Leon Fleisher Masterclass, Ravinia 2013

[@philzmusic8098]

I had the incredible good fortune to study with Mr. Fleisher for two years. Having him play along with me in the upper register of the piano was like having the finger of God guiding my hand.

[@juditherwinneville7797]

I was playing along with you, after listening and going back, Carlin, on the Op. 118, No. 2. It was almost as if I was getting a lesson from Fleisher with you. Thank you for posting this! ❤❤❤

[@richpatrizi3607]

Genius on so many levels.

[@StevenMassicotte]

Thank you for sharing this gem!

[@stevenhaff3332]

I deeply feel Mr. Fleisher was spot on in his discussion of the initial left to right hand 8th note figure which opens #1. Having that swell/cresting effect creates the dramatic tension propelling the music forward. It is amazing how, with some subtle, but powerful impulses a gifted performer like Ms. Ma can create a entirely different effect upon hearing.

[@pauliberg3492]

the masterclass of Yuja Wang and Mr Fleisher to me the best ever..I have watched that about ten or twenty times and I still notice that masterclass in her current performances.. He is a genius..

[@kingconcerto5860]

This isn't Yuja Wang lmao

[@markusigel2094]

Thanks for sharing this. I have been practicing this piece for more than one year now and this was an eye opener for me.

[@yanikucho]

@29:05'' "I think that's Schubert calling! Could you answer him and tell him i'm busy!" Love this!!

[@northwoods1]

yanikucho Bb,gvvbvvbbbvvvvvv

[@chrisraffen5980]

How relaxing she is to listen to, which is the whole point of being at peace.

[@XanAxDdu]

thank you for upload! a treasure gift, and fleisher was the pianist i loved when i was a child in late 70th when i had the cassette schumann grieg a min. with cleveland and szell, and leon of course

[@billinrio]

The pianist really needed to have a microphone so that we would be able to hear her questions and comments.

[@agnesarnold2517]

Merci pour cette vidéo Merveilleuse Une leçon de piano comme j’en rêve !!!

[@purelypiano7493]

So beautiful. Such dignified playing! And what an informative masterclass. And I loved the questions you asked him.

[@jeffladeur9883]

Sincerity and thoughtfulness - both your playing and wise words are inspiring!

[@crazytx01]

I love this!!!!

[@culturehorse]

Really phenomenal session. Thanks CM. There'r only a handful (not enough) of LF's MC's.

[@howardcohen6817]

"Don't flaunt your pedal." 14:16 This master certainly convinced the pianist to play in waves despite having to divide them up with two hands (with the boat of a melody on top of the right hand as well). I was in awe of his ability to show her this. Also loved his articulate, differentiated description of classic/romantic playing. AND the advice of singing everything you play, "...if you listen to what your mouth does and...for if you get in the habit of singing it's very difficult to stop." 37:22. Thank you.

[@jamestang96]

Could you explain what Leon Fleischer meant by "don't flaunt your pedal"? To end the piece with the hands near the keyboard? Not extending the end excessively, with hands disconnected from the keys? (Hence, flaunting the sustain of the pedal?)

[@howardcohen6817]

@@jamestang96 I'm not a pianist. I don't know if I imagine this, or not, but I feel when the keys remain depressed, the tones sing more loudly than the resonance of the tones (of other keys, whose dampers are open and whose strings are vibrating sympathetically). By only using the pedal while removing your hands, I feel the tone only becomes muddy - making the tones of the written notes less prominent and the rest more "opulent" and "ostentatious" - misusing this resonance. It's like wearing a Rolex but coming late for an appointment, I feel. The goal of sharing something of importance is not to only share its aura, while removing its cause. It's certainly not to "show-off" how great a piano is on hand from its pedals. Try this yourself and hear te difference while playing a chord without pedal then wit pedal then with the pedal but removing your hands. Do you agree?

[@jamestang96]

@@howardcohen6817 That actually makes sense. When the keys are released prematurely leaving the pedal alone to do the diminuendo, both the 'singing tones' and the 'resonances' receive equal damping. When the keys are left depressed during the release of the dampers, the 'resonances' is damped allowing the 'singing tones' carry its ring. I guess the former (lifting the keys "prematurely") may be appropriate for certain specific applications/effect, if intended by the pianist, but that's another topic of discussion altogether. Thanks for the elaborate explanation and insight from your point of view, You seem to have a good understanding of piano performance for someone who does not play the piano. Or do you play the piano, just not professionally?

