Horowitz And Arm Arch...

Hi all, I'm pretty new to the discussions group, as I have just discovered the Alan Fraser's DVD while surfing hazardously on the internet. First, I congratulate all the initiators of this project and the excellent topics discussed here and there. After a lot of readings, I come with a specific wondering relevant to the arm arch and the Horowitz arm position. When we look at Horowitz's hands, they are mostly "flat". So, I really don't understand the relevance of the arm arch to his playing. Or maybe Horowitz is a kind of "out-of-context" freak ? Really, his hands play very flat, therefore weakening his fingers action. This is the opposite of what Alan's recommends. That's what I understood at least from the DVD. Obviously, Horowitz has an impressing movement-economy gesture. It's really wonderful to see him, and hear him play. Thanks for your advice.

That's what it LOOKS like, but look again, carefully. When I introduce the arch I tend to make it nice and high, so it's OBVIOUS... But if you lay your hand totally flat on a table and just raise your 2nd metacarpal phalangeal joint 2 or 3 millimeters, that arch is already functional. The muscular intention within is to , not collapse it - even though it doesn't stand high. The important thing is, it WANTS to stand high. Horowitz's hand is like that, for sure. He never empties out his arch. Even when he flattens completely and splays his fingers into a big fortissimo chord, his lumbricals are working to keep the arch from falling, therefore it is still potent. However, you asked a great question - thanks for adding it to the forum, it provided an opportunity for some important points of clarification. AFF

Thanks very much for your answer, Alan ! Horowitz plays often with "flatty" fingers. But as it sounds so smoothly and full of nice tone, there must be an explanation. While not directly visible, the intention is there. Otherwise, the sound should be poor. That could be a good explanation to me, because I sometimes see/hear pianists who give the impression that they do not move their fingers or that they do not articulate, but in reality, they are (I mean, when the tone is beautiful at least). What we see is not always what we hear...in all meanings... Thanks again. PS : would you be travelling in Europe somewhere in 2009 or 2010, giving any class. I'm living in Belgium.

Sorry, I forgot to mention a video where we can precisely see the quitness of his left hand, here in a Mozart sonata (llok also at 1min43, incredible !) : Regards. Santiago

I live in Novi Sad, Serbia, so I am always in Europe (almost). Not so many master classes scheduled for this year but there should be a couple in Germany in the spring. I have some students coming here for a few days' intensive work because they don't want to wait... AFF

the quitness of his left hand, here in a Mozart sonata (llok also at 1min43, incredible !) : Yep. You don't see arches working that well very often. But of course what you hear most is his musical genius, his attention to architectonic structure... AFF