Week 3: Expression over Perfection
At this point in the challenge, you've likely become more comfortable with the notes and structure of your piece. Now it's time to shift focus toward interpretation and emotional depth. This week is about exploring what the music means to you and how you can communicate that meaning through sound.
Assignment:
Define the Emotional Landscape
Take a moment to reflect: what is the emotional world of your piece? Is it reflective, playful, tragic, or unsettled? Write a short reflection (1ā2 sentences) describing the feeling you want to convey and how that shapes your approach.Record a Passage with Intention
Select 8ā16 measures that feel emotionally significant. Focus on tone, voicing, and timingānot technical perfection. Record and share your performance, along with a brief note on what you aimed to express and why you chose that section.Engage with the Community
Watch another participantās video and leave a thoughtful comment. Offer one observation about what worked well!
Guidance:
Schubert's music often blurs the line between clarity and ambiguity, joy and sorrow. Rather than striving for a ācorrectā interpretation, embrace the nuance and let the music unfold naturally. Sometimes the most moving performances are the ones that feel the most personal.
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First, Iād like to echo Michelleās thanks for the inclusive spirit of Domenic and the tonebase community. I too have only been playing for a few years and agree it can be very intimidating to participate after hearing the advanced performances of others.
Iāve been working on the Kupelwieser Waltz, primarily the A section. It may be too advanced for me, but I do love it. Iāve had a few notable challenges. First, I had just upgraded my piano from a Yamaha digital Clavinova to a Kawai K200 and second, having never played in G flat, I found staying on the black keys difficult, making fluid playing even more challenging for me. I did practice exaggerating the melody, but need to do more of that.
Regarding the emotional intent, the tone of the A section is very lyrical and flowing. The listener is meant to imagine two lovers waltzing around the room, with such grace they appear to be floating, completely and delightfully absorbed in each other. Needless to say, I do not achieve that intent ;)
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Dominic Cheli Thank you!
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Schubertās Moment. Musicaux, Op 94 No 4 is filled with tension seen in the contrast of staccato in the left hand and legato in the right. This tension carries even during the times when both hands are legato. The center section is more mellow, but there is still an underlying tension seen in the accents on the āandā of the first beat, and the multiple accidentals.
But there are surprising areas of peace and beauty in the midst of the tension. The portion I have recorded here is in the middle section, 12measures beginning at the repeat. It is filled with accidentals, and subtle accents, and subtle staccato various places. Then, at measure 12, it resolves to this beautiful D flat major chord. The beauty at this particular moment really resonates with me.
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Jennifer Mehta
What an insightful reflection on Schubertās Moment! I completely agree about the tension being so palpable throughout the piece, even in the more mellow sections. The way you've described the contrasting elements really highlights the emotional depth Schubert achieves. I also appreciate how you've pointed out those moments of beauty amidst the tension, particularly the resolution to that D flat major chord ā it really does evoke a sense of peace. Thank you!
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All the best laid plans...
We are living on the Isle of Wight, which is a small island off the south coast of the UK.
We had a buyer for our house on the mainland but the sale has fallen through so it looks as if we will have to return to the mainland in October, so lots of packing to do.
This and other issues has meant that we have had three trips back and forth over the last fortnight but I have tried to engage with this challenge despite the travelling.
I have been working on the Liszt transcription of Schubert's Standchen in addition to working through all the Tonebase lessons on Schubert. Henry Kramer on the Wanderer Fantasy is a must for everyone!
My edition says to use the sustain pedal on each detached chord but I have decided to experiment with the sostenuto pedal instead.
I have been trying to use the 'una corda' pedal and the sostenuto pedal simultaneously in some passages, but this seems to cause a problem in the mechanism, as the dampers are then lifted other chord notes as well as the bass note. This may be a 'regulation' issue. Does anyone know whether it should be possible to use these two pedals together?
