Pianists and
Accompanists
It would be nice to think that
the word “accompanist” no longer carries with it the suggestion of a second
class or second rate musician, a pianist who isn’t good enough for a solo
career. In ELI’S HEART my character Eli Levin, born a piano prodigy with a
defective heart, makes a conscious choice to pursue a career as an “accompanist.”
Eli has a conversation with his
best friend Jackie Barron about the term, after he has been treated shabbily by
a soprano for whom he has performed as a last minute replacement for an ailing
pianist.
“You know, it must be hard sometimes,” Jackie said
thoughtfully. “I mean, you started your professional life getting a lot of
attention for being a ...” he saw the look on Eli’s face, but he knew better
than to use the word prodigy. “... an extraordinarily talented young
pianist.”
Eli had to smile. “Yes, I did. You think I may feel slighted
sometimes because I don’t get those kinds of accolades anymore?”
“You perform with so many people, and some of them are truly
great. Some you make sound great because you are so amazing. But you certainly
have a different role these days, Eli.” Jackie offered him more whiskey, but
Eli shook his head no.
“Have you ever looked up the definition of the word
‘accompany,’ Jackie? It means ‘to go with,’ ‘to keep company with.’ This one’s
my favorite, ‘to co-occur.’ In other words, to happen at the same time. It’s a
good word, actually. There’s nothing about being subservient. But it’s been
corrupted in the music world to mean that. Maybe there’s a better word that
could be used. Do you have any idea how many times I’ve been told I’m a ‘really
good accompany-ist’?” Eli laughed, then grew more serious.
“Part of the problem is that too many
people think they play well enough to accompany, so they try it and wind up
doing a half-assed job. Okay, maybe that’s harsh, but not everybody can do it.
It’s an art that takes a distinctive skill set. It requires a lot more than
being a proficient pianist. We work hard to develop those skills. There has to
be a way to make more people aware of that.”
This section of the book takes
place in the mid 1960s, and now, a half century later, it would indeed be
nice to think Eli’s dreams of recognition for the skills of the accompanist take place routinely. While collaborate artists are given more recognition,
there is still a struggle for them to be appreciated as the artists they truly
are.
I found online an interesting
article on “The Strad” website entitled “There Is No Such Thing as a Piano
Accompanist” which addresses exactly this subject. Elana Estrin’s thoughtful
article of July 3, 2014, begins with restating the exact perception Jackie and Eli discuss, that
the pianist as accompanist is an inferior musician, not good enough for a solo
career. Happily, there seems to be a concerted effort among string players to
recognize that in most string literature, the best performances are the result
of the sharing of ideas of pianist and violinist/cellist. The “featured soloist”
is advised to allow sufficient rehearsal time for these collaborative efforts
to actually take place.
Estrin also comments that this should also be true for any
instrumentalist or singer who is working with a pianist. While often the
soloist is expected to perform from memory, the pianist has the score before
him. This can mean the pianist is able to cover errors during the performance
by jumping ahead, moving back, or even improvising in the style of the composer
until the soloist realizes what she needs to do to get back on track.
Fortunately, at the highest levels these events are rare, but for young and/or
inexperienced musicians they can happen. They can happen even to mature
performers who are well-prepared. Performing is a nerve-wracking business.
The next time you attend a
recital, keep an eye on the pianist and see how alert and focused he is.
Ideally, he knows all the music, the
soloist’s part as well as his own. If it’s a vocal recital, he may have even
sung through the songs before performing them.
It is, as Eli says, “an art that
requires a distinctive skill set.” And after you enjoy that recital, make it a
point to let the pianist know you appreciate those skills.
http://www.thestrad.com/latest/editorschoice/there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-piano-accompanist
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