Pianist Byron Janis explains Chopin's five-finger position & exercises

[@789armstrong]

A priceless lesson by a living legend.

[@WarinPartita6]

Big​ thanks​ for​ sharing​ this​ wonderful​ artist​s​ idea​s.​ Always​ adore​ Byron Janis.​

[@danielchequer5842]

Who else would love to hear a recording of that piano on this quality sound?

[@gretareinarsson7461]

Janis was such a fantastic pianist. One of the greatest of all american pianists.

[@NewSong42]

We know his thoughts-teachings on how to play the piano by virtue of some documents. You can find out all about it reading this book: Jean-Jacques Eigeldinger - 'Chopin: Pianist and Teacher as seen by his pupils' - 324 pages - CUP, 1986 "The accounts of Chopin's pupils, acquaintances and contemporaries, together with his own writing, provide valuable insights into the musician's pianistic and stylistic practice, his teaching methods and his aesthetic beliefs. This unique collection of documents, edited and annotated by Jean-Jacques Eigeldinger, reveals Chopin as teacher and interpreter of his own music. Included in this study is extensive appendix material that presents annotated scores, and personal accounts of Chopin's playing by pupils, writers, and critics."

[@ericastier1646]

This is the first and only book i read about Chopin in 2002 and i read it in French, my first language. After that for 20 years i found most people knew nothing about Chopin including big interprets. That quickly changed in the last 7 years were interest in Chopin eploded (it's a cyclic thing).

[@sarahsteinhardt1697]

A wonderful book!

[@mortalclown3812]

Rest in paradise, Maestro. ✨️

[@nelbagarcia1304]

Excellent! Thank you !

[@elijaguy]

be aware that the great B Janis has very LONG fingers, and not all hands are the same, so that the techniques, or at least, the application of the ideas of the techniques must be modified accordingly.

[@antoniovisioli4460]

Fantastico!!!!!!

[@Contracrostics]

I don't want to start a flame war but Byron's interpretation of what Chopin was talking about seems extremely bizarre to me (and actually quite contrary to Chopin's philosophy). I study Chopin a great deal and have spent many years with his autograph scores (which one MUST do, it will blow your mind because of how much didn't make it into print, or could not make it into print). My advice would be to look at the etudes themselves, and read what Chopin himself wrote about them (which is not very much at all). The etudes are self-explanatory, and in my opinion the reason Chopin never got the 'language' technique book off the ground that he started on a couple of times was because it's much better to just thoughtfully study the etudes. For an amazing pragmatist like Chopin, it would have been ineffecient to write a book about technique. Most of them are wastes of paper. The anecdotes 'are' fascinating and valuable, but each pianist really needs to make up their own mind and continually increase the awareness of the assumptions that we all bring to the table. Have a look at how some blind players play, you will see fascinating things done very naturally. You can tell by Chopin's fingerings, written very thoroughly in the etudes, and in student copies depending on their individual hands (usually smaller female hands) that he was possibly the most considerate teacher one can imagine.

[@pianisthenics]

What I found bizarre is the fact that you think you know better than Byron just because you’ve studied the autograph scores. Most of the pianists have studied the autograph scores and also have played all Chopin’s studies (myself included)

[@ericastier1646]

You make a fine comment on Chopin manuscripts but start off the wrong way critisizing Byron. If you have read accounts of his contemporaries and students, you'll know that the exercises Byron describes were invented and prescribed by Chopin to his more advanced students. I knew about these exercises 20 years ago.

[@Contracrostics]

@@ericastier1646 Show me please.

[@Contracrostics]

@@pianisthenics Don't know where I said I knew better than Byron.

[@ericastier1646]

@@Contracrostics Since you ask politely, here is your error (and you owe me for wasting my time explaining i hope you realize this, i gain nothing from this), you wrote : " Byron's interpretation of what Chopin seems contrary to Chopin's philosophy." It's not, Byron is citing the de facto Chopin's own finger exercises he taught to his students. It's ok for you to not have read the source since it is in French (i've known it for 20+ years) but it's not ok for you to use your ignorance to blast someone who does. I have no interest in writing this kind of corrective post for others, it's zero gain for me, just if you could let me know where you bought the manuscripts and for how much. I know the Chopin society sells them as well.

[@pp-1954]

jeez I would like to get lessons from Chopin

[@Koldoloreakaberruzia]

Esos ejercicios de técnica ¿dónde se pueden encontrar?

[@dampfnudel6801]

Byron Janis was a student of Vladimir Horowitz by the way

[@peteklat]

Yes, until he dallied with Wanda, when the great Vlad threw him out.

