GMG Classical Music Forum

The Music Room => Composing and Performing => Topic started by: Maciek on April 13, 2007, 03:44:13 AM

Title: What are you playing?
Post by: Maciek on April 13, 2007, 03:44:13 AM
So, what are you playing?

I'm into Chopin's Songs right now. Which is not very good, considering the fact that I can hardly sing... ;D But at least they're easy enough, so singing and playing at the same time actually is an option...

Maciek
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: m_gigena on April 13, 2007, 04:32:42 AM
Just finished the first movement of the Haydn sonata I mentioned in the old GMG. But I don't want (dare) to step forward, and will try to polish this one before getting into the slow mov.

Today I'm back to piano lessons at the conservatoire, so there are new works coming (unfortunately, my horizon looks also full of technical demands and etudes also).
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Joe Barron on April 13, 2007, 10:06:16 AM
Right now I'm into Debussy's Sunken Cathedral, which I don't think I may ever learn to play well, and the three excerpts from Our Town by Copland, which I've liekd, in the orchestral version, since I was a kid. The music is deceptively simple. It's not really hard to play, but the textures are very open, and any little mistake is magnified threefold.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Maciek on April 13, 2007, 10:36:57 AM
Quote from: Joe Barron on April 13, 2007, 10:06:16 AM
Debussy's Sunken Cathedral

I could never get to play that properly. It's probably not beyond me but, as a pure hobbyist, I get distracted very quickly, so anything that demands a bit of practice is quickly forgotten. ;)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Maciek on April 19, 2007, 10:38:10 AM
Poulenc's Mouvements perpetuels
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Guido on April 19, 2007, 11:01:07 AM
censored due to score thread¬!
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Maciek on April 19, 2007, 11:23:50 AM
Wow! Quite a list!

BTW (completely OT), is your internet provider finally cooperating with GMG?
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Guido on April 19, 2007, 04:19:35 PM
Yes. How did you know? Its so annoying! But I'll soon be at Cambridge, and the single positive thing about that is the beautifully fast internet connection. 100Mb...mmmmmmmmm...
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Maciek on April 20, 2007, 01:10:31 AM
Quote from: Guido on April 19, 2007, 04:19:35 PM
Yes. How did you know? Its so annoying! But I'll soon be at Cambridge, and the single positive thing about that is the beautifully fast internet connection. 100Mb...mmmmmmmmm...

Is that the SINGLE positive thing, seriously? :o ;D

I think you mentioned your internet problems somewhere on the old forum - just before you disappeared.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Guido on April 20, 2007, 02:02:12 AM
Well, that and the extremely cheap drinks! (Vodka 80p, Pint £1.50!)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Maciek on April 20, 2007, 02:05:27 AM
 ;D
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: greg on April 20, 2007, 05:45:40 AM
Michael Angelo Batio: To Alpha Sector 2
Theodore Ziras: The First Attempt  ;)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Maciek on April 20, 2007, 08:57:40 AM
Good luck then! :D I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for you!
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: knight66 on April 20, 2007, 11:07:17 AM
Guido, I was recently conducted in the Missa Solemnis by Andrew Nethsingha. He is master of music at Gloucester Cathedral, however, he is taking over master of music as St Johns College Cambridge after the summer holidays. If you get a chance to be involved with his music making, take it, he is an excellent musician. He may also play organ recitals as part of his role there.

Mike
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: greg on April 20, 2007, 02:54:48 PM
Quote from: aquariuswb on April 20, 2007, 08:02:06 AM
Tomorrow and the next day I will perform Beethoven's 22nd Piano Sonata, Op. 54. I then make my conducting debut (!!!) on Wednesday -- a new piece for full symphonic wind ensemble composed by my friend Will Mogey called Sousa's Dream. A very exciting few days are in store for me!
hey, that's pretty cool
i also wish you good luck  8)
so tell us how it goes
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Guido on April 21, 2007, 02:11:21 AM
Thanks for the tip Knight. I'm at a different college (I think I know who he is replacing), but there's always ways to get involved somehow...
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: aquablob on April 22, 2007, 09:14:45 PM
Quote from: aquariuswb on April 20, 2007, 08:02:06 AM
Tomorrow and the next day I will perform Beethoven's 22nd Piano Sonata, Op. 54.

The first performance went all right -- a few (sometimes badly) botched spots, but nothing I wasn't able to play through.

The second performance (earlier tonight) was without a doubt my most successful recital performance to date. I was able to focus completely despite the nerves. There were again a couple botched spots here and there, but far fewer and far less severe in general than the previous go-round. I played the second movement faster than I usually do but it came off well. The main thing was that I was able to bring forth the musical structure and phrasing/shading/dynamics effectively (for an amateur, at least). It just felt good.

I might be able to get the sound recording of the latter performance, but I am graduating soon and the recording might not be made available before I leave school. Thanks for the interest, fellow posters! I'll let you know how the conducting goes on Wednesday.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Black Knight on April 22, 2007, 09:31:50 PM
Quote from: aquariuswb on April 22, 2007, 09:14:45 PM
The first performance went all right -- a few (sometimes badly) botched spots, but nothing I wasn't able to play through.

The second performance (earlier tonight) was without a doubt my most successful recital performance to date. I was able to focus completely despite the nerves. There were again a couple botched spots here and there, but far fewer and far less severe in general than the previous go-round. I played the second movement faster than I usually do but it came off well. The main thing was that I was able to bring forth the musical structure and phrasing/shading/dynamics effectively (for an amateur, at least). It just felt good.

I might be able to get the sound recording of the latter performance, but I am graduating soon and the recording might not be made available before I leave school. Thanks for the interest, fellow posters! I'll let you know how the conducting goes on Wednesday.

Congrats! And good luck on Wednesday!

I'm playing the 1st movement of Grieg's Piano Sonata in E minor in a student concert on the 4th of May. I'm also having a go at part three of a Bartok Suite (I actually don't know its full name...  :-[)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: m_gigena on April 23, 2007, 05:12:47 AM
Do you guys play with or without  (http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php?topic=416.new;topicseen#new) the score?  ;D  ;D

I suppose my next conservatoire audition will consist of:
Haydn: piano sonata No59, in E flat major
Debussy: Arabesque No1
Brahms: Intermezzo Op. 118 No2
Some Chopin Mazurca...
And a Tango, accompanying a violinist friend from the piano.

So I am getting ready for that...
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: aquablob on April 23, 2007, 05:48:44 AM
Quote from: Manuel on April 23, 2007, 05:12:47 AM
Do you guys play with or without  (http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php?topic=416.new;topicseen#new) the score?  ;D  ;D

I suppose my next conservatoire audition will consist of:
Haydn: piano sonata No59, in E flat major
Debussy: Arabesque No1
Brahms: Intermezzo Op. 118 No2
Some Chopin Mazurca...
And a Tango, accompanying a violinist friend from the piano.

So I am getting ready for that...

That sounds like an excellent program. Have you chosen the Chopin Mazurka yet?
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: m_gigena on April 23, 2007, 08:24:57 AM
Quote from: aquariuswb on April 23, 2007, 05:48:44 AM
That sounds like an excellent program. Have you chosen the Chopin Mazurka yet?

My teacher suggested one I didn't like very much. So I'm reconsidering it. (The same happened with Albeniz's Op. 165. I was supposed to study it during holidays, but I just skipped it).
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: orbital on April 23, 2007, 12:06:24 PM
Just finished Scarlatti K086 B minor sonata. I had learnt this one but not well enough I guess that I had to relearn the whole thing.

Currently Bach E minor partita: Toccata (the 1st part only, of course  >:D). Even though it will not be a complete piece, it is very good finger exercise.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: MishaK on April 23, 2007, 04:06:16 PM
I am currently playing:

Beethoven Sonata No.5 Op.10 in C minor

Brahms Sonata No.3 Op.5 in F, 2nd movement only

Brahms Ballades Op.10 Nos. 1 & 4

Debussy Selections from Preludes Book I: Danseuses de Delphes, Voiles, la Cathédrale engloutie

Mozart Sonata K330 in C



Occasionally, I revive older pieces I have played before, such as:

Beethoven Sonatas No.15 "Pastoral" and No.30

The rest of Debussy's Preludes Book I

Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: zamyrabyrd on April 24, 2007, 09:04:33 AM
The best time for me to practice is between lessons at the school when students don't show up.
Recently I picked the last piano Sonata by Schubert from their library and sort of made it a project.
It's amazing that there is so much DETAIL that after all these years I missed, never REALLY studied it but heard it a lot and played it through many times.
And of course, there are the ultimate performers like Clara Haskil and Schnabel that are hard acts to follow. Recently, Perahia I believe recorded the last sonatas of Schubert.
Oh well...
ZB
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Guido on April 28, 2007, 10:46:03 AM
Shostakovich Cello Concerto no.1. To remember Slava.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Symphonien on April 30, 2007, 11:00:53 PM
The following four I recently played on Saturday for my Grade 8 AMEB examination:

Bach - Prelude and Fugue No. 1 in C Major (WTC Book 1)
Beethoven - Sonata No. 11 Op. 22 Allegro con brio
Chopin - Nocturne Op. 72 No. 1
Debussy - Danseuses de Delphes (Preludes Book 1)

I got a B+. Memory was fine but I was a little nervous and didn't produce the cleanest of articulation, particularly in the Beethoven...

Currently, I haven't yet decided what to really concentrate on working on. I've been fooling around with a few random pieces like the rest of that Beethoven sonata as well as his Op. 53 first movement, a couple Chopin etudes, a couple more Debussy preludes, various Scarlatti sonatas, Rachmaninov's prelude Op. 23 No. 5 and am looking through my book of Scriabin to select a prelude or etude. This of course is way too much to learn at the same time, so I'm trying to plan my practice at the moment.

As for bassoon, I'm currently working on the prelude from Bach's 1st cello suite in G major and am also looking to buy some more sheet music on the internet. Quite disappointing really, how little music stores have for bassoon, at least where I live. I was quite surprised when I went to one store that had half a shelf full of oboe music but only two basic method books for bassoon. I wouldn't think there would be so many times more oboists than bassoonists!
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Maciek on May 01, 2007, 01:43:26 AM
It seems you're right. :( I just checked my "local" internet store and they only have something like 3 scores for solo bassoon and 1 (one!) for two bassoons (a Mozart sonata). They do have about 20 or so for bassoon and piano though...
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Joe_Campbell on May 01, 2007, 09:59:27 PM
Man so many pianists and yet no one has advice for me in gr5? What are you holding back? >:D
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Maciek on May 02, 2007, 02:08:03 AM
Hey, watch who you're calling a pianist! >:( ;)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: lukeottevanger on May 02, 2007, 03:23:36 AM
Quote from: JCampbell on May 01, 2007, 09:59:27 PM
Man so many pianists and yet no one has advice for me in gr5? What are you holding back? >:D

I will say that the Grade 5 pieces this year are a particularly nice (that is to say - easy!) selection - at least, there are some among them that are really pretty straightforward if you want a relatively easy ride. ;D Concentration on playing stylistically is important at all grades; but I'd say Grade 5 is the one where it starts to count particularly, and there's lots of opportunity to do so as usual with these pieces.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: m_gigena on May 02, 2007, 03:59:39 AM
Quote from: lukeottevanger on May 02, 2007, 03:23:36 AM
I will say that the Grade 5 pieces this year are a particularly nice (that is to say - easy!) selection - at least, there are some among them that are really pretty straightforward if you want a relatively easy ride. ;D Concentration on playing stylistically is important at all grades; but I'd say Grade 5 is the one where it starts to count particularly, and there's lots of opportunity to do so as usual with these pieces.

What type of works do you play in Grade 5?
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: karlhenning on May 02, 2007, 04:02:47 AM
Tonight I start rehearsing The Shepherd on the Rock with one of the sopranos in our choir.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: lukeottevanger on May 02, 2007, 04:04:24 AM
Same as at all ABRSM Grades, except Grade 8 which is slightly different. That is to say, one Baroque/Classical piece, one Romantic piece, and one Modern/Jazz piece, all marked out of 30 (there are also scales, sight reading and aural tests, marked out of 21, 21 and 18 respectively). There is a choice of 6 pieces for each of these three sections, so you can usually mix and match quite nicely.

Edit - sorry, that was obviously replying to Manuel. Karl, who is playing the shepherd, and who the rock?
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Joe_Campbell on May 02, 2007, 05:40:11 PM
Quote from: lukeottevanger on May 02, 2007, 04:04:24 AM
Same as at all ABRSM Grades, except Grade 8 which is slightly different. That is to say, one Baroque/Classical piece, one Romantic piece, and one Modern/Jazz piece, all marked out of 30 (there are also scales, sight reading and aural tests, marked out of 21, 21 and 18 respectively). There is a choice of 6 pieces for each of these three sections, so you can usually mix and match quite nicely.

Edit - sorry, that was obviously replying to Manuel. Karl, who is playing the shepherd, and who the rock?
Is ABSM similar to RCM? We have 10 grades, then ARCTs. The music selection is similar, with some baroque/classical, some romantic, and some modern/jazz. I wonder if the difficulty is comparable.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: lukeottevanger on May 03, 2007, 01:17:09 PM
Quote from: JCampbell on May 02, 2007, 05:40:11 PM
Is ABSM similar to RCM? We have 10 grades, then ARCTs. The music selection is similar, with some baroque/classical, some romantic, and some modern/jazz. I wonder if the difficulty is comparable.

Ah, sorry. ABRSM (associated Board of the Royal School of Music) is the daddy of them all, exam-wise, and is used all over the world, though obviously based in Britain. There are other boards here - Guildhall, Trinity - but for yer basic piano exam there's no point in doing anything other than ABRSM, which is what most UK players have been brought up on for decades (my grandmother remembered having John Ireland as examiner for her ABRSM Grade 5; my own pupils had Kevin Bowyer a year or so ago).

There are 8 standard Grades (marked out of 150 - 100 for a pass, 120 for a 'Merit', 130 for a 'Distinction') plus at the low end a preparatory test and at the top end various advanced diplomas, of which the final one (the FRSM) features, at its hardest end, pieces like the Boulez First Sonata, Gaspard de la nuit etc.

The 8 Grades, as I said, ask you to choose three pieces, one Baroque/Classical, one Romantic, one Modern. Grade 8 is slightly different in that the first piece is specifically contrapuntal, to test your clarity and general part-playing skills (therefore not necessarily Baroque), and the second is a Sonata, to test sense of structure etc., I suppose (therefore not necessarily Classical or Romantic). If you're so inclined - as I was - you can play all 20th century for your Grade 8, then: mine was a Prelude and Fugue from Ludus Tonalis (Hindemith), the Janacek Sonata and a Rachmaninov Prelude.

I think it's fair to say that pieces are getting easier as time goes on. I'm almost sure that pieces which were set for Grade 1 a few decades back are now being set for Grade 2, though don't quote me on it because I can't remember which pieces I'm talking about. ;D At the same time, it is often said that Grade 8 used to be sufficient to get you into a Music College; now it's pretty common and not such an acheivement as it once was, though still laudable of course - you need more if you want to take your music performance in a more professional direction.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: The Mad Hatter on May 05, 2007, 01:04:58 PM
I'm currently playing...far too much music.

Bach: Prelude and Fugue in A minor from the first book of the 48
Brahms: Rhapsody in G minor Op. 79 No. 2
Beethoven: 32 Variations in C minor

And some piano duo/duet stuff:
Reich: Piano Phase
Me: Etude for two pianos
Glass: In Again Out Again for two pianos
Schubert: Fantasie in F minor for piano four hands
Shostakovich: Concertino for two pianos

And song accompaniments:
Schubert: Erlkönig and Die Harpenspieler
Schumann: Ich Grolle Nicht
Clara Schumann: Gehimes Flustern hier und dort
Vaughan-Williams: Youth and Love
Shostakovich: Song of Poverty from Jewish Folk Songs
Stradella: Pieta Signore

(fortunately, with the exception of the Schubert and Shostakovich, most of the songs are fairly straightforward)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Black Knight on May 06, 2007, 01:58:01 AM
Quote from: aquariuswb on April 22, 2007, 10:08:20 PM
Hey, good luck to you! Do let us know how it goes!

It went great! The only fault I did was suddenly forgeting what to play, so I kind of randomised through two or three bars, but I don't think anyone who didn't know the piece noticed. Otherwise, I played just as I felt that I should have played.  :)

Quote from: The Mad Hatter on May 05, 2007, 01:04:58 PM
Brahms: Rhapsody in G minor Op. 79 No. 2

I'm playing that too! Do you have any favourite recordings? I only have Pogorelich and I'm not to fond of his interpretation...
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Maciek on May 08, 2007, 06:09:34 AM
Well, as I've mentioned many times before, I'm completely chaotic with what I'm playing. I play badly and don't have time for practice (I only sit at the piano every other day and never have more than an hour). So instead of learning to play anything at least half-decently I'm always skipping around repertoire. Here's what I've been going through lately:

Debussy Children's Corner - what a surprise! This wasn't much of a problem for me once but now, oh boy, do I suck! Either I wasn't doing as well as I remember or I'm really getting worse and worse at playing... >:(
Cimarosa various Sonatas - fun and easy
Taneyev Andantino Semplice, Prelude in F Major, Theme and Variations - enjoyable stuff, reminds me of Rachmaninov and Paderewski (a sort of mix of the two)
Bach 4 Duettos (BWV 802-805) - I'm normally quite religious about Bach's keyboard music but, frankly, these are a bit boring...

Cheers,
Maciek
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: The Mad Hatter on May 09, 2007, 02:12:32 AM
Quote from: Black Knight on May 06, 2007, 01:58:01 AM

I'm playing that too! Do you have any favourite recordings? I only have Pogorelich and I'm not to fond of his interpretation...

