beside not feeling great (i think that the combination of foods in the weekend came back to have its revenge), i was focused absolutely in the construction of the piano program. so, i must say that i didn´t met mozart today at all.
one interesting thing was my complete reading of bartok´s mikrokosmos, volume 1. precise, smooth and musical (and modest) that was a shame that nobody have recorded it...
well, i need sleep very much. tomorrow i shall resume!
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
sunday, january 27th
i change my approach today. i was thinking about yesterday practice, and i notice that things were going as good as my 6-string times, that´s it, not good enough. and i think that the way i was practicing, although resulting in a more perfect rendition, would never get there, if you know what i mean.
then, i did the following in the first movement of k 332: mm at 120, i did play through the piece, and what was not perfect i did write down in a sheet. i have almost everything done but five chunks:
1) measure 17 to 18, the left hand is not secure;
2) measure 39 is not sinchronized HT;
3) measures 86 to 89: lh must find the correct wrist movement, rh must solve the ornaments;
4) recap of 2, same problem;
5) recap of 3, same problem.
what does it show? that in 229 measures of this mighty movement, there are only 12 that are not masterized yet. in other words, 5% of the work. in my guitar times, that would be probably the time to just move on, and to study less and less the work, until it was reasonable good for the average listener, but not that good for anybodt else. not now, and not again!
btw, i think that experience shows a possible path: study the work from scratch until it´s memorized and about 70/80 % of the final speed (may vary). this process can take from 15-30 days. then, create a map of what is not perfect yet, and for the next period (month?) study the whole work without concerning about push the speed, but bring those fragments to perfection and final speed. what about that approach? in a month i´ll have more to tell...hehehe.
then, i did the following in the first movement of k 332: mm at 120, i did play through the piece, and what was not perfect i did write down in a sheet. i have almost everything done but five chunks:
1) measure 17 to 18, the left hand is not secure;
2) measure 39 is not sinchronized HT;
3) measures 86 to 89: lh must find the correct wrist movement, rh must solve the ornaments;
4) recap of 2, same problem;
5) recap of 3, same problem.
what does it show? that in 229 measures of this mighty movement, there are only 12 that are not masterized yet. in other words, 5% of the work. in my guitar times, that would be probably the time to just move on, and to study less and less the work, until it was reasonable good for the average listener, but not that good for anybodt else. not now, and not again!
btw, i think that experience shows a possible path: study the work from scratch until it´s memorized and about 70/80 % of the final speed (may vary). this process can take from 15-30 days. then, create a map of what is not perfect yet, and for the next period (month?) study the whole work without concerning about push the speed, but bring those fragments to perfection and final speed. what about that approach? in a month i´ll have more to tell...hehehe.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
saturday, january 26th
today i was not with a great focus on my study. anyway, it was ok both in the first (100-120, a then b+a') and the third (70-80, complete). i must tell that this final mm was messy.
btw, i think that now it is the time to start another approach to the third movement. since i´m very near to the final speed, and musically it´s getting very cool, i want to try something different by now and focus on the smallest details of technique, and push then as far as i can. to be honest, i am in a sort of speed quest.
but i have a somewhat noble reason. since that is a hard movement at mm 96 or about, i want to make it perfect. if i discover myself able to do so, i´ll be very confident to face the rest of the repertory and to actually know (remembering the experience with the first of brahms' four serious songs, and the fifth of schumann's dichterliebe) that the final speed, regardless of how impossible it seems first, it is only a matter of study and weeks.
about the repertory choice, i feel very much toward the second option (classical) after i looked at the scores of both haydn and schubert because i think i can do lots of music with both, and neither looks like a nightmare anymore.
btw, i think that now it is the time to start another approach to the third movement. since i´m very near to the final speed, and musically it´s getting very cool, i want to try something different by now and focus on the smallest details of technique, and push then as far as i can. to be honest, i am in a sort of speed quest.
but i have a somewhat noble reason. since that is a hard movement at mm 96 or about, i want to make it perfect. if i discover myself able to do so, i´ll be very confident to face the rest of the repertory and to actually know (remembering the experience with the first of brahms' four serious songs, and the fifth of schumann's dichterliebe) that the final speed, regardless of how impossible it seems first, it is only a matter of study and weeks.
about the repertory choice, i feel very much toward the second option (classical) after i looked at the scores of both haydn and schubert because i think i can do lots of music with both, and neither looks like a nightmare anymore.
Friday, January 25, 2008
ideas about my repertoire
today i was thinking...why the hurry in the dipabrsm? april '09 or april '10, what difference does it make? taken that for granted, what about a slight change in the order of the pieces? initially i thought about a balanced repertory (bach-classical-romantic-tweentieth century) for each semester, but now i think otherwise. and if i do by period instead?
that occurs me because the beethoven´s opus 13 sight-reading. if i can play that in a reasonable period, as it seems, there is nothing beyond in dip. perhaps i could get the mozart and add another stuff from the syllabus (or similar) and work towards a classic recital until june or so. since i will only start studying the next piece in february, i get some days to think about those two ideas:
original repertory:
january - mozart k 332
february - brahms 79/2
march - debussy 10
april - bach wtc 1/6
new alternative (unordered yet):
mozart - sonata k 332
beethoven - sonata opus 13
haydn - variations
schubert - impromptus d 899/1 and 3
cogito, ergo sum! i hope i can choose the right option!
