The Romantics and Beyond: 3-day course with Graham Fitch – Upper Intermediate -Advanced
The Romantics and Beyond: With a special emphasis on pedalling
Playing music from the 19th century onwards relies on a fertile imagination, a multi-dimensional sound, and – not least – sophisticated pedalling. Many players develop their technique without taking full advantage of how the sustaining pedal can enhance their sound.
In this course for Upper Intermediate – Advanced players (grade 7+), Graham Fitch will explore advanced pedalling techniques as well as how to use the whole body in our playing, rather than relying on mere “finger power”.
1. Touch and Tone: The Secrets of a Beautiful Sound
Even though the piano is a percussion instrument, the great pianists and teachers have always insisted on an approach based on the human voice. How do we make the instrument sing? This workshop will explore how to do this for those who seek that elusive singing, ringing tone.
2. Fancy footwork: The Art of Pedalling
Anton Rubinstein famously referred to the sustaining pedal as the “soul of the piano“. Many simply think of it as an on-off switch, but there are various pedal techniques that are indispensable for playing the Romantic repertoire that are impossible to notate in the score. In this workshop, we will go over the basics as well as investigating advanced techniques that will have a noticeable effect on your sound.
3. The Role of the Imagination in Performance
Simply aiming to get the notes, rhythms, and other directions in a musical score correct is just the beginning of the journey. In order to communicate the musical message of a piece, we need to know how to tap into the narrative, imagery, and emotions that the music evokes for us personally. In this workshop, we will use various examples from the repertoire to illustrate how this might be done.
Performance class clinics
The clinic sessions offer an opportunity to explore challenges within your pieces, alongside broader questions of technique and practice methods. You might bring a fully prepared Romantic piece for performance, with a focus on polishing and interpretation, or choose to work on a particular passage or section that you’re finding difficult to learn.
On Saturday evening, Graham will introduce and perform one of his favourite Romantic pieces, offering guests the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the music in an inspiring setting.
There can be few people in the world more qualified to talk to us about practice techniques than Graham. Author of his blog www.practisingthepiano.com and his own online piano academy, Graham’s ideas for healthy piano technique and practice tips attract followers from across the world.
In between the workshop and performance class/ clinic sessions there will be time for private practice on one of our beautiful grand pianos including our new Steinway.
Guests will also:
- Have the chance to play in and observe two performance masterclasses.
- Will receive a one-to-one lesson with Graham.
- Enjoy access to play on our 9 grand pianos anytime between 7am and 8pm. (There are enough pianos to go round that everyone can play a piano at any given time.)
- Experience a private walk-through performance talk for course participants in the main hall of the family home, performed by Graham.
- Join and socialise with a group 8 fellow piano enthusiasts during lunch and dinner.
- Dine in style with lunches and three course dinners prepared by our fabulous chef.
- Experience the Finchcocks bubble, hailed as a “paradise for pianists” by BBC Music Magazine and stay in a grade 1 listed country manor.
Plus-ones are very welcome on our courses, with a room surcharge dependant on whether they are a playing or non-playing guest. Please ask for further details.
For booking enquiries, please fill in the form below.
3-day courses
from £925 (inclusive of accommodation, tuition and all food and wine)
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