What is Breath in Music? Part 2 - Piano Demonstration

Hi, Robert Estrin here at virtualsheetmusic.com and livingpianos.com. You know, a number of years ago, I had a video where I talked about breathing in music. And it's an interesting fact that there's always the sense of breath in music. Of course wind instruments, they have no choice, but even when playing the piano, you have to have the sense of the breath. And I had someone ask me, "Could you demonstrate this concept?" And I thought that's a great idea. So I have chosen the second movement of the beautiful K. 332 F major Sonata of Mozart. And I'm going to play just the beginning for you, and then I'm going to explain where the breaths are.

You might already sense where the breaths are. When I lifted up my hand, it was the breath. Watch, I'll demonstrate for you, so you get a sense of where those breaths occur.

You know, if you played it without the sense of breath, it would really lose so much in the music. I guess I'm going to try, it's going to be so unnatural for me, but listen to it without the sense of breath, if I could do that.

It's lifeless, it has no soul. Because the music has to have this natural element, because after all, even on the piano, you're imitating the quality of the human voice, as all instruments essentially do. So listen one more time with the sense of the breath. I won't show you the breath, but you'll know where they are, and I delineate it by the lifting of the hands.

You know, it's not just the breath itself, it's the whole sense of the line, the rise and the fall within the phrase that the breath supports, or the concept of the breath on the piano, where you don't physically have to breathe. But you must bring life to the music with the breath. I hope this has been enlightening for you. Again, Robert Estrin at livingpianos.com and virtualsheetmusic.com.

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