Today I received my feedback for assignment three, my essay on the piano. This is my main instrument, which I play and teach, so I had some prior knowledge to use as a springboard for further, detailed research.
I was very pleased that my tutor found my essay well researched and organised, as I put considerable effort into both of those elements. My idea of describing the creation of the piano not from its invention, but from the invention of its predecessors gave me much better knowledge on how and why the piano came to be; my tutor also especially enjoyed this element of my essay!
I was given some valuable pointers on how I could have further supported my points on the pianos predecessors by giving examples of composers and works. This is not something I'd considered when first constructing the assignment, as I was merely using instruments such as the clavichord and harpsichord to illustrate the journey of the piano's conception, however once suggested by my tutor I realised that by highlighting compositions for those instruments, this would further bolster the reasons that these instruments were insufficient, and thus the reasons for the piano being invented. I thought the suggestion to look at ensemble compositions where a composer had selected other instruments to play with instruments such as the harpsichord very helpful. This has got me thinking about the harpsichord's role in some of my favourite pieces such as Bach's Brandenburg Concertos, and how I can integrate this into my revisions of the essay.
My tutor thought it would be helpful to compare pieces composed on piano, then later rearranged for orchestra. I was also advised that it may have been beneficial to include examples of scores that were composed for piano then later orchestrated. This could prove an interesting path to follow, and I already have a composition or two in mind. My tutor also mentions Liszt's piano transcription of Beethoven's Symphony No.5, which I had looked at earlier in the course, and which I could include in my essay to highlight the orchestra to piano transition.
The tutor made mention of the value of hearing live music, and made note of the forthcoming BBC Proms. I have a programme of all the works that will be performed at this years Proms, so I will be checking to see whether the works required to be studied for assignment four are included, as I will find this very helpful.
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