Professional Documents
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A Pedagogia de Vicente Scaramuzza
A Pedagogia de Vicente Scaramuzza
12-2-2013
Lian, Marcelo G., "The Pedagogical Legacy of Vicente Scaramuzza: The Relationship Between Anatomy of the Hand, Tone
Production, and Musical Goals" (2013). Student Research, Creative Activity, and Performance - School of Music. Paper 66.
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/musicstudent/66
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THE PEDAGOGICAL LEGACY OF VICENTE SCARAMUZZA:
By
Marcelo Lian
A Doctoral Document
Major: Music
Under the Supervision of Professor Paul Barnes
Lincoln, Nebraska
December, 2013
THE PEDAGOGICAL LEGACY OF VICENTE SCARAMUZZA:
recognition and his school of piano playing is still being passed on by his former
students. My piano teacher in Buenos Aires, Nilda Somma, studied for fourteen years
under his supervision, and shared with me his annotations, fingerings, and re-distributions
(it is important to point out that decades ago, redistributing notes between both hands in
Bruno Gelber, Enrique Barenboim (who later taught his son Daniel), Nilda Somma,
Antonio de Raco, Sylvia Kersenbaum, Daniel Rivera, Daniel Levy, and Cristina Viñas.
Only one book has been published about Vicente Scaramuzza’s approach to piano
technique and tone production. Enseñanzas de un gran Maestro, written by his former
student Maria Rosa Oubiña de Castro, provides detailed explanations and illustrations of
During lessons, Vicente Scaramuzza would circle a problematic passage and then,
in a separate notebook write a full explanation of the necessary steps to solve the issue.
My former piano teacher, Nilda Somma, kept her notebooks with Scaramuzza’s
examination of these invaluable materials will help shed light on the musical intelligence
The most distinctive characteristic of his school of piano playing is the strong
To my dear teacher Nilda Somma, who so generously shared her experience working
under the guidance of Vicente Scaramuzza.
To my advisor, Dr. Paul Barnes, who from the very beginning loved the topic and
provided with suggestions.
To my committee, whose help was invaluable. Their patience and support kept me going
even when I felt overwhelmed and defeated.
To my friend Dan Ahlin, who let me use his personal library and gave me ideas and
suggestions throughout the entire process of writing this document.
To my dear friends who dealt with me and made me feel better when I needed the most.
i
Table of Contents
Content Page
Chapter I
Biography
Vicente Scaramuzza was born in Crotone, Italy on June 19th 1885 into a family of
musicians. His father, Francesco, was a renowned piano teacher and the one who
discovered Vicente’s talent at a young age. At age seven, the young Vicente first
appeared in public to great acclaim. After passing the entrance exams he won a
Naples. He studied there with the most prominent teachers of the time, including
Florestano Rossomandi, Alessandro Longo, and Beniamino Cesi. Scaramuzza was still
very young when he obtained his diploma and began a career as a concert pianist,
But his main goal was always teaching, and obtaining a teaching position in any
of the Italian music academies was not an easy task. In 1907 Scaramuzza was compelled
to take part in a national competition, a real challenge for the best piano students of Italy.
He and Attilio Brugnoli were the two top candidates, but for bureaucratic reasons it was
Brugnoli who received the major teaching position in the Academy of Music of Parma.
After only two months teaching in Naples (and bitterly disappointed with the Italian
bureaucracy), Scaramuzza made the difficult decision to leave his native country and
emigrate to Argentina.
Buenos Aires provided him with the necessary peace of mind to concentrate on
the further development of his piano technique and his pursue of a way to codify the
2
results of his previous studies and research already experienced in Italy. He started
collaborating with the Argentinian branch of the Santa Cecilia Academy of Music, where
he began to apply his new methodology taken from a combination of his own personal
experience and other European research from the late nineteenth and early twentiweth
centuries.
In 1912 he married his former student Sara Bagnatti, founded the Scaramuzza
Academy of Music, and started performing again in Argentina, throughout North and
South America, and all over Europe. His technical mastery of the most difficult pieces in
the repertoire earned him the well-deserved reputation of virtuoso. However, teaching
was still his true calling. Therefore, in 1923 he retired from the concert stage to fully
dedicate himself to his students. His method, based on an accurate study of the anatomy
of the playing apparatus, allows an almost complete relaxation of the muscles and
tendons of the hands and the arms even during the most demanding passages. As a result,
the sound is always smooth and round, never metallic, not even in fortissimo, and the
He was greatly respected by his colleagues, and also by many of the most renowned
international pianists who frequently passed through Buenos Aires. Even Arthur
Rubinstein, during one of his tours in Argentina, received technical advice from him, as
he recalls in his autobiography My Young years.1 Scaramuzza did not write a method
book or keep specific notes concerning his approach to teaching. However, Maria Rosa
1
Rubinstein, Arthur. My Young Years. Alfred A. Knopf. New York, 1999.
