Maria Joao Pires gives piano masterclass (1)

A select group of European conservatoire piano students were invited to stay with Maria Joao Pires at her (former) farmhouse in Portugal. Lucky them :)
Excerpts from an award-winning documentary.

[@KareemByEar1Year]

People who complain about her teaching, understand this: they go to her because there is something about her art that resonates within them. They listen to her to discover more about what it is within their hearts that appreciates her music. If she ever becomes irrelevant in their musical journey then they will no longer look to her for answers. There is no reason to criticize her because the students came to learn from her. Teaching is an art as well. She is sharing herself and that means it's unique to her. Teach how you teach and let your students listen to you.

[@davidzimstein2456]

I happen to know many pianists who go to masterclasses with famous pianists only to put their names on the resume. Can't blame them, that is the nature of the business.

[@JaymesSinnah]

shes a charlatan.@@davidzimstein2456

[@cooldocmom]

These are very advanced students and here they can get ideas and advice from a master how to play better. I think they are sounding a lot better when she works with them! But they are artists also, and can decide what to adopt and what to do in their own way. Very fascinating for me as an amateur nowhere near at this level.

[@zed3282]

so true😂

[@anonymusum]

When music can´t stand for itself anymore - when you have to find your interpretation through an unreal mist of feelings and esoteric pictures ......... I would have left the room immediately.

[@brianbernstein3826]

in comparing her teaching method with that of the great masters, one thing is crystal clear. her house is FUCKING nice. did you see that pool? holy shit.

[@pneron2032]

lol

[@TSSbaula]

Is that really her house?

[@chaos_planet]

She’s living my dream life

[@NadineMcLean-xw7hj]

Does anybody know where she lives?

[@rasmus123re]

The piece is Beethoven's 32 Variations in C minor, WoO 80.

[@cantante189]

BEAUTIFULLY spoken, slobone, and you are, for me, spot on!

[@vocalpianist]

sounds great :) thanks alot I'll look it up!

[@femalepianistsara]

she has these ideals that I feel from her teaching no-one will reach, and this style of mimicking the student and invading their space at the same time as pressing them to express themselves I don't think will work for many people. The genius teachers make their students feel empowered.

[@messrtwinky]

How many Master Classes have you attended? Not any I surmise. I've said my main points elsewhere.

[@sonicboyPT]

Love this masterclass and teaching style as i would love any other idiossincratic master pianist lesson to have a peak into their process. Students here are already technically almost perfect. That is not what you want from a masterclass from a particular performer in any field. What you want on a Maria Joao Pires masterclass is Maria Joao Pires process of thinking and performing. Is it new agy? Does it shock you? Great! It means it's adding something you do not understand or possess, a different perspective most comentators here clearly lack (otherwise we would all be top world performers ahaha). If someone is all feel but lacks technical and intelectual structure then they would benefit from another type of teaching from another kind of teacher. The best teachers are those that shock you and confront you with your shortcomings. Obviously the right feel and interpretation in performance are much harder to get right and teach than mere technical proficiency.

[@messrtwinky]

Yes!! Well said!!

[@waverly2468]

I'm really glad someone mentioned what is this piece. Google voice recognition doesn't work on classical music.

[@katbullar]

some tips are really nice and make you think more about what you are playing. Plp should never take the harsh comments personally. The best teachers are really tough...

[@fortissimo25]

7:05-7:12 is hilarious, i luv her accent... sheez good :) thank you for showing this

[@fabioso82]

AGREE!!! GOOD FOR YOU!

[@christoperfect]

Hahaha. I'm American and I completely agree with what you said. Many musicians in the United States focus so hard on what will please the audience that they mask their own feelings in the music.

[@FreddysHamster]

Very interesting regarding bars and phrases, the way she played the last bit was beautiful and on a different planet to how he played it I thought

[@messrtwinky]

Excellent comment on your part!! I have been a professional musician for 55 years. ALL masters of their instruments say this repeatedly to their students and you can hear it in their playing. Heifetz, Horowitz, the Lhevines, Yo Yo Ma, Piatagorsky, Rubinstein, and the unnamed by me or lesser knowns!!

[@DaveYostCom]

Watch her play in part 2!