[@PawanSingh-mj2jf]

Sir i am intermediate level piano so plz tell how should I preapre choip techniques pices

[@thecozytrader00]

Pratice slow , slow and slow

[@lucasgust7720]

1:50 Why on earth he uses b in the right hand and c in the left hand?

[@Rose-zg9pu]

0:30 but the lesson cost about 1 pound in 1845 so then it is equivalent to a £111

[@ericastier1646]

It was in Francs and by the way the meter is related to the speed of light, while english imperial units are related to body parts.

[@billylee2390]

Do you know when this is?

[@ChoBee333]

Byron Janis said Chopin charge $20 per hour in 1830s, which that equals $670 today. 😅

[@fernandobnoliveira]

Byron Janis parecendo Joe Pesci. Até a voz kkkkk

[@ricardo_valerio]

well...er... how does he know that and how can he be so sure?

[@ayso78]

Chopin left unfinished notes about his piano method. Seek out the Eigeldinger book, it's an invaluable resource on Chopin interpretation.

[@NelsonStJames]

@@ayso78 There will always be those who thinking they are being smart will reveal how much they themselves don't really know, and we see it more and more since the advent of the internet.

[@ericastier1646]

@@NelsonStJames ..and internet has shown us just how jealous people are and how dark their hearts are whereas before internet people could believe in the benevolence of most people but that illusion is now gone and human relations are hitting a low thanks to the over connectivity. And by the way, all the material from this video was known before the age of the internet, i sure knew it already.

[@PJGRAND]

no pianist knows exactly how Chopin played because there are no recordings of Chopin's playing

[@PJGRAND]

@Juan Ramon Silva Parra we have no recordings from Chopin but we do know that Chopin wanted his pieces to be played with just slight rubato because Chopin wrote mostly dance music Chopin said the left hand must carry a study beat and the right hand has more freedom but so many players destroy Chopin with huge shifts in Tempo in my opinion it was Rachmaninoff himself that made some of the best and most authentic Chopin recordings and rachmaninoff's best Chopin recordings he stays in Tempo my other favorite was Howoritz

[@GrV1Ty.]

@@PJGRAND which exact recording of rachmaninoff? Because rachmaninoff is the exact opposite of what you described. He played with passion tons of rubato huge shifts in dynamics. In my opinion something that should be done more often today. Exactly that are emotions and rachmaninoff himself didnt listen to his own scores. We need emotional music. The greatest interpretations are the ones with the greatest emotions and those are created witg rubato and huge dynamics shift

[@ericastier1646]

@Juan Ramon Silva Parra A bunch of false statements, there are many pianists who know exactly how Chopin played because they heard him, only they are dead but not without describing how he played including R. Schumann, Liszt. But maybe non pianists like Liszt maitresse (girlfriend) the comtesse d'Agoult made a most striking description by saying Chopin playing could cure her of any ailment with his playing and Liszt could not. But his music isn't simple musically, he often juxtaposes feelings that are not closely related without transitions and without extrinsic compositional cues in the structure of the music itself to guide the interpretation, that means he was very skilled at phrasing and rubato and theatrical playing, in the romantic style. He actually acted theater pieces in his youth with his sisters and he often played funny roles that he wrote. I bet most people don't know this. And thus the worst Chopin interpreters are in fact the mainstream acclaimed ones like Rubinstein lacks the refinement and aristocracy and the sensibility, he is more like a bourgeois banker and Zimmerman plays like a German. The true approach to Chopin is found in Cortot, Samson, Rachmaninov (but not Horrowitz, his rubato is distorted).

[@ericastier1646]

@@GrV1Ty. That is an interesting comment, i know what you mean exactly about Rach. He takes huge rubato liberties but he does it so convincingly, almost miraculously that it feels entirely natural to a point that it sounds aristocratically correct. There is an unfailing test with rubatos if it still feels incredible after many listening then it is what the music asks for but if it did not then it will sound contrived and soapy already on the 2nd listening (but bad pianists won't know, they don't listen themselves anyway). Rachmaninov did not interpret Chopin, he recomposed it and that is the correct approach for every musician. Recomposing without changing any notes or any marking on the score. If you can understand what i mean, then you know what a true pianist is and most aren't. Interpreter is not true pianist.

[@GrV1Ty.]

@@ericastier1646 exactly something pianist arent allowed to do anymore. You wont be able to get past the first round of a competition if you play like that. You basically have to play pretty boring so you somehow win the competition and then you are able to interpret freely. What a terrible way. Its so frustrating interprets like horowitz or rachmaninoff wont come back any soon because the people require you to stay close to the score instead of leaving the pianist his freedom and seeing what he can do