It's so refreshing to see classical/baroque improvisation addressed properly! I've been wanting to learn so much more about this, and I really think it's a shame that generally classical musicians today, only have the capacity to play music by others, rather than the musical knowledge to explore on their own, and in real time.
Well, being able to play the music of geniuses can be sometimes better than improvising your crap. I agree that pianists should be able to improvise, but also the repertoire is immense today (not like in Beethoven's time) and physically you just don't have the time to do both.
@@Paroles_et_Musique Lol man the repertoire was by no means small in Beethoven's time. The thing is that back then the tradition we now know as classical music was still very much alive, and people were able to create that music, as well as play the works of revered masters. Now we just don't teach composition to normal pianists, and so of course their improvising is bad.
@@josephgreenecomposer7046 It is same as before, good and very good pianists still can toy with piano and improvise, is just that there are no longer geniuses like Mozart and Beethoven who can do that for an entire concert. Reasons are multiple, first the language evolved so you have an enormous tonal and atonal base to pick from, then practicing the repertoire takes much more time, since Beethoven the repertoire got 100 x bigger. You say it didn't, you aren't serious. Then, a thing pianists never did in the past, modern pianists have to memorize this repertoire. Thats a lot of work. Also, this guy in the video, he doesn't improvise, he harmonizes a bass, and even that very simplistic way, he barely exits the I-IV-V harmonic schemas, moreover in the second simplest scale, G major. I don't want to be negative, but what he does any child in any musical school can do easily. I expected much more seeing the title.
@@Paroles_et_Musique Look bro, I don't want to be contrary, but I never said that the repertoire didn't grow since Beethoven, obviously as time passed there have been more pieces written. But in Beethoven's time, there wasn't an emphasis on playing all the music from all the dead composers all the time, but rather on continuing to create new music. And yeah, obviously they didn't have to do as much memorization. To be honest, I think there are certain advantages to that (and certain advantages to memorization as well). But I do think it's a problem that classical composition today has moved to a point that next to no one actually wants to play anything written by "serious" composers today, and hardly anyone composes because if they write music that actually sounds "classical" in the sense of Beethoven, Mozart, or the earlier romantic composers, they will be sneered on as not modern enough. And sure this is a very basic approach to improvisation, but it's a starting point, and there certainly are certain pieces (Handel comes to mind) which are written in this style.
I learned how to improvise fully from a brilliant rock guitarist. We had an underlying chord structure to start with but to be truly free and in communication with each other we dropped that and freely improvised by listening and producing a musical conversation. After that I can sit at the piano, get in touch with myself and simply play. Of course some patterns help to start with but true freedom begins to build once you can bring in contrapuntal techniques and drop a fixed harmonic sequence. I am still working on that. Sometimes I am surprised by my mood when I try this. Drawback? I find it much harder to play within the strict limitations of printed classical music. I feel confined.
Great video! Still boggles my mind that most classical musicians can't improvise. I'm coming to classical after years and years of rock and pop (and occasional classical mixed in when I wanted). This seems like a fun way to improvise with limitations I haven't tried before
The paradox is, within few time of learning the bases and exploring, anyone with decent piano skills can learn then improvise, but even with time, not everyone will be able to interpret let's say Beethoven with all the details required. if only days had 70 hours, maybe we could do so much more.
I acknowledge Dr. Mortensen's research on classical improvisation, but I feel that his lesson is overly simplistic. His demonstration is heavily focused on analysis and overlooks crucial elements of musical performance such as dynamics, articulation, and phrasing. Simply playing arpeggios up and down does not qualify as music, it's just a basic analytical aspect. There is also an excessive emphasis on scalar figures that are played in a straightforward manner, lacking any sense of rhythm. Where is the musical outcome? If the demonstration at the end is the final product, who would actually want to play like that?
My impression is that there is the assumption that the student following these lessons is already at least moderately competent in regards to musicality and technique. Intended for modern pianists who've already had the standard education based on repertoire performance and light theory. As for the end the end result, it's subjective of course. I think that would be a fine prelude to a little improvised suite. Just a quick little opener before more interesting music. If you go look at 17th century keyboard suites you'll find many of them start with a prelude quite similar to this.
This is true music. Improvisation and the old tradition was completely taken away from the classical reportoire because of people with that mindset. Musical freedom is much needed in the modern world.
It's so refreshing to see classical/baroque improvisation addressed properly! I've been wanting to learn so much more about this, and I really think it's a shame that generally classical musicians today, only have the capacity to play music by others, rather than the musical knowledge to explore on their own, and in real time.
Well, being able to play the music of geniuses can be sometimes better than improvising your crap. I agree that pianists should be able to improvise, but also the repertoire is immense today (not like in Beethoven's time) and physically you just don't have the time to do both.
@@Paroles_et_Musique Lol man the repertoire was by no means small in Beethoven's time. The thing is that back then the tradition we now know as classical music was still very much alive, and people were able to create that music, as well as play the works of revered masters. Now we just don't teach composition to normal pianists, and so of course their improvising is bad.
