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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It was great to join the journey of Schubert with all of you. 3rd week I am working on 3rd movement. I would like to finish this piece and also want to play more of his music!
To build Schubert in my life, I think he is teaching me to be more romantic. Schubert tells me to soften my heart and don't look at material world but to bear a romantic pure heart, be brave to feel the world, don't be scared to get hurt or feel sad. it's not destination that matters but the journey.
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Qingzhi really admire your clean finger work and the liveliness of your performance!
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Qingzhi nice work… thanks for sharing. Your hands look relaxed and ready for action. I watch people’s hands closely because I have trouble keeping tension out of my own.
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Qingzhi Simply perfect!
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Qingzhi Thank you, Qingzhi! I enjoyed your playing, and I liked the video elements showing the piano reflection, too!
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Well I cannot believe how quickly three weeks went. I really believe that learning this piece forced me to grow a lot as a pianist both in technical aspects as well as in emotive aspects as well. For this weeks video I attempted to memorize the first movement so that I could really put all my emption into it. I have a few brain slips along the way. But overall I am quite happy with how it sounds. The second movement is still a work in progress, but I continue to work on it after the challenge. I also have to complete the sonata. The third movement is my goal for this year. It's so fun and light hearted but so technically demanding. Need to practice my scales a lot more :)
Hilda I tried to switch my posture up a bit and put the seat back. Hopeful this looks a little improved from last week. I know I don't have the best technique either (always being told my writs are too high). Thank you for taking time to help me.
What does it take to build Schubert into your life?
Honestly not much! I love Schubert. I love listening to all the great artists (and now tone base forum members!) pouring their hearts into his emotive pieces. There really isn't another composer whose works I feel as connected to. I just have previously been hesitant to take them on because I felt that I just wasn't really pianistically to take them on. However, with this challenge I feel ready to embrace more and more Schubert into my piano playing.
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Michael wow Michael you memorized 1st mv! and I love your voicing in the 2nd, beautiful play!
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Michael What a lot of music you learned in such a short time! I love the way in which you convey a feeling of simplicity and transparency into a Sonata that I remember being really difficult. Bravo!
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Michael Beautiful!!!
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Michael I love your playing of the Andante… it’s clear to me that you understand it emotionally and are feeling it. Thanks for sharing.
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Michael I am super impressed at how quickly you've made these movements your own. Gorgeous musicality! I've always been scared to try any of the sonatas, but you've inspired me to give it a go.
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Michael What a beautiful sonority you're able to get from your instrument! I am so happy to hear you playing the second movement, too. When I watch your movements, I see that your torso moves slowly and steadily, which keeps very well with the character of the second movement, to me. The gentle swaying parallels the gentle lilt in the triple meter. The angle does look a little better to me. I hope it feels better to you too.
It's great to hear too that you feel so connected to Schubert. Recognizing and acknowledging these connections are so important to our development as pianists. Are you able to identify what elements of his music you connect to? I'd challenge you to give that some deep thought, especially given how strongly you feel about Schubert's music! Congratulations on your progress this month.
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Michael We saw a concert a few weeks' ago with Sir Andras Schiff, who played this A major sonata. Schubert wrote three sonatas as a 'trilogy' as is well-known. The B flat sonata is usually described as the last sonata but Sir Andras announced the A major sonata as 'Schubert's last sonata'. Who knows? It's phenonemal that he worked simultaneously on three sonatas in the last few months of his life. Amazing work and dedication on your part! So well done!
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Michael Thank you, Michael! Bravo!
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Since I listened to Gretchen am spinnrade when I was a teenager, Schubert has been with me all may life (I love his lieder, his string quartets and, of course, his piano music). Schubert embodies the most intimate music, music at home, alone or with the loved ones. The music closest to the heart.
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Juan Carlos Olite Beautiful playing and sentiment. I can imagine the scene and sounds that inspired Schubert to write this piece.
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Juan Carlos Olite Exquisite playing! Your every note and touch is considered and fits into a beautiful grand picture. I would like to aspire to play like you, and also to play without errors and slippages!
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Juan Carlos Olite Love your playing, as always! The contrasts are perfect! Don't you just love the ending - a bit of humour, and disappearing to nothing? This will be my next Schubert piece for sure!
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Juan Carlos Olite Love it, Juan Carlos!! Beautiful!!!
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Juan Carlos Olite very beautifully played. Makes me want to learn this piece.
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Juan Carlos Olite very musical playing. It’s so enjoyable to encounter all these Schubert lovers from around the world. It gives one hope!
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Juan Carlos Olite Thank you for sharing this gem. I love how you are so sparing of the pedal, it gives the piece a wonderful extra energy. You also do a fabulous job of managing the dynamics!
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Vidhya Bashyam Thank you very much, Vidhya!
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Ching Lee Goh Thank you so much, Ching Lee Goh for your kind words!
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Monika Tusnady Thank you so much, Monika. Of course, you're right, it has a wink of humour. I have tried to use as less pedal as possible... I don't know, sometimes perhaps it sounds a bit rough.
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Brother Will Green Thank you so much, Brother Will!
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