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!
221 replies
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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.
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Hello Dominic, thank you for this opportunity. I have attached a link to my submission. The piece is Sonata in G minor mvt 1 by Carlos Guastavino.
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Hello,
Here is my recording of the complete Nocturne in F# Op. 15 No. 2. I was going to keep chipping away at takes throughout the week but I realized I likely won't have any more time to do so, so this will have to be the one.
Dominic. thank you; this challenge was a nice motivation =) Please feel free to use this recording as my watch party submission (if you like).
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Hi Dominic and everyone. Thanks all for the great work you have put into! Reading comments and watching your videos have inspired me enormously.
This is short recording from Fanny Hensel: Mélodie op.4-2. She lived in the time when society put lots of pressure on women’s behavior. As you may already know, Fanny’s brother Felix Mendelssohn was as talented as his sister.
I wanted to give my gratitude by learning Fanny’s music.
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Here is my record, Chopin Nocturne, Op 27, No2.
I wanted to memorize this music, but I wasn't ready for that.
It is somewhat disappointing that I made unexpected errors here and there. Hopefully I can play better next time. :-)