[@cbodien]

she us amazing

[@ChristianSchonbergerMusic]

Maria João Pires is a wonderful pianist. I had the pleasure of seeing her in a recording studio. I am not sure about her teaching here though. A little too 'New Age' for my taste. I am a fan of "nuts and bolds" teaching with tangible information. I am a professional pianist (jazz, not classic) and I need to bring down the inner workings of any piece to something I can reproduce and which sounds good. IMHO they are overthinking the whole interpretation anyway.

[@messrtwinky]

Yes, the students are overthinking. Not Pires. The students should arrive at the Class with "the nuts and bolts" already learned. I'm tired of defending her...hopefully you will read all the Comments here even though it will take some time.

[@jpedrocp]

of course! :)

[@GeorgeMaxwellDuPre]

I'm not sure. I think you have to hear more of her to know what kind of teacher she is. I would like to have been there. I find her to be a very humble musician.

[@messrtwinky]

Absolutely.

[@ptoors123]

Exactly!

[@users1992]

why, she's great

[@UGTownsend]

Her playing of the variation between 7:16-7:34 is beautiful. Has MJP ever recorded the LvB 32 variations?

[@steven7846]

As he was playing I asked him what do you feel ? Looks like one of the biggest difference with prodigy and the rest of us is their ability to understand the meaning of music. If you don't at best you have a "appreciation" of what's it's about, or you just press white/black keys like a mindless robot.

[@christoperfect]

By never "make" rubato, she means never force it. She's trying to help him feel the music deeper than what his mind is telling him to do. Rather than insert rubato where it sounds appropriate, she's trying to help the pianist let the rubato happens where it's felt.

[@secbite4]

@arturonoyolarobles what would you suggest? what else is there to interpretation?

[@jpedrocp]

the bird image is beautiful...

[@Mihaig543]

Maestro Caio Pagano has a cameo at 4:13; He is my favourite piano teacher!

[@tomjung1067]

"Try to get nervous..." great one maria.

[@johnmccowell]

Does anybody know whre we can find the entire masterclasses. This is very helpful

[@1401JSC]

"Also not good" in response to 5 1/16s legato and 7 staccato after Bas's fiorst try with 12 1/16s staccato. She is quite correct: Beethoven writes no staccato 1/16th in the 1st variation. He only says "leggieremente" = lightly, and gives his fingering for the repeated notes. The final soft notes of the theme are also not written staccato; students really must use urtexts!

[@heliaallstar]

what is the last song that the guy is playing?!can anyone plz tell me?! at.6.38

[@cirodecastro7696]

Things like fermata and rubato don´t have a mathematical way to explain, it is impossible. Americans believe that is possible, but to do a correct fermat or rubato, the musician must feel deep inside him the perfect moment. And it is very difficult to explain. Some students understand exactly these concepts, they feel it, but others, like this Guy, do not.

[@ukdavepianoman]

"What meeeans this?" If it was me she was talking to I'd say "Well you're the bloody expert, you tell me". Apart from that, she's brilliant

[@lukashainerkjr6013]

I totally get what you're saying, but she asked that question, because she couldn't answer it herself :) I believe she wanted to know, what the boy thought it meant, not what she thought it meant. But I agree ; she's brilliant!

[@FourtySven]

if she taught in portuguese, her examples would be conveying an accurate image of her ideals. It seems a bit difficult for her to express what she is feeling in her teaching. she is still a good teacher

[@jpedrocp]

exactly

[@MiguelCampinho]

the other male teacher. He used to teach in Washington, DC, and now teaches in Castelo Branco, Portugal.

[@sirdelrio]

@MadMath44 Well, you see, what happens is that Maria's approach to interpretation is 'sensitive', while baremboim is rather 'analitycal'. if you are a thinker rather than a feeler then you must find baremboim's classes more of your taste. but i think we should learn both sides of the coin (or all sides, as the case might be)

[@jpedrocp]

Don't forget that perform music exquisitely differs quite a lot from producing a screw. It's impossible to do it with instructions, because it´s a search that is always alive and that include things anyone cannot explain by words of logical analysis.

[@guscaldas2]

As a piano player, I deeply admire Ms. Pires. There is only one shortcoming about this whole thing: the intelectualization of emotions. Also, it seems that there is only one way of interpreting those sounds; the way she wants it to be played. Not that the students have their own unique and solid interpretations already. To experience real freedom, listen to Keith Jarrett or Herbie Hancock. These guys obliterate the boudaries between styles and judgments.

