As a piano student, Tomoko took courses in composition, and she has great sensitivity to a composer’s nuanced musical approach and style. Tomoko also knows that several of her favorite piano composers were also piano teachers. Here is a sampling, which also show the lineage and impact of piano teachers.
The late
18th century pianist Muzio Clementi was known for his piano sonatas
and sonatinas. He also taught piano for over twenty year, and passed on his
technical legato style to his students. One of those students was the German
Ludwig Berger, who even went to Clementi to Russia, and stayed eight years.
When Berger
returned to Germany, he transitioned from performing to composing (a concerto,
sonatas, and studies) and teaching. His most famous student was Chopin.
Even
though Chopin was one of the greatest piano composers even, he did not like to
perform in public; he got stage fright and didn’t like being watched. He
actually preferred teaching piano, and his etudes were used in such sessions. He
wrote many études, which he used in lessons with his students. He mainly taught
women who were serious about piano playing, although none performed
professionally. One of his favorite students was Adolphe Gutman, who performed
with Chopin, and later composed a set of études that were dedicated to Chopin.
Another
lineage of piano composers/teachers starts with Christian Gottlob Neefe: a
German 18th century composer and conductor. He started composes at
age 12, creaying mainly operas, although he also composed piano pieces. He was
also Ludwig van Beethoven’s main piano teacher, and helped Beethoven compose
his first works, which were piano pieces.
Besides
his composing and public performing, Beethoven taught piano to increase the
family’s income. One of his students was Austrian Carl Czerny, who impressed
Beethoven with his performance at age 10. On his part, Czerny was impressed
with Beethoven technical skill and ability to improvise.
Clementi
also taught Czerny, who performed professionally and wrote more than a thousand
compositions. Many of his piano pieces were études and piano solo exercises, which
he used in teaching the piano. Indeed, Czerny began teaching piano at age
fifteen. His most famous student was Franz
Liszt, who dedicated one of his own études to Czerny. Liszt also complemented
his performing and composing with teaching, although he mainly taught masterclasses
for groups of advanced piano students; he emphasized interpretation in those
classes.
Tomoko’s
own students have gone on to perform professionally, compose, and teach piano.
So she also has a legacy to be proud of.
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