@@josephgreenecomposer7046 It is same as before, good and very good pianists still can toy with piano and improvise, is just that there are no longer geniuses like Mozart and Beethoven who can do that for an entire concert. Reasons are multiple, first the language evolved so you have an enormous tonal and atonal base to pick from, then practicing the repertoire takes much more time, since Beethoven the repertoire got 100 x bigger. You say it didn't, you aren't serious.
Then, a thing pianists never did in the past, modern pianists have to memorize this repertoire. Thats a lot of work.
Also, this guy in the video, he doesn't improvise, he harmonizes a bass, and even that very simplistic way, he barely exits the I-IV-V harmonic schemas, moreover in the second simplest scale, G major. I don't want to be negative, but what he does any child in any musical school can do easily. I expected much more seeing the title.
@@Paroles_et_Musique Look bro, I don't want to be contrary, but I never said that the repertoire didn't grow since Beethoven, obviously as time passed there have been more pieces written. But in Beethoven's time, there wasn't an emphasis on playing all the music from all the dead composers all the time, but rather on continuing to create new music.
And yeah, obviously they didn't have to do as much memorization. To be honest, I think there are certain advantages to that (and certain advantages to memorization as well). But I do think it's a problem that classical composition today has moved to a point that next to no one actually wants to play anything written by "serious" composers today, and hardly anyone composes because if they write music that actually sounds "classical" in the sense of Beethoven, Mozart, or the earlier romantic composers, they will be sneered on as not modern enough. And sure this is a very basic approach to improvisation, but it's a starting point, and there certainly are certain pieces (Handel comes to mind) which are written in this style.
Paroles et Musique@ just because repertoire has increased doesn't mean you have to be able to play everything? Unless you are a yes man.
I learned how to improvise fully from a brilliant rock guitarist.
We had an underlying chord structure to start with but to be truly free and in communication with each other we dropped that and freely improvised by listening and producing a musical conversation.
After that I can sit at the piano, get in touch with myself and simply play. Of course some patterns help to start with but true freedom begins to build once you can bring in contrapuntal techniques and drop a fixed harmonic sequence. I am still working on that.
Sometimes I am surprised by my mood when I try this.
Drawback? I find it much harder to play within the strict limitations of printed classical music. I feel confined.
Great video! Still boggles my mind that most classical musicians can't improvise. I'm coming to classical after years and years of rock and pop (and occasional classical mixed in when I wanted). This seems like a fun way to improvise with limitations I haven't tried before
The paradox is, within few time of learning the bases and exploring, anyone with decent piano skills can learn then improvise, but even with time, not everyone will be able to interpret let's say Beethoven with all the details required. if only days had 70 hours, maybe we could do so much more.
@@Paroles_et_Musique, note even Beethoven would be able to interpret his own sonatas with all the required niceties of today’s modern piano pedagogy.
Love this guy
Wonderful video and audio set up Prof. M. And tempting...
This is EXACTLY how I learned my scales and arpeggios. I never once played a scale just as a sterile series of tones.
"Harmonic audacity" (especially on the dominant)
Pianists and organists do this all the time in church.
And they better stop
@@playhaway 😂
It's great that you don't have to use any counterpoint in the inner voices!!!
Can use Rule of the Octave
Yes
Would Chopin's first Op. 10 etude and final Op. 25 etude be a nod to this tradition?
Yes!
Edit: And several others, like op. 25 no. 1
"Move soprano in contrary motion or tenth's to the bass"
I acknowledge Dr. Mortensen's research on classical improvisation, but I feel that his lesson is overly simplistic. His demonstration is heavily focused on analysis and overlooks crucial elements of musical performance such as dynamics, articulation, and phrasing. Simply playing arpeggios up and down does not qualify as music, it's just a basic analytical aspect. There is also an excessive emphasis on scalar figures that are played in a straightforward manner, lacking any sense of rhythm. Where is the musical outcome? If the demonstration at the end is the final product, who would actually want to play like that?
My impression is that there is the assumption that the student following these lessons is already at least moderately competent in regards to musicality and technique.
Intended for modern pianists who've already had the standard education based on repertoire performance and light theory.
As for the end the end result, it's subjective of course. I think that would be a fine prelude to a little improvised suite. Just a quick little opener before more interesting music. If you go look at 17th century keyboard suites you'll find many of them start with a prelude quite similar to this.
He's just showing the base, simplest form and concept of unmeasured preludes. Everything about dynamics, articulation, phrasing and rhythm come after.
It’s not music at all
What makes you say so?
This is true music. Improvisation and the old tradition was completely taken away from the classical reportoire because of people with that mindset. Musical freedom is much needed in the modern world.
Chopin would’ve laughed at his own Chopin competition where they play the same notes every time
@@Pretzels722 chopin actually got mad at lizst bc he added a trill to one of his nocturnes
@@Echo20394 yes because he just adds a trill which everyone can do. also improvisation wasnt always about adding trills or ornaments.