I have Emanuel Ax and Martha Argerich. I think the Argerich is a bit more exciting, from her debut recital, but neither are really...don't know how to phrase this properly...perfect for me.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: m_gigena on May 09, 2007, 05:38:13 AM
Quote from: The Mad Hatter on May 09, 2007, 02:12:32 AM
I have Emanuel Ax and Martha Argerich. I think the Argerich is a bit more exciting, from her debut recital, but neither are really...don't know how to phrase this properly...perfect for me.

If you have any questions about Brahms, you should always refer to Julius Katchen.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: greg on May 15, 2007, 05:15:42 AM
i'm playing guitar with my tongue........

ahhhhhhhhh
those strings taste so good.......
mmmmmmmmmmm

super slinkies are the tastiest brand out there, huh
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Maciek on May 15, 2007, 05:24:40 AM
That's a turn I never expected this thread to take... 0:) ;D
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: karlhenning on May 15, 2007, 05:25:46 AM
No lie, Maciek!  8)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Black Knight on May 15, 2007, 06:16:12 AM
Quote from: Manuel on April 23, 2007, 08:24:57 AM
My teacher suggested one I didn't like very much. So I'm reconsidering it.

Might I suggest the mazurka Op. 67, number 4, a favourite of mine.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: toledobass on May 15, 2007, 08:16:01 AM
We begin rehearsals for Beethoven 9 this evening.  The Mrs. is a soloist so it will be just a little more fun.

Allan
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: knight66 on May 15, 2007, 09:41:58 AM
Quote from: MrOsa on May 15, 2007, 05:24:40 AM
That's a turn I never expected this thread to take... 0:) ;D

For any favours, no one tell him about Jimmy Hendrix!

Mike
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: karlhenning on May 15, 2007, 09:44:33 AM
Prelude on « Kremser » (cl & org)
Canzona & Gigue (cl & org)
Irreplaceable Doodles (cl solo)
Handeliana (cl & org)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: aquablob on May 25, 2007, 10:51:48 AM
Basketball
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: greg on May 26, 2007, 05:37:48 AM
Quote from: aquariuswb on May 25, 2007, 10:51:48 AM
Basketball
yeah, and i just crossed you out and went for the layup... swish  8)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: orbital on June 06, 2007, 02:04:29 PM
Is Rachmaninov's Op32/5 G major prelude terribly diffcult?  :'(
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: lukeottevanger on June 06, 2007, 02:28:57 PM
No, not terribly. :) I suppose it gets a little trickier towards the end.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: orbital on June 06, 2007, 02:57:28 PM
Thank you. I will give it a try, although the name scares me (read:big hands)

This particular piece is not in public domain yet AFAIK. I can probably get the first page from preview sites, and at least I'll have an idea whether I can manage it :)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: lukeottevanger on June 06, 2007, 03:02:18 PM
Score to all the op 32 Preludes (http://imslp.org/images/8/82/Rachmaninoff_-_13_Preludes%2C_Op_32.pdf)

According to IMSLP, where I found this score, the piece is public domain in the US and Canada...I've forgotten where you are, though.  :-[

Whilst you're there, spend a few happy days downloading IMSLP's treasures. There are reams upon reams of them. I must have a couple of Gigs of scores from them by now.... :o
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: orbital on June 06, 2007, 09:25:05 PM
Quote from: lukeottevanger on June 06, 2007, 03:02:18 PM
Score to all the op 32 Preludes (http://imslp.org/images/8/82/Rachmaninoff_-_13_Preludes%2C_Op_32.pdf)

According to IMSLP, where I found this score, the piece is public domain in the US and Canada...I've forgotten where you are, though.  :-[

Whilst you're there, spend a few happy days downloading IMSLP's treasures. There are reams upon reams of them. I must have a couple of Gigs of scores from them by now.... :o

Thank you very much Luke. Does not look easy to me  ;D

Starting from Bar 6 (page 21) when the right hand motif starts, the right hand should be kept open for the B to B octave throughout I suppose. But, from what I hear from the recordings (and I have slowed them down on the editor), they seem to be playing two notes following the GF#GF#: a B and a C in quick succession (in the second run two B's, the third B and C and on the fourth B &D). However, the sheet has only one note instead (C on the first, B on the second, C on the third...). This is of course much easier, but I wonder if you can create the same effect  ::)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Bonehelm on June 06, 2007, 09:59:43 PM
Chopin - Ballade No.1 in G minor
Beethoven - Tempest sonata, 3rd movement
Liszt - Consolations
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Joe_Campbell on June 07, 2007, 01:05:55 AM
Quote from: orbital on June 06, 2007, 09:25:05 PM
Thank you very much Luke. Does not look easy to me  ;D

Starting from Bar 6 (page 21) when the right hand motif starts, the right hand should be kept open for the B to B octave throughout I suppose. But, from what I hear from the recordings (and I have slowed them down on the editor), they seem to be playing two notes following the GF#GF#: a B and a C in quick succession (in the second run two B's, the third B and C and on the fourth B &D). However, the sheet has only one note instead (C on the first, B on the second, C on the third...). This is of course much easier, but I wonder if you can create the same effect  ::)
I have never noticed this...but why would players add extra notes?

<...>

I just checked my Ashkenazy recording. He does it too! Interesting.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: orbital on June 07, 2007, 05:34:55 AM
Quote from: JCampbell on June 07, 2007, 01:05:55 AM
I have never noticed this...but why would players add extra notes?

<...>

I just checked my Ashkenazy recording. He does it too! Interesting.
I think I found where I went wrong ;D I had not examined the left hand yet. Actually the B before the C comes from the left hand (the second note of the 7th bar in the left hand)   :-[ looks as if they should be stroke simultaneously, but the B should come a split second before C.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Joe_Campbell on June 07, 2007, 09:02:21 AM
Yea I was looking at that. But the way it was played, it appeared to be a third line (other than that of the left hand "ostinato"). Sounds like it anyways.

It's one of my favorite preludes of his, mainly because of its deceptive simplicity.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: orbital on June 07, 2007, 09:55:36 AM
Quote from: JCampbell on June 07, 2007, 09:02:21 AM
Yea I was looking at that. But the way it was played, it appeared to be a third line (other than that of the left hand "ostinato"). Sounds like it anyways.
I don't have the slightest hope of achieving that effect. All the pianists I've heard do that differently (Ashkenazy, Weissenberg, Sofronitsky, Sokolov and Rachmaninov himself).

Quote
It's one of my favorite preludes of his, mainly because of its deceptive simplicity.
Exactly!
Here is the best take I have. Sokolov from a 1981 recital:
http://download.yousendit.com/93A07324239DF756
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Joe_Campbell on June 07, 2007, 12:11:54 PM
Quote from: orbital on June 07, 2007, 09:55:36 AM
I don't have the slightest hope of achieving that effect. All the pianists I've heard do that differently (Ashkenazy, Weissenberg, Sofronitsky, Sokolov and Rachmaninov himself).
Exactly!
Here is the best take I have. Sokolov from a 1981 recital:
http://download.yousendit.com/93A07324239DF756

That was a great rendition. A lot of fuzz though, but it sounds like it's being recorded from the audience (did you record it?) He plays the end incredibly accurately (the 5/4 part), which to me seems to be the biggest difficulty with this piece. His trill at the end was enchanting too!

Another piece that does the 5 equal notes/bar quite effectively is vers la flamme, by Scriabin. Although, his 5 notes are over top of a 9/8 time sig. I think.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: orbital on June 07, 2007, 01:15:13 PM
Quote from: JCampbell on June 07, 2007, 12:11:54 PM
That was a great rendition. A lot of fuzz though, but it sounds like it's being recorded from the audience (did you record it?) He plays the end incredibly accurately (the 5/4 part), which to me seems to be the biggest difficulty with this piece. His trill at the end was enchanting too!
I wish (it was me recording). This recital opens with the Italian Concerto, then Tempest, then the whole 10 preludes of op 23 and this!
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Steve on June 10, 2007, 08:41:49 PM
Saint-Seans, Violin Concerto No.3  ;D
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Greta on July 30, 2007, 06:07:30 AM
Is this the thread where we can post snippets of us playing? :)

I picked up my horn last night after more than 2 years away, and had so much fun I practiced for many hours!

I ran across this piece I always liked by Eugene Bozza and on a whim recorded myself. (Yay for technology!)

It's supposed to have piano, which fills it out a lot more, but maybe I will upload it anyway.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: rappy on July 30, 2007, 06:27:53 AM
I'm currently playing:

on the piano: Chopin Etudes Op. 10/4, Op. 25/9 and Op. 25/12, Bach WTK2 Prelude+Fugue in G
on the violin: Viotti VC no. 12 Bb major (first movement) and the 2nd of "Six Solos" by H. Leonard and some Kreutzer Etudes
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: aquablob on July 30, 2007, 06:59:16 AM
Quote from: Greta on July 30, 2007, 06:07:30 AM
Is this the thread where we can post snippets of us playing? :)

I picked up my horn last night after more than 2 years away, and had so much fun I practiced for many hours!

I ran across this piece I always liked by Eugene Bozza and on a whim recorded myself. (Yay for technology!)

It's supposed to have piano, which fills it out a lot more, but maybe I will upload it anyway.

http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,837.msg18741.html#msg18741
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Saul on August 09, 2007, 06:23:53 PM
I'm playing my Waltz In A minor.
This is a recording of me perfroming it:

http://www.acidplanet.com/artist.asp?PID=993427&t=3252
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Saul on August 16, 2007, 06:04:52 PM
I thought the nocturne was fine.
Here is a video of Horowitz playing it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeulP4yYm5g

His triols are more refined and longer and  the overall tempi is not so rubato.

Regards,

Saul
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: m_gigena on August 16, 2007, 07:43:21 PM
During the last weekend I got sick of Czerny so I used my time two learn two short pieces: an F major mazurca by Chopin, and the delicious Canzonetta del Salvatore Rosa.

I'm supposed to play 2 two hands in any piano four-hand work, so I'm considering Schubert's f minor fantasy or an arrangement from the Trout quintet. What do you guys suggest?
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: aquablob on August 16, 2007, 08:40:52 PM
I've nowhere near actually "learnt" either of these, but I've recently been playing through Chopin's Barcarolle and Beethoven's Op. 111 piano sonata quite a bit. And I've been keeping Beethoven's Op. 54 sonata under my fingers, even though my recital was months ago -- 'tis always a shame to "lose" a piece without a replacement, as I've done so often in the past! Plus I find that the longer I keep a piece in my fingers (and the more often I play through it thoughtfully), the deeper my understanding of the music becomes.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Norbeone on August 26, 2007, 09:42:00 AM
For my next university assessment (piano), i'm working on a twenty minute repetoire consisting of:

- Bach - Contrapunctus XIV from Art of the Fugue (unfinished fugue of three subjects)
- Alfredo Casella - Two Ricercari based on the B-A-C-H motif.


I'm also learning the first half of Bartok's 12 Bagatelles and selected pieces from his Mikrokosmos books IV and V.

Then I plan to tackle Schoenberg's Suite for Piano op.25. That'll be pretty F'ing difficult i'm predicting.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: orbital on October 24, 2007, 12:28:11 PM
I think I will learn Brahms' Chaconne transcription for left hand (played with both hands of course >:D )

or I could go with Busoni's version if I had four hands  :-\
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Guido on October 24, 2007, 02:57:58 PM
Goldschmidt cello concerto - I think I'll prepare it for a concerto competition. Not exactly a virtuoso show piece, but to my mind without a doubt one of the finest cello concertos of the last century.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: toledobass on October 25, 2007, 06:16:33 PM
I'm working on the prelude to the 2nd Bach cello suite and a sonata by Adolf Misek.


Allan
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: mikkeljs on October 29, 2007, 01:07:23 PM
Schoenberg: Suite op. 25  8)
Mozart: Piano Concerto no. 21  ;)
Brahms: h minor rhapsody from op. 79  :D
Chopin: Etude no. 8 op. 10  ::)

Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Joe_Campbell on October 29, 2007, 10:19:15 PM
I figured if I posted, other newbies in the school of piano might also come out of hiding:


JS Bach: Little Prelude in D Minor BWV 926
-more one-hand-at-a-time memorization
-this music is predictable, so it's easy to memorize
-quasi-cadenza is tricky

girl playing it as well as me:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSQewgj0UoM

Andre Previn: Roundup
-two sections in this one-pager make me go wtf mate? (well, two and a half)
-playing one hand over top another is painfully awkward

Cornelius Gurlitt: Study in E Minor op. 132, no. 1
-powerful B section adds to Chopin-esque A theme
-recommended tempo seems far too quick, but composer knows best, I guess (1/4 note=116-132), considering there's a near triple octave jump on the 1/4 note

Yea...that's right. Grade 6 RCM piano repertoire! I can't find the scores for obvious reasons. I'm not ashamed!
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: m_gigena on December 04, 2007, 03:13:29 PM
Quote from: orbital on October 24, 2007, 12:28:11 PM
I think I will learn Brahms' Chaconne transcription for left hand (played with both hands of course >:D )

or I could go with Busoni's version if I had four hands  :-\

I played the Brahms Etude some time ago... I didn't find it very difficult.

Instead of Busoni's Chaconne you can try the Siloti-Busoni Chaconne, it's a lot easier.* The Siloti one I attempted to tackle yesterday, after 4 months of not playing piano... It was awful... I was awful.

So I moved on to something shorter that may allow me to retrieve some finger sensitivity, and for that I chose Godowsky's Alt Wien.

And I'm also working on Rachmaninov's Prelude op. 23 Nº 5.


I can upload the score as pdf if you want to give it a look.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: orbital on December 05, 2007, 09:25:23 AM
Quote from: Manuel on December 04, 2007, 03:13:29 PM
I played the Brahms Etude some time ago... I didn't find it very difficult.

Instead of Busoni's Chaconne you can try the Siloti-Busoni Chaconne, it's a lot easier.* The Siloti one I attempted to tackle yesterday, after 4 months of not playing piano... It was awful... I was awful.

So I moved on to something shorter that may allow me to retrieve some finger sensitivity, and for that I chose Godowsky's Alt Wien.

And I'm also working on Rachmaninov's Prelude op. 23 Nº 5.


I can upload the score as pdf if you want to give it a look.
That would be excellent. Siloti's other Bach reduction (that of the e-minor WTC prelude) was very manageable -except in some places where I had to break the chords-, so it may be worth a look :)

I learned the c# minor mazurka op63/3 recently. It looks easy enough but it certainly is not  >:( Especially those echoing voices near the end.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: m_gigena on December 05, 2007, 11:55:10 AM
Quote from: orbital on December 05, 2007, 09:25:23 AM
That would be excellent. Siloti's other Bach reduction (that of the e-minor WTC prelude) was very manageable -except in some places where I had to break the chords-, so it may be worth a look :)

I learned the c# minor mazurka op63/3 recently. It looks easy enough but it certainly is not  >:( Especially those echoing voices near the end.

Here's the Chaconne: http://rapidshare.com/files/74542782/Siloti.Busoni.Bach.pdf

And here are eight other transcriptions, from works by Gluck, Rachmaninov, Ravel, Bach, Scriabin and Strauss.

http://rapidshare.com/files/74542098/siloti.zip.html
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Maciek on December 05, 2007, 01:04:33 PM
I had completely forgotten how much fun Little Preludes are - thanks for reminding me, Joe! 8) I'll definitely get them out tomorrow. Sadly, with the amount of time I dedicate to playing nowadays (and hour every two weeks.........? at best!) they might turn out to be the pinnacle of my current abilities... ;D

And thanks for the Siloti transcriptions, Manuel! 8) I'm downloading them right now, always wanted to see how they look!
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: orbital on December 07, 2007, 07:16:22 AM
Quote from: Manuel on December 05, 2007, 11:55:10 AM
Here's the Chaconne: http://rapidshare.com/files/74542782/Siloti.Busoni.Bach.pdf

And here are eight other transcriptions, from works by Gluck, Rachmaninov, Ravel, Bach, Scriabin and Strauss.

http://rapidshare.com/files/74542098/siloti.zip.html
Manuel thank you so very much. This is a bit above my reading abilities, but I think I can work it out bar by bar  :)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: aquablob on December 08, 2007, 04:54:53 PM
Chopin -- Etude Op. 10 No. 7, up to speed at this point!
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: mikkeljs on December 09, 2007, 12:42:56 PM
Have just started working on Ives Three-page-sonata.  8) I look forward to perform it together with the whole Schoenberg Suite op. 25.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: greg on December 11, 2007, 03:49:00 PM
ah, good to know you've finally learned the Schoenberg Piano Suite!
takes awhile, huh?
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Guido on December 12, 2007, 10:35:36 AM
Good to hear you're working on the Ives. I think its a tough nut to crack but ultimately its a very good piece. I'd love to see his original manuscript on 3 pages - it must have been ridiculously crowded!
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: alexandro on December 12, 2007, 11:31:45 AM
Stockhausen Gruppen (Maderna/Boulez/Stockhausen conducting), and after I think Saint-Saens famous Third Symphony, and after I dont know. I want to listen Berio's Sinfonia but I dont know. I prefer my great love Bernstein's Dybbuk tonight. See you ;D
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Maciek on December 12, 2007, 12:02:14 PM
Ahem, I believe this (http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,9.msg) is the thread you want. 0:)




(Here we post what we are actually playing on an instrument or - in some are cases - conducting...)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: mattzart on December 12, 2007, 01:21:18 PM
I played Mendelssohn's "On Wings of Song" and the 2nd movement from his violin concerto last night. I don't have much time nor the skill to learn the entire concerto, so I'm fine with the andante for now.

