Music is more than tonality; it is the essence of sound. Of phrasing. Of silence. The musician has to listen to all the qualities of sound, and not only reproduce them but also interpret them as imagined in the head of the composer. The composer is an author, and the notes are his alphabet. “When playing a piece, the performer has to look inside himself, and act as a vessel of the composer’s mind.”
Tomoko gives some advice in analyzing a piece. “Each composition is unique. Look for the tone quality, the rhythmic sense, the articulation, the phrasing, the flow, and feeling that the sound evokes.” This analysis is important because “the performer needs to adjust to the composer.”
“The proper quality of sound is like speech,” Tomoko says. “Listen to the voice; is it quiet or loud? How does experience and feeling impact the sound? What kind of character do you think is the musician playing?” Tomoko likens musical phrasing and rests to speaking. “I listen very carefully because I don’t want to miss any commas when people speak English.” The difference is that the pianist conveys sound by touch, not speaking.
Silence is just as important. Tomoko practices early in the morning. “The brain becomes clear in the quiet.” Tomoko also says, “I can practice without sound: practicing coordination and recalling musical memories.”
You can hear how Tomoko makes her fingers sing. A good album to experience the varieties of sound quality is her “Baroque to 20th Century.” You can find it at https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/tomokohagiwara5
Showing posts with label silence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label silence. Show all posts
April 1, 2012
May 8, 2011
A little peace and quiet
On Mothers' Day, it's good to think about peace and quiet.
Tomoko remembers her teacher playing the guitar. "It fit with the music so well. It was quiet. Close to nature." She goes on to say, "Music can be a simple accent, like a flower." She asserts, "If everyone would listen to music, the world we be more peaceful."
Playwright Congreve would certainly agree: " Music has charms to soothe a savage breast."
Music also has its silent spaces, which can last just an instant, or become the entire piece, as is famously known in No Such Thing as Silence: John Cage's 4'33". Some silences enable singers to catch their breaths. Other silences signal a transition between movements, a time for one to synthesize the prior movement, and have time to refocus on a new section.
Silence also connects music and nature. "Silence is the best gold," asserts Tomoko. "This is music." Tomoko remarks, "One day if you're very depressed, you don't want to hear music. You have to be quiet." That can be a good time to be quiet in nature. In the seemingly quiet of the out-of-doors, you can feel the rhythm of life. It beats in the silence of your heart. And as you become calmer, you can start to hear nature's sounds, which can be music to your ears and psyche. "A bird singing, a tree waving; nature shows that silence is variable music."
Nevertheless, Tomoko says, "You can't go without sound for too long."
Tomoko considers Chopin to be very quiet sometimes. "He hardly touched the keyboard, but he was a good pianist." To hear a quiet interlude played by Tomoko, try her interpretation of Chopin's Nocturne in B flat minor, Opus 9, No. 1 on her Chopin Volume 2 album (http://www.tomokohagiwara.com/recordings.html).
Tomoko remembers her teacher playing the guitar. "It fit with the music so well. It was quiet. Close to nature." She goes on to say, "Music can be a simple accent, like a flower." She asserts, "If everyone would listen to music, the world we be more peaceful."
Playwright Congreve would certainly agree: " Music has charms to soothe a savage breast."
Music also has its silent spaces, which can last just an instant, or become the entire piece, as is famously known in No Such Thing as Silence: John Cage's 4'33". Some silences enable singers to catch their breaths. Other silences signal a transition between movements, a time for one to synthesize the prior movement, and have time to refocus on a new section.
Silence also connects music and nature. "Silence is the best gold," asserts Tomoko. "This is music." Tomoko remarks, "One day if you're very depressed, you don't want to hear music. You have to be quiet." That can be a good time to be quiet in nature. In the seemingly quiet of the out-of-doors, you can feel the rhythm of life. It beats in the silence of your heart. And as you become calmer, you can start to hear nature's sounds, which can be music to your ears and psyche. "A bird singing, a tree waving; nature shows that silence is variable music."
Nevertheless, Tomoko says, "You can't go without sound for too long."
Tomoko considers Chopin to be very quiet sometimes. "He hardly touched the keyboard, but he was a good pianist." To hear a quiet interlude played by Tomoko, try her interpretation of Chopin's Nocturne in B flat minor, Opus 9, No. 1 on her Chopin Volume 2 album (http://www.tomokohagiwara.com/recordings.html).
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