Week 2: Share your progress

WELCOME TO THE LATEST COMMUNITY CHALLENGE!

 

For this challenge "A Fresh Start" the goal is to pick a BRAND-NEW piece to work on this month.

This is the time to finally open that score that you have been thinking about and get to work!

 

WHAT ARE WE DOING IN WEEK 2?

  1. You should have selected your new piece by now, so this week let's start sharing our progress
  2. Share a video or type what you have been working on this week! It is always interesting to hear how people start the learning process!
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    • Juan Carlos Olite
    • Philosophy teacher and piano lover
    • Juan_Carlos
    • 3 wk ago
    • Reported - view

    Hi everyone! Here two pages of the Rachmaninoff's Elegie (op3 n1), where we can feel the deep sadness and melancholy of this music, with its breathtaking melody. There is a lot of work to do, I am not very sure of the tempo, dynamics... Maybe I should be more restrained in these pages. And, of course, there are another three pages (more demanding yet, I think...) to work with.

    Like 15
    • Juan Carlos Olite I haven’t read it myself but heard very good things about : Sergei Bertensson & Jay Leyda: Rachmanninoff - A lifetime in music . You might like to give this a try. 

      Like 1
      • Randi
      • Randi
      • 2 wk ago
      • Reported - view

      Juan Carlos Olite incredible work. only 1 week? And you have it memorized already. Beautifully played. Looking forward to more. 

      Like 2
    • Juan Carlos Olite Bravo. What an emotionally wonderful piece and you are capturing it. 

      Like 1
      • Juan Carlos Olite
      • Philosophy teacher and piano lover
      • Juan_Carlos
      • 2 wk ago
      • Reported - view

      Andrea Buckland Thank you very much, Andrea! I'll do it, I like all your suggestions: Zhu Xiao-Mei, Eva Hoffman...

      Like 1
      • Juan Carlos Olite
      • Philosophy teacher and piano lover
      • Juan_Carlos
      • 2 wk ago
      • Reported - view

      Randi Thank you very much, Randi. I knew the piece because I had listened to it many times, but I had only skimmed through it. With this challenge I've decide to study it meticulously.

      Like 1
      • Juan Carlos Olite
      • Philosophy teacher and piano lover
      • Juan_Carlos
      • 2 wk ago
      • Reported - view

      Jack vreeland Thank you so much, Jack!

      Like 1
    • Juan Carlos Olite you really capture the brooding, searching, aching mood of that piece; excellent playing! Rachmaninov's own recording was how I first got to know it; needless to say, I immediately fell in love. 

      Like
    • Juan Carlos Olite Beautifully played! This was one of the first pieces by Rachmaninoff that I really fell in love with. I haven't learned it yet, but hopefully some day... I'm looking forward to hearing you play the whole piece, it already sounds so good!

      Like 1
      • Juan Carlos Olite
      • Philosophy teacher and piano lover
      • Juan_Carlos
      • 12 days ago
      • Reported - view

      Alexander Weymann maijahildur Thank you very much! I'm really enjoying the learning process of this piece, it's very rewarding.

      Like
    • Gail Starr
    • Retired MBA
    • Gail_Starr
    • 2 wk ago
    • Reported - view

    Missed Week 1 since I was not home, so only have a few days on this new piece.  Need to do lots of slow work to improve precision, and learn the 2nd half.  Trying to memorize from the start this time!

    Open to ANY suggestions, since I’m a Debussy newbie.

    Like 15
    • Gail Starr I love it Gail! You sound great!

      Like 2
      • Gail Starr
      • Retired MBA
      • Gail_Starr
      • 2 wk ago
      • Reported - view

      Vidhya Bashyam Thanks, sweet friend!  Gotta do some slow practice tomorrow.

      Like 2
      • Michelle R
      • Michelle_Russell
      • 2 wk ago
      • Reported - view

      Gail Starr So much fun, Gail! Totally fits your personality. I agree with Vidhya - you sound great!

      Like 2
    • Gail Starr Bravo Gail! You learn so quickly and sound great and relaxed already! 

      Like 2
    • Gail Starr Wow you are learning fast and it's sounding great!

      Like 1
    • Gail Starr Amazing work, Gail! This is a perfect fit! I love the sparkling and joyful sound of this piece, and your technique seems to be built for it. How you’re bouncing so lightly on the keyboard. Looking forward to hear more!

      Like 2
      • Gail Starr
      • Retired MBA
      • Gail_Starr
      • 2 wk ago
      • Reported - view

      Sindre Skarelven Merci bien, mais il faut que je me mets à le mémoriser et j’ai peur de faire ça.  (Et je n’ai aucun idée pourquoi?)

      Like 1
      • Gail Starr
      • Retired MBA
      • Gail_Starr
      • 2 wk ago
      • Reported - view

      Andrea Buckland Aw, thanks!  Still feels quite « shaky » (like I am thinking before every jump and hand position of the weird chords).

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      • Gail Starr
      • Retired MBA
      • Gail_Starr
      • 2 wk ago
      • Reported - view

      Priya Viseskul Just the beginning!

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      • Gail Starr
      • Retired MBA
      • Gail_Starr
      • 2 wk ago
      • Reported - view

      Michelle R Aw, thanks!  I had intended to learn the prelude right before it (the Cathedrale one), but it just sounds too scary to me. Weird, right?

      Like 1
      • Michelle R
      • Michelle_Russell
      • 2 wk ago
      • Reported - view

      Gail Starr "la Cathedrale engloutie" is a pretty intense piece. Thurmond played it last year. I had never thought of it as scary, but now that I think about it, the imagery could certainly be more than a bit frightening! Well, this one suits you quite well!

      Like 1
      • Juan Carlos Olite
      • Philosophy teacher and piano lover
      • Juan_Carlos
      • 2 wk ago
      • Reported - view

      Gail Starr Fantastic playing, Gail! How quickly have you captured the essence of the piece, with the cheerful touch and that deliberate dubious rhythm. Bravo!

      Like 2
      • Gail Starr
      • Retired MBA
      • Gail_Starr
      • 2 wk ago
      • Reported - view

      Michelle R I'm glad I'm not crazy...I really liked the piece originally, until I spent a bit of time with it.  And then I got an actual nightmare, and switched pieces.  😂

      Like 1
      • Marc M
      • Amateur piano enthusiast
      • Marc_M
      • 2 wk ago
      • Reported - view

      Gail Starr Huh, that's a lot of progress! Nice work.

      Like 1
    • Gail Starr That would be about 6 months work for me. Beautiful piano too.

      Like 1
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