Week 1 Thread: Exploring the 18th Century!
Welcome to the Main Thread for the third week of "Mozart & Haydn - Music from the 18th Century" challenge!
- Make sure you've read the guidelines before replying (<- click)
- Watch the kickoff livestream! (<- click)
Most of the time, the music for keyboard instruments written during the 18th century is defined as simple, pleasing, and overall superficial. And yet, the works written during this period contain the seeds for the development of larger musical forms.
This week we will start looking at music from a different perspective and consider the musical elements as building blocks of a structure that is meant to communicate a message.
Pick a piece from the suggested repertoire according to your level or share any piece written during the 18th century that you have been working on!
Post in the forum what you discovered playing your piece and your goals for this challenge!
If you want to describe your process, feel free to use the following template.
- Piece(s) you have been working on:
- Things you found easy:
- Things you found difficult:
Happy sharing 
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I'm going to be working on a more serious piece, a Haydn Sonata in D Major, but I thought this little Mozart piece was so funny I had to upload it. Here is: Funeral March for Signor Maestro Counterpoint.
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Thurmond R Thanks for introducing us to this cool Mozart! You are wearing a very bright, un-funereal outfit today. Love it!
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Thurmond R Nice piece, thanks for sharing! Looking forward to the Haydn.
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Thurmond R what a great piece, unknown to me until this very moment. Thank you, Thurmond!
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Thurmond R what fun! Thanks for the video and introducing me to the piece, I googled it to find out the story behind it.
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Onward and upward with Haydn, but still only the exposition of the 3rd movement, still working on ways to nuance the dynamics while maintaining the tempo. It's a great piece, rich with thinking opportunities yet not overwhelming. THANK YOU, ANTONELLA, for suggesting it to my friend Gail - I just tagged along.
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Monika Tusnady Beautiful. Listened a few times, love the beginning especially, how the melody shifts cleanly from the right hand to the left. Thanks for sharing :)
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Monika Tusnady so nice performance! Try to add some “differences” when the music sounds the same (p/f or cresc/dim for instance)
You are doing a super great job with this sonata.
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Monika Tusnady Great job with this awesome movement! Looking forward to hear more!
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Sindre Skarelven Some of us definitely find our home in 18th Century music. It has all the ingredients of a good life: structure AND humour, predictably AND surprises, intelligence AND emotion
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Monika Tusnady Bravo Monica! Love seeing these snippets as you are working your way through this Sonata.
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Vidhya Bashyam Oh, Vidhya! I'm doing snippets because I'll be traveling next Friday and really don't know which snippet will be my last! I'll just keep JOYFULLY working my way through this Sonata. We sure strive to surpass ourselves with the encouragement of the tonebase community, don't we?
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Monika Tusnady Yes, the encouragement of the tonebase community is lovely and makes us better! Have you changed the way you learn with this piece because of your time limitations? Or do you typically perfect a piece in small parts before moving forward?
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Vidhya Bashyam Two things changed my approach: first of all, this was a common project for Gail and I, so it automatically became a priority. Secondly, I've become more than a little resentful about the way I was taught when I was young - the "here are your pieces for the year" approach. Not an approach that teaches focus, determination, and learning-how-to-learn, don't you think? I'm just wanting to acquire a more suitable way of learning, not that it matters to anyone but myself anymore.
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Monika Tusnady Makes so much sense. Learning-how-to-learn is so important. Playing/learning piano can be such a solo exercise. Seeing how others learn and hearing different approaches to learning pieces has been very helpful.
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Monika Tusnady I could not agree more, the 18th century has all the ingredients one is looking for! Also enjoying your conversation about the learning process. To me, the Tonebase Community is one of my favorite places! It's so encouraging and lovely to be here, and nice to meet people who enjoy this music as I do!
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Monika Tusnady love it - Bravo!
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Very well played! Thank you for sharing, Monica!
Monika Tusnady
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Sindre Skarelven Tonebase is one of my favorite "hangouts" also! I am so delighted that I have gotten to know you and all our other amazing, musical friends throughout the world!
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Monika Tusnady Brief but intense. Totally agree with your philosophy of a good life!
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Monika Tusnady I totally agree with you... I had that kind of teacher too over the years and I personally decided to be different and to give my students an overview of things from a different perspective. My main priority is for them to go from point A to point B and become better for themselves.
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Monika Tusnady I’m not so sure about that, some days…
!Antonella Di Giulio What a lovely philosophy! -
Monika Tusnady love the exuberance that you play it with!
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Monika Tusnady bravo - crisp playing - sounds perfect!!
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I had a very full week so I did not get a chance to make a video, but during the week of the the nice “getting to know you phase” of my new piece (Mozart k280, Adagio) I mainly focused on listening to various artists performances, writing in the fingers I want to use, and working on the trills. Enjoyed everyone’s videos!
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Susan Rogers Beautiful type of work! Maybe try to identify some common patterns, how the music is assembled, and what type of musical elements are recurrent. It will help you a lot when you will going to play the piece. Waiting to hear your performance as well!
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