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!

387 replies

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    • Hazel
    • 1 mth ago
    • Reported - view

    Here is my recording of Romance sans paroles by Faure. I didn’t manage to do quite as much work on this piece as Iintended and I think I need to work on dynamic contrasts more but I enjoyedplaying it.

    https://youtube.com/shorts/F1PN2YwLviM?si=MZ1bZ4XZ1YQCVz52

      • Hazel
      • 1 mth ago
      • Reported - view

       I’m pleased to have introduced you to a new work. I hope you enjoy playing it too. 😊

      • Kerstin
      • 1 mth ago
      • Reported - view

      Wonderful piece nice played. Thanks. 

      • Hazel
      • 1 mth ago
      • Reported - view

       Thanks.  I really liked your Chopin playing too 🙂

      • Victoria_Macdonald
      • 1 mth ago
      • Reported - view

       Such a lovely piece and beautifully played. I started dancing to it!

      • Philosophy teacher and piano lover
      • Juan_Carlos
      • 1 mth ago
      • Reported - view

       Very nice piece and playing!

      • Noel_Nguyen
      • 3 wk ago
      • Reported - view

       Certainly one of Faure's most memorable melodies in my opinion! I particularly like the part where the two top voice converse tenderly while the LH continues the accompaniment. A nice 3-hands effect. Well played!

      • Andrew_Smith
      • 3 wk ago
      • Reported - view

       Wow, so nice Hazel! And like others, this is my first time hearing this piece, and you have given me a very positive impression of it. 

      • Vanessa_Ellermann
      • 3 wk ago
      • Reported - view

       Nice playing! I didn’t know this piece before. I really like it!

      • Mom, fitness instructor, lover of music
      • Michelle_Russell
      • 3 wk ago
      • Reported - view

       Such a lovely piece and quite well played. (It sounds so much like "Red River Valley" that my mind kept expecting to hear the lyrics!) 

      • Angela_Fogg
      • 3 wk ago
      • Reported - view

      such a pretty piece! Thank you for sharing!

      • Hazel
      • 3 wk ago
      • Reported - view

      Glad you liked it 😊

    • Amanda_Clark
    • 1 mth ago
    • Reported - view

    I have not plucked up courage to share a recording before, & I'm conscious that I am merely an intermediate 'improver' so be kind with any feedback! This is my attempt at Schumann's Der Dichter Spricht no 13 from Kinderszenen op 15.

    https://youtu.be/YYBcqpaGFL4?si=oD5vUguFruuqpsiW

      • Hazel
      • 1 mth ago
      • Reported - view

      @Amanda Clark A lovely steady and thoughtful performance.

      • Amanda_Clark
      • 1 mth ago
      • Reported - view

       thank you

      • hot4euterpe
      • 1 mth ago
      • Reported - view

       Hi Amanda. Thanks for sharing your work. You have a consistent delicate touch which is not easy on this very exposed piece!  I enjoyed your clean turns, careful resolutions and your controlled dynamic band; it is always kept under the voice with a very inward and personal feeling throughout. It is really coming together well technically and musically. Makes me want to teach this one again in the my studio =)

      • Amanda_Clark
      • 1 mth ago
      • Reported - view

      thank you so much!

      • Victoria_Macdonald
      • 1 mth ago
      • Reported - view

       You should definitely record more. You play very well and your hands are very relaxed. It was a heartfelt and lovely performance.

      • Amanda_Clark
      • 1 mth ago
      • Reported - view

      thank you, I will try to be braver!

      • Philosophy teacher and piano lover
      • Juan_Carlos
      • 1 mth ago
      • Reported - view

       A really moving and beautiful attempt!!

      • Amanda_Clark
      • 1 mth ago
      • Reported - view

      thank you!

      • Noel_Nguyen
      • 3 wk ago
      • Reported - view

       Well played. The poet truly speaks here!

      • Amanda_Clark
      • 3 wk ago
      • Reported - view

      thanks, & thank you for your advice back in week 1 re that big stretch of a final chord. Appreciate the support!

      • Noel_Nguyen
      • 3 wk ago
      • Reported - view

       Wow thanks for reminding me, I had completely forgotten. You pulled it off beautifully!

      • Mom, fitness instructor, lover of music
      • Michelle_Russell
      • 3 wk ago
      • Reported - view

       Lovely, steady playing! 

      • Angela_Fogg
      • 3 wk ago
      • Reported - view

       really nice , you catch the intensity of the piece.

Content aside

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