WEEK ONE Updates: Main Thread - What a delightful theme Beethoven wrote!
Hello and welcome to the WEEK ONE Main Thread for this challenge! 
Alright everyone - this is the thread where we'll all be posting our daily updates.
Make sure you've read the rules before replying (<- click)
Twice a week between September 20th - 27th I hope to be reading your daily updates in this very thread right here!
Download the music:
Beethoven: 6 Variations on an Original Theme
Please use the following format when commenting (feel free to copy & paste!):
- Variation you worked on:
- One thing you found easy:
- One thing you found difficult:
- (Optional): a video of you performing it!
Sample daily update:
- Variation you worked on: No. 1
- One thing you found easy: Learning the notes, and rhythms were rather straight-forward, and not challenging!
- One thing you found difficult: Shifting the Hands was a bit tricky to get smooth!
Feel free to make these updates as short or long as you wish!
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I worked on the theme and the first variation. I found the memorization easy; the difficult part was playing it evenly without long pauses between measures. I'm working, bit by bit, just getting it even.
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Genevieve Excellent! Looking forward to hearing your music! Keep up the great work!
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Mid-week update, week 1.
I've been working on the whole piece. Getting the fingerings down, and started memorizing.
What I found easy: I think in general it's a rather easy piece, but none the less enjoyable. It also fit because I'm working on some other more difficult pieces, so it gives the practice session a nice balance.
What I found challenging: I could focus even better. My mind has been wandering a bit too much when practicing, so I feel I can be even more effective in my practice.
I will post my first performance of the piece during the week-end. :)
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Sindre Skarelven Can't wait to hear you, Sindre!
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Gail Starr Thank you!
Looking forward to your video as well! -
Sindre Skarelven I鈥檓 also looking forward to hearing you !
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Sindre Skarelven I looking forward your video too!
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Sindre Skarelven Sounds like a great start!!! :)
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I started working on the whole piece, just to get a sense of how the variations connect and contrast with one another.
I found the theme to be very difficult - there's nowhere to hide!
I didn't find anything particularly easy. The more I practice, the more complexity I find.
I'm posting the theme and Variations 1 and 2 today. Excuse the "iPhone on the keyboard" setup: I'm still not fully mobile after knee surgery. Soon, though.
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Monika Tusnady I love your phrasing and musicality! Hope your knee feels better soon.
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Gail Starr Thank you! It's the first time I'm slowed down like this and, quite frankly, it's an enriching experience - a new perspective.
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Monika Tusnady Much enjoyed your interpretation , Hope you feel better soon , I know the pain of surgeries as I live with Rheumatoid arthritis but I also know that music and practice keeps the pain away at least for a while . Get well soon.
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mariannejhampton Thanks for that. So sorry to hear that you are afflicted by arthritis and both surprised and delighted to hear that the piano offers some relief. I really appreciated your breakdown of the piece look forward to the conversations here in the coming weeks.
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Monika Tusnady Sounds very beautiful and musical! Bravo!
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Monika Tusnady Thank you , I still enjoy life though !
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Monika Tusnady I admire your determination to partake in this challenge despite your recovery post-surgery! Really remarkable, and wonderful playing. Thank you! This is a GREAT start, and I wish you a healthy and happy knee soon, hopefully!!
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- Variation I worked on: Thema, No. 1
- One thing I found easy: Simple, ambling theme. Structurally it's clear how variation 1 was formed out of the theme.
- One thing I found difficult: It's tricky adapting this early Beethoven to the modern ear. Counting repeats, the main theme is played 4 times in a row, before appearing again from bars 12-16. I tried playing around with the inner and bass voicing, but there isn't much polyphony to work with in these two sections.
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Wilson Thank you for that post! I love the different ways you experiment with voicing and can't wait to hear you play the rest of the piece.
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Wilson I like the "gentleness" you bring to the piece! Beautifully played!
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Wilson I love your thoughtful tempo and musical phrasing. Simply perfect!
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Wilson Just lovely !
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Wilson Very nice playing!
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Wilson LOVE your experimentation with voicing, and graceful ends to phrases! Great timing with this!! Can't wait to hear more!
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Well, that first upload didn't work too well, did it?
I think this one will.
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Monika Tusnady Very nice, well done!
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Monika Tusnady One thing I especially love is your ease in playing the second variation. It is beautifully done.
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