Piano masterclass on Liszt B minor sonata with Alfred Brendel at the Royal College of Music

[Applause] i don't have to introduce the least sonata you probably realize that it is his finest work and the greatest sonata piano sonata written after beethoven sugar please [Music] do [Music] so so so [Music] so [Music] do [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] thank you very much there's a lot to admire i like a lot of what you are doing i particularly i'm grateful that you do not neglect the written because most people do there's the octaves and they are not sure how to play them or how to how to fake them you're doing fine now at the beginning it is at least tradition that these first strokes should sound like soft timpani strokes [Music] go deep into the keys and play them like that in in in into the into into the case [Music] a little more now [Music] yes you know this beginning as you played sounds as if you are bored and of course it's not singing it's not speaking it's a kind of musical thinking but you have still to feel it you see you have a dynamic marking [Music] another thing these isolated genes are syncopations and we have to know it if you just start like this we don't [Music] give the one to yourself and to the public [Music] yes you need more of of the long note by the way there are some additions which have changed the long note it is only half a note in the in the second bar can i see which you addition which edition you are using yes but it's right here yeah but yeah it's right so please [Music] more yeah don't don't be too fast at the end [Music] here [Music] that is very good so we have we had the first theme just at the beginning we have the second theme the second idea which is if you like faust uh liszt had composed the first symphony just before and he didn't give this another title or he didn't give give it original bell markings but it is possible i think that some of the fast ideas have gone into this piece in the first symphony each of the characters has a different movement here each of the characters has different theme so for me this is faust followed closely by mephisto that two different characters named mephisto is [Music] subversive [Music] to do the methyl [Music] yes also this is only forte you played it for this simultaneously [Music] can you think more of this meaningful dynamics more petals this does not have to be so psychopathy now if you could you see it's important to have the downbeat here the yeah now don't play this like a poor arpeggio this is thematic every note [Music] like an orchestra [Music] you see he has an infiltrator here poco forte if you have the right character is enough papa now don't do this kind of roberto here list when he composed this sonata was in charge of the orchestra and weimar for 12 years he was in connection with orchestral rhythm and there are certain things which should stay in this ensemble written there is an orchestral version of the b minor sonata by the hungarian composer leo weiner which is unfortunately hardly performed it's very hard but it's a wonderful it teaches you more about the piece than some performances that turn it into a feverish dream do it again [Music] now inside stop yourself a little bit you can't play that very well because it's just a little bit fuzzy [Music] try to do it with pedal [Music] not only the accented note but also the notes before [Music] yeah now if you look into this score what is the dynamic here right head is very good but left bottom bottom part [Music] where you have those those notes hold the tempo imperceptibly a little better [Music] you see whether there is staccato or not pedals are often necessary a piano score is not the score of a string quartet or of an orchestra in the string quartet you can rely how long the notes should sound in the piano score of the 19th century you have to find out the original pedestal list are often covering long spaces and what is written down is the length of you touching the key not necessarily the length of how should it how it should sound and when you play staccato into the pedal it sounds different than if you play long notes so try [Music] that is all very good when we come to the climax here don't make an artillerando but play every of the octaves with with full force relaxed but with big sound [Music] yes one pedal [Music] feel the distance too [Music] daddy [Music] that's very good is that that only these are legato chords visual sounds play an intense legato with the help of the pedal don't make the ralentangdo too much too soon [Music] change the color change the balances when you when you get there and prepare it just with the notes just before i also need the upper voice and the heater arm palm can have more space [Music] that was much better than what you did before also because rhythmically you didn't play so feverishly this is not the favorite theme grandiose do it again the character more aggressive [Music] i think it's a mistake to go on here with the same sound before you had the full orchestra here you have mostly the strings so even if it is forte do a different kind of balance yes what i would recommend here is the first one the 41 short at the end the second one with more pedal [Music] ah [Music] time [Music] now you have the first group and the second group has a different meaning different [Music] take a little more time for the upbeats here [Music] thank you now solo cello yes don't keep the pedal completely take it away uh it's very difficult to find you when you played it before you you did it better do it with the right hand [Music] no no not long this is a short note no no not tenuto down [Music] yes but you here you have a new color this is a kind of piano and this