On Dec 30, 2008, at 11:43 AM, Jim Busby wrote: > Hi Fred, > > Someone asked on CAUT) if there was music that MUST be played in a > manner that would force the piano into this situation. Is there? The > first time I heard this in a piano it was a professor that had some > piece that had very strict pedal markings, and sure enough, it > seemed to be unavoidable. But I'm not a pianist like you so maybe I > wasn't reading it correctly and, maybe the professor wasn't either. > What say ye? > > Regards, > Jim Busby Off hand I'd say not, or at least not much. In fact, there is not that much music I have come across that specifies use of the sostenuto, and, from what I am remembering, it usually isn't that much of a problem. No doubt there are exceptions, and if you run across one, or the piece you mention, I'd like to know and take a look. Certainly there are composers who make what seem to be impossible demands on both the instrument and the performer. Sometimes the impossible turns out only to be difficult. Sometimes I remain convinced it is impossible. OTOH, there is quite a lot of music that can benefit from use of the sostenuto, to get more harmonic clarity. There are a lot of pieces where there is a bass note that is specified as tied (held) over several measures (bass note can't be held by a finger) while a lot of varied activity requiring both hands takes place above, which seemingly requires changes of pedal. So sostenuto is maybe implied, even though not specifically called for. Alternately, one can do some "flutter-half-pedaling" and get by. But it will sound more smeared, and the fundamental (low bass note or octave usually) will become weaker throughout the phrase. Usually in this kind of passage or piece, you want to maintain a "wash" of sound, and clearing both pedals will interrupt it unnaturally. So you have to wait to clear until you have played the next "chord" (or whatever figuration), and then clear both and re-set the sostenuto before the following note is played, which is often a very fleeting moment. Ideally one would do a half-pedal on the damper pedal while re-setting the sostenuto, then a full release. But it is physically impossible. Regards, Fred Sturm University of New Mexico fssturm at unm.edu
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