How Did They Teach? Ideas from the past about Keyboard Instruction

• How did Bach teach his many children?

• Do we know how Mozart taught Hummel?

• Did Czerny teach Beethoven's nephew successfully?

• Was Clara Schumann's father a good piano teacher?

• What sort of teacher was Chopin?

This workshop presents what we know about how the famous keyboard artists and composers of the past taught, complete with musical examples played on harpsichord and piano.

 

How Did They Play? A History of Keyboard Touch

Touch is the “interface” between the keyboard player and the instrument being played. It involves how one approaches the key and how one leaves it to go to another. Keyboard instruments have varied tremendously in the course of music history and so have the methods of playing them. This workshop presents a history of keyboard touch from the English virginalists through the great pianists and composers of the nineteenth century. It seeks to apply what we know about how composers played to our performances of their music, even though we often play very different instruments from theirs. The goal is the development of a varied touch that will bring the music of all periods to life.

Turns, Shakes, and Backfalls: Ornamenting with Confidence

This workshop begins with a short history of ornamentation, beginning with the Renaissance and giving particular emphasis to the two styles prevalent in the Baroque period—French and Italian. The ornamentation of J. S. Bach is discussed at length. We then explore late eighteenth-century embellishment as practiced by C. P. E. Bach and W. A. Mozart. Although examples are performed on harpsichord and/or piano, the subject is pertinent to other instruments and the voice. Participants are encouraged to pose their questions and to perform examples as well.

The Eight Short Preludes and Fugues, BWV 553–560

These short pieces continue to be popular for teaching and service use. They provide a nice introduction to eighteenth-century style. This workshop is based upon Soderlund’s research for her edition of The Eight published by Wayne Leupold Editions. Matters of articulation, touch, and rhythm form the basis of discussion. The goal is to bring these charming pieces to life, no matter on what organ they are performed.

Le bon goût

The French classic style is perhaps the most foreign to performers of today. This workshop explores the aesthetic of French music of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It is based upon Soderlund’s research for her edition of the Livre d’orgue of Louis-Nicolas Clerambault, published by Wayne Leupold Editions. The subjects for discussion are the instruments, the articulation, the ornamentation, and especially the influence of the dance. The goal is to achieve a lively performance of the music on organ, harpsichord, on other instruments, or with the voice.

Louis Vierne: The Man and his Music

This workshop begins with a survey of Vierne’s tragic and heroic life story. It continues with a discussion of the performance problems in his works, involving a consideration of the organ at Notre Dame, the main influences on his music, and the particular challenges of his style. Participants are encouraged to pose their questions and to perform for the class.