This Maria Joao Pires masterclass differs from the preceeding examples by Bolet and Barenboim in several respects. To begin with, the students are still studying at the conservatory. While they are competent technically, they have not yet attained the level of professionalism of accomplished concert artists and major competition winners. Then Pires, a Portugese pianist of great renown for her performances of the great Germanic pianistic tradition from Bach to Brahms and her Chopin, appears to take more of an emotive approach in this masterclass.
Rather than taking an analytical approach which can be explained in words rather effectively, she is all about feeling, both physical and spiritual. And yet she is remarkably effective in her ability to communicate in this way to her students, and to us. And as music is, to a great extent, a subjective art, this is a very valid method of instruction.
Unfortunately I have not yet found a complete video of this masterclass, but these fragments are nonetheless full of wonderful moments and give us a good feel for the way Pires approaches music.
For those of you who understand French, there is an excerpt of a Maria Joao Pires masterclass in which she speaks briefly but eloquently about the organic rhythm of a piece of music which must be understood.
Pires Masterclass
Part 1
Part 2
Master Class de Maria Joao Pires avec Jean François Dichamp, piano
Here is my new book, a murder mystery with a musical polemic
