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Today I worked on beginning each of my pieces--breathing, focus, tempo, tone absolutely solid from the beginning. The Chopin is such a challenge to start!

I broke down the two pages of octaves in the middle of the Chopin, practicing them in different groupings, mastering the contradictory floating arm motion with the gripping fingertip. I spent a while working with an audio recorder on the opening section, playing each phrase in at least three different ways and then listening back and evaluating the interpretations.

I worked on the first movement of the Poulenc, again trying to integrate weight with fingertip control on the lyrical middle section. In an effort to smooth out the voicing, I played the sections marked piano or pianissimo at fortissimo instead. This was effective to point out the spots (which are sadly rather numerous) where my fingertips didn't transfer weight, resulting in a lost melody note.

Throughout, I experimented with thinking about the moment instead of what was coming up. I don't think I've found the balance yet, but I saw some encouraging signs.

All that took about 1.75 hours. Good times!

Faure Ballade, Saint-Saens Rhapsodie d'Auvergne, Liszt Sonata

I'm currently making my way through the second Prokofiev sonata after a little absence from it. I have also begun Bach's Italien Concerto which is pretty fun.

Chopin, Scherzo #2 and last movement of "Moonlight" Sonata. Trying to push the tempo of the Beethoven, just a little, without losing control. For the Chopin trying to get that page with the rolled chords and octaves at a decent tempo and those wide stretches in the left hand at the very end of the 3rd repeat of the con anima section a little more accurate. Need both ready for jury & soph proficiency this Friday.

I probably won't get alot of practise in today, I will be doing some major studying for my history 1 exam next week. Had a lesson today though. All of my pieces for the gr 8 exam are coming together. Aside from exam pieces I am practising Beethoven's sonata in Fmin, I'm only on the first pg and the tempo and accents need alot of work, but i've learned the notes and can play through the first page pretty smoothly.

Yessssss!!!!! Do it!!!

Good luck!!!

Wow, you were really productive. Unlike me, most of the time.

BachBachBachBachBachBach - F# major fugue book 1. Still a few sticky trills. The voices are coming out nicely.

Beethoven Trio Op. 1 No. 3 1st movement and performed it earlier this evening.

Chopin's Ab impromptu and Mozart sonata 17.

How did your performance go? Well, i hope.

Yeah, it went well! The piano wasn't good at all, but you get what you get, and we still had a great time playing it. I find that I am not under nearly as much stress doing chamber music as I am with solo music. It's a lot more fun to play, I loooove interacting with the other musicians, there is a wider variety of colors that can be produced, and it's just great! I will be learning the rest of the trio this summer (3rd and 4th movements, we did 1st and 2nd this semester), and I also want to learn the Brahms horn trio Op. 40.

Nothing, unfortunately. I have so little time for practice now with me putting in over 60 hours a week at the office. I'm too tired at night to practice and way too tired on the weekend to do anything. This is what happens when you get old. In the old days, I used to work 60-plus hours, took piano lessons, and even did some performances.

Anyway I hope to get some practice in soon(TM) when things settle down at work. I love practicing and playing, but the brain doesn't work well when I'm tired.

John

Today, I worked on the opening measures of the finale of Brahms horn trio, and then I started working various passages of Brahms concerto 1. For tomorrow, I will have a much better game plan and hopefully get much more done!

That's a really nice piece. I love chamber music as well. I agree it's a lot easier to play than being exposed as a soloist.

I heard this in concert a year or so ago. The pianist played a Streicher piano from 1868 and the horn player played a natural horn dating back to the same period. This was a totally different sound than you'd expect because the piano didn't over power the rest of the trio, and the horn was also more subtle and also blended better.

John

5 hours of left hand study on my bach fugue. My hand feels tired but I know tomorrow it will be refreshed and ready for another 5 hours

5 hours, one hand, one piece... You're kidding!?

Chopin/Beethoven/Chopin/Beethoven/Chopin/Beethoven

Can't wait for juries and sophprof to be over. OT, got a B+ in Aural Performance Final, so it looks like I will pass Aural IV with a B/B+. I am ecstatic. Aural theory, especially IV has to be the hardest thing I've ever accomplished, except for maybe this Scherzo. (Back to practice.)

One hour per finger... that doesn't sound natural to you?

-J

for me, Clementi's Sonatina 3 and "Bridge Over Troubled Waters".