Wissam believes firmly, and teaches, that music is best played from memory, since this permits the full emotional expression inherent in the music to manifest itself. At the end of the course, Aleks, Wissam and the students play a concert, and the aim (although not the requirement) is that students be able to play their chosen pieces by heart.
Everyone did, in the event, play from memory. And the thing that I will remember is that although I spotted, in places, some missed cues, some wrong notes, and some memory failures, it didn't matter at all, because the overall result was so musical. It was a fabulous concert.
And I'm inspired as a result to try it for myself. At the end of each term, the music school where I am enrolled holds a little concert. So I am psyching myself up, and learning a new piece (one I played with Aleks while he was here) from memory.
Let me close with a plug. Wissam and Aleks have released a double CD of flute and piano music. You can get it on iTunes or as a physical CD It's called "This Invisible World", it's great, get a copy. Aleks has also released several solo piano works, including a CD of 20th Century piano music, that, if you think you don't like 20th century piano music, might just change your mind. Buy this too.
4 comments:
If your group gite can attract groups like this it is worth all the hassle with the ever changing norms.
What is that stretch of water?
Hi James, the water is the Gué de Selle, a man-made lake used for leisure, just to the North-West of Evron.
We went there with the flute course participants on the Sunday, which is a day off in the middle of the course for recreation. We took a pic-nic, and some brave souls swam in lake, you can see them to the left of the picture.
It's not a good lake for sailing, being surrounded by trees, but you can see, of a weekend, kids in little sailing dinghies following an inflatable, like little ducks, for a sailing lesson.
Sounds like a grand time. I miss my painting weekends - challenging, but with supportive and like minded people that's a joy in itself.
Post a Comment