Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum My first public performance, in addition on a 19th-c. grand

Though I’ve been learning piano for 2.5 years already, only yesterday I gave my first performance to an audience of more than two. The reason was simple: lack of opportunity.

There seem to be very few adult beginners in Poland, compared to some other countries. I was talking one day to a lady who used to teach piano in the US. She told she had a significant percentage of adult students, similarly as her colleagues. Here in Poland I was the only adult beginner she knew about. My teacher has one adult student (apart from me), but she could be my daughter in terms of age and besides, with a full-time job and two children, she doesn’t have enough time to practice, according to my teacher. The only other adult piano student I know is a son of my friend.

My teacher and other studios organize end-of-year recitals for their young students. I’ve attended a number of such events as a spectator and, being 60, I really don’t think I’d fit well there if I wanted to perform with kids. They play in the order of their age which roughly corresponds to their level of skills. In terms of advancement, I’m considerably below e.g. a 14-yo who has been learning for 8 years. So should I be stuffed between 9-yo Cathie and 10-yo Tommy? And make a fool of myself?

On top of that, I experience what is also felt by many of you: my friends and family generally couldn’t care less for may piano playing. So private recitals are also out of question.

The situation changed when I enrolled for music history classes organized by a small local private music school in this past semester. The lady in charge, knowing about my interest in piano, invited me for the end-of-year recital of their students. The recital is divided into two parts: for children and for adults, with an intermission. Not being their student, I wouldn’t play at the recital, but she also invited me for the official rehearsal and asked me to play at it. And it actually took place yesterday. There were four adult performers, not counting me.

I originally planned to play Beethoven’s Sonata in G (49.2), but I became intimidated by the big hall (for at least 200 people) and the audience (in addition to the rehearsing performers, there were their teachers, some parents, my wife, and some other random persons, altogether nearly two dozen people). And the instrument: a Blüthner grand piano manufactured in 1898!

So I backed out and instead of Beethoven, I played a much easier piece: Kuhlau’s Sonatina in C (20.1). Every performer was allowed to have a number of takes. During my first take, I was so nervous that I felt as if my fingers were bogged in hardening concrete. I just couldn’t play fast scales and in the codetta in the recapitulation I had to stop altogether. I stood up and apologized. Then other players had their takes (also with numerous stress-related problems). When I had my second take, I miraculously played all three movements without a flub, even though with some imperfections of articulation, and received a big applause! (although in fact, the small audience was warmly applauding each performer).

At my third take, I didn’t want to take chances with a possible recurrence of the symptoms, so I played Schumann’s Fröhlicher Landmann (68.10). I made one error (one chord came out not quite as written by the composer), but I didn’t interrupt the rhythm.

At the end of the event, I asked the lady in charge (who is a piano teacher and is acquainted with the instrument) to play for me a scale, presto e leggierissimo. She played, but it was allegro moderato, un poco quasi portato. No piece performed by anybody else involved fast scales, trills, etc. So I think at least in a small part, my problems were due to the stiff action of the piano (the keys required a considerable force to press and wouldn’t return fast). Or at least let it be my consolation .

How fun that you found a place to play, and a rehearsal with 3 takes - what a great idea that is! I'm glad it, overall, went well for you - hope you can do it again.

Cathy

Congratulations! I'm glad it went well. I hope you get an opportunity to do more performances.

What a great experience!
Maybe next year you can participate in the actual recital...there might be a way! It would be fun to try.

Congratulations!

mmmmm...nice...playing Beethoven’s Sonata in G (49.2) on a 19th-c grand....

I would like to do it.

Kind regards,
Johan B

Congratulations on your achievement! (not many here (including myself) would ever dare such feat! )

And I don't blame you for passing on the Beethoven Sonata in G. I've played around with it a bit(more hours than I care to admit), but just can't seem to bring it up to performance level. It's a tough piece, without a doubt!

It must have been really satisfying to play well in front of an audience - a big boost to take to your next performance!

Congratulations!

This is a grade 8 piece....I wouldn't feel very bad about choosing an easier piece for a first performance! Sounds like you did really well... Congratulations!

P.s I've been working on this piece since last summer and it's not even close to performance ready.....AND I've been playing much longer :-)

Thank you all for your nice words .

The most important lesson I've learned from that experience, and perhaps a piece of advice for those in a similar situation as mine (non-trifling level of playing, but no experience in performing publicly): for the first performance, one should choose an easy piece, well below the actual skill level.

BenPiano and SAnnM AB-2001: Beethoven’s Sonata in G (49.2) is the piece which is the most representative to my current level (now I'm learning Mozart's Sonata in C (K545) and Burgmüller's L'Orage (109.13)). I originally intended to truly represent my actual level (or you might say I wanted to show off) and that would be a gross mistake. Thankfully, my survival instinct prevailed. I should have chosen an even easier piece, a simple minuet or something.

JAS
Congratulations! I'm very impressed that you accomplished that. Great advice to play way below your current level. Those performance jitters can really mess with the memory, the muscles and the confidence. Keep it up.

Congratulations on getting through your performance.

One thing about K545 ... if you know you will be playing on a heavy action, make sure you get some practice on one. Those scales and arpeggios in the first movement are very difficult to get nice and smooth even with a light action. In fact I can't do it yet even though I did perform it for my first recital.

These may be the wisest words written yet in AB forum!

Congratulations on your first public performance. May it be the first of many.