WEEK ONE Updates: Main Thread - Let the dancing begin!
Hello and welcome to the WEEK ONE 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 between November 1 - 8th I hope to be reading your daily updates in this very thread right here!
Download the music:
Please use the following format when commenting (feel free to copy & paste!):
- Waltz you worked on:
- One thing you found easy:
- One thing you found difficult:
- (Optional): a video of you performing it!
Sample daily update:
- Waltz you worked on: No. 1
- One thing you found easy: Learning the notes, and rhythms were rather straight-forward, and not challenging!
- One thing you found difficult: Shifting the Hands was a bit tricky to get smooth!
Feel free to make these updates as short or long as you wish!
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Worked on: 1-4.
One thing I found easy: I love this music.
One thing I found difficult: That's the problem. Sometimes too excited to play without mistakes...
First video:
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Gail Starr Thank you, Gail! I feel like I need to memorize to play freely.
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Juan Carlos Olite Yes, I've been working mostly on 11, 13 and 14. I plan playing 11 -15 for the video. Think it will make a nice set :)
Looking forward to see and hear what you will be playing next!
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Juan Carlos Olite Nothing important to say except your playing was absolutely lovely ! Bravo !
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Juan Carlos Olite beautifully played, you sound wonderful! I enjoyed your video so much. I also love this music.
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mariannejhampton Thank you, Marianne. Sorry, I am replying you a bit late, but I have been very busy without attending Tonebase forum.
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Susan Thank you very much, Susan. I used the new mic (Shure Mv88) and I think it improves a lot the quality of sound.
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Juan Carlos Olite I wondered if you were using it! It sounded wonderful. Okay I’m ordering mine now! Thank you for letting me know it worked out for you!
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Waltzes 1 to 5, original version.
Easy: Nothing, as usual.
Challenging: (Aside from the technical challenges...) Understanding the character of each waltz. So far, I'm thinking the following: No. 1: The orchestra enters the ballroom with great fanfare. No. 2: An intimate waltz dance by a couple outside, on the terrace maybe, almost in secret. No. 3: An elegant waltz, with many couples twirling around the room. No. 4: Not quite a waltz; rather, a performance by group of acrobats who were invited for the occasion. No. 5: Completely innocent waltz danced by two children by themselves; it's just for fun, of course - they even return to the home key for the final cadence.
I still think that the Waltzes are to Brahms what the Carnaval was to Schumann.
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Monika Tusnady Brava!! You are a brilliant pianist with so much feel and originality. I also like your story, it brings these inner pictures to the music and I totally agree with it!
The sound is a little distorted, perhaps your recording device was too close to the speaker?
Anyway, well done!
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Sindre Skarelven Thank you for pointing out the buzz in the sound. Could it have happened during export? Anyway, I deleted it from YouTube and will try again.
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Monika Tusnady If it's clean on the original it would be the export, but if it's buzzing on the original there is nothing to do other than make a new recording..
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Sindre Skarelven Please let me know how the new post sounds to you.
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My comments are below. Thank you, Sindre, for pointing out the awful sound in the first (and now deleted) post - you have saved me a lot of embarrassment!
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Monika Tusnady Lovely energy and personality! You really convey the stories you’ve created beautifully.
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Monika Tusnady Magnificent playing, as always, Monika! I like very much you sense of the rhythm in all of them and the beautiful phrasing in the 3 and 5. And what interesting your narrative proposal to understand each Waltz character, but I find nº4 somewhat dramatic.
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Juan Carlos Olite You know, I used to think of No. 4 as a dramatic waltz as well, but that didn't work for me - my playing sounded exaggerated and disjointed. So I reframed and things line up much better. Schumann gave titles to all the characters in Carnaval to guide us along, but Brahms didn't, so I needed to fill in those blanks for myself. These waltzes have little in common except their time signature! I feel that the character of a piece is what is most important, what we need to pay attention to and figure out, and what ultimately makes the piece worth playing - not just the notes and the rhythms.
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Monika Tusnady Perfect explanation, you've convinced me.
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Monika Tusnady Now the recording sound is good to! I'm glad you could post it again!
Interesting discussion on #4. I like this picture of the acrobats!
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Monika Tusnady Monika Tusnady very nice!!!
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Monika Tusnady Beautiful . I agree that there is a similarity to Carnaval ( another of my favorites ). Anyway , I’m in awe and can’t wait for the rest of the waltzes . Bravo !
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Worked on: A bit late to the party, alas! Just started today with #6…after several of you helped me out with the lack of key signature for C#.
Found easy: I am starting a new way of learning but memorizing as soon as I start a piece. This one doesn’t seem to tricky to memorize.
Found difficult: I am not sure how to break up the thirds with the squiggly line in front of them? Are they broken or do they just get played as a chord?
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Gail Starr That’s an interesting change from the original score. Try playing them together, emphasizing the top note, or broken, if you have time to play that way. I don’t think I would.
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Gail Starr This is such a fun “waltz” - it begins with 3 - 2-beat motifs, then goes into a waltz for two measures. It reminds me of those complex dances everyone knew in the Baroque.
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Monika Tusnady Hmmm…I don’t think I have the technique to do a good job with that! But, I’ll try.
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Gail Starr I like that you are playing this one! Yes, it's a lot of fun! Looking forward to hear you play it!
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