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!
217 replies
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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. :-)
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Here is my recording of Paderewski's Nocturne in B-flat. I first heard it on a wonderful recording by Stephen Hough. Actually that's the only recording I've listened to, as I am happy to try my own interpretation on this one, without reference to others. He plays it slower -- quite slow-- than I do. Tempo is marked andantino con moto (but that does seem too fast for the character). Once again I have underestimated the time I needed for this challenge; also I hate the way I lose playing with easy flow once I hit the record button. And here there is a stupid flub near the end, which frankly pisses me off! But I was too tired to get anything better. Anyway, perhaps this can serve as an intro to this piece for some people. Cheers.
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Here's my recording of the Price sonata 2nd movement. Goal for the challenge was to learn and memorize the piece. There's obviously still much to do with this! But I think what I had in mind for this particular period of learning is attained.
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Here is my progress video for this final week: Chopin Prelude Op. 28 no. 7. AKA my first Chopin!! I don't learn pieces quickly, so am happy with this performance. It is memorized and I can make it through with only a couple of mistakes. Now to polish it and be more deliberate on my choices! Thanks for the challenge.
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Hello Tonebase colleagues-- there are so many beautiful new posts since I last visited this page. I'm having the greatest night, sitting up late (by our standards anyway) after a wearying day, listening to every single one of them. So many beautiful pieces and performances, and such a variety of moods, emotions and images and textures are conveyed on these pages,, too many to comment on indivudally, but I Iove them all. Congratulations to everyone and hope to see you at the watch party.
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Hi all
here is my contribution to the romantic challenge
first couple of pages of Brahms intermezzo in Bflat minor op117 no2
its a great piece which I’ve really enjoyed working on
Brahms
Intermezzo op117 no2
First two pages
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Hi all, wonderful to hear your recordings! Here's my contribution in the form of another rendition of Brahms Intermezzo in B-Flat Minor Op. 117 No. 2: https://youtu.be/IBYA1MDs5zc (definitely a work in progress but the practice prompts proved very useful!)