3
Oubiña de Castro compiled her notes and score annotations and wrote a book
As a teacher, Scaramuzza was extremely strict, always demanding nothing but the
best from his students who have kept his legacy alive, passing on the torch to new
mentioned on several occasions that Scaramuzza always emphasized tone production and
beauty of sound. During one interview she remembered Scaramuzza saying that “when
the sound is empty, it is like a pair of pants walking into a room with nothing inside
them.”2
A serious illness confined Scarmuzza to his bed during his later years, and in
order to keep teaching his students he had his piano moved to the bedroom. Vicente
2
Fischerman, Diego. Interview with Martha Argerich. Revista Clasica. Buenos Aires, 1999.
4
Chapter II
between tone production and the anatomy of the hand. As their testimonies and musical
examples show, not every passage was approached the same way. The Maestro provided
very specific tools to help solve technical problems while constantly reinforcing the idea
that the main goal was to make music with the appropriate sound that the composer
intended.
On his conception of achieving the proper sound for every specific musical goal,
an octave is not simply an octave. Its sound is determined by the musical context, and this
will determine the physical approach and muscle group involved in its execution.
teaching style, as he addressed certain passages the same way to different students
throughout his career. Elizabeth Westerkamp took lessons with Vicente Scaramuzza
during the 1940’s while Nilda Somma worked with him between 1959 and 1968.
Regardless of the time frame, they both received almost identical technical and musical
advice on the Saint-Saëns piano concerto in G Minor, Op. 22. In conversations with
Sylvia Kersenbaum about the Sonata in F# minor, Op. 11 by Robert Schumann, it was
brought to my attention that Scaramuzza gave the same indications to Cristina Viñas,
Nilda Somma shares her experience working with the Maestro on the opening
His attention to detail was simply amazing. For every musical goal he had
this, the physical approach would vary. In a way, he would give us broad
set of tools and we were expected to properly apply them according to the
use the arm would differ. The explanation would not ever be the type of
explanation on how to produce the type of sound required for the different
compositions we played.
years of study with him, was Beethoven’s Op. 111. He asked to play the
leaps on the opening with both hands, to guarantee a full sound and avoid
we would not refuse to do what he asked us to do. And what he said made
perfect sense and helped us achieve the type of sound required, so…why
would we refuse?
6
Example 1
When I talk about his deep concern for tone production I can tell you as
an example the different sound he required for the octaves of the first five
measures of the sonata from the octaves on measures 9 and 10. We need
to use the shock absorbers (deep flexors) for the opening octaves, and a
less active hand with ulna and radius diagonally connecting with the
carpal bones.
Example 2
Another example of the importance of the proper physical approach to obtain the
sound that the composer required (as Scaramuzza always said) is found in both the
opening and the agitato sections of the first movement of Mendelssohn’s Fantasy, Op.
28. For the opening measures, the ascending arpeggios were to be played with almost
non-active fingers, carrying the weight of the arm from one finger to the next with a
slight action of the fingers and a flat dorsal hand. Essentially this means that the knuckles
Example 3
On the contrary, in the agitato section, every note of the arpeggios should sound
drier than at the beginning, which is why Scaramuzza asked for more active fingers,
“renewing the bow” (that is the expression he always used) in every note. The knuckles
Example 4
We spent two hours working exclusively on the opening bars, with the
Maestro playing with me, slowly, listening for each note to make sure the
sound was right; and looking at my hand to avoid unnecessary motion and
elevation of the knuckles. In my next lesson he checked that I understood
and applied the concept, and went on to practicing the agitato section
together.3
3
Stirpari, Monica, E-mail interviews (January and February 2013)
8
Scaramuzza was well aware. His ultimate goal was always music making, and finding the
appropriate sound by using the right physical approach. As a teacher, the main objective
he aimed to convey to his students could be summarized with the following graphic:
Example 5
The Maestro insisted on the idea of listening to the ideal sound for a certain piece
of music before playing it. Once this sound is already conceived in the pianist’ mind, the
next step would be transmitting it to the string. Scaramuzza insisted on bringing the pre-
Naturally, he then further explains that once that goal has been set, achieving it
would entail a series of previous steps before reaching the strings. Based on the ideal
sound, the brain will send to the playing apparatus directions on how to attack the key in
order to make the hammer produce the sound appropriate for the musical goal.