I'll probably play Kreisler's "Liebesleid" today. Lovely little piece.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: karlhenning on December 12, 2007, 01:23:14 PM
Liebeslied, isn't it? Though I have heard radio announcers say Liebesleid . . . .
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: m_gigena on December 12, 2007, 02:24:03 PM
Quote from: karlhenning on December 12, 2007, 01:23:14 PM
Liebeslied, isn't it? Though I have heard radio announcers say Liebesleid . . . .

Mattzart is right, it's Liebesleid. In spanish it's known as "Penas de Amor", and I don't know how to translate it.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: m_gigena on December 12, 2007, 02:32:28 PM
Quote from: mattzart on December 12, 2007, 01:21:18 PM
I played Mendelssohn's "On Wings of Song" and the 2nd movement from his violin concerto last night. I don't have much time nor the skill to learn the entire concerto, so I'm fine with the andante for now.

Do you do that with the approval of your teacher? Last time I tried to play Abschied alone (from Schumann's Waldszenen) he said something about chopping my thumbs, feeding them to cats, and feeding the cats to a family of homeless emigrees from eastern Europe. Gypsies... mostly.

Quote from: mattzart on December 12, 2007, 01:21:18 PM
and the 2nd movement from his violin concerto last night.

So, I'm sure you can tell me what's wrong with this two short audio files
http://www.driveway.com/nlhde77483
http://www.driveway.com/lcmdz32011

;D ;D
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: c#minor on December 18, 2007, 01:30:17 PM
Touching up and SPEEDING up (getting to be hard) Chopin Etude Op.10 No.12
I can't quite seem to relax my left hand enough to make it all the way through. I always tense up right when it turns to f minor and has the huge crecendo in the left, then i struggle to calm the hand back down throughout the rest of the piece.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Joe_Campbell on December 20, 2007, 02:32:58 PM
I'm looking at the score, and my virgin eyes can't find this transition. What measure is this modulation?
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: m_gigena on December 20, 2007, 03:59:04 PM
Quote from: Manuel on December 12, 2007, 02:32:28 PM
So, I'm sure you can tell me what's wrong with this two short audio files
http://www.driveway.com/nlhde77483
http://www.driveway.com/lcmdz32011

;D ;D

Perhaps you can't.  :P
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: c#minor on December 20, 2007, 04:09:34 PM
Well now that i have gone back and looked at the score i was taught wrong. My teacher instructed me to crescendo at that point, but it's just in fortissimo. I can't tell you the measure because it's not marked and i am missing a page. I know that sounds weird but i learn mostly from ear and just use the score to reference if i forget something.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: mikkeljs on December 24, 2007, 06:32:28 AM
Quote from: 僕はグレグ (Greg) on December 11, 2007, 03:49:00 PM
ah, good to know you've finally learned the Schoenberg Piano Suite!
takes awhile, huh?

I still haven´t learned the Intermezzo and Musette yet. But the Prelude, Gavotte, Menuett and Gigue works great.  :D Have just finished learning the 1st movement of the Ives today on christmas.  8) That was quite some rhytms!  :o
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: orbital on December 26, 2007, 07:32:41 AM
Trying my hand on Scarlatti's K.054 (L.188, I think), the a minor. It is hard when played at full speed which I am quite far from at the moment. A very fun piece to play nevertheless. I had to make my own pedal points since the score I downloaded had none and it is way more excessive than the one Horowitz uses, for sure  ;D
Scarlatti is fun to play in general in the sense that you can play with those ornaments every time you play them and the music does not suffer whether you play them just plain or with extra-extra embellishments.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: mikkeljs on December 26, 2007, 08:10:39 AM
I have found out a good schema for learning lots of pieces, is to study one line to perfection per day. I think it works great no matter what kind of music it is. Mozart or Shoenberg - doesn´t matter! Analyzing from note to note, trying to realize the music exactly as good as I can, and then I start playing through the whole thing in an extremely slow tempo. My mind as well as my metronom has been forces to it´s limit of possibilities in slowness. ;D
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: karlhenning on December 26, 2007, 08:38:45 AM
Quote from: orbital on December 26, 2007, 07:32:41 AM
Trying my hand on Scarlatti's K.054 (L.188, I think), the a minor. It is hard when played at full speed which I am quite far from at the moment. A very fun piece to play nevertheless. I had to make my own pedal points since the score I downloaded had none

I suspect that the instrument for which Scarlatti wrote, had no sustain pedal . . . .
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: orbital on December 26, 2007, 09:06:37 AM
Quote from: karlhenning on December 26, 2007, 08:38:45 AM
I suspect that the instrument for which Scarlatti wrote, had no sustain pedal . . . .
I've found quite a bit of pdf's with indications in the past. The one I learned before that K87 had them, probably edited by someone. You definitely need them, particularly on those double octaves  :-\

Quote from: mikkeljs on December 26, 2007, 08:10:39 AM
I have found out a good schema for learning lots of pieces, is to study one line to perfection per day. I think it works great no matter what kind of music it is. Mozart or Shoenberg - doesn´t matter! Analyzing from note to note, trying to realize the music exactly as good as I can, and then I start playing through the whole thing in an extremely slow tempo. My mind as well as my metronom has been forces to it´s limit of possibilities in slowness. ;D
I do that as well. Either one line (or 8-16 bars  if working from midi file) in one sitting. When a line is finished, the trick is to start with the last bar from the previous session so that continuity can be achieved.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: karlhenning on December 26, 2007, 09:07:59 AM
Quote from: orbital on December 26, 2007, 09:06:37 AM
I've found quite a bit of pdf's with indications in the past. The one I learned before that K87 had them, probably edited by someone. You definitely need them, particularly on those double octaves  :-\

Two immediate possibilities: (1) I am mistaken, or (or, and/or) (2) those pdfs are later piano editions.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: orbital on December 26, 2007, 09:31:25 AM
Quote from: karlhenning on December 26, 2007, 09:07:59 AM
Two immediate possibilities: (1) I am mistaken, or (or, and/or) (2) those pdfs are later piano editions.
You are most definitely not mistaken. The original scores, as you say can not have pedal indications and the most widely used scores, I think are those that are by Sankey which feature none either. I generally get mine from the internet (or I get midi files if I can't find the score on line) so the author is generally unknown. They are probably piano editions.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: mikkeljs on December 26, 2007, 01:22:46 PM
Quote from: orbital on December 26, 2007, 09:06:37 AM
When a line is finished, the trick is to start with the last bar from the previous session so that continuity can be achieved.

Excatly! I do that often too.

Another thing I do, is to imagine a simple phrase in the fingers. Playing the phrase slowly while still feeling the previous played notes as well as the next. Can be quite hard. That gives often a visionable precision of the thought. I take this princip and do it gradually with longer sections, then whole passages and finally the whole peace. In the end it creates a total feeling of e v e r y note at once! It just really gives a feeling of finish.  :D
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: greg on December 26, 2007, 03:11:42 PM
Quote from: mikkeljs on December 26, 2007, 08:10:39 AM
I have found out a good schema for learning lots of pieces, is to study one line to perfection per day. I think it works great no matter what kind of music it is. Mozart or Shoenberg - doesn´t matter! Analyzing from note to note, trying to realize the music exactly as good as I can, and then I start playing through the whole thing in an extremely slow tempo. My mind as well as my metronom has been forces to it´s limit of possibilities in slowness. ;D
that's a different approach!

i don't know if it'd work for guitar, though... the way i like practicing is just having music that i play through whenever i feel like it, and then after a period of a year i have tons of pretty complex songs that i can memorize with only a few days' practice.

Actually, that's what i'm kinda doing right now.... at least, if i spend more than 10 min actually practicing each day  ;D
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: mikkeljs on December 27, 2007, 04:45:11 AM
Quote from: 僕はグレグ (Greg) on December 26, 2007, 03:11:42 PM
that's a different approach!

i don't know if it'd work for guitar, though... the way i like practicing is just having music that i play through whenever i feel like it, and then after a period of a year i have tons of pretty complex songs that i can memorize with only a few days' practice.

Actually, that's what i'm kinda doing right now.... at least, if i spend more than 10 min actually practicing each day  ;D

What are you playing for the moment? Do you know some of Nørgård´s guitar music? That´s really great, but I don´t know if it is difficult. It probably is.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: greg on December 27, 2007, 05:17:24 AM
man, i'm not really playing anything  ;D
i don't know any of Norgard's guitar music (no recordings, sheet music, didn't know he wrote guitar music)... i've hardly ever played any classical guitar, i used to do Bach's Bouree in Em, and i also have a little bit of guitar music by Takemitsu, but i need a recording to guide me....

recently, i've just been teaching my little brother the beginning to the Rush song The Spirit of Radio, and stuff like Joe Satriani's Memories and Not of this Earth. Just a few small touchups to both songs and i can play them through. I had an idea to make some videos and put them on youtube.... i don't know, we'll see, just an idea
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: m_gigena on December 27, 2007, 01:56:51 PM
Quote from: orbital on December 26, 2007, 09:06:37 AM
I've found quite a bit of pdf's with indications in the past. The one I learned before that K87 had them, probably edited by someone. You definitely need them, particularly on those double octaves  :-\


Don't be lazy, exercise your legato!  ;D
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: orbital on December 28, 2007, 02:14:20 PM
Quote from: Manuel on December 27, 2007, 01:56:51 PM
Don't be lazy, exercise your legato!  ;D
;D but how about the 2 1/2 note jumps  :-\

Also one more thing on the performance of this piece. Now that I am at the 9th bar, looks like I have to cross hands starting with the e-major section. I could not really see the point in doing that , and the videos I checked on YouTube also have the pianists crossing hands. I could not conceive why though. You can play it perfectly fine without doing that  :-[ :-[ and it is easier  :-[ :-[
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: btpaul674 on December 29, 2007, 08:56:02 PM
I am about 3/4 the way from finishing the first movement of the Rautavaara 1st PC Op. 45
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: m_gigena on December 31, 2007, 04:16:38 AM
Debussy's Des pas sur la neige.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: toledobass on January 02, 2008, 06:23:38 AM
Continuing work on Bach's 2nd suite.  After a few months of study I don't think this is something I will perform in public for a long, long very long time.  Pieces I will begin in January are the Monti Czardas,  the last movement of the Franck sonata and the second part to Bottesini's Passion Amorosa.


Allan
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: m_gigena on January 05, 2008, 08:45:08 AM
Beethoven's Pastoral Sonata. I can't believe I never played this work before, it's even better than listening to it!.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: mikkeljs on January 20, 2008, 10:47:02 AM
Finally finish learning Schoenberg´s suite by heart.  8) That´s so fantastic! The Musette was a bit harder than it look like.

I have heard 3 recordings of the suite, and no one follow the metronome markings. I was surprised about, how fast the Intermezzo was supposed to be, it´s a completely different character than when it is performed slowly.

Does anyone know a recording that is in tempo?
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Norbeone on January 20, 2008, 11:07:47 AM
Quote from: mikkeljs on January 20, 2008, 10:47:02 AM
Finally finish learning Schoenberg´s suite by heart.  8) That´s so fantastic! The Musette was a bit harder than it look like.

I have heard 3 recordings of the suite, and no one follow the metronome markings. I was surprised about, how fast the Intermezzo was supposed to be, it´s a completely different character than when it is performed slowly.

Does anyone know a recording that is in tempo?

Wow, you must be pretty good! A very difficult piece. I forget what the tempo markings are, but check out Glenn Gould's great performance just for the sake of hearing a Gouldian interpretation.


I'm thinking of tackling the Hindemith 2nd Piano Sonata in the near future.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: mikkeljs on January 20, 2008, 12:05:55 PM
Quote from: Norbeone on January 20, 2008, 11:07:47 AM
Wow, you must be pretty good! A very difficult piece. I forget what the tempo markings are, but check out Glenn Gould's great performance just for the sake of hearing a Gouldian interpretation.


I'm thinking of tackling the Hindemith 2nd Piano Sonata in the near future.

I heard Gould playing the Intermezzo on youtube, and he has the fastest interpretation compared to the other recordings I have heard (Pullini, Elisabeth Klein and Niels Viggo Bentzon). But still not as fast as the metronom marking.

In the preparetion words, Schoenberg (I don´t know if it is Arnold or Gertrud) says about the metronome markings, that they are not to be taken litterally but rather merely as suggestions. I don´t know if that is a pianistic compromise or a musical nature of the piece...   ::)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Haffner on January 20, 2008, 01:52:07 PM
Cello. I suck, but I just love even playing simple melodies (like the middle/main theme of LvB's Hymn of Thanksgiving) on it, over and over. It's a lovely instrument.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: orbital on January 23, 2008, 06:08:31 PM
Another Scarlatti sonata. K481, F minor. This is the easiest sonata I've tried so far.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: The Emperor on January 24, 2008, 02:22:53 PM
I started pictures at an exhibition today, well at least i want to play the promenade and the great gate of kiev.
First bars already nailed  8)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Guido on January 26, 2008, 04:09:28 PM
Having fun with the Previn cello sonata though it's really very difficult in deed. Thinking about doing the Goldschmidt cello concerto in a competition...
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: greg on January 26, 2008, 04:19:58 PM
Quote from: mikkeljs on January 20, 2008, 12:05:55 PM
I heard Gould playing the Intermezzo on youtube, and he has the fastest interpretation compared to the other recordings I have heard (Pullini, Elisabeth Klein and Niels Viggo Bentzon). But still not as fast as the metronom marking.

Gould, Schoenberg Piano Suite  0:) 0:) 0:)
the other recording i have is Christopher Oldfather, there's really no comparison
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: mikkeljs on February 28, 2008, 09:41:14 AM
I just started working on Ligeti´s etude no. 14A   :o Only memorized the first 2 bars so far. And Haydns sonata no. 57 in F major.

I will soon post a recording from my first soire, where I played Schoenberg op. 25 and Ives´s Three-page-sonata.  :)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: ChamberNut on February 28, 2008, 10:22:27 AM
Twinkle, twinkle, little star.  On the Cello.   ;D
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Haffner on February 28, 2008, 10:31:50 AM
Quote from: ChamberNut on February 28, 2008, 10:22:27 AM
Twinkle, twinkle, little star.  On the Cello.   ;D


Fun! I still can only play the easier bits from the 1st and 3rd movement of opus 132 on the cello. But, playing those is so emotionally involving for me I often don't feel like playing anything after!
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: greg on February 28, 2008, 10:42:50 AM
Quote from: mikkeljs on February 28, 2008, 09:41:14 AM
I just started working on Ligeti´s etude no. 14A   :o Only memorized the first 2 bars so far. And Haydns sonata no. 57 in F major.

I will soon post a recording from my first soire, where I played Schoenberg op. 25 and Ives´s Three-page-sonata.  :)
cool! I'd love to hear!
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: ChamberNut on February 28, 2008, 10:45:15 AM
Quote from: Haffner on February 28, 2008, 10:31:50 AM

Fun! I still can only play the easier bits from the 1st and 3rd movement of opus 132 on the cello. But, playing those is so emotionally involving for me I often don't feel like playing anything after!

Wow, that would be nice to play that some day.....way in the future.  :D

The greatest challenge just starting to learn the cello (for me) is getting and maintaining a proper grip on the bow and finger placements.  But damn......I'm loving it!  :)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: greg on February 28, 2008, 10:47:22 AM
Quote from: ChamberNut on February 28, 2008, 10:45:15 AM
Wow, that would be nice to play that some day.....way in the future.  :D

The greatest challenge just starting to learn the cello (for me) is getting and maintaining a proper grip on the bow and finger placements.  But damn......I'm loving it!  :)
you make me sad.
Now you're making me fantasize about learning to play the cello, when I don't have one.  :'(
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: btpaul674 on March 09, 2008, 08:55:03 PM
Currently working on Rautavaara's 1st Piano Sonata.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: orbital on March 12, 2008, 12:33:45 PM
Two movements only  :-\ from English Suite No.3. Or make that 4 movements ;D Sarabande, the other arrangement of Sarabande, Gavottes Nos 1 &2. I don't think I can tackle the Prelude and Gigue at this point  :P but I'll try to move on with the rest.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: c#minor on March 23, 2008, 06:26:02 PM
Bach Fugue No. 2 in c minor from WTC. Need to clean up my playing, all Romantic all the time can start to make the playing sloppy. 
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Haffner on March 24, 2008, 05:15:23 AM
Deep Purple "Mistreated"
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: ChamberNut on March 28, 2008, 07:48:20 AM
My Cello Instructor was mentioning last night that my cello bow is dreadfully horrible (I am renting my cello, bow, case, as I just started a few months ago).

He mentioned that his instructor had told him "Make certain you get at least a so-so OK cello, but make sure you have a REALLY good cello bow".

So, I'll go back to the rental place and try out a bunch of different bows.

My instructor mentioned his Cello bow is worth 1/3 the amount of his Cello!  :o  His cello bow alone is worth $10,000  :o  Needless to say mine won't be anywhere near that price range.  ;D
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: karlhenning on March 28, 2008, 08:08:17 AM
Beginnings are perforce much more modest in aim  8)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: bwv 1080 on March 28, 2008, 08:11:15 AM
I have not played guitar in several months and have been taking up piano, trying to build a technique

I am close to having Schumann's Kinderszenen no 7 down

Starting on Bach's Am Invention
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: ChamberNut on March 31, 2008, 09:06:41 AM
Quote from: ChamberNut on March 28, 2008, 07:48:20 AM
My Cello Instructor was mentioning last night that my cello bow is dreadfully horrible (I am renting my cello, bow, case, as I just started a few months ago).

He mentioned that his instructor had told him "Make certain you get at least a so-so OK cello, but make sure you have a REALLY good cello bow".

