{"id":1991,"date":"2014-03-31T08:00:52","date_gmt":"2014-03-31T06:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.henle.de\/blog\/en\/?p=1991"},"modified":"2015-05-29T13:34:07","modified_gmt":"2015-05-29T11:34:07","slug":"listeners-are-also-only-human","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.henle.de\/en\/2014\/03\/31\/listeners-are-also-only-human\/","title":{"rendered":"Listeners are also only human"},"content":{"rendered":"

Observations on the necessity of body language in piano playing<\/h2>\n
\"Wilhelm<\/a>

Wilhelm Busch: "Der Virtuos", 1865 (Source: Wikimedia.org, Licence: PD)<\/p><\/div>\n

For today, an altogether practical subject for those of us who play piano and are pianists: Perhaps it has still not gotten about every\u00adwhere that piano playing appeals to the eye more than to the ear! Pianists have then a fair chance of winning competitions only if they re\u00adin\u00adforce their playing with expressive body movements and facial expressions. A current, reportedly serious study<\/a> proves it: That is to say, upon merely watching soundless (!) com\u00adpe\u00adtition shots, lay people as well as pro\u00adfes\u00adsio\u00adnals chose the same (!) winners as the expert panel of judges at the same competition. In other words: the eye, not the ear pre\u00adde\u00adter\u00admines solid piano playing. Or put another way: The jury, wearing earplugs, would also have nominated the same winner. Now that\u2019s something to really make you think\u2026.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Personally, I\u2019m surprised at the results of the study because such \u201cantics\u201d rather distract from what is essential. On the other hand, I am also reminded of a comment by Alfred Brendel as to the enormously suggestive effect body-language signs can have on the listener. I\u2019ll be looking briefly into both aspects in the following.<\/p>\n

We may shrug off Lang Lang\u2019s extreme body language as unnecessary fuss. But its effect on most listeners is just for that reason so magical. He would have been able to win any piano competition! Here is a splendid example of Lang Lang\u2019s body-language (mass-)sug\u00adgestion in a live performance of the 2nd<\/sup> Hungarian Rhapsody<\/em><\/strong> by Liszt (it\u2019s worth\u00adwhile watching it to the \u201cbitter end\u201d \u2026 especially in terms of today\u2019s blog subject):<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=R-EGKpbIBuw<\/p>\n

The pianist Marc-Andr\u00e9 Hamelin would be in turn hardly likely to win a competition. His calm, almost stoical bearing is in greatest contrast to Lang Lang\u2019s: The same Liszt show\u00adpiece is put through its paces in technically admirable mastery, far more commandingly and musically than Lang Lang plays it, but with ramrod-stiff focus (also worthwhile viewing on YouTube and listening to the whole piece):<\/p>\n