Music Practice Commons^™

Not Set In Stone: Mikhail Pletnev's Rewrite Of Scriabin's Piano Concerto, Anatole Leikin

Performance Practice Review

Not Set in Stone: Mikhail Pletnev’s Rewrite of Scriabin’s Piano Concerto

Scriabin’s Piano Concerto in F-sharp minor, Op. 20 (1897), was initially met with harsh criticisms. Then, in 1899, the critics’ and the public’s reaction suddenly changed from disparaging to admiring. Subsequently, Scriabin’s performances of the Concerto continued to consistently gather highest accolades throughout Russia, Western Europe, and the U.S.

The only credible explanation for such a remarkable metamorphosis is that Scriabin somehow modified (and improved) the piano part in his performances. No written corrections of the piano score exist, which is not at all surprising. Scriabin never revised his …

"Clavichord For Beginners" By Joan Benson, Bernard Brauchli

Performance Practice Review

Bernard Brauchli reviews and discusses Joan Benson's 2014 work.

Benson, Joan. Clavichord for Beginners. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2014.

ISBN: 978-0253011589

Keyboard Fingering And Interpretation: A Comparison Of Historical And Modern Approaches, Jeffrey Swinkin

Performance Practice Review

Earlier systems of keyboard fingering exploit the natural differences of finger strength and utilize frequent changes of position in order to facilitate localized (gestural) phrasing and articulation, among other interpretive nuances. The modern system of fingering, by contrast, views the fingers as more homogeneous and aims to keep the hand more stationary out of a concern for purely technical facility and for promoting a longer line. This essay offers numerous examples of historical keyboard fingerings—those by C. P. E Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, and Schenker—in each case discussing the implications the fingering has for phrasing and other aspects of interpretation. It …

Concerning Articulation On Keyboard Instruments: Aspects From The Renaissance To The Present, Sandra P. Rosenblum

Performance Practice Review

RILM abstract: "The organ, harpsichord, clavichord, and piano have different articulative characteristics due to their actions. An apparent norm of nonlegato playing for secular music existed prior to 1600, with probable playing of notes in ligatures. Signs specific to Articulation began to appear in the 17th c. The articulatory quality of short slurs is discussed, and the persistence of nonlegato into the early 19th c. is illuminated. Changes in the piano and in styles of Articulation went hand in hand in the 19th c. In the 20th c., new signs were added by composers seeking greater specificity of articulative color."

"Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Music For Solo Keyboard." Trevor Stephenson, Fortepiano, Marischka Olech-Hopcroft

Performance Practice Review

Olech-Hopcroft reviews and critiques Stephenson's recording of Mozart Keyboard Music.

Italian Split-Keyboard Instruments With Fewer Than Nineteen Divisions To The Octave, Denzil Wraight, Christopher Stembridge

Performance Practice Review

Checklists of (1) surviving Italian harpsichords and virginals with split black keys; (2) similar instruments not known to survive but whose existence can be documented; (3) 26 Italian organs built during the period 1468-1665 that are known to have had split keys. Gives the ranges of these instruments when known. Discusses Frescobaldi's probable involvement with such instruments.

Questions Concerning The Edition Of The 'Goldberg Variations' In The Neue Bach Ausgabe, Erich Schwandt

Performance Practice Review

The edition of BWV 988 has a number of serious errors that make it unsuitable for performance or study. The editor, Christoph Wolff, has introduced arbitrary readings, redistributed articulation marks, and misread ornaments. The editors of the Neue Bach Ausgabe ought to consider withdrawing the edition. (Rabin, Ronald J.)