Week 1: Status check! (also pick your piece!)
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 January 23 - 30 I hope to be reading your daily updates in this very thread right here!
Here is this week's assignment!
1. Pick your piece!
2. If a new piece, post your sight-reading of it (never hurts to practice this valuable skill!) If it is an old piece, let's try and dust it off, and play through what we can, to evaluate its current condition. Let us know what your "piece status" is!
3. Optional: Tell us WHY you picked this piece that you love so much!
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I choose Beethoven op 78 mvmt 1
2 reasons:
it is a sonata that is full of longing and love, beethoven wrote it for a woman he loved. it is a challenge to bring that out.
it is the first difficult piece that i have a chance to do well, i think. i hope so.
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Brett Miller Great choice. It’s a beautiful sonata.
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Brett Miller Love it, Brett. Good luck !!!
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Brett Miller that is a lovely choice! Looking forward to hearing it!
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Brett Miller https://youtu.be/XmDt5V_fouQ
First go....needs practice but not a disaster. Hoping to get more expression in it.
But, it is the first 'hard' piece that I have ma aged to make a little out of, and that is one of tje reasons I love this piece, a soon-to-be personal success. ;-)
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Brett Miller Well done! It's a lovely piece. You're starting out strong!
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Brett Miller You're going to do an amazing job because you're starting at a very good level.
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Brett Miller nicely done!
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Brett Miller This one looks hard. what grade level is this? have fun practicing!
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1. I pick Schumann's Einsame Blumen from Waldszenen (Op. 86 No. 3).
2. I will post a video of it soon, since I don't have access to a piano tonight (9 pm, Denmark).3. I think that Schumann's life is interesting, and SAD! It shows us, that all people, even those with mental illness, can be of great value.
I also like Schumann's ability to make the bassline have an interesting voice of it's own in many of his piano pieces.
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I'd like to pick Beethoven's Sonata in E major, Op 14, no. 1. I'm learning it at the moment and hope to get it to a presentable level before the end of the challenge. I still need to work on it a fair bit.
What I love about this piece? It feels like Beethoven has gone sentimental with this sonata, and takes us on such a wonderful journey through amazing chord progressions and beautiful melodies. It is a joy to learn and practise!
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Natalie Peh Can’t wait to hear more! Glad to be in the world of Beethoven with you and Juan Carlos Olite and everyone playing Beethoven in this challenge!
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Vidhya Bashyam Juan Carlos Olite it's such a treat that there's a lot of Beethoven coming up. Really excited to hear your piece, Vidhya, and Juan's and the others' playing.
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Natalie Peh BEAUTIFUL xx
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Natalie Peh Love this sonata! Both fun and beautiful. (btw Op 14 no 1 and 2 are on my New Years list :)) Looking forward to hear you play it!
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Sindre Skarelven it's going to be good fun! We're working on a many of the same repertoire this year! I'm also thinking of learning Op. 14 no. 2 as well, after no. 1, and of course to learn up the 2nd and 3rd movements of Haydn's sonata in E minor Hob. XVI, no. 34, which is also on your list :)
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Natalie Peh It’s so much fun that we’re playing much of the same stuff! We will have a great year with these pieces :)
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Natalie Peh Vidhya Bashyam What a coincidence, we three meet in the beautiful and profound world of Beethoven. It's really great!
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Natalie Peh Brave! I only played one short Beethoven piece "Ecossaise" in G. Beethoven doesn't have many options for beginners
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ALICE There are some Beethoven pieces that are similar to the Ecossaise in G that you may wish to consider.
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1. Rachmaninoff Opus 16 No 5.
2. I started learning this last year, but just the rudimentary notes. This is an opportunity to explore different colours and textures in my playing at a little more advanced level than I am used to. There are also some challenges for my small hands! Will upload in a day or two.
3. I love the whole of Opus 16 (which apparently Rachmaninoff dashed off fairly quickly when he was short of money). Number 5 is a lovely, lilting barcarolle. In an interview in 1941, Rachmaninoff said, "What I try to do, when writing down my music, is to make it say simply and directly that which is in my heart when I am composing." And in this piece I can really hear that.
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Gillian I love all Rachmaninoff music. This is a great choice. I started it last year but got distracted. Looking forward to hearing your version!
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Vidhya Bashyam Thanks, Vidhya! Will do my best.
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Gillian love Rachmaninoff's preludes but I'm not so familiar with this opus. Look forward to hearing it.
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Gillian Incredible! Can't wait to hear you play!!
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