Prodigal Piano Prodigy Returns?

[kickair8p]

A twelve-year-old genius pianist (not really a prodigy, sorry) described as "a fine clinical player" gives up piano (to become a scientist) and doesn't touch it again until his mid-thirties. The very first time he puts hands to keys and tries to play something (which he remembers accurately), what happens? Is it humanly possible to do it as

Comments

[7veilsphaedra]

J. S. Bach is an excellent choice since there is a huge breadth of skill level, from works composed for 'village church organists' to Royal Court musicians. Because he wasn't around when the pianoforte was invented, however, there is less emphasis on the percussive style (softness to loudness) of 'emotional expression' that comes through with Beethoven or Chopin. Bach bridges the transition from the end of the Renaissance/Baroque periods, when the emphasis was placed upon the discovery and mastery of musical tonality, to the Classical period when structure became highly formalized. Mozart and Beethoven represented the height of the Classical era, and the point when the formal structures started to break down, during Romanticism.

Most of the keyboards Bach played - the organ, the extremely delicate clavier (which he made famous in his pieces 'for a well-tuned clavier'), the harpsichord and other more obscure keyboards - required different musical treatments to bring out their expressive qualities. There is a lot more emphasis on the speed, syncopation and pauses between runs, chord patterns, arpeggios, etc., than on loudness and softness, which couldn't be controlled with the types of keyboards he played. If a person was to go 'Beethoven' on a clavier, for example, which requires the strings to be plucked, not struck, all the strings would break. Also, these instruments (apart from the organ) went out of tune much more easily.

You cannot 'fudge' a musical work by Bach, however, the way a person can with, say, Debussey or Satie who went for more of a 'tonal poem' effect that could be modulated with a damper pedal. A well-played piece of Bach music depends always upon clarity and resonance. This requires exact control. So, if your musician's fingers are stiff (and they will be if he hasn't played for years, no matter how fast a typist he is), there will be a muddled element that creeps in. The runs and arpeggios will sound 'blurred' instead of crisp and precise, the chords won't resound or ring, and you won't achieve those beautiful overtones - or as many of them.

The Fugues are generally considered to be Bach's most challenging works, as were many of the Toccatas.

For lighter pieces, I would consider the English and French Suites. There is a huge variety of musical effects, but they are pleasant and light and do not require a master's level of technical superiority. Also, because of the different counterpoint techniques and harmonic transitions, they would be easy to remember and not only with muscle memory.

[7veilsphaedra]

(Sorry, that's a well-tempered Clavier.) There's no edit function.