As for me - Mozart A major sonata, 1st movement (theme and variations).
I'm ignoring the octaves in Variation 3.

I have spent the last week and a half working on the first Chopin Ballade, and very little else. Aim: transform it from "muddles through reasonably OK" to "fit to perform anywhere". (Not yet achieved!)

Piano playing is indeed an athletic activity - moreso than I thought.

For the first time since returning to serious piano study I am simply physically unable to do 4 hours of daily practice - at least not on this one piece. My forearms and hands ache too much after sustained work on the Prestissimo and the other fast sections.

I dare not even think what a similar intensity of work on Rachmaninov No 3 would do to my poor body.


Well I had a look at it a couple of nights ago. You have taken on a tough job there! It is not an easy piece at all. Those trills and runs, and free rhthms in the second half are a challenge for anyone.

I'll be happy to get through page 1 and 2 for now My brain explodes looking at those runs.

G8 Repertoire
Cimarosa - Sonata in D minor
Beethoven - Sonata OP10 No1 Finale
Thomas Fats Waller - Alligator Crawl

On the sides
Bach - Italian Concerto 1st Movt (been studying for months now)
Bach - Busoni - Chaconne in D minor (just started - SUPERDIFFICULT but loving it)
Beethoven - Sonata 'Pathetique' 1st & 3rd Movt
& Re-re-re-learning everything in Czerny's 599, 849, 299 and 740

Richard Rodney Bennett - Friday (from Seven Days a Week)

Nowhere near as technicaly advanced as some os the pieces recently mentioned. Very cool little piece though.

I'm playing from grade 6 piano (TG) three pieces which I really enjoy:

Mozart - Andante Cantabile - 2nd movement from Sonata in C, K330

Burgmuller - Morning Bells - op 109, no.9

Agay - Ballad Improvisation

Other pieces from TG Grade 7

Kuhlau - sonata no 2 of Trois Sonatas non difficules, op 60

Scarlatti in E, K380

Schumann-The wild horseman (stiiiillllll)

Schumann-Erinnerung (op 68 no 28) (I find it hard and my hands start to ache)

Mozart-Allegro in F (K 15.a)

Chopin-Prelude in E Minor (Op 28 no 4) - like so many others

Oh and I want to have a go at Air-BMV 1068 (schmoke me a cigar)...anyone got an opinion as to what level/grade it is?

I seemed to be playing that one forever too

Still going with the Reineke Sonatina, polishing the second movement at the mo.

Also just started Burgmuller innocence

now been introduced to the joys of Hanon exercises, just numbers one and two at the moment.

Looking forward to Friday and having a look at which Grade 3 alternatives I fancy

Hum,

Well at the moment I am still putting my fingers in way too many pies. I think I need to take Tom's advice and focus on a few things at any one time and get them polished....

Playing seriously (ie: to perform some time soon)
Beethoven - Moonlight Sonata 1st Mvt
Satie - Gnossienne #1
Satie - Gnossienne #3
Satie - Gymnopedie #1 (Gorgonzola)
Schubert - Moments Musicaux #3 (had a break after fingering nightmare)
Chopin - Op 28 No.20
Chopin - 15eme Valse (Posthumous)

Playing for fun (with a view to performing later):
Burgmuller - Arabesque (LH has gone wonky again!)
Burgmuller - Pastorale
Burgmuller - The Clear Stream
Burgmuller - Sighing
Mozart - K331 Sonata in A (First few pages for now, but a long term project)
Iles - Silent Night (Jazz)
Einaudi - Indaco
Beethoven - Pathetique 2nd Mvt (will I ever master this? )
Mozart - Fantasia in D Minor
Loeschorn - Study in F (played this for Gr3 but I still love it, along with Top Cat)
Haughton - Stephanie's Song
Graupner - Bouree

Toying with (started on but not putting too much effort in):
Schumman - Von Fremden... from Kinderszenen
Schumann - Frohlicher Landmann
Einaudi - Tu Sei (arrrrgh...!)
Chopin - Nocturne in E Minor Op.72 No.1 (first few pages)
Mozart K545 Andante
Satie - Gnossienne #5
Lorie Line - Arrangement of Castle on a Cloud from Les Mis.
Massenet - Meditation from Thais
Graupner - Menuett I

Plus what seems like a ridiculous amount of other stuff on the back burner until I get time. Plus I need to perfect some easier repertoire that I've just bashed through instead of playing properly...

