Emanuel Ax on Learning Chopin in Lockdown

"If I didn't practice, I wouldn't know what to do with myself" - Emanuel Ax
Watch the full interview and performances: www.tonebase.co/piano/campaig...
At his home in the Berkshires, Emanuel Ax practices in a spacious loft above the garage - detached from the main house, so as not to wake any family when sitting down at the piano first thing in the morning. It was there that he spent much of 2020, in refuge from the coronavirus pandemic that was ravaging New York City.
When not dedicated to charity work alongside his friend and duo partner of nearly a half-century, Yo-Yo Ma, Ax was buckled in at his Steinway, learning works by Bach and Chopin that he had been meaning to add to his repertoire for decades.
Join Head of Piano Ben Laude as he sits side-by-side with "Manny" at his piano in the woods for an intimate conversation, exploring the meaning of music in a time of disease, and probing some of the Chopin pieces Ax recently added to his repertoire.
Videography: Christopher and Mary Smith; Sound: Dennis Schweitzer.
Free PDF: Tips from Master Pianists - Scales & Arpeggios
Ever wished you could learn how to play scales from Chopin or Rachmaninoff? Now you can.
In this free PDF, we explore scales and arpeggios - the backbone of a pianist's technical training - from the perspectives of master pianists including Rachmaninoff, Liszt, Chopin, and Brahms.
➡️ campaigns.tonebase.co/piano-l...
---
tonebase gives you instant access to knowledge from the world's greatest classical musicians, performers, and educators. Learn more by visiting tonebase.co/piano
Facebook - / tonebasepiano
Instagram - / tonebasepiano
Questions? Contact us: [e-mail]

[@tonebasePiano]

A typo slipped in at 6:07. It's of course just the "Barcarolle"... although we would love to hear what Chopin's "Nocturne-Barcarolle" would have sounded like!! :)

[@Rachman01]

We get a small glimpse of this at the “dolce sfogato” section.. 😊

[@valda8925]

Polish has word "próba", haven't You mistaken? :)

[@gspaulsson]

@@valda8925 probe in English. Also prove, proof. Musi istnięć wspólny korzeń indoeuropejski

[@denise2169]

Tone base, the greatest musicians never play the same piece exactly the same way twice! Otherwise, the music does not seem spontaneous and deep to me.

[@xxManscapexx]

I met him when I was a very young little pianist and I was worried that my hands were too small. He held up his hand to compare to mine, and did a little trick to make it seem like our hands were almost he same size, and since he had just played Rachmaninoff it made me feel like I could also play Rachmaninoff. I lived off of that confidence kick for years. I think I STILL am! Thank you, Emanuel Ax!

[@davidhertzberg]

What a wonderful interview. Mr. Ax is so self-effacing, so humble. A wise, brilliant man.

[@suzyserling277]

Hi David; you are so right! It is so touching to listen to someone so honest, so sincere!. Take care.

[@patrickgomes2213]

The best musicians are.

[@JoelHernandez-yl6yw]

I agree with you so much. He is such a charming individual, so full of grace yet brilliant in his own right. Admire him very much.

[@hastensavoir7782]

Pleasure to listen to

[@angelob.1089]

I love that he is not afraid to admit that he is nervous or that he has lapses in his recordings. I think a lot of us can learn from Mr. Ax that we should continue to count our blessings amidst this worldwide crisis. Truly a wonderful pianist and person.

[@WesCoastPiano]

"Chopin is the greatest of them all, for with the piano alone he discovered everything." - Claude Debussy

[@MoonbaseEagle1]

I have had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Ax twice and can confirm that he is one of the most kind-hearted professional artists on the planet. It is simply astounding how accessible and friendly he is. I hope he somehow knows how much he has brightened the world with his profound soul.

[@jeffaldridge4051]

Watching this makes me marvel at how such a gifted individual can be so honestly and impossibly modest. What a joy he is!

