Yeah, that was a pretty primitive edit I made there! I couldn't discover how to enlarge the view of the spot being edited to get a more precise sense of its boundaries. So I "operated" using the normal view which had a cost in terms of precision.

Hopefully I won't have to tangle with edits again for a long while.

Objective analysis is certainly an essential tool in understanding a score, but excessive attention to it can lead to academic and sterile piano playing. Because interpretation also includes intuitive and more subjective elements such emotional content, it must sometimes assume the role of a counterbalance in performance. Thus, objective analysis and intuitive subjectivity need to be integrated in a balanced way thereby assuring that the holistic approach will be successful. For example, in the music of Bach, because this great composer handed down scores with very sparse markings, in addition to playing statements and sequences, strettos, variations of ornaments, questions/answers, organ pedals, counterpoint, and fugue voice entrances, voice leading, etc., to make Bach's music come alive beyond those devices, the pianist, to be expressive, must call upon a measure of intuitive thinking to interpret the music more fully to broaden its context. Because Bach was improvisatory, he would expect no less. Similarly, in the Late Romantic music where the emotive elements of the music are quite obvious and most tempting, the pianist needs to set some boundaries through objective analysis to prevent the interpretation from becoming idiosyncratic or maudlin. This is a pulling in of the reins. Holistic thinking is the grand scheme and overview, but also requires a balance of analytical and intuitive thinking. If we can attain that, then we preserve the tradition of the "good old school" of pianism as you call it, that is playing in a manner always reflecting good taste.

I think you do very well in writing in English. It's always quite clear, concise and fully understandable. Thanks for your nice compliment here!

Hi Andreas,

Yes, forming expressions is the most difficult part in speaking or writing in any foreign language. And sometimes translations cannot be as exact as in the original tongue. In fact, sometimes they cannot be translated at all, as they would have no meaning. I always thought it would be interesting to study piano with a Russian pedagogue who spoke no English. Probably I'd learn a lot.

David

For awhile I'll be occupied with Liadov, and these pieces all fit on the music desk--so there should be no problem during recording sessions.