WEEK 2: Discovering Schubert Month

I'm continuing my re-memorization of Impromptu Op. 90 No. 4 at a section that is easily forgetful. 

I enjoy playing the subordinate melody as the eighth notes are a break from the sixteenth notes. 

As I play it, I imagine the sixteenth notes in the right hand are fluttering butterflies while the left hand is some small ground animal like a puppy or a squirrel bounding about below the butterflies.

When I get to the trio, I don't know what to imagine other than some change in the weather conditions. The chords are not all correctly remembered.

I'm thinking these Impromptus being improvisations are not necessarily meant to be memorized and played rote.

Op 90, No. 1. I worked on page 3 and 4 today. I got lost a couple of times in the music. I hope to eventually memorize it. 
This piece has many moods. I can’t easily describe it. It has some light and some dark. The dark is drawing down into something ominous. Then there are sweet and romantic parts. 
Strange: I got a “copyright claim” label on my video. Has anyone else had that happen to them?
https://youtu.be/2YvprCKPFo8

I have just discovered that I didn't write anything in Week 1, whereas my memory tells me that I did.  So, 

Week 1 Questions

Piece you are working on: I am revisiting Sechzehn Deutsche Tanze und zwei Ecossaisen, Nos 7 and 15.  I played many of these many years ago - I estimate around 12 of the waltzes and both Ecossaisen.  

One passage you are satisfied with: This is the toughest issue.  I am never really satisfied with anything.  This doesn't apply just to music.  I think all creatives have addictive personalities.  We have simply found addictions that are good for us not self-destructive.  However, I love the energy in the fzs at Bars 9 - 11 of No 7  and I am quite pleased with the grace notes at Bar 4 of No 15  

One passage you are not yet satisfied with: I am making the fingering of Bar 4 of No 7 more complicated than it needs to be.  This never used to be a problem so trying to analyse the cause is frustrating.  There is a similar fingering issue at Bars 5 & 6 of No 15, where I have played with the 'wrong' fingering, which was clumsy but worked, and now trying to change to the more correct fingering causes a hiatus.

Week 2 Questions
 

How would you describe the character of your piece? I have chosen two very different waltzes.  No 7 is in B flat Major.  It is said that Schubert thought all music had the propensity of sadness but only bar 12 leans towards sadness [but doesn't arise].  The waltz form in Schubert is more grounded, which is typified by Waltz no 7, than either of the two later waltz forms: the Viennese waltz, which is danced much faster [one in a bar],or the Slow Waltz, which is often called the English waltz.  The main beat of the English Waltz is Beat 2, which is stretched by dancers as this is where the rise happens.  I love No 15 because the dotted crotchet is moving towards the later Slow Waltz in its lilt between beats 2 and 3.  It's arguably way ahead of its time.    
 

What pianistic tools do you use to convey that character? No 7 has the interesting marking 'mit erhobener Dampfung', which could imply that all the other waltzes do not have pedal, or [rather] that the pedalling in this waltz is fuller than usual.  I still have my original piano score where my teacher wrote in the pedalling.  She included the upbeat of No 7 so that 3, 2 and are all pedalled in one pedal, whereas I depress the pedal on 3 lightly and then on 1 again, lightly.  I try to use the pedal lightly on 2- 3 and pedal on 1 separately, whereas the pedalling from my teacher has Bars 4 and 7 pedalled throughout.  I catch myself out playing more fully than I think should be done.  The markings are always difficult to interpret as my instincts say that they should be relative so, say, the fzs of NO 7 Bars 9-11 should be understated, but again, I enjoy the fullness of those chords, so they are probably louder than they ought to be.   I use the soft pedal in the pp of No 15.  I try to resist playing the forte of bars 12-13 too loudly, but it's so much fun not to just let go here.
 

What do you notice about the piece when you play it that you don't when you just listen to it?

I do not think I have heard these waltzes played so, note-to-self for week 3, google and listen to them being played, although the Valses Sentimentales are a kindred spirit, and played beautifully by other TB students. 

We have done a lot on TB recently on recording and editing, which has been very useful.  I hear what others say about getting over the nerves of playing in public or to others, but I still prefer to hold off doing so.  I want to at least reduce the unevenness in tempo due to finding the notes, as opposed to intentional rubato. This is my personal preference and not a generic statement.

I think I come lose the flow of the music in some places because I am playing more from memory than I think is the case.  I get stuck when my memory fails.  I then look at the music and realise that I don't even know where I am in it and have to find my place! 

My first step in addressing the above and recording will be to organise being able to record myself and then take it from there, which is a personal challenge for Week 3.  

I’d like to return to Schubert Impromptu No 4 Op 90 which I left off 3 years ago.

Character of the piece - the piece appeals to me for its child-like innocent quality in the 1st section with its almost a.pure crystalline sound. This then leads to a more brooding and questioning trio section, which then resolves in a kind of musical ecstasy, before returning to the 1st section.

Pianistic tools used - I think of the broken triads as a peal of bells, that needs to be played evenly in a sparking way. I found the most comfortable way of approaching this is to hover my RH low and move it laterally down the keyboard and play from the knuckles. No wrist motion used. Also remind myself to voice the top notes of the descending chords. Then  the final set of broken triads, I should try to play with a pulling brush stroke for lightness.

I am still working in the first movement. There are some rough places that I am trying to smooth out. It is getting there but my control of the dynamics is still lacking. I still find the opening so problematic with its wide spread. I feel like I cannot figure out how to making a convincing start.

I have also began playing the second movement. Technically it is a bit easier but trades that off with extra difficult in the voicing. I wanted to get that down a bit more before I post an update with that. So for this week I and just showing a redo of the fist movement.

How would you describe the character of your piece?

All three movements have a very different character. But to me the first piece portray a young boy falling in love for the first time. During the moment he vascilates between the excitement and fear.

The second part of the first movement  because the approach towards expressing his feelings to the girl he is infatuated with. The final octave runs is his getting the courage to approach the girl.

The next part with its imitation is their initial encounter. It is the dialogue between the two.

We then get the recapitulation of the first this. However This time it is expanded with octaves. To

me this represents both of the singing in tandem about their mutual feelings each other.

When the triplet section is reintroduced the asking/fear is replaced with a major key and this time feels optimistic. I feel as if the the second knocking is replaced this time with the woman’s response.

The movement closes with a feeling of peace.

What pianistic tools do you use to convey that character?

I try to do this with my voicing  but I clearly need more work to make it convincing.

What do you notice about the piece when you play it that you don't when you just listen to it? 

I feel like I notice more when I listen. I am still not relaxed enough when I play to convey all the feeling I was to express.