What I Am Playing Now
Dec. 10th, 2009 06:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
deborahjrossVarious LJers post "what I am reading now" or "what I have read so far this year." For something different, here's what I'm working on, pianowise. I began lessons (for the first time ever) 3 1/2 years ago, so I'm just venturing into the intermediate repertoire. In no particular order:
Chopin, Prelude in b minor (Op. 28, No. 6); the most challenging piece I'm playing, it demands a steady murmuring rhythm in the right hand (except when the right hand takes the melody and all bets are off) and rising and falling melodies in the left, both in pitch and loudness. But it's gorgeous and moody and well, Chopin. My teacher is already plotting what to inflict on me for my next Chopin piece.
Michel Courrette (1709-1795), "La Confession;" a theme and 2 variations. The tricky part is that it's moderato but the first variation has 8th notes instead of quarter, so they get played twice as fast to keep the timing the same. This has me scrambling for my metronome, but that's good practice.
David Lanz, "Cristofori's Dream;" Cristofori being the guy responsible for the pianoforte. A long, New Age sort of piece with what seems like repetition of cool stuff, but should be played as variations with different dynamics, emotional textures, etc. It has so many page turns, I gave up and memorized it. My hands have to stretch to reach the parallel octaves.
Clementi, Sonatina in C Major (Op. 36, No. 1); I think just about every piano student has slogged through this one, but for me, it's great fun. Clementi was having one over on us. Just began it, still getting the notes right and beginning to drill the tricky fingering parts with metronome. The 3rd movement, Vivace, is going to be a hoot. One of my kids played it, but I can't tell for sure whose handwriting those scrawls are in.
Howard Shore, "Minas Tirith;" from one of the Dan Coates books of easy piano arrangements. At first glance, those big notes and huge margins give the illusion of being "too" easy, but there's plenty to push me in the way of rhythm and dynamics. Plus it's just plain fun. Fun is good.
In repertoire (meaning that I can play from memory and do so as part of my warm-up)
Bach, Prelude No. 1. One of these days, Dave is going to play the Gounod vocal accompaniment on his clarinet. And I will be instantly unable to remember a single phrase.
Beethoven, Sonatina in G major. Taught me a whole lot about chords and was surprisingly easy to memorize. Like a verse narrative, it has movement and structure that make sense to me.
Bach, Minuet in d minor. This may not have been written by Bach, but it's in Anna Magdalena's "Notebook," so it gets lumped in with the pieces we know he did write. Demands absolutely precise fingering or you'll never recover. Like some stories.
Howard Shore, "Evenstar" from that same book. Occasionally, I'll try to revive "In Dreams" or "Concerning Hobbits."
Jean Latour (1766-1837) Sonatina No. 2, first movement. Has a cool musical joke in the middle.
Chopin, Prelude in b minor (Op. 28, No. 6); the most challenging piece I'm playing, it demands a steady murmuring rhythm in the right hand (except when the right hand takes the melody and all bets are off) and rising and falling melodies in the left, both in pitch and loudness. But it's gorgeous and moody and well, Chopin. My teacher is already plotting what to inflict on me for my next Chopin piece.
Michel Courrette (1709-1795), "La Confession;" a theme and 2 variations. The tricky part is that it's moderato but the first variation has 8th notes instead of quarter, so they get played twice as fast to keep the timing the same. This has me scrambling for my metronome, but that's good practice.
David Lanz, "Cristofori's Dream;" Cristofori being the guy responsible for the pianoforte. A long, New Age sort of piece with what seems like repetition of cool stuff, but should be played as variations with different dynamics, emotional textures, etc. It has so many page turns, I gave up and memorized it. My hands have to stretch to reach the parallel octaves.
Clementi, Sonatina in C Major (Op. 36, No. 1); I think just about every piano student has slogged through this one, but for me, it's great fun. Clementi was having one over on us. Just began it, still getting the notes right and beginning to drill the tricky fingering parts with metronome. The 3rd movement, Vivace, is going to be a hoot. One of my kids played it, but I can't tell for sure whose handwriting those scrawls are in.
Howard Shore, "Minas Tirith;" from one of the Dan Coates books of easy piano arrangements. At first glance, those big notes and huge margins give the illusion of being "too" easy, but there's plenty to push me in the way of rhythm and dynamics. Plus it's just plain fun. Fun is good.
In repertoire (meaning that I can play from memory and do so as part of my warm-up)
Bach, Prelude No. 1. One of these days, Dave is going to play the Gounod vocal accompaniment on his clarinet. And I will be instantly unable to remember a single phrase.
Beethoven, Sonatina in G major. Taught me a whole lot about chords and was surprisingly easy to memorize. Like a verse narrative, it has movement and structure that make sense to me.
Bach, Minuet in d minor. This may not have been written by Bach, but it's in Anna Magdalena's "Notebook," so it gets lumped in with the pieces we know he did write. Demands absolutely precise fingering or you'll never recover. Like some stories.
Howard Shore, "Evenstar" from that same book. Occasionally, I'll try to revive "In Dreams" or "Concerning Hobbits."
Jean Latour (1766-1837) Sonatina No. 2, first movement. Has a cool musical joke in the middle.
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I read this to my cousin who plays piano
Date: 2009-12-11 08:36 am (UTC)Re: I read this to my cousin who plays piano
Date: 2009-12-11 07:51 pm (UTC)I think adults progress differently than children. I pretty much know where my fingers are, I know how to practice, I'm disciplined enough to use the metronome and to not let sticky bits slide, and I can understand and appreciate theory on a very different level than a 7 yo. I think alot of what kids learn is how to learn. otoh, my ear will never be as good as if I had begun as a child, and I may have a little early arthritis in my hands that will eventually catch up with me; my joints just aren't as supple as they were 40 years ago!
no subject
Date: 2009-12-11 01:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-11 07:52 pm (UTC)It's never too late to start!
no subject
Date: 2009-12-11 11:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-11 11:18 pm (UTC)The handwriting is likely mine, but if you want to know for sure, ask and I'll take a look. :)
no subject
Date: 2009-12-12 07:35 pm (UTC)