9
Example 6
The carpal must maintain the same level of pressure. The notes are
produced by the pressure of the flexors and by no mean by impulses from
the forearm. The palm is sustained by the fingers. These serve the same
function of oars. The oars are in charge of moving the boat, not vice versa.
In order to achieve this, we must focus on two main points: elbow and
fingertip. If we raise the elbow, imposing the entire arm on the finger tip,
we would be imitating circus dogs walking on their front legs. The right
sonority comes from a gravitating arm, not from motion on the wrist. That
means that particular attention should be paid to the internal part of the
forearm.4
Example 7
4
Somma, Nilda, Personal note books (1954-1968)
10
Scaramuzza’s idea of legato often required substitution, and for the opening of the
Suite Bergamasque he recommended substituting the fifth finger on the G of the G Minor
Example 8
To produce what he considered the right type of sonority for the descending
This is not a Mozart sonata, in which the sixteenth notes are executed by
very active fingers and little help from the arm. The sound for these notes
are originated in the elbow, and then transmitted to the carpal, and from
there to the flexors, which will carry the weight of the forearm from one
note to the next one.5
Flexibility of the wrist in concordance with a relaxed and helpful forearm was
considered to be the key to a successful execution of the groups of four sixteen notes in
measures 76-78:
5
Viñas, Maria Cristina, E-mail interviews (January and February 2013)
11
Example 9
The proper tone production for that specific section, according to Scaramuzza,
The last note of every group has to be played with the thumb. But the
thumb is strong and clumsy and that last note needs to be the softest of the
four. The only way to achieve a full, round tone but still soft enough with
that finger is to not give it a heavy help from the forearm. The fingering
for every group will be 5-3-2-1. The wrist will gradually rise up, just half a
centimeter for every note, and by the end of the series of four notes, the
elevation of the wrist will let the thumb to play with almost just the nail.
Therefore, we will not have the chance to produce a harsh tone or a big
accent on the fourth sixteenth notes.6
organization for a clear execution of bravura passages, and the interview with Ingrid
Both Ingrid Fliter and I worked on the Piano Concerto in G Minor, Op. 22, by
Camille Saint-Saëns. Her teacher and mine (Elizabeth Westerkamp and Nilda Somma)
6
Viñas, Maria Cristina, Personal note books (1962)
12
were both students of Scaramuzza and also learned the concerto under his guidance.
When comparing the advice received from our teachers, we noticed that the concepts and
Example 10
Scaramuzza insisted that the octaves in the left hand must come from a bigger
distance from the keyboard than the octaves on the right hand. This would assure a clear
rhythmic organization since it is the left hand that plays on the strong beats. While doing
so, the right hand remains closer to the keyboard than the left hand. Ingrid Fliter explains:
Elizabeth Westerkamp would often tell me that the hands cannot do what
the brain cannot understand, so in order to play this section properly she
had me playing the left hand alone with a strong accent every four
sixteenth notes and then adds the right hand. After doing so, she asked me
to play the left hand alone with the strong accent now being every eight
sixteenth notes. That way, the left hand will effortlessly line up with the
melody on the orchestra.7
Monica Stirpari remembered spending two hours of her lesson working on the
beginning of the Fantasy in F# Minor, Op. 28, by Felix Mendelssohn. Her colleague
7
Fliter, Ingrid, Phone interviews (January 2013)
13
Maria Cristina Viñas expressed that she also spent a substantial amount of her lesson time
Example 11
Containing the fingers that are not playing is productive for the palm,
since this one will not be able to either collapse on the keys or push the
fingers that are actually playing. With help from the forearm, which will
impose both ratio and ulna diagonally to the carpal, we can bring out the
notes on the melody.8
Mrs. Viñas remembers that Scaramuzza asked her to practice the passage saying
out loud the component of the playing apparatus involved on every sixteen note (arm-
concepts, in March 1959 Scaramuzza wrote the following description of the playing
Below the forearm we find the flexor muscle that comes from the elbow,
inserts on the carpal, and from there it ramifies in tendons. Those tendons
inserted in the palm are called palmary and attract the palm against the
forearm. Those tendons inserted in the first two phalanges contract these
against the palm and are called superficial. The tendons inserted in the last
phalange contract this against the first phalange. By associating all of
those flexors, the hand has the power of grabbing the key, keeping the
entire muscle tense from the elbow just like a cello string. We could
compare the playing apparatus with a hammock lying below the forearm.
