It’s normal to be nervous before a performance. That nervous energy, if it’s not too overwhelming, helps you to focus. But imagine you’ve prepared a piano concerto, memorized it, and rehearsed it to perfection. Then imagine you’re on stage, with an audience quietly listening, and when the conductor gives the orchestra the first downbeat, they begin to play another concerto, one you have not prepared. What would you do? You can watch what Maria João Pires did below. What’s amazing about this clip is the shock and emotion and horror conveyed on Ms. Pires’s face and her courage to do what had to be done. Absolutely amazing. Bravo!
Want to learn more about the best ways to practice? Get an e-mail with a discount code when The Practice of Practice is published (June, 2014). To learn more about the book, check out a sample from The Practice of Practice.
Related articles
- A lesson in orchestral technique from Orchestra Mozart and Haitink in their London debut, 1/10/13 (gslaterwalker.wordpress.com)
- Argerich out; Pires back on the bill (intermezzo.typepad.com)
- Classical music Q&A: What makes Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2 so great? French pianist Philippe Bianconi discusses his upcoming performances of it this weekend with the Madison Symphony Orchestra. Plus, the memorial performances for singer Ilona Kombrink a (welltempered.wordpress.com)
The Practice of Practice 
3 Comments Add yours