Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Everything is calculated -- he knows exactly what sound he wants.

That is my impression listening to this video that Frederic Chiu posted on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulkiFCu7owc

Last March, someone posted here about a masterclass he attended at which Chiu taught just this: you must know exactly what kind of sound you want, and whenever you practice it has to be the goal to achieve this sound that is in your head.

Quite fortunately, Mr. Chiu himself joined the discussion:

http://www.pianoworld.com/ubb/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?/topic/2/14396.html

I remembered that discussion tonight listening to his YouTube video. It really is quite remarkable.

Some of his concepts sound like the ideas put forward by William Westney in The Perfect Wrong Note. I've just finished reading this book and I'm still trying to see how I "feel" about it and whether I really understand it. (Westney's idea of the "Un-Master Class" reminds me of the description of the Chiu master class in the other thread Sam mentions.

I read Westney's book also. I found it to be eye opening, and as a teacher myself, it helped me to not fall into some of those trappings of forcing one's own musical impressions rather than drawing out the student's.