[TwoFlutesOneTrumpet]

Bach - Inventions 1 and 8
Bach - WTC book 1, Prelude and Fugue in C minor

 

[Phil loves classical]

Bach's Prelude in A minor in WTC Book 2, and Ravel's Fairy Garden. I'm still practicising Debussy's Pagodes, Reverie. I feel I've got Bartok's Chromatic Study No. 3 of Mikrokosmos vol 6 pretty well (in my low standards).

 

[Animal the Drummer]

Rachmaninov Prelude in E flat.
Mozart Sonata in D for two pianos, K448. My teacher thought it would be nice to play duets, but blanched when I asked for this.

 

[8j1010]

Pachelbel: Aria and 6 Variations in D Minor
Another Pachelbel: 10th Fugue on the Magnificat Primi Toni (I'm trying to get into fugues and other contrapuntal forms and I picked this one because it's easy to play :lol
Bach: Invention No.1 (also so I can get into counterpoint, although I'm not a fan of Bach's keyboard works)
Beethoven: Sonata No.12 1st Movement
Saint-Saëns: Danse Macabre (for solo piano (Cramer))
Kuhnau: Suite in B Minor from Neuer Clavier-Ubung (specifically the Praeludium and Gigue)
Another Kuhnau: Sonata Sesta from Frische Clavier Fruchte

Bold means that I've been playing this for a long time, but I don't have it completely learned and I'd like to get it perfect. For some reason all I could think of was Pachelbel and Kuhnau . I'm not learning all these pieces at once right now, for example right now I'm working on Pachelbel Aria Prima, and Beethoven 12th Sonata.

 

[lisaclassical]

I can identify with this. I had learned the Variations with some flaws, but then abandoned them to develop new repertoire. But, then returned to have to re-learn again. I feel like Bach is like figure skating. . .no room for flaws, so intricate. Right now, have been working on the BMV 974 in d minor, which I really love! The Well tempered clavier, book 1. Goldberg Variations is a long term project. I just joined this forum, hoping to get more motivated, as my practicing has fallen off lately. Bach is always a wonder. . when discovering new pieces. Just genius.

 

[lisaclassical]

Was regularly keeping up with Ravel Jeux D'eau, but not lately. Actively, been working on Liszt La Campanella, Bach concerto, and Well tempered Clavier no. 2, 3, 4, preludes and fugues, Beethoven Tempest. Keep trying to refine emotively Chopin Nocturne in C sharp minor., as well as a couple of other nocturnes.

 

[lisaclassical]

Daily, working through each scale, major, and relative, harmonic minor and all arpeggios. I developed some exercises added in each key to develop dexterity. I am wondering if I am just spending all my practice time on these. Takes about an hour and a half. Then work on a warm up piece, Bach, prelude, fugue #2. chopin opus 10 no. 3. . .still having difficulty with the 6ths passage. This is life long isn't it? No piece is ever truly totally perfected... . sigh. . .

 

[lisaclassical]

How do you work through your repertoire? I was wondering how long you typically practice. I have developed a repertoire and was practicing 30 hours a week, but am down now to about 15-20 hours, so some of pieces are sitting, developing negative habit strength with my reluctance to return to them. I am wondering how other people deal with this. Is it better to be structured or to go with your interests? Seems that motivation follows a path of its own?

 

[Krummhorn]

How do you work through your repertoire? I was wondering how long you typically practice . . .

I start and end each of my practice sessions with a piece I know quite well and one that I can play confidently, and I do have a good number of pieces in my repertoire that are like that. For me it's better to end a session on a good note <groan> as opposed to leaving the session totally frustrated and worn out.

Lh

 

[lisaclassical]

It seems that the journey into any area of expertise begins as simple, but like entering a forest, then exploring the forest, then living in the forest. . .learning what to avoid, what to approach, when to rest, what fauna is involve, it becomes more complex, but also interesting. Certainly playing Bach as a child and now many years later, there is a difference. And as one explores Bach, his music itself takes on a different perspective. I find with time. . . there is a greater flexibility in interpretation and playing. I have learned over the years, that there is a true necessity to abiding by technique, but then once there is some mastery, the piece takes on more of an artistic quality that is personal to the musician.

