Time to tell or 'fess up if you have been "slacking".

I'm a total slacker. I work on whatever I feel like working on at any given moment. I don't 'perform' or take lessons, so there's no real reason for to get anything prepared. I read through things, maybe a few times, then move on to the next shiny object.

On Sunday evening, Cousin Matt heard me butcher my latest shiny object, Chopin's Nocturne in F Minor, Op. 55, No. 1. It's beautiful. I love it. I will never play it to my satisfaction. What else is new?

He also heard me make a feeble attempt at the shiny object I abandoned in favor of the nocturne, Debussy's Arabesque No. 1. It's beautiful. I love it. I will never play it to my satisfaction. What else is new?

I did not subject him to my other current project, the prelude to Purcell's Suite No. 5. I do not love it. My teacher picked it as a random baroque piece that would be easy for me to pick up, so that we could spend some time working on phrasing and voices, instead of struggling with notes. I'm not a huge baroque fan, but I do really like some of it. Not this one. It sounds like a bunch of C scales, with the occasional G scale thrown in for "spice." I hear no phrases, so I can't play any for her. This means I'll probably be playing it forever. Bleah.

And Muffin and I are playing a really nice duet--Valse Sentimentale a Deux.

I am working on continuing to play in spite of the fact that as a grad student, I hardly have time. My goal is just to keep playing, because I don't want to find myself having finished my PhD and not played for several years. So even though I don't have time, I make myself go to a weekly lesson, and try to keep up with a few minutes of practice here and there during the week. Wait, that's not what you asked is it. I'll start again!

I am working on the theme from the Snowman, Walking in the Air, from George Winston's official score book. (very very easy, should be ready well in time for Christmas.) I am also working on two more uptempo pieces that are more challenging. One is a continuation from my summer piano lessons, Sunburst, by classical guitar composer Andrew York. The other is by the guy who writes cheesey "electric classical" for groups like Bond, can't remember his name. The piece is Croatian Rhapsody, and it is really fun to play. (You can hear a cheesy version of it on YouTube by Maksim, the tattooed russian pianist. The solo piano version is not cheesy. I swear)

I am "between things." Well, not exactly; I have a solo CD to get out, so I have that material to get to work on. Michael Byron sent me a new, dizzying suite of pieces called "Book of Horizons" (gorgeous title), and there is a piece by Larry Polansky (a professor at Dartmouth) for two pianos. The Byron and Polansky are slated for performance a year from now.

Scarlatti K.517. To me, the Holy Grail of Scarlatti.

I know I will never have it up to Prestissimo but I'm working getting up Snailspacio

quote:

Originally posted by pianojuggler:
Scarlatti K.517. To me, the Holy Grail of Scarlatti.

I know I will never have it up to Prestissimo but I'm working getting up Snailspacio

Is that the one with all the goddamn repeated notes -- that work better on two manuals? (But for all I know there are scores of Scarlatti sonatas like that.)

A Tarantella by Pieczonka. My teacher suggested it. I about croaked when I saw the word *tarantella* because I knew it wouldn't be acceptable to play it Adagio. It's fast and easy and quite pretty. SO much easier than what I usually torture myself with! Trying to polish Beau Soir by Debussy and continually working on various and sundry other pieces that are way above my true level. Do I care - hell no!

Most nights I can barely sit up straight at the bench after a days teaching. September is SO tiring!

quote:

Originally posted by ShiroKuro:
I am working on the theme from the Snowman, Walking in the Air, from George Winston's official score book. (very very easy, should be ready well in time for Christmas.)

Pretty piece--I worked on that in the not too distant past. There's a bootleg transcription of the middle section floating around the internets if you want to make it a little more challenging--that part isn't in the official book.

I'm working on Grieg's March of the Trolls. It is so much fun, but I think I'll probably never get it to speed. Never played Grieg before this year, but some folks over at the PW Adult Beginner's Forum got me hooked.

I have been somewhat lazily going through the sheet music I inherited from my brother. I will probably go ahead and finish memorizing Atrevidinha (Ernesto Nazereth) , since it has some sentimental value to me.

This is fun! Especially since it was what brought us together in the first place!

I got very discouraged after the trip to Ct a couple of weeks ago. I was trying to show LJC what I had learned on the Rach 23/4 and maddenly got stage fright and I came home thinking I would never try to play for anyone again. It is not finished but should almost be and I flubbed really bad places that I know, I know!

But...got a piano party at the Cape with 3 MHs and a Forster next weekend, so hopefully that will go alittle better.

Chas

you forgot to tell us what you are working on (or soon will be if your piano is being worked on)

Doug, never heard of it. Neither the Shiro piece. ???

I am excited to have a second lesson via Skype next Mon with Jeffrey Biegel. He taught me a lot in one lesson a month ago about improving my technique.

Rach's 23/4, reviewing Volcalise with the new technique
Schumann's Chopin, Eusibius, Tramerei for voicing/technique

Inspired by Indrek Laul's playing of Rhapsody in Blue so have read through 2 x up to the repeated notes (about pg 23?) and have about 3-4 more pages to read, then to practice sections. He made it sound 'fun'! It's on youtube if you want to check it out.

Working on that beautiful Scriabin 2/1 and keeping up with Scarlatti Sonata 118. Firsts for both Scriabin and Scarlatti as I had led quite a sheltered life of exploring composers I guess!

RF, any idea where I might find that "bootleg" version? Easy is good but might get old! I end to be pretty against using sheetmusic that's not paid for, but with GW, I've paid for his book, and many CDs, so I figure using someone else's transcript in addition isn't too bad...

I found it on PW, but it was from years ago and the search doesn't seem to go that far back. I think it's hiding there somewhere, but I have tried to find it with no luck.

And I justified using the unofficial transcription in the same way you did--I didn't use it until after I bought the book!

I recorded it in December 2007, and it was from an old post even then, so I'm thinking it may go back to 2000 or so.

quote:

Originally posted by RealPlayer:

quote:

Originally posted by pianojuggler:
Scarlatti K.517. To me, the Holy Grail of Scarlatti.

I know I will never have it up to Prestissimo but I'm working getting up Snailspacio

Is that the one with all the goddamn repeated notes -- that work better on two manuals? (But for all I know there are scores of Scarlatti sonatas like that.)

Ummmm... in the first half, there's a repeated E, then in the second half the same theme is repeated with a repeated C.

Here's a nice clean copy of the sheet music.

Here:

What I'm playing this week 9-21

And here:

What I'm playing this week 9-28