Interpreting Beethoven the Silly Way

Pianism is technical artistry or skill at the piano.

Interpretation is bringing out the meaning of the composition.

You sometimes unfortunately see Pianism without Interpretation. I mean, people have the fingers flying and a great piano but the music doesn't say a lot. That's not good, especially when it is great music that could have had a lot to say. Sure, the player has technique, but the music isn't meaning anything to him, and consequently nothing of beauty or import gets across to the listener.

You sometimes see Interpretation without a lot of Pianism, too- People who really do have something to say with their music, but something is preventing them from pulling it off, usually slips in their accuracy or technique or nerves, or unfamiliarity with the piano, or whatever.

It is important to practice for accuracy and skill so your fingers convey the message instead of cloud the message of the music.

It is also important to know to get know your music away from just the keys, too: knowing that the music has something to say. It is good to listen to it in your head, hearing how interesting/beautiful/exciting it can be apart from however you are currently playing it. But I haven't thought of Interpretation without Pianism in quite the same way since I saw this:

The Piano Player

Rowan Atkinson studied very carefully to pull off this comedy stunt: he mimes parts of two Beethoven Sonatas- starting with the Grave (pronounce that "Gra'-vay") section of the Pathetique Sonata in C minor Opus 13 and interrupting it (after looking at his watch!) with the third movement of the "Moonlight Sonata" (Op. 27 No. 2 in C sharp minor). He is utterly silly, but you also see that he gets the music! He understands the "conversations" in music and the times where the music feels exhausted, or heats up into a frenzy.

Doesn't that make you think more about what music can say? It's fun to pull up other Beethoven Sonatas and listen for the dramas to unfold... without the mime- just: Beethoven.

Music to Relax by #2

Venetian Gondola Song

This Song Without Words by Felix Mendelssohn is one of the most haunting, romantic pieces for piano! ...You can hear the dark shiny water reflected in the bass, and the lights flickering all around its gently rippled surface. Then the song begins, wistful and soft, as calm and romantic as the handsome boatman poling you along. There are candles along the waterway glowing like starts in the night, and flowers on the gondola. The night is warm...

The funny thing is, this fine and gentle performance is done by a guy who looks awfully sweaty- he must have been performing for a long time previously in that concert, or maybe it was a hot summer night. Or maybe he just sweats when he performs. It's hard to perform! My big problem is my nose runs. Let's say I've got my piece well under control, well no matter; I get adrenaline anyway and it all comes out my nose. You can't stop in the middle of a long fugue to blow it all out. That puts a big, undignified break in the work of art. Even if I do memorize all my music I still ought to have a page turner even if only for intermittently holding a hanky to my nose. Still I am thankful: I don't get sweaty hands. I'd rather suffer a wet upper lip than to have to play Fugues on a Slip'n'slide.