THE GENERATION GAME

‘Well of course you can trace my pianistic lineage back to Liszt’ is a commonly-heard proud announcement and a terrific boast when pianists hang out together. It’s a fun thing to think about – that what you may have learned is perhaps something that Liszt himself taught to a student. But what exactly gets passed on through generations and stands the test of time?

This is inextricably linked to the concept of ‘schools’ of piano playing (a term I don’t particularly like), with certain nationalities and even regions allegedly using a specific hand position and physical approach to the keyboard. I’m from the region of Essex in the UK, and we view these types of conundrums in a slightly simpler way: you are either good or you ain’t.

I don’t really think the ‘schools’ of piano playing amounts to much these days. I have heard great and terrible pianists from all nationalities, with a variety of different approaches exhibited