Collaborative Piano I, II, III
MUSC-1280, 3280, 5885
Fall 2016
University of Wyoming
Dr. Chi-Chen Wu
FA 3041 cwu3@uwyo.edu
Location: Recital Hall (lectures and master classes)
Rm 3041 (individual coachings)
Class Hours: Lectures— T 10:00-11:00 am
Master classes—T 10:00-11:30 am
Individual coachings—T 10:00-11:00 am
Additional Individual Coaching Hours: by appointment
Office Hours: as posted
Course Description and Objectives:
This course endeavors to equip students with a set of basic skills required for different types of
piano collaboration. The instructor will teach the course in settings: 1. class meeting and 2.
individual coaching.
1. Class Meeting
Class meetings are presented in two formats: lectures (60 minutes) and master
classes (90 minutes). In lectures, topics relevant to collaborative skills will be discussed
and reading assignments given prior to the session. Master classes are designed for
students to play for each other, to exchange ideas, and to receive input from the instructor.
A sign-up sheet for in-class performances will be posted outside FA 3041.
2. Individual Coaching
Individual coaching sessions are designed to help students in preparation for
performances of collaborative piano assignments. A sign-up sheet for coachings will be
posted outside FA 3041. Additional appointments may be made via e-mail and requests
should be sent with at least one-week notice.
Course Materials: Scores of the pieces you are working on.
It is strongly recommended that you own scores of the pieces you are working on so markings
may be made and kept. As a collaborative pianist, you will most likely be playing the same pieces
with various instrumentalists/vocalists. The markings and notes made during rehearsal and
coaching will be very useful in attaining an efficient rehearsal with a different partner on the same
piece.
Course Requirements/Grading
1. Assignments and rehearsals
Students are expected to rehearse with their partners before performing in master classes.
2. Performances of collaborative piano assignments
Collaborative piano pieces assigned for convocation, jury, and recital serve as the main
graded material. It is expected that students learn their assignments thoroughly with thoughtful
interpretations, rehearse with their partners sufficiently, and demonstrate their strong chamber
music playing. Input and comments from instrumental and vocal studio teachers on students’
performances in convocation, jury and recital will be taken into consideration for grading.
3. Presentation—Schumann’s Dichterliebe, Op. 48
Each student will present one song from Schumann’s song cycle Dichterliebe. Students
are expected to examine the poem, setting, and harmony and derive a thoughtful performance of
their songs from this study. Each presentation is allotted 15 minutes. Students choose whether to
perform the entire song at the end of their presentations or only demonstrate sections to support
their arguments. A hard copy or PDF of the score is required to be handed out or e-mailed to the
class. A word-for-word English translation should be written in the score below or above the
German text. Handouts are strongly encouraged.
Before working on their presentations, students are expected to listen to the entire cycle
with English translations of the texts in hand to know the whole story. Aspects to be addressed in
presentations include:
· summary of the text
· persona of the piano
· poetic mood
· collaborative piano playing techniques used to reflect the text and poetic mood
4. Master class performance
With the exception of students registered for MUSC-1280, every student is required to
perform his/her collaborative piano assignments at least in one master class and is required to
sign up for one performance slot before March 1. Students who fail to do so will lose points. Prior
to your performances, please e-mail your classmates a PDF of your piece for them to either read it
on the computer or print it out. (Everyone is required to have the music of pieces performed in the
master classes in front of them.)
5. Class participation
In all class meetings, you are expected to contribute in class with questions related to
course content as well as to answer questions posed by the instructor, make thoughtful comments
on topics under discussion, and give feedback to classmates performing in the master class.
6. Attendance
Attendance at all class meetings is mandatory. Any unexcused absence after the first two
will lower your semester grade by one increment. (B+ to B, for instance) On-time attendance is
expected. Being late for 5 minutes at one class meeting will be counted as one absence.
7. Accompanying time sheet
Students are expected to submit a filled out collaborative piano time sheet to the
instructor by 5 pm on the 2nd and 4th Fridays every month.
Grading Policy:
Grades will be determined in accordance with the following formula:
Performances of collaborative piano 50%
assignments in convocation, jury, and recital
Master class performance 15%
Presentation 15%
Accompanying hour sheet 10%
Participation 10%
Grading Scale:
A = 93%-100% B+ = 86%-88% C+ = 77%-79% D+ = 67%-69% F = 0%-59%
A- = 89%-92% B = 83%-85% C = 73%-76% D = 63%-66%
B- = 80%-82% C- =70%-72% D- = 60%-62%
Reference Resources
Books and Articles
Adler, Kurt. The Art of Accompanying and Coaching. New York: Da Capo Press, Inc., 1965.
Berger, Melvin. Guide to Chamber Music. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1985.
Bernac, Pierre. Interpretations of French Song. New York: Norton Library Inc.
Coffin, Berton, and Werner Singer and Pierre Delattre. Word-by-Word Translations of
Songs and Arias: Part I – German and French. New York: The Scarecrow Press,
Inc., 1966.
Goodman, Elaine. “Ensemble performance,” in Musical performance: A guide to
Understanding, ed. John Rink. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2002.
Katz, Martin. The Complete Collaborator: The Pianist as Partner. Oxford University Press, 2009.
Loft, Abram. Violin and Keyboard: The Duo Repertoire. Portland, Oregon: Amadeus Press,
1973.
Moore, Gerald. The Unashamed Accompanist. London: Lowe & Brydone Printers LTD,
1943.
Newton, Ivor. “An open letter to a would-be accompanist,” in At the Piano. London:
H. Hamilton, 1966.
Schoep, Arthur, and Daniel Harris. Word-by-Word Translations of Songs and Arias: Part
II – Italian. Metuchen, N. J.: The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 1972.
Website
http://www.recmusic.org
http://www.aria-database.com
Course Schedule
1 Jan. 24 Lecture
10:00-11:00 Creative Orchestral Reduction.
Introduction to Schumann’s Dichterliebe, Op. 48
2 Jan. 31 Individual coaching
10:00-11:00
3 Feb. 7 Master class
10:00-11:30
4 Feb. 14 Presentations (1)
10:00-11:00 Severin, Sam, Boya, Yifei
5 Feb. 21 Presentations (2)
10:00-11:00 Xinyu, Yiheng, Cenjie, Heitor
6 Feb. 28 Presentations (3)
10:00-11:00 Celso, Su Qi, Geer, Rui
7 Mar. 7 Presentations (4)
10:00-11:00 Yun-Shan, Jiahe, Jingxin
8 Mar. 14 Spring break
9 Mar. 21 Individual coaching
10:00-11:00
10 Mar. 28 Master class
10:00-11:30
11 Apr. 4 Master class
10:00-11:30
12 Apr. 11 Master class
10:00-11:30
13 Apr. 18 Individual coaching
10:00-11:00
14 Apr. 25 Master class
10:00-11:30
15 May 2 Master class
10:00-11:30
