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!

139 replies

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    • Astrida_Gobina
    • 3 days ago
    • Reported - view

    Hi! This is my version of Chopin Etude op.10 no.9. Unfortunately, I cannot do it without mistakes yet, but here it is as it is right now. 
    Thank you for this challenge and the wonderfully motivating four weeks of company in working on and enjoying music!

    https://youtube.com/shorts/XCsD-dggwps?si=44VcBeOPZMjvOC9E

      • Philosophy teacher and piano lover
      • Juan_Carlos
      • Yesterday
      • Reported - view

       Great playing, Astrida! It's a real challenge, which you've met with a moving, solid interpretation. 

      • Astrida_Gobina
      • Yesterday
      • Reported - view

       Thank you very much Juan Carlos!

      • David_H_A_Fitch
      • Yesterday
      • Reported - view

       beautiful! 

      • Unfrozen Barroom Piano Player
      • Peter_G
      • Yesterday
      • Reported - view

       this is really great already Astrida.  It seems like this Etude is all about rotation and you've certainly got that covered,, showing us what good rotation looks like.  And I'm so envious of those beautiful long fingers and the relaxed (seemingly?) manner in which you navigate those rotations throughout.

      • Astrida_Gobina
      • 18 hrs ago
      • Reported - view

      thank you! Yours is as well! 

      • Astrida_Gobina
      • 17 hrs ago
      • Reported - view

       Thank you! I must say that my left hand actually gets tired after practicing. I have normally devoted one hour for this piece, but also not every single day to give my hands a chance to recuperate physically. Once details are done, I can generally play it through three to four times and then need to stop.

      • Claire.3
      • 4 hrs ago
      • Reported - view

       this is beautiful! Your LH is so relaxed and the tone really even on those endless low Fs, I really enjoyed listening to it. Thank you!

      • Unfrozen Barroom Piano Player
      • Peter_G
      • 2 hrs ago
      • Reported - view

       It's easy to see how this piece could tire out your left hand.  But now having learned it so well, it becomes the perfect piece for practicing and improving your rotation technique -- however one does that!  you can use it to focus on methods of relaxation and other physical mechanisms, without having to figure out the notes and the expression while you're at it, because you've already got those so well learned and under control, playing it very beautifully. Leave it to Chopin  -- even when he's trying to teach us technique he can't help but make beautiful music at the same time.

    • PViseskul
    • 2 days ago
    • Reported - view

    Hi - here's my submission of the Rachmaninoff Elegie op 3 no 1 

    https://youtu.be/gcLsXkhg-MA

    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.

      • Astrida_Gobina
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Very beautiful! Thank you for sharing.

      • hot4euterpe
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

       So much impressive work here Priya. Beyond your calm and very secure playing you have a a firm grasp on your tempo and the changing textures. Your parallel sixths are always well voiced and smoothly executed. The LH is well balanced whether it is playing the nebulous arpeggios or the melody. Your octave / chord passage work is very strong and of course your powerful finish.  You are at that wonderful place where you now know you can perform it honourably and get to concentrate on performing it as much as possible and fuss about tiny nuances rather than mechanical processes. It takes so much careful work to get there so Bravo! This was an excellent listen.

      • PViseskul
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Thank you for listening, and  thank you for the wonderful feedback! I will continue to work on this gorgeous piece for a while yet, which definitely needs more work to really secure the notes down so not to be a nervous wreck every time I am running through the piece 😅

      • vbashyam
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Sounds beautiful!

      • Kerstin
      • Yesterday
      • Reported - view

       Thanks for sharing. It’s a difficult piece. And ,yes‘ to record something can be sometimes a bit stressful. 🤣.    But you made it and I like your warm touch. 👍

      • PViseskul
      • Yesterday
      • Reported - view

        Thank you for listening 😊

      • Philosophy teacher and piano lover
      • Juan_Carlos
      • Yesterday
      • Reported - view

       One of my Rachmaninoff favorites. I like your tempo and your calm, sorrowful approach, very beautiful Priya.

      • PViseskul
      • Yesterday
      • Reported - view

       thank you - and it was your powerful performance that inspired me to learn it so thank you again!

      • Unfrozen Barroom Piano Player
      • Peter_G
      • Yesterday
      • Reported - view

       Priay, this piece has gotten more powerful and polished with each successive video you have posted .  Thank you for sharing your process with us and this resulting performance so full of pathos and trageday and defiance.  Just beautiful.

    • Claire.3
    • Yesterday
    • Reported - view

    To A Water Lily by Edward MacDowell. complete with wrong notes!

    https://youtu.be/6nXiDv-aTuA

      • Astrida_Gobina
      • Yesterday
      • Reported - view

       You create so beautiful atmosphere! I was thinking about your movements as touching water surface. Thank you! 

      • Claire.3
      • Yesterday
      • Reported - view

      thank you so much!

      • Unfrozen Barroom Piano Player
      • Peter_G
      • Yesterday
      • Reported - view

       Nice playing Claire.  I love the quiet mood established here, gently rocking but not capsizing the Water Lily!

      • Claire.3
      • Yesterday
      • Reported - view

       

      Thank you very much, that's lovely!

      • Vicki_R
      • 9 hrs ago
      • Reported - view

        Thank you Clare for introducing me to a piece evocative of nature (I wasn't familiar with this suite of McDowell pieces). . I could see the water and felt uplifted. (I will explore the rest of the suite).  You had good balance of hands (bass didn't overpower) and varied dynamics.  Thank you for sharing all your hard work.   👍👏We learn so much from seeing what others are playing.

      • Claire.3
      • 6 hrs ago
      • Reported - view

        I’m so pleased you like the piece! Thank you for your nice comments.

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