What music are you working on?

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    • Denise
    • Educator
    • Denise
    • 2 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    Yay! Finally the forums are up! :-) 
     

    I am working on the following:

    Beethoven 25 Op. 79 (entire)

    Bach Invention #3 and #14

    Schubert Valse Sentimentales Op. 50 D779 12 & 13

    I am a high school math teacher, but have my bachelors in music from SDSU (nice brain shift). I have a home piano studio where I teach 12 beginners to late intermediate students. I resumed taking lessons with a teacher from long ago with the advent of Zoom lessons, so I can once again have focus and discipline on my goals. My significant other is a professional traditional jazz pianist who has had all gigs cancelled and his days at Disneyland have been nixed for now.  Lots of practicing during the pandemic! :-) 

    Happy to have the boards, as I am on campus most days that the livestream events occur. But we watch them - me more than him! Thanks Tonebase!

     

    ~Denise

    Like 4
    • Ben Laude
    • Head of Piano @ tonebase
    • Ben_Laude
    • 2 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    I'd love to hear from more subscribers. Maybe I'll start with some of our regular/recent livestream attendees - Sindre , Santiago , and if you know any tonebase pals, bring them here! The more we know about what YOU'RE playing, the better we can prepare for future workshops and lessons.

    As for me, I'm "between programs", as pianists like to say when they're not ready to play anything. But I've been poking at Schumann Waldszenen, Medtner Tales, Op. 26, Shostakovich D Major Prelude and Fugue, and Faure D-flat Nocturne No. 6. Also, figuring out what Bach is next, and generally sight reading whatever I like on a nightly basis.

    Like 5
  • Hello! My main focus is on Mozart sonatas. Working on Nr 2 and 3 at the moment, and are planing on moving to Nr 8 and 10 when these two are finished. 

    After watching the Tonebase lesson on Haydn Sonata in Em (Hob. XVI:34), I want to learn that one too (Great lesson!). Also I practice Chopin Nocturne in D-flat major Op. 27 nr 2, and some Grieg lyric pieces. 

    Like 1
    • Santiago
    • Santiago
    • 2 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    Hello all! And first, thank you Ben Laude  for tagging us! It's a pleasure for me to share the pieces I'm working on. 

     

    As I said in my introduction, I'm currently re-starting playing piano. After a 10-years break, I need to relearn a lot. But I'm working on my firsts Chopins (Prelude in E Minor op. 28/4 & Waltz in A Minor). I really enjoyed working on the prelude with the videos from Seymour Bernstein and I would love to see a Tonbase video about the waltz. Your material is always helpful and very inspiring! 

     

    I've already studied Bach's Prelude No. 1 in C Major, Burgm眉ller's Balade op. 100/15 and H盲ndel's Sarabande in E Minor.

     

    I'm also giving a try to contemporary music, after Dominic's showcase. I'm working on some easy pieces by Johannes Brecht and Michael Lazarev, and have some work by Max Richter waiting for me. 

     

    I would appreciate to see some videos about music interpretation and how to find my own way - or rather, is there anything you can teach about that or is that something everyone just needs to find by theirselves? 

     

    I'm very looking forward to being in touch with you all! 

     

    Wish you the best, 

    Santiago

    Like 3
  • I am working on Chopin's 3rd Ballade and Limoges from Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition. After my last performance of Margaret Bonds' Troubled Water, my grandmother said, yet again, "Why don't you play some Chopin?" So I'm working on Chopin. I just finished recording The Hut on Fowl's Legs and The Great Gate of Kiev for a faculty recital. It did not go as well as I would have liked, but it didn't go horribly either. I want 2021 to be the year I finally get all of Pictures memorized, and I've decided to tackle the nastiest parts first.

    And I almost forgot - also working on piano II for the Mozart Sonata for 2 piano and the primo for Schubert's Fantasy. I haven't done collaborative work in ages so it's always on the back burner.

    Ben Laude  I played from Medtner Op. 26 for a faculty recital a few years back. Gorgeous pieces. Would love to hear you play them!

    Like 1
  • That sounds great!   Santiago  Those pieces are so beautiful. Playing Chopin is one of the great joys we get to do on a piano. I always enjoy giving the Waltz in A minor to my students. I also find B眉rgmuller op 100 very useful.  

     

    gallaghejas

     I must say that Schubert's fantasy is one of my absolute favorites! That must be really fun to play. 

    I love all of Chopin's Ballades very very much. (Chopin is a croud-pleaser :P)) I have only played the first one, but will for sure go for the other ones in not too long time. I have played a some of the Pictures, but it's been a while. Good luck!

