I like your sig line:

"I don't want to end up as wrapping paper for butter."
F. Chopin



What was the context for Chopin saying this?

Hi Sam:

Boy, what a great and pleasant surprise to hear from you. I've thought of you often, remembering the lengths and trouble you went through to provide help on the forum. I miss you and wish you could join the ABF.

The story behind that quote is funny. Chopin (so few know this) had a pretty good sense of humor...sarcastic and caustic at times, yes, but still quite humorous.

As a introduction. In Poland (even as late as the 1950's,) when people went to the market, they had to bring their own paper or some kind of material to wrap their purchases. The stores did not provide any.

My cousin told me that when he went to buy some sausage, he had to bring some newspaper with him to wrap his meat. This was common practice for practically anything you bought. Cheese, eggs and even milk.

Getting back to Chopin.

His "agent" was publizing Chopin's upcoming concert (one of a very few he gave to the general public). When the man told Chopin that he was having posters (flyers) printed up and planned to post them all over the city, Chopin thought this was going a bit "overboard," shall we say. He hated anything that was excessive in nature.

So in response to the agent's comment...Chopin said..."I.........for butter. Which was what he thought the posters would end up as.

Quite funny, I think. And probably quite true!!

Keep in touch.

Oh, by the way, I finally have the A minor waltz up to performance level, even that wicked 8th, and 16th note measure. Took me a while, but one day it just happened.

You know I was thinking of you (and your enthusiasm when I told you about that waltz) when I happened to come across this beautiful (and relatively simple) mazurka. I think you might like it.


Mazurka in A minor

Take care,
Kathleen

...Looks like I'm the third person to listen to this clip. It was lovely. It sounds like you have been playing this piece for a while and are comfortable with it. I just realized that even though Op 67 No. 1 is level 8, 2, 3, & 4 are level 6! I'm still working on Op 17. No 4. There are a couple of tricky parts just as in Op 7. No. 1, but I'll hang in there.

It's good to know that not all of the classical pieces are above our ability. I wonder if we will ever get to the "hard" ones?

Mike White

Hi Mike:

I WISH I could play that mazurka that well. That was Valarie Lloyd-Watts playing it from a book of Chopin's easier pieces (came with a CD). I absolutely love all the selections. They're beautiful AND within our reach, AND most are pretty short!!

I highly recommend you buying it. Alfred Publishing puts it out and it's fairly reasonable...about $12.00.

From what I hear, many of Chopin pieces are within our range (the etudes...forget it). Most are at the 7/8 level. So we do have quite a lot to choose from.

The trouble is...so much music and so little time!!

Kathleen

Good to hear that you're doing well, Kathleen. I couldn't get that file you posted to play, for some reason, but I'm listening to Rubinstein play it now. You're right - it's beautiful! I've got a great recording of Rubinstein playing 51 mazurkas, and I perhaps should listen to it more often.


Funny story about Chopin.

I would absolutely KILL for that recording, Sam.

Rubinstein was the tops in my book, especially Chopin.

I've searched E-bay and Amazon and can't find much. Do you remember where you purchased yours?

Kathleen

It's not labeled well at amazon. Volume 50 of the Rubinstein Collection:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004ZD5E/104-0713219-6179109?v=glance&n=5174

Not to fret, Kathleen. Sam's an honorary and valued member of ABF, and he's often popping in to offer just the right advice when the rest of us are scratching our heads over some tricky notation/playing question.

This thread name causes me to sing "Hey Nineteen" over and over....

You may be forever a "Steely Dan" kinda person for me Kathleen. All that work on Chopin, and now you're Steely Dan Chick.......

Steely Dan - the band - is hot. Drool.

FM No Static At All - one of my favs.

I told you I was dense!! :rolleyes:

Who in the heck is Steely Dan???

I'm not kidding....


Thanks so much Sam.

And glad to know (Monica) that Sam pops in once in a while. I wish I could adopt him, but I think his parents might put up a fight.

Kathleen

The butter wrapping story is definitely true - he repeated the remark in his letters in reference to someone wanting to run a picture of him in the newspaper in reference to one of his concerts.

If you've missed them so completely, I'd suggest working your way backwards from their latest album, "Century's End". It's a good place to start. Many of their earlier works are very good. Particularly "Aja" and "Gaucho".

They're work is timeless. When I *really* want to listen to music instead of playing, their work is always in there somewhere. Intelligent lyrics, compelling music and immaculate production.

Do a search on Napster or Rhap. Big rock group
"Ricki Don't Lose that Number" "Reeling in the Years" "FM" "Peg" "Do it Again" etc etc etc.... Not to mention my fav "Hey Kathleen"

Kathleen, I got mine on ebay. I'm sure it will turn up again.

Gmm1: You're pulling my leg!!

Do you mean to tell me that here is a song out there called: "Hey, Kathleen"?

Or am I being my usual dense self and misreading your thread.

The only song I know of with my name is a very, very oldie (like me): "I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen". An Irish ditty about a man wanting to take his old wife back to her homeland to die.

Gee, that will brighten your day!! :p

Sorry, I'm not familiar with any newer (after 1960) groups.

I stuck with Frank Sinatra almost all my life. When he died, I went into some kind of mourning (silly, I know) and just listened to classical from that point on. Sinatra ruined me for all other "pop" singers/groups. Almost like Rubinstein ruined me for all other pianists.

Kathleen

Yes - a play on words - the song is "Hey Nineteen" but Kathleen fits so well....as the song is about a 19 year old who does not know who Aretha Franklin is......kinda spooky, huh???

[off-topic]

Aretha Franklin used to have a house behind my old high school, but it burned down a few years ago. Rumor has it her son burned it down; unfortunately the police wouldn't let us check out the crime scene ourselves (the high school cross-country team, which ran over the next day as part of our 'work out').

[/off-topic]

Thank you, gymm1, for clearing that up.

Well, I can understand a 19 year old not knowing who Aretha Franklin is, can't you?

Is the song a statement about how little the "younger" generation knows (or even cares) about all the great performers of the past?

I was tutoring a student once and happened to say something like: "You know, like Beethoven." She answered: "Who?"

This was before the days of those Beethoven movies; otherwise, I'm sure she would have thought I was referring to that huge dog!!

Kathleen

I should have mentioned the song is from the 70's.... give it a listen sometime (actually, any Steey Dan is worth a listen...)

So, no matter, you are now my "Steely Dan Chick"....

gymm1:


I forgot to ask you how Chang's advice is working for you on your new piece.

I did get some good tips from the little I read and definitely going to try to apply them today.

Kathleen

Exactly what you already stated. I learn HS, identify my "problem" measures, practice them 3-4 notes building, then, when faster than needed, I go to HT (and at least for now, it's like starting over....but if I get lost, then I work on the hand/section, then back to HT....)

Seems to be working as I do not get totally lost when I have a "freeze" - I know what hand caused it.....

Sounds great.

I'm anxious to start today.

But, do you know what he means by "bouncing?"

He says to single out a couplet or a chord with the right fingering (this would be a run, arpeggio, etc) than play as a flat chord. But then he says to bounce your hand up and down. Does he mean play the chord over and over? Or does he mean just to let your fingers bounce off the keys without pressing them down?

Confusing?

Kathleen

I'll have to go look, but I think he means bounce the hand to play the indivual notes as fast as you can to reach "ultimate" speed (almost but not quite at the same time), then start slowing down.....it is easier to slow down then to speed up (he says - I find slowing down to be just as hard - try playing a piece you know well slower....I find it is not easy....)

I'll go look and see if I am right.....

Thanks.

Kathleen