The Ultimate Goal of a Successful Piano Performance

Pianist Ma Changz, chairwoman of the judging committee for NTDTV’s International Chinese Piano Competition. By Dai Bing/Epoch Times

Pianist Ma Changz, chairwoman of the judging committee for NTDTV's International Chinese Piano Competition By Dai Bing/Epoch Times

The first round of the first International Chinese Piano Competition for the North American region, held by New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV), will take place on October 31st in Manhattan. The intensive piano competition will run for three consecutive days. How might the competitors, from all over the world, be able to win the prizes?

The chairwoman of the judging committee, Ms. Ma Changz, said:“A successful pianist should not only be able to grasp the style of each piece and precisely depict the structure conveyed by the composer, but also should be able touch people—this is the most important concern for pianists.”

On November 1st, the participants selected from the first rounds of the Asia Pacific and North American regions will perform in the second round of contests.  November 2nd is the date scheduled for the final contest and the Future Stars Performance in which chosen competitors will perform in an additional concert.

Ms. Ma said, “The true purpose of music is to inspire people’s virtue and heighten morality. Thus, we have selected the wonderful masterpieces composed by the great musicians, such as Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, and Chopin, and we hope this Competition will help to restore Chinese appreciation of the great traditional works.”

Let the beautiful rhythms move people’s hearts

Ms. Ma sid that the most important thing about this competition is to touch people’s hearts. She also indicated that the pianists should perform to the utmost of their talents, but not show themselves off too much; instead, just let the beautiful rhythms touch people’s hearts.

“Do not overemphasize the technical skills!” said Ma. “A man, merely equipped with fantastic technique and without sense of the subtle essence of the music, is only a piano technician at best. No matter what piece you play, you should explore and appreciate it with your heart. You must be moved first, and then you are able to move others.” She believes that the sounds of the notes that emerge from the black and white keys of the piano, weaved by the pianist’s two hands, disclose the inner world of the participant.

Conveying subtle and delicate feelings

Ma Changz continued, “ Playing piano is like a performer singing music through his fingers.  Each line can be performed with extreme subtlety or come out as a blur without saying anything clearly. An excellent pianist can convey very subtle and delicate feelings to the audience, and even an ordinary passage can be brought to life.”

“Take Mozart’s works, for example. When you play the highly difficult technical parts, the piece may sound like a hunting dog pursuing a rabbit in a panic. Alternatively, you may play the same passages sounding like a stream smoothly flowing through the valleys with warmth.  The latter is more profound and beautiful. These two ways of expression are completely different.  You should let the people sense the pure beauty in the technique, rather than make them anxious and unable to catch their breath.”

Proper Expression of Classical Music

Ms. Ma thinks that the participants should make the effort to convey the style and subtle expressions within classical music in depth, emphasizing the importance of this factor in regards to winning the competition.  For example, she thought the participants from the preliminary rounds of the Asia Pacific competition in August had a good grasp of the musical style of Mozart’s sonatas.

“Mozart’s music contains a sense of the pure innocence of a child, which can make people feel happy and pleasant. If the participants try to use Mozart’s music to boast their skills, they may end up deviating from the original intent conceived by Mozart. Mozart’s music is simple but very hard to perform precisely.”

The first sonata learned by someone starting piano may very well be a Mozart sonata. Yet the same piece may be performed on stage by an outstanding concert pianist. The music of Mozart is a delicate masterpiece in which performers can reveal Mozart’s unique faithfulness, child-like naiveté, truthfulness, and peacefulness.

Building a platform for future stars

After participants in the Asia Pacific preliminaries performed sonatas by Mozart in the second round (in August), NTDTV decided to hold an extra concert entitled the Future Stars Performance immediately following the conclusion of the competition on November 2nd.

Ms. Ma indicated that she was a little worried about the possibility that the audience might feel bored with the constant series of Mozart sonatas played in the Asia Pacific preliminaries. Her concerns were gradually cleared away following the concert. “Even for two people playing the same piece, they show their own particular features.  In addition, the concert’s presenters narrated during the breaks and introduced a lot of knowledge about classical music, which was very well received by the audience. I was deeply moved.”

Ms. Ma was of the view that the general level of the competitors in the initial contest of the Asia Pacific region was very good. “It was a pity that the number of contestants advancing to the second round was limited. Many excellent competitors are being left out of the New York competition.”

The judging committee will pick one of four pieces for each competitor in the final round and the Future Stars Performance. Almost every competitor will be facing ,and need to deal with, the pressure that comes with a live performance. Ms Ma, sharing her past experiences, said, “It is very normal because even a piano master will become very nervous when he is about to perform. However, when you devote yourself to the music and share the beauty of the music with every one, the stress will be gone.” She hoped the competitors could show their specific musical talents and make the International Chinese Competition a splendid musical event wherein people can calm their minds and improve their quality of life.

Read the original in Chinese