Even with my moderate at best technique, a cello bow in great condition makes a huge difference!  ;D
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: orbital on March 31, 2008, 10:23:20 AM
Quote from: bwv 1080 on March 28, 2008, 08:11:15 AM

I am close to having Schumann's Kinderszenen no 7 down

Starting on Bach's Am Invention
Traumerei to Am is quite a leap  :o
Incidentally, I've started the aminor invention myself recently then switched to the Allemande from BWV 965, not going very good so far  :-\
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: greg on June 04, 2008, 06:10:17 PM
Playing a lot of the Andante from Prokofiev's 4th sonata......
just sat down and worked on much of it a few hours straight, couldn't stop  8)

some passages, like the beginning up until the first variation are pretty easy, so i can play them without much difficulty, but of course much of it i can only play one hand at a time  :P

just finished revisiting his own recording of that movement..... he plays the arpeggiated variations too fast, i think. I know it's silly for me to be saying that, but it doesn't sound as "sneaky" or exotic as it would at a very slightly slower tempo....... though of course I'm also jealous of his mad skills, forgetting how fast he did play it.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Joe Barron on June 18, 2008, 08:06:06 AM
Right now, I'm learning the Gershwin's Prelude No. 2. Fun, but the octaves combined with seconds and fifths on page two are uncomfortable for my right hand. And there are several ways to do uit: jazz eights or even note values?
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: mikkeljs on June 30, 2008, 11:15:41 AM
Quote from: GGGGRRREEG on June 04, 2008, 06:10:17 PM
Playing a lot of the Andante from Prokofiev's 4th sonata......
just sat down and worked on much of it a few hours straight, couldn't stop  8)

some passages, like the beginning up until the first variation are pretty easy, so i can play them without much difficulty, but of course much of it i can only play one hand at a time  :P

just finished revisiting his own recording of that movement..... he plays the arpeggiated variations too fast, i think. I know it's silly for me to be saying that, but it doesn't sound as "sneaky" or exotic as it would at a very slightly slower tempo....... though of course I'm also jealous of his mad skills, forgetting how fast he did play it.

Really cool that you play it!  :o Hey, say to you self, that you will learn the piece perfectly, and then just do it, whatever it takes. I´m sure it will work. I just heard a ...(don´t know the english word)..., but it says: You learn to swim when the water it up to your shoulders. ;)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: greg on June 30, 2008, 12:22:01 PM
Quote from: mikkeljs on June 30, 2008, 11:15:41 AM
Really cool that you play it!  :o Hey, say to you self, that you will learn the piece perfectly, and then just do it, whatever it takes. I´m sure it will work. I just heard a ...(don´t know the english word)..., but it says: You learn to swim when the water it up to your shoulders. ;)
Very true saying- in fact, with guitar i started with the hardest stuff mixed in with easier stuff- i don't like the "start with boring easy stuff" attitude that most people take very seriously. I say, dive into everything.
I've been kinda playing through it when I feel like it, though have taken a strong interest in the first movement of the 2nd sonata the past few days. It's a VERY easy movement, i swear, half the time you don't even have to worry about your left hand.  ;D
But realistically, yeah, i'll get there. I'd love to be able to play through a couple of his sonatas by memory- that'll just take some practice, maybe if it's even only a few minutes a day, over the years.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: mikkeljs on June 30, 2008, 11:34:15 PM
Quote from: GGGGRRREEG on June 30, 2008, 12:22:01 PM
Very true saying- in fact, with guitar i started with the hardest stuff mixed in with easier stuff- i don't like the "start with boring easy stuff" attitude that most people take very seriously. I say, dive into everything.
I've been kinda playing through it when I feel like it, though have taken a strong interest in the first movement of the 2nd sonata the past few days. It's a VERY easy movement, i swear, half the time you don't even have to worry about your left hand.  ;D
But realistically, yeah, i'll get there. I'd love to be able to play through a couple of his sonatas by memory- that'll just take some practice, maybe if it's even only a few minutes a day, over the years.

I also always wanted to play the something difficult, when I was younger. I studied the first mvt of Griegs piano concerto when I was 10, and 1st mvt of Thaikovskys piano concerto, only by listening from a recording, when I was 8.  :o I think learning many notes and playing fast is not a big deal. As a teacher, I know, always says: Every child can move their fingers fast without problems.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: greg on July 01, 2008, 11:31:50 AM
Quote from: mikkeljs on June 30, 2008, 11:34:15 PM
I also always wanted to play the something difficult, when I was younger. I studied the first mvt of Griegs piano concerto when I was 10, and 1st mvt of Thaikovskys piano concerto, only by listening from a recording, when I was 8.  :o I think learning many notes and playing fast is not a big deal. As a teacher, I know, always says: Every child can move their fingers fast without problems.
LOL!  :D
I love that bold part...
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Maciek on July 10, 2008, 08:58:31 AM
Stickied.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: greg on August 23, 2008, 05:27:40 AM
Hey, guess what...... after tons of practice yesterday, i woke up today and played the the first 5 measures of the Gavotte from Schoenberg's Piano Suite without a mistake. And I don't play piano, btw, although it is tempting to learn.....
the Gavotte is only 3 pages long, and i got in over half a page...... and the rest is mostly not that hard, actually. I think I'm going for it..... 0:)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Haffner on September 01, 2008, 04:17:39 AM
Van Halen "Somebody Get Me a Doctor"

Learned this one over twenty years ago, still alot of fun to play!
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Joe_Campbell on September 13, 2008, 10:43:27 AM
Just starting with a new teacher! :) He has a lot of confidence in me, which is quite inspiring. He also started playing later in life, at 17.

Bartok - Mikrokosmos Vol. 6 No. 1 Free Variations
Debussy - Preludes bk. 1  De pas sur la neige (sp?)
Mozart - Adagio in B minor, k540
Handel - Suite in G minor HWV 432 #5 Gigue
Medtner - Fairy Tale, Op. 26 No. 1 (I really think this one might be beyond me at the moment, but I shall try)
Scriabin - Prelude in E flat minor, Op. 11 No. 14

Woohoo!
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: greg on September 18, 2008, 12:50:16 PM
Quote from: AndyD. on September 01, 2008, 04:17:39 AM
Van Halen "Somebody Get Me a Doctor"

Learned this one over twenty years ago, still alot of fun to play!
I've downloaded the tab book that's in, so I took a look. The main riff is simple and loose, even if you're not staying in the same position. The solo is typical of the little I know about Van Halen- especially at the end, with the interesting shape repeated over the end of the fretboard. Supposedly he does this type of stuff a lot- like, in a book I have, they had a long line with just harmonics- like a scale going from the last string to the first, with the frets 5 7 and 9.  The comment was "it's like Van Halen- use a simple shape and just stick with it throughout the fretboard" or something like that.
Also, I noticed a technique that I've only seen in Joe Satriani- the hammer-on while touching your right finger on the string- harmonic thing- so that's where he got that from!
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Joe_Campbell on September 24, 2008, 06:55:27 PM
Quote from: JCampbell on September 13, 2008, 10:43:27 AM
Just starting with a new teacher! :) He has a lot of confidence in me, which is quite inspiring. He also started playing later in life, at 17.

Bartok - Mikrokosmos Vol. 6 No. 1 Free Variations
Debussy - Preludes bk. 1  De pas sur la neige (sp?)
Mozart - Adagio in B minor, k540
Handel - Suite in G minor HWV 432 #5 Gigue
Medtner - Fairy Tale, Op. 26 No. 1 (I really think this one might be beyond me at the moment, but I shall try)
Scriabin - Prelude in E flat minor, Op. 11 No. 14

Woohoo!

Update:

I've been focusing mainly on Handel's Gigue, Bartok's Free Variations, and Scriabin's Prelude, as they offer unique challenges. The main with the first one is clean articulation, as we're getting creative with the phrasing. With the Bartok piece, the constant metre changes are brutal for reading, as is his very unfamiliar (to me) harmony. With Scriabin, the massive jumps on the second page are taxing on concentration - especially while site reading - but they're finally coming through!

...if anyone is interested...
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: M forever on September 24, 2008, 09:28:39 PM
Just relax, keep the remote control steady in your hand, but don't cramp and don't push any buttons randomly - then you should be able to get through the piece.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Joe_Campbell on September 24, 2008, 10:17:39 PM
They're all really short, too. I find if I keep hands off the remote control entirely, I get through things OK.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Haffner on September 27, 2008, 08:22:42 AM
Quote from: GGGGRRREEG on September 18, 2008, 12:50:16 PM

Also, I noticed a technique that I've only seen in Joe Satriani- the hammer-on while touching your right finger on the string- harmonic thing- so that's where he got that from!


For me, Satriani was just the MTV "lite" version of truly great players like Michael Schenker and Edward Van Halen. Go check out the last song on Michael Schenker Group's Assault Attack ("Ulcer") and you'll hear the obvious template that Satriani built his whole career on. Satriani never wrote anything as innovative.

Alot of Van Halen's riffs are simple, but that often equals SUPER fun to play!
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Haffner on September 27, 2008, 08:24:01 AM
Eewwps, what I'm playing. Lots of stuff from here:
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: greg on November 04, 2008, 12:55:23 PM
Quote from: AndyD. on September 27, 2008, 08:22:42 AM

For me, Satriani was just the MTV "lite" version of truly great players like Michael Schenker and Edward Van Halen. Go check out the last song on Michael Schenker Group's Assault Attack ("Ulcer") and you'll hear the obvious template that Satriani built his whole career on. Satriani never wrote anything as innovative.

Wait, is this true? I've never heard him mentioning Michael Schenker in any of his interviews (although I could be missing something).

Okay, just finished listening to that track on youtube. Pretty amazing for 1982. I don't know about saying  that "Satriani never wrote anything as innovative," though. Sounds like a template for the song Satch Boogie, and a lot of Surfing with the Alien, but there's much more than that. There's so many ideas that, even if he wasn't the inventor, he sure did take "distant" stuff and use it as his own- for example, the pitch axis theory. Or the tapping techniques- Midnight, Day At the Beach, the Headless Horseman, for example- all tapping with acoustic guitar, the first two  you have to use a rag to dampen the strings, then just tap freely with both hands, which is seriously FUN!!! Or the tapping techniques/patterns used in the Mystical Potato Head Groove Thing or the Power Cosmic- every time I think about that lick, it makes me laugh because he said he actually had difficulties with it at first- serious difficulties and it isn't even that hard!  ;D

Or the insane whammy bar effects on Ice 9, such as the "lizard down the throat".... or the first disc of Time Machine, which is just a bunch of early avant-garde experimentation, such as the ending in the song Dreaming#11, where he pulls off making two guitars sound exactly like a train that is speeding up. Or the entire album, Engines of Creation. His newer stuff isn't that interesting, though.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Haffner on November 04, 2008, 01:30:29 PM
Quote from: G$ on November 04, 2008, 12:55:23 PM
Wait, is this true? I've never heard him mentioning Michael Schenker in any of his interviews (although I could be missing something).

Okay, just finished listening to that track on youtube. Pretty amazing for 1982. I don't know about saying  that "Satriani never wrote anything as innovative," though. Sounds like a template for the song Satch Boogie, and a lot of Surfing with the Alien, but there's much more than that. There's so many ideas that, even if he wasn't the inventor, he sure did take "distant" stuff and use it as his own- for example, the pitch axis theory. Or the tapping techniques- Midnight, Day At the Beach, the Headless Horseman, for example- all tapping with acoustic guitar, the first two  you have to use a rag to dampen the strings, then just tap freely with both hands, which is seriously FUN!!! Or the tapping techniques/patterns used in the Mystical Potato Head Groove Thing or the Power Cosmic- every time I think about that lick, it makes me laugh because he said he actually had difficulties with it at first- serious difficulties and it isn't even that hard!  ;D

Or the insane whammy bar effects on Ice 9, such as the "lizard down the throat".... or the first disc of Time Machine, which is just a bunch of early avant-garde experimentation, such as the ending in the song Dreaming#11, where he pulls off making two guitars sound exactly like a train that is speeding up. Or the entire album, Engines of Creation. His newer stuff isn't that interesting, though.


Laughing..well, obviously you like Satriani, Greg! Most established guitar players won't mention whom their most obvious influences are. Satriani is most obviously a disciple of the Edward Van Halen and Michael Schenker school of guitar, but never mentions them. Edward Van Halen was just as influenced by Schenker and even more by Ritchie Blackmore, he rarely mentions Blackmore and almost never Schenker. Steve Vai was mostly influenced by Satriani...but all the above mention folks whom could only have had a peripheral influence on them. Malmsteen in his early days used to mention only "Bach", though he sure doesn't exhibit any of the intricate contrapuntal work of J.S. It might be a way of heros distancing themselves from their idols.

Satriani does have often a fantastic left hand technique. I just don't feel anything from his playing, him or Vai. Or Malmsteen (at least since "Trilogy"). But that's me.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: tr. pianist on November 08, 2008, 12:24:34 AM
Iam learning Grieg violin piano sonata op. 45 in C minor.
I have in my small piano repertoire Rachmaninoff op. 23 preludes 2 and 6, Chopin op 10 Revolutionary Etude and Etude on the black keys, Liszt Rigoletto Paraphrase. Most of the pieces I played before and now so to say resurrected.

Tomorrow I have to accompany a student who is playing in a concert of high achievers award. She is playing the first movement of Beethoven Spring sonata.

I don't know why I am so uneven. I can play so well and hear what I have to improve on. Yet at other time I feel like I am deaf. I know it has something to do with my mood and my outlook on life that probably influences these fluctuations.
Life is made up of disappointments and small victories and successes. I wish I could understand what I am doing wrong when things are not going well. I noticed that my students too push and even bang the piano when they are stressed.
There is a lot of psychology in piano playing.

Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: greg on November 08, 2008, 08:01:47 PM
Quote from: AndyD. on November 04, 2008, 01:30:29 PM

Laughing..well, obviously you like Satriani, Greg! Most established guitar players won't mention whom their most obvious influences are. Satriani is most obviously a disciple of the Edward Van Halen and Michael Schenker school of guitar, but never mentions them. Edward Van Halen was just as influenced by Schenker and even more by Ritchie Blackmore, he rarely mentions Blackmore and almost never Schenker. Steve Vai was mostly influenced by Satriani...but all the above mention folks whom could only have had a peripheral influence on them. Malmsteen in his early days used to mention only "Bach", though he sure doesn't exhibit any of the intricate contrapuntal work of J.S. It might be a way of heros distancing themselves from their idols.

Satriani does have often a fantastic left hand technique. I just don't feel anything from his playing, him or Vai. Or Malmsteen (at least since "Trilogy"). But that's me.

All that is really interesting. And yeah, I always thought it was weird how Malmsteen uses such little counterpoint in his music.......
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Ten thumbs on November 09, 2008, 08:30:13 AM
Rather appropriately for Remembrance Day, I'm working on Mel Bonis' 'La Cathédrale Blessée' Op107. This is something of a war poem with lots of crushing chords creating an atmosphere of dust and ashes (written in 1915 when the composer was working with war orphans and prisoners of war). I'm wondering if there are other piano pieces that are specific to wartime.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Joe_Campbell on November 09, 2008, 08:40:53 AM
Maybe Debussy's Berceuse Heroique?
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Ten thumbs on November 10, 2008, 03:25:18 AM
Quote from: JCampbell on November 09, 2008, 08:40:53 AM
Maybe Debussy's Berceuse Heroique?
Thank you for reminding me of a gap in my library. I have Debussy's Preludes and Etudes plus Piano Music (1888-1905) but none of his other later works. This I need to correct.
I forgot that I also have Children's Corner. The Etudes were published in 1915.
Debussy died 25th March 1918 shortly before a German shell hit the roof of St Gervais (29th March) killing over a hundred people. Mel Bonis' illegitimate daughter, Madeleine, was there at the time.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Haffner on November 10, 2008, 05:31:00 AM
Quote from: mikkeljs on June 30, 2008, 11:34:15 PM
. As a teacher, I know, always says: Every child can move their fingers fast without problems.


That can be applied to guitar. The shred sound today is (OVER) done by so many today guitarists that it just sounds anonymous. There are so few guitar players with any personality (To be fair, I've heard that the guy from Mars Volta has a cool, personal style). When I listen back to Tony Iommi, Ritchie Blackmore, Michael Schenker, and Angus Young I hear four separate personalities. When I listen to Rhapsody, Dragonforce, Children of Bodom, Kamelot, etc., I hear the same, unmemorable, ultimately unmusical player. It could be a computer playing those leads (with the Pro Tools and other Ultra-digital recording software available today, practically ALL of it sounds over processed and produced).

For Metal, check out Ralph Santolla's playing on Deicide's "Stench of Redemption". He's using alot of effects, and he shreds, but it ends up not only fitting within the framework of the chords, but sounds intimate...individual at the same time. That's rare today.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: karlhenning on November 10, 2008, 05:46:51 AM
Good morning, Andy!

("Stench of Redemption"?  :o )

;D
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Haffner on November 10, 2008, 06:04:14 AM
Quote from: karlhenning on November 10, 2008, 05:46:51 AM
Good morning, Andy!

("Stench of Redemption"?  :o )

;D




Aye. The things kids do to be entertained (laughing).
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: greg on November 17, 2008, 02:30:35 PM
QuoteWhen I listen to Rhapsody, Dragonforce, Children of Bodom, Kamelot, etc.
I've heard maybe one or two songs by Dragonforce and some other band similar to them. I agree about the overproduced sound. A lot of simple patterns that aren't very interesting, although the overall effect can be pretty striking.... maybe that's all they're going for?
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Joe_Campbell on November 17, 2008, 03:41:36 PM
How's Prokofiev's 6th Sonata coming, Greg?
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Haffner on November 21, 2008, 09:49:23 AM
Quote from: G$ on November 17, 2008, 02:30:35 PM
I've heard maybe one or two songs by Dragonforce and some other band similar to them. I agree about the overproduced sound. A lot of simple patterns that aren't very interesting, although the overall effect can be pretty striking.... maybe that's all they're going for?