8
Viñas, Maria Cristina, Personal note books (1962)
14
This concept radically changes the tone production, because the sonority
coming from an arm resting on elastics cannot be the same that the one
coming from bones pushing against each other. This last approach turns
the arm into a wooden stick that simply hits the keys. Please consider that
every single lever on the playing apparatus turn around an axis. Every axis
is fixed, and this does not allow a lever to move from it invading the
following lever on the system. The energy is transmitted from one lever to
the next one, and the final destination or ultimate lever is the hammer,
which transmit all the energy to the string. Be aware: the forearm falls into
the carpal, not into the keys! The palm receives the carpal and transmits
the energy to the fingers. There is no abandon whatsoever on fingers,
palm, or arm. They are all connecting their respective levers. Containing
the fingers that are not playing is also crucial, as those will simply fall into
the keys causing heaviness to the hand and sloppiness to the execution.9
studying under the guidance of Vicente Scaramuzza. Her recollection of notes taken
during lessons are helpful tools to deeply understand the pedagogical approach of the
Maestro, as well as his attention to every single step that leads to proper tone production.
The following excerpt is from the first movement of the Sonata in G Minor, Op. 22 by
Example 12
9
Viñas, Maria Cristina, Personal note books (1962)
15
He indicated: “The accents are very intense, but must be produced by reaching the
keys with a gradual motion, not by an abrupt fall. A strong and continuous pressure does
In order to produce the right type of sound for the opening phrase of Chopin’s
Scherzo Op. 54, the Maestro wrote on Mrs. Castro’s score: “Deep. From the shoulder”.
Example 13
The necessary movements of hand and arm vary according to the character
of the piece played. I do not mean that in a Scherzo the fingers may
execute merry gambols on the keys or in the air, or creep along sleepily in
a Berceuse. What I mean is, the influence on the tone, which in energetic
passages, where the hands are lifted abruptly from the keys, differs from
that in plying softly, or in melancholy strains, where they are raised slowly
and the arms rises as much, or, still better, as little, as the wrist movement
demands.10
The beginning of this chapter deals with the execution of octaves depending on the
musical context. To provide a clear example and deeper understanding of the connection
between musical goals, tone production, and anatomy of the hand emphasized by
10
Bree, Malwine. The Groundwork of the Leschetizky Method. Schirmer. New York, 1902
16
Scaramuzza. The end of this chapter will delve into the proper execution of repeated
The following pieces were some of Scaramuzza’s favorite teaching pieces. Thus,
it is not surprising that several of his students had to learn such repertoire. During our
conversations, Nilda Somma, Monica Stirpari, and Maria Cristina Viñas explained their
Example 14: Sonata Op. 57, first movement. Ludwig van Beethoven
In order to bring out the thematic material in the right hand, the repeated notes in
the left hand should be played in such a way that the need for pedaling will be reduced to
a minimum (Example 13). Therefore, these notes should be played alternating fingers 3-
2-1, keeping the fingertips extremely close to the keys while minimizing the motion of
the fingers. Nilda Somma remembered that Scaramuzza said: “We are playing those
notes with the forearm, which will make fast and very small movements. The back of
your hand and your forearm will form one piece. Hide your knuckles and let the forearm
The combination of keeping the fingertips close to the keys while leveling down
the knuckles and playing the notes with an almost imperceptible forearm motion reduces
the amount of air between the repeated notes, helping minimize the need for pedal and
The physical approach required to play the fast repeated notes in the Scarlatti
sonata (Example 14) will be entirely different. Although the fingering will be the same
(3-2-1), the fingers will have a more active role. The knuckles will be up, and the wrist
According to Monica Stirpari, Scaramuzza said: “The fast tempo does not allow
us to use the forearm, and playing these notes with just finger action will be impossible.
approach. The tempo is not as fast as the Scarlatti sonata, and the theme played in the
right hand is not legato. Therefore, we can again align the back of the hand and the
forearm, use fingers 3-2-1, and minimize the use of pedal to allow the listener to perceive
the rests.
As for Beethoven’s 32 Variations (Example 17), both Cristina Viñas and Nilda
Somma showed to their lessons playing the repeated notes with different fingers,
assuming that the fast tempo will require an approach similar to the one used for Scarlatti.
