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| Roger Woodward with Fiona Thompson |
Roger Woodward led an inspiring master class at Mitchell Conservatorium today. Seven piano students played pieces for his evaluation by Elissa Milne, Gurlitt, Chopin, Liszt, Prokofiev, Haydn, Grieg and Farrenc.
The students who participated were Tara Chan, Eliza Chudleigh, Anthony Tran, Raymond and Maggie Chan, and Namaste Ossig-Bonanno. They were amazed when Mr Woodward played Tara's difficult Prokofiev and Liszt pieces without knowing beforehand what pieces were being presented.
I was also interested that he took the opportunity to practise for his concert tour in the half hour before the program started. Others would have wanted to rest from their journey, have a cup of tea, or engage in small talk. It was most enlightening to be a
fly on the wall and watch him at work.
When Ailie McGarity performed Chopin's Nocturne in E Minor, Mr Woodward told us that it was the second nocturne Chopin ever wrote. And he said that mastering the nocturnes of Chopin is an entry point to all of Chopin's other works.
He recommended Jean-Jacques Eigeldinger's
Chopin: pianist and teacher [as seen by his pupils] for information on how Chopin taught. He also said that this book and C P E Bach's
Essay On The True Art of Playing Keyboard Instruments give lots of essential information about playing the piano, including useful tips on fingering and hand position.
He also highly recommended Heinrich Neuhaus'
Art of Piano Playing as a more recent record of teaching piano Chopin's way.
What an interesting afternoon! Roger Woodward graciously gave us an hour of his time and was generous in his praise of our students and our Bechstein grand piano.
It's a bit blurry, but I do love this photo of Roger Woodward and Tara Chan interacting, as he talked with her about the Prokofiev sonata and the Liszt piece which she performed.
