Week 3: Discovering Schubert Month
Dear Pianists,
As we're coming up to the last week of Discovering Schubert Month, I'm keen to hear of your insights and takeaways from your month's work.
Here's the Week 3 thread, where you may post your text and video updates! I've only got one question for you this week:
What does it take to build Schubert into your life?
I've previously asked you about the piece you are working on, a passage you are satisfied with, and one you're less satisfied with. I've also learned a lot about your musical imagination and pianism by asking you how you might describe the character of your piece, the pianistic tools you use to convey the aforementioned character, and particular elements of the piece you notice by playing it. I'm always so moved by the process of learning a piece of music, playing it, performing it, and continuing to live with it. Playing piano has always been a bastion in my life and I hope that through your regular ritual and practice it can be a source of comfort and empowerment for you too.
I hope you'll consider proposing your Schubert piece for Piano Community's upcoming Community Concert, and to share your work with other supportive members of our community! I really believe I am awarded deep insights when I take the time to deeply consider the elements of my colleagues' successes.
If you're new to the Schubert gathering this week, welcome-it's never too late to join! You may find the guidelines for participation in the Rules and FAQ thread.
See you below, 
Hilda
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My desire to keep Schubert in my life started many years ago after hearing Valentina Lisitsa play Standchen and Impromptu 142/3 on YouTube. I was so inspired that I learned them both in succession. Prior to that it was only Chopin that I ensured was in my repertoire. I particularly love the Schubert/Liszt lieder transcriptions and always have them in my “to learn” list. After hearing the beautiful sonatas played by others in this challenge, they will be added to my list too. No difficulty to build Schubert into my life.
At the beginning of the challenge I thought I would just work on polishing an old Schubert piece. I’m glad a chose something I had actually never heard of before- the valses sentimentales. It’s like finding a new book by a favorite author. I am definitely inspired to work more on the ones I started and learn the rest of these short but lovely pieces as well.
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Vidhya Bashyam Nice playing Vidhya! Bravissimo!
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Vidhya Bashyam Thank you, Vidhya! Very pretty, lyrical playing!
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Hi everyone,
What a great month this has been, listening to your wonderful renditions of great pieces and the accompanying reflections that I have learned so much from!
These 9 Valses Sentimentales have been an opportunity to explore two sides of Schubert - the graceful and the humorous... hoping that this humour actually exists outside of my imagination! I have recently developed an immense affection for short character pieces and will definitely learn some Moments Musicaux and Dances in the near future to develop a closer relationship with the music of Schubert. "Heavenly length" is not for me anymore.
Yes, that little back-and-forth musical hesitation at the very end of my final waltz was intentional - who wants this delightful music to end, ever???
Thanks for another great Community Challenge, everyone!!!
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Monika Tusnady So lovely! I didn’t think it was possible to improve on your previous performances. Great choice of waltzes. They go so well together and I love your personal touch at the end. Glad to have someone explore these waltzes with me on this challenge.
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Monika Tusnady Really enjoyed your performance - Brava!
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Monika Tusnady I never want it to end, either! So beautiful playing Monika! Brava!! :) xxx
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Monika Tusnady Very beautiful! I like your rubato!
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Monika Tusnady lovely playing… you really get the lilt of these pieces.
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Monika Tusnady Monika, your interpretations have such magnificent way of conveying the special personality of each gem. Truly worth listening to over & over! I love them!
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Vidhya Bashyam I agree! Monika has such a masterful way of conveying each piece's unique personality.
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Gail Starr O, thank you!
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Monika Tusnady Wonderful playing, Monika! I like how you manage the character and tempi of these pieces, with grace and flexibility.
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Monika Tusnady Truly a delight to watch and hear you play! Thank you so much for sharing! BRAVA!
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Brother Will Green what an absolutely nice thing to say - thank you!
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Rudelle Gaje Thank you! I look forward to playing with our lovely group for a long time to come and am glad to see you part of it!
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Juan Carlos Olite thank you so much. Grace and humour are not generally present in longer pieces, are they? Sonatas, I feel, are meant to be listened to straight-backed, with a frown of deep intellectual involvement on one’s face. Different intent altogether. This is the time for levity in my life!
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Christian Thomsen thank you, Christian. These waltzes have a lightness to them and Schubert certainly didn’t stress over each note and phrasing. They are more like something he wrote out quickly before breakfast, on a morning of optimism, leaving details to us. No point playing them in strict time and with a serious expression.
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Ching Lee Goh thank you, and thanks for taking the time to listen!
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Monika Tusnady I loved your smile at the end! lol! Nice playing Monika!
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Monika Tusnady Brava, Monika! Thank you!
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I've been playing the 142 3rd Impromptu, a piece I first heard years ago. I'll go back to the week 1 questions. The left hand is very difficult here, there are a lot of jumps, and it controls the rhythm and also contributes to the melody.
Recording and then listening to oneself playing is quite cruel and yet it pushes me forward, so it's a good thing.
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Richard George Littlewood I love this impromptu. I think it’s one of the best Theme/Variation pieces ever written, and I think it will be my next Schubert Impromptu.
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Richard George Littlewood Hi Richard! I worked on this one also this past week. I'm going to make a video today. I didn't have a chance to learn too much, so I'll keep working on it. DM me if you'd like to discuss anytime. I found some lovely YouTubes of it.
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Hello Gail. I look forward to hearing your version. I tend not to listen to anything on YouTube while I am trying to play a piece. I like to find my own way into it. My favourite of this Impromptu is the 4th variation, bringing out the left hand rhythm, but I took so long just to get the theme into shape....
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Richard George Littlewood One of my favorite impromptus too. Agree with you that the 4th variation is lovely. I really like the third variation too and it surprisingly fits well in your hands when you play it. Good luck learning it!
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