I wish I could do what Tom Hanks did in Groundhog day.... Maybe I should become a hermit and go live in a cave with a piano....

Wow! do you ever sleep???

Not much these days.. but sadly not because I'm up all night playing piano! It's amazing how it can seem like I don't really know how to play much at all but when I put it down on paper it's actually not too bad?

I did that the other day, played through all the stuff I've learned since my grade 2 in April. It was a lovely surprise I knew as much Soo glad I've used the time exploring new repertoire instead of starting grade three straight away

It's nice when you can sit at a piano, someone says "play something", and you can actually do it from memory! Well, I can when my mind doesn't go blank, anyway! I think it's definitely a great milestone to hit

If anybody says that to me and I forget what a piano is!!! Could make Teddington very interesting!! I have seriously not played piano in front of anybody except my teachers, examiners and husband!!

What am I playing?
At the moment mostly the right notes but not necessarily in the right order....

Surely some pubs down your way have a piano? Have a bash there in front of friends? Preferably while reasonably sober!

surprisingly the pub pianos have all disappeared might drag some friends up from the pub over Christmas for a carol singalong. Ply 'em with enough beer and they'll think I'm amazing

One country pub I like has recently got a piano in for the first time in years! Must get down there soon, it will have settled and been tuned by now...

Roll out the barrel!!!

I so badly want to learn that tune!

I'm not playing ANYTHING for a day or two, I've done 10 concerts in two weeks, playing 8 hours a day for the Drama productions! They made me improvise! Improvisation is scary when under pressure! I'm completely shattered! I'm about a YEAR behind on sleep!

Once I've had a couple of days sitting in the corner of a darkened room rocking back and forth, I've got a list of things to be doing:

Bach prelude and fugue in F minor (book 2)
Beethoven piano concerto no.1, 1st mvt
Brahms hungarian dance no.1 for 4 hands (Primo)

And just for fun (not that the other stuff isn't, but you know what I mean!):
Playing over Mendlessohn songs without words that I learnt a while ago!

Well done for getting through all the concerts and productions!

Today, I will be mostly playing Have Yourselves a Merry Little Christmas

Sorry about the delay answering these questions ...

When you aim for some note or chord and they fail to sound, or sound too loud, or you hit a different note/chord altogether


Nothing revelatory and earth shattering. But all these lead to greater calm.

1. More sensible diet. Make sure there are no vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
2. The discipline to go to bed early enough instead of carrying on doing stuff into the small hours.
3. Taking some time out to clear a nagging backlog of chores - little things to fix around the house, official letters to answer, some records to get up to date
4. More time walking in pleasant places, woods, lakesides, old canals on quiet days (instead of watching telly or listening to CDs)
5. I studied Tai Chi, as a martial art, for many years (not that I was ever particularly good at it). 20 minutes of it each day reverses some of the growing stiffness in the joints, and fills you with energy
6. Deliberate meditation. Sitting comfortably in a straight backed chair, simply pay attention to the feelings through the skin, the sounds around you, ... working up the body from the feet to the top of the head ... allowing conscious thoughts to simply run about then expire.


What am I playing?

1. Daily scales, exercises, and etudes
2. Selection of repertoire to keep it inshape and in memory
3. Chopin Ballade No 1. First attempted many years ago - I finally have the skill to make a decent job of it.

Brahms Intermezzo op.116 no.4 (and revising no.2 which I learned a while ago)
Bach P&F in Bb (Book 1)

Just started to learn Grieg Erotik (Lyric Pieces op.43) which is one of my favourite pieces ever (so not quite sure why I only just got to it now)

What was the Brahms piece you played at the playday, Panthera? That was really nice

It's the Intermezzo op.116 no.2

Btw, I'm shocked to see your list How on earth do you find the time (and be on here 24/7 as well )?!

I didn't know you fancied Andie MacDowell. Isn't she a bit old for you?

I must have been watching a different movie...I cannot remember Tom Hanks in that movie!!!

Ooops Bill Murray even - I mix those two up quite often for some reason... Memory malfunction... It *was* a long time ago!

