Read Me and FAQ
WELCOME TO OUR LATEST TONEBASE PIANO COMMUNITY PRACTICE CHALLENGE:
Celebrate Rachmaninoff's Birthday!
Let’s celebrate the music of Rachmaninoff leading up to his Birthday on April 1st (no fooling!)
For this challenge you have a few options:
- Submit yourself practicing his music, learning or playing it!
- If his music isn’t in your repertoire right now, submit your favorite recording of his music (played by someone else) and tell us why you love it! Hopefully we can hear some rare gems, special recordings, and generally have a great time learning/discussing this fantastic composer!
The watch party for this challenge will be April 1st!
When does this take place?
Challenge start: March 13 (check out the KICKOFF livestream here:)
https://app.tonebase.co/piano/live/player/pno-rachmaninoff-birthday-kickoff-challenge
Challenge days: March 13 - April 1
Watch Party of selected submissions: April 1 at 11am PT
(Link coming soon!)
HOW TO START:
1. Are you playing a piece of Rachmaninoff? If so, then let's start practicing it and post an update on what you are working on!
2. Perhaps Rachmaninoff is not in your repertoire right now: Post your favorite video of his music!
3. Practice every day and try to post 2 videos a week!
SUGGESTED REPERTOIRE FOR "easier" Rachmaninoff pieces!
Etude-Tableaux op.33 no.7 (My first Rachmaninoff piece!)
Prelude in B minor op.32 no.10
Why are we doing this?
Because we want to challenge ourselves to practice every day
Because learning together is more fun than learning alone
Because we get to share our progress with others (whether video or just text)
Because new music is wonderful and these pieces were written especially for us!
Because we want to meet our fellow tonebase community members
Because we get to hear new music which we might not play ourselves
ASK ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE BELOW!
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What a wonderful idea to have this Rachmaninoff's Birthday Challenge! I would like to participate in it with the really famous Prelude op. 3 nº 2 in C-sharp minor. It is a great opportunity to learn it with close attention. Thank you Dominic!
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Juan Carlos Olite Would you mind if I try to play Op. 3, #2? I think it is too difficult for me, but I really like Claire Huangci's excellent lesson on the piece and SHE has small hands!
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Gail Starr Please, Gail! It will be great, of course! We can share our ideas about this piece. I find extraordinary useful Claire Huangci's lesson. Let's go together to play and ring "The Bells of Moscow"
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Juan Carlos Olite Muchas gracias!
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Love this focus on one of my favorite composers and pianists! I am going to continue with his Prelude in G Major/Op 32 No 5. Can’t wait to hear everyone’s playing!
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Vidhya Bashyam my absolute favorite! Looking forward to it.
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Alice Lin Thanks. I played this prelude many years ago and wanted to revive it with the last mini challenge. However, I think I might change my choice and use the challenge time to try to learn a new piece instead- his transcription of his own vocal piece “Daisies.” I love your choice of prelude 23/1 too- looking forward to hearing it!
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Vidhya Bashyam oh that’s a good one too. If you do Daisies I might spend the next couple weeks on op 32 no 5 instead of 23/1. It’s been on my wish list for a while.
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Alice Lin Please do 32/5! I am sure your interpretation will be amazing!
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I learned the Elegie Op3 no1 during lockdown. I might try and resurrect it for this challenge. I think it was my first ever Rachmaninoff piece.
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Hazel Shoot! you got to it before me! Would love to hear you play this beautiful piece!
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Natale Farrell I’m sure there is room for more than one! Please play it too. It would be great to compare notes.
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I’ll participate with the first movement of his second concerto!
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I have been working on Prelude Op 32 No 10 and would love to share the process of overcoming its many challenges!
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wanting to get into practice with Op 23 no 3:)
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Good opportunity to try to revive Prelude in D minor, Op 23, a piece I learnt a fews ago but which I’ve now totally forgotten.
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I will give Prelude opus 23 no 1 in f#minor a try.
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Hi Guys! I've never, ever played any Rachmaninoff because I can barely reach an octave. But Dominic's live stream and your enthusiasm have convinced me to give it a go. I'll read through a few of the options on this page before I select a piece.
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Can someone provide me with a link on how and where to submit? Thank you!
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Cyrus Saladin Ming there will be a link each week, and you can post there. The link for week 1 is here:
https://piano-community.tonebase.co/t/m1haskq/week-1-lets-start-rach-ing
Just click reply to topic, and you can post there.
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I worked on the g minor prelude, Op. 23, No. 5 last year for a bit and can take a shot at that. Not sure I have enough time right now. Either way,, here's a link to a recording of the Op. 32, No. 13 that I treasure, which was made by my teacher during high school, Morton Estrin, who recorded the entire Op. 32 and played all 24 in concert several times.
Mr. Estrin kept a framed blown up picture of the final page of Op. 32, No. 13 in his studio.
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What a great challenge! I will work on Prelude op.3/2
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I will try one of the easier pieces. Not sure which at the moment.
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Kay Hanna will aim to learn the Prelude in B major Op. 32 No. 11. She is preparing for another private Zoom performance of her other favorite contemporary composers on March 19, so she won't really get started on the Rachmaninoff until after that.
