Rudiments of Arrau's Technical Approach: Demonstration

"Piano Lessons with Claudio Arrau", by Victoria A. von Arx
A demonstration of the basic arm weight techniques used by Claudio Arrau, as taught by Victoria A. von Arx, who wrote a book on it based on firsthand accounts from Arrau's students, and several audio recordings of his lessons.
This is a video that goes with the book. I've put it here since it's only available as a Flash video on their website, and also to preserve it long after their website goes down (which it will!) This is a brief demonstration of the basic piano techniques employed by Claudio Arrau.
From: global.oup.com/us/companion.we...
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0:15 Finger motion
1:57 Vertical arm motion - downward motion
2:55 Vertical arm motion - upward motion
3:53 Reciprocal downward/upward motion
4:38 Reciprocal downward/upward motion - dynamic shaping
5:55 Reciprocal downward/upward motion - unequal note values, dotted rhythms
7:15 Vibration
9:24 Rotation
10:44 Rotation - with upper arm rotation
12:13 Circular motion
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Also see these two full lessons, uploaded by Bennett Lerner:
Lesson with Claudio Arrau: Beethoven “Eroica” Variations (1967)
• Lesson with Claudio Ar...
Lesson with Claudio Arrau: Strauss “Burleske” (late ‘60s)
• Lesson with Claudio Ar...
Lerner also has a two-part lesson of his own, passing on Arrau's teachings:
• The Teachings and Pian... (part 1)
• The Teachings and Pian... (part 2)
Arrau student Noel Nascimento has uploaded a three-part lesson of his own, titled "The Piano School":
• The Piano School Part ... (part 1)
• The Piano School Part ... (part 2)
• The Piano School Part ... (part 3)
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Also interesting, uploaded by quercus243:
Arrau voicing his thoughts on Beethoven's sonatas;
• Claudio Arrau: Thought...
and introducing the Beethoven piano concertos:
• Claudio Arrau Introduc...
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Arrau himself on technique (although briefly):
• Claudio Arrau - Art Of... around 2:06
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Buy the book: www.amazon.com/Piano-Lessons-C...
Description of the book:
This in-depth study of Arrau's principles and philosophy of technique and performance draws on information from published interviews with Arrau, from numerous interviews with Arrau's pupils, and from the author's experience in studying piano with two of them. Transcripts of actual lessons given by Arrau and preserved on tape present in his own words a detailed account of his technical and interpretive ideas about five major works of the piano repertory. References to over one hundred examples from Arrau's filmed recordings enable readers to observe the elements of Arrau's famed technique in action.
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[@lewlafanz6932]

Trauman people seem to mystify piano playing This lady makes it more transparent, one of the vey few best piano teachers I have ever seen

[@Erdos777]

Excellent presentation. Will read your book on Arrau’s technique next.

[@Mohabpiano]

This certainly shows how Arrau obtained his own massive sound from these very 'heavy' movements, which served his character of serious and weighty musicianship!

[@BryanLLe]

Incredibly interesting

[@70710Ali]

Thank you very much!!

[@dennistordoya7035]

sooo good!!

[@helloitismetomato]

@quercus243 thanks for giving me those tips, I've looked up the links and added them to the description.

[@fabiodosreis528]

Beautiful....

[@grupoarkdi2503]

Por favor traducción al español para que las personas de habla hispana tengamos acceso a este conocimiento, gracias

[@haveapieceofbiscuit]

It is important to differentiate between understanding motion in isolation, and how one implements movements to bring forth aesthetic ideals. Knowing how the movement work is useful, but that this demonstration does not integrate any sense of musical sensitivity, touch, colors or any musical intention behind. I think if a demonstration integrates all the musical sensitivity with the sounds will be so much more convincing. A musician is an artist of sound, rather than just a technician or an analyst of movement.

[@diferofo]

Well, I absolutely agree with you! I think this video is just an introduction. I've been reading the book and it includes musical applications of the techniques presented in this video. Once you get the principles, I think it's up to your imagination when deciding which is the most appropriate movement por a determined passage, right? Regards!

[@syourke3]

Exactly! This sort of technical analysis is without any musical value at all. In fact, I think this sort of biometric analysis is a complete waste of time for any real pianist.

[@ohsoleohmio]

is vibration the trick for etude 10 2 chopin ? would upper arm rotation help with etude 10 1 ?

[@snaaptaker]

Very nice. One might almost think that Arrau had studied with Matthay. ☺

[@MrTriglicerido]

Yes

[@emyrwyn604]

It helps of course to have a large frame (think Rachmaninov, Arrau, and more recently Volodos and Matsuev) If you are of slender build, you have to be even more aware of which muscles are working and which muscles are relaxed IMO

[@philosopher0076]

Large frame? Don't be silly. Arrau had narrow shoulders, tiny bones and was only 5 ft. 5 inches tall. He had a slight build and was a tiny man physically. His BIG sound is a testament to his amazing technique and pushing into the keys with his entire upper body weight..BECAUSE he was so small. He managed and developed a technique wherein he became a Bruce Lee of piano.....tiny structure but huge results.

[@HervalSantana]

Good evening teacher! The first exercise demonstrated in the video, can be performed on Behringer exercises? Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. Angry!

[@thomaskrull6905]

Everything can be played that way. Depends of the passages you use different movements.

[@ChaceArrowz]

Thank you for this! Does the book give music to apply these techniques too? Can you recommend some pieces?

[@helloitismetomato]

The technique is not specific to any type of music. Arrau himself played a lot of Beethoven and romantic composers like Schumann and Chopin if that's what you mean. Maybe you should check out his videos.

[@ChaceArrowz]

I was asking what repertoires would you suggest to practice the technique. I

[@Javilopez344]

Hello. Is it possible to study with you?

