DEFINING NATIONAL PIANO SCHOOLS Perceptions and challenges

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was an investigation of contemporary piano professionals' perceptions with regard to the key areas describing national piano schools and their current state, as well as definitions of what constitutes a national piano school in the twenty-first century. The perceptual data was collected through an international, open-ended internet questionnaire and five in-depth interviews with piano professionals. The opinions were gathered and placed within the context of the relevant historical literature, while the design of nineteen graphical genealogical trees, representing the teacher-student lineage across the centuries, provided another dimension to this research. National piano schools can be described to varying degrees by means of: national characteristics - which include factors such as culture, conditioning, historical circumstances, the personality of the population as a whole; traditions of interpretation - including sound, aesthetics, technique; and the personality of individuals - particularly key archetypes of each school. The definition of ‘national piano school’ is proposed in Chapter Seven. This research is a resource for music educators, students and performers wishing to further explore their own artistic identity and it aims to encourage and inspire a true and intelligent or honest variety in performance style.