Traditional chamber music coaching, covering all instrumental and vocal repertoire of the classical era.

"I really believe that every Juilliard music student should be required to study Beethoven with Professor Axinn."

"Ms. Axinn has a unique understanding of the style and the technical approach to the instrument which enables her to really communicate the linguistic and gestural style characteristic of the music of this period."

"[Ms. Axinn's] insights into style, technique, scholarship, and musicality at the fortepiano are both in depth and creative."

"Introduction to Fortepianos and Performance Practice c. 1770-1820"

FORMAT: A traditional lecture/demonstration or a hands-on workshop.

LENGTH: The talk or workshop can be tailored from 45-90 minutes in length.

INSTRUMENTS/EQUIPMENT: It is optimal to have a fortepiano and a modern piano side-by-side; but it is possible to supplement the talk with photos/slides and fortepiano CDs if no fortepiano is available. Either a fortepiano or a modern piano can be used in the workshop.

   

Format I: Traditional lecture/demonstration
This talk traces the development of the piano in the 18th century. Using a side-by-side comparison of a fortepiano and a modern piano, (or photos and diagrams) the two instruments' physical constructions and the resulting differences in the way sound is produced are discussed in detail. Performing excerpts by Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven on both instruments illustrates the contrasts in tone and speed of attack as well as the increased options the fortepiano offers to vary note length and articulation. Other musical examples from the period demonstrate how the fortepiano can offer insight into a composition's character, tempo and phrasing, and how playing this repertoire in a more gestural and rhetorical manner adds vitality and drama. In addition, the talk addresses the opportunities and challenges posed by urtext editions, and introduces  some discrepancies between the meaning of notation as it was used in the classical era, and how it is understood today.

 

Format II: Workshop/Master Class
This workshop format was developed to introduce undergraduate Juilliard pianists, in groups of 8-10, to the fortepiano in one class session. The goal was to give each student a hands-on experience playing the instrument, and still communicate as much of the information contained in the lecture as possible. Each student prepares 1-2 pages of a movement of any classical piano work. After a brief introduction explaining the physical differences between the fortepiano and the modern piano, the students play what they prepared, and are coached for 5-10 minutes each on how to make their performance as stylistically informed as possible. The large number of these mini-coachings ensures that all of the most important stylistic concepts such as note length, articulation, pedaling, gestural phrasing, and rhetorical playing are addressed. This basic format can be adapted to accommodate fewer or more students.

Format III: Traditional Master Class
A traditional master class using the modern piano or fortepiano focusing on piano, chamber or song literature consisting of no more than 4 pianists or ensembles.  The length of the master class is usually 2 hours.