[@messrtwinky]

"Intellectualization of emotions?" She just finished saying..."don't let your brain work" because the STUDENT was over intellectualizing!

[@messrtwinky]

"...not that students have their own unique and solid interpretations already." As the infamous "Dr. Phil" says about a different situation..."How's that working for you?!"

[@TSSbaula]

@@messrtwinky agree! That’s very important to that student. A pianist cannot only let the brain overrule and determine how the music goes. We should understand the music and express what the score says but how the brain ‘thinks’. Music is a language, we tells and explains a convincing story.

[@BrunoLamarosa]

Todos estes senhores que estão aqui a fazer comentérios completamente sem nexo, sem qualquer fundamento, por favor, tenham vergonha na cara! Tal como diz a grande MJP, "temos de acreditar que os milagres acontecem" e que a "música é o sinal de que os milagres acontecem"... ao ouvir a grande MJP a tocar, a simplesmente tocar no piano acredito que os milagres acontecem e a MJP é um sinal de que os milagres acontecem na música. obrigado pela inspiração, até no olhar e no sorriso.

[@christoperfect]

Exactly, sigsoundfan! :D

[@meiangie]

I like this lady. My teacher also said staccato and would not let me go if there is not good staccato. (Var 1) :-( I don't think she is trying to change the version but helping the student to find himself too within the music.

[@Benjii228]

What is te piece, I Like it very much!

[@kanta15]

She cares about music- not the student or her behavior. She doesn't even care about herself. Just listening to the music itself.

[@vankats]

Maria Joao Pires !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@vocalpianist]

what documentary is this? this is such a gift! Thank you

[@lahe777]

Totalmente de acuerdo con Des Abends

[@pepecocastube]

im totally with you on that aihoschema, as a piano student i feel all the hippy talking leads nowhere. i've had that kind of teaching in the past.

[@bglezerson]

what is he playing at the very beginning?

[@jamesrphone]

Apparently Brahms disagrees, as do I. A good score should be 80% of the music at least. And Beethoven's are good scores.

[@davonwhitehead]

what song are they playing?

[@WillLiang]

May I know what documentary is this from?

[@mvrp94]

what is the piece?

[@luelue221]

What piece is he playing???

[@thechansfamily]

Was she the same Maria? I thought I saw in her concerts a nice, humble and loving artist in performance. This is yet another proof that being good at something doesn’t mean being good on teaching that something!

[@m.a.3322]

What pieces are being played?

[@davisatdavis1]

The first one is Beethoven 32 variations. Not sure about the last one though. I've been scrolling forever...

[@Nosiluminadimenso]

Maria João Pires é ADORAVEL como PESSOA. Porque é uma pessoa que AINDA TENTA "explicar", usando a língua idiotica dos positivistas que requerem explicações verbais (be it in whatever language), i.e.., ainda tenta uma tradução de algo do universo do multiconhecimento para um/num universiculo reduzido, como se os humanos fossem handicapés. Ou seja, ela é uma pessoa possuidora de GRAÇA. Quando eu quizer pedir um perdão ao deus dos músicos, peço-lho a ela.

[@ChristianSchonbergerMusic]

A lot of these last details in musical interpretation can be broken down into concrete parameters as opposed to wild gestures and dramatic phrasing which look like they are straight out of a New Age motivation class.

[@messrtwinky]

Disagree.

[@mjeffbr]

Well, though I absolutely adore Pires' playing, ALL masterclasses have this incredibly high level of subjectivity, the question 'what does it mean' conveys nothing, Masterclasses more often than not tend to end up being an opportunity for masters to torture students trying to force them their way of playing (which would be a bad thing IMO) I prefer masterclasses in which they focus on teaching everyone not just the one with the instrument and bring something tangible and useful to the table

[@tomatojuice12]

who is the other teacher (the one that sits at the table with her?)

[@YR-uo4mf]

Does anyone know the name of the piece being played?? Its beautiful.

[@messrtwinky]

See Rasmus Jensen's remark...he names the piece...I've forgotten it already!

