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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Hi everyone!
Welcome! Excited to get started and hear your thoughts and repertoire selections. Remember, this is a unique opportunity to engage with a piece before being influenced by interpretations—so take your time and trust your instincts.
If you're unsure where to begin or need help choosing a piece, feel free to reach out here—I’m happy to offer suggestions.
Happy practicing
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I'm excited to join this TWI. I still consider myself a beginner, though perhaps late elementary would be most accurate. I injured the fifth finger on my left hand a couple of months ago (partially torn ligments), and am just beginning to play with my left hand again. I'm trying to find a piece that is simple enough for me to learn quickly, but that will be gentle on my finger. I'm looking at Minuet in C by Ignaz Pleyel (B817) or "Melody" by Duvernoy.
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Michelle R Hi Michelle, Pleyel seems to work just fine for the sake of this challenge—I couldn’t seem to find Duvernoy, but if it’s relatively easy, that should work too! Just make sure to keep playing on the softer side, especially with your left hand, so as not to overuse the injured ligaments. Enjoy this little exercise, and take care
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Piotr Kozłowski Thank you Piotr. I think I'll work on the Pleyel. It seems easier on the left hand (the Duvernoy had a lot of Alberti Bass type figurations in the left hand). It's interesting to begin learning a piece without listening to it first!
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Thank you Piotr, this is a great project.
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Philippa I am glad you like it!!!
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This is a simple play on I-V-I to learn within a week.
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Adena Just perfect!
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I am going to pick Scarlatti's Sonata 2 (K 9, L. 413) in D minor.
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Melanie This is one of my favorites! Great choice.
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Melanie Great choice!
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Hi everyone. Thank you so much for the TWI Piotr Kozłowski
After I have watched Piotr’s instruction, I went back to IMSLP and Henle to get an idea of difficulty level, decided to go with:
Scarlatti Keyboard Sonata in G minor K.deest.
Directory given by composer:
- Structure: AABB, 8 bars in each.
- Rhythm 4/4,
- Tempo merking: Largo
- Harmony: G minor, some accidentals F# indicates still in harmonic G minor.
- Section B: has 2 bar pararell third figure in RH, followed by 2 bars scale combination og 16th and 32th notes.
- Syncopation combined with 16th rest
- Slurs
- Grace notes: Acciaccatura.. close cousin of the appoggiatura, featuring an auxiliary note (notated as a grace note with an oblique stroke through the stem) that leads into a main note. While an appoggiatura places emphasis on the grace note, an acciaccatura places emphasis on the main note itself https://www.masterclass.com/articles/grace-notes-guide#8kca7RnYDengsk8HRoD3X
- Ornamentation: upper modent https://mymusictheory.com/terms-and-symbols/ornaments-symbols/
Indirectly:
- Baroque era music, written for Cembalo indicating played without/ sparcely use of sustain pedal.
- Try terraced dynamics: loud or soft
- Articulations: like with J.S.Bach, focus on each notes heard clearly rather than connecting notes
- Change of mood: melancholy (i chord) to lighthearted (V chord)
- Scarlatti sonatas in minors often project emotions associated with delicacy, poignant, nobility, sophisticated sadness or joy.
Context & Historical Framework
- Giuseppe Domenico Scarlatti born in Napoli 1685, same year as J.S.Bach and Handel.
- This particular piece is K.deest, meaning ....used to identify works that have not been included in any ...catalogue
- Scarlatti was prolific musician, highly appreciated by members of Europian aristocracy.
- Visited London, lived in Napoli, Venice, Lisboa, Roma and Madrid. Inspired by the Spanish music.
https://www.baroquemusic.org/biodscarlatti.html
https://www.baroque.org/baroque/whatis
https://www.baroque.org/baroque/composers#dscarlatti
The Sonata seems technical challenge for me to learn in a week, But I will give it a try. Thank you for the opptunity Piotr and Tonebase.
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Sachi
This is a very good choice—such a beautiful piece. When thinking about the structure, keep in mind the contrast between big and small units and adjust your phrasing accordingly. The harmony is quite simple, with just two voices.
What function do you think syncopation and off-beats play in this piece?
The slurs only indicate ties and trills, but there aren’t really phrasing slurs—so how would you approach phrasing?
Yes, the harpsichord or cembalo wouldn’t be able to differentiate dynamics, but shaping and timing are very flexible. Also, playing with the instrument’s resonance would create a strong impression. So adding a bit of dynamics—an advantage of the modern instrument—is absolutely welcome! And let’s not forget, instruments like the clavichord actually could differentiate volume.
I like that you’re experimenting! You can also break each system apart and try different solutions in terms of energy and dynamics.
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Piotr Kozłowski
Syncopation and off-beats seems to function as interludes between motifs? A contrast to first motif, and maybe a different character?
Phrasing: do make efforts to articulate different moods and characters.
