Performance and Pedagogical Principles of Heinrich Neuhaus through the Prism of Philosophical Hermeneutics

The name Neuhaus has become a legend in piano pedagogy. Raising a galaxy of talented pianists (Richter, Gilels, Vedernikov, and others), Neuhaus applied various methods in his teaching practice, the basis of many of which were hermeneutic theories. Neuhaus repeatedly said that the main component of a musical work is its artistic image, and that this ideal image, enclosed in the material framework of the text, should be deciphered and interpreted in the spirit of the author, in the style of the era of its creation. Neuhaus approached this issue, involving philosophical hermeneutics resources but resolving them in a musical key. Thus, from the point of view of musical science, he developed purely philosophical hermeneutical concepts – the hermeneutical circle, the whole and the part, the form and content, and others.

In this work, Neuhaus’ performance and pedagogical activities are examined through the prism of hermeneutics. Hermeneutical ideas and theories that were developed in the pedagogy of Neuhaus are studied.