    Like 2
    • Mat
    • Software integrator
    • Mat
    • 2 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    I just did my RCM Grade 1 exam two days ago.  I'm quite happy how I performed so I should pass.  After a day off, I started on grade 2 repertoire.  I like the "Menuet en Rondeau" from Rameau so I'm gonna start with that and figure out what else I want to play in the next few days. 馃槃

    Like 4
    • Denise
    • Educator
    • Denise
    • 2 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    Practiced a bunch yesterday and today. Jason goaded me into memorizing... pushing my brain to oblivion. Granted, very helpful in passages with lots of leaps and such. Tonights practice session went surprisingly well... I still wish I could improve more quickly than I am. I managed to work out a few trouble spots on the first movement of the Beethoven 79. Then I played through Bach's Two Part Invention #3, working on voicing and articulation. Schubert will have to wait til tomorrow. 

    Tonight's view: Music soothed the savage.

    How was your practice?

    Like 2
    • Mat
    • Software integrator
    • Mat
    • 2 yrs ago
    • Reported - view
    Denise said:
    How was your practice?

    The piano practice is... meh.  I had to put some time on the bass (because I'm in a rock cover band and we're currently refreshing the setlist).  In a few months, I'll be able to balance practice on both instruments. 

    Like 2
    • marina
    • pianophile
    • marina
    • 2 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    Hi - I鈥檓 working on ( flipping between ) the Brahms op 10 pieces - recently discovered jewels - and a few later pieces of his including the very last ballade op 119. That鈥檚 been a long term project. Loved Dominic鈥檚 presentation on the op118!

    A bunch of Rachmaninoff pieces including the Elegy, several preludes and a couple of the Etude Tableaux. 

    Last night I began the last two movements of Chopin鈥檚 3rd sonata. And returned to the op27 Nocturnes. 

    As you can probably guess I鈥檓 not a particularly disciplined practiser! I tend to go with the inspiration or where-ever the book falls open :)

    Consequently nothing is quite performance ready right now but eventually there鈥檒l be a bunch of things come on track. The advantage of working this way tho is I get to fully immerse myself in a composer鈥檚 style rather than restricting myself to just one piece of theirs. It鈥檚 very nourishing. 

    Like 1
  • Hello all, just figured out there are so many threads going on here at tonebase!!!

    I am working on Chopin Barcarolle and Grand Polonaise; Bach Partita No 2, and Bach/Brahms Chaconne for left hand.  It's fun to play left hand only version, but I might switch to Bach/Busoni for fuller sound and harmony. Chopin's pieces are my main focus at this moment. Besides these, I would sight-read through other pieces, for fun, and for exploring more music.

    Like 1
    • Aline Valade
    • Artist
    • Aline_Valade
    • 2 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    F眉r Elise, Beethoven  / Pavane pour une Infante D茅funte, Ravel \  Sonatine, Clementi \ and the Beethoven Challenge of the Community, Variations

    Like 2
  • I am working on quite a few Scarlatti Sonatas simultaneously, some of my favorites are : K492, K322, K298, K135, K113, K56, K27, K84, K85.  I am hoping to start attacking Beethoven's Sonata 23 (Appassionata) which I played as a kid years ago. Hoping tonebase lessons can give me some useful tips on this.

     

    I have to admit I am addicted to Scarlatti because they are so fun to play and I like the hand crossings. 

    Like 3
    • Jeffrey Segor Hey Jeffrey! As the live director, I can definitely host a live event centered around this piece. You can attend and ask any specific questions/fingerings/musical thoughts for us to chat about in this event! Stay tuned!

      Like 1
  • Moonlight sonata 

    Like 2
    • Jackie
    • Jackie
    • 2 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    Brahms concerto 1

    Like 1
    • Edmund
    • Edmund
    • 2 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    Melodie from Orpheus et Eurydice - Gluck/Sgambati

    Standchen - Schubert/Liszt

    Liebeslied - Kriesler/Rachmaninoff

    Intermezzo in A Major - Brahms

    Ballade No 1 in G Minor  - Chopin

    Chance Encounter - Kevin Kern

     

    Hopefully there will be tutorials for the 1st 3 pieces I'm working on so I can elevate my playing. 

    Like 2
  • I鈥檓 currently working on Chopin Etude op 25 no 1, Bach partita no 2, Rachmaninoff Elegie op 3 no 1 and Rach prelude in C# minor.  

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    • akiko yanagisawa
    • Curator and producer of performing arts and music
    • akiko_yanagisawa
    • 2 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    I am working on Bach Partita No 6 Toccata,  Chopin Nocturn No 10, and No 11.  Chopin Prelude No 13 Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 8 ( Pathetique) ,9, 10 and  15 (Pastoral).  Schubert Impromptus No1, 2 and 3.  

