Um - Christmas songs

I ordered a book before Christmas - A Frank Sinatra Christmas, which has taken ages to arrive. I got the call from my music shop this week that it was finally in! I picked it up this morning and just had to have a play through a few of the pieces before putting it away

I'm currently picking my grade 5 pieces, i've picked A1 but haven't picked my other two. Other than that, i've been playing Einaudi pieces and Beethoven

I'm tweaking my Grade 2 pieces at the mo, entered for March. I have picked my Grade 3 pieces so am working on those aswell. At the stage where I don't believe I'll ever be able to play them

I'm also learning I Giorni and I due Fiumo <sp>!! by Einaudi and being an over ambitious soul I am also having a bash at Beethoven Sonata in G minor op 49 (The "Easy" Sonata although I wish someone would tell my fingers that!)

If your learning I Giorni, then grade 3 shouldn't be a problem for you

You wouldn't be saying that if you'd heard me murdering the Loeschorn grade 3 piece for the thirtieth time tonight

My problem is I've never had to learn the bass clef being a woodwindy person so right hand on the piano is reasonable, left hand is appauling

Never mind - I can only get better

Lois

I tend to bore easily so I find that I'm usually messing around with too many pieces to do any effective work on them, but the one I have managed to stick with and really work on for the last few months is Mozart K330. It still sounds pretty awful, but has got to the stage where the trills and turns happen without me having to think about them. Dogged perseverence (not usually one of my strong points) definitely pays, and has done wonders for the easier pieces I play. Finally I can play and let the music come through without having to worry about the notes, which is very rewarding.

Other than my Grade 6 exam pieces, I am having great fun with Beethoven's Sonata No. 20 (Op. 49/2) in G major. I find it very upbeat and exciting, and manageable compared to pieces by Chopin and Debussy. Still in the initial stages, of course...

Well, I read some very slighting remarks of the piece, saying that even Beethoven found it boring . I love it, anyway, and find it a pleasure to play it over and over and over again!

I also play this and hated it for a long time, until I could play it smoothly enough for it to sound good. Yes, it can be very boring - heard Claudio Arrau's recording of it on the radio a while ago and it was dead boring, but Barenboim does a really good job of it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARAAoJgJK_c (a pity the audio and video are so out of synch but it still sounds good)

Brahms' Cradle Song - OK I know it's not much but I can play it really smoothly now, just in time for this week's lesson, so I'm very happy

gershwin - the man i love

beethoven's moonlight, all 3 mvmts, very challenging but an amazing masterpiece!

I've just started learning Chopin's Polonaise in C minor op.40 no.2.

Rachmaninov Etudes Tableaux Op.33 No.5(or no.8) in G minor.

Me too. Still struggling a lot with the 3rd but it is gradually coming together. I'm not well disciplined when it comes to fingering and I've found this piece is very unforgiving if you don't do it the way it says!

Now:
-czerny op.299 no. 5
-debussy's 1st arabesque
-schumann's des abends
-and also A1 from gr 7 05-06

m_b_s

Three of Medtners Forgotten Melodies...Alla Reminiscenza, Canzona Fluviala and Canzona Matinata. Among his most lyrical pieces, it amazes me how they are not more widely known. Anyone who has'nt got Marc Andre Hamelins Hyperion recording of these and most of the other Forgotten Melodies, just do yourself a favour and get it. You'll definitely want to learn some of them.

I picked up lots and lots of music in the charity shop for 20p a book ) and one of the pieces was Rachmaninov's Prelude in G Minor - does anybody know what standard this piece is? I am really enjoying learning it, and it is the first piece in a while which I have had to slow right down to get the hang of! I am loving it!! It is a very old copy though, and has no fingering suggestions...although this makes it more fun I think!

