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Lesson time: (6min 6sec)
Julia Zilberquit plays through the reprise third section of Tchaikovsky's October, shaping it pianissimo as it moves into the hushed coda.
This lesson is part of the course Perform Tchaikovsky's "The Seasons" - March, April, June, October
Watch a preview of the full course below.
Lesson transcript:
Now, let's dive into the third section, which is exactly the same as the first.
In this case, I strongly suggest my students to use double piano. It is such a sad and profound recollection.
For me, this is a very pianissimo section.
We repeat it exactly, and then we reach the coda starting from measure 50.
Four pianos can be quite challenging, as we have never encountered it before. Therefore, I recommend starting with either:
The chords in this section are very symbolic:
They evoke imagery reminiscent of either a funeral procession or church bells. Just like the sounds following a funeral, it's crucial to be able to execute a diminuendo at the end of this passage.
I want to take a moment to discuss the pedal technique, which I didn't cover in the previous pieces, as it's fairly consistent.
For example, I would execute:
When I have a bass line, I try to apply one pedal across everything. However, I ensure clarity for my right hand by sometimes pedaling on the beat:
I always encourage my students to practice the left hand or the accompaniment with the pedal. This practice is particularly beneficial.
As we progress to the final stages of learning the piece, I want to address a common concern, especially among my adult students: memory issues.
It's perfectly acceptable to have the music on the stand:
Be cautious of the delicate dynamic plan; avoid any real fortes.
Many people struggle with expression in pieces that lack a specific program.
Often, they choose to reflect on:
For me, this music connects deeply with personal experiences, evoking a sense of expressive loneliness, a profound beauty that is hard to describe with words.
Therefore, I always ask my students to consider:
This connection is essential for delivering a heartfelt performance of this piece.
Russian-born American pianist Julia Zilberquit has earned critical acclaim as a recitalist, chamber musician and recording artist. She was praised by The New York Times as "an outstanding soloist" after her Carnegie Hall performance of Cesar Franck's symphonic poem Les Djinns for piano and orchestra with Leon Botstein and the American Symphony Orchestra. In 2014, Warner Classics released her CD Bach: Complete Solo Keyboard Concertos. This recording features the premiere of two Bach-Vivaldi Concerti Grossi arranged by Ms. Zilberquit for piano and orchestra, and was hailed as a "gorgeous rendition" by the prestigious Gramophone Magazine. Her arrangement of the Shostakovich Concertino for 2 Pianos, Op. 94 for piano and orchestra was premiered at Carnegie Hall; she has performed it worldwide to critical acclaim and recorded it with Vladimir Spivakov and the Moscow Virtuosi. Other recordings include a solo recording, The Mystery of Bagatelles, released by Naxos. The CD was praised as a "superb performance" by The Washington Post, and described as an "adventurous program, sparkling with unusual clarity and pointillistic luminescence" in London's Piano Magazine. Her recitals have taken place at major concert halls including New York's Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, the 92nd Street Y, and Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center. Engagements at major international music festivals include appearances in Seattle, Colmar (France), Klangbogen (Vienna), Valery Gergiev's "White Nights" (St. Petersburg), Richter's "December Nights" (Moscow), "The Palaces of St. Petersburg," the Bard Music Festival in New York, and the Penderecki Festival (Poland). A native of Moscow, Julia Zilberquit was born into a family of musicians. She graduated from the Moscow Gnessin School of Music and The Juilliard School (class of Bella Davidovich). She lives in New York City with her husband, son and daughter. In this course she draws on that artistry to guide you through four movements of Tchaikovsky's "The Seasons" - March, April, June and October - so you can shape their poetry and colour at the keyboard yourself. read more