…playing those notes with different fingers will lead to losing control
over the speed of the passage. It is not too fast! Use always your fourth
finger to repeat the notes on the right hand, and the second finger on your
left hand! That way you will regain control over the speed, and achieve an
even non-legato. Let your forearm do the work. Lubricate the hinge on
your elbow and use a very small motion coming right from there.11
“Fingering is good when easy; provided that the effect is the same.”12
(Theodor Leschetizky)
11
Somma, Nilda, Phone interviews (December 2012 through February 2013). Viñas, Maria Cristina, E-mail
interviews (January and February 2013)
12
Bree, Malwine. The Groundwork of the Leschetizky Method. Schirmer. New York, 1902.
19
Chapter III
For a long time we have been acting against nature by training our fingers
to be all equally powerful. As each finger is differently formatted, it is
better not to attempt to destroy the particular charm of each one’s touch
but on the contrary, to develop it. Each finger’s power is determined by its
shape: the thumb having the most power, being the broadest, shortest, and
freest; the fifth as the other extremity of the hand; the third as the middle
and the pivot; then the second, and then the fourth, the weakest one. As
many sounds as there are fingers.13
Frederic Chopin
he was able to provide his students with effective fingerings and re-distributions when
necessary. His students often heard him saying: “Good fingering makes good music.”
Besides providing good fingerings for complex passage work, Scaramuzza also
had special fingerings for lyrical passages. As is apparent in several sections throughout
this document, Scaramuzza’s main goal was music making. This is shown in his
Example 18
13
Eigelddinger, Jean-Jacques. Chopin: Pianist and Teacher as Seen by his Pupils. Cambridge University
Press. New York, 1986.
20
The first note of the melody in Chopin’s Nocturne in D-flat Major, Op. 27 No. 2,
(the longest of the measure and on the downbeat) requires a meaty, full tone. To achieve
not only that, but also a smooth legato for the following descending notes, Scaramuzza
recommended playing this F with the fifth finger, then silently substituting to fourth. As
for the finger substitution in the third measure, this was a tool that Scaramuzza always
recommended to use in order to keep the phrase flowing with a good tone quality. This
was not a new concept, since finger substitution has been utilized since the days of Jan
Ladislav Dussek, who once gave the following advice in relation to playing legato: “to
hold the vibration or to tie or bind one passage to another by replacing fingers over a note
Example 19
provided by the Maestro. Just like in the case discussed above, he plays the first note of
the melody with the fifth finger, and then silently substitutes to a fourth finger. The
pianist will then play D with second finger, with the subsequent silent substitution to the
fifth finger. The group of sixteenth notes will then be played as follows: 3-2-4-2. The last
F# will be played with the fourth finger, which allows an effortless legato with the low G
14
Schonberg, Harold. The Great Pianists from Mozart to the present .Chapter IV, page 58
21
on the following measure. Scaramuzza taught his students to avoid the use of the thumb
in cantabile sections as much as possible, since the thumb does not contact the key with
the fleshy part or fingertip. The use of this suggested fingering aims to produce a full tone
throughout the entire melody, as well as allowing the pianist to significantly reduce the
amount of pedaling. Thus, the sixteenth rests in the left hand can be heard.
shown above, presents the challenge of singing double notes which should be carefully
connected and pedaled to avoid blurriness on the left hand figuration. The following is
Example 20
Notice that the repeated E-flat is played first with the second finger and then with
third. According to Scaramuzza, that allows one to produce good quality tone not only in
the top voice, but also the lower voice of the thirds. He often advised changing fingers on
repeated notes in cantabile sections in order to have more control over the quality of the
sound. Besides achieving a smooth legato while producing a good singing tone, the
suggested fingering contributes to a more even execution of the thirds, by making sure
that both notes are produced at the exact same time. Pedaling will then become less of an
22
issue, since producing a good legato with the fingers in the melody will reduce the
amount of pedaling. As a result, the left hand will not sound blurred.
Very different types of thirds, quite complex and challenging, are found in the
Nilda Somma studied the Beethoven sonata while taking lessons with Vicente
Regardless of the practice time invested, the thirds never seemed to sound even and crisp.
She found the fingering provided by the Maestro to be quite unusual and uncomfortable
at first, but after practicing it for a while she felt at ease playing the opening of the sonata.