[@messrtwinky]

BEETHOVEN'S 32 VARIATIONS IN C MINOR (PLEASE EXCUSE THE CAPS)

[@iampetergriffin]

The message they are trying to convey to the student I find it to be fruitful, albeit they have an inefficient way of expressing it. Perhaps it may be due to language barriers.

[@MartinHomeVideo]

I think this is a great example when "language barrier" can be actually advantage

[@Toskrr]

Yes, he was trying to get him to stop being so stiff I think...

[@dmcII]

You sound like quite an expert. Do you have any vids posted anywhere that we can all view ?

[@jpedrocp]

Her argument is her music... Music is an autonomous language (don't need and is impossible to replace it by other languages). So, at this level of pianism the things to "correct" are very few and have to be with the energy and the environment, in the all piece and in its details, that is transmitted to people who listen to it. This is not a kind of masterclass where the teacher corrects wrong notes, or wrong attacks or wrong interpretations. Here the level is much higher: they are pianists.

[@KaisarAnvar]

Art of Performance is as challenging as Acting. What she is delivering, is very crucial: nothing discovers more, than from the questions "what" and "why", as we recall the "why" from ALL fields of subjects and their legendary figures such as Einstein. Her pushy behavior, is not "Forcing", but rather encouraging to young growing musicians like these students here. Otherwise, we would have to exclude "imagination" out of the picture. My mother used to say, "In order to understand someone, first eat a large bag of salt, then you'll understand". My point is, we will never be able to FULLY understand the inner world of anyone, especially Beethoven and Mozart and Chopin etc....therefore, our job, as Artists, more specifically musicians, is to keep imagining via source of given information about those composers and their compositions and put ourselves in their shoes as much as possible, which causes, let me say this, INSANITY which is worth it at the end, because that is when the understanding music via imagination becomes a success.

[@messrtwinky]

Yes! You said it wonderfully! I do not understand the many critical remarks in this thread! Have they ever attended anyone's Master Class. The "Master" is there to teach and reach the STUDENT. Not "support " them as one person commented. One's regular teacher and family "support" one, not a performing artist (Master). "New agy?" What in the name of God does that mean? Every "Master" I have watched sways and moves and sings nonsense syllables, all in the hopes of reaching through a student's armor and...indeed, shaking them up to let it into their playing! The head knowledge (analysis of piece, etc, ) is taken for granted...let's make music!! Thank you again for your insightful comment.

[@Nosiluminadimenso]

I agree. The mere acceptance to engage in explanations might be... a concession to the rule of garbage. Some gods are full of grace.

[@ThabieMelvin]

Who is the other male pianist in master class with Maria Joao pires

[@andradevln]

@johnmccowell go to vimeo and search for "Maria João Pires - Discovering Sound"

[@cygnusne]

Does the whole masterclass exist somewhere? It is very interesting!! Is she still doing them, by the way?

[@aleperazzo16]

se as aulas ocorrem em Portugal por que não há vídeos em língua portuguesa?

[@AliveCat]

Alessandra Perazzo Barbosa Mota Porque Português não é considerado um idioma universal.

[@tacv]

Music like art in general is emotion, not mechanics ... Maria João Pires is trying to educate him to feel and play the notes in a way they make emotional sense. Anyone with some music and piano skills can play Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin ... but not everyone can convey in the audience the feeling behind the structure of notes. Also most people commenting here seems to be to sensitive to Pires comments. Jesus it seems most people are too uptight and can't deal with direct criticism. Nowadays people are so sensitive and need to be political correct all the time. Pff grow a pair people.

[@rosamundlardner3328]

Tiago Varela bb

[@Maxime.alberti]

It's " 32 Variations sur un thème original " de Beethoven opus 80 il me semble

[@ericrouach]

I think that young man has great intuitions, mrs pires is just ruining your confidence in yourself, your staccato was great, dont forget her ideas are only her ideas and not the truth!

[@AA-fs7xl]

eric rouach All teachers have different opinions. They say you don't have to do what they say just consider it

[@temax]

@bemaniac2 do you know what is wrong what you do nor love anymore to somebody? Well, music is the same my friend :)

[@MiguelCampinho]

his name is Caio Pagano, he's brazilian.

[@Diego.MMartins]

Yeah, man. We should just enjoy this class. Very nice, by the way. I'm just too tired of people bragging about everything. It's never good enough, because it's not made by them. So childish.