is pianism [Music] that balance [Music] yes now this is only a transition this is not a new theme this is not an important new character it's a gracious transition don't take too much time and don't make too too too much weather about it [Music] [Music] simply yeah they sounded [Music] is too loud no no too loud no too loud no no little no no no no no no make the light the little finger lighter no no yeah it all sounds a bit labored and as if you would like to express something that is not there tada [Music] yes we lose the end too much and also think of buddha even if it's not loud it is again it is a cello [Music] no that's what i would not do but there is a [Music] do the second group a little louder and then go down but rhythmically rather calm [Music] and don't start new lead into something don't wait too long you are concentrating on the right hand here which is fine but don't lose the character i would recommend an accent at the beginning for you and on the last note because then it leads on yes now here first of all take time don't get faster and the left hand is much too noisy they open up [Music] don't push yes make clear the harmony [Music] mmm go back into the temple most people place it much too slow he didn't do a tempo here because the the it it is not a strict tempo with a tempo people would think one two three four it's not but it should be fluent each time each time this theme comes [Music] [Music] yes now you have one color for the the singing voice the first female voice here the singer is here the rest is there no too much diminuendo you have a long note there [Music] me now that takes more time [Music] yes now here we have one bar in good piano the next bar with [Music] a unaccordingly of color no don't be don't be too soft too soon [Music] hmm [Music] here from here on the right hand two voices and not only them you hurry the little notes now there are people who hurry little notes and people who cherish little nose uh unless i mean there is a reason that they should be matter of fact [Music] but [Music] foreign not just just any rhythm this bar needs more time in four yes and now give the counter voice here in the left hand do that last part again and convince yourself it was not convincing [Music] puppy yes don't come late let the importer be there yes you can have more dynamics not too much diminuendo they don't fall off now this is a this is a soft passage but give it meaning each note thank you is a different interval than what we had before and a new harmony from here right hand extremely soft the left hand on poco marcato and where does the crescendo start could you look into the music yes this is still soft same pianissimo done [Music] no please play the rhythmic it is meaningful [Music] now you see we are here in any kind of rapture and what follows is an extended rapture it's not if you think that list wrote music just to be brilliant then don't play him he really didn't do something magical without this this with this condenser yes [Music] you see you are playing a different rhythm here this is not what he wrote you play almost a triplet here yes keep it a little more pointed to you [Music] yes it's good to start a little slowly here but that was too slow be very soft at the beginning [Music] give little accents don't just move and go don't rush away metaphored and gradually get louder but really in one line [Music] he has that accent always here maybe at the beginning you can have more out of the upper voice the heart you eat our team [Music] now there is no need to start a new here go on [Music] lift the arm if you could give more sound to the double notes here as a counter voice when you are here you can play with [Music] battle now what you did here it's very good that you want to get that clear but don't slow down and then there is transgender the temple now was much better because you have enough space to make the strange angle later okay this is one voice please i think [Music] how shall we do this calendar it's not easy but try persuade yourself already theory area [Music] in character this is again graceful not [Music] sound is very good now straighten it out in [Music] yes written i would take longer pedals here think of connecting these notes do it again [Music] very often when we have accents the note before should be included sometimes even take over this is in shubert very common thank you don't make so many holes here this is this is our pedal and most of his pedals are quite good but this is too short for my taste hold the pedal till the next one now the left hand is relatively easy and you should know how to play it without having to pay attention to it it just plays itself but the right hand pump you have wind players and then string players for my taste when he has too much of the upper voice and not enough of the chord [Music] here take pedal over the rest make this one phrase and not two you know what i mean no it's good that you you you somewhere start softer but not here here or at the beginning one pedal [Music] bum yes now you got into some sort of technical plane make music with it i have three phrases here one two the third one has more intensity do it again a little faster [Music] now for once we have an eighth note show it [Music] put all of this together little faster start softer here otherwise we have too much noise here not so convulsive more in one line here we need pedal and we need the base notes very important always one pedal into the next [Music] yes you know i think it's one large pedal it would be very typical for liszt to have these pedals if you ask me why didn't he write it differently because if he would lie a long note there it wouldn't sound right technically i mean in in the attack