Prokofiev Toccata op.11 Masterclass

[@churnyeechong2427]

Thank yor for your insightful teaching. I started to learn this piece few days ago.

[@dw7141]

6:16 - alternate fingering to avoid repeating same fingers on same notes, especially seeking to avoid the repetition of 3 thumbs in a row: (starting on D) 1 3 5 4 2 4 1 2 // 1 3 5 4 2 4 1 2 // etc. - Gently move hand towards the right when playing 1 3 5 4 2, then towards the left for the next few notes. Could do circular motion as well.

[@Zdrange03]

i thought the same too. Thx for the insight.

[@tompetrie1676]

I just started playing the piano--just shy of turning 65 and this is SO advanced a piece, but Denis makes it look as if this is a first year piece, when it's probably a five or ten year piece of music! He makes it look like I can be playing this in a year or two! Thanks for that excellent tutorial! I just saw Yuja W. play this and I said, "I need to see the notes." Prokofiev was a genius! So too is Mr. Zhdanov! Bolshoy Sposiba!

[@BeachBoyTim]

Very good tutorial, thank you, you're an excellent pianist

[@evennorthug2585]

Nice. Learned me a lot about this highly intriguing piece. Thanks!

[@Tasneem_ino]

Marvelous ♥️ this really helps me.

[@timfilipi3788]

Amazing video - argh! I have so much to learn!

[@moxigeren50gabe23]

Excellent tutorial

[@keithcooper6715]

Thank You Sincerely I THANK YOU

[@AntarioPiano]

Damn, it's tough seeing these great videos in my feed and realizing they don't get any attention... Pains me, but this is youtube for you. Good content is irrelevant on KZbin unfortunately.

[@DenZhdanovPianist]

Thanks for engaging with them though! It all seems hopeless if to look on the channel, but my stats show a slow but steady raise in views/watching hours. KZbin is overcrowded unfortunately, I had to start 10 years earlier as all the smart people lol

[@brynbstn]

This piece is on my list. Not sure whether to put it before or after Ravel's Toccata - any suggestion (in terms of difficulty/challenge)? I was wondering if I should try Suggestion Diabolique first, see how that goes ...

[@DenZhdanovPianist]

They are just different, Ravel needs a scalpel, Prokofiev - a hammer. If you want to prepare yourself to Prokofiev, I would suggest to master Czerny’s Toccata in C maj first. Yes, Suggestion is a bit easier, might work as a prep. You can also learn some etudes by Rautavaara, they might be a nice “warm up” and addition to a modern block in a recital program before the “BFG weapon” of Prokofiev. They are easier (despite might seem crazy), but feature a similar musical language which kind of puts you in the mood and Aesthetics of this constructivist style: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bZ-qYpakicxgq6Msi=somp_cfnTgL6eWh9 Good luck!

[@brynbstn]

@@DenZhdanovPianist Thankyou for the reply. Yes, Czerny's Toccata is a good suggestion, if I can endure his meandering harmonic narrative during all the technical work (don't get me wrong - I'm always working on a few Czerny studies, but no more than 4 pages!). The Rautavaara Etudes completely went off my radar. The fifth one looks like it may have some applicability. Thanks for suggesting these, I'm going to get the score, if not too expensive in USA. Will listen to your recording in depth soon - - I'm sure it's great, like all your work. "BFG"?

[@theroses-amusicalvoyage8728]

I would like to purchase the full masterclass,but it's showing not available in the link,can you please arrange so that I can buy

[@DenZhdanovPianist]

Thank you for reporting! It was some weird bug, happens sometimes. Just in case here is the direct link to the check out page: sso.teachable.com/secure/1064224/checkout/4511706/prokofiev-toccata-op-11-detailed-mastercourse

[@Cubanbearnyc]

How do you tackle the weakness of the 4th and 5th fingers ?

[@DenZhdanovPianist]

I have a special video on the 5th finger in Tutorials playlist. Both these fingers can be effectively reinforced through stability in the knuckles and well-coordinated motions

[@hassanmteuzi6288]

Hi Mr. Zhdanov, I'm a 17 year old self taught pianist for about 2 and a half years now and aspiring to be a concert pianist, and I've watched multiple videos of yours and they've all been extremely helpful. Currently I'm working on Bach's prelude and fugue in c minor from book 1 and Chopin's revolutionary etude. I was wondering if you could give me some pointers on how I might work up to this level? Thank you so much!

[@DenZhdanovPianist]

I respect your passion, but I have no great news for you. I am afraid you tend to underestimate the challenge of pursuing this profession. Reaching a highest level in piano performance, which is usually described as a ‘concert pianist’, is possible only when three conditions are met: 1. Early start. A true virtuoso piano dexterity develops only before 13-14 y.o. People are usually amazed when some 15 year-old guy or girl plays something like Liszt or Rachmaninoff sonatas, but in fact it’s rather typical in serious music education, and expected from anyone who wants to reach a professional level in piano performance. 2. Merging yourself into a professional surrounding. The easiest way for this is to entry some serious music college where you will have a set of music disciplines in addition to regular in-depth piano classes (and you’d need a great piano teacher, preferably with an impressive track record of award-winning students) 3. Sacrificing pretty much anything else in your life for a number of years - most likely 10-15 years, by building your life around 5-hour daily practicing sessions, plus additional homeworks on music theory, analysis, ear training, collaborative and chamber piano classes, etc. But considering, that you are a late beginner, you might want to stay realistic, and shape your goals according to your age and life situation. You still can reach a decent level if invest much energy and will find a great teacher, but I would think about in which music style you could compete best according to your situation. Most probably a classical repertoire won’t be the best bet because of the reasons above, and because there are thousand of pianists who have started much earlier then you, and have got a superb level training.

[@hassanmteuzi6288]

@@DenZhdanovPianist thank you for your input! I really appreciate you taking the time to answer my question! I do have one more though, I understand the very small (or even nonexistent) chance of pursuing this profession considering the circumstances, however do you still believe that it's possible to achieve, even if I was a decent pianist? I do like to compose, so that might be something I can pursue instead. Thank you so much!

[@jasonhuddleston2720]

❤❤❤

[@xiguan5156]

I'm only grade 5 and I'm gonna try it

[@DenZhdanovPianist]

🤞

[@gky7170]

I so wanted to hate this piece as complicated nonsense but the more I listened to it the more it grew on me what with its motoric rhythm and piquant accents...it was like eating a chili pepper after a steady diet of porridge....