The music is stuck in I-IV-IV cruise control. Malmsteen completely wore out the play-as-fast-as-you-can-over-the-same-three-or-four-chords thang. Back in 1986.It's a circus act: "oooh, he's the fastest, no he is". Rarely is there anything memorable and even less often than that musically adventurous.  It just doesn't happen. A great remedy to being oversaturated by the Pro-Tools worshipping shred duds is to break out Frank Zappa's "Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar". Although I'm not wild about all of Zappa's work, this album truly does experiment in an often devastatingly creative way. The bands we mentioned above basically live to be Helloween (yawn).
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: karlhenning on November 21, 2008, 09:50:42 AM
Andryushka!
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Haffner on November 21, 2008, 09:53:24 AM
Quote from: karlhenning on November 21, 2008, 09:50:42 AM
Andryushka!




KARLOVSKOVICH!
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: karlhenning on November 21, 2008, 09:57:23 AM
Quote from: AndyD. on November 21, 2008, 09:53:24 AM
KARLOVSKOVICH!

Was thinking of you the other day.

Why? One line:

José Grecos de Muertos
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Haffner on November 21, 2008, 10:04:17 AM
Quote from: karlhenning on November 21, 2008, 09:57:23 AM
Was thinking of you the other day.

Why? One line:

José Grecos de Muertos


Choo got eet, maing!
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: karlhenning on November 21, 2008, 10:15:13 AM
Quote from: Sheldon Kornpett, Dentist & Rogue AgentPlease God, don't let me die on West 31st Street!
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Haffner on November 21, 2008, 10:36:28 AM
please god, don't let me die on west 31st street




http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070113155442AA31NOM (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070113155442AA31NOM)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Haffner on November 21, 2008, 10:37:51 AM
Quote from: karlhenning on November 21, 2008, 09:57:23 AM
Was thinking of you the other day.

Why? One line:

José Grecos de Muertos


Serpentine! Serpentine!
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: mn dave on November 21, 2008, 10:56:51 AM
Get a room.









;D
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: greg on December 04, 2008, 04:34:56 PM
Quote from: JCampbell on November 17, 2008, 03:41:36 PM
How's Prokofiev's 6th Sonata coming, Greg?
ha, mainly practicing the first few pages, still..... getting better and better at that bar with the ascending sixteenth notes. But I haven't actually been playing it much at all, every now and then I just go on the keyboard and mess around, and if i get to it, i get to it.  8)


Quote from: AndyD. on November 21, 2008, 10:36:28 AM
please god, don't let me die on west 31st street




http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070113155442AA31NOM (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070113155442AA31NOM)
who, who wrote that? or is that just some random thing you found?
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Haffner on December 22, 2008, 04:00:40 PM
Quote from: G$ on December 04, 2008, 04:34:56 PM
ha, mainly practicing the first few pages, still..... getting better and better at that bar with the ascending sixteenth notes. But I haven't actually been playing it much at all, every now and then I just go on the keyboard and mess around, and if i get to it, i get to it.  8)

who, who wrote that? or is that just some random thing you found?

It's from the original "In-Laws". If you haven't seen it, check it out.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Frumaster on February 05, 2009, 07:13:00 PM
I'm trying to play the Goldberg Variations.  How difficult are these supposed to be?  I'm already hung up on the 1st Variation!  My left hand is definitey weak.  The part where the bass switches over and plays the previous treble part is impossible right now.  I played it for 4 hours today and I can't even get halfway through it.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: aquablob on February 05, 2009, 08:08:28 PM
Quote from: Frumaster on February 05, 2009, 07:13:00 PM
I'm trying to play the Goldberg Variations.  How difficult are these supposed to be?  I'm already hung up on the 1st Variation!  My left hand is definitey weak.  The part where the bass switches over and plays the previous treble part is impossible right now.  I played it for 4 hours today and I can't even get halfway through it.

Ha — good luck!

Much easier is the set of variations I wrote on Cage's 4'33". :D
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: brassbandmaestro on March 29, 2009, 12:42:49 AM
We are playing Endeavour by the band composer Philip Sparke. Quite a challenging piece of music!

Our MD said well done basses last night! So no bad coming from the MD too!
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: secondwind on July 31, 2009, 08:13:22 PM
Up late trying to redevelop some basset horn chops to play Mozart's Serenade #10, aka the Gran Partita (KV 361) in a rehearsal Sunday afternoon.  This glorious piece is one of the four or five reasons to own a basset horn in the first place, so I will play it any chance I get.  The difficulty with an instrument I only play a few times a year is that I feel like I'm starting all over each time I pick it up, but for Mozart, it's worth it!  :)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: secondwind on September 29, 2009, 04:11:21 PM
I'm doing the last few days of practicing for a chamber music class recital this coming Sunday.  I'll be playing two pieces--a Duo Concertant for clarinet, horn, and piano by a 19th century Czech composer, Sobeck, based on a theme from Don Giovanni--kind of a piece of fluff, but with far too many places for my fingers to fall off the keys!--and a Nocturne for the same instrumentation by a local composer whose pieces I have played a few times before--not difficult, but it always makes me nervous to have the composer in the audience. ( After all, he actually knows how he wants it to sound, and I always look anxiously at his face after playing, hoping to see a smile and not a scowl.  It is different with a living composer.  No matter how badly I may butcher a piece by Mozart or Beethoven, either they're beyond caring, or at least they're somewhere out of my sight, so I don't have to know how much they care!)

One last rehearsal Thursday night, and then a couple of days to spend hoping that I'll play my best and praying that I won't play my worst!  And, of course, trying to keep the whole thing in perspective. . . we're amateurs, we do this for F-U-N. ;D
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: karlhenning on September 29, 2009, 05:25:38 PM
Do have fun!
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: secondwind on September 29, 2009, 05:39:43 PM
Thanks, I'll try.  Must remember--motto is:  Have fun and play the best I can.  Motto is NOT:  Play perfectly or commit ritual seppuku immediately after less-than-perfect performance. 
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Air on September 29, 2009, 08:26:57 PM
Chopin: First Ballade
Schumann: Klavierkonzert Op. 54
Bach: P&F 20 WTC I
Shostakovich: P&F No. 16

Still pondering WHICH Beethoven, Mozart, or Haydn sonata.  ;)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: secondwind on September 30, 2009, 02:05:15 AM
Is this preparation for a performance?  It sound like a tough lineup! 
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Air on September 30, 2009, 03:13:33 PM
Quote from: secondwind on September 30, 2009, 02:05:15 AM
Is this preparation for a performance?  It sound like a tough lineup! 

No, I'm just building up a repertoire.  I'd get exhausted if I had to play the whole thing.  :)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: secondwind on September 30, 2009, 05:59:04 PM
Fair enough.  And have you decided which Beethoven, Mozart, or Haydn sonata?
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: secondwind on October 04, 2009, 06:01:50 PM
Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on September 29, 2009, 05:25:38 PM
Do have fun!
Well, I had some fun.  About as much fun as I can have playing imperfectly with a wretched cold.  But thanks to your excellent advice, I focused as much as possible on the fun parts--those few moments when the sound was exactly what I wanted it to be!  The composer claimed to be pleased with our rendition of his piece (whew!), and many people in the audience, including of course my fellow chamber music classmates and comrades in arms (I think we've established that clarinets at least can be lethal weapons) had kind things to say.  And I enjoyed listening to the other pieces on the program (even while recognizing their various imperfections).  I remain convinced, however, that it would be more fun to play better, so I will return to practice directly.   ;D
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: karlhenning on October 04, 2009, 07:31:06 PM
Splendid!
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: secondwind on October 30, 2009, 08:32:09 PM
Just returned from the local composers' society concert, at which I played (for the second time) a trio for clarinet, horn and piano.  The concert was, as usual, quite a mixed bag of styles, ensembles, instruments, voices, and just about everything else.  I am encouraged that there are people writing music, and although nothing that I heard tonight might qualify as great music, there was a lot of good music--there was wit, there was tenderness, there was intelligence and even some adventurousness.  Although most (probably not all) of the performers were amateurs or students, there was some fine playing as well.  All in all, an encouraging evening, and I was very happy to be part of it.  I feel privileged to be asked by a composer to play his/her music--it feels like an honor and a responsibility, kind of like taking charge of someone's first-born for a year or two. 
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: mikkeljs on December 16, 2009, 12:18:18 PM
Brahms: Drei Intermezzi op. 117
Alkan: Scerzo Diabolico and another etude
Scriabin: 2 dances op. 74
Prokofiev: Sonata no. 3

am considering to play Alkans Grande Sonata soon maybe.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: mikkeljs on December 22, 2009, 07:45:38 AM
Quote from: mikkeljs on December 16, 2009, 12:18:18 PM
Brahms: Drei Intermezzi op. 117
Alkan: Scerzo Diabolico and another etude
Scriabin: 2 dances op. 74
Prokofiev: Sonata no. 3

am considering to play Alkans Grande Sonata soon maybe.

just got the permission today from my teacher to play Alkans Sonata!  8)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: secondwind on December 22, 2009, 11:41:14 AM
Wonderful!  I like Alkan.  The lineup sounds pretty ambitious!
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: secondwind on December 22, 2009, 11:47:44 AM
I'm getting out my basset horn tonight to play Mendelssohn's first concertpiece for clarinet, basset horn, and piano in a community concert.  I could use a couple more years to practice the part  :-[, but I'll play as many of the notes as I can and try to have fun with it. 
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: karlhenning on December 22, 2009, 12:34:55 PM
Do! As much fun as the traffic allows!
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: secondwind on January 20, 2010, 08:23:07 PM
Now working on the second concertpiece for clarinet, basset horn, and piano (Mendelssohn).  The basset horn is really getting a workout these days!  I may actually learning how to play the thing!   ;D We had a good coaching session today with the teacher of the pianist--amazing how much difference a good coach can make in a short time!  Now, if we can just retain what we learned today and add to it. . .   Next week we'll have a coaching session with the teacher of the clarinetist--one of the grand old men of the local clarinet world.  Maybe he can help me find somewhere to breath in the slow movement. . . or teach me circular breathing . . .?  It would come in handy from time to time. 
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: PaulR on May 18, 2010, 05:36:26 PM
During this semester, I haven't been playing much, due to student teaching and not having a direction to go in, but now that it's over, I would like to try to work on Koussevitsky's "Valse Miniature", the other movements to Weinberg's "Sonata for Double Bass"  (I did movements 3 and 4 from it already on my recital ((Which I am considering putting on youtube)), and Serge Lancen's "Concerto for bass".
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: hjonkers on June 03, 2010, 05:22:02 AM
Beethoven sonata op.57, Chopin Nocturne op.62/1 and Rachmaninoff ET op.39/8. Lots of work ahead yet... 
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Saul on June 11, 2010, 09:52:29 AM
Right now I'm playing Mendelssohn's Spinning Song.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: mikkeljs on June 12, 2010, 01:52:59 PM
absolutely nothing!  :'(
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: greg on June 12, 2010, 02:15:20 PM
Go outside and play a video game, you young whippersnappers.

I'm not playing anything, either. Not really interested in performing other peoples' music, anyways (unless I know them). ;D
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: mikkeljs on June 13, 2010, 06:52:58 AM
Quote from: Greg on June 12, 2010, 02:15:20 PM
Go outside and play a video game, you young whippersnappers.

I'm not playing anything, either. Not really interested in performing other peoples' music, anyways (unless I know them). ;D

But somehow I had ambitions before, at least for performing my own stuff or maybe a Sorabji work someday. But not anymore. I just had my bachelor exam last week, and I got a lower mark than when I got in 3½ years ago. 3½ years hard work for nothing! I was even satisfying with my performance, which is quite rare, and I had looked so much forward to this exam. The reason for the low mark was that I concentrated only on my bad site such as romantic melodic repertoir like Chopin and Brahms. But since I spent all the time working on that, I would expect to have a higher mark. I can´t relate to that mark logically or when I compare with others.  Therefore I have stopped playing completely for now. Only if someone will help me radically (and I already had the best teacher in DK for 3 years), I will play again. My whole picture is turned upside down, so has been just drinking (and composing) for a week. Will probably not practice for a couple of months at least.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: greg on June 14, 2010, 04:47:34 AM
Although I don't think one little exam can judge how you are as a pianist... (probably not a good idea to take it too seriously)
But yeah, just take your time and start playing again when you feel like it.  8)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: mikkeljs on June 17, 2010, 03:13:24 AM
Quote from: Greg on June 14, 2010, 04:47:34 AM
Although I don't think one little exam can judge how you are as a pianist... (probably not a good idea to take it too seriously)
But yeah, just take your time and start playing again when you feel like it.  8)

Thanks for the support.  :) Hopefully I will start practicing again one day. In that case I will dedicate all the practicing to a Sorabji work. Perhabs the Opus Archimagicum, and then I could maybe study and record it bit by bit, so I don´t have to prepare a huge program. Just need some advice how to put recordings together.

But so far I can´t think about piano without getting sad and angry, so it´s impossible for me to work at the moment.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: PaulR on June 24, 2010, 03:41:01 PM
So, after a couple of lessons, I am definitely getting Koussevitsky's Valse Miniature prepared, and Vanhal Concerto in E Maj,  prepared for a possible audition for grad school. Will be a fun summer!
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: mikkeljs on June 29, 2010, 01:27:11 PM
After a whole month without practicing, I feel soon ready to work again. Have decided to study and record Sorabjis 2nd Symphony for piano, large orchestra, organ, chorus and soloists, which in fact seems to be a fusion between a piano work and the mentioned. It´s written as a piano solo work and it seems that Sorabji didn´t intented to orchestrate it at all. The work should be as hard to play as the most difficult by Sorabji, and since other unperformed pieces have a greater popularity among Sorabji entusiasts, I hope that I can have this project for myself for many years.

As I usually spent 80-90% of the practicing time for preparing a united execution of a longer program, I would like to record it bit by bit, to save the time. Have been working a little on Opus Archimagicum today, but Im afraid if Tellef Johnson will be done with it first, so I decided to go for the 2nd Symphony KSS51.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: rappy on December 17, 2010, 04:10:21 PM
Just played Schubert D.894, 1st movement in concert, here's the live recording from today:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXRShI2HOkE

Enjoy :)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Philoctetes on December 17, 2010, 04:12:28 PM
Quote from: rappy on December 17, 2010, 04:10:21 PM
Just played Schubert D.894, 1st movement in concert, here's the live recording from today:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXRShI2HOkE

Enjoy :)

Thanks for posting that.  :)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: rappy on December 20, 2010, 06:43:55 AM
And now an improvisated waltz on a "microtonal" piano! :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXnTtqTlltE
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: greg on December 21, 2010, 01:21:46 PM
Quote from: rappy on December 20, 2010, 06:43:55 AM
And now an improvisated waltz on a "microtonal" piano! :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXnTtqTlltE
Cool!  :)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: music4ever on February 01, 2011, 01:03:18 PM
I just found a really beautiful piano piece by Beethoven; I heard of it somewhere because it was quite spectacular that some Australian guy (yes thats right: not Austrian!!) found it in a library in 2008! In the booklet of the first edition they write  that this is for sure the last piece Beethoven wrote for the piano. It's really such a nice piece, in a way really strange (opens whith a augmented chord) and the part in the middle is not easy because of the thirds. I live in Italy and when I played it the first time I had this geat feeling that probably now I'm the first person in my country to play this music from Beethoven! Questo e stato meraviglioso!
The publisher of this piece is a german company who run a website called Inter-Note. The link to the piece that I really recommend to you is here: http://inter-note.com/nvd/result.jsp?query=Klavierst%C3%BCck+%28%22Bagatelle%22%29+mit+kritischem+Bericht+
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: emma84 on August 12, 2011, 06:10:09 AM
Ravel, Rachmaninov, Chopin, Tchaikovsky.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Muzition on September 08, 2011, 05:11:17 PM
I'm currently working on two unaccompanied clarinet pieces by Koechlin.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: DavidW on September 08, 2011, 07:17:12 PM
Quote from: Muzition on September 08, 2011, 05:11:17 PM
I'm currently working on two unaccompanied clarinet pieces by Koechlin.

Boy MI is going to freak out when he sees this! :D
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: bwv 1080 on September 08, 2011, 07:38:43 PM
http://www.youtube.com/v/9c2IsbIi9Hg

Early 19th century banjo piece

transcribed by Frank Converse in the 1860s who wrote:

The first banjo I ever heard was in the hands of a colored man--a bright mulatto--whose name I have forgotten. He frequently visited Elmira and the neighboring villages, playing and singing and passing his hat for collections. His repertoire was not very extensive, but, with his comicalities, sufficed to gain him a living. I cannot say that I learned anything from his execution, which, though amusing, was limited to the thumb and first finger,--pulling or picking the strings with both. He was quite conceited as to his abilities (pardonable in banjo players, I believe), and to impress his listeners with a due appreciation of them, he would announce that such a trifling circumstance as the banjo being out of tune caused him no inconvenience and so, with a seemingly careless fumbling of the pegs, he would disarrange the tuning--fro de banjo out a tune, he said--but merely pitching the second string a semitone higher.

The following morceaux, which I still recall, was his piece de resistance with the instrument frod out a tune, and thinking it may amuse your readers, I give it.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Mirror Image on September 08, 2011, 09:17:55 PM
Quote from: DavidW on September 08, 2011, 07:17:12 PM
Boy MI is going to freak out when he sees this! :D

No, I'm not freaking out. I already knew she was working on them. She's a friend of mine on Facebook.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: karlhenning on September 09, 2011, 04:50:28 AM
Quote from: Muzition on September 08, 2011, 05:11:17 PM
I'm currently working on two unaccompanied clarinet pieces by Koechlin.

