Week 1: Getting down to Business

Sergei Rachmaninoff: Étude-Tableau F sharp minor Op. 39 No. 3

What’s done: all the fingering; most of the pedaling; basic approaches to each of the different technical challenges; some of the memorization (maybe 30%)

Unfinished: Full and secure memorization; clarity and voicing; (technical) transitions between the many small sections; speed/tempo

Goal for this challenge: play the piece fluently from beginning to end at a moderate tempo (70-80% of a typical performance tempo) with accuracy,  well balanced sound, and expressive melody and harmony.

I would like to revisit Beethoven's Sonata Pathetique.

I learned the song for a competition in high school but I did very poorly. 

For the first movement, my rhythm at the Grave was unstable and imprecise, and my technique in the Allegro was sloppy and under-tempo.  My goal for this movement is to be able to play musically, with a high level of precision and accuracy.

For the second movement, I mastered the notes in high school, but I didn't consider proper balance and phrasing.  My goal for this movement is to play it as beautifully as possible.

I never really learned the final movement beyond playing through it a few times, and although I don't know if I'll have the time to complete it as part of its challenge, I definitely want to learn it so that I can play the whole sonata from start to finish!

Looking forward to a productive month.

Isac Albeniz - Asturias will be on my plate.

I still need to polish dynamics, get more secure in the text (and memorize it fully) as it’s difficult for me to play contratempo while looking at the score.

Also I need to polish up the character between two different flamencos and to get in right tempo.

Starting off after 4-day weekend in mountains, from August 7

Mozart a-moll sonata.

I have played the 2. movement for the competition (according to the requirements))). Later I studied 1 mov, but I have never learned the 3 one. That is pretty strange, to tell the truth.

Well, in the 1 movement I'd like to make it more "Mozart".
The 2 was pretty nice, but of cource I will master it. I'd like that bel canto in the melody.
The 3 mov I'd like to learn)))).
My general goal for the whole sonata would be making it intresting.
Hopefully, I'll manage)
Have a nice time! Good luck!

Hello everybody,

I started to learn the 3rd movement of the apassionata sonata quite a while ago. It is a piece at my limit of capability.

So far I made fingerings and made up my mind about the musical picture. I can somehow get through the piece.

I would like to be able to play the piece through fluently and musically not too far from desirable final speed.

I am very nervous about participating by the way.

Have a good practise month everybody!

Chopin Op 22 Grand Polonaise Brillante

I tried learning this a couple of years ago and was able to "get through it" memorized when practicing on my own, but never close to tempo and it would always fall apart / I'd get too fatigued when trying to play it in my "adult learners" class. I also wasn't able to play it with the sparkle that drew me to the piece in the first place.

I have put a lot of focus on improving my technique (from working on Chopin Etudes), expressive agility (from working on Schumann Op 12) and endurance (from climbing ) since then. So I'm giving it another try. I do have a heavier action piano at home now though, so this should be interesting

This week I'm reviewing slowly with the score and marking up the spots that I remember would trip me up so I can spend more time on them. Also updating some of the fingering that I'd previously used to make things easier but are less efficient. The left hand always sounded clunky, so I'm also spending more time practicing hands alone LH.

Happy this challenge is giving me motivation to revisit this piece!