Why Classical Musicians Can't Improvise - Part I

Learn historic improvisation at Improv Planet.
Dr. John Mortensen's lecture on improvisation. Los Angeles, 2021.

[LeRossignol.]

I never understood the whole "composer's intention" thing. I doubt the way we play now is near to how the composers played their music. For instance, if you played Rachmaninoff the way Rachmaninoff played (in his recordings) you would likely be told you're playing it wrong! and that's only 80 years ago, compare that to 200 years or more...

[edwardwilliamson]

I very much enjoyed your lecture, Professor Mortensen. There was once extensive improvisation by concert pianists, and Schools of Music used to require courses in this skill. European pianists, particularly French and English pianist improvise well. I know it is required study and much emphasis is put on improvisation for those studying and majoring in organ performance. For organists, at least ones that work for large churches and are recitalists improvisation, is a necessity. In France, the organist is usually tasked with improvising on the theme of a catachism, most of the time on the spot. The best improvisors, in my opinion, are the French and English titulaire/ Cathedral organists. In my opinion, the best improvisor in the classical music world is Daniel Roth, the Titular Organist of Eglise Saint -Sulpice in Paris. Olivier Latry of The Cathedral of Notre Dame is also a very skilled improvisor. There is a performance of Daniel Roth improvising on a the hymn "Praise to the Lord" that is almost 10 minutes long. He skillfully constructs this gorgeous improvisation on the big Cavaille-Coll; just masterful and so inspirational. He is actually rather skilled at piano improvisation as well. Anyway, this is more about piano. In my opinion, the best improvisor on piano, and she is supremely talented, is Gabriela Montero.

[adahmusic]

I love improvisation and improving in general. I had to learn improvisation as early as my 2nd year of violin playing because I played with rock and church bands more than orchestra.

[Angelo-zi]

Imagine sitting at a piano and only being able to play repertoire pieces you memorized

[PeterJa]

Listening and watching a Dr. Mortensen video is always time well spent.

[adamcolbertmusic]

"Recital" is a euphemism for "regurgitation". Like if you agree ;)

[joebustos]

Being able call out of thin air a musical composition and play it demonstrates the difference between a copy cat and a creator .

[stevencarr]

Recite works from the repertoire? Is that why they are called 'recitals'?

[utubejmk]

Wow! Explains me inside and out. Thanks for speaking about this. I’ve always just connected dots on a page to a push of a key. Improvising to me was like sitting in a dark room. I had no idea what to do. I’m starting to correct that now with an instructor who’s forcing me to improvise. It’s tough, but its what I need.

[frankrowe-dp]

Please watch yuja wang a brilliant classical pianist and watch some of her improvisation
Mind blowing also Vladimir Horowitz a genius with his versions of classical music improv

[definitelynotofficial]

The really great thing about the way you teach is that you always sound very convincing. I've been told a lot of the things I hear from you in the past as well, but I brushed off some of them. However when YOU say them, the way you explain it it just feels like it's just stupid to not do these things.

[southpark]

Statistics is always involved. In the human population, now, and in history - there's always going to be some people that can actually improvise, as well as be classical musicians, as well as being other sorts of musicians. Pure improvisation is not holy grail for me though. For my goals, holy grail is to use and take advantage of our own improvisation by listening to our improvisations, and pick/choose the 'gems' and wonderful bits - for which we can use to refine (evolve) our piece of music, or somebody else's piece of music. Pure improvisation - except for some special in-the-zone cases - is often a 'hodge podge' of music, which I'm not a fan of. I'm a fan of refinement. Not necessarily refine into a single piece of music - because refining can lead to various versions of music. And refining can also be 'broad' - as in evolving and refining by iterative steps. Design steps. Involving strategy, thought, intelligence, experience, etc, and making the music sound interesting.

[tedb.]

The modern pianist; a Human piano roll.

[ulugozkan]

When you achive the level of playing the most important pieces from the list of most difficult pieces which are composed for your instrument, either you accept repeating same pieces during all your life with a stupborn + obsessive behaviour or you stop playing them and go for jazz. For example ; If you are a pianist who can play accurately the most difficult sequences from Goldberg Variations, Hammerklavier, Liszt Sonate in B Minor, Islamey, Gaspard Of Night, 20 Regards For Child Jesus, Opus Clavicembalisticum etc, you have nothing more to do in the world of classical music if you do not want to repeat playing same pieces over and over and play the compositions colder than the icebergs of Arctica from the composers of today. Same for the guitarists who can play the classical compositions contains very large intervals and jumps those must have 3 hands for playing them on piano. Of course if you are not talented for jazz you`d better remain in the planet classical music.

[prabathwijesinghe]

Improvise like Paco de Lucia on the guitar....always different, it can be done when you capture the soul of the instrument.

[Harriet-Jesamine]

It's all very well pointing this out, but I am the complete reverse of this, I can improvise to kingdom come, I can learn most things from Record and by Ear, but I wouldn't be able to play twinkle twinkle little star from a score, my brain just won't go there, it's like a notation dyslexia, my primary learning function is Audio & kinesthetic. If I was blind, I wouldn't have to try amd force myself to learn sheete music in order to prove to myself that I am actually a Musician.😢
I yearn to be able to understand sheete music.

[ChanningWalton]

I can’t improvise because my benchmark is Bach and Chopin. I know that’s a stupidly impossible standard to reach 😅

[secretmission]

They can't improvise because they don't improvise. They haven't walked the path of discovery that is improvisation. Often not at all, sadly.

[freein]

It's amazing that classical musicians dont

[astralresonance]

To be a musician doesnt mean to be creative, improvisation need creativity. Piano skills helps you to reach better the creativity you want but piano skill dont necessary make creativity alive. Creativity its a freguency you born with it.
A lot of musicians are skilled really few are sensitive and creative