Looking at the Schubert D960
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There was a time i had the 1st and 2nd movements under my fingers. In medical school, there was a piano in the "lounge." I remember playing this back then...half a century ago.
I'm a senile old man.
Link to video -
"When Schubert writes a melody in a minor key, it's sad. When he writes it in a major key, it's tragic."
Look at the A Major Sonata. I learned the 1st movement a few years ago...
Link to videoIt is, indeed, tragic.
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It certainly would be if @Klaus played it.
DON’T let them eat cake.
- RFK Jr -
What provides me some personal amusement is considering that any number of musicians (e.g. Martha Argerich, Yuja Wang) could play the piano better at age 11 than I can play at age 70 - having been working at this for over 60 years.
As for the Schubert - I love both the B-flat minor and A major sonatas. I too learned the first two movements of the Schubert. It's a wonderful work. Rubinstein recorded it 3 times. He loved the work though he felt it had a darkness associated with - a foreboding of death. My favorite recording of the work was the third version he made. Rubinstein said that he'd just had a terrible fight with his son just before recording it. The performance captured the mood of sadness he felt at the time. When a recording of this sonata was first transferred to CD, they used an earlier recording. The recording engineer preferred the earlier version as it sounded better - and some have felt it followed normal performance practice for the work. Eventually, when all of Rubinstein's recordings were released, Rubinstein's preferred version was included.
As for the A major, I've always liked the first movement to be played a bit slower than most performers play it. Richter delivers in that regard.
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@kluurs said in Looking at the Schubert D960:
What provides me some personal amusement is considering that any number of musicians (e.g. Martha Argerich, Yuja Wang) could play the piano better at age 11 than I can play at age 70 - having been working at this for over 60 years.
And what exactly does that have to do with Klaus sucking at the piano?
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A quick point. To those of you that can play the piano well--I am and will always be extremely envious. I play the guitar, and can play Christmas songs and Beatles songs on the piano, all good--but that deep understanding of music that comes from knowing the piano always eluded me. I took lessons (adult) that went nowhere. Anway, I appreciate what you guys can do and reading your posts make me think maybe I know more than I do, but I don't. But, thanks.
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Seriously though I love this piece. But I’ve never taken a whack at it.
I’m actually considering taking on Op 111. Do I even need to say the composers name?
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When I saw Sir Andras Schiff perform the late Beethoven sonatas (over several concerts) he wouldn’t play an encore after 111. He said it’s the most sublime piece of music ever written, a gift from the heavens. Nothing could possibly follow it.
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@jon-nyc said in Looking at the Schubert D960:
Seriously though I love this piece.
(dusts off memories)
About 10 (?) years ago, I was working on this piece with a very talented pianist. Every year PianoForte in Chicago used to host the "Schubertiad." A celebration of his music. My teacher wanted me to play the first movement at that event. I declined - I don't do public.
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One of the subtleties of this piece is in the first two measure (!).
It starts on the 4th beat of the first measure, and then proceeds. My teacher suggested that when I start it, I make a point of counting "1...2...3...4" before I started playing, and doing it twice. On the second time, the the first chord comes on the "4" and mentally, you're at the end of the count, and less likely to stress that chord. So rather than coming off as.
One Two Three FOUR, ONE Two Three Four....
It comes off as...
One Two Three Four, ONE Two Three Four
If that makes sense.
