Hmmm for you to be saying that as his wife, that's saying a lot! I'm pretty sure I wouldn't say that if there were 2 Kevins!! 😂 (I'm pretty sure he wouldn't want 2 of me either! Haha)
This is another beauty. I agree that the character of the piece does set the framework for tempo of the piece. This is most apparent in JS Bach's contemporary D. Scarlatti. The problem today is everyone plays Scarlatti's Sonatas, like Bach's works way too fast and in the process loses the music since everything becomes noisy notes. In addition to the character setting the tempo, I find the key does as well. B-major, for example, like E-major is a joyous key. There's something there that makes us want to sing out and savor the music rather than dig and clip along. That being said, it could also be that these keys are denser as well and playing them too quickly makes them sound clumsy and noisy.
Great video! I definitely need to be reminded to study the piece better before beginning, including tempo indicators! This makes me want to go do a 1-hour challenge on myself right now! I'm working from home today so maybe I'll do that on my lunch hour today! Anyhow, yes, great video!
That's a great idea, Susan. This helps set shorter rather than long goals to accomplish something. rather than getting mired down in the slog and putting of the end of the piece until another day. In a way we do this when we're taking lessons and need to finish off something for our teachers, but when we're working on our own it's a different story. Right now, I'm digging into the Fugue to No. 3. It's a slow, long process but it'll be worth it in the end. I fixed No. 2, so this gives me the first three under my belt and I'll continue on. For this, I do set goals of accomplishing at least a page a day then I go back and play those two together S L O W L Y before moving on to the new uncharted territory.
@@Clavichordist lol I didn't do too well on 8 this week. I'm going to have a lot to go back and fix when he's done with book 1 lol. I'd probably be smarter to do what you're doing. But I still have a mental block with trills. I need to go to trill school for about a year I think! 🤣 so yeah, it's definitely a handicap with Bach... well pretty much all composers. I feel like if I could finally get my brain to relax and just let them happen, it would open up a whole new world for me!
@@susankinney5193 Hehe. I found that my brain needs to be kicked in the backside, so I go back and refresh what I've done otherwise everything will end up broken. Trills, trills, trills... They are my specialty. Seriously. Think of the trill as part of the music rather than something that's dropped on top of it. It took me years to figure this out and like you I got the OMG there's a trill coming up! I would then panic, seize up and not play them. Then one day they clicked. To go about it, play the part without the trill as if it doesn't exist. Make sure you've got that perfect, so you don't have to worry about that component at all. Now, when it comes to the trill, work before it and sing the line with trill in your head. Using Mozart for example, you know how he'll bring a phrase to a close with a trill on the end, think of how that will sound in your head. Once you've done this, apply that music you hear inside to the piano. This takes a bit of practice, but you'll find that eventually everything will come together. (Sometimes too, what we hear is a lot easier than what we can do!) Now there's caveat here... Sometimes the mechanics are an issue. By mechanics I mean not only our fingers but also the piano too. There are some pianos that require really digging into the keys to get the tone and these are the most difficult I think to trill on because of the pressure, and there are others that have action problems that prevent the keys from repeating well. Our own mechanics too play a big part. If you have good articulation, then the physical movements are easy and for me they still are at least for now. For this part, there are exercises, always done slowly of course, by Alloys Schmitt which work on finger independence. Czerny has lots of etudes for this, and so do J B Cramer who I recommend. Cramer's etudes are shorter and cover the same kinds of things, not that they're easier.
Thanks for the tips, John! I just keep avoiding it instead of actually trying to learn the technique needed... just focus on the rest of the music. But it really is a necessity, so I'll try some of your tips. 😊
Well done Wim, you managed to nail the piece down with considerably fewer mistakes than I would make given 10x the study time. I'm really not good at getting the great master's (that is, J.S. Bach) works right. The explanation of the tempo that you chose for this one was particularly insightful. I do have a question about this though: would the choice of instrument, clavichord vs harpshichord for example, and the location you're playing affect your choice of tempo?
Very glad that you focused on Tempo reading from the composition. This is a crucial topic, metronome use was in response to a lack of understanding of this. Listening to your performance now, you're doing great! As usual. Also I'm having Leffe blonde, my favourite.