to the piano so you you do what is written but you take the pedal busy good for my old ears it is just sounds slightly too aggressive it should be powerful but maybe if you could give even less of this and coming from here [Music] where is the accent [Music] bum now maybe the last one is a little bit more [Music] and now yes you see this is a very difficult spot there are lots of diminished seventh chords maybe too many and it shouldn't sound whining so don't collapse m yes now do the same the same intensity and not quite so aggressive it is 40 but not more [Music] yes this is still in the character of apacionato it should still have the same patterns [Music] that was much better but do it again with more pedal in this part of the piano [Applause] [Music] now when you look look at this the right hand has this declaration in the left hand there is a chord which is leading into the next chord so there's a possibility to play this as softly as necessary to follow this chord you don't know let's try yes you have that [Music] let it there when you have stopped your right hand [Music] and continue it [Music] [Applause] [Music] let it sound [Music] now again [Music] wait [Music] [Applause] in tempo [Applause] now to me this has too much of the upper voice play everything here the main thing starts m father yes but you see the the goal of this actually should not sound weak yes just marcato it's too complicated don't don't make enormous drama here [Music] my do it again and think of the last cause now for my money this last bar [Music] foreign just for the just just for not noise you know sounds too much like a like sitting in a train [Music] right yes i usually like your sound basically very much but what i don't like is when you have the upper voice so prominent when you have chords the chords should sound warm yes that is too matter of fact [Music] do it again yeah now arpeggios are not just a help to play chords if the hands are not big enough they are usually a matter of expression slower slow [Music] go on [Music] so [Music] so so yeah let's let's look at that now what is the character of this sixth theme it is [Music] i think a kind of sublime [Music] simplicity [Music] me [Music] there is a fermata there in some additions it is missing but try again very little of the baseline no it leads towards this bar [Music] yes i'm sorry i'm i'm not happy with the bass line it's too loud think more of the middle voices [Music] yes do that chord and do a really good balance listen to yourself no it's better but it's still too much here yeah he says dolce here with for the for the second phrase there should be some some very discreet uh kind of rapture here [Music] yes now those little notes sound a little bit as if they were pasted somewhere [Music] incorporate them into the melody [Music] no no no that for me is absolutely impossible this sudden change of temporary yes no stay in time [Music] yes a little more you lost the melody yes now try to enjoy what's happening here with the middle voices here and then there are more voices there so the sound fills up [Music] not with me play out of the keys not into the key or down through the keys [Music] yes but something is happening here something strange i mean this is this is a a kind of uh melody which you do not expect [Music] play the left hand together it sounds better [Music] so [Music] all right let's look at that these two bars are a kind of suspense again much more fluent here in the character of of what we had before but more withdrawn more spiritual [Music] no do it again you can i'm sure you can do it better [Music] yes and [Music] yes but this needs a little bit of suspense [Music] at the end of these two bars envisage that something is coming [Music] yes yes you play so beautifully and why do you play the octaves with a loud upper voice and the soft lower voice this is a common fallacy it may be sometimes necessary but generally not play the octaves if they would be a new color of one instrument not two again these little notes they're not just grace notes they are expressive devices [Music] [Music] but [Music] yes but [Music] look like this yes it's better what is still neglected is the control of the rhythm of accompanying figures you can change the tempo you can do tempo modifications but don't get sloppy with the little notes [Music] control [Music] yes yes yes yes do it again yes and now in 3p thank you yes [Music] not just i mean at random yes it is all right we have the second bar always with the soft pedal but not [Music] make these little notes sort of grow out of what is before [Music] much better [Music] foreign take a little time here yes but build it up for my musical imagination this should not be so slow i know that it is technically extremely awkward but we have two hands use two hands and control yourself but it's not eager the gadget it's one hour [Music] was too much yes now what is the declaration reader there are rt [Music] think you are a conductor you have an opera what is happening thank you very much beautiful [Applause] [Music] so [Music] do [Music] so [Music] [Music] do [Music] [Music] hmm do do [Music] do [Music] so [Music] do [Music] [Music] so do [Music] do [Music] do [Music] um [Music] [Music] [Music] you are very good in creating some turmoil [Music] but we have to control the terminal a bit better we can play control and end getting some turmoil that's what i would actually prefer now let us start at the end i noticed that you have very much the habit of playing the outer voices and completely neglecting the inner voices and i mean you are sort of apologizing that they are there now play play this chord [Music] now pianissimo [Music] listen you played that's what i heard before no too