Remembering Menahem Pressler
by Scott
It was very sad to hear the news that the great pianist Menahem Pressler passed away over the weekend at the age of 99. I was his student for five years during my Masters and Doctoral studies at Indiana University, and I gained so much wisdom and inspiration from my time with him. His live performances with the Beaux Arts Trio were truly memorable in their artistry and for his way of touching the audience with his musical expression. I can still remember specific moments from his playing , and the feelings that they conveyed.
His work habits were superhuman, even in his 80s - I was usually one of the first students to arrive at the school to practice in the mornings, but I would often see his car already at the school before the students arrived! And the same would be true upon leaving the school at night - his car would still be there.
Mr. Pressler’s teaching was always full of life and he had a way of expressing his musical and life-related views that had lasting impact on all who studied with him. His voice demonstrating certain phrases, or his arms gesturing how a passage should look, are still fresh in my memory. He had a way to make us listen intently when playing with other musicians that continues to influence me today.
I am really lucky to have a collection of lesson videos and audio recordings that I can keep going back to for inspiration and to gain new knowledge. Listening back to a collection of funny clips I made from Pressler’s lessons, one of the recurring themes was to play music in a natural and unmannered way. Here is an example:
“Your face is filled with lipstick and make up, and all of a sudden you have a mustache! I don’t know what you’re trying to prove! It should be (Pressler sings the phrase simply and directly)”
Thank you, Mr. Pressler for your unforgettable presence in my life, you will be missed greatly. You taught us all to find beauty and art in all that we play, and your legacy will certainly live on through everyone whose lives you have touched and enriched.