Für "quasi vom Blatt gespielt" war das doch recht gut! Ich hätte in einer Stunde Vorbereitung vielleicht die Fuge in dem Tempo halbwegs hinbekommen, aber das Präludium scheint mir etwas schwerer zu sein. Manche Sachen aus dem Wohltemperierten Klavier liegen richtig gut in der Hand und andere sind wirklich anstrengend zu üben. Z.B. die Es-Dur Fuge aus Band 2 ist annähernd vom Blatt spielbar im moderaten Tempo, ebenso die F-Moll Präludien aus beiden Bänden und auch die G-Moll Präludien, wobei ich vor dem G-Moll Präludium aus Band 1 immer etwas Angst hatte wegen der Triller in beiden Händen. Aber dann habe ich es einfach mal ausprobiert und abgesehen von einpaar kleinen Fehlern, lief es vom Blatt gespielt schon sehr gut, ohne Vorbereitung. Naja, jedem Pianisten fallen verschiedene technische Figuren leichter, als andere.
This is a beautiful performance with great explanations. But I have got one question: You talk about the Tempo ordinario being crotchet = 60, and you play that tempo in single beat. But according to your whole beat theory, shouldn't you play it half as slow or call it minim = 60? Or did I understand something wrong?
I found the explanations very informative yet I had expected some kind of ASMR of you practicing, I'd listen to that too. Both together were too much information for me.
Great you enjoyed the video. Forgive my ignorance, but what does stand asmr for? Always happy to make changes in the video format! The full session btw is on my patreon, forgot to mention this in the vid...
The point in understanding notation is to come closer to what the composer had in mind. And in 18,19th century, clarity was always number 1 priority, how fast one could play (or not) is another point. It is interesting though what you write, since q=120 was the speed Hanon described for scales, and was considered in Rach's time as a benchmark to pass the conservatory's exam in Russia. Things evolve!
That's not fair! There's 2 of you! 🤪
Hm nice isn'it
Hmmm for you to be saying that as his wife, that's saying a lot! I'm pretty sure I wouldn't say that if there were 2 Kevins!! 😂 (I'm pretty sure he wouldn't want 2 of me either! Haha)
This is another beauty. I agree that the character of the piece does set the framework for tempo of the piece. This is most apparent in JS Bach's contemporary D. Scarlatti. The problem today is everyone plays Scarlatti's Sonatas, like Bach's works way too fast and in the process loses the music since everything becomes noisy notes.
In addition to the character setting the tempo, I find the key does as well. B-major, for example, like E-major is a joyous key. There's something there that makes us want to sing out and savor the music rather than dig and clip along. That being said, it could also be that these keys are denser as well and playing them too quickly makes them sound clumsy and noisy.
Damnnn thats a very good challenge
Great Wim, these analysis videos about Bach are pure gold
You not only mastered the 1 hour challenge quite successfully, you also managed to sneak in some tempo exercise. Well done! Bravo👏
Thanks! 😃
Thanks for the fine performance and visual explanations on the music-notes. Bravo!
Glad you liked it!
As a Dutch person I agree. Belgian beer is the best in the world :-) Love your videos Wim!
I like the editing in this one
I love the format
Great video! I definitely need to be reminded to study the piece better before beginning, including tempo indicators! This makes me want to go do a 1-hour challenge on myself right now! I'm working from home today so maybe I'll do that on my lunch hour today! Anyhow, yes, great video!
That's a great idea, Susan. This helps set shorter rather than long goals to accomplish something. rather than getting mired down in the slog and putting of the end of the piece until another day. In a way we do this when we're taking lessons and need to finish off something for our teachers, but when we're working on our own it's a different story.
Right now, I'm digging into the Fugue to No. 3. It's a slow, long process but it'll be worth it in the end. I fixed No. 2, so this gives me the first three under my belt and I'll continue on. For this, I do set goals of accomplishing at least a page a day then I go back and play those two together S L O W L Y before moving on to the new uncharted territory.
@@Clavichordist lol I didn't do too well on 8 this week. I'm going to have a lot to go back and fix when he's done with book 1 lol. I'd probably be smarter to do what you're doing. But I still have a mental block with trills. I need to go to trill school for about a year I think! 🤣 so yeah, it's definitely a handicap with Bach... well pretty much all composers. I feel like if I could finally get my brain to relax and just let them happen, it would open up a whole new world for me!
@@susankinney5193 Hehe. I found that my brain needs to be kicked in the backside, so I go back and refresh what I've done otherwise everything will end up broken.
Trills, trills, trills... They are my specialty. Seriously.
Think of the trill as part of the music rather than something that's dropped on top of it. It took me years to figure this out and like you I got the OMG there's a trill coming up! I would then panic, seize up and not play them. Then one day they clicked.
