Ran Dank on why water has no angles
The Eastman piano professor on Ravel, careful listening in loud passages and slow practice.
Ran Dank is associate professor of piano at the Eastman School of Music. He has won top prizes at the Cleveland, Naumburg, Sydney and Hilton Head international piano competitions, and is known for his advocacy of contemporary music.
Here are ten of his best tips, taken from feedback he gave young pianists after live performances, with a link to each moment on video.
1. Water has no angles
The whole piece plays around the idea of imitating something organic, in this case different iterations of water. And water, as we know, has no angles.
Ran Dank
2. Ravel wanted his score followed exactly
Ravel, out of all composers, was famously a stickler for people following his scores, and I think there’s a reason for that. He really had a vision for every detail.
Ran Dank
3. Make Ravel sound like Ravel
It’s very important to delineate the differences between styles and make sure that Ravel sounds like Ravel.
Ran Dank
4. Listen as closely when it’s loud
Especially in the louder sections, I missed the same careful listening that you give the softer sections.
Ran Dank
5. Practice the loud sections slowly
I would absolutely recommend slowing down those loud sections, and paying as much love and care to all of those notes, not just trying to project the drama and the storm.
Ran Dank
6. Nothing is purely black and white
Nuances exist on both sides. It was pure black and white for my taste.
Ran Dank
7. Phrasing matters even when it’s terrifying
The last thing we have in mind in a piece this terrifying is probably phrasing, and yet that was the thing I missed the most. Even when it’s really loud, the phrasing is always there.
Ran Dank
8. Rhythm is the spine
This music is predicated on rhythm, in a way that doesn’t really allow for rubato. What I missed was a sense of spine.
Ran Dank
9. Find the jokes
The point of this movement is just how incredibly funny it is. There seems to be a musical joke hidden in pretty much every turn of phrase. It’s worth finding all these little Easter eggs.
Ran Dank
10. Keep shaping in the big climaxes
In intense climaxes, always keep shaping things and make them sound as beautiful as the soft playing.
Ran Dank
Quotes are lightly edited for length and clarity. They come from Mr. Dank’s comments as a judge at the 2024 Piano Star International Competition. You can watch the full performances and feedback on the Piano League YouTube channel.
Quick question
Do you practice loud passages slowly?
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