[@republiccooper]

I love his clear, uncluttered Chopin.

[@DrQuizzler]

The interviewer here asked some great insightful questions, and I feel like I've learned a lot in a few minutes. I will admit here and now, that while I've heard Mr. Ax's play many a time on the radio, and heard his name announced as the performer by Fred Child and others, usually after the fact, and while I've been following one of his students, Tiffany Poon, for a couple of years now, this is the first time I've heard Mr. Ax interviewed and seen him play. I could watch him play for hours, and I love his self-effacing manner. I can imagine someone saying, "Wait a minute. I have twenty of your albums. What do you mean you're wrong all the time?"...but I think the adage applies here that the more we know, the more we realize we don't know, which means we are open to learning more, and to considering others' points of view. I also like hearing him say he gets nervous when he plays, which gives him something in common with ME, and watching him perform on uprights and digital pianos, and not exclusively on Steinway Ds, nor exclusively in formal venues. Now that I know this little bit about Mr. Ax's approach to the music and his personality, I'm definitely going to seek out more of his content.

[@Andrea-yu8vf]

Didn't know Tiffany is one of his students! Btw I suggest checking out his interpretation of Haydn sonata in e minor, no.53

[@Highlander1432]

He's definitely a pianist

[@Highlander1432]

@esp ele Give me a sec

[@bobsgoodlife]

MANNY! How could anyone not love this wonderful human being!❤

[@JessicaSarapoff]

What a beautiful and very touching conversation. I always liked Ax, now I know why ...what a wonderful human being!

[@MarcoBianchi313]

"I'm wrong in houndreds of ways". That's one of the best quotes in music

[@annedwyer797]

Great interview! Ax must be a wonderful teacher, he's so calm and without ego. Pop-up concerts with Yo-yo Ma on a flatbed truck, HOW COOL!!

[@Maynardjones100]

This is not an interview, This is a marvel of communication

[@markmenzies9703]

What a magnificent human being

[@julieandrews730]

This just brought me to tears! Dear Mr. Ax. I decided to work my way through all of Chopin's music during the lockdown. I am so honored to have been your companion in this!

[@belialah]

What a beautiful place he lives in.

[@philmaloney264]

The fact that he goes by Manny says he’s not a Diva, self effacing and he admits he’s nervous performing! What a guy!!! Who wouldn’t want to hang out with him!!!!

[@user-st7fb2ty3u]

I was really moved by Emanuel Ax's kind and caring explanation of Chopin's pieces. Thanks.

[@denise2169]

I love how Ax shows how different voices compliment each other. Lovely.

[@kimberlysalico-diehl4847]

This was beautiful, and very healing. I am so looking forward to seeing him perform the 2nd Chopin Piano Concerto in Denver this Friday.

[@amoskurniadi1871]

Such humbleness from a great man ❤

[@elaineding5713]

What a wonderful man and beautiful pianist !

[@MrTedflick]

what a wonderful human being

[@althomas6045]

thank you mr ax for all the music you give us. decades of joy.thank you.

[@evitanewcombe8792]

Great video. Thank you. What a humble man!!

[@williambunter3311]

What a remarkable gentleman and wonderful pianist!

[@earthwater9964]

Mr. Ax, Bravo! Thank you.

[@neitai8971]

What a sweet and talented and thoughtful man.

[@curtisgrindahl446]

Thank you KZbin for passing this sweet conversation on... I have a feeling I'll spend some time with this channel. What a lovely man Emanuel Ax is.

[@lucjanocastro]

Wonderful video! Beautiful testimony by a great pianist and enlighted human being!

[@orlandocfi]

Very good conversation on interpretation. Thank you for sharing this important interview with one of the living greats of classical piano!

