Week 2 Assignment

Janet Horsford Glad you like it! I think it applies to so many aspects of what we do—and even if some of the ideas may seem like truisms, it’s still worth reiterating :)

Sachi Beautiful playing, Sachi. Explore more legato in the right hand. Also, decide where you need more finger activity and where you can completely relax—the natural weight of the finger will be enough to produce sound. You can also engage your wrist a bit more to help shape the phrases :)

Karen Wood 

Hi Karen, so yes and no, haha. In a way, recording yourself will help you perceive time more objectively; however, it won’t necessarily capture the full acoustic spectrum that influences how audiences experience time, pulse, rubato, etc.

For example, taking exaggerated time during live performances often works—there’s the space of a big hall, visual cues that help maintain the audience’s attention. On the other hand, in a recording, we often need to temper it a bit (unless we have a genius sound engineer :P).

But usually, listening to a recording will never be quite the same. It ties into this sort of “tripolar” concept Leon Fleisher talks about in one of his masterclasses

Karen Wood 

It took me a little bit to respond as I wanted to think it through.

Regarding the unslurred Alberti bass, it tends to serve more of a harmonic function. A slurred Alberti bass, on the other hand, would suggest a more melodic approach—in which case, you might consider bringing out the middle voice, which is quite beautiful and lyrical.

As for your broader question, interpretation is always a combination of stylistic awareness and personal artistic decisions. Many of our choices are guided by the composer’s style, the era, historical performance practices, and everything we learn through our musical education. Then there’s what I like to call creative or individual interpretation.

Ultimately, we aim to build a logical and cohesive interpretation by engaging deeply with the score. Even a detail like comparing slurred versus unslurred Alberti bass can offer important insights. I hope this helps clarify things :)

Marc M 

Such a great job! You took this challenge exactly where I was hoping it would go, and I love your interpretation!

As for feedback—perhaps the dissonances could be a bit more intentional and "placed." At the start, the LH staccato could have more activity. The cadenza scale might benefit from feeling less “fingery” and more like a sweeping gesture. Also, I’d love to hear even more of that B natural—try really bringing it out in the chord.

I really like how you played the Tempo I section differently the second time, almost like a memory…
Thank you for this!

Marc M Sure, you could use Jonas, but also playing more and more repertoire and creating your own exercises is very helpful. You can use the way you played it as a practice tool; however, when you perform, try to stay closer to the keys, activating only the tips of your fingers. Also, synchronization might be an issue—try leading with your non-dominant hand so that more attention is directed toward it.

Michelle R I am so happy you enjoyed it! Also, it is never too late to post something, I will be looking out :)