Testimonials

Khoa Do, Sydney

Thanks for your excellent book. Every paragraph, sentence captures my interest when I first take a look at some preview pages. I admit that your newly revised book is well formatted, much easier to read, indeed. Yet, the content is of top importance. Thank you so much. What a great research and discovery!

I also made purchase of your DVD recently after viewing the excerpts. I would say “That is Chopin’s playing!” Your playing is what I expect for his music. I was lucky to be exposed to recordings from pianists who devoted to studying Chopin’s authentic style of playing at very young age–those that execute what Chopin intended. I am very happy to find you among them, admirable!

I have read many books on Chopin’s life, playing style, as well as analysis of his works by those such as John Rink and Jim Samson. Of course, I have to read them over and over and need time to digest. Your book is of different approach and certainly a very good resource for me to learn and play.

We both love Chopin so much that we create this website to give Chopin's fan access to Chopin's life and music, especially his complete works in .mp3 files and scores.

Juliette de Marcellus

Genius of the Piano is really amazingly complete. It is a very unique work and a real "page turner" as the annoying saying goes.

The way you create the Paris of Chopin's period is very clever and quite hypnotic. Even those who had never heard of that time would catch on to it. You have found an excellent balance in giving all the information without patronizing the reader. That is so important and you do it very well. I really like the way the info and the personalities weave in and out very seamlessly, and even I can't tell where the various elements came from.

Dr. Yaroslav Senyshyn

It was a great pleasure to see excerpts of Alan's DVD on YouTube. Alan is a great pianist and scholar. He is truly one of the greatest Chopinists ever.

Zuhair Bakdoud

"We must endeavour to keep the hand in that (natural) position at all times, moving it along quickly and easily to the next position – 'displacing' it from one group of notes to the next. That is one of the basic secrets of piano technique"
I instantly went to my piano and tried Chopin's # 1 Etude in C major using this displacing of the hand to the next position without stretching: It was a MIRACLE!!!!!!!!. It worked like a DREAM: No tension, no stiffening, no tiring of my hand... It felt so easy, so non-straining. I could go on playing the piano using this principle for ever without feeling any stiffening, etc. God must have spoken to you when you discovered this phenomenon. My gratitude to you is INFINITE. I cannot wait to read the rest of the advice you have in your book on piano technique.
Since I am a physician (neonatologist), your applying anatomy and physiology to explaining piano technique is a total BLESSING: It makes the principle easy to understand.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, DEAR ALAN…

P.S. "Displacement", among other things I learnt from your book WORKS, every time – thanks. zu

Tore G. Christensen

Hi sir!

I felt I have to express my deepest gratitude for letting us hear and watch you play my favorite composer. My wife, Ragnhild Nyhus, the director of the Kirsten Flagstad museum in Hamar, Norway ordered a DVD from you. Last night we spent the whole evening watching your programs. We simply had to see both DVDs through right to the end. Eventually, I could listen to someone who plaid Chopin the way I always meant it should be plaid. Not every concert pianist do so, I have heard!

Rickie Oui

Many thanks for the links, I have your e-books all downloaded again!

Yes, I am a pianist trained in the European tradition like yourself. It is most gratifying to know of someone across the globe having the same views and thoughts on piano playing, this natural and most amazing way of knowing how to use the body, hands and fingers. I congratulate you on your work and research into the physiology of piano playing, which, sadly, many pianists are unaware of and suffer as a result.

I am Singaporean, and much of my time is spread over teaching and presenting seminars on topics related to the 'art of piano playing, I was also a former examiner to the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, London.

I am most delighted to meet your acquaintance. I wonder if Singapore and Malaysia would be part of your agenda in the near future. If so, I hope we get to meet in person and to share our passion for music and piano playing.

Takeo SatoTakeo Sato

Thank you so much for replying to my mail and introducing precious books you authored. I was very impressed with your works completed through your dedication to researches of Chopin, piano techniques, and hands movement. In fact, it may take quite a long time to read and understand them for me, however, I scanned them and have already found quite a few parts of the books stimulate my interest very strongly. To read and refer to those books will be an excellent opportunity for me to improve my English reading ability, too.

Anyway, playing the piano and deepening my knowledge around piano and Chopin will be my pleasure for a long time from now on and it must be enriched by your books. Thank you again for your kindness.
I wish you all good luck for the coming year.

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