loud no yeah go to what's digital [Music] no i hear mostly your bass thank you now you played them together because before when you played none of them was together yeah and what happened what follows now is land to our side this is slower you have been before too slow now please listen [Music] it's [Music] yeah trivial much of only the upper no don't worry there are so many beautiful voices [Music] no it goes there there is an accent on that note and now gradually no you are too soft too soon yes now you have [Music] it's all right but you have very much of the upper voice and not enough of the inner voices [Music] uh yes the written is [Music] is too insecure to non-descript conduct yourself and don't have battle there do it again [Music] don't take too much time [Music] yeah and don't wait for half an hour now i i'm all for peddling about them it's too muddy if you take the pedal in the last part of the bar just before the next chord that works [Music] all the voices yes there is poco crescendo on these three bars and then there is a sudden [Music] pianissimo [Music] um [Music] yes no you see this is not now we have the pianissimo on the chords here that means before that it can be a little louder but not too loud not as loud as you played before [Music] let's go back to f-sharp your left hand for my taste is sometimes too loud and particularly if you have gordon play the upper voice with metaphor the middle voice in the right hand piano and the left hand pianissimo intensity [Music] don't start completely and again the balance with more right hand little left hand when you have the crescendo and you have so many notes in in the bass do the crescendo only in the right hand and only in the very last moment bring the left hand out now i want to show you something we have a metaphor we have forty not what is simon we have crescendo moretto and then there is fortissimo so you start here with energy but not too loud [Music] run [Music] bring it out is the climax of the piece and zawa also says hold it back and everything here t also the left hand is very important full orchestra where can you start [Music] and we have to generate a big sound which is not a bashed sound a crescendo should most of the time expand and not go like this try to do that the left hand in balance is too loud and then the arpeggios the middle voice is at least as important as the upper voice you only play the upper voice and the bass especially yeah and go on you have to to learn to think in big units you are sometimes carried away by the moment uh don't i mean preserve some of the intensity but [Music] have have a wide arch uh let's do that again yes enter there's a nice middle voice here yes this is very hard to do in the right way try again [Music] now i think you are on the staircase you go down step by step it's meaningless without it yes please clear this is not an arpeggio in pedal i hardly hear the left hand [Music] take a little time to wait too late too slow [Music] it goes on for quite a while you know [Music] think of a string player who plays every note with a free bow but with fingers too slow [Music] yes there is an accent here but it looks kind of an inner accent it's not [Music] a warm accent with middle voices too much [Music] yes no this the rhythm here has to be completely controlled [Music] every note [Music] go on [Music] again middle voice is too soon count yes you lost the middle voice you should do a diminuendo here but not lose the sounds [Music] keep the pedal here on the on the high day [Music] too soon [Music] yes you see if you if you stop here all the time then the music doesn't go on the people are just waiting what what what comes next where's the next [Music] now no no no where are the notes yes but not this should be tranquility here not in any agitation not nervousness no you are missing the notes yes here take a little break [Music] now what do we have here is this still a melody or is this just a filler for two bars within the pianissimo give every note it's due here you can come out a little more because we have again perdendos see here until the 3p no you should you see you played uh [Music] you have a long note then you hurry two notes and then you go on don't sit here and then rush yes but this is non-descript put two and two together [Music] the ram is too fast yes and i i hardly hear the right hand do it again [Music] yum [Music] it's also important even in the background no [Music] this figure wherever it comes in this sonata play it calmly yes and now give more weight to these little nose [Music] mmm [Music] yes i still hear almost only the left hand the right hand has no life anyway you have to work that out it's also rhythmically not solved yet let's go on here yes the tempo is too fast now i know that it is very hard to play it slower it's much harder to play it slower but young buddy too soon please count like an orchestra and take him pedal no too soon too soon sorry this is important yes don't lose [Music] yes [Music] foreign yes [Music] exactly time always to give pedal to miami like [Music] yes now concentrate on this trumpet to retain the sound also in the little notes [Music] papa look what he wrote in dynamics [Music] here [Music] foreign give very big clarity in the pedal [Music] as important as the left hand is i also need a better balance [Music] it's too much like a machine [Music] do do now let's stay in tempo yes you do the dynamics which is very nice but let's stay in piano and do also a little bit yes once more just to avoid a in a not good i don't like [Music] more like a vibration than than like beats now start piano and get a crescendo particularly towards the end a little more petal on this one yes yeah now you have too