Example 21
Scaramuzza not only changed the fingering for the thirds in the right hand, but
also asked Nilda Somma to play the C and G in the left hand with fingers 5 and 1. The
goal of this was to make sure the forearm sits more comfortably on those notes. Thus the
left arm transmits this feeling of comfort to the right hand, using the same fingering. The
relaxation achieved during the half note will give to the other fingers the momentum to
23
act quickly and play the sixteenth notes. Scaramuzza said that fingers 2 and 3 will prepare
Pianists and editors of the caliber of Ferrucio Busoni, Hans von Bulow, Sigmund
Lebert, Artur Schnabel, and Heinrich Schenker among many others have redistributed
notes between the two hands in complex passages. Throughout this document it has been
mentioned that Vicente Scaramuzza’s main goals were tone quality and phrasing. Thus, it
does not come as a surprise that in order to achieve those musical goals, Scaramuzza
The following excerpt from the Etude in C# Minor, Op. 10, No.4 by Frederic
Example 22
By using the arrangement displayed above, pianists would avoid using either an
intricate fingering or an excessive use of the thumb, which will provoke undesired
accents as a result.
24
exponent of this tradition he would turn a single note into an octave, or fill a chord if he
felt it necessary. Such is the case of the end of the introduction of Gnomenreigen, by
Franz Liszt. There, he eliminated the grace note and added a C# and an E#.
Example 23
The fingerings displayed below clearly show his problem-solving strategies, always
Example 24
In order to clearly bring out the melody present on beats 1 and 3 of the excerpt
above, Scaramuzza recommended adding the weight of the forearm when playing the
theme, leaving the notes on beat 2 to be played by using only finger motion, resulting in a
lighter touch.
25
Practicing was not meant to be something left up to the fingers only, which is why
the Maestro emphasized the need of talking out loud while practicing. Thus, the passage
above (Example 23), was to be practiced saying “arm, finger, finger, finger, arm, arm,
arm…” to associate the amount of sound required with the part of the playing apparatus
to be utilized.
Example 25
Nilda Somma’s score of the Sonata in F Minor, Op. 57, by Ludwig van Beethoven. She
was expected to play the same passage the next day, something that the Maestro did quite
15
Somma, Nilda. Personal note books (1954-1968)
26
Example 26
The third movement (Allegro ma non troppo) of the Sonata Op. 57 presents the
pianist with a challenging passage for finding an efficient fingering, which is not a simple
task. Vicente Scaramuzza was well aware of that, and he would provide the students with
his fingering before they started working on the piece, to avoid spending precious time
correcting bad habits. Scaramuzza always said: “It could take up to two months to fix
something you practiced incorrectly for two days!” That is the fingering that he
recommended for the following passage in the third movement of the Sonata Op. 57:
Example 26
27
Most of them learned their pieces from editions revised by Alfredo Casella (and
versions, Scaramuzza always struggled to find the sound and phrasing that he considered
closer to the composer’s intentions. His vision as an inheritor of the Romantic tradition,
coupled with a vast knowledge of the repertoire, and deep understanding of the playing
apparatus, made him a unique teacher whose legacy is still alive in his students. They
carry on his pianistic school and remember his analogies and recommendations.
28
Chapter IV
assistant. She was in charge of scheduling lessons and collecting fees. During the early
years of his teaching career Scaramuzza earned the reputation of being short tempered,
loud, and sometimes even aggressive. He would throw his student’s scores downstairs
when they failed to show significant improvement. His wife was always there to comfort
those in disgrace and make sure they would go back for their next lesson! Students who
worked with him for his last ten years claimed they have never witnessed or suffered
such treatment.
rightfully said that a lifetime is not enough to learn the entire repertoire. However, by
attending other lessons they could get acquainted with more pieces, practice techniques,
and musical ideas. He would normally ask students to practice a certain section of their
pieces and show up the next day so he could check if their practice was conscientious and
effective.
During the early years of his teaching career, every time his students were
engaged for an important performance he insisted that they must have the music in front
of them, and that he would turn pages during the recital or concert with orchestra. While
turning pages, Scaramuzza would continuously whisper advice to the student throughout
the performance. Needless to say, music critics belittled him over this eccentric behavior.
29
Some of them even pointed out that the Maestro did not whisper, but talked out
loud as if he was teaching a lesson instead of simply turning pages. The negative reviews
made Scaramuzza reconsider, and his students never performed with the score again.
Most of his students had a similar feeling before lesson time: fear. But they
remember those days with gratitude. In August 2004, interviewed by the Argentinean
I still keep sweet memories from those magical times. His lessons were a
ritual, and we were all scared because we knew he could be really mean.
But he was a saint who dedicated his entire life to his students.
Scaramuzza was passionate, irritable, and mean. But he turned us into
pianists and gave us all of his secrets. We were truly fascinated by his
geniality!16
Public Radio in Buenos Aires (in collaboration with Vicente Scaramuzza), organized a
concert series in which his students would perform the complete cycle of Beethoven’s
piano sonatas.