[@RicAbapo]

Awww, he’s making me fall in-love. He’s an amazing man. Thanks for this interview! ❤️

[@robfrost7778]

Ax performed this work in April at Carnegie, along with the polonaise-fantasy, berecuse, and sonata no 3. By far the best performance I saw in NYC this year; moreover, a memory I will never forget

[@enricoagudo6388]

how is this person so magnificent and humble at the same time....the piano greats would be so proud of you sir!!!!

[@steve.schatz]

Well done. Mr. Ax is a treasure. He speaks so eloquently and demonstrates so effortlessly, please let us hear more from Mr. Ax. Well produced and a great interviewer who never gets in the way.

[@nurrylee-piano2613]

Ah, Emanuel Ax! What a wonderful man and musician!

[@polkmusic]

Such a lovely video. Chopin is such an inspiration.

[@PianoLandscapes4film]

I have seen him perform in recital. I cannot fathom that he gets nervous! He plays with such spirit and emotion and conviction. One of my favorites.

[@piersnightingale]

Fantastic interview. Ax is a wonderful (and very modest) pianist.

[@fcruz2012]

What a wonderful human being!

[@MrInterestingthings]

Ax is tremendous ! Wise , humble and shows meaningfulness in music is a labor of love ! So much we don't realize is on the page even after we think we know a score .

[@excelsior999]

I admire Maestro Ax's genuine humility as much as his superb pianism. I am truly grateful that I was able to attend one of his performances at Carnegie Hall, back in the years B.C. (before COVID).

[@psykodiffeqparty]

Thoughtful interview! Such polite and insightful conversation...thank you sincerely.

[@davidavi-ram3682]

what a great master Mr Ax!!

[@erpollock]

Emanuel Ax is delightful. And a delightful guide to Chopin, late Chopin. He is marvelous. What a great pianist to listen to and learn from.

[@eddydelrio1303]

What a beautiful human being! Thank you for this! God bless Emanuel Ax

[@gchang916]

Great interview. Very inspiring and insightful. Chopin is my respice. The love of music is indeed a gift to the mind and soul.

[@valika00]

What a great, direct, honest collection of thoughts! Thank you, dear Maestro.

[@keenyakult]

Such a humble and sincere person ❤ I’m so excited to hear him live next week 🥰🥰

[@carlsanchious8192]

Emmanuel Ax is a pure genius..God blessed him with such an ability to understand the great works of Chopin's late Mazurkas...even the genius regrets his not having played much Bach in his career....finding Bach in Chopin's late compositions...(the Bacarolle some Nocturnes and Preludes as well )

[@rodsalvador3608]

We were so fortunate to watch Ax, Ma and Kavakos in Chicago right before the pandemic struck in March 2020. What an amazing and humble man!

[@ashishawasthi4350]

I am totally awed by the serenity and pious temperament of this gentleman….it’s like standing alone in a garden amidst cold breeze…

[@caleblauber1441]

Really nice, humanistic & caring. Awesome.

[@raphaelneves7666]

This interview is legendary

[@zaimzibran6601]

This interview is lovely. Thank you tonebase

[@karllion4373]

The greatness of Emanuel Ax as a pianist is proportional to his humility.

[@krazdomino4882]

He plays with sincere heart ❤

[@williamrappaport9203]

I have spoken with Emanuel Ax, and this is how he is in person-humble, genuine and authentic.

[@poplife123]

Mr Ax your music is like first aid ..... Very healing 🌍

[@jgreen5849]

I was supposed to hear Manny play in New Haven in late March 2020. I was so disappointed to miss it but I can't wait to hear him play sometime in the future. Always cool to get a performer's insight into how he negotiates with the music and other artists.

[@davidrosenman1889]

Marvellous Interview and Playing!🥀

[@hastensavoir7782]

I like the voicing of his Piano. And the light-heartedness of his speech.

[@Johannes_Brahms65]

So many classical musicians are such nice people!

[@RolandHuettmann]

Believing to do what comes from the heart is all we can to give back our gratitude towards life. There is nothing to worry about in such a case. Strongly I believe all is connected to everything in a miraculous way, and even practicing alone has it's influence on collective consciousness. These are subtle feelings of beauty.

