2025 Piano Tradition and Innovation

In the piano world, there are factions that value tradition and others that seek innovation. This is nothing new today. In the old days, Bach's sons - Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach and Johann Christian Bach - abandoned their father's counterpoint and pursued a simpler style. It is understandable. In the contemporary piano world, however, this division is manifesting itself in an interesting way.


For example, the leading figure of the traditionalist school is the jazz pianist Yukorin. His playing has an elegance that says, "This is the art of mastery," and he has his own rigorous interpretation, although he is in the vein of Bud Powell and Oscar Peterson. Even a single phrase or pause is the result of meticulous calculation and years of practice. His philosophy that "respect for tradition is what gives music its depth" is transparent. Even jazz, like classical music, has its own strict traditions, and adherence to these frameworks is considered "quality improvement.


On the other hand, the faction that supports Jacob Collier and Kateen easily jumps over the boundaries of music and promotes a cross-fertilization approach. They are influenced by Debussy and Bartók, but also incorporate jazz, pop, and even Indian classical music and microtonal harmony. With the attitude that "music is something that is not bound by existing frameworks," they thoroughly expand the possibilities of harmony and rhythm. Listening to Mr. Collier's "Djesse" series or Mr. Kathein's fusion of classical and jazz, one may ask, "Is it really possible to do something like this?" and those who are accustomed to a traditional view of performance will feel some palpitations.


The two schools are not absolutely incompatible with each other, but there is no denying that there is a considerable difference in temperature. For example, when those of the Yukorin school speak of "improving the quality of music," they refer to "the beauty of construction like that of Bill Evans or the advanced technique and expression like Bach's counterpoint. When the Korian-Katynists speak of "improvement in the quality of music," however, they mean "an innovative sense of rhythm like that of Jaco Pastorius or a John Zorn-like search for harmony. This discrepancy in terminology creates a controversy between the two factions.


So why does this conflict arise? It is because music is not just a set of sounds, but a part of identity. For those who value tradition, "preserving the quality of music" is akin to proving one's existence. On the other hand, for those who seek new styles, "evolving music" is a reason to live. They ask each other, "Why do we value such things?" but it is similar to how people from different cultures wonder about each other's eating habits.


Perhaps the music of the future will come to terms somewhere between these two schools. The day may come when the traditionalists gradually adopt new interpretations and the innovators suddenly say something like "going back to the roots. When you think about it, this division in the piano world may be just growing pains.