Presenters and music organizations in Buenos Aires, as well as the most important
cities in Argentina, always made sure to engage students of Vicente Scaramuzza for their
concert seasons. Pianists from his studio started performing at the most important venues,
Buenos Aires was Francisco Amicarelli, who gave the Argentinean premiere of the third
16
Scalisi, Cecilia. Memoirs of a child prodigy. La Nacion. Buenos Aires, August 2004
30
Bruno Gelber, after a long period studying with the Maestro, won the Marguerite Long-
The world renowned Martha Argerich won the Gold Medal at the Genève and Chopin
competitions and became a legendary pianist. Enrique Barenboim taught his talented son
Daniel, who appears throughout the world as both a concert pianist and orchestra
internationally. His repertoire was extensive, and his teaching career very successful.
Several successful Argentinean pianists were formed in his studio. Sylvia Kersenbaum is
Emeritus Professor from the Western Kentucky University, and enjoyed a long
performing and recording career. Her recording of the Hexameron, by Franz Liszt, was
Maria Cristina Viñas serves as Chair of the Piano Department at the Regional
performer, was the teacher of Nelson Goerner, winner of the Genève Competition in
1990. Elizabeth Westerkamp taught Ingrid Fliter, who won the Silver Medal at the
Nilda Somma was the pianist selected by Scaramuzza to perform the Sonata in C
Minor, Op. 111 on the cycle of the complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas in 1967. She is
Although Daniel Barenboim was not a student of Vicente Scaramuzza, his father
Enrique took lessons with him for several years. One of Daniel’s earliest musical
memories was about practicing. His father, following Scaramuzza’s advice, told him not
31
to spend long hours working on scales and arpeggios because we can find plenty of those
in any Mozart piano concerto.17 This approach to exercises and scales was very similar to
the utilized by Vladimir Graffman and Issabelle Vengerova, as pianist Gary Grafmann
remembers:
Most pianists from Scaramuzza’s studio were successful performers and teachers
intentions.
17
Barenboim, Daniel. Daniel Barenboim: A life in Music.Arcade Publishing. New York, 2003
18
Graffman, Gary. I Really Should be Practicing. Doubleday & Company. New York, 1981.
19
Castro, Maria Rosa Oubiña de. Enseñanzas de un gran Maestro. Buenos Aires: Ediciones Osorio, 1972.
32
passage. Let alone the fact that for a pianist there is always a daily effort,
not a physical one but that of a complete devotion. Thus, there are no
technical barriers and you can focus on the interpretation. Scaramuzza had
an ideal in sounds, a characteristic form of approaching the instrument.
There is a “Scaramuzza sound”. He was a Bel Canto lover, with a special
culture of the sound.20
Nelson Goerner
20
Colombo, Sebastian. My Relationship with the Scaramuzza’s Piano School.
http://www.sebastiancolombo.com/?page_id=11
33
Chapter V
Conclusion
The pedagogical legacy of Vicente Scaramuzza is very much alive. Exploring the
research for this document has been a journey that allowed me to reconnect with my roots
as a pianist. Nilda Somma, just like Scaramuzza did during his learning process, often
asked me to stop by her studio to show her the results of my practice on a single passage.
The name of the Maestro was always present: his comments, fingerings, and analogies
First and second generation students of Scaramuzza have been carrying on his
school of piano playing, and it has been a revelation to know they all have similar
memories of their studies with the Maestro. Surprisingly, students from different
generations addressed the same detailed explanations they received during lessons about
the step-by-step muscular process for producing the right type of sound that would fit a
During a radio interview that took place in 1967, Scaramuzza was asked if he
considered himself a typical representative of the Italian school of piano playing. His
answer was: “I do not believe that there are so many different schools of piano playing. I
firmly believe that there are only two schools: the one that helps you play well, and the
technique, and musical goals. During one of his master classes at the Moscow
21
Tiempo, Lyl. Radio interview of Vicente Scaramuzza. Boletin Musical para el Pianista. National Radio.
Buenos Aires. September 20, 1967
34
For Scaramuzza, obtaining a beautiful tone was not instinctive or left to a last
minute inspiration. In order to possess a broad color palette the pianist must know the
different ways to produce sound, and this would vary depending on the muscle group
conveyed not only to his students, but to the future generations of pianists.
