On Piano Performance ()

Author: (Polish) Hofmann
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-19
Features: The purpose of writing this book is to introduce a comprehensive insight into the art of piano performance and to provide young students with my many years of research results and performance experiences. Of course, only some specific and substantive issues in piano performance can be discussed here—namely, the part of the problem that reproduces what is explicitly indicated in the score with sound. As for the other aspects, such as the more elusive parts of piano performance, they are actually dependent on imagination, refined sensitivity, spiritual insight, and the dedication to conveying what the composer consciously or unconsciously hides between the lines of the score to the audience. These purely psychological aspects of piano performance are not suitable for expression in written form, so they cannot be found in this book. However, it is also beneficial to spend some time discussing those elusive aesthetic and conceptual issues to demonstrate how different they are from technical problems. This book is a summary of the lifetime experience of Polish pianist and educator Hofmann. It is divided into two parts: (1) On Piano Performance, covering general performance rules, touch techniques, pedal usage, stylistic forms, and other issues; (2) Q&A. A collection of answers to piano performance questions posed by readers during the author's thirteen years as a music editor.