Leon Fleisher Workshop: The Chamber Music of Johannes Brahms

Renowned pianist, conductor, and teacher Leon Fleisher led 16 young musicians in a weeklong exploration of the chamber music of Johannes Brahms for piano trio, piano quartet, and piano quintet May 3–9, 2010. Mr. Fleisher was joined by special guest faculty cellist Yo-Yo Ma and violinist Pamela Frank providing a rare opportunity to see three masters coaching and playing together. The workshop culminated in two performances in Weill Recital Hall on Saturday, May 8 and Sunday, May 9, 2010 featuring the Vox Piano Trio, The Jasper String Quartet with pianist Kyung Wha Chu, The Amici Piano Quartet, and the Hill Piano Quartet.

Leon Fleisher discusses the distortion of reality within a great work of art.

Leon Fleisher encourages young artists to view practicing as a luxurious opportunity to experiment with the music.

Young artists search for balance between maintaining the line of the music and emphasizing the details.

Leon Fleisher advises young artists to be the vessel through which the music passes on its way to the audience.

Pamela Frank speaks about the importance of identifying emotions in the music, but not allowing them to control you in performance.

Pamela Frank, Leon Fleisher, and Yo-Yo Ma stress the importance of identifying the musical structure first before digging into the details of a piece.

Yo-Yo Ma and Leon Fleisher talk about balancing their expectations of themselves with the expectations of others during a performance.

Yo-Yo Ma urges Leon Fleisher to play an excerpt from the Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1 to demonstrate rhythmic freedom within a measure of music.

Pamela Frank urges the young artists to put their expectations aside in performance and just play the music.

Leon Fleisher advises young artists to "stretch the little notes and pass the long notes" for a Romantic interpretation of the music of Brahms.

Leon Fleisher instructs the Jasper Quartet and pianist Kyung Wha Chu on where to look at each other to glean the most information.

Jasper Quartet and pianist Kyung Wha Chu demonstrate building a musical composite one layer at a time in the Finale of the Brahms Piano Quintet.

Leon Fleisher talks to the Jasper Quartet and pianist Kyung Wha Chu about balancing vertical events like accents within the horizontal line of the music.

Pamela Frank talks to the Vox Trio about rushing in order to take time within the measure.

Leon Fleisher plays the Brahms Piano Trio No. 2 with the Vox Trio to demonstrate clarity of intention within the music.

Renowned pianist, conductor, and teacher Leon Fleisher lead 16 young musicians in a weeklong exploration of the chamber music of Johannes Brahms for piano trio, piano quartet, and piano quintet. Mr. Fleisher was joined by special guest faculty cellist Yo-Yo Ma and violinist Pamela Frank providing a rare opportunity to see three masters coaching and playing together.