The magnificent sound of the organ offers a great variety of harmonic structures, particularly when the use of the pipes through wind reproduces different timbres and volume. Another characteristic of the organ is given by the manuals and the pedalboard. The player is using them separated or in combination with each other, depending on the requirements of the music score.
But the inherent polyphony, which is produced by the pipes sounding simultaneously, can be considered as the real nature of the organ.
The richness of that polyphonic timbre should be the source of inspiration for the study at the piano. We cannot forget that the piano has a close relationship to the organ, even though reduced to one keyboard and three pedals which are only working in direct connection with the sound. But the harmonic structure and the tone extension of our instrument allow us to be able to imitate the organ sound, not only by taking care of a specific touch technique as tenuto and legato but also developing a polyphonic playing.

Play Bach, listen to the organ, and your piano playing will be improving to a higher level…

“Beethoven wrote everything in the score!” – some insiders would certainly affirm that. And it is true.
But most pianists seem to forget, or at least, to let expression completely aside when playing Beethoven.
The musical power of communicating was the real language that Beethoven consequently used to express all thinkable human emotions. From anger to serenity, from sadness to happiness, from pain to freedom, from resignation to joy. Each Beethoven sonata is a reflection of his spirit at that particular time of the Opus number and year thereof. When a pianist is playing his sonatas, then he is reading his musical diary. When a pianist has understood those works, then he is experiencing Beethoven.

Meeting Beethoven means facing his spirit. This can be possible only when letting go the inspiration through the expression of his works. Interpretation is not just textual fidelity to the score, it is far more than that. It is discovering the truth between the notes, understanding the meaning of an abstract language like black lines and signs and points on the paper, it is finally enhancing the human power of expression to reach the spiritual need of the soul.
That´s Beethoven, force of spirit.

Unfortunately, most pianists are not aware of this, they prefer to stay attached to the music text, thinking this is interpretation.

A look inside this topic in the upcoming essay on Artist’s thoughts.

Schumann’s art of composing was focused on the strong character of German cultural influence “Sturm und Drang”, perpetuating Beethoven’s message of a universal impact of music. Due to his early education, Schumann further developed a more personal style between literary ideas and musical representation. This can be heard in his pieces Papillons Op.2 and mostly in the Carnaval Op.9.
Pianists have generally a problem by interpreting Schumann, especially when they have to follow the indications of Tempi in his piano works. Schumann also characterized his state of mind by regularly changing the speed related to the different thematic expositions. In fact this was the way how the composer perfectly reflected his tormented soul. The pianist should be able to immerge in Schumann’s divided psyche, otherwise the execution of his works will remain nothing but a distorted interpretation which is dispraising the author’s intention.

Chopin was the eternal romantic poet of the black and white keys.
His entire inner being was dedicated to his instrument, the piano. His style is particularly known for the rubato (Italian stolen time ), a special feeling by playing musical phrases in the balance between speeding up and slowing down the tempo.
Chopin’s nature was introverted. Like Schumann he also perfectly reflected this character into his music, creating a very personal and unique art of musical painting.
Chopin was definitely inspired by Bach and Mozart. Bach delivered him the understanding of polyphony and motivic thorough-composition, instead Mozart offered him the simplicity and clarity of a melodic line. Nevertheless Chopin was able to be idiosyncratic enough to personalize his compositions.

Many pianists will get their hands full next year with these two masters.
A question still remains: who will be finally able to pay the most respectful interpretative tribute to Schumann and Chopin?
We will listen full of expectation…

What is actually the art of the motivic thorough-composition?
Developing a theme is nothing but the quintessence of the composer´s work.
How does it happen?
No matter how often, how slowly, or fast, or even loud or soft the theme is announced, this is a very personal decision of the composer. The motif could even be the emblem, which is representing the entire musical work of the author.

Let´s draw our attention to the striking theme from Beethoven´s fifth symphony:

Score picture: Beethoven – Main theme from the Symphony No.5 Op.67- Source: Wikipedia

