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Great news at today's lesson: The Bach F# P&F is done. The Brahms Rhapsody is up to page 4 and taking shape. After lusting after the Waldstein through 10 months with a hag of a teacher and then 8 months with my current wonderful teacher, Mark finally okayed it today for a summer project. This summer I dive into Beethoven!

I'm so delighted I just wanted to share.

Deborah - You're gonna love it !! So much fun to play !! Congrats !!

Make sure to be eating your spinach meanwhile!

That's awesome! Waldstein is an amazing sonata! I love it when I get to start working on something that I've liked for a long time.

That's possibly my favorite piano sonata by Beethoven. I started working on it, then quickly dropped it realizing how daunting of a task it is. Maybe my senior year I'll pick it back up. Good luck!

That's exciting. Waldstein is one of my favorite pieces. It says a lot about you that he feels you can do it. Enjoy the journey!

I'm delighted for you too, and best of luck!

The Waldstein was the hardest piece I ever attempted which I actually brought to performance level and played for memory. Looking back, there were many fine points I missed, and with the hindsight of eight years, there is so much more I could have done with it. Don't ever underestimate its difficulties. (Many of those difficulties don't even show up until you start to push the tempo.)

I know who your piano teacher is. I've heard him live and on recordings (wish I could sit in on your lessons) and I just know he's going to provide some incredible insights. Let us know of your progress!

Wow! All I can say is...enjoy it! Never let the difficulties distract you from your passion for this piece, and you'll sound great. (It never hurts to have an awesome teacher guiding you along)

Yup, a very difficult work! I played it for my diploma recital... I worked on it for about a year or a bit more... I'm fine with octave playings and chords, but that last movement with the trills?!?!? brrr....

Good luck Deborah! And enjoy your heart out with this stunning work (also one my favorites)!

Agreed - I recently listened through it with a recording playing, wondering if I could manage it, and those trills give me serious pause...

Best of luck!

That's great! No matter how difficult or confounding it might get, that piece is always a joy to play and work on.

(....though I've worked on it more than I've played it, if you know what I mean!)

Good for you, Deborah. I've always loved the Waldstein and it is on my bucket list. Maybe one day.

Very exciting! Congratulations on being ready for it. Which movement will you start on?

Post a recording!

I believe Mark is considered to be somewhat of an expert on Beethoven (and Liszt). It should be a very interesting adventure. I expect to be working on it a loooong time.Mark flipped through it as if he was visiting an old friend. He mentioned the octaves and trills and I reminded him about my small hands. He calmly said he has "a work around for that." I think I'm in good hands. I'm starting from the beginning.

Sounds wonderful, though I must ask: After learning it throughly, does it finally 'fall nicely under the fingers'? Or is it ALWAYS awkward to play due to the crazy tempo?

... and of course you'll be sharing the first movement by the time summer school rolls around, won't you? I mean, you do have a whole month!

Of course not. I'll have the entire sonata at performance level by next week!

I'll probably perform the Bach at one recital and maybe one or two of the Brahms 119 intermezzi at the other, depending on what Anna says. I'll still be plugging away at the Brahms Rhapsody so it won't be ready. The Waldstein will be in its infancy so I hope to get help with both of those. I do hope we are in the same master class, Bruce.

Okay. I put in some time into the first movement. I think I can do this.

At the end of today's lesson, I asked Mark to play the Waldstein for me. He hunched his 6'5" frame over the keyboard, closed his eyes and started to fly. To quote my teenaged students, "Oh my God!" Thunder and tenderness, passion and control, optimism and mourning. All of these and more. When he finished, my heart and head were pounding. I got into the car and couldn't bear to put on the radio because any other music would have destroyed my mood. It was like being swept away by a tornado.

In all honestly, I realize I DO NOT HAVE THE CHOPS for the last movement...but it's going to be fun trying.

Maybe you should start with the last movement...then the rest will be a piece of cake!