Week 1 Assignment!
Shaping Individual Interpretation: Squeeze Out Your Creative Juices!
Assignment 1: The Composer’s Blueprint
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCB4PbLOj5w
Pick a piece within your range to learn in a week—ideally, something you haven’t heard before. Don’t listen to recordings yet! Instead, focus on discovering the piece for yourself:
- Structure – How is it built? Are there clear sections, contrasts, repetitions?
- Harmony – What stands out? Are there unexpected shifts or progressions?
- Context & Historical Framework – What was happening when this piece was composed? How might that influence its character?
- What is given by the composer:
- Directly: Notes, rhythm, articulations, dynamics.
- Indirectly: Things shaped by performance practice (e.g., rubato in Romanticism, how slurs function in Classicism, timing and shaping in Baroque).
Your goal: Prepare the piece so you can play it through, following all the composer’s indications. Treat this as your baseline—your starting point before interpretation takes flight.
Share all of your answers to these questions above, and questions of your own below!
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I had to dig a bit to find a piece that (1) I wanted to learn and (2) I haven't heard before...so, I'm starting a miniature by Fikret Amirov. Will post score, notes and maybe a starter video soon!
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Marc M Piotr Kozłowski Here is my week 1 performance. For some reason, it was difficult to avoid turning the left hand accompaniment into a tango rhythm. Two of my kids also spied on me making the video and decided to contribute. Any feedback would be appreciated!
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Marc M THIS is exactly what I was hoping for! Good job!
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Marc M sounds beautiful and your kids are flying around in accord with your music
such fun watching, you guys Thanks
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Marc M It is a very good playing and playing with toys as well, haha! Loved watching the video. I wouldn't mind andante being a little more forward moving but really like the improvisatory character of the RH. The short guestures like m. 24 can become even more condense. M. 18 after the sf, try to build up more gradual. The "tango" rhythms can be even more clear but overall great! Now let's all take a look at the week 2 :)
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Marc M That is hysterical!! Clearly you are teaching your kids not just musicality but humor.
And nicely played. -
Piotr Kozłowski Thank you! Yes, listening to my video I thought the tempo was too slow, so now I'm working on getting the speed up. It's marked andante, but even the low end of the Andante range feels too fast for this piece, so I think I will opt for "slightly-slower-than-andante". I'll enjoy experimenting with the piece, per your week II recommendations.
And, thank you, Sachi and Randi! My 8-year old daughter, describing what the dragons were doing at one point in the video, said "they're mating".
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Marc M
I see it explains why the blue and the orange dragons were kissing
🩵
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Hi all,
I’ve chosen No. 1 from Schubert’s 8 Ecossaises D. 299.
Structure: AABB
Harmony: In the B section bars 10, 12 and 14 there are unexpected harmonies combined with fz markings.
Context and historical framework: This piece was composed in 1815, late classical and early romantic era. In 1815 Napoleon defeated by Wellington at the Battle of Waterloo, perhaps this could have influenced the triumphant nature of this piece.
What is given by the composer directly: fz on key chords, staccatos, and indirectly: two note slurs in classical, for balance bring out the melody note in the chord
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Ismini Such a fun little piece — I didn’t know it!
I can totally imagine Napoleon’s cavalry storming ahead
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My chosen piece is "Menuetto," composed by Ignace Pleyel (born in 1757 as Ignaz, but changed the spelling when he moved to France). It is B817, and was published in 1796 or 1797, so probably written slightly earlier. It is a typical Minuet (AB form, with repeats) with a Trio, and I am playing the first half only as my finger isn't up to much playing quite yet.
Pleyel was interesting to read about. Born in Austria (a student of Haydn), he moved to Strasbourg, France, in his mid-20's. He was the assistant chapel master at the Strasbourg Cathedral, and became the full chapel master in 1789.
Pleyel was in France when the French Revolution began (1791), and moved to London where he was a popular success and made a "fortune." Upon returning to Strasbourg, the Reign of Terror broke out which put him in a tough spot (being a wealthy foreigner), but ever the prudent opportunist he wrote many pieces which endeared him to those who were in charge.
In 1797 he became a music publisher, and the book this piece is found in, "Methode pour le pianoforte," appears to be one of his first publications. As a composer and musician he was famous in his time, likely because of the undemanding character of his pieces. Their charming simplicity meant they were pleasing to hear and play, as well as being accessible to a larger number of players.
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Michelle R
This is so interesting! Moreover, he founded a piano firm, and his instruments were favored by Chopin! It is always interesting to imagine how the pieces would sound on the instrument they were written on.
Another challenge within a challenge: find some recordings on period pianos, specifically Pleyel’s, to get used to the sound quality and different timbres. From my experience playing on copies of his instrument, they are much shallower, the keys are narrower, and each register has a very specific palette of colors.
While playing the Menuetto, imagine those characteristics — there’s a certain ease of playing on a Pleyel piano: less weight, but more nuance. The undemanding character of his composition — maybe that’s also why he built a piano so easy to play…
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Hello Everyone,
I have picked Sonata in G Minor op.49 no. 1.
Form: Sonata Form Expo bar 1 to 33, Development bar 34 - 64 or 72? Recapitulation bar 64? - 110
Clear sections some repetitions of four note motives, subject matter from the Exposition found in the development.
Context: composed in 1797 - 1798 and published in 1805. This is one of the "light" sonatas composed for friends. Beethoven was interested in Fidelio Opera, and his deafness was developing. 1802 the French Revolution ended. Germany was disunified.
Effect on character: Dramatic, minor key so maybe more mournful yet singing melody?
What is given from the composer: general dynamics, dynamic contrasts, such as mfp, slurs, ornaments,
Indirectly: Classical slurs - use a very slight space between the slurs, balance of melody and accompaniment.
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Karen Wood Great selection, Karen. It’s funny how all these things were happening in Europe—revolution, Germany—and yet Beethoven’s second theme seems so cheerful. Maybe it’s a reaction to what had happened, a kind of parallel to the events. It all begins in minor, but leads us toward something major...
Slurs are important, but don’t lose sight of the bigger picture and the looong phrase. Dynamic contrasts are a must—Beethoven’s favorite—but especially in this sonata, there are many smooth transitions. Beethoven is very well-behaved here...
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Thank you for all your submissions, let's have a look at week 2 now and continue the journey :)
