Piano Video Lesson: Do Concert Pianists Have to Keep Learning New Music?

Welcome to livingpianos.com. We've a question. Do concert pianists have to keep learning new music? You'd think after decades of performing, concert artists would have enough repertoire to last a lifetime. Well, here's something interesting for you. Growing up with my father, Morton Estrin, who was a concert pianist, sometimes he would be aghast to learn that one of his colleagues was playing a New York recital, and he would say, "My goodness, that's the same program they played for their graduate recital at Juilliard 20 years ago." And he couldn't believe it because my father was a firm believer in constantly expanding his repertoire.

In fact, it was not until his '80s that he learned the complete Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition and performed it at Hofstra University Playhouse. My teacher, Ruth Slenczynska, who many of you may have seen on the interview here at livingpianos.com and YouTube, also a spectacular pianist who started concertizing at the age of four, got to study with some of the most luminary pianists of the 20th century, from Rachmaninoff to Schnabel to Cortot. And at 97 years old, she's not only still performing and recording, yes, she's learning new music. So why is this so important?

Well in life, you're either living or you're dying. You must constantly explore new avenues. Never give up your curiosity. As a pianist, you constantly expand your repertoire. This is how you grow as a musician and remain vibrant and vital in this world. In that spirit, I've been learning some new pieces lately and I thought I'd share with you an absolutely stupendous piece of music I've always loved. As a matter of fact, it was my father's first recording he made in the 1950s for Fantasy Record of the complete Chopin ballads and the F minor fantaisie, which you're about to hear.

So that is a Chopin Fantaisie in F minor. It's a pleasure to learn new music, explore great works like this and the great thing about the piano repertoire is it's virtually endless, more than anyone could possibly tackle in a lifetime, and not just talking about the great music for the instrument. The other great thing about the piano repertoire is not all pieces are this difficult. There are pieces of Chopin that are very accessible and dozens of other composers of music worth your time. So no matter what level you're on, whether you're a seasoned concert pianist, or just starting out, always be learning new music. It enriches your life and it's good for your soul. I'm Robert Astrin. This is livingpianos.com. Leave comments here on livingpianos.com and YouTube, and if you like what you're hearing, subscribe, ring the bell, the thumbs up. I appreciate all of that. Thanks for the support. We'll see you next time.

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