What Are You Learning?, ...and how's it going? Options

[Mad Tom]

At the last few lessons she who must be obeyed has dropped increasingly big hints that I ought to learn some (more) Liszt, so over Christmas I am reviving the only two Liszt pieces I ever learned: The second Hungarian Rhapsody and the First Mephisto waltz. I could play them back in 1985. Huge sections seem to have vanished completely from my mind, but learning them again ... it all seems a whole lot less difficult than first time round.

But they won't be ready for the next lesson so I am also working up a few of his "easy" pieces ... The second Petrarch sonnet (learned for DipABRSM, but ultimately dropped infavour of the Schumann that was more fluent and comfortable), his piano arrangement of Schubert's Standchen, and Consolation No. 3.

Watch out Leslie Howard (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

(IMG:http://www.trose.net/pimage/gpiano2.gif)

Merry Christmas everyone (IMG:style_emoticons/default/xmas_tree.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/snowflake.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dust.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/snowman2.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dust.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/xmas_rudolph.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/santa2.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/xmas_gift.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/xmas_wreath.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dust.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/snow.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dust.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/winter_brr.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/snowman.gif)

[Robodoc]

At the last few lessons she who must be obeyed has dropped increasingly big hints that I ought to learn some (more) Liszt, . . .

. . .you're having piano lessons from Ursula Andress???

. . . so over Christmas I am reviving the only two Liszt pieces I ever learned: The second Hungarian Rhapsody and the First Mephisto waltz. I could play them back in 1985. Huge sections seem to have vanished completely from my mind, but learning them again ... it all seems a whole lot less difficult than first time round.

But they won't be ready for the next lesson so I am also working up a few of his "easy" pieces ... The second Petrarch sonnet (learned for DipABRSM, but ultimately dropped infavour of the Schumann that was more fluent and comfortable). . .

surely you mean the 3rd sonnet (123 as opposed to 47 or 104)

his piano arrangement of Schubert's Standchen, and Consolation No. 3.

Nice.

Watch out Leslie Howard (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

Ah yes, the only person ever to have recorded the entire Liszt solo piano music. Dam good too. And serves a mean pint.

Merry Christmas everyone

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

[Mad Tom]

surely you mean the 3rd sonnet (123 as opposed to 47 or 104)

whoops (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blush.gif) ... you are right ... but 47 and 104 to follow (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Invidia]

My teacher is going to regret mentioning concertos to me. I've scrapped the Ravel and gone for Rachmaninoff 3rd, though only the 1st mvt, the 2nd won't sound right alone and I have no idea how anyone can get their fingers around the 3rd (I attempted a sight read of it a while back and actually damaged my wrist and couldn't play at all for a couple of weeks (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)).

Anyway, work on 1st mvt is going really well which is a pretty good confidence boost for me ^^ Last time I went near it pretty much every other section was evil, but looking through it again it feels manageable (though still a LOT of work). It's put me in a really good mood though, I've got some form of motivation back!

[Tom Piano]

Wow!! It's a monster of a piece that is beyond my abilities at the moment. And having heard you play in November, I have no doubt you'll do a great job of it. Pleased that your work on it is going well!

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Fran*Piano]

I've been learning Elegie from Chaminade's Album Des Enfants-I think it might have been set for grade 5? A friend recommended it as a piece I'd like and she was right!

[Frederic Chopin]

Over the past three days, I've managed to learn the Gershwin-Wild Virtuoso Etude No 4 'Embraceable You' - it is such a wonderfully brilliant composition! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif)

[Mad Tom]

Wow!! It's a monster of a piece that is beyond my abilities at the moment. And having heard you play in November, I have no doubt you'll do a great job of it. Pleased that your work on it is going well!

Not so hard ... I could sight read the first two pages (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/whistling.gif)

...

now that i have heard Invidia and know how good he is ... no doubt he'll get a bit further with it. But it is monstrously difficult. An order of magnitude of difficulty beyond No. 2

Over the past three days, I've managed to learn the Gershwin-Wild Virtuoso Etude No 4 'Embraceable You' - it is such a wonderfully brilliant composition! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif)

Another Earl Wilde fan. Great. I'd love to hear you play it some time.