To go about it, play the part without the trill as if it doesn't exist. Make sure you've got that perfect, so you don't have to worry about that component at all. Now, when it comes to the trill, work before it and sing the line with trill in your head. Using Mozart for example, you know how he'll bring a phrase to a close with a trill on the end, think of how that will sound in your head. Once you've done this, apply that music you hear inside to the piano. This takes a bit of practice, but you'll find that eventually everything will come together. (Sometimes too, what we hear is a lot easier than what we can do!)
Now there's caveat here... Sometimes the mechanics are an issue. By mechanics I mean not only our fingers but also the piano too. There are some pianos that require really digging into the keys to get the tone and these are the most difficult I think to trill on because of the pressure, and there are others that have action problems that prevent the keys from repeating well.
Our own mechanics too play a big part. If you have good articulation, then the physical movements are easy and for me they still are at least for now. For this part, there are exercises, always done slowly of course, by Alloys Schmitt which work on finger independence. Czerny has lots of etudes for this, and so do J B Cramer who I recommend. Cramer's etudes are shorter and cover the same kinds of things, not that they're easier.
Thanks for the tips, John! I just keep avoiding it instead of actually trying to learn the technique needed... just focus on the rest of the music. But it really is a necessity, so I'll try some of your tips. 😊
Nice video, I really enjoyed it!
Thank you very much!
Well done Wim, you managed to nail the piece down with considerably fewer mistakes than I would make given 10x the study time. I'm really not good at getting the great master's (that is, J.S. Bach) works right.
The explanation of the tempo that you chose for this one was particularly insightful. I do have a question about this though: would the choice of instrument, clavichord vs harpshichord for example, and the location you're playing affect your choice of tempo?
those always have an influence, but not to a degree (to me at last) that substantially changes the character of the piece
Very glad that you focused on Tempo reading from the composition. This is a crucial topic, metronome use was in response to a lack of understanding of this.
Listening to your performance now, you're doing great! As usual.
Also I'm having Leffe blonde, my favourite.
Nice work, Wim! I enjoyed the tempo analysis as well.
Thanks for listening
I once came across a work in cut time which also contained the phrase Alla breve in the title.
Interessante per aver ribadito il concetto del tempo .
14:41 i like this part
Für "quasi vom Blatt gespielt" war das doch recht gut! Ich hätte in einer Stunde Vorbereitung vielleicht die Fuge in dem Tempo halbwegs hinbekommen, aber das Präludium scheint mir etwas schwerer zu sein. Manche Sachen aus dem Wohltemperierten Klavier liegen richtig gut in der Hand und andere sind wirklich anstrengend zu üben. Z.B. die Es-Dur Fuge aus Band 2 ist annähernd vom Blatt spielbar im moderaten Tempo, ebenso die F-Moll Präludien aus beiden Bänden und auch die G-Moll Präludien, wobei ich vor dem G-Moll Präludium aus Band 1 immer etwas Angst hatte wegen der Triller in beiden Händen. Aber dann habe ich es einfach mal ausprobiert und abgesehen von einpaar kleinen Fehlern, lief es vom Blatt gespielt schon sehr gut, ohne Vorbereitung. Naja, jedem Pianisten fallen verschiedene technische Figuren leichter, als andere.
Ah I didn't know you were in Belgium (so belgian?), me too, I laways thought that you were from Netherlands. Anyway, great vid, thanks
Born and living in Belgium, studied in the Netherlands!
Comme c'est difficile. Moi j'ai l'impression que ces pièces de Bach c'est une montagne gigantesque à gravir.
As a woodwind player Ioriginally I still find 1/16th-notes intimidating at first sight.
This is a beautiful performance with great explanations. But I have got one question: You talk about the Tempo ordinario being crotchet = 60, and you play that tempo in single beat. But according to your whole beat theory, shouldn't you play it half as slow or call it minim = 60? Or did I understand something wrong?
When you would convert this into a MM you would indeed get quarter = 120 or minim = 60.
Great content! You should create a Udemy course on this :)
Maybe one day!
I found the explanations very informative yet I had expected some kind of ASMR of you practicing, I'd listen to that too. Both together were too much information for me.
Great you enjoyed the video. Forgive my ignorance, but what does stand asmr for? Always happy to make changes in the video format! The full session btw is on my patreon, forgot to mention this in the vid...
Actually I wouldn't consider sixteenth notes in quater note 120 problematic
This is the speed that 9 year olds play scales and arpeggios at for their RCM exams.
The point in understanding notation is to come closer to what the composer had in mind. And in 18,19th century, clarity was always number 1 priority, how fast one could play (or not) is another point. It is interesting though what you write, since q=120 was the speed Hanon described for scales, and was considered in Rach's time as a benchmark to pass the conservatory's exam in Russia. Things evolve!