I am used to an accurate indication of note strength in my teaching and performing work. (By this I mean that my students and me always know about each particular note in any sequence of notes or chords, whether one should be played louder or softer in relation to the previous and the following note, and by how much).

After I moved to America I can not find here anybody with whom I can discuss my concerns regarding dynamics, phrasing and articulation of some tricky spots. All the people around me say that they “can think and play only musical phrases” but they have no idea about “musical words” these phrases are made of. The Scientific Acoustic Research Laboratory of Moscow Conservatory does not work at this time, and I do not know which Western software can be used to display or print “The Temperature” – Note Strength (usually, it is in 124 Degrees scale) of all the notes played in some particular recording.
(Fortunately, almost everything in Piano Repertoire is recorded today digitally by “Disklavier” and the best performers, so we have a lot to choose from).

I will be very glad to hear from or about somebody who knows “what musical phrases are made of” and can suggest the best way to perform or to get all this information regarding software.

Today my concern is in the very first bars of “For Elise” by Beethoven. Which notes of the melody E-D#-E-D#-E-B-D-C-A C-E-A-B E-G#-B-C should be stressed, played stronger than regular ones (you can mark them with “+” or ”++ “or “+++” depending on Note Strength), which should be softened (mark can be “-“, “- - “ , or “---“) and which notes are just regular (not stressed, not softened – no mark needed or mark “0” can be used).

For example, E+, D# , E+++, D#--, E+, B---, D+, C-, A+++ ( I hope that nobody plays like this, of course).

I will appreciate any opinion expressed. Vladimir.