Which? Are they public domain? Published? Your fellow clarinetists want to know!

Thread duty:

My own Irreplaceable Doodles (clarinet unaccompanied), as part of a benefit concert here in Boston this Tuesday evening.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: karlhenning on September 09, 2011, 04:51:12 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on September 08, 2011, 09:17:55 PM
No, I'm not freaking out. I already knew she was working on them. She's a friend of mine on Facebook.

Ah-ha! I could be connecting dots . . . .
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: TheGSMoeller on September 09, 2011, 09:18:27 AM
Friend of mine just asked me to write a piece in the style of Baroque for an app-video game he is designing. So I am hearing the small amount I've finished over and over.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: karlhenning on September 13, 2011, 04:16:28 AM
[ cross post ]

Tonight, my own Irreplaceable Doodles as part of this event:
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: PaulR on September 28, 2011, 03:51:39 PM
Currently playing for solo:  2nd movement of Vanhal Bass Concerto, Bouree 1 and 2 from Bach's 3rd cello suite

Currently playing for orchestra:  Pieces by David Lang, Amy Beth Kirsten, and Ingram Marshall.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on October 05, 2011, 06:28:21 AM
Just finished playing now:

Ludwig van Beethoven, Piano Sonata No.14 in C# minor "Moonlight"
Gustav Mahler, Symphony No.1 "Titan", piano transcription of the third movement

Ilaria
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Muzition on October 06, 2011, 05:24:27 AM
The Gondoliers by Gilbert and Sullivan.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on October 13, 2011, 08:37:37 AM
Just finished playing  :)

Ludwig van Beethoven, Piano Sonata No.9 - Rondò: Allegro comodo

Ilaria
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Muzition on October 22, 2011, 08:06:08 AM
I'm playing 3 of my own pieces on bass clarinet today, and another 3 of my own pieces on Bb clarinet tomorrow.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: madaboutmahler on October 29, 2011, 09:17:12 AM
Playing a nice variety of things.

My piano teacher at the Junior Department at the Royal Academy of Music has set me the ambitious task of learning Chopin's C Minor Nocturne. Have been attempting it in the last few weeks and it is getting better!

In the piano trio I formed with friends of mine, in which I am playing the cello, we are attempting Beethoven's D Major 'Ghost' Trio, great piece but very difficult! Also, I am transcribing some pieces from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker to play in the trio as well which would be great fun!

Also attempting to play some of my own compositions on the piano, which is proving rather difficult! Especially my 'Romance for piano'!
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on October 30, 2011, 06:18:55 AM
A bit of Chopin:

Prelude Op. 28 No. 7
Valse Op. 64 No. 1 "Petit Chien"

The waltz is a rather difficult to play, but very beautiful :)

Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: ibanezmonster on October 30, 2011, 04:54:50 PM
http://www.youtube.com/v/b9RJXWxth5g
Contrary to how it may sound, the "rhythm guitar"/"riffs" (not sure you can call it that) are actually harder to play than the lead solos, mainly because the string skipping is insane.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Karl Henning on October 31, 2011, 04:49:46 AM
Quote from: Muzition on October 22, 2011, 08:06:08 AM
I'm playing 3 of my own pieces on bass clarinet today, and another 3 of my own pieces on Bb clarinet tomorrow.

How'd they go?
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Mn Dave on October 31, 2011, 04:54:45 AM
I'd like to play my guitar but in our home it is not possible.  :'(
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: madaboutmahler on November 06, 2011, 04:35:34 AM
Of to a rehearsal with the Misbourne Symphony Orchestra now - the Holst Planets suite. I shall be playing the organ part! :) The concert is next Saturday, and will also contain one of my own pieces which the MSO commissioned from me. If you just happen to be in the Buckinghamshire area of England next week, please come along!  ;)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on November 06, 2011, 07:04:58 AM
Quote from: madaboutmahler on November 06, 2011, 04:35:34 AM
Of to a rehearsal with the Misbourne Symphony Orchestra now - the Holst Planets suite. I shall be playing the organ part! :)

What a masterpiece, it must very exciting to play in it :) I know The Planets is also scored for organ, but which movements include that instrument? I'm afraid I can't hear its sound clearly.....

Best wishes for the concert! :)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: madaboutmahler on November 06, 2011, 09:12:29 AM
Quote from: Lisztianwagner on November 06, 2011, 07:04:58 AM
What a masterpiece, it must very exciting to play in it :) I know The Planets is also scored for organ, but which movements include that instrument? I'm afraid I can't hear its sound clearly.....

Best wishes for the concert! :)

Certainly! The organ features quite a lot in Mars, has the melody along with lower strings at the end of Saturn, has a massive solo glissando in Uranus (which you should certainly check out Mackerras' performance on youtube for!) and one held pedal for a short while just before the choir enters in Neptune. :) The rest of the time in the piece, I can just sit back and enjoy watching the rest of the orchestra - in which many friends of mine play! :)

Thank you Ilaria!
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on November 06, 2011, 09:31:00 AM
Quote from: madaboutmahler on November 06, 2011, 09:12:29 AM
Certainly! The organ features quite a lot in Mars, has the melody along with lower strings at the end of Saturn, has a massive solo glissando in Uranus (which you should certainly check out Mackerras' performance on youtube for!) and one held pedal for a short while just before the choir enters in Neptune. :) The rest of the time in the piece, I can just sit back and enjoy watching the rest of the orchestra - in which many friends of mine play! :)

Thank you Ilaria!

Thanks for the explanation :)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: madaboutmahler on November 06, 2011, 09:38:48 AM
Quote from: Lisztianwagner on November 06, 2011, 09:31:00 AM
Thanks for the explanation :)

My pleasure, Ilaria! :)

One of the performances when the organ is most present is BBCPO/Mackerras which was a live Proms performance around 2 years ago. You can listen here on youtube, listen to that amazing glissando at the climax of Uranus! :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGfwxpuY2jY

  :o ;D
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on November 06, 2011, 09:50:48 AM
Quote from: madaboutmahler on November 06, 2011, 09:38:48 AM
My pleasure, Ilaria! :)

One of the performances when the organ is most present is BBCPO/Mackerras which was a live Proms performance around 2 years ago. You can listen here on youtube, listen to that amazing glissando at the climax of Uranus! :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGfwxpuY2jY

  :o ;D

Thank you for the link Daniel, Uranus is one of my favourite movements of The Planets, along with Venus and Jupiter (although I love all the sections); I listened to it very carefully, now I've finally caught the organ part :)
Now I'm doing the same with Karajan's recording ;)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: madaboutmahler on November 06, 2011, 10:00:10 AM
Quote from: Lisztianwagner on November 06, 2011, 09:50:48 AM
Thank you for the link Daniel, Uranus is one of my favourite movements of The Planets, along with Venus and Jupiter (although I love all the sections); I listened to it very carefully, now I've finally caught the organ part :)
Now I'm doing the same with Karajan's recording ;)

My pleasure, Ilaria. Glad you found the organ in that movement! :) We nearly share the favourite movements, mine are Venus, Uranus and Neptune. But like you, I absolutely love all the movements, The Planets is such an amazing masterpiece! Make sure to take part in my latest poll about it! ;)
Enjoy the Karajan - great recording!
I should really find another recording of the Planets! I have been listening to the same one for years now...
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on November 07, 2011, 08:59:29 AM
I've been trying to make a piano arragement of Holst's "Two Songs without Words", Country Song :) Rather funny, but as I haven't got the original score for orchestra, I have to play the keyboard by ear....
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Mirror Image on November 09, 2011, 08:20:15 PM
At one point, a couple of nights ago, I thought I played a melody or musical phrase from Shostakovich's 8th symphony. It turns out it wasn't exactly a musical quote, but it was pretty damn near close to it. 8)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: ibanezmonster on January 03, 2012, 03:47:13 PM
accidentally modified...
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Mirror Image on January 03, 2012, 03:54:51 PM
It looks like I'm heading into a Gospel direction (for now) as I have a friend who is really into this music and wants to get together and form a band. I can't imagine me playing Gospel music at all, but I guess, wanting to be a versatile guitarist, I'll have to give this music a chance. There's still some music I haven't tried to play: funk (though I've played R&B a good bit), Christian rock, any kind of World music (Indian, African, Chinese, etc.), and Latin (there's a wide array of music in this genre). I would love to get better at flamenco. I love Spanish guitar so much, but I'm afraid that I haven't acquired their unique sense of rhythm yet. Very difficult music to play.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: ibanezmonster on January 03, 2012, 03:58:59 PM
Gospel should be pretty easy to learn. Flamenco, on the other hand... not so much. I knew a guy who played it, but I don't play any stuff (rarely do I ever even pick with my fingers).
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Mirror Image on January 03, 2012, 04:11:37 PM
Quote from: Greg on January 03, 2012, 03:58:59 PM
Gospel should be pretty easy to learn. Flamenco, on the other hand... not so much. I knew a guy who played it, but I don't play any stuff (rarely do I ever even pick with my fingers).

I don't think this guy who is asking me to play Gospel music with him realizes that I'm, essentially, a jazz influenced player. When I told him, I'm really into alternate chord voicings and the textural aspects of guitar, I don't think he full realized what I was saying. :) Oh well, he'll find out.

Flamenco is a b**** to play. I'm having a hard time as, like you, I hardly have used my fingers to pick strings. I just like the articulation I get with a pick more than a finger, but I could always buy fingerpicks.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Mirror Image on January 03, 2012, 04:48:48 PM
I quit...

http://www.youtube.com/v/t-CjLfu9zCk

Obviously, these guys aren't well known or at least I don't think they are, but I think they display a great gift and they play this music just as naturally as they breathe.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: ibanezmonster on January 03, 2012, 08:27:09 PM
Hmm... I might have to learn some of that.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Mirror Image on January 03, 2012, 08:56:30 PM
Quote from: Greg on January 03, 2012, 08:27:09 PM
Hmm... I might have to learn some of that.

I would but I suffer from CPADT (Can't Play A Damn Thing). :D
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: ibanezmonster on January 04, 2012, 07:39:48 AM
I accidentally modified my post about which instruments I'm learning...  ::)

Quote
High notes are very difficult on both instruments. I play a wooden recorder now, since I don't like the feel of the cheap, plastic ones that we played in elementary school. The tone quality is nice, but it seems that the high notes have a very limited dynamic range- you simply can't produce them under forte, and the lowest notes seem to not work over mf.
Okay, now that I can play the high notes, I'm wondering wtf is up with the fingering charts. All you have to do to produce a note an octave higher is to 3/4 cover the bottom hole (goes up to the D above the treble staff). The fingerings for the Baroque system aren't even in tune, but maybe it's supposed to be like that?
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: canninator on January 06, 2012, 03:08:36 AM
How strange, I never noticed this thread before but it looks as though it doesn't get a lot of traffic.

Now playing the Sarabande from J.S. Bach Lute suite in C minor (BWV 997) (transposed to A minor)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Karl Henning on January 06, 2012, 03:59:09 AM
Are you a lutenist?
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: canninator on January 06, 2012, 05:25:47 AM
Quote from: karlhenning on January 06, 2012, 03:59:09 AM
Are you a lutenist?

No, a guitarist hence the transposition to A minor in standard tuning. Playing the C minor suite on a regular guitar can be done with unusual tunings and/or a capo. Transposing is preferable for two reasons 1) You get lots of nice open strings so you can design a fingering with a great legato sound. The open string on a capo'd guitar is much less resonant. 2) Transposing means you can play in an overall lower register (as opposed to when you have a capo) so you are closer to the intended natural sound of the lute.

My teacher is a professional lutenist (as well as guitarist) and has often tried to get me to play the lute but I have thus far resisted. I still play a lot of lute repertoire, just not on the instrument it was intended for!
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Karl Henning on January 06, 2012, 05:58:18 AM
Then, too, a lot of music works very nicely in guitar transcription : )
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on January 10, 2012, 09:25:19 AM
Johann Strauss II -  Tik-Tak Polka op. 365, transcription for solo piano.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: canninator on January 17, 2012, 10:40:39 AM
for this evening

Villa-Lobos: Prelude No.1
Fernando Sor Op 31 No 23

and, as ever, some Carcassi Op 60 studies
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: madaboutmahler on February 03, 2012, 01:58:28 PM
Finally, I can play the Chopin C Minor Nocturne! After many months of practice! :) Not quite perfect, but I am so happy that it finally sounds more as it should! Also playing a piece from the Handel D Minor Keyboard Suite.
Next piece to learn will be the Brahms A Major Intermezzo OP.18, one of my favourite piano pieces of all time!

Percussion wise, the orchestra I am in (Watford Youth Orchestra) is preparing to perform Scheherezade :D I shall be going along to rehearsals soon. :)

Chamber music wise,

I have a new duet partner! She is amazing!!!!!!! :D We started off playing Salut d'amour together (you can see where this is going...) and I am also transcribing Scheherezade for us to play, and also some Dvorak Slavonic Dances and pieces from Prokofiev R+J. She also wants to do the Bartok Romanian Folk Dances and Brahms A Major sonata with me. :) She likes Mahler too, so am just in the process of finding some Mahler that is romantic (not too difficult in that respect...) that could be transcribed for violin and piano... Also, so inspired by her that I shall be writing a violin sonata for her. :)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on February 03, 2012, 02:12:20 PM
Quote from: madaboutmahler on February 03, 2012, 01:58:28 PM
Finally, I can play the Chopin C Minor Nocturne!

Do you mean Nocturne Op.48? There's more than one piece in that key.....
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: madaboutmahler on February 04, 2012, 09:02:13 AM
Quote from: Lisztianwagner on February 03, 2012, 02:12:20 PM
Do you mean Nocturne Op.48? There's more than one piece in that key.....

Yes, I do! Thank you, Ilaria. :)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on February 04, 2012, 11:11:20 AM
Quote from: madaboutmahler on February 04, 2012, 09:02:13 AM
Yes, I do! Thank you, Ilaria. :)

That's wonderful, this work is quite hard to play! ;D
Among the pieces I've been studying, there's also a Chopin's nocturne...Op.32 No.1 :)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: madaboutmahler on February 04, 2012, 01:21:58 PM
Quote from: Lisztianwagner on February 04, 2012, 11:11:20 AM
That's wonderful, this work is quite hard to play! ;D
Among the pieces I've been studying, there's also a Chopin's nocturne...Op.32 No.1 :)

Not just quite hard!!!!! So difficult... or it was so difficult... I think it sounds rather good now. :)

Beautiful piece! I love playing Chopin!
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on February 05, 2012, 02:39:22 AM
Quote from: madaboutmahler on February 04, 2012, 01:21:58 PM
Not just quite hard!!!!! So difficult... or it was so difficult... I think it sounds rather good now. :)

Beautiful piece! I love playing Chopin!

Haha, very good. :)

Me too, I really love playing Chopin! His music is not simple to be performed at all, but it's so enchanting, so passionate!
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: canninator on March 04, 2012, 10:34:00 AM
A Sunday night Mazurka, Adelita by Tarrega
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: canninator on March 06, 2012, 10:59:50 PM
First time playing for today, Sarabande for guitar, FP179 by Francis Poulenc. Lovely! Later, if I have time, Quatres Pieces Breve by Frank Martin (a work in progress).
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: canninator on March 08, 2012, 09:00:33 AM
For a bit of fun, Segoviana by Darius Milhaud. Score doesn't look too bad but no fingerlings.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on April 10, 2012, 01:51:50 PM
Just finished playing:

Ludwig van Beethoven
Piano Sonata No.14

I. Adagio sostenuto
II. Allegretto

I'm very happy I'm finally able to play the two first movements of Beethoven's Sonata in a very good "Ashkenazy-style". ;D
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: madaboutmahler on April 11, 2012, 03:19:51 AM
Wonderful, Ilaria!

And for me, I am learning to play Brahms' Intermezzo in A Major from the Opus 118 set. Beautiful piece, but quite a challenge...! After that, I wish to try and learn to play the Rach C# Minor prelude. :D (although, it might take quite a while!!!)

Percussion-wise... in the Watford Youth Orchestra, are next concert will include Smetana's Vltava, a modern trumpet concerto and RK's Scheherezade. Really looking forward to it! We shall begin our rehearsals again very soon. And as I am the only percussionist that comes to rehearsals, apart from the timpanist, I get to choose whichever instruments I want.... :D :D :D :D I'll probably do a combination of the cymbals, snare drum and tam tam parts for Scheherezade, and a mixture of everything for the others. Really looking forward to it! :)

Conducting-wise, my chamber orchestra will be start this time next week! We'll be doing Prokofiev's Classical Symphony, and some Sibelius chamber orchestra pieces. :)
Title: Re: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Karl Henning on April 11, 2012, 03:27:57 AM
Quote from: madaboutmahler on April 11, 2012, 03:19:51 AM
Wonderful, Ilaria!

And for me, I am learning to play Brahms' Intermezzo in A Major from the Opus 118 set. Beautiful piece, but quite a challenge...!

Don't you mean, Beautiful piece, and quite a challenge...?

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2
Title: Re: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: madaboutmahler on April 11, 2012, 03:35:19 AM
Quote from: karlhenning on April 11, 2012, 03:27:57 AM
Don't you mean, Beautiful piece, and quite a challenge...?