[lilly763]

Wow!! It's a monster of a piece that is beyond my abilities at the moment. And having heard you play in November, I have no doubt you'll do a great job of it. Pleased that your work on it is going well!

Not so hard ... I could sight read the first two pages (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/whistling.gif)

Am I the only pianist who actually doesn't like Rachmaninoff 3rd? I much prefer all his other piano and orchestra works, even though I have the utmost respect for anyone who can actually play the 3rd!

[Frederic Chopin]

Wow!! It's a monster of a piece that is beyond my abilities at the moment. And having heard you play in November, I have no doubt you'll do a great job of it. Pleased that your work on it is going well!

Not so hard ... I could sight read the first two pages (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/whistling.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Over the past three days, I've managed to learn the Gershwin-Wild Virtuoso Etude No 4 'Embraceable You' - it is such a wonderfully brilliant composition! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif)

Another Earl Wilde fan. Great. I'd love to hear you play it some time.

Not a problem - perhaps at a future forum event sometime! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy.gif)

[corenfa]

Right now I feel like I am playing whack-a-mole. I have to keep track of semiquavers in the left hand against melody in the right plus additional harmony in triplets also in the right. I can get either: semiquaver rhythm + triplet rhythm fine, but melody sounds like I'm playing with boxing gloves on, or semiquaver rhythm + melody fine, but triplets are uneven.

Grrr.

[Mad Tom]

Wow!! It's a monster of a piece that is beyond my abilities at the moment. And having heard you play in November, I have no doubt you'll do a great job of it. Pleased that your work on it is going well!

Not so hard ... I could sight read the first two pages (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/whistling.gif)

Am I the only pianist who actually doesn't like Rachmaninoff 3rd? I much prefer all his other piano and orchestra works, even though I have the utmost respect for anyone who can actually play the 3rd!

I also did not like (or understand) it much when I first heard it. It takes much more listening to "get into" it than No 2 (which has instant appeal).

[Tom Piano]

Wow!! It's a monster of a piece that is beyond my abilities at the moment. And having heard you play in November, I have no doubt you'll do a great job of it. Pleased that your work on it is going well!

Not so hard ... I could sight read the first two pages (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/whistling.gif)

Am I the only pianist who actually doesn't like Rachmaninoff 3rd? I much prefer all his other piano and orchestra works, even though I have the utmost respect for anyone who can actually play the 3rd!

I also did not like (or understand) it much when I first heard it. It takes much more listening to "get into" it than No 2 (which has instant appeal).

Ditto. It took me ages just to get past the first movement. I'm now struggling my way through his first symphony, which I'm finding tough. I love his 3rd Symphony, but it also took me a while to get into it. Ditto his Symphonic Dances. Not easy listening, but very rewarding after a while.

[Chopinzee]

So Invidia is a fella, and not the elegant lady I envisioned. I mean, a name can really put you on the wrong track can't it ? Good luck with the concerto, erm... mate. I don't know much by Rach either, but am currently working on several of his preludes, including the popular Alla Marcia in G minor which i've just about got the arpegiated mid section, for me very hard work. Know two Transcriptions, Lilacs and Daisies, which are firm favourites of mine, they need some more work though. Mostly I am concentrating on the Brahms pieces, some from Op76 and most of the late pieces(including that beauty from Op 118 that MT's playing)...20 pieces in all...it took an age to work out the fingerings, write them down, the density of textures in his music make this especially time consuming, and this is a long term project, which seems to have taken priority over everything...But is steadily getting there. Others that i've completed are Respighis Valse Caressante and Nocturne , also Scriabins Impromptu No1 from Op14...which i started a couple of years ago !

[kingsley13]

Currently learning Chopin's Polonaise in C# minor. I remember when I was about 9 or 10 and about to learn my first piece of Chopin (a mazurka of some sort) and my teacher told me I would have to be at least grade 8 before I would be able to play a Polonaise, so I decided that one day I wanted to learn a Chopin Polonaise, and now I am! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) I had to sit down for about an hour in one sitting, just to get the first four bars, but the rest of it seems okay! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)