How did you do with page 2? It took me forever to get the feeling for that section, and it was hit or miss every time I tried it. Eventually I decided that the law of diminishing returns was setting in, so I moved on.

I just kept on working a measure at a time and oh yes, this has been an absolute bear! But, (smile) I would get to the third line measure where it is mp and from the B flat and 32nd note combination was giving me fits! The rhythm I could get in my left hand but was completely off in my right. I just had to isolate the part, hands separate until I got it. The next measure, the fingering is AHHH! But I did the same thing.

My problem ( one of them) is trying not to blur the pedal. I don't always catch it but my instructor does. How do you handle that when you are playing?

I'm an extreme optimist(smile). I have to get through a piece of music for the sheer fun of it! I am going to try my best!! to record this tomorrow after I come back from my instructor's home. Then I'll move on to Chopin(?) "Prelude in A Major". Have you played that yet? I had started "Moonlight Sonata" but that was changed.

I'm going to go play a bit before I get some sleep. This has been the only time this week I've had the opportunity!

Take care!

Congrats Piano4, finishing Fur Elise is a milestone for many players of piano. It's long as hell too lol; do you flip the pages, memorize, or have all the pages strung out in front of you?

Congrats indeed, can't wait to hear it!
- SC

Undone has unfinished the Unfinished Symphony. In other words, I put a wrap on it last night. I’m debating whether to use it for my recital piece or not. I probably will since I don’t really have anything else to submit at this point. It’s a tuff one to find a recording of so I’ll post it here (for continuity) either after the recital goes live or should I decide not to use it for the recital.

Undone

Congrats . I can't wait to hear it, since I'm not familiar with the piece. Was it a piano transcription?

I've nearly finished Prelude in C Major. I'm also working on a bunch of Schumman stuff, which I really like as well.

Yes, the “Theme from Unfinished Symphony” in Alfred’s is a piano transcription of a small portion of the whole. It’s interesting in the way the transcriber attempts to get the full orchestra sound in places. The full piece sounds incredibly complex in parts. I found a copy of a “piano reduction” for the Schubert’s Symphony No. 8 that weighs in at thirty pages.

Undone

Undone - so which version are you doing for the Recital?

JF

lol

I'm doing just the first page for this recital, but I'm now set for the next 29.

Here's Prelude in C:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WuMF3hqC8s

I "lose steam" early on and the pace slows down a bit.

Perfect!!

The only suggestion I might make is turning up your volume on the recording itself to perhaps eliminate hearing the keys thump. I'm guessing you can always "turn down" the outputted sound afterwards?

Nicely done indeed, yeah I know I'm seriously behind on my videos (hides)

Thanks TTigg! Yea, the pedal noise does suck.

Waltz – Apart from the slow down in temp that you yourself already mentioned, your recording of Prelude in C sounds great.

Undone

Hey, thanks Undone! Yea, for the recording I tried to play it a little faster than with which I felt comfortable. Normally I would play it at the slightly "slower" tempo, but that's only because my limited skill, well, "limits" my ability to play at fast tempos.

This is "Melodie" by Schumann (one of the Schumann pieces I've been learning).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7NGBA12Jy0

VERY nicely done Waltz
- SC

Thanks TTigg Pianostreet rates this piece as 3/8 difficulty. But the ABF lists it as a 1/10. Just glancing at the score it looks very easy, but I thought it was kind of hard to play. The hands are "all over" each other and maintaining legato requires some tricky fingering.

Very nicely played Waltz. I don’t think those “difficulty level lists” are all that accurate, especially in the lower levels. There good for separating out the “very difficult” from the “more approachable” pieces, but there seems to be a lot of leeway when it comes to where the bulk of the pieces fall.

Undone

Thanks Undone
And I completely agree with you regarding those lists. I think the piano street list is more accurate regarding the beginning-intermediate pieces, but that's only my opinion

Finished up "Soldier's Joy" (which can be heard in the Nov. Piano Bar) and started the familiar "Toreador Song" from the opera "Carmen" - interesting piece with some tricky fingerings - could be fun in the long run.

Got a really good new recording of my Recital piece "Leaves on the Seine" (a New Age piece by David Lanz) and will upload it soon - my place will drop from 36 to the upper 40s or lower 50s - still haven't seen Undone's "Unfinished" listed yet ????

JF

Wow, and another prelude in C! Sounded nice Waltz! Although indeed the pedal noise was adding a bit of an unwanted extra rhythm element. It's really interesting to hear all the different versions of the piece!

I definitvely like the prelude at the slightly lower speed very much waltz. If it's played real fast it may sound very virtuoso, but it might also sound rushed or sloppy, depending on one's mastery of the piece, or technical capabilities.

Played a bit slower I think it's easier to put real feeling in this piece!

Ingrid (currently working on 'sur le fil' by yann tiersen.)

Well I’m in now. I had a hard time deciding whether or not to submit this piece; it’s not exactly what I’d call “up to recital standards”, but I finally gave in and figured “even a not-so-great recording is better than none at all”. We’ll see.

In any event, I really liked your recording of "Soldier's Joy" JF!

Undone

Undone - glad you're in & looking forward to hearing it - and thanks for the "Joy" comment.

Wonder if Waltz is entering a piece in the Recital?

JF

IngridT:

Thanks so much for the kind and thoughtful words I appreciate it very much.

Undone - Glad to hear you made it in!

JF - Nope, this time I didn't have anything I thought worthy of submitting. But I do look forward to hearing ALL of the performances of you guys! The recital opens tomorrow I think. Time sure does fly by.

Page 6? Really?

An update: I officially began learning Fur Elise today! It's going to take quite a while to learn this masterwork. At my instructor's suggestion I am learning the "middle" part first. Anyone else interested in learning this piece now as well? TTigg, JF, Undone?

Tisk tisk isn't that the end of the book piece? I'm off Alfred till Jan so I can concentrate on my "Movie tunes"
- SC

I'm very interested and it's on my piano bucket list and I'm very tempted, but...

1st, I have other pieces (Alfred & non-Alfred) that are higher priority and...

2nd, You learn pieces so incredibly (and disgustingly ) fast that I'd still be slugging and stumbling my way thru it while you had mastered it and had moved on to 3 or 4 other pieces...

Seriously, I think that would be great but I just can't at this time - but thanks for the offer! And good luck!

JF

I’m afraid it’s bad timing for me too Waltz. I have a “family matter” going on right now that is making it hard for me to get my regular practice in (though I am) let alone respond to all the fantastic entries in this latest recital. But then what would the holidays be without “not enough time”.

Undone