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

I suppose I do, Karl. Thank you for the correction! ;)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Karl Henning on April 11, 2012, 03:54:01 AM
Many times, the challenge adds to the music's allure for us geeky performers . . . .
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: madaboutmahler on April 11, 2012, 03:58:49 AM
Quote from: karlhenning on April 11, 2012, 03:54:01 AM
Many times, the challenge adds to the music's allure for us geeky performers . . . .

haha :) Practising the piece does uplift me... :)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on April 11, 2012, 06:24:40 AM
Thank you, Daniel! Good luck for the concert with the Watford Youth Orchestra! :)

For the time being, I will leave out the third movement, Presto Agitato, and I will concentrate on other scores I've studied: Rachmaninov's Prelude in C# Minor and Chopin's Nocturne Op.32.
I might also start studying the harpsichord part of Lunar Glare, it looks very interesting.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Karl Henning on April 11, 2012, 06:31:26 AM
: )
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: madaboutmahler on April 11, 2012, 06:32:01 AM
Quote from: Lisztianwagner on April 11, 2012, 06:24:40 AM
Thank you, Daniel! Good luck for the concert with the Watford Youth Orchestra! :)

For the time being, I will leave out the third movement, Presto Agitato, and I will concentrate on other scores I've studied: Rachmaninov's Prelude in C# Minor and Chopin's Nocturne Op.32.
I might also start studying the harpsichord part of Lunar Glare, it looks very interesting.

Thank you, Ilaria! The concert is in June, if anyone can make it! ;)

Good luck with the Rach! And Chopin is so beautiful and rewarding to play. I still play the Chopin C Minor Nocturne... I just love it so much. :)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on April 11, 2012, 06:44:33 AM
Quote from: madaboutmahler on April 11, 2012, 06:32:01 AM
Thank you, Ilaria! The concert is in June, if anyone can make it! ;)

Good luck with the Rach! And Chopin is so beautiful and rewarding to play. I still play the Chopin C Minor Nocturne... I just love it so much. :)

Thank you, I really love that Rach's Prelude :) Yes, Chopin's piano works are quite hard to play, but they're definitely worth learning, such beautiful, brilliant music!
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on April 20, 2012, 09:56:49 AM
Just finished practising:

Sergei Rachmaninov
Prelude in C # Minor, Op.3 No.2

Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: canninator on April 27, 2012, 11:25:24 PM
Just starting, Bach 'Prelude, Fugue, and Allegro' BWV 998. A mountain to climb but the view from the summit should be spectacular  :)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on May 11, 2012, 01:51:07 PM
This evening:

Fryderyk Chopin
Prelude No.7


Sergei Rachmaninov
Prelude in C # Minor, Op.3 No.2


Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: madaboutmahler on May 13, 2012, 03:13:51 AM
How are you finding the Rachmaninov, Ilaria?

I have also started practising it, and it's not as difficult as I initially thought. I think I have all the notes now, I just need to concentrate on getting the middle section up to speed! :)

Yesterday, in my piano lesson, my teacher and I discussed what I may want to play next. She suggested to me pieces like Prokofiev's 3rd Sonata, Ravel's Miroirs and Beethoven's Appassionata! Going to be doing a bit of Schumann next, but after that I would particularly like to start on those! :)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on May 13, 2012, 03:59:43 AM
Quote from: madaboutmahler on May 13, 2012, 03:13:51 AM
How are you finding the Rachmaninov, Ilaria?

I have also started practising it, and it's not as difficult as I initially thought. I think I have all the notes now, I just need to concentrate on getting the middle section up to speed! :)

Yesterday, in my piano lesson, my teacher and I discussed what I may want to play next. She suggested to me pieces like Prokofiev's 3rd Sonata, Ravel's Miroirs and Beethoven's Appassionata! Going to be doing a bit of Schumann next, but after that I would particularly like to start on those! :)

The same for me, Rach's Prelude is not as difficult as I thought; I've been able to play the Lento and the Tempo Primo sections quite well, but I can't still perform the Agitato as fast as I should do. I hope to become a fine interpreter of Rachmaninov soon, like my model Vladimir Ashkenazy! ;)

Oh, those are wonderful pieces, Beethoven's Appassionata is in my list too, good luck! After Rachmaninov, I think I will finally start practising Chopin's Nocturne Op.32, so excited to begin! ;D
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: madaboutmahler on May 13, 2012, 04:09:03 AM
Quote from: Lisztianwagner on May 13, 2012, 03:59:43 AM
The same for me, Rach's Prelude is not as difficult as I thought; I've been able to play the Lento and the Tempo Primo sections quite well, but I can't still perform the Agitato as fast as I should do. I hope to become a fine interpreter of Rachmaninov soon, like my model Vladimir Ashkenazy! ;)

Oh, those are wonderful pieces, Beethoven's Appassionata is in my list too, good luck! After Rachmaninov, I think I will finally start practising Chopin's Nocturne Op.32, so excited to begin! ;D

Yes, I can perform the opening lento now. I can do the Agitato slowly, and am now working on getting it to a better tempo. I can normally do the Tempo Primo, with a few wrong notes though! ;)

Enjoy the Chopin Nocturne, I have played the first of the Opus 32 as well. Really beautiful to play. I still play the C Minor one from Opus 48 very often. It is a very special piece to me and I never want to stop playing it! :)

Thank you, Ilaria! Good luck to you too! :)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on May 13, 2012, 05:14:56 AM
Quote from: madaboutmahler on May 13, 2012, 04:09:03 AM
Yes, I can perform the opening lento now. I can do the Agitato slowly, and am now working on getting it to a better tempo. I can normally do the Tempo Primo, with a few wrong notes though! ;)

Enjoy the Chopin Nocturne, I have played the first of the Opus 32 as well. Really beautiful to play. I still play the C Minor one from Opus 48 very often. It is a very special piece to me and I never want to stop playing it! :)

Thank you, Ilaria! Good luck to you too! :)

Haha, sure, me too; although that Prelude is not as hard to play as many of the other Rachmaninov's compositions, it's not very easy anyway. ;)

Thank you, Daniel :) I haven't started practising the Nocturne at the keyboard yet, but I studied the score rather deeply, both reading it and listening to Ashkenazy/Barenboim/Pollini playing it, such a beautiful, splendid piece! I adore the C minor Op.48 too, I would really like to play it after Op.32.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: madaboutmahler on May 13, 2012, 11:36:09 AM
Quote from: Lisztianwagner on May 13, 2012, 05:14:56 AM
Haha, sure, me too; although that Prelude is not as hard to play as many of the other Rachmaninov's compositions, it's not very easy anyway. ;)

Thank you, Daniel :) I haven't started practising the Nocturne at the keyboard yet, but I studied the score rather deeply, both reading it and listening to Ashkenazy/Barenboim/Pollini playing it, such a beautiful, splendid piece! I adore the C minor Op.48 too, I would really like to play it after Op.32.

Yes, I thought of it as a good piece to start off as a Rachmaninov player. Not the most difficult, but still a challenge! My teacher seems to like the idea of me playing Rachmaninov, so hopefully I'll be playing more of the Preludes and maybe the Etudes Tableaux soon.

The Chopin Nocturnes are certainly all beautiful! :) I hope you enjoy playing it when you start it. Great that you want to learn the C Minor Op.48 too, a very rewarding, special piece to play! :)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on June 20, 2012, 12:00:15 PM
At the keyboard, just finished playing:

Ludwig van Beethoven
Piano Sonata No.14

I. Adagio sostenuto

Such passionate, beautiful music! ;D
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: madaboutmahler on June 20, 2012, 02:00:02 PM
Quote from: Lisztianwagner on June 20, 2012, 12:00:15 PM
At the keyboard, just finished playing:

Ludwig van Beethoven
Piano Sonata No.14

I. Adagio sostenuto

Such passionate, beautiful music! ;D

Wonderful, Ilaria. A beautiful piece to play. It's been at least a year since I last played that movement.... must get the score out again sometime soon! :)

For me, apart from still regularly playing Brahms' A Major Intermezzo Opus 118, Rach C# Minor Prelude, and a short Scarlatti sonata I can not quite remember the number of, I have started to learn some of Ravel's Miroirs, starting with Alborada del Gracioso. Brilliant fun, but very very difficult... ! I have barely got past the first page so far...

Alongside Miroirs, my teacher and I are planning some more Rach preludes and the Beethoven Appassionata to be my next long term projects. Might be a while though... :)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on June 20, 2012, 02:29:14 PM
Quote from: madaboutmahler on June 20, 2012, 02:00:02 PM
Wonderful, Ilaria. A beautiful piece to play. It's been at least a year since I last played that movement.... must get the score out again sometime soon! :)

For me, apart from still regularly playing Brahms' A Major Intermezzo Opus 118, Rach C# Minor Prelude, and a short Scarlatti sonata I can not quite remember the number of, I have started to learn some of Ravel's Miroirs, starting with Alborada del Gracioso. Brilliant fun, but very very difficult... ! I have barely got past the first page so far...

Alongside Miroirs, my teacher and I are planning some more Rach preludes and the Beethoven Appassionata to be my next long term projects. Might be a while though... :)

The Moonlight Sonata (1st and 2nd movement) is quite special for me, it is one of the first pieces I learnt playing. :)

I haven't looked at the piano score of Alborada del Gracioso yet, though thinking of the music, I can certainly imagine it is very difficult! For me, since I will have school exams soon, I haven't got enough time to learn many new compositions, so I'm continuing to practise Rach C# Minor Prelude and Chopin's Nocturne Op.32/1; plus Mahler's Urlicht from the 2nd Symphony. ;)

What a beautiful project! The Appassionata is one of my favourite Beethoven's sonatas, so enchanting, and of course, Rach's preludes are outstanding! Good luck with them if you start studying these piece! :)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: madaboutmahler on June 21, 2012, 02:33:00 AM
Quote from: Lisztianwagner on June 20, 2012, 02:29:14 PM
The Moonlight Sonata (1st and 2nd movement) is quite special for me, it is one of the first pieces I learnt playing. :)

I haven't looked at the piano score of Alborada del Gracioso yet, though thinking of the music, I can certainly imagine it is very difficult! For me, since I will have school exams soon, I haven't got enough time to learn many new compositions, so I'm continuing to practise Rach C# Minor Prelude and Chopin's Nocturne Op.32/1; plus Mahler's Urlicht from the 2nd Symphony. ;)

What a beautiful project! The Appassionata is one of my favourite Beethoven's sonatas, so enchanting, and of course, Rach's preludes are outstanding! Good luck with them if you start studying these piece! :)

:)
It really is very difficult, however, it is extremely fun to attempt to play! I hope to be able to play the whole piece in a few months. My exam period is also over, but I am extremely worn out with coursework, which should hopefully be over in a few weeks. Then I can concentrate completely on new works and my listening pile! :)
How are you getting along with the Rach C# Minor? Ah, wonderful! :)
One of mine too, thank you, Ilaria! Good luck to you too! :)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Karl Henning on June 21, 2012, 03:41:44 AM
Speaking strictly as a non-pianist, Alborada del gracioso is a blast : )
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: madaboutmahler on June 21, 2012, 05:07:53 AM
Quote from: karlhenning on June 21, 2012, 03:41:44 AM
Speaking strictly as a non-pianist, Alborada del gracioso is a blast : )

It's such a brilliant, fun piece! :D
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on June 21, 2012, 05:19:23 AM
Quote from: karlhenning on June 21, 2012, 03:41:44 AM
Speaking strictly as a non-pianist, Alborada del gracioso is a blast : )
Quote from: madaboutmahler on June 21, 2012, 05:07:53 AM
It's such a brilliant, fun piece! :D

I agree, it's so enchanting and expressive! ;D
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Cogluotobusisletmesi on June 22, 2012, 09:20:32 PM
I'm currently working on Rolf Riehm's "Toccata Orpheus" for solo guitar. It is a highly unusual piece full of extended techniques...one could almost call it a multimedia performance due to the choreography involved!

I'm also working on Elliott Carter's "Shard" on the side. I am enjoying it quite a bit so far.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Karl Henning on June 30, 2012, 04:41:39 AM
Sang these in the choir a couple of weeks ago (music written for the First Church Boston choir by Larry Thomas Bell):

http://www.youtube.com/v/Ohc0ahm_TpQ
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on July 08, 2012, 02:49:54 AM
A friend of mine asked me to take a look at his Andante for piano; the score arrived yesterday evening, can't wait to start studying the piece! ;D
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: madaboutmahler on July 10, 2012, 02:21:25 PM
Playing the Rach C# Minor Prelude in a school music event tommorow, very excited but nervous! Hoping it will go well! :)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on July 10, 2012, 02:29:06 PM
Quote from: madaboutmahler on July 10, 2012, 02:21:25 PM
Playing the Rach C# Minor Prelude in a school music event tommorow, very excited but nervous! Hoping it will go well! :)

How wonderful, good luck, Daniel! :)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: madaboutmahler on July 10, 2012, 02:32:21 PM
Quote from: Lisztianwagner on July 10, 2012, 02:29:06 PM
How wonderful, good luck, Daniel! :)

Thank you very much, Ilaria! :)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: madaboutmahler on July 11, 2012, 02:48:25 PM
Quote from: madaboutmahler on July 10, 2012, 02:21:25 PM
Playing the Rach C# Minor Prelude in a school music event tommorow, very excited but nervous! Hoping it will go well! :)

That was such a great, uplifting and happy evening!!!! Had so much fun! :) :)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: PaulR on July 11, 2012, 03:38:26 PM
I have to pick something for my seating auditions in late August.  I've been thinking of Bloch's Meditation Hebraique, or Schubert's Arpeggione Sonata first movement, or doing something I've already done, like a transcription of the Adagio from Shostakovich's Second Ballet Suite.  Whatever I pick, I need to pick soon.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Mirror Image on July 11, 2012, 07:14:57 PM
Right now, I'm trying to re-learn a 20-minute work I wrote titled Painless Objections. There's so many chords to learn again!!!! There are probably 40+ chords in this piece. Also, I don't have the same equipment I did when I wrote this 11 years ago, so the overall sound has changed. Interestingly enough, I came up with this piece a month before 9/11. The general mood is quite ominous so it's quite fascinating that this piece was written to express this kind of feeling.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: madaboutmahler on July 19, 2012, 09:35:08 AM
Really looking forward to playing the Brahms A Major Intermezzo (Opus 118) at the school prizegiving today! :) A bit nervous as always, but am very excited! :)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: madaboutmahler on July 19, 2012, 01:54:04 PM
Quote from: madaboutmahler on July 19, 2012, 09:35:08 AM
Really looking forward to playing the Brahms A Major Intermezzo (Opus 118) at the school prizegiving today! :) A bit nervous as always, but am very excited! :)

Was such a wonderful evening - was really pleased with my performance and the audience seemed to love it! It feels so wonderful when people comes up to you after the performance and compliment it! :)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: liuzerus87 on July 19, 2012, 03:30:30 PM
Quote from: madaboutmahler on July 19, 2012, 01:54:04 PM
Was such a wonderful evening - was really pleased with my performance and the audience seemed to love it! It feels so wonderful when people comes up to you after the performance and compliment it! :)

What a great piece. So simple sounding at first, yet so rewarding.

I gave that piece a go myself about a year ago, but my voicing in the middle sections was not nearly good enough.

Good on you for performing it.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: madaboutmahler on July 20, 2012, 07:22:30 AM
Quote from: liuzerus87 on July 19, 2012, 03:30:30 PM
What a great piece. So simple sounding at first, yet so rewarding.

I gave that piece a go myself about a year ago, but my voicing in the middle sections was not nearly good enough.

Good on you for performing it.

Yes, and I agree, it's certainly a very rewarding piece to play. Thank you very much! :)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on July 24, 2012, 08:48:10 AM
Just finished playing:

Karl Henning
Mirage - Piano part


Very enchanting piece. :)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Karl Henning on July 24, 2012, 08:59:16 AM
Thank you, indeed, Ilaria!
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on July 24, 2012, 09:02:27 AM
Quote from: karlhenning on July 24, 2012, 08:59:16 AM
Thank you, indeed, Ilaria!

My pleasure, Karl! I'll start studying the Cello Sonatina soon as well.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on August 09, 2012, 02:45:58 AM
Just finished playing:

J. S. Bach
Minuet in G major
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: madaboutmahler on September 15, 2012, 07:16:43 AM
Yesterday, we had our first WYO rehearsal since last term's amazing concert of Scheherezade. I was so excited about it, and was so happy to see everyone again, play the instruments again, and find out what we would be playing! :D For our upcoming winter concert, we're doing a slightly lighter concert, doing Saint-Saens Danse Macabre, some Dvorak Slavonic Dances, possibly the Mozart Clarinet Concerto, and Brahms' Haydn Variations to finish. We started the Danse Macabre and the Haydn Variations yesterday. So much fun to play! Triangle for the Brahms, and then juggling the xylophone, cymbals, triangle and bass drum parts for the Danse Macabre. I love the xylo part in particular! Felt so great to be back at the orchestra, I love it so much! :)

In terms of solo, I'm playing Granados' Orientale on the cello. And on the piano, recently started learning the Aufschwung from Schumann's Fantasiestucke Opus 12. :)

Looking forward to the new Academy term starting next week! :)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Mirror Image on September 15, 2012, 07:41:10 AM
Quote from: madaboutmahler on September 15, 2012, 07:16:43 AM
Yesterday, we had our first WYO rehearsal since last term's amazing concert of Scheherezade. I was so excited about it, and was so happy to see everyone again, play the instruments again, and find out what we would be playing! :D For our upcoming winter concert, we're doing a slightly lighter concert, doing Saint-Saens Danse Macabre, some Dvorak Slavonic Dances, possibly the Mozart Clarinet Concerto, and Brahms' Haydn Variations to finish. We started the Danse Macabre and the Haydn Variations yesterday. So much fun to play! Triangle for the Brahms, and then juggling the xylophone, cymbals, triangle and bass drum parts for the Danse Macabre. I love the xylo part in particular! Felt so great to be back at the orchestra, I love it so much! :)

In terms of solo, I'm playing Granados' Orientale on the cello. And on the piano, recently started learning the Aufschwung from Schumann's Fantasiestucke Opus 12. :)

Looking forward to the new Academy term starting next week! :)

This is great, Daniel. Playing with an orchestra will give you a better understanding of the inner mechanics of how an orchestra functions. It will also give you a better insight into composing for an orchestra.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: madaboutmahler on September 15, 2012, 07:42:46 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on September 15, 2012, 07:41:10 AM
This is great, Daniel. Playing with an orchestra will give you a better understanding of the inner mechanics of how an orchestra functions. It will also give you a better insight into composing for an orchestra.
Certainly, John! I have learnt so much already. :) Added to that, it's just so so so so much fun, I love every second of it. :)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on September 15, 2012, 09:36:12 AM
Quote from: madaboutmahler on September 15, 2012, 07:16:43 AM
Yesterday, we had our first WYO rehearsal since last term's amazing concert of Scheherezade. I was so excited about it, and was so happy to see everyone again, play the instruments again, and find out what we would be playing! :D For our upcoming winter concert, we're doing a slightly lighter concert, doing Saint-Saens Danse Macabre, some Dvorak Slavonic Dances, possibly the Mozart Clarinet Concerto, and Brahms' Haydn Variations to finish. We started the Danse Macabre and the Haydn Variations yesterday. So much fun to play! Triangle for the Brahms, and then juggling the xylophone, cymbals, triangle and bass drum parts for the Danse Macabre. I love the xylo part in particular! Felt so great to be back at the orchestra, I love it so much! :)

In terms of solo, I'm playing Granados' Orientale on the cello. And on the piano, recently started learning the Aufschwung from Schumann's Fantasiestucke Opus 12. :)

That sounds a wonderful programme; I would really like to listen to your performances, especially Dvorak's Slavonic Dances and Mozart's Clarinet Concerto. :) Good luck with the Granados and the Schumann!