that occurs me because the beethoven´s opus 13 sight-reading. if i can play that in a reasonable period, as it seems, there is nothing beyond in dip. perhaps i could get the mozart and add another stuff from the syllabus (or similar) and work towards a classic recital until june or so. since i will only start studying the next piece in february, i get some days to think about those two ideas:
original repertory:
january - mozart k 332
february - brahms 79/2
march - debussy 10
april - bach wtc 1/6
new alternative (unordered yet):
mozart - sonata k 332
beethoven - sonata opus 13
haydn - variations
schubert - impromptus d 899/1 and 3
cogito, ergo sum! i hope i can choose the right option!
friday, january 25th
- mozart 332, first: i´m studying parts a and a´, mm from 90 to 120, and today it was very cool. the exposition is almost flawless. persist some minor problems, but i think that in the next days i can solve them. in the recap i keep finding focus problems, specially today when the cleaning lady appeared just when i was playing that part.
- mozart 332, third: 70 and 75. in spite of a lack of control in the recap fast middle part (the one with the fast rh figuration and broken octaves in lh), it is getting there. the mm 70, that a week ago was full of problems, now runs smooth and seems quite still.
that was interesting after a two-day break resume with such results. 120 at first, and 75 at third were a remarkable result, since those were my final goals for the semester, and very early they are done. i hope i can keep this pace of study, and reach further speed and control soon... let´s see what happens!
- mozart 332, third: 70 and 75. in spite of a lack of control in the recap fast middle part (the one with the fast rh figuration and broken octaves in lh), it is getting there. the mm 70, that a week ago was full of problems, now runs smooth and seems quite still.
that was interesting after a two-day break resume with such results. 120 at first, and 75 at third were a remarkable result, since those were my final goals for the semester, and very early they are done. i hope i can keep this pace of study, and reach further speed and control soon... let´s see what happens!
kickoff
disregarding the fact that i resume my studies in late december, and that it´s not my first time around with the third movement, my focus now goes on mozart´s sonata k 332.
it is such a wonderful work, and i have a deep emotional relationship with it. when i was like 12, i used to listen to mitsuko uchida´s cd where she plays k 331, k 332 and closes with the mighty fantasy k 397. i remember rainy sunday afternoons when my mom and i did stay at our home, listening to music and planning impossible trips.
so, as i want to keep a record of what and how i´m doing, let´s start.
tuesday, january 22:
- 332, first: divided in three parts (a b a'), mm marks from 80-100 the latter yet not perfect. then, one complete rendition around 110. well, some parts are ok, but at that speed the real problems arise: lh arpeggios, rh thirds.
- 332, third: 65-70-75, complete, and good although i found some problems with my focus.
-i did read two complete pieces: beethoven´s woo 80 and brahms opus 118/2. well, very good indeed. the fact that i reached the end on beet was quite surprising, because i tried the same a year ago and gave it up after a couple of variations. nothing as a day after the other...
wednesday, january 23:
day of my third class with my new teacher. in the first two, we work on 332´s third and he gave me a lot of cool suggestions and ideas. now, i ask for we to focus on the first movement (this and the next and last class by now) and we did the exposition. i think that was the first performance without the metronome, and it was quite good. pros: musical phrases are very natural, and the expression is coming out; cons: focus, again, and the different piano, again...the good fight!
thursday, january 24:
blank day (at work). anyway, it was very cool to listen to a pupil playing villa´s moda da carranquinha. i felt an incredible happiness after his acomplishment. perhaps, that´s what teaching is all about.
it is such a wonderful work, and i have a deep emotional relationship with it. when i was like 12, i used to listen to mitsuko uchida´s cd where she plays k 331, k 332 and closes with the mighty fantasy k 397. i remember rainy sunday afternoons when my mom and i did stay at our home, listening to music and planning impossible trips.
so, as i want to keep a record of what and how i´m doing, let´s start.
tuesday, january 22:
- 332, first: divided in three parts (a b a'), mm marks from 80-100 the latter yet not perfect. then, one complete rendition around 110. well, some parts are ok, but at that speed the real problems arise: lh arpeggios, rh thirds.
- 332, third: 65-70-75, complete, and good although i found some problems with my focus.
-i did read two complete pieces: beethoven´s woo 80 and brahms opus 118/2. well, very good indeed. the fact that i reached the end on beet was quite surprising, because i tried the same a year ago and gave it up after a couple of variations. nothing as a day after the other...
wednesday, january 23:
day of my third class with my new teacher. in the first two, we work on 332´s third and he gave me a lot of cool suggestions and ideas. now, i ask for we to focus on the first movement (this and the next and last class by now) and we did the exposition. i think that was the first performance without the metronome, and it was quite good. pros: musical phrases are very natural, and the expression is coming out; cons: focus, again, and the different piano, again...the good fight!
thursday, january 24:
blank day (at work). anyway, it was very cool to listen to a pupil playing villa´s moda da carranquinha. i felt an incredible happiness after his acomplishment. perhaps, that´s what teaching is all about.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
greetings!
hi there!
that´s my newly created piano blog. i want to keep a record of my practice and thoughts about it, and if someone´s interested, i´ll be quite happy with some comments.
if everything goes fine, i want to post some recordings of what i´m doing.
for sure, anything cool i find over the net i´ll post a link here.
so, let´s see what happen. hope it works!
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