WEEK 2: Discovering Schubert Month
Dear Pianists,
I hope that your Schubert journeys so far have led you through beautiful phrases and vigorous dances! Below, you can find the Week 2 thread, where you may post your video or audio updates.
Week 1's questions were:
- Piece you are working on:
- One passage you are satisfied with:
- One passage you are not yet satisfied with:
This week, Let's change up the questions! Here are three more for you to consider:
- How would you describe the character of your piece?
- What pianistic tools do you use to convey that character?
- What do you notice about the piece when you play it that you don't when you just listen to it?
Feel free to answer any of this, or last week's, prompts in your responses.
I can't wait to learn about your progress. I love watching your videos and listening to your recordings... I hope that you also experience satisfaction in your improvement.
What does that satisfaction feel like, for you?
If you're new to the Schubert gathering this week, welcome! You may find the guidelines for participation in the Rules and FAQ thread.
See you in the thread, 
Hilda
-
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.
-
Michael Thank you for that. This A major sonata is endlessly delightful.
-
Michael very nice. Such a lovely sonata.
-
Michael Love your description of the character
-
Michael I'm loving this wonderful narrative you've created for the movement! I think even for us who know this piece, your narrative really enhances our experience of listening to you play too.
One thing I notice in your playing is that you seem to be leaning forward quite a bit, which is limiting the space you have between your upper arms and your torso. I can't see where you are on the bench, but are you sitting at the edge of the bench? My instinct is that you might benefit from scooting the bench slightly back, and then sitting on the front edge.
-
Michael What a lovely piece!!! I am so curious, how did you come to it? It's a rather rarely played sonata, in my experience. I think you point out such a great thing about the Schubert sonatas that the literature acknowledges much less frequently - the great drama and intense emotional range. Excitement and fear - how true!! Do you find yourself putting your own personal emotion into your playing?
-
Michael Beautiful, Michael!! Bravo!
-
Michael I love how you bring out the melody when it switches to the left hand. Great musicality!
-
Michael PS: I love your puppy!
-
-
Valentine's Day today, and I felt compelled to add to my little collection of Valses Sentimentales...
- The character of the pieces: The elegance of the salons of Old Vienna - simple and delightful.
- Pianistic tools: taking time at phrase endings.
- These pieces have not been widely recorded and were most likely meant as Hausmusik. I don't usually listen to recordings of music I'm learning anyway, as it muddles my brain instead of bringing badly-needed clarity.
-
Monika Tusnady So beautiful. Definitely helping me with understanding the mood/character of the pieces as I play them.
-
Monika Tusnady Lovely pieces. I've never heard of these (except last one). And now, I would like to try them.
-
Monika Tusnady really delightful and nice touch with the rose!
-
Monika Tusnady this was so nice. Thank you!
-
Monika Tusnady really lovely. Happy Valentine’s Day!
-
Monika Tusnady they sound great Monika! Very enjoyable
-
Monika Tusnady Beautiful, Monika!! So much fun in your playing!! Love it :) Thank you!!
-
Monika Tusnady You have embodied the charm and delight at the heart of all Schubert, ma chere!
-
-
Hi everyone,My contribution to Schubert week is another rendition of the Moment Musical No.3 in F minor - apologies if this has been already submitted but it’s such a popular piece and I have always enjoyed it.
- How would you describe the character of your piece?
Formal almost military style but with a nice bounce which moves the piece along. - What pianistic tools do you use to convey that character? Relatively strict rhythm to maintain the character, also using stacatto in left hand to accent the bass notes and define the harmony. Right had has a clear singing melody with some tricky double notes I have not properly mastered.
- What do you notice about the piece when you play it that you don't when you just listen to it? I think the harmonies in this piece feel more alive when I play it rather than listening to it. Especially the second voices in the right hand when they appear.
All the best,
D
-
Derek McConville This is probably my favorite one! I play it frequently as an encore, actually. Nice job with those sixths.
I think I might have a slightly different idea of this: I play it more like a dance, and I actually swing the left hand notes a bit. I wonder how you might like that!
How are you going about practicing the right hand melody? What kind of sound quality would you like in the melody? I think your comment about the harmonies is very insightful - how do you think of the phrasing enhances the harmonic changes?
-
Derek McConville Love it, Derek! Has been one of my favorites as well. :) Thank you for playing it for us!!
-
Hilda Thanks for your feedback! That’s a good point about this piece being like a dance and it makes sense when I play it again. With the right hand I have tried a mix of articulation when practicing to try and separate out the voices and slow practice. Phrasing definitely helps enhance the harmony and there are probably a few places where the melody could be more “clipped” to enhance the harmony and rhythm of this piece. Definitely good ideas for me to work on!
-
Brother Will Green thank you, glad you enjoyed!
-
Derek McConville Sorry for the late reply…I have only just returned to Week 2 posts. We can never hear this piece too often: it is both rhythmic and fresh, and lingers in our memory long after we’ve heard it. Thank you for this lovely performance!
-
Monika Tusnady thank you so much Monika!
- How would you describe the character of your piece?
-
Good morning, piano friends!
I am working on the Impromptu Op. 142, #3
Since I've been tied up with a chamber music deadline with my new Piano quintet (Op. 81 Dvorak), I didn't start my piece until 2 days ago and today is Feb 20! Oh well, better late than never, right?
- How would you describe the character of your piece?
- I picked this piece because I have gotten very attached to variations, based on our prior Monthly Challenges. I really love the different, charming personalities Schubert gave to each variation.
- What pianistic tools do you use to convey that character?
- Thanks to Hilda's super class on finger pedaling, I'm trying to use that technique to bring out the melody in each different variation, while balancing it with the staccati in the LH.
- What do you notice about the piece when you play it that you don't when you just listen to it?
- I notice that I have a tendency to rush sections when I see ornaments and short trills. I think those fast notes make me a bit nervous.
- I'll make a video of whatever variations I can manage learning by tomorrow, LOL!
- How would you describe the character of your piece?
