Week Two: Rachmaninoff's "Strawberry on the Keyboard"
Hello and welcome to the WEEK TWO 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 March 20 - March 27 I hope to be reading your daily updates in this very thread right here!
Here is this week's assignment!
One of Rachmaninoff's famous statements about piano playing is that
"One must imagine a ripe strawberry sitting on the key - and you have to push through it!"
in order to create that rich sound so necessary for his music!
What does this mean?
In order to push through the strawberry, you must have a firm yet relaxed finger, but also feeling the depth of the key (not playing too "shallow"). The most important aspect however is that the speed of attack will be consistent, yet perhaps a LITTLE slower than you might normally use. This is one of the secrets to creating a round, warm sound.
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Just starting to learn this charming little Valse (thanks to Vidhya's recommendation).
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Tammy Thank you so much!
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Gail Starr the Valse is sounding lively and sweet Gail! Thank you for sharing it.
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Gail Starr Love it!
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Ching Lee Goh Thank you so much, Ching Lee!
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Tonight I was lucky enough to attend an all Rachmaninoff recital by Nikolai Lugansky. It was fabulous!! I’ve never seen such incredible piano playing. Here he is playing the Etude know as “ The Seagull” . It’s one of my favourite pieces. It evokes a picture of a lonely beach in winter with the sea gulls circling overhead.
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Hazel That would have been an amazing experience! I absolutely love his Rachmaninoff. Thanks for sharing this deep and lovely piece. Beautiful imagery.
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Hazel thanks for sharing this piece and the video. Both the piece and the playing are extremely beautiful! I'm sure the live performance must have been spellbinding!
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Hazel wow thank you for sharing this Hazel. I’m learning about so many Rachmaninoff pieces that didn’t know about before this challenge.
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I just asked chatGPT for an ode to Rachmaninoff and here is the beautiful poem I got back:
O Sergei Rachmaninoff,
Your melodies doth soar
Like the eagle in the sky
You enchant us to the core
Your hands upon the keys
Evoke emotions pure
Tears of joy and sorrow
From every heart they lure
The thunderous notes you strike
Bring forth a mighty force
A symphony of passion
That ignites the very source
Your music tells a story
Of love, of pain, of life
With every note and harmony
A masterpiece in strife
Oh, Sergei Rachmaninoff
Your legacy lives on
In every symphony played
And every heart that's won
We thank you for the music
That still echoes through the years
And will continue to do so
Beyond our earthly tears.
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Vidhya Bashyam that's pretty amazing! :D
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Vidhya Bashyam This is exceptional. I usually only ask ChatGPT for help in menu planning (which it does quite well). I need to expand my explorations, LOL!
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Vidhya Bashyam oh wow, this is impressive. Actually a little scary that chatGPT can do this.
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Here's a recording I found, which I have titled: A Bunny Rabbit Dreams of Conquest. (While listening to this, I imagined a little bunny dreaming of being a knight...in search of ripe strawberries?!?)
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Michelle R Thank you so much for introducing me to this playful and evocative piece. This Rachmaninoff Challenge is teaching me so much!
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Michelle R Love your imagery!
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Gail Starr I'm glad you enjoyed it, Gail - I have been pleasantly surprised at how many of Rachmaninoff's compositions I enjoy. Before this challenge, I didn't really like listening to him, but in going through his works I'm finding many that I really like.
Vidhya Bashyam Thanks, Vidhya. I think it comes from many years spent teaching creative movement to young children. This would have been such a great bit of music to organize a class around!
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Michelle R your description of this piece certainly caught my attention and guided my listening of it! Thanks for sharing this video! Another to add to my list of dream pieces!
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This is the first couple pages of the Prelude op. 32 no.5 that have been working on.
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Alice Lin Sounds beautiful! Looking forward to the rest!
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Alice Lin you play with such a beautiful tone, it sounds lovely!
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Alice Lin That’s lovely playing. You capture the mood of this piece so well.
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Vidhya Bashyam Thank you Vidhya!
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Natalie Peh Thank you Natalie!
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Hazel Thank you Hazel!
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Alice Lin very beautifully played!
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