104: Rami Bar-Niv

Nikhil Hogan Show

My guest today is Concert Pianist, Composer, and Music Educator Rami Bar-Niv. Rami Bar-Niv made history by being the first, and so far the only, Israeli artist to perform in Egypt following the Begin/Sadat Peace Treaty. Praised as “Effective and Flamboyant” by the New York Times and “An Original major talent” by the Boston Globe, Bar-Niv is an international concert performer who has written two books, the first is the “Art of Piano Fingering” and the second his autobiography “Blood, Sweat, and Tours: Notes from the Diary of a Concert Pianist”.

0:55 Playing by ear, Improvising, and composing from age 5 3:38 What music did you listen to growing up? 5:46 Parents teaching their own children vs having a stranger 6:43 Were you a good practicer? 7:47 Studying harmony, counterpoint and theory at the conservatory 8:37 What is your theoretical approach to composition? 9:55 What was your education in counterpoint? 10:21 Did you use Hindemith’s textbook? 11:14 Did you take ideas from repertoire and absorb them into your compositional process? 12:22 Theoretical studies with Carl Schachter 13:06 How long did you study with Schachter and what’s your perspective on Schenkerian analysis? 14:11 Do you think of theory when composing? 16:05 Does your pianistic ability inform your composing? 18:27 What was your personal relationship with Carl Schachter? 19:04 Did you always improvise? 21:31 Improvisation vs Interpretation 23:59 Do hum when you play? 24:56 Do you have an interested in Jazz? 25:48 What the names of jazz pianists that you enjoy? 26:06 How would you teach improvisation to someone? 30:04 What is your method of teaching composition? 32:57 What do you mean by “knowing” a piece of music? 33:28 Did you face any professional or cultural pressure not to improvise in your career? 35:45 What is your position on cadenzas in piano concertos? 38:54 How did you come to creating your compositional voice? 40:40 The Art of Piano Fingering 43:12 Do you distinguishing between old fingering and new modern fingering systems? 45:06 Do some great composers like Beethoven write bad, non-idiomatic piano music despite being great composers? 47:38 Why is Opera the height of everything? 48:26 Would you consider yourself a self-taught composer? 49:44 How important is family to you? 50:45 Wrapping Up