[@eamonnmorris5331]

An intriguing but profound comment. Thank you

[@excelsior999]

Quite so.

[@richardennis5707]

My favorite pianist.

[@Brythepilgrim]

What a beautiful video.

[@barney6888]

Maestro, the thing with Bach is that he makes all of us feel like we are too far behind. I just enjoy the joy of his music. Not that I presume to be in your category!

[@larryoconnor7627]

An Amazing Experience

[@esauponce9759]

This is an amazing channel! Thank you for sharing this!

[@keybawd4023]

I first heard Emmanuel Ax at the Spoleto festival when he was very young. A group of young pianists played a marathon of all the Beethoven sonatas. Now recognised as a great musician who has fine tuned his craft. He is one of a generation of wonderful musicians who don't need to sway, to wave their arms in the air and appeal to heaven as they play, nor do they need to shock with their wardrobe. He is a musician not a showman. I was transfixed by a performance of Beethoven 4 here on KZbin. His Chopin is a revelation. I really enjoyed hearing him speak.

[@excelsior999]

I very much enjoyed reading half of your very fine post. As to your not-so-subtle reference to pianists who sway as they play, I believe that in the case of Lang Lang and Yundi Li their mannerisms during their performances are truly a part of who they are and are not at all an affectation. I wonder what you would have had to say after attending a recital by Liszt, who was well aware that whenever people pay money to witness somebody do something on a stage, that's Show Business. As to The Wardrobe Question, I quite agree that Yuja Wang's mode of dress while performing leaves a lot a to be desired and little to the imagination, which I think is insulting to the memory and the music of the composer. Sadly, after Ms. Yang became a regular on the concert circuit it seems that several other female pianists decided to compete with her to see who could be Number One in The Skin Game. I have taken a lot of flack on KZbin and elsewhere for expressing this opinion but I shall not relent. Notwithstanding, it is indisputable the all of the pianists referred to herein (either by name or by inference) are outstanding musicians.

[@robertrodes8884]

I heard him play Chopin's fourth Scherzo 20 years ago in a small concert venue in Sedona, Arizona. I went up and talked to him afterwards, and told him I appreciated the coherence that he had brought to his performance, and that I understood the piece better after listening to it. He told me that the fourth was his favorite of the Scherzos, and I told him that that didn't surprise me.

[@keybawd4023]

@@excelsior999 I don't go to a concert to watch a pianist doing Liberace impersonations while playing. It is significant that the great pianists like Rubinstein, Michelangeli, Brendel, Erick Lu.... do not sway and appeal to heaven while performing. If you want "Show Business" go to a Broadway musical. If you can only keep the audience's attention by wearing a gold Larmè bikini then it is because your musicianship is inadequate.

[@annazully2680]

hearing him play the nocturne in f minor op 55 no 1 in the beginning warmed my heart so much as i have spent so much time on this piece, as a beginner it was quite the task but the music is so beautiful

[@kpunkt.klaviermusik]

"A palette of possibilities" - great way of looking at it!

[@kpunkt.klaviermusik]

Interpretation is not about right and wrong, but about the actual viewing angle you're looking from.

[@lindalangeheine5787]

Thank you for this lovely interview. I shall recommend this video to my students.

[@classicalmusiclover4029]

I love how he admits that he is nervous before concerts...

[@tonebasePiano]

Yes, he's a genuinely modest and self-effacing person.

[@flintlong2937]

I love that too - and also the way he admits "leaving out a couple of notes." I've never heard a pianist of his stature admit something like that, although I have suspected, on a number of occasions, that that was the case!

[@Pseudify]

The only artist who I’ve heard say he never gets nervous was Michael Jackson.

[@SpaghettiToaster]

@@flintlong2937 Almost everyone does here and there.