Just finished practising:
Sergei Rachmaninov
Prelude in C# minor


I enjoyed playing this piece very much, I haven't played it for quite alittle time since I've concentrated on improving Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: madaboutmahler on September 15, 2012, 11:15:35 AM
Thank you, Ilaria! It's so much fun! :)
Hope the Rachmaninov is going well! :)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on September 15, 2012, 11:54:44 AM
Quote from: madaboutmahler on September 15, 2012, 11:15:35 AM
Thank you, Ilaria! It's so much fun! :)
Hope the Rachmaninov is going well! :)

Quite well, thank you! :)
What about Alborada del gracioso? I remember you started learning it........
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: madaboutmahler on September 15, 2012, 12:00:22 PM
Quote from: Lisztianwagner on September 15, 2012, 11:54:44 AM
Quite well, thank you! :)
What about Alborada del gracioso? I remember you started learning it........
Glad to hear that! Good luck with continuing it! How are you doing with the Agitato middle passage? I remember when performing it at a school music event, my hands were shaking so much from nerves that it was even more difficult to play accurately!! I was happy with the performance in the end though, and luckily the audience seemed to enjoy it! :)

I think I'm going to return to that in a while.... it's very...very..difficult!  ;D I might try to learn some of the other Miroirs first. :)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on September 15, 2012, 12:20:33 PM
Quote from: madaboutmahler on September 15, 2012, 12:00:22 PM
Glad to hear that! Good luck with continuing it! How are you doing with the Agitato middle passage? I remember when performing it at a school music event, my hands were shaking so much from nerves that it was even more difficult to play accurately!! I was happy with the performance in the end though, and luckily the audience seemed to enjoy it! :)

I think I'm going to return to that in a while.... it's very...very..difficult!  ;D I might try to learn some of the other Miroirs first. :)

Thank you! I've become faster in that passage, although not as quick as I should be yet. Haha, yes, I can imagine, the Agitato is....how can I say....the most critical point (or at least one of the most critical); maybe should I take example from Harpo Marx? ;)

I certainly understand; technically, that one is a very challenging work! About the other Miroirs, my favourites are Noctuelles and La vallée des cloches, though I absolutely love the entire set.

http://www.youtube.com/v/MoTyDD0C93U
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: madaboutmahler on September 15, 2012, 01:16:12 PM
Quote from: Lisztianwagner on September 15, 2012, 12:20:33 PM
Thank you! I've become faster in that passage, although not as quick as I should be yet. Haha, yes, I can imagine, the Agitato is....how can I say....the most critical point (or at least one of the most critical); maybe should I take example from Harpo Marx? ;)

I certainly understand; technically, that one is a very challenging work! About the other Miroirs, my favourites are Noctuelles and La vallée des cloches, though I absolutely love the entire set.

http://www.youtube.com/v/MoTyDD0C93U
It certainly is a great part of the work, and certainly great fun to play! :) haha, that was a very enjoyable video! However, I am glad these things didn't happen to me in my school performance of it! ;)

It certainly is! Can barely get past the first page.... I will come back to it though, I would really like to play it. I do love the whole of Miroirs, one of my favourite piano works of all time! :)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on September 15, 2012, 01:46:40 PM
Quote from: madaboutmahler on September 15, 2012, 01:16:12 PM
It certainly is a great part of the work, and certainly great fun to play! :) haha, that was a very enjoyable video! However, I am glad these things didn't happen to me in my school performance of it! ;)

It certainly is! Can barely get past the first page.... I will come back to it though, I would really like to play it. I do love the whole of Miroirs, one of my favourite piano works of all time! :)

Absolutely, Rach's prelude is simply amazing! Haha, I'm pleased you liked the video; that wasn't completely stage illusion, because, concerning the Marx brothers, both Chico amd Harpo Marx were excellent musicians (no instrument for Groucho), and they often played music in their films. :)

Mine also, such thrilling, beautifully atmospheric music! ;D I can share the feeling, I would like to play Alborada del gracioso (as well as the other Miroirs) too; Ravel's music is too enchanting!! :)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: madaboutmahler on September 21, 2012, 01:22:04 PM
Quote from: Lisztianwagner on September 15, 2012, 01:46:40 PM
Absolutely, Rach's prelude is simply amazing! Haha, I'm pleased you liked the video; that wasn't completely stage illusion, because, concerning the Marx brothers, both Chico amd Harpo Marx were excellent musicians (no instrument for Groucho), and they often played music in their films. :)

Mine also, such thrilling, beautifully atmospheric music! ;D I can share the feeling, I would like to play Alborada del gracioso (as well as the other Miroirs) too; Ravel's music is too enchanting!! :)

Certainly!

We found out and started rehearsing two more of our (WYO) pieces for the December concert today: Berlioz's Le carnival romane, and Copland's Rodeo dance. :D Such great fun to play both of them! I love WYO so much! :)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on October 01, 2012, 10:05:50 AM
Started studying this:

Ludwig van Beethoven
Piano Sonata No.21 'Waldstein'


II - Introduzione: molto adagio

Such beautiful music, I really love playing Beethoven. :)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on December 16, 2012, 02:27:43 AM
Robert Schumann
Kinderszenen


No.1: Von fremden Ländern und Menschen.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: ibanezmonster on April 18, 2013, 04:05:59 PM
The beginning of Beethoven's op.24 Violin Sonata. On mandolin.  8)

One day I'll figure out how to play that violin hanging on my wall.
Mandolin is such an easy instrument to play. The only thing I have to "learn" is where all the notes are- more like just a process of getting used to where they are, which in reality won't take too much effort. And I enjoy the agility of the instrument; it's easy to play behind your back, on the ground, over your head, etc.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on May 13, 2013, 07:57:36 AM
Started studying:

Erik Satie
Gnossienne No.1


Beautiful piece of music!
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Karl Henning on May 13, 2013, 08:00:22 AM
That it is! Have fun, Ilaria!
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on May 13, 2013, 09:18:25 AM
Quote from: karlhenning on May 13, 2013, 08:00:22 AM
That it is! Have fun, Ilaria!

Thank you, Karl. :)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: madaboutmahler on May 15, 2013, 06:19:14 AM
Quote from: Lisztianwagner on May 13, 2013, 07:57:36 AM
Started studying:

Erik Satie
Gnossienne No.1


Beautiful piece of music!

Wonderful, Ilaria!

Playing in the percussion section for Elgar Gerontius last Saturday was absolutely amazing. It was glorious to be part of, and it was certainly a very emotional experience. Amazing piece! :)

This term in youth orchestra we will have our concerts, the first being 'The Planets', and then the second is Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man and Shosty 5. So so so so excited, it's so much brilliant fun! :D

On piano, learning more Brahms late piano music. And on cello, Faure's Elegie, and also the Elgar Cello Concerto! (the latter being a very long term project ;) )
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on May 15, 2013, 07:52:45 AM
Quote from: madaboutmahler on May 15, 2013, 06:19:14 AM
Wonderful, Ilaria!

Playing in the percussion section for Elgar Gerontius last Saturday was absolutely amazing. It was glorious to be part of, and it was certainly a very emotional experience. Amazing piece! :)

This term in youth orchestra we will have our concerts, the first being 'The Planets', and then the second is Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man and Shosty 5. So so so so excited, it's so much brilliant fun! :D

On piano, learning more Brahms late piano music. And on cello, Faure's Elegie, and also the Elgar Cello Concerto! (the latter being a very long term project ;) )

Thank you, Daniel!

That's great, Elgar's Dream of Gerontius is definitely a stunning work, congratulations! :)
How nice, I haven't listened to Copland's Fanfare yet, but The Planets and Shosty No.5 are masterpieces, it is enough not to make those concerts be missed! Are you going to play in the percussion section again? :) I love playing the glockenspiel or the xylophone in the Holst.

Sounds an amazing project, good luck! :)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: madaboutmahler on May 15, 2013, 08:02:03 AM
Quote from: Lisztianwagner on May 15, 2013, 07:52:45 AM
Thank you, Daniel!

That's great, Elgar's Dream of Gerontius is definitely a stunning work, congratulations! :)
How nice, I haven't listened to Copland's Fanfare yet, but The Planets and Shosty No.5 are masterpieces, it is enough not to make those concerts be missed! Are you going to play in the percussion section again? :) I love playing the glockenspiel or the xylophone in the Holst.

Sounds an amazing project, good luck! :)

Thank you, Ilaria!
Yes, I'm in the percussion section at youth orchestra. At the moment it's just me and one other so we get to multitask the whole section ourselves! But for the concerts, I'll be on second timpani for the Planets and Tam Tam for the Copland, and then xylophone/glockenspiel/bass drum for the Shosty. So excited! :)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: deafeninglysilent_1.61... on July 20, 2013, 05:25:59 PM
I have begun, as of a month ago, learning Messiaen's Vingt Regards sur l'Enfant-Jésus in its entirety. I am learning two movements at a time, one from each of two lists of ten of the twenty pieces: the first list is of the ten hardest pieces of the set, the hardest first; the second list is of the remaining pieces in chronological order, from the beginning to the end of the piece. This was after I learned and performed his Oiseaux exotiques (the piano solo) and his Livre du Saint-Sacrement (for organ) over the last several years. I play music of many other composers, mainly modern classical, but I also play traditional music, especially Bach and Schubert.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: North Star on July 21, 2013, 03:24:53 AM
Quote from: deafeninglysilent_1.61... on July 20, 2013, 05:25:59 PM
I have begun, as of a month ago, learning Messiaen's Vingt Regards sur l'Enfant-Jésus in its entirety. I am learning two movements at a time, one from each of two lists of ten of the twenty pieces: the first list is of the ten hardest pieces of the set, the hardest first; the second list is of the remaining pieces in chronological order, from the beginning to the end of the piece. This was after I learned and performed his Oiseaux exotiques (the piano solo) and his Livre du Saint-Sacrement (for organ) over the last several years. I play music of many other composers, mainly modern classical, but I also play traditional music, especially Bach and Schubert.
Welcome to the forum! You must be quite good if you can play Vingt!
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: deafeninglysilent_1.61... on July 21, 2013, 09:02:07 AM
Quote from: North Star on July 21, 2013, 03:24:53 AM
Welcome to the forum! You must be quite good if you can play Vingt!

Thank you very much! I look forward to being a part of it.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Karl Henning on July 21, 2013, 01:20:34 PM
And for your fellow New Englanders, let us know when you go public with Les regards!
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: deafeninglysilent_1.61... on July 22, 2013, 06:06:33 PM
Quote from: karlhenning on July 21, 2013, 01:20:34 PM
And for your fellow New Englanders, let us know when you go public with Les regards!

Of course!  ;)
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: PaulR on October 21, 2013, 07:17:24 PM
In Orchestra:  Tchaik 4, Haydn Trumpet Concerto, and Beethoven's Creatures of the  Prometheus Overture.

Solo:  Still Schubert's Arpeggione Sonata
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: jochanaan on December 06, 2013, 06:36:01 PM
Tonight I practiced Bach's Partita in a minor for solo flute.  That's a great piece to play when I'm busking (when it's considerably warmer in Denver than now!) since it requires no accompaniment--but it's a tough piece!  I constantly need to brush up on some of the harder passages...
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on March 06, 2014, 01:39:18 PM
Started studying:

Claude Debussy
Clair de lune


Of course, for piano.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on October 12, 2015, 01:31:07 PM
Shard by Elliott Carter. Last page is still a bitch to play and I have to play it in my final exam this year, Saturday week. :(

I love the piece though, and it's so fun to play! I hope I do well...
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: EigenUser on November 12, 2016, 06:00:42 PM
I've actually been pretty productive on piano. Usually I have a bad habit of never finishing anything I ever start trying to learn, but I learned Berg's Sonata, op. 1 over the summer and I am currently working on Scriabin's Sonata No. 9 "Black Mass" (>:D). I thought that it would be too hard, but I've gotten to the point where I can actually play it cover-to-cover (still needs a lot of work, but I'm surprised I managed). Granted, it is one of his easier sonatas.

I managed to get a decent video of the Berg a few months ago (note that "decent" for me is far from what most of you think of as "decent" -- if I were to publish a recording of it and sell it on Amazon, you guys wouldn't want it,  :laugh:):

https://www.youtube.com/v/moryDZAX18Y
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: amw on February 11, 2017, 03:50:35 AM
I periodically record myself sightreading various music, presumably in an effort to get myself to eventually start practicing. (Maybe 2017 will be the year I actually make some progress!)

Does it ever happen to other people that you're playing a piece and then find out your tempi are actually pretty far outside the mainstream?? I found this out tonight whilst reviewing my sightread through Schumann's Humoreske from a few weeks ago.

I Einfach/Sehr rasch und leicht - 6:52
II Hastig (Innere Stimme) - 5:22
III Einfach und zart/Intermezzo - 4:39
IV Innig - 2:39
V Sehr lebhaft - 2:23 [ok this one I was deliberately playing slower because it's hard]
VI Mit einigem Pomp - 1:41
VII Zum Schluß - 7:42

[Whereas the timings from Radu Lupu, ordinarily considered a reference recording: 5:25, 4:04, 4:30, 2:41, 1:41, 1:36, 5:59]

If I ever end up learning this piece I suspect I'll have to speed up movements 1 and 7 in particular to prevent listeners from becoming bored to tears :P
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: TMHeimer on March 12, 2020, 11:04:08 AM
I'm slated for a clarinet solo in Aug. with the Westchester Band in N.Y.  Not sure what yet--possibly Debussy Rhapsodie, Messager "Solo de Concours", Spohr's 1st or 3rd Concerto, the Daniel Wolff piece for clarinet & Band. Depends on which our conductor can dig up.
Modified March 24-- IF there are any concerts in NY at all by then.....
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: BWV 1080 on January 13, 2021, 01:56:32 PM
Been playing at jazz during the pandemic, working up some arrangements.  Here one I did of St. Louis Blues

https://www.youtube.com/v/aQ6A96_MASo
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Piano1 on March 13, 2021, 04:11:17 PM
Beethoven Sonata No.28.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Mirror Image on March 13, 2021, 07:56:16 PM
Quote from: BWV 1080 on January 13, 2021, 01:56:32 PM
Been playing at jazz during the pandemic, working up some arrangements.  Here one I did of St. Louis Blues

https://www.youtube.com/v/aQ6A96_MASo

Nice job! You've got a great tone and touch on the guitar.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: fleursdegyptepiano on April 26, 2022, 10:49:02 AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pORsi-XbsE
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: atardecer on August 24, 2023, 09:35:07 PM
Currently working on:

Mozart - Piano Sonata K 545
Brahms - Op. 118 no. 2
Bach - Fugue C major Book I WTC
Ravel - La vallée des cloches from Miroirs

Also transcribing a piano piece by Angelo Badalamenti (Blue Star) from the film Blue Velvet.

Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: atardecer on September 15, 2023, 05:54:07 AM
Quote from: atardecer on August 24, 2023, 09:35:07 PMRavel - La vallée des cloches from Miroirs

Working through this another piece comes into my head and I hear that Ravel was influenced by the first movement of Debussy's Estampes when composing this.
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on September 22, 2023, 09:58:40 AM
Quote from: atardecer on September 15, 2023, 05:54:07 AMWorking through this another piece comes into my head and I hear that Ravel was influenced by the first movement of Debussy's Estampes when composing this.
Neat that you can play these pieces!  Are you in an orchestra or do solo performances or just do this for your own personal enjoyment?  :)

PD
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: atardecer on September 22, 2023, 06:09:50 PM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on September 22, 2023, 09:58:40 AMNeat that you can play these pieces!  Are you in an orchestra or do solo performances or just do this for your own personal enjoyment?  :)

PD

Thanks. It is mostly personal enjoyment, and it helps my understanding of these pieces. I would like to learn more about composition. Sometimes I perform, but I am not a pro classical musician. 
Title: Re: What are you playing?
Post by: qurasjovan on March 27, 2024, 10:14:50 PM
This one of the funnest pieces to play, I hope you like interpretation of it. 😊