- The Beauty and Danger of Live Performance
The Lesson of Neuhaus When I was a student, I read Neuhaus’s The Art of Piano Playing. He wrote that he learned Beethoven’s Hammerklavier Sonata in one week – and that he could play it perfectly even if woken at three in the morning. I never forgot that image. It… Read more: The Beauty and Danger of Live Performance - From Side-by-Side to Stacked: How Piano Duet Notation EvolvedWhen pianists open a duet score today, they expect to see Piano I above and Piano II below, aligned vertically. This layout feels natural to us, but it wasn’t always so. The way piano duets have been notated over time reflects not just technical convenience, but also deeper ideas about… Read more: From Side-by-Side to Stacked: How Piano Duet Notation Evolved
- Why “Fixed Do” Matters in the French Solfège TraditionIn the French Conservatory system, solfège is taught using fixed do (le do fixe). This means that do is always C, ré is always D, mi is always E – no matter the key. By contrast, in the “movable do” system often used in the United States, do represents the… Read more: Why “Fixed Do” Matters in the French Solfège Tradition