Let's Play: Spanish Music!
If you missed the FANTASTIC livestream with Magdalena Stern Baczewska this past Saturday, be sure to check it out! She walked us through several centuries of Spanish music, its developments, rhythmic styles, melodic content, and much more - Quite a comprehensive event!
Replay:
A Journey into the world of Spanish Music (with Magdalena Baczewska)
So we decided it would be fun to host a "Mini Challenge" where for the next two weeks we choose a piece to work on and post our progress here!
If you need some suggestions about music to play, check out the livestream or this list that I have compiled! Repertoire below is considered to be on the easier side, due to the nature of this shorter challenge!
Repertoire Suggestions
Editor's Choice:
Sebastian Yradier: El Arreglito (The unknown inspiration for the famous Habanera from the opera, Carmen, by Bizet!)
Advice: Play the piano part, since it pretty much doubles the vocal part the entire time, feel free to add notes from the vocal line into piano part in the final bars!
Intermediate level piece, but one of the most famous and satisfying to play!
Federico Mompou:
A lesser known, but magical composer born in Barcelona! Two options below:
A haunting and gorgeous piece by this famous composer!
Most of his music is very difficult but these short works can prove quite interesting!
Hello Everyone!
If you would like to be featured on our Mini Challenge WATCH PARTY please submit a video of you playing your selected piece by May 15th!
Watch Party MAY 24th at 11am PT!
https://app.tonebase.co/piano/live/player/pno-watch-party-spanish-music-2023
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Hi all, this is my attempt at Leyenda by Isaac Albeniz! Not as much practice as I'd hoped to do but I still enjoyed playing it. I think this sounds even better on the guitar version!!
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Derek McConville Very nice, Derek! I had great fun listening to your playing. I agree with you that, generally speaking, it sounds even better on guitar. Thanks for posting!
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Derek McConville This sounds great, Derek! I enjoyed very much the different moods, and especially the sensitive middle part. It’s an awesome piece, I need to learn this too!
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Derek McConville Great playing! As others have said, sounds like a fun piece.
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Derek McConville very good; you capture the mood of the piece well!
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Derek McConville nice playing, Derek! It's an amazing and gorgeous piece, and great composure handling the repeated notes, whilst maintaining a driving rhythm!
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Derek McConville Great playing, Derek! Beautifully sung the middle section.
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Michelle R thank you!
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Sindre Skarelven thank you!
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Alexander Weymann thank you!
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Natalie Peh thank you, I need to work on the leaps a bit more however!
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Juan Carlos Olite thank you!
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Derek McConville I love this piece - beautiful middle section Derek! My husband is a guitarist and I’m always assuring him that music sounds better on the piano!
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Angela Fogg thank you! It's nice to contrast how the piece sounds on both instruments for sure!
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Spanish music from a cuban composer. Here's my contribution with Malagueña from Suite Andalucia by Ernesto Lecuona.
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Sindre Skarelven Wow. I love it. It feels grandiose, exotic and creates so much imagery. I can almost imagine the scene with dancers and musicians. Almost feels like the spanish version of Rachmaninoff’s music. Bravo!
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Sindre Skarelven Well played, Sindre! Because of my background in movement, my favorite type of music is the kind where I can close my eyes and "see" the music in movement. I could do just that with this piece - I could see a flamenco dancer and at one point I imagined I saw a bull-fighter. Such a strong, bold, exciting piece. Thanks for sharing.
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Sindre Skarelven stunning. A glorious piece (new to me - thank you), presented with chutzpah (or whatever the Spanish equivalent is) and assertive Latin attitude. Very evocative and pictorial. Well done!
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Sindre Skarelven gorgeous playing! You play this piece with artistry and a sense of drama and occasion! Thanks for sharing the piece and composer- I absolutely love this wonderful and enchanting journey of discovery we are on together!
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Sindre Skarelven Bravo, Bravo, Sindre! Wonderful playing, full of color, emotion and dancing spirit. Love it!!
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Vidhya Bashyam Michelle R Alexander Weymann Natalie Peh Juan Carlos Olite Thank you so much for all your kind words! I'm glad the scenery of this music is coming threw :)
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Sindre Skarelven Bravo, Sindre! I never heard of this composer before! Great music and brilliantly played.
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Andrea Buckland Thank you, Andrea! I'm glad to introduce you to this great composer. I will play more from him later!
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Sindre Skarelven Great! Looking forward!
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Sindre Skarelven great playing Sindre! Such infectious rhythms!
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