Bach, practice and making the music your own
In this Ask the Faculty video, Beate Toyka responds to five questions on Bach, practising and interpretation. She considers how teachers can help younger pianists enjoy Bach, ways to revive a piece that has become stale, developing a reliable internal pulse, making interpretive choices when the score gives little guidance and managing a large repertoire project such as the Well-Tempered Clavier.
Questions answered
00:00 – How do you help a young pianist enjoy playing Bach rather than seeing it as music they ought to learn because it is good for them?
06:59 – How do I maintain interest in a piece I’ve spent a long time working on, and make it feel fresh again?
10:03 – How can I develop a reliable internal pulse without depending on the metronome?
12:18 – When playing Bach, how do I decide on phrasing, articulation and dynamics when the score gives so little guidance?
15:43 – How do you organise a large project such as the Well-Tempered Clavier and keep all that music under your fingers?
Bach with Beate
Find out more about Beate’s Step into ‘The 48’ series, exploring the preludes and fugues of Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier.