Listening to piano recordings

[Bernard]

What's your opinion on listening to recordings of pieces that you are working on?

I had a teacher of 10 years who was adamant (as they tend to be) that one should never listen to recordings of pieces one has in the works. I left her many years ago and got over her admonishments.

I don't tend to listen to recordings until I have done some work on a piece. But there usually comes a time when I might ask myself, 'I wonder how Arrau does this?' Or Lisitsa? Or Ohlsson? Mind you, I don't normally listen to just one recording. I find it helpful; often illuminating. One can't practice in a bubble.

Anyway, the teacher of the class I'm taking said today that he generally advises people not to listen to recordings of pieces they are working on. No comprendo.

It appears the fear(?) is that one won't develop their own voice if they listen to others, but I don't believe that would happen unless one is passive at the piano. Artists, for instance, spend time copying the masters... the masters were very good at what they did, why not check it out?

I don't spend a lot of time listening to other's playing but once in a while it really seems useful.

[ShiroKuro]

@Bernard This is such an interesting topic! I don't play classical music, so the issues are different. Especially because for most of the pieces I play, there's a "definitive" recording, by the composer.

Also, I usually have decided to play a piece because I've heard it and want to play it, IOW, I want to play what I heard. So I don't really care if I'm "not developing my own voice." I'm more interested in "developing my fingers" so that I can play the piece!

Separate from that, here is my general approach. 1) I heard the piece and became obsessed with it and decide that I want to learn it. 2) I start learning it. 3) If there's something I can't figure out, I listen to it. 4) Once I get it mostly playable, I generally have a long period where I intentionally avoid listening to the original, partly because I want to play it at the tempo I'm trying to polish. 5) At some point, I go back and listen to it (perhaps for the first time in a few weeks, perhaps a few months), and at this point, it's usually very educational to do that.

[ShiroKuro]

@Bernard said:

It appears the fear(?) is that one won't develop their own voice if they listen to others, but I don't believe that would happen unless one is passive at the piano. Artists, for instance, spend time copying the masters... the masters were very good at what they did, why not check it out?

I agree with both of those points that I bolded here.

[AndyD]

Recordings inspire me to have a go at learning. I mean nothing (or very little) comes from nothing.
And once partially learnt I'll find my favourite version for timing & musicality. I've done this for Tom Lehrer and Rachmaninoff and Art Tatum.