LOL @ MT's comment... she is. I'd still not turn down Gillian Anderson though!

Wasn't it yesterday?

You know what I meant!

I'm thinking about telling my teacher I want lots to work on over the holidays (no work for three days and no gigs for a fortnight ) but I'm worried I may regret it

I was playing the E minor prelude today (since it was mentioned by Solari) and tend to play quite a lot of ragtime this time of year....


Prelude in E minor Op.28 No.4

Something Doing



don't often play the preludes so sorry for being too melodramatic perhaps ...have a good christmas

Ah thanks - I'll look for a recording I think

I find the time by not going to the pub every night. Taking up piano has saved me a fortune!

That's how I justify paying for lessons and copious quantities of music

I've checked it on tube but none of the versions I listened to was anywhere as good as Panthera's version which was so beautiful. I'll try to get a good recording of it too!

It was only because I put potions in my brownies so you guys couldn't actually concentrate on listening to me and simply assumed I was good

Radu Lupu has a gorgeous recording of late Brahms pieces (the sound quality wasn't great, though), although it sadly doesn't include op.116 which is my favourite.

You're welcome to make more Brownies for next time! You're a brilliant pianist, don't do yourself down!

Radu Lupu is one of my favourite pianists - I never tire of the recording of him I have playing the Waldstein

These are lovely - thanks for posting them

Thanks! Missed a couple of f naturals in the prelude and threw in a beer-note too many in the rag

Have to make a point of reading instead of playing everything from memory....

Treading Carefully by Alan Haughton

Entry level stuff (says the highly experienced grade 1'er)

But it's quite fun. I'm really enjoying getting to the standard where I can pick these pieces at random and broadly play them through within a few minutes.

My teacher has set me P54/55 from my Chopin Preludes book... "Anhang Prelude Fruhfassung Von Nr3" and I have no idea how I am ever supposed to get it up to speed... It sounds impossible! I guess this is to tackle my aversion to fast pieces and left hand problems...

One example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un5BTz2W5eE

*faints*

Aside from that, enjoying Op28 Nos 4, 7 and 20, and I've dipped my toes in the water testing out No.15... I was also playing a piano arrangement of "Spanish Romance" for guitar today...



You should try Stephanie's Song... it's very rewarding to learn..

Gone back to playing the 1st piece from Schumann's Kinderszenen, and some pieces from the Anna Magdalena Bach book today Quite relaxing

I haven't been playing anything on the piano recently. Been really busy with my holiday music course, and am too tired when I get back to do any practising!

Just googled this - it's grade 4, so definetly pushing at my boundaries.

just began practising again in earnest after the mad christmas stuff. Really missed it too!

Playing Hanon (now up to no 4) Burgmuller Innocence (seemed easier tonight than when i played it a week ago!) and Cornick waltz in f. Still polishing Reineke and messing around with the other list b pieces :-)

Once you get your head around the off-beat rhythm you'll be fine... I coerced Mini_Mo into learning it and she did fine at the playday!

I'd not pay any attention to the fact that it's on the G4 syllabus if I were you. Pieces don't have "grades" and the fact that it's on a syllabus doesn't create a barrier that stops you from having a go - you are more than capable if your performance on the 5th is anything to go by!

Just bought some new music books for Christmas, so really enjoying having plenty of new material to play from!
I'm currently working on:
Lacrimosa from Mozart's Requiem mass
Lara's Theme
Moonlight Sonata, 1st Movement, Beethoven
Raindrop Prelude, Chopin
Tramueri (sp.???) Schumann

Can anybody recommend any faster pieces of around the same level or of a slightly lower level than these pieces? I'm conscious that I'm pretty much only playing the slow pieces, and if I'm honest I really need to work on improving the speed of my playing!

Judging by that list you're playing at a much higher level than me (playing grade 3 stuff) but that's why I like the burgmuller 25 easy and progressive studies. Some of them are reasonably simple but to get many at the suggested speeds takes work! One of them' the swallow' is on the current grade 5 syllabus :-)

Thank you very much Juniper I'm not too worried about grades, one of the advantages of being self taught I suppose so I'm totally open to any sort of suggestions, thanks! I confess to finding the left hand runs in Burgmuller's Arabesque obscenely hard-so the Burgmuller sounds like a fantastic idea!