    Like 1
      • Hilda Huang
      • Concert Pianist and tonebase Piano Community Lead
      • Hilda
      • 2 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      akiko yanagisawa OHH the Toccata from the 6th Partita is just my favorite! :) Have you played any of the Toccatas, or the other partitas?

      Like
  • Hi, I'm practicing mainly:

     

    Bach, Well Tempered Clavier Volume 1, Prelude and Fugue II

    Beethoven, Kursfursten Sonata WoO 47, no. 1

    Martinu, It isn't bad, is it now, to pick a few flowers

    Rachmaninov, Prelude, Op 3, no. 2

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    • Peter Golemme
    • Piano Player with Day Job (for now)
    • Peter_G
    • 2 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    Hello everyone,

     

    One of my lifelong projects is to get through the entire Well Tempered Clavier. I have had about 18 under my fingers at one time or another and now I'm systematically plowing through all of them, starting at the beginning of Book I (C major) and the end of Book II (B minor) and working my way forward/backwards from there to eventually meet in the middle with the B minor from Book I and the C major from Book II.  I am up to F# Major in both Books, coincidentally. Rather than waiting until I've got each one 'mastered', what I'm doing instead is working out the fingering, analysis and technical difficulties of each one, globally, and thereafter hope or try to 'perfect' individual ones .  [I feel the need to put 'master' and 'perfect' in quotes, because I can't claim I've ever accomplished that with any of these pieces!]

     

    It's very illuminating and instructive to go through all of them this way.  Dr. Remes' ToneBase courses have been incredibly revealing and helpful and John Mortensen's course on Partimento also.

     

    A separate project has been to get through all the Rachmaninoff Preludes.  I have played all 24 in a series of Adult Ed class recitals over a series of many years.  some rather poorly I must confess, as there are many parts that would exceed the limits of my technique to play up to tempo, but nonetheless gamely made it through them, earning much applause for my struggles from our audiences of family and friends. I have studied ALL of the Preludes minutely for many years, and have taken a break from them for the past year or so before picking them up again now.  What I would like to do next is prepare each one, as best I can, to the point where I could record a passable version on my home piano.  so presently I've got the E Major, Bb minor, F Major and A Major going.  I loved Claire Huangci's discussions of the Bb Major and G# Minor and would be thrilled if she were to do similar discussions of any of the others! I have her CD of these Preludes and it is fantastic, amazing and so beautiful! I recommend to all. Another one of my favorite recordings (and I have many!) of these is the late Constance Keene's recording from the 1970's. I highly recommend that one also.

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    • Peter Golemme
    • Piano Player with Day Job (for now)
    • Peter_G
    • 2 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    I would like to add that I would welcome the opportunity to hear, share & compare notes, observations and thoughts from anyone in the ToneBase community about any specific piece(s) from within either of these two categories:

    Any Prelude & Fugue from Well Tempered Clavier (I have many particular thoughts about the ones I've already analyzed, i.e. Book I C-F# major, and Book ii F# Major - B minor, and a few others in between; less so about some of the others I haven't studied yet, but would like to hear yours).

     

    Any Rachmaninoff Prelude.

     

    I'd be happy to discuss right here on this forum, or on any more private connection so that we wouldn't bore everyone else.

     

    thanks, PG

    Like 1
      • Hilda Huang
      • Concert Pianist and tonebase Piano Community Lead
      • Hilda
      • 2 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Peter Golemme Hey Peter! Great to hear of your repertoire choices. I'd encourage you definitely to post in Bach in March's Community Hangout, because this month's repertoire activities will center around bach. I know I am, and others are, interested in the well-tempered clavier - Anthony Miyake and Harriet Kaplan come to mind, as they've posted on the WTC before. It's the WTC's 300th anniversary this year too - and I'm definitely going to include some in my livestreams!

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      • Anthony Miyake
      • Work with numbers and statistics, but music is my true passion. Piano hobbyist.
      • Anthony_Miyake
      • 2 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Peter Golemme , as Hilda mentioned I'm also working on the WTC, but just book 1.  Think it will take me another 3 years or so to get to the end of just book 1.  I also decided to memorize some of them which is slowing me down a bit.  And more recently, my piano is giving me some issues which makes it difficult to practice so I'm looking around for another piano.  I'm currently working on the Fugue #4 in C#-minor and am trying to incorporate use of the pedal which I've found enables me to play it with a greater range of dynamics.  Also working on the Prelude #5 in D major.  This isn't a particularly difficult prelude, but I'm struggling to figure out any sort of pattern in the notes as I've found it very difficult to play through completely cleanly while reading it.  The piece is a lovely composition, but the notes just seem so random.  Would be be great to hear which one's you're working on and the challenges you're working through on them.

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