22
Barnes, Christopher. The Russian Piano School. Kahn & Averill. London, 2007
35
Bibliography
Barnes, Christopher. The Russian Piano School: Russian Pianists and Moscow
Conservatory Professors on the Art of the Piano. Kahn & Averill. London, 2007
Bree, Malwine. The Groundwork of the Leschetizky Method. Schirmer. New York, 1902
Castro, Maria Rosa Oubiña de. Enseñanzas de un gran Maestro. Buenos Aires: Ediciones
Osorio, 1972
www.artpiano.com
Graffman, Gary. I really Should be Practicing. Doubleday & Company. New York, 1981
Schonberg, Harold. The Great Pianists from Mozart to the Present. Simon and Schuster.
23
Since Ingrid Fliter is a second generation student, her interview contained different questions (what are
the pieces of the repertoire you studied with Elizabeth Westerkamp? did your teacher study some of those
pieces with Scaramuzza? did she mention her own experience with the Maestro?)
24
Idem
25
The same set of questions was used in both interviews (for how long did you study with Scaramuzza?
what are the pieces you remember the most of your period of study with the Maestro? what do you consider
was a trademark on Scaramuzza’s approach?)
36
Tiempo, Lyl. Radio interview of Vicente Scaramuzza. Boletin Musical para el Pianista.
Appendix A
Amicarelli, Francisco
Argerich, Martha
Barenboim, Enrique
Filoso, Cristina
Gelber, Bruno
Kersenbaum, Sylvia
Salgan, Horacio
Scalccione, Carmen
Somma, Nilda
Stampalia, Ana
Stirpari, Monica
Westerkamp, Elizabeth
38
Appendix B
Analogies
was, he always tried to clearly convey his suggestions in the most efficient way. His
students remember the frequent use of analogies to emphasize a point. Monica Stirpari,
Nilda Somma, and Maria Cristina Viñas mentioned during the interviews that they not
only remember those analogies but they also use them all the time in their own teaching.
but not for a cantabile phrase. Otherwise, the singer becomes a drummer”
“Do you know the difference between scholastic and artistic? Scholastic is
when a pianist is doing everything that is in the score. Artistic is when the
“Once the hammer strikes the string, you can dance on top of the key. But you
will not modify the sound you just made. It is too late!”
“Playing without knowing the notes you play is like a chicken walking after
“If the sound becomes weak or tentative, is because the throat is closing. In
the case of piano playing, is because your arm is not delivering its weight to
your fingers”
“Imposing the elbow over the fingers is like those circus dogs walking on
“Every time you hesitate, there is a contraction in your bicep that does not
“Raw pasta is like overly tense fingers. So… it is not good! Neither
overcooked pasta!”
“Use your shock absorbers! That’s what your flexors are for: to save you
“To draw a long line you need the pencil to carry a continuous pressure. Do
“When playing that chord, your wrist and hand should sink as if you are
“When someone gets on a boat, this goes deeper into the water and then
stabilizes. Your wrist should have the same reaction after playing the opening
minor)
40
“If dancers train daily to be able to perform…what makes pianists think they
don’t need to play their scales and exercises? Our muscles need to be in top
shape as well!”
Appendix C
Barenboim enjoy a long and successful recording career, and citing here such a list does
not serve the purpose of this document. The list of recording that follows features
recordings of pieces learned during the early years of their careers under the guidance of
Vicente Scaramuzza, or in the case of Daniel Barenboim, under his father’s supervision.
Martha Argerich Solo Recital, Teatro Colon de Buenos Aires. IRCO, 1952
Sylvia Kersenbaum. Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in G Major, Op. 44 (P.
1974
Liszt, Glinka, Schumann, and Granados. His Master’s Voice. UK, 1976
1976
Sylvia Kersenbaum. Chopin Etudes Op. 10 and Op. 25. Cosentino Estudios.
1968
Bruno Gelber. Johannes Brahms Sonata Op. 5 and Rhapsodies Op. 79. EMI
Bruno Gelber. Chopin Sonatas Op. 35 and Op. 58. EMI Records. UK, 1979
44
Appendix D
Illustrations
Scaramuzza’s graphic on octaves from the palm applied to the Scherzo Op. 39, by
Frederic Chopin
Ignaz
Moscheles
Sigismund
Thalberg
Beniamino Alessandro
Cesi Longo
Vicente Scaramuzza
Daniel
Barenboim Marcelo Ingrid Fliter
Lian
Fliter
Vicente Scaramuzza: his teachers and students (first and second generation)
47
48
Sylvia Kersenbaum with Vicente Scaramuzza. 1965, Black and white print