Maria JoĆ£o Pires and Memorization
Hello everyone!
Have you caught the latest Tonebase YouTube video? You've probably seen the legendary video of Maria JoĆ£o Pires recovering from the orchestra playing a different concerto than she had been expecting. In this video, that event leads to a discussion with the fantastic Noa Kageyama on memorization, the power of acceptance, and strategies for combating stage fright.
This is one of my favorite videos I've worked on thus far, and I really hope you enjoy it as well!
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This was an excellent video, Robert -- both inspiring and educational. And I had never seen the part where the conductor is encouraging her to go on with the Mozart D minor -- I can't decide whether that reflects more an attitude of faith, hope, and love (which it seems to, and which is moving in itself) or more "sorry, this is the music the orchestra has, and it's what we're playing, with you or without". I wonder if something like this has ever happened where the orchestra shifted gears rather than the soloist...
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My wife at the time (1978) was in the Phoenix (AZ) Symphony. Claude Frank was to play one of the two Chopin concertos when he heard the orchestra rehearsing the āotherā concerto. The orchestra was able to switch.
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John Goodman At least he caught the disjunction at the rehearsal -- if he'd been on stage when he heard the opening notes...!
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Vicky Brandt Good point. I would have thought Pires an the orchestra would have had a rehearsal where the disconnect would have become apparent. Thoughts?
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John Goodman she was called in at the last minute to replace another pianist, and both concertos were already well known to be in her repertoire (and were undoubtedly in the orchestra's rep as well), so under the circumstances they seem to have just assumed they'd make beautiful music together on stage. That speaks to a degree of intimate understanding of the music that I think even most music students never imagine trying to achieve! Along similar lines, I was watching one of Boris Giltburg's courses on Tonebase and looked up his website, and was delighted to read some accounts he'd written of performances that were memorable to him for nonmusical reasons: swarms of insects landing on the keyboard at an outdoor concert, drawn by the light on the keys, bats "pooh-pooing" his performance rather too literally, etc. The obstacles musicians have to surmount are varied and mind-boggling!
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I have seen it, how inspiring and amazing is that. While I pray nothing like that ever happens to me, I'm always astounded when something I played years ago surfaces from muscle memory.
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Thanks for sharing this! Very inspiring and real.
Knowing how to prepare a piece and really get it in your bones is so important. I was to play the Rhapsody in Blue with our local orchestra and on the dress rehearsal I stopped cold in the middle of the percussive piano solo section. It got away from me and tumbled. I was so thankful it happened in rehearsal and I knew exactly what to do so it didn't happen in performance.
I sat down meditatively and went over every note in my head feeling my hands and the keyboard only in my head. It brought about an ah ha moment and I went on to give two great performances (according to the audience and music critic) and actually enjoyed that section of the piece the most.
Tonebase bringing these artists into our homes is a blessing!
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Linda Gould Now _that_ is an even more inspiring story!
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Linda Gould Wow, thanks for sharing your experience! That is an amazing example of the power of mental practicing! It sounds like you handled it with grace and brilliance.
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