I don't understand what Roslynmuse meant by don't play like pianists. Did she mean don't play mechanically? Or did she mean imagine different orchestral colours and play orchestrally? Did she mean use your imagination?

Perhaps he means that pianists use emotion too much sometimes? I'm a very still player and when I see some people swaying around and their eyebrows going up into the roof i do agree that it can look a bit ridiculous.

Or on a more specific level, maybe it has something to do with voicing. For example, the difference between pianists and organists playing Bach fugue or something is that obviously pianists can bring out the entries of the fugue subject far more easily than an organist can. And the pianists sometimes make it a bit too obvious?

Only just found this thread, for some reason!

Dashing off now, but will respond this evening. Thanks, Ian, for starting the ball rolling!

Where are pianophiles when you need them? I am writing to myself while trying to entertain myself with Zemlinsky on Radio 3.
I am trying to remedy my stiff wrists with a dose of Schumann Toccata and Scarlatti. Horovitz sonata and Weber Blasted Duo are progressing, but I will really know when the clarinet will come.

The accompanying requires light touch. Most pianists are so concerned with loudness. There is a big difference between beeing a solo instrument and playing in ensembles. However in my view many pianists accompanying too heavily. Although if one is too soft and light the soloist doesn't have support.

In anycase I thought I should write in hope that someone answer to a lonely struggling pianist with stiff wrists and not sensitive fingers who is far away from any contact with any other pianist.

t-p,

Is it possible you are tensing your wrists in an over-intense effort to achieve a quieter sound? I think generally the wrists should feel quite 'hollow' (not cramped) whatever kind of sound you are after. There is just that moment when you make the sound when fingers and arm are somewhat braced, but for the rest of the time, they should be relaxed I think. (My teacher used to tell me how Gieseking would use whole of his (not insignificant) upper body to achieve those fantastic quiet sounds he got.)
 
Also, it sounds like you are playing through pieces to try and rid yourself of the stiffness whereas it might be better to rest your wrists and allow them to settle down, then go back to the piano and try your new approach.

Have you considered trying the Alexander Technique, or osteopathy, or talking to your GP? Perhaps someone will come along who has had wrist problems, there are many pianists who have, and be able to give you some more helpful and specific advice.

Anyway, I wish you the best of luck. I know how frustrating it can be.

Also you could try googling 'stiff wrists piano' and various sites discussing the problem come up.

T-p,

Are you sure the problem is entirely from the piano?  Perhaps your viola playing has caused tension that you don't shake off.  Or to much typing at the computer?  I had a bad wrist and elbow in March from BlackBerry and gardening - which an osteopath sorted out for me.

Tommo

Sounds as though all is sorted now...but for what it's worth, the Weber is, IMHO, a singularly badly written piece, or at least the first two movements are (the last is hard but pianistic and there are enough moments of relaxation to make the next exposed scale in 3rds just about playable., and enough gathering points on the last couple of pages to keep the two instruments together..). Problem with mt 1 is that clarinettists always want it ridiculously fast (losing much of the elegance of the writing) which compounds the difficulties of leaping around and constantly having to change position and texture; I always get the clarinettist to play the 2nd subj first and then make sure the opening is no faster than that... The second mt is of course very thickly scored. I like to treat it like an orchestral reduction - Berlioz always comes to mind - and, with the big solo, take lots of space to make the phrasing clear - most of the textural difficulties disappear then. Physically it is definitely a "from the shoulders" sort of piece, which means a mousy clarinettist is a non-starter!

T-p, good to hear that you don't usually have arm pains etc. The thing to watch for is heaviness or numbness - that usually calls for a trip to the osteopath.

Tommo - gardening - go for the natural look!   

Daniel - agree completely about the "hollow wrists" - a good image I find is to imagine the wrists are as wide as the hand itself - it can take a lot of the narrow tension away. Debussy's idea of the fingers being of a substance like rubber rather than bone is good too. Upper body weight is really helpful in slow quiet music. (Fall forward at the same speed as the arms are dropping). Alexander technique - massive thumbs up to that!!!    

I'll have to try to remember what it was I was referring to that Ian referred to way back in his first post...back in a bit!