Week 2: Status Update and one NEW improvement!
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 August 7th - 14th I hope to be reading your daily updates in this very thread right here!
Here is this week's assignment!
1. Let us know what status your "Unfinished Business" piece is at!
2. No matter what, let's focus this week on ONE NEW improvement for your piece!
3. Optional: post a video of your update, and work!
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I’m practicing a lot without pedal
this week to make sure that I really play “technically proper” (not sure how to say that in English) and I try to listen to all the different layers in the music when playing. Playing without pedal also has the advantage that you can directly check on legato and phrasing in the right hand. I also practice the different voices separately which helps to listen to them when playing hands together again.
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Ursina Boehm my one improvement this week is that for the first time since I am learning this piece I’ve managed to play the passage with the thirds in the right hand without thinking about the technically challenges but just enjoying the music. That makes such a difference for me!
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Ursina Boehm This sounds like just the right practice methods for you now! (And great tips for all of us) Looking forward to hear how it turns out!
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Here's my first video of the Mazurka op 59 nr 1. My goal for this week was to get threw the piece and memorize it. So I'm happy with making that, and I feel like some of the "unfinished business" is done.
My goal for next week is to get threw Rachmaninov op 23 no 4 and memorize that one. If time I will go deeper into the music the last week. No matter, I will work more on these pieces during the fall.
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Sindre Skarelven Beautiful playing! It’s a great opus. Glad you are completing your unfinished business from the Mazurka TWI. Looking forward to the Rach prelude.
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Sindre Skarelven Bravo, Sindre!! Can’t wait to hear what will happen to this gorgeous piece and your already great playing in the next weeks!
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Sindre Skarelven very nice job, Sindre! Love the beautifully shaped phrases, how you transition to the middle section so wonderfully, and the elegant ornamentation!
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Sindre Skarelven What a beautiful interpretation, Sindre! With your personal control of dynamics you create a wonderful atmosphere of intimacy, really beautiful!
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Sindre Skarelven You've mastered this so quickly! I really need to learn this as part of my Op. 59 "project", too. You inspire me. I am amazed at how beautifully you memorize. (That REALLY scares me, so sometimes I don't even try.)
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Sindre Skarelven beautiful playing and so well memorised! So much character in the piece.
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Sindre Skarelven This is really lovely, Sindre. I especially appreciate your touch and control, with so many moments where the sound is so deep and full. Thanks for posting!
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Vidhya Bashyam Andrea Buckland Natalie Peh Juan Carlos Olite Gail Starr Derek McConville Michelle R
Thank you so much for all your kind comments, everyone!! I pay close attention to what you're saying :) I look forward to work more on this beautiful piece after I'm threw the Rach piece!Lot's of fingering decisions to make in that one, op 23 no 4. It needs to be comfortable, flowing and feel very natural for the hands, so that's part of this weeks process :)
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Sindre Skarelven This is beautiful! thank you. You inspire me to continue practicing.
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Jennifer Mehta Thank you so much, Jennifer! There’s no greater joy for me than to inspire! :D
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I'm on a brief vacation and have been out of town for most of the week (Thursday through Sunday), so my options for working on my piece were limited to memorizing it by reading the score (which is how I memorize my music anyway, but it's always nice to have a piano so you can work on the sound in parallel). And even that has only been possible during the little bit of time I haven't spent with my hosts. I hope to upload a video documenting this week's modest progress by the end of Monday, but it won't be today anymore because I won't be home until midnight.
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Alexander Weymann Have a wonderful vacation! I started my Mazurka for Jarred's last TWI intensive ONLY reading the score and that's my new favorite way to learn. Make sure to use colorful Sharpies to mark each section so you have something fun to look at while you're traveling.
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Gail Starr I love the idea with the colorful Sharpies!!
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Here's a bit of my Week 2 Practice session. Using ideas from Henry Kramer's wonderful class on Chopin Etudes, plus the exercises from Alfred Cortot. Doing LOTS of hands apart and starting to memorize. Aline Valade is also learning this one!
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Gail Starr Love how diligent and discipline you are in your practice - looking forward to hear more! :)
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Gail Starr that sounds great - thanks for giving us an insight into your routine - amazing how it sounds in the end - so crisp! Even the practice drills bring out all the interesting details in this piece :)
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Gail Starr Thanks for letting us be a fly on the wall for a bit of your practice! Looking forward to more.
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Gail Starr Love your practice routine and the beautiful etude that emerges!
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Derek McConville Thank you, Derek! I picked up these ideas from Henry & Jarred on Tonebase and a bunch of YouTube tutorials.
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Michelle R I hope it wasn’t too boring!
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Gail Starr not at all! I found it intriguing ... of course, maybe I just need to get out more. :-)
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