Week 4 – Play Through & Share
Welcome to Week 4 of the Romantic Music Challenge.
This week is about letting go of the microscope and trusting the arc you’ve built. You’ve worked through notes, texture, and character. Now it’s time to experience the piece as a whole.
This week, your goal is to play through your piece—or your chosen section—as a complete musical thought.
Practice Prompts
Choose one or two and explore:
- Play through without stopping, even if something goes wrong
- Decide where the emotional high point of the piece lives
- Notice where your attention drifts, and gently bring it back to the narrative
- Imagine you’re performing for one specific listener
Sharing for This Week
When you’re ready, share a recording of your full piece or selected section. Audio or video is welcome.
We’ll begin compiling submissions for our Romantic Watch Party on February 13, where we’ll listen together and celebrate everyone’s work.
Press record, play it through, and let it be what it is!
151 replies
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Hi - here's my submission of the Rachmaninoff Elegie op 3 no 1
I'm feeling overwhelmed to have managed to get it a clean one. It took me about an hour and by that time my mind was a complete wreck from just trying to hold my nerve together.
I hope you will enjoy it.
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To A Water Lily by Edward MacDowell. complete with wrong notes!
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Here is my video of Variation 18 from Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. I think Michael Voleridge's transcription is truly wonderful and, without the orchestra, allows us to experience something of the variation's deep Romantic feeling, with its memorable melodic moment that completely captivates us, leaving us defenseless... Anyway, it has been a pleasure to take part in this challenge and, as always, thank you so much, Dominic, for organizing it.
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R Schumann Melody. Progress made. thanks for a productive challenge.
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Hi, here's my recording of Liszt Consolation nr 3. (A magical tune when played well 🙂.)
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Hi, here's my recording of a work in progress: Brahms' Intermezzo, Op. 118, Nr. 2. I've been trying to incorporate Seymour Bernstein's suggestions, but it's not easy. One thing that's great about these challenges, however, is that it allows one to deeply appreciate the composer's and performers' crafts...even if my lack of experience, training and arthritic joints seem insurmountable. Listening to everyone's music here is a total joy. Happy Romantics Day! And thanks Dominic--please feel free to excerpt whatever snippet you like (if any)--it's too slow and too long, I know.