[@silviabeatriztenaglia1231]

Traducir por favor 1:46

[@robertopiano1222]

Enviado ipor

[@CarmenReyes-em9np]

Bach ----Bussoni. 🇮🇷🎁

[@briggsak05]

De Silva's

[@briggsak05]

Methods

[@dennisjardine4089]

technique is unique to every physique. These explanations may be well for Arrau but not for me who obviously has a different physique

[@leo82795]

This is an interesting demo. However, why do not use Arrau's own play clips to demo it? That will be more convincing.

[@marcrajotte5369]

This PRESENTER's demonstrated sounds are NOWHERE near the pearly tones of Arrau: Ma'am...all your sounds are of the steely over struck type.You yourself dont know his own technique...for the arm cannot flop to add to the sound it is the suppleness of the wrist and the use of oval motions of the wrist.

[@Erdos777]

The hammer felt needs some work on the piano she played for the demo.

[@helloitismetomato]

Von Arx has a PhD in musicology who wrote her dissertation on Arrau's technique. The book is an expanded version of that dissertation and was written from observations of Arrau as well as numerous hours of transcripts from his lessons. With respect, but I don't think you get the point of the video. It's not to imitate Arrau's beautiful sound, which no one could do anyway, but to show as clearly as possible how his basic technique worked, with the fine details being in the book. Of course you focus exclusively on movement when demonstrating such a thing. She is not playing a piece, she is showing isolated and simplified basic movements devoid of context. This video is a supplement to clarify the technique descriptions used in the book, which are very strongly supported by numerous observations of Arrau's play that you can look up on KZbin. The research goes a lot further than "the arms cannot flop" (I don't even know what that means, but Arrau uses arm weight, which requires lifting the arms).

[@TommenIBaratheon]

This goes completely against the Taubman method-which for the sake of no injury, I'll stick with the Taubman method instead of not only developing injury with Arrau-technique, but also saving my self from embarrassment as a pianist and NOT flap my arms like a chicken.

[@philosopher0076]

Arrau played professionally in studio and onstage magnificiently into his 80's right before he died. Injury? NO.

[@rich3419]

I could barely watch. It was excruciating. Watch Irina Gorin or Illinca Vartic. Better yet just watch Claudio Arrau's interview as he demonstrates the relaxed holistic motion.

[@helloitismetomato]

Which video do you mean? I would like to link that in the description

[@rich3419]

helloitismetomato Here he explains his technique at 2:12 kzbin.info/www/bejne/pYmymn-MiZZrjZY. Relaxation is the key. Irina Gorin explains her teaching approach here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mpjRgax4lrKmqKs.

[@helloitismetomato]

Ah yes thank you, I've seen this video. I'll add it. If I may add, one thing that gets overlooked (although not in Von Arx's far more detailed book, which is a great read) is finger strength as well. This isn't mutually exclusive with relaxation. You need a well prepared hand to land into the keys. Arrau had great finger strength, and imo that's what allows the technique to work so well. At least for me, I can't imagine making this work without a good and steady hand.

[@rich3419]

helloitismetomato Here is Vartic's explanation: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j2nbd2t8a9Ksoa8. It is not muscle strength. It is the strength that comes from weight, gentle curved wrist (as Gorin explains), and internal energy flowing. Muscles must be totally relaxed.

[@rich3419]

helloitismetomato It is not muscle strength. It is an energetic strength that comes from curvature of the relaxed body coupled with gravity. Here Vartic explains: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j2nbd2t8a9Ksoa8

[@plekkchand]

What on earth- Arrau was not a particularly exceptional pianist. Why do people think anything at all of this nonsense?

[@nachotolchefffernandez231]

It is kind of pretenious of you to say that. That may be your opinion, but there are thousands of people (including myself) who believe Arrau was a greate pianist, and you can't deny the incredibly beautifull sound he could produce

[@yurimeyrowitz6788]

Yes... not particularly exceptional in the company of Horowitz, Serkin, Rubinstein, Rachmaninoff, Hofmann, Lhevinne, Lipatti, Solomon, Michelangeli, etc... just one of the crowd among the greatest pianist-musicians of the 20th Century...

[@tarakb7606]

A great pianist with the most incredible tone.

[@philosopher0076]

@@yurimeyrowitz6788 You have no clue what you are talking about. Arrau was better than all the pianists you noted. And Horowitz was infatuated with speed and playing everything HIS way rather than the composer's way. He would play lines super fast to basically show off onstage rather than express the notes as the composer wrote them for the pieces. Arrau played the music for the music...what was written...not playing for the audience, not for the composer....but he just played the MUSIC. That's what he cared about and expressed like no other. His tone, technique and utter phenomenal ability on the keyboard put him in a class by himself. He could play as fast as Horowitz at any second......he was playing Liszt when he was 10 years old...all of the Transcendental Etudes...learned in 2 weeks. He was a prodigy and on top of that then practiced for YEARS 16 hours a day and had one of the great teachers who was a student of Liszt himself and a grand-student of Beethoven. He could play as fast as the fastest player and could play any composers work with ease. You never see struggle on his face when he played...even in his 70's and beyond. His technique, ability was at such a high level that he didn't need to think about technique or struggle at all to play any piece he played. Due to that, he was able to put ALL his mental, emotional expression into the music without the struggle of physically playing any piece holding him back or distracting his emotional expression. He was indeed exceptional a pianist and definitely one of the greatest pianists the world has ever heard.

[@yurimeyrowitz6788]

@@philosopher0076 - for someone calling him/herself "philosopher" you appear to be totally ignorant of sarcasm...

[@robertwalker2052]

Arrau was just meh. His Beethoven Pathatique was student level.