Make notion of …• section A: the highest note (bar 1)
• section B: the scale with accents.
• timing: take time for breath.
• Retard toward coda.
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Chopin Nocturne, Op 27, No. 2, bars 1 through 25 - A/B/A with a coda. Section A returns twice, with different dynamics and a surprise change in the 2nd repetition. Using Ekier edition along with facsimile of his original work.
At the time of this writing in 1836, Chopin was in Paris and was reported to have recently met George Sand. The mood feels lonely, pensive, remembering, as if regretting past events, perhaps due to his failed engagement to Maria Wodzińska.
Per Stephen Hough, "No. 2 has been called the most voluptuous of the nocturnes. It, too, offers a melody of great beauty, but rather than evoking an aria, it resembles more an operatic duet. More often than not the theme is presented in those parallel thirds or sixths so beloved of the Italian opera composers, and even includes examples of fioriture (decorative filigree)."
Question - how to retain the end of bar legato with Chopin's indicated pedal marks? Some of the jumps seem too large for a finger substitution.
Thank you for doing this!
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Pat Van Buskirk
Another beautiful selection! And I’m happy to see you’re using Ekier’s critical edition.
You mentioned Chopin’s failed engagement to Wodzińska—there was also the failed 1831 Insurrection. What was happening in Paris during that time? Which artists, besides Sand and Chopin, were people talking about?
Regarding the pedal: change it on the downbeat of the next measure fairly quickly, so there’s no empty space between the last note of the previous measure and the first note of the next. That said, Chopin sometimes plays with silence and deliberately leaves space—especially where you see rests in the melody. Always use your ear :)
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Piotr Kozłowski Yes, and leaving his homeland and family. Plus illness always exacerbates everything. Good suggestion on other Paris events - back to Walker's book :-)
I've either heard or read that Chopin's hairpin marks are more of a rubato than a crescendo/decrescendo. Not an overt rubato, but more of a feeling or suggestion. What are your thoughts on that, please.
Thank you!
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Hello Piotr Kozłowski . I'm thinking about Clementi's Op36, No 1, movement 2, Andante. I am not familiar with it and it looks accessible to me. It's only 6 lines, 26 bars, so I think doable for me to learn in a week.
Structure - there isn't an obvious structure to this short movement. There is a repeat of the first 3 bars in bars 19-21 with a shift to a diminished 7th note in the E-flat for some drama. This repeat introduces the end of the movement. Would this be a coda? Or is this movement too short to have an official coda?
Harmony - this is a homophonic piece, in that there is a single melody played by the right hand that is supported by a simple harmony played by the left. There is an unsuspected shift (for me) in bar 21, with the E-flat instead of the F as in bar 3.
Context and historical framework - This was written in 1797, so smack in the middle of the Classical period.
Given by the composer:
Directly: Piece is written in F major. It is in 3/4 time, marked as Andante. Clementi has written some slur markings as well as some dynamics (I assume these are original. I am using a Shirmer's version).
Indirectly: The 3/4 time makes it feel waltz-like, or at least danceable.
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Hi, Randi !
So happy you’re doing it! Clementi seems like a great choice. You’re right—the theme comes back, and there’s something like a little coda at the end :) No need to overthink it, just a nice conclusion to this tiny piece.
As for the harmony, think about how Clementi plays with major and minor—maybe those minor thirds can feel a little special?
3/4 time plus triplets! Lots of thirds. The structure is kind of ABA. Definitely dancy and danceable. What 3/4 dances do you know from the Baroque period?
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Piotr Kozłowski Here is my piece without having started Week 2 assignment, so this is "raw" with no interpretation, etc. I hope next week it will sound a little different.
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Hello everyone and Mr. Piotr Kozłowski
J. S. Bach - Musette in D major BWV Anh 126
Structure : ABA structure. A - bar 1-8, B - bar 9-20, A - bar 21-28
Contrast: Mixed with slur and staccato rhythm
Repetitions: phrase/notes pattern
Harmony: thought out whole piece is tied in D major, and bar 1 ’s main melody sentence is very stand out.
Context & Historical Framework : composed in Baroque period
What is given by the composer:
- Directly: The title name - Musette - A musette is a short musical piece usually with a drone-like bass. The Musette is a dance that mimics the sound of a small bagpipe that is native to the area where the original dance was performed.
- Indirectly: Time Signature - 2/4 makes lively dancing feel. And right hand play vivid and joyful feeling melody and left hand keep playing jumping rhythm ostinato drone-like bass also compose a dancing feeling.
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Christo Good takeaways! Keep exploring and learning the notes — I like this selection.
Play with the articulations and the dance-like character, and notice how they influence each other.
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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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Here's a pdf with my notes on the piece. It's a dance, so I think I should preserve the rhythmic drive of the left hand (though it's andante, so nothing crazy), while trying to give the melody a sort of improvisatory feel. Will post video of progress soon, hopefully!
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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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