Week 4: Share It

We made it.

Four weeks ago, this challenge began with A New Hope. You chose a piece, took the first steps, kept the momentum going, and stayed with it through the ups and downs.

 

Now it’s time for the final step:

Share it.

 

This week is all about recording and posting your piece. It does not need to be perfect. In fact, that was never the goal.

 

Maybe your piece isn’t exactly where you imagined it would be. Maybe there are still rough edges. Maybe there are passages you still wish you had another week with.

That’s okay.

 

The point of Unfinished Business was never perfection. It was showing up, sticking with it, and bringing something across the finish line.

So this week, post your recording! Whether it’s:

  • your full piece
  • an excerpt
  • one section you’re proud of
  • or your best take so far

Share it.

And then… get ready.

 

On June 6th, we’ll celebrate together during our Unfinished Business Watch Party, where we’ll enjoy and celebrate recordings from the community and look back on the journey we took together.

You’ve already done the hard part.

Now let us hear it.

 

You have until June 5th to share a recording with us, to be included on the concert!

254 replies

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    • Philosophy teacher and piano lover
    • Juan_Carlos
    • 7 days ago
    • Reported - view

    Almost on the last day, here is the first part of Brahms's left hand transcription of Bach's Chaconne. As always, I would need more and more time..., but choosing to work on this piece in spite of all the difficulties (sorry for the mistakes...) has been an extraordinary decision, and I am very clear about my first goal for this summer: to learn and enjoy the entire piece.

    Thank you for the challenge, Dominic!

      • Pianist, composer and piano teacher
      • Sindre_Skarelven
      • 5 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Bravo, Juan Carlos! Amazing performance! To balance it all out like this with one hand is quite an achievement. So much nuances, and beautiful lines. 👏 Let's also be glad that our dear Johannes Brahms had this idea to transcribe this Chaconne for the left hand - absolutely brilliant! Looking forward to hear the rest 🎶

      • Astrida_Gobina
      • 5 days ago
      • Reported - view

       I so much love your flow and deeply natural, authentic narration of this music!!!!
      Somehow, Chaconne in Busoni’s version has been excessively popular in concerts lately, at least where I live. I got so tired of the pressed drama so many put in it, that feared I will never be able even to listen to it anymore. Which was sad, because I have the Brahms score and was hoping to learn it some time, too. Now I listen to your playing on repeat and some magic healing takes place. Infinite thanks, dear Juan Carlos! 🌞💐💐 

      • Philosophy teacher and piano lover
      • Juan_Carlos
      • 5 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Thank you so much, Astrida! There is something in Brahms's transcription that feels more austere, lyrical, subtle, than others transcriptions. Have you listened to the recordings by Leon Fleisher or Alexander Kantorow? To me, they capture the profound significance of the Chaconne as understood by Brahms.

      • Philosophy teacher and piano lover
      • Juan_Carlos
      • 5 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Thank you so much, Sindre! It's another way to enjoy Bach music and play him more and more...

      • Philosophy teacher and piano lover
      • Juan_Carlos
      • 5 days ago
      • Reported - view

         Thank you so much for your kind words. I really appreciate them!

      • Larry_K
      • 5 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Yes, I’m stunned by that decision and wonder how he came to it. Does anybody know?

    • May_t
    • 6 days ago
    • Reported - view

    Here is Schumann’s Widmung (Liszt transcription). It is still far from finished, but taking part in this challenge helped me stay motivated and keep practicing, and I somehow managed to play the piece all the way through.

    Thank you very much for listening!

      • Peter_William
      • 6 days ago
      • Reported - view

       quite awesome!! and inspirational!  :-) 

      • Philosophy teacher and piano lover
      • Juan_Carlos
      • 6 days ago
      • Reported - view

       What a beautiful performance of a gorgeous piece! You play with such exquisite musicality, in your sound, your dynamics, and your expressive shaping of every phrase. Bravo, Meiko!!

      • Mary_Manuel
      • 6 days ago
      • Reported - view

      I love this piece so much and you play it beautifully Meiko. Congratulations on your hard work!

      • Mark_Cooper
      • 6 days ago
      • Reported - view

       wonderful playing Meiko, it was interesting to compare this to your previous practice video , the practice clearly made a difference ! 

      • May_t
      • 6 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Thank you for your kind words!

      • May_t
      • 6 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Thank you very much for listening and for your encouraging words!

      • May_t
      • 6 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Thank you so much! I'm still working on this piece, so your encouragement means a lot to me.

      • May_t
      • 6 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Thank you for your kind comment. Listening to the recording, I noticed many things I still want to improve, so I'll keep working on it.

      • Unfrozen Barroom Piano Player
      • Peter_G
      • Yesterday
      • Reported - view

       Hello Meiko, this is lovely, lyrical, flamboyant and dramatic, as we might expect from a collaboration of its 2 composers.  Beautifully rendered by you!  

      • May_t
      • Yesterday
      • Reported - view

       Thank you very much for listening and for your kind words!

    • hot4euterpe
    • 6 days ago
    • Reported - view

    Final Update / Recording

    Here is my recording of the complete Mouvement by Debussy. A few slippery moments but overall pretty satisfied with how this challenge turned out given it was just 4 weeks. Proved to be a real stamina buster at a time I didn't have much stamina so I am glad I was able to get something recorded for the last week.

    I have avenged my past. =)

      • Larry_K
      • 6 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Amazing, just amazing.

      • Mark_Cooper
      • 6 days ago
      • Reported - view

      wonderful performance Dustin, great that you managed to get this done 

      • Andrew_Smith
      • 5 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Wow, so good and such a fun-sounding and looking piece. Makes me want to play it! You learned (or re-learned) in only 4 weeks? Very impressive. The middle part of this looks quite difficult. Great job!

      • Philosophy teacher and piano lover
      • Juan_Carlos
      • 5 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Wow, beautiful and impressive playing, Dustin! Bravo!

      • hot4euterpe
      • 4 days ago
      • Reported - view

             Thank you very much for listening!

        Yes, just the last four weeks reviving it. I originally worked on this during my graduate studies which I had originally said was about 8 years ago but have since realized it was more like 10 😶. Aging is brutal. In any case, I had been working on all of the Images, Book I but had to eventually make some cuts to my study repertoire as I approached my lecture-recital component. This piece didn't make the cut as that middle section was giving me some grief at the time. It was the smart decision at the time but it always annoyed me that I didn't get the chance to perform the complete set and it has just 'sat on the shelf' since. It came together quickly this time round which is pretty vindicating.  

    • Peter_William
    • 6 days ago
    • Reported - view

    I tried this piece since Saturday this past week and just did 1 take on my iPad a few minutes ago.  So here is my effort 

    https://youtu.be/6caUOHOd_aY

      • Philosophy teacher and piano lover
      • Juan_Carlos
      • 5 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Beautiful playing, Peter! Your touch is delicate and expressive.

Content aside

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