When well done, piano performances have a sense of glamour
and mystery. It can feel like heightened reality – and so it is. Behind the
curtain, and before the event, lies much hard work and stress. Tomoko knows both
sides of that curtain.
Performance starts with the wise selection of the pieces to
be played. Tomoko works with her students to find a piece that both interests
and challenges them. Those same criteria apply to herself.
Then the hard work begins as the pianist analyzes and
masters the piece. "Here is where technique provides a solid foundation," says Tomoko, so the
pianist can follow the composer’s notation, and determine the correct fingering
and dynamics. Attention to those details helps the pianist to concentrate on
the interpretation of the piece. In a sense the pianist acts as a conduit for
the composer, bringing to the piece her own experience and feelings as they
resonate with the piece. This internalization of the music is part of the
memorization process. The pianist has to over-prepare so that the physical
action is almost automatic, and the spirit of the piece can be freely
expressed.
Even if the performer does not have to take care of the
performance venue itself, she still has to prepare herself. What message does
the pianist want to convey through her clothing and hair style? What shoes
facilitate playing? The pianist needs to be in good physical health and
condition, including the immediate hours before the performance. Even the act
of getting to the performance venue needs to be planned and smoothly
implemented.
What seems to be calm in front of the stage current hides
the activity backstage. The stage crew are busy moving props, including the piano.
Cues for entrances and lighting are conveyed. If several performers are
involved in the event, then each needs to be guidance and sequenced. Each
aspect can be stressful, and the performer has to keep an inner calm,
especially if other performers get nervous. "The stress doesn’t
change over the years," remarks Tomoko. Only with time can the pianist learn how to deal with that
stress.
Then the performance! The pianist lives for this moment, and
is IN that moment. All the components are there, "But reaches a higher energy
plane," Tomoko explains. The playing itself is both automatic and intentional, precise and
personal, deliberate and freeing. It is ultimately a universal yet intimate conversation
with the audience. It is not like daily life. It is a heightened reality. Tomoko asserts, "It can be a mystical experience. An 'out of this world'performance."
That experience is the ideal, and is what keeps the pianist
going through the long days.
