The Craft of Piano Playing: A New Approach to Piano Technique with Alan Fraser.

The Craft of Piano Playing: A New Approach to Piano Technique with Alan Fraser, Maple Grove Music Productions (2 Milana Korea Ave., 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia), 2006. 90 min.

The new DVD, The Craft of Piano Playing: A New Approach to Piano Technique, definitely complements Alan Fraser's 2003 book of the same title. If you are already familiar with his book, then you will want this DVD to benefit from the audio-visual dimension and demonstration of his ideas. If you don't own this book, this DVD may intrigue your curiosity enough to want to read it. However, not all exercises, or "applications" from the book are presented on the DVD--perhaps another DVD is in the works. Conveniently, the DVD menu indicates which applications can be found in the book.

Fraser introduces his philosophy of achieving an orchestral sound by presenting aspects of the finger and arm weight schools, some of which have been misunderstood, and how they contribute to a "comprehensive technique" and are "pieces of the puzzle." Through analyzing the innate structure and function of the hand, he shows how the appropriate lining up of the hand bones allows a transfer of energy to the keyboard. This theme is interwoven into each of the eight chapters of which he spends most time on skeletal alignment and arches of the hand in Chapter 1 and octaves and chords in Chapter 4. Other chapters specifically approach legato, the thumb, the arm, rotation, maximum finger movement in scales, and finally--of a less technical and more musical nature--rhythm, phrasing and dynamics. In each of these chapters, he often physically demonstrates his points both at and away from the piano in an effective, and often, humorous manner.

As found in the book, his musical examples are all advanced repertoire. It may have been useful to see him working with students more often, as well as varying levels of literature. However, his creative analogies and clear instructions, along with the opportunity to see these demonstrated visually, do make it worthy to follow along at the keyboard while viewing the DVD--with caution, as always. Although this seems most directly applicable to advanced pianists, teachers of advanced pianists and pedagogues, development of piano technique starts at the beginning of piano instruction. Any teacher or pianist inquisitive about developing a good, healthy technique should explore all thoughtful insights and resources--including this one. If you would like to view a demo of the DVD, go to http://craftofpiano.com/dvd.html. Reviewed by Cynthia Benson, Bowling Green, Ohio