Clicking on random internet stuff one day, I came across a real humdinger. Here was a young concert pianist, putting out a video of herself practising, mistakes and all. The piece in question was the Brahms First Concerto. She tries various phrasings, she alters her posture to see if it will help with certain passages, she plays against a metronome, and comes a cropper. She helpfully puts written tags on the screen to give further insight into what’s happening, and to her thought processes: ‘missing pinkie’ accompanies one fumbled phrase, ‘thumb still sleepy’ another. She keeps trying, keeps repeating.
The vulnerability of it. The authenticity. The relatability! If you’ve ever made a mistake while practising, and let’s face it, that must be one hundred percent of us, then here is…