[@7TheMrSeven7]

btw, it's not her former farmhouse anymore :)

[@raphaelneves7666]

Q

[@bastardtubeuser]

welcome to the lunacy of the modern executionists.

[@jpedrocp]

didn't you get what she meant?...

[@Homoclassicus]

Surely her manners aren't strictly "normal", but that should be no problem at all. Her approach isn't the most patient or delicate and her teachings are quite abstract, but they seem useful to me. Of course she can only express her views on the music, but I think she was trying to show the guy how to make the notes and phrases gain meaning and shape, without paying too much attention at each note. She didn't mock him, but criticized what he was doing. In a "normal" world that is nothing absurd.

[@cirodecastro7696]

The musician is not a machine, which plays the time exactly as in the score. Maria João try to explain to the pupil the how to wait the correct tempo to play another frase.

[@RonaldBVogel]

@davonwhitehead Beethoven C minor Piano Variations

[@Maxime.alberti]

@rodrigobrizuela few people know that

[@davidhertzberg1]

The terrific Maria João Pires performing Bach's keyboard concerto BWV 1056 (recorded in 1974, but never before on KZbin): watch?v=U0hDZpMYu0Q

[@messrtwinky]

Yes!! Hello, David!!

[@messrtwinky]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/i2HLdY2mgr6oZrM

[@messrtwinky]

@Davidhertzberg I reposted this today. Hope that's okay.

[@chrish12345]

lol get the whip out darlin'

[@ChristianSchonbergerMusic]

Well I was trying to be polite. What I meant by "New Age" and "overthinking" is basically what you are saying: non-tangible information and over-dramatizing in the wrong places.

[@jpedrocp]

Caio Pagano

[@gabrielxing]

As a fan, I find her teaching very interesting and inspiring. But I have to admit that also has great difficulties understanding her idea in this vars. Especially in the var1:stacco, legato, leggiermente...what she wants? Maybe score versions really make troubles in interpretation:in my version d'Albert: var18 should be played with no semtimentality...but she said: Mechanical MJP has excellent imaginations, which is an advantage.but she's not as strict as Gilels, Schnabel in reading scores.

[@charlottebonnie5320]

I am very sorry that I can`t understand her comments.

[@bemaniac2]

@peaceandjustice99 I have had a teacher like that - it doesn't help you to learn when they cannot articulate clearly what they think is wrong. If its just like "bla bla bla, feel, bla bla bla", then its really hard to understand how to put that into action.

[@tomatojuice12]

is this the student or the other male teacher?

[@SteveCubis]

Shes knows feel and passion for music, thats not hard to see. I will finish with... she is not a good teacher though

[@arturonoyolarobles]

She keeps telling the student that she doesn't get any "feeling". Where have I heard that...? Everywhere, all the time. One single common place (the most common of all) constitutes her master class. But not a word (one single word) about music.

[@dpodsful]

She is a HORRENDOUS teacher. Wonderful pianist.

[@popitoto]

First of all the student plays well! It's for this reason that she tries to say something and the result is so..silly!! I am sorry to write this,I like Maria Pires as performer!

[@christoperfect]

Are you crazy?!

[@arturonoyolarobles]

@chicoriagrande Isn´t there anything other than "feeling" to interpretation? Nobody needs to attend nobody's masterclass to hear that. I walk into a "cantina" in Mexico City (where I live), and all the people drinking there have strong opinions about "feeling" regarding the mariachis playing there. That means nothing at all when one deals with interpretation. You and I and my neighbor and the bank clerk and the physician and the bricklayer are as able as Pires to give that "masterclass".

[@arthurdpmak]

One goes to masterclasses, I believe, because one wants to be acquainted with different styles, methods and insights in playing. Pires is doing what she needs to - teaching her craft, which happens to constitute most spontaneous, poetic and refined sense of feeling. Apparently this separates her's from the student's playing - which is technically fine but indeed, lacking emotional depth and finesse in comparison. What's to lose for the student if he learns this way of seeing and feeling too?

[@messrtwinky]

Well said!!

[@jpedrocp]

No, Beethoven "32 Variations in C minor".

[@moonstaff1234]

the teacher did sound a lot better though whenever she played