Touch at the Piano: Theoretical Framework, Pedagogical Strategies, and Case Study of Manuel Font y de Anta's Andalucía

Abstract

This research assumes that pianistic touch is not only a matter of mechanical execution but a decisive factor in shaping timbre, articulation, and expressive meaning. It is hypothesized that a systematic classification o f touch types — analyzed in relation to physical gesture, sound production, and interpretive intention — can provide performers with greater consistency and teachers with clearer strategies for instruction. By situating the study in the context of Manuel Font y de Anta’s Andalucía, the project proposes that repertoire-specific analysis of touch can reveal both generalizable principles of technique and insights into Spanish performance practice of the early twentieth century.