Themultitaskingthe pedal pianist

and Mozart had a On 6 March 1882, aged 22, she created Pianist Roberto with independent pedals, built for him a minor scandal at the Salle Pleyel in in 1785 by Anton Walter, which he used , playing music by Bach, Alkan and Prosseda tells Eric for the premiere of the Concerto in D Guilmant (her organ professor at the Paris minor, K 466. Conservatoire) on the . To play Schoones how the The pedal piano enjoyed its greatest the pedals, she performed wearing a knee- Gounod Concerto for popularity in the 19th century. In France, length skirt, not entirely in accordance Erard and Pleyel both produced several with the fashion or morals of the day. Pedal Piano ignited models. Liszt and Chopin knew the Musicologist Paul Landormy, writing of his instrument and Alkan played a ‘piano memories of the day, recalled: ‘I remember his interest in the à pédalier’ in the salons and composed what a strange impression was produced more than three hours of music for the by the sight of this graceful and dainty instrument, which instrument. His Erard pedal piano, made person perched on a huge case containing in 1853, is now in the Musée de la Musique the lower strings of the pedal-board […] caused a furore in the in Paris. Schumann was also a great her pretty legs darting most adroitly to advocate. He had a pedalflügel made for reach the different pedals of the keyboard 19th century when him by Louis Schone in Dresden in 1843. she had at her feet.’ Perhaps Palicot was a one female musician His Op 56, Op 58 and Op 60, all works 19th-century Yuja Wang. inspired by Bach, were written for the The physical aspect of playing the pedal played it wearing a pedal piano. piano continued to raise some excitement Schumann convinced Mendelsssohn to in the ensuing decades. Even fairly knee-length skirt form a class devoted to the pedal piano recently, pianist Rudolph Ganz (1877- at the Leipzig Conservatory as he was 1972) declined to play Alkan’s Bombardo- convinced that the instrument would , an odd duet for four feet, with be the natural successor to the piano. a female pupil of his, because he ‘did not ‘Schumann was interested in the inner know the young lady well enough…’ hile undertaking some voice,’ says Prosseda. ‘For him, the pedal research on Mendelssohn, one board introduced a voice that came from rosseda is an accomplished of his favourite , another place, the voice of a big father who multitasking pianist. With a full pianistW came across embraced all the other sounds.’ touring schedule and lots of new the Gounod Concerto for Pedal Piano, repertoireP to learn – six or seven hours which had been neither performed nor he Gounod concerto at the piano every day remain essential published for decades. The work inspired that Prosseda uncovered is fresh, – he still finds time for a dazzling list of him to study the instrument, a piano with colourful and spirited music, other projects. Prosseda, who holds a a that is usually connected highlyT idiomatic for the instrument. PhD in Italian literature, has produced to a second set of hammers and strings. After he had stopped writing opera, documentaries, published a listening As the music critic Norman Lebrecht has Gounod wrote four works for pedal guide to the piano repertoire with Edizioni written: ‘It’s a piano that thinks, deep piano and orchestra. ‘Gounod is very Curci in Milan, contributes articles on down, it’s an organ.’ The instrument good at drawing out the dramatic and classical and contemporary music to dates back around 550 years and shares its gestural potential of the pedal piano,’ says several music journals and is also a history with ancestors including the pedal Prosseda. ‘It’s a very dialectic relationship frequent host on Italian national radio: and the pedal harpsichord. between the feet and hands.’ ‘I do everything better when I combine Many well known composers used the Gounod’s interest in the instrument was many different things,’ he says. A‘ s my pedal keyboard: JS Bach owned a pedal raised by the young pianist Lucie Palicot. teacher Charles Rosen once said: “I

30 International Piano July/August 2014

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