This is doubtless one of the most important and innovative themes in the music history. Figuring the steady fight of Beethoven against the fate, this famous opening strongly influenced the further development of the traditional sonata form.
According with insiders, the sonata form represents the central point of the art of composition, especially when considering sonatas and symphonies of the 18th, 19th, and 20th century.
This musical form could be compared to a framework, in which the object is constructed and developed, in this case the musical work as the sonata or the symphony.
Let us get back to our motivic thorough-composition.
If we consider this composing technique as the composer´s logo, we could fervently be tempted to ask the question, whether the way to a successful interpretation drives us either to remaining true to the score or true to the masterwork.
In answer to this question we should remind of the issue of this essay.
The motivic thorough-composition is hearable.
To make this happen we need to apply a particular art of piano playing, which goes far beyond the usual technical abilities.
The control of the kinesthetic feeling only represents the fundamental skill to reach the effective technical abilities on the instrument.
To achieve this goal means the comprehension of accurate analysis and synthesis of the composition´s structure.
The interpreter is identifying himself with the composition and his playing is inevitably modified. Let us think again about the symphony, the motivic thorough-composition includes the complete identification with the creative thought of the composer.
So it can be affirmed that “symphonically” thinking is equal to “symphonically” feeling, and last means “symphonically” playing or reproducing.
The motivic development of a musical work is directly related to a symphonic-structrured knowledge: deeply understanding how a theme is developing and evolving through the way of polyphonic manner.
A pianist receives the basic education in polyphony studying J.S.Bach, particularly the Preludes and Fugues from the Well-tempered Clavier.

Further steps in polyphony can be pursued in the 32 piano sonatas by Beethoven.
Continuing the research of mysteries and enigmas of the polyphonic style can guide us to works by Chopin, Brahms and Rachmaninoff. When discovering Prokofieff´s music we can actually meet the union of polyphony and polyrhythm.

As a conclusion we can say that the circle always closes, in life, in the universe, as well as in music. Music is the language of universe, and universe is polyphony.
Once we understand polyphony, we even understand the motivic thorough-composition.

There are basically two types of musicians: the first ones declare their artistic Credo remaining true to the score, the others rather prefer to remain true to the musical masterwork. The first kind of musicians is strictly approaching the written notes. The score represents an indispensable fundament for the study and the examination of the composer´s work. To understand the composition means to capture exactly the text of the score, almost being obsessed with details. An analytic artist doesn´t question the written indications of the composer, as soon as the musical thought is put down on paper, the masterwork shows its perfection. The artist is not reflecting anymore, he just needs to achieve an accurate performance at the instrument to justify his exact study and faithfully approaching the score.
Sometimes this artist also makes use of additional helping methods for his meticulous analysis of the score, for example consulting different versions of the composition by other editions. But those editions only provide a basis for him to come closer and closer to the original message of the composer. Actually, the perfect solution would be having a personal communication with the creator of the musical work, the artist would have the official opportunity to honour the untouchable authority of the composer, he would serve the master by following exactly his musical specifications. Those artists consider this analytic procedure as the way to THE interpretation (Example: Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli).

An interesting metaphor could be mentioned at this point: a professional cook wants to prepare traditional exquisite dishes for his special guests and for this occasion he will be using the recipe of an old master of cuisine. He just follows the specifications of the recipe, ingredients must be exactly selected and mixed together. The dish must be prepared as the old master noticed, so the cook would honour his untouchable authority about cuisine. The dish is served to the guests. For the cook, this is COOKING.

Now we go to the second group of musicians. Those artists are focussing on the composition as a masterwork. The composition is considered as a fundament and at the same time as a source of inspiration for the study and direct approach to the composer. This artist wants to know more about the composer´s personality, he puts the score on a different perspective, using it as a directory and language of the author himself. In this case the artist perfectly understands the musical expression of the composer, being able to create an appropriate performance of the work. Reflecting, questioning, making thesis, antithesis and synthesis about the musical work guide the artist to the truth of the composition. He raises himself from servant to equal. The artist meets the composer and the composer needs the artist to execute his musical testament. For those artists this is the absolute way to achieve the musical INTERPRETATION (Example: Shura Cherkassky, Glenn Gould, and with respect, my humble self).

Here is the related metaphor: our cook wants to prepare the traditional exquisite dishes for his special guests. He has the recipe of the old master of cuisine. But he wants to know more about the master and his recipe, why he selected those particular ingredients, in which occasion the master prepared the dishes, in which manner he used to prepare them. The cook just wants to create a new recipe, perhaps being more creative with the ingredients, he wants to cook like his master did. He wants to become himself a master of cuisine, being able to prepare an excellent dinner to highly satisfy his guests. The dish is served, this procedure is COOKING and at the same time TASTING for our cook.

Back to our two artists: the first one wants to perform the composition, the second one wants to re-compose, to interpret and to deliver the composition to the listener. The first one is positioning himself between composer and listener, the second one is inviting the composer, the interpreter and the listener to join one single room. In this room all truly experience music, doing like the cook, the butler and the guests: they are joining all together the same table for dinner.