[@flintlong2937]

@@SpaghettiToaster Hi Toaster, are you sure many great pianists leave notes out here and there? I know they could get away with it in Rachmaninoff or something. (not with Bach probably). Some voicings are just hard for small hands, and sometimes there must be other reasons why it's just simply hard to get all the notes. I think I've heard a few people drop notes, but I hope you're right, that almost everyone does it here and there, because when you say that I want to believe it because it makes me feel less IMperfect as a pianist! LOL.

[@khuoh]

What an amazing man and musician!

[@khuoh]

I actually have tickets to hear him in October at season opening of the Pacific Symphony here in Orange County California!

[@zeljkospoljaricmusic]

A wonderful human being!

[@SedonaMTB]

E.AX is my favorite living pianist today. I met him in Sedona AZ, Chamber Music Sedona. He is guided by the true spirit of music, uncorrupted.

[@donbarbaraphillipson6285]

I think that as we age we have these ‘nuggets’ of wisdom how we could of been more courageous (?) in our art and less prone to the ‘taught’ by so and so to play it this way-the gifts of getting older……😍

[@christopherrobertson7723]

When you admire the music you’re playing the learning process is an inspiration which motivates further exploration; then discipline is a by-product of love and respect instead of the main feature of your performance.

[@PianoNotion]

I love your channel, keep up the good work!

[@foxtrot4232]

Very good tslented musician . Thank you.🎶⚘

[@krazdomino4882]

He is so humble

[@Joseph-mv3rz]

His comment about Bach resonates well with me. I am studying many Bach prelude and fugues and I plan on learning all of well tempered clavier to improve my playing

[@chicoaria]

Beautiful and inspiring interview! What a honestly and humble way to speak about music and life!

[@assreductionist8575]

Love Emanuel Ax's Haydn sonatas.

[@jayr526]

This was wonderful. My favorite recording of Beethoven's 5th piano concerto is by this musician. I don't play much Bach myself.

[@fredhoupt4078]

so sweet.....

[@jeffsmith1798]

Great channel. Thanks!

[@francotomatillo]

Wonderful interview

[@scottweaverphotovideo]

A great vid. Thanks! My favorite Ax recording is the Faure piano quartets with Ma and Stern. Just wanted to mention that.

[@John-thinks]

A thoughtful connection drawn between 55 2 and 60 1 by the interviewer.

[@wielandhartwich3184]

This video is a must for every musician, not only pianists. Please, do not miss it.

[@handsomeX]

Exactly. I'm a clarinetist and I enjoyed this very much.

[@philipu150]

Ah, the Berkshires and Tanglewood. We lived there till I was 5; my father, Paul Ulanowsky, coached voice there in the summers. So many fond memories.

[@tchorn2026]

❤️Thanks ❤️

[@foxtraner]

I love that full height window, ...and of course Chopin

[@AL-pu7ux]

great!

[@sethrohaynes4802]

Such awesome scholarship and humility. My take away, apart from the depth of the musical emotional content and flawless execution. Inspired

[@voraciousreader3341]

This is really lovely! I’ve always admired Ax’s playing and his interpretation of the music he plays. But I’m not surprised when I hear pianists say they’ve not studied Bach, bc a very different touch is needed on the piano in order to separate out the different voices....the piano resonates so much that the contrapuntal elements get really muddied up, and if they aren’t clear, there’s just no point to either playing or listening. I find it very interesting that Glenn Gould played Bach on the organ when he was young, bc he’s one of the only pianists who managed the touch needed so the individual voices can be heard. I certainly don’t feel that Ax is a “failure” bc he didn’t play Bach....his admission actually raises him in my estimation!

[@derekflanderschang9654]

Emanuel, Leonidas and Yo-Yo Ma playing Beethoven in Chicago was the last concert I saw pre-pandemic and I thought to myself, if concerts are never a thing again and that’s the last one I’ll ever see - not bad 😎