toccata with huge block chords where you have to use the thumb in this way.
Listen to the start again:
‘Whilst Chopin may have not invented many of these techniques, he certainly championed them’.
I loved this video Ben, please keep putting such great content ❤
Big thanks for uploading such content!
thanks for sharing,such a pleasure listening to such a competent great pianist.Rather rare on you tube.Chopin really totally transformed the piano writing and the piano technique when you compare him to the predecessors it is so clear.
So hyped for this month!
Everytime i hear that passage from Ballad 1 im elevated and dying inside at the same time.
Mr. Ohlsson sharing his wisdom once again 😊
Thank you! Thank you for your talent and your development thereof. This is very interesting.
Thank you for your lecture! I advise mine advance students to watch it . I always follow you to enrich my experience on piano and expand my musical culture! Amazing,
Excellent! Number 11 (flutter pedal) was new for me, even though I involuntarily used it already, without being sure if this is good practice. Will try it in one of my next recordings.
I'm surprised measure 12 of the A major prelude isn't mentioned during the 'playing two notes with the thumb' section; it's a rather famous example!
@@WBensburg now I’m kicking myself because that is kind of the perfect example
@@benlawdy Well, just because Garrick (BTW, we attended the same music school as children) didn't mention it doesn't mean you should kick yourself. :)