 

[SearsPoncho]

I've forgotten many pieces I used to have memorized. I don't have nearly as much time to play as I used to. I'm going back and relearning some of my favorites that aren't overly difficult. I'm currently playing the last 2 Schubert Impromptus from the 1st set (probably the 2 most famous S impromptus), as well as Debussy's La Cathedrale Engloutie (The Sunken Cathedral) from Preludes, Book 1. It is more satisfying now; I'm actually listening to and enjoying the music as I play, which is something I didn't always do so well when I originally learned these pieces.

 

[SameLiccDifferentDay]

Currently revisiting Chopin Ballade no. 4, I haven't played classical music in 6 years but decided to go back to it. I made a recording of it if anyone would like to offer their critique I'd greatly appreciate it:

 

[Festus]

Daily, working through each scale, major, and relative, harmonic minor and all arpeggios. I developed some exercises added in each key to develop dexterity. I am wondering if I am just spending all my practice time on these. Takes about an hour and a half. Then work on a warm up piece, Bach, prelude, fugue #2. chopin opus 10 no. 3. . .still having difficulty with the 6ths passage. This is life long isn't it? No piece is ever truly totally perfected... . sigh. . .

My warmup exercises also are consuming more of the time allotted for practice to the point that the only way I will have enough time to practice is to retire!
You are correct in that this is a life long venture and a wonderful one at that!

 

[mikeh375]

Currently revisiting Chopin Ballade no. 4, I haven't played classical music in 6 years but decided to go back to it. I made a recording of it if anyone would like to offer their critique I'd greatly appreciate it:

Really nice. No critique at all from me. When I learnt it, I may have used rubato differently in places, but your interpretation does the job too of course. Great for a 6 year break, I assume you've been jazzing or playing in another style.

Loved the light show too.

 

[Guest]

Beethoven Sonata No.28.

 

[Sonata]

Bartok: Microkosmos, the first six or seven
Burgmuller's progressive pieces, one
Clementi: sonatina 1

 

[Sonata]

Returning to my Phantom of the Opera sheet music this week. It's "easy" piano versions, but nothing wrong with that! I'm really pleased that my technique practice is finally paying off and I'm starting to really improve my site reading which is giving me much more enjoyment than I've had previously

I also just picked up a book of David Nevue's sheet music and dabbled, but his music is still a bit challenging

 

[Rasa]

Still a live, still struggling to pretend to be a pianist: Bach's 5th English suite.

 

[tdc]

Still a live, still struggling to pretend to be a pianist: Bach's 5th English suite.

Hey, think about it. There are people who are groomed from a young age and then play daily many many hours, some of these become pros. Then some hold them up as being the only ones that are 'real' pianists. I don't think music is like that.

Instruments that are less popular like tuba and bassoon require less practice time to become pro, because the benchmark hasn't been set as high. These are artificial bench marks we create basically based on whoever has put in the maximum amount of work, mixed with talent. I think amateur musicians are capable of expressing profundity on their instruments and moving people. The other stuff is just competition. Anyone can become a 'real' pianist. Not anyone can become pro, but I personally don't care about that. I don't feel the need to sacrifice virtually every waking minute of my day to music because someone else with no life decided to, so now they are somehow the only 'real' pianists? I reject that. Music should not enslave people in my view. Does it point the way to something that is profound? Mission accomplished. I think it has gotten to the point that the pros focus too much on minutia, personally.

Don't get me wrong I am grateful for my recordings done by the pros, but I often find unique insights in amateur performance as well. Perhaps once a performer has gotten to a certain level, some qualities can be lost. I believe it was Picasso who spent much of his later years as an artist trying to regain aspects of his craft that were lost from his youth.

The above may be a minority view here, but that is how I see it.

By the way if you also like Bach's WTC, you might like this thread:

Well Tempered Experience

 

[mikeh375]

I'm having some fun with Claude Bolling and some Boogie Woogie at present. Learning about 5 pieces including the 'Triplets Bass Boogie'.