Week 2: Status Check!
Hello and welcome to the WEEK TWO Main Thread for this challenge! 
Alright everyone - this is the thread where we'll all be posting our daily updates.
Make sure you've read the rules before replying (<- click)
Twice a week I hope to be reading your daily updates in this very thread right here!
Here is this week's assignment!
1. Post a video of your practice!
As we have picked our pieces, let's share a "rough draft' of our current status. So that we can look back in 2 weeks and see the progress we have done!
2. Optional for Everyone: Listen to some of Liszt's non-piano music and let us know your favorites!
-
Here鈥檚 my week 2 video of Ave Verum Corpus (Liszt transcription).
I鈥檓 not sure why the video is so poor - but I didn鈥檛 want to record again and I think the sound is ok. Sorry for the poor quality. I鈥檒l use the laptop set up next week.
-
Thurmond R What a lovely, gentle and calming piece! Mozart and Liszt are an interesting combination. Well played!
-
Thurmond R very nice playing of this wonderful transcription, the mood is just right.
-
Thurmond R That is a good atmosphere you created there. A very pleasant sound.
-
Richard Littlewood Derek McConville Vidhya Bashyam thank you all for your kind comments!
-
Thurmond R what beautiful phrasing! Thank you for introducing me to this piece.
-
Gail Starr Thank you! I really appreciate your comment! (from Thurmond)
-
Thurmond R What a poetic and gentle playing, Thurmond! I didn't know this beautiful transcription. Thank you for sharing it!
-
Juan Carlos Olite Thank you kindly! It is a beautiful transcription.
I am glad to have introduced it to so many of you.
-
-
I love this piece! Where did you get the piano version? ISMLP?
-
Natale Farrell yes, I found it on IMSLP. I鈥檓 preparing it to play as a meditation for church.
-
-
Hi everyone,
Finally getting around to posting an update: here are the two pieces I am working on for this challenge: I have played around with them before for my own interest but this is a chance to try and improve them. The pieces are the opening two from Liszt's Third Book of his years of Pilgrimage. These are later works and reflects his deep religious interests by then (he completed most the steps to becoming a priest) and also an increasingly modern approach to harmony. The first piece is called Angelus: Prayer to the Guardian Angel. This is very reflective and spiritual in mood. The Second piece is called At the Cypress (trees) at the Villa d'Este (photo attached although I have never visited) and seems to reflect them swaying I'm the wind as a storm (physical and metaphorical) starts to brew and unfold. I think the ending leads to resolution as the skies clear.
Piece 1
https://youtu.be/YsaOsGldorA?si=SFpKF56aoPpW3mlW
Piece 2
https://youtu.be/hFPJh1MIpN0?si=mA90wsfSvWEwu5-A
I'll aim for a final version by end of the week all going to plan
Derek
Reply-
Derek McConville Great playing! A lot of work in such a short time. I haven鈥檛 heard these before so thanks for sharing.
-
Derek McConville Wonderful playing! These pieces are intriguing - thanks for sharing.
-
Derek McConville What an extraordinary work have you done with these pieces, Derek! I like both, but particularly "At the Cypress", it sounds lisztian in its powerful eloquence. Bravo!
-
Thanks to everyone for your kind feedback :)
-
-
Progress post- My first practice video of Der Doppelg盲nger- a Liszt piano transcription of a Schubert piano/voice piece. Based on the poem by Heinrich Heine. I have tried to add subtitles for the poem so you can follow along with the story- you have to enable captions (something new I just learned how to do). I heard this in an album full of transcriptions recently so I am happy to have an excuse to learn it now. Looking forward to recording a cleaner version in the final week.
-
Vidhya Bashyam Wow, Vidhya! This is marvelous! You captured the mood so perfectly. I eagerly await your next video!!
-
Vidhya Bashyam I absolutely love it, Vidhya! Bravo! So much atmosphere!
-
Vidhya Bashyam Excellent. Quite fun listening to that with the words.
-
Michelle R Thank you! I didn鈥檛 realize there is only about a week left in the challenge so forced myself to record a video. Next one will be done this weekend
-
Andrea Buckland Thank you dear Andrea! You know I love these Schubert lieder transcriptions!
-
Richard Littlewood Thanks for listening and trying out the subtitles!
-
Vidhya Bashyam Wow, Vidhya! Your playing of this music gives me goosebumps! You bring out the mystery and beautiful sadness of it. And, in the Liszt challenge, you have summoned the spirit of our beloved Schubert. Love it so much!
(Besides: black and white, transcription of the lied... Simply perfect!)
-
Juan Carlos Olite Thank you for such kind words! I love this piece so much too and a Liszt challenge is not complete without the Schubert transcriptions
-