[@howardcohen6817]

​@@jamestang96 No, I just get to badger my collaborators with stuff like this. Yes, I feel that it matters what ones' intentions are for the sound one is producing and what is being demanded of the tone(s). Fortunately, I often practise with a pianist who sight-reads very badly, forcing us to do everything very slowly - I can actually listen much better to what we are doing. Recently, for example, we were looking at KV 301 in G-Major - my "transcription" - and practised the beginning accompaniment together which the piano has at the beginning and the flute has from measure 9. The form of an accompaniment becomes very clear at the slow speed. It's easy to understand how something must sound, when you are actually listening to it!! Mozart, in writing for the violin, altered this passage or the instrument because (I assume) the violin doesn't have a low f#. But as the flute would be playing the passage an 8va higher, anyway, I've altered it back. So my "trick" is to not practise faster than I can actually hear what's going on. Should you be interested in my playing, here's an excerpt from a concert from 2 weeks ago with my main pianist Martin Broedemann in Hagen, NRW: c.gmx.net/@324895689119111673/V66FD_OPRGWYPsgKVifl8g

[@gaames]

I’m not sure there’s a meaningful difference (with pedal down) between keys depressed and keys not depressed. I think Fleisher is drawing attention to a flashy visual effect (not to a sonic one).

[@kpunkt.klaviermusik]

47:15 Music as "adventure in anti-gravity" - how beautiful!

[@amberleewoodhouse5817]

Great master class. Thank you for sharing. You played beautifully!

[@wilsonvivas7362]

Hi, thank you for sharing this video ).

[@lulusalipsip478]

Thank u Loly for sharing

[@kennethgould3258]

Beautiful

[@renatoterzo2111]

This is Brahms. In particular the first and the second Intermezzo op 118.

[@mauricioaguiar4764]

Very good congratulations

[@NecroSexy]

Music and physics -- Neuhaus would definitely agree!

[@mumuchat9475]

très instructive master class

[@tselyakov]

wonderful masterclass by the great Fleisher and such a touching performance of Brahms by Ms. Ma!

[@mevans4715]

Carlin, do you ever get alone and just sing this music and find the singing line? Pianists in particular have so many notes that sometimes the get in the way of the music.

[@pratikshah_destiny9109]

What he is singing that ta re ra can anyone explain

[@luky46]

Ottima esperienza

[@m.a.3322]

25:41, 30:30

[@NoName-zn1sb]

I don't think that 118-2 can be played _too_ slowly, it is after all another Brahms' lullaby.

[@mauricioaguiar4764]

hi .dear you play the piano very well .congratulations

[@carlsanchious8192]

The first piece is difficult to lock in on it's key signature.,... it's wandering like a gypsy

[@amyw3377]

3:01 9:51

[@adriancook7078]

That this great man and genius that gave up so much of his time trying to turn these typewriter machines into musical human beings.............. so sad. There are millions of them............all machines and only one Leon Fleischer.

[@jaeminhwang773]

46:40 47:42

[@jaeminhwang773]

6:27(7:37)35:10 36:45 41:00 43:29(45:45)

[@gerhardschwindt3127]

What a wonderful pianist you are, Carlin. If you ever give a masterclass i`ll send you lang lang and yuja wang, so they can learn how to make music on a piano.

[@CarlinMa]

Thank you both for the interest. Gerhard, thank you for your kind words. I humbly believe we're all colleagues of learning together, with aspects to learn from one another (whether as people or musicians). Every person is a master and student simultaneously (more student than master...). Lang Lang and Yuja have their distinctive style, being seasoned performers, and I truly appreciate their contributions to the musical community. Some of their ideas I love, some I disagree. Such is the nature of the Arts. We're all evolving. :) Jiyoung, no offense taken, as I posted up the masterclass as a gesture of sharing Leon Fleisher's wisdom, not about presenting me at my proudest musical moment. I care more about learning than about ranking. For sake of discussion, let me point out that while my personal evolution of the piece has brought more flow, how we take time depends on what we want to highlight musically. Fleisher's point of keeping the larger pulse helps the larger structure. Yet, I've also had respected artists suggest taking more inner rubato. As long as it moves some people, then it has accomplished a meaningful experience. Case in point, there's one fascinating recording (by a blind pianist) who took it WAAAAAAY out of time (almost distastefully) connecting phrases by a spider thread at times.... but I found myself delightfully surprised as a listener because it was personal, different, and super honest. Whether it was still "Brahms' voice" can be debated, but it made me feel and think. So to summarize, we're all simply humble students having a discussion to dig deeper into what we love.

[@204154529]

Oh boy, another nobody bashing professional pianists. What a dignified response Carlin.

[@conniecarroll2904]

B/

[@bernardolinguini436]

I could do better

[@michalalinn]

lol its not a competition, its human expression.

[@grantmcmullan5593]

the worst type of person^

[@user-bn7bv2zv2n]

too much BS, no main point.

[@itsjudystube7439]

Beautiful