The Concern

As the semester progressed, so too did my Prelude No. 2, for piano. Upon completion, I asked Helida, durning one of our regular lessons, now that school had resumed, to critique it. She too was able to notice a distinct difference in my writing style since my return from California Summer Music. Though she was impressed, she informed me that majority of pianists would be hesitant to perform the piece, being that it consisted mainly of large chords, at times, five fingered chords in both hands, progressing at a rapid tempo. Her concern was that most pianists would not be willing to risk potential injury to their hands. Helida then went on to explain, once again, why she stressed the importance of understanding an instrument, through practice. She said, because most composers hear an abundance of music within their heads, the translation, from an idea to a concrete entity, is sometimes flawed. Primarily because the composer does not fully understand the instrument's capabilities and restrictions relative to the performer. 

Though she was able to perform my Prelude No. 2, for piano beautifully, she held true to her concern. My solution was to not adhere to such a strict traditional tempo marking, though written in the score. I acknowledged her concern by advising performers to play the piece at a tempo that is comfortable for them, and their hands.