All the pieces on the current Grade 6 syllabus
Bach's 2-part inventions (1,6,13 and 14 at the moment)
Schumann - Kinderszenen (all of them but especially no. 10 for a competition)
Stuff for playing in Jazz Band - Here, There and Everywhere, Birdland and Mission Impossible theme tune

Beethoven Pathetique Sonata. Spent hours on the opening page already ...

I am new to these Forums and have only just 'picked up' on this thread.
I, too, have a Grade 8 piano pupil (already entered for the examination with a date in early April) who is playing Bach's Prelude and Fugue in f (Bk2 WTC)/Beethoven:Finale of Sonata in c Op.10/1/and Piazzolla:Retrato de Alfredo Gobbi. As a result I have been doing some revisionary work on the Bach and Beethoven pieces and have learnt the Piazzolla which was new to me but immediately appealed thus prompting me to investigate the life and works of this composer. In fact I've bought a lot of his music and, over the last few months, spent a lot of time playing and practising it. However, I am primarily an organist and currently playing :

J.S. Bach : Chorale Preludes - teaching them to a prospective Grade 6 Pupil
Brahms : Chor.-Prel.'O Welt ich muss dich lassen'Op.122/3 - prospective Grade 6 Pupil
Frank Bridge: Lento - prospective Grade 6 Pupil
J.S. Bach : Toccata and Fugue in d BWV 565
J.S. Bach : Trio Sonata No. 2 in c BWV 526
S. Karg-Elert: Chor.-Impr. 'Nun danket alle Gott from Op.65
M. Kidd : 'Hazy Days' from 'Six Pieces for Organ
Rachmaninoff: Vocalise (organ arr. by Patricia Bird)
L.Vierne : Toccata in bflat(from 'Pieces de Fantaisie' 2me Suite)

Are there any other organists/organ teachers contributing to this Forum ? The Forum heading says it is not only for pianists but for all keyboard players. I'd be glad to hear of other organists, or pianists who play the organ.


I am new to these Forums and have only just 'picked up' on this thread.
I, too, have a Grade 8 piano pupil (already entered for the examination with a date in early April) who is playing Bach's Prelude and Fugue in f (Bk2 WTC)/Beethoven:Finale of Sonata in c Op.10/1/and Piazzolla:Retrato de Alfredo Gobbi. As a result I have been doing some revisionary work on the Bach and Beethoven pieces and have learnt the Piazzolla which was new to me but immediately appealed thus prompting me to investigate the life and works of this composer. In fact I've bought a lot of his music and, over the last few months, spent a lot of time playing and practising it. However, I am primarily an organist and currently playing :

J.S. Bach : Chorale Preludes - teaching them to a prospective Grade 6 Pupil
Brahms : Chor.-Prel.'O Welt ich muss dich lassen'Op.122/3 - prospective Grade 6 Pupil
Frank Bridge: Lento - prospective Grade 6 Pupil
J.S. Bach : Toccata and Fugue in d BWV 565
J.S. Bach : Trio Sonata No. 2 in c BWV 526
S. Karg-Elert: Chor.-Impr. 'Nun danket alle Gott from Op.65
M. Kidd : 'Hazy Days' from 'Six Pieces for Organ
Rachmaninoff: Vocalise (organ arr. by Patricia Bird)
L.Vierne : Toccata in bflat(from 'Pieces de Fantaisie' 2me Suite)

Are there any other organists/organ teachers contributing to this Forum ? The Forum heading says it is not only for pianists but for all keyboard players. I'd be glad to hear of other organists or pianists who play the organ.

Somehow my post got added twice. Sorry !
Shows how 'new' I am to this

May I direct you kindly towards Viva Organ
(Well actually, I already have, but just to be polite I thought I'd do it in public - not that there was anything impolite about my PM of course )

Schubert - Impromptu No. 3 (i think) in Ab.

Gladiolus Rag and Chopin Waltz in Db

Both coming on well

Mole

Thanks, maledictis. I have visited the Viva Organ Forum and shall continue to do so. It's interesting . . . and enlightening !