much noise in the left hand what i recommend is and then take the left hand away and let the right hand shine yes much better you like it better yeah okay but now let's let's have the written completely right [Music] just more ominous in phrasing [Music] each time [Music] no it should have i think here quite a lot of dynamics [Music] good what was a little bit of missing was the feeling that it gets more and more a crescendo malto you didn't quite have the resources or you didn't didn't want to do it so be careful when you are here so that you can really go through three bars [Music] this is technically brilliant but it's musically not very interesting the higher you go the more pedal you can take also keep than the the octave in the left very good just i mean it would be so nice to have this thing here because well uh you could do it well this time yeah but yeah [Music] now what you should never do when i'm watching you or when i'm listening to you what goes through the case there is a horrible german word amslak which it sounds like somebody is making an assault on you think of touch or touche or something but evening [Music] yes [Music] too long too long do it again [Music] no you see that's what i have do you want this get too aggressive here this is not really a very loud uh sort of percussive thing myself [Music] orchestra [Music] now don't forget this is not the first time we have a very big sound this is 40. [Music] not that is too weak it is still for an energetic the left hand is is so loud that we have an orchestra of a few violins violas quite a few jelly and and seven double basses [Music] sitting sitting in front of the stage no not limp no don't do diminuendo [Music] different yes pianissimo [Music] yes but the rhythm is now a little more [Music] gold [Music] well you have a long note at the end and that has to sound true instead of play into the pedal detach [Music] yes yes don't be sentimental do it again [Music] again [Music] there is i mean musically endings don't hurry they have several voices here you have an orchestra the syncopation has to sound through [Music] no i i i don't hear your small nose [Music] don't be so soft here yes now play this so that every note is and faster yes you are always missing out on the basis here baby and here and what follows and here you are missing out on the middle voice foreign and on i mean don't don't take so much time at transition now choose an instrument let maybe the oboe [Music] and play an oval throughout and [Music] and be in the foreground while the right hand is somewhere in in the sky [Music] yes within this scale gives [Music] you should even if you have peddling it should not just sound like a wash if you have the pedal you you have to play particularly clearly [Music] yeah that's still a bit too slow let's do it again [Music] yes from here on already from one slightly faster no it's too fast [Music] foreign [Music] but [Music] this is not a staccato [Music] we make this trinigendo already here but with enough space to do a lot more temporary yes can we do that again sure i only hear your upper voice there are three notes in the chords here i would do a little bit of a pump [Music] piano absolutely take a little time here [Music] you don't need quite so much rubato here don't frighten us too much of the second chord we should be more than the first [Music] all the notes in the right hand in left hand is softer [Music] them is too slow here remember when you have cards so low and you do too much crescendo you kill everything else do hardly any crescendo with the left hand here do all with the right hand [Music] this first chord was good the second one was sober [Music] now again you have this and you do not have enough the middle voices [Music] the worms of the of the be natural here that's too much that's too much here too much no no no no no pianissi simone [Music] just basically do not play this and lingering [Music] [Music] yeah your middle voice is [Music] harmony thank you [Music] middle boys yeah too much no balance is not good the rhythm is a little bit too barbaric yes yes now you have got the idea of the written here now please perceive that there are instruments coming in these are string [Music] instruments [Music] too much without a an accent to either [Music] more petal here [Music] dawn too late it is [Music] yes please play this together [Music] and in the pedal play these notes non-legato not [Music] is [Music] you see the chords should be very even very clear but you only need the pedal in the last part of the bar to connect one with the other [Music] uh it's this is piano it is sort of but it's not pianissimo yeah this is a little bit too fast for [Music] comfort [Music] let's let's do that again and do the crescendo here so i could at least ask a question if i have to leave those things [Music] to clean this up well maybe from here on you can take longer pedals but do you not have the the hand to play this no it's not necessary [Music] here you need a pedal [Music] poco crescendo no no no no no it it the higher it gets in the last three bars the more there is in dynamics and then suddenly falls into pianissimo [Music] it's like [Music] strike the street [Music] yes [Music] and not too slow not bad this is a solo instrument [Music] legato [Music] dog [Music] go again [Music] be aware of this voice now before we go i tell you something he has a crescendo on this chord if you change the pedal in the next bar on some pianos there is the crescendo [Music] a little more [Music] long [Music] [Laughter] no [Music] thank you very much you

Channel: Royal College of Music

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Length: 170min 44sec (10244 seconds)

Published: Thu Sep 17 2020