What are you playing now?

[kluurs]

The Chopin Scherzo #2 (op 31) is coming along there are 4 pages that need work to bring them up to something approaching tempo. It will take a few more weeks to get it solid. I'm also making progress on the Rachmaninov Liebesleid which I've been working on bringing back into repertoire. It also will need some time.

[George K]

Started working on this about 2 weeks ago. Exposition is about 75% under my fingers.

Link to video

[kluurs]

The first movement of D664 is wonderful, and Richter has a decent tempo for it. That's a great choice.

[George K]

@kluurs said in What are you playing now?:

Richter has a decent tempo for it

Yes, in fact, listening to many recordings of it, I find that I'm being too aggressive with tempo. I need to slow it down.

Also, struggling with measure 33 - the best way to finger it. Doing it all in the left hand is, for me, awkward.

I'm thinking play the 2nd three notes of the first triplet with the right hand, the 2nd triplet with the left, etc., ending with left hand 3rd finger on the last note.

[George K]

@kluurs said in What are you playing now?:

The first movement of D664 is wonderful, and Richter has a decent tempo for it. That's a great choice.

90% done with it (1st movement) - I can do the octave runs about...90% of the time.

3rd movement is...tricky.

[kluurs]

George - I was at a masterclass on D664 with Adele Marcus. I taped it - but sadly - it's difficult to capture because Marcus was not separately miked. Adle Marcus was one of the more famous teachers at Juilliard - taught Stephen Hough, Byron Janis, Tzimon Barto, and several other well known pianists. She was a student of both Josef and Rosina Lhevinne. It was recorded about 40 years ago.

[Horace]

Finished the c# minor fugue from WTC1. My teacher says my interpretation reminds him of Richter's, which I must say is a VERY high compliment to Richter. Now I'm working on the prelude, and the famous Brahms 118.2.

[George K]

@Horace said in What are you playing now?:

the famous Brahms 118.2.

That's fun to play. I always found the polyrhythm section a bit of a challenge - I do with all polyrhythms.

You might find this interesting:

Link to video

[Horace]

@George-K said in What are you playing now?:

@Horace said in What are you playing now?:

the famous Brahms 118.2.

That's fun to play. I always found the polyrhythm section a bit of a challenge - I do with all polyrhythms.

You might find this interesting:

Link to video

Watched that a few days ago, thanks George. I love those 3 vs 2s. Can't sight read them musically, but once they're up to speed they are marvelous.

[George K]

@Horace said in What are you playing now?:

Can't sight read them musically, but once they're up to speed they are marvelous.

There's a passage in the Schubert D960 that always vexed me...

But in the D664 I never had a problem.

[Mik]

Sadly nothing. I haven't sat down all summer. Sigh.

[Horace]

I just listened to D664, it's beautiful. I wonder if I'll ever play another classical sonata. They are so much work.

[George K]

@Horace the first two movements aren’t all that difficult. For me, the hardest part was doing the octaves in the development section.

The third movement, on the other hand, is just ridiculous.

[kluurs]

I'm working on Bach's Art of Fugue, First Contrapunctus. The first few lines came along easily enough, and I thought "ah, I can hack this out in a couple of weeks." Then I got into the bramble of the work - and I've worked a couple of weeks just sorting through fingering for a few lines. It's coming along, but while a short piece, it's gonna be a slower slog than I imagined.

Link to video

[jon-nyc]

I've been hacking away at old (to me) stuff, but at least pretty regularly, when I'm not traveling. I need to adopt something meaty.

[George K]

I've put the Schubert D664 aside. I have the first two movements, pretty much, under my fingers. The third movement is a beast, and, frankly, it's just not fun to learn.

If it's not fun, screw it.

I suggested a couple of things to my teacher - Pictures at an Exhibition and the Mendelssohn Variations "Serious". There are parts of Pictures (the last few bars of Gnomus) that are just, for me, impossible, so, again, if it's not fun.

Ditto the Variations. Variation #4 is something I could probably learn - after a couple of months. Not worth the aggravation.

So, something more up to my level.

The Bach Partita #1 in Bb. I was wondering about the ornamenation in another thread. I've always loved this piece, and it's within my reach. The prelude is about 60% there.

I love Bach (not @bachophile of course).

[kluurs]

Glenn working through a bit of the 2nd partita.

Link to video

[bachophile]

@George-K said in What are you playing now?:

I love Bach (not @bachophile of course).

I said it before. Someone gots to hate me

[George K]

@George-K said in What are you playing now?:

The Bach Partita #1 in Bb. I was wondering about the ornamenation in another thread. I've always loved this piece, and it's within my reach.

Making progress. Prelude is mostly under my fingers - I can get through it without breakdown most of the time.

The Allemande is tricky, and my Henle edition has some atrocious fingering, making it all that more difficult - it’s an older (1970s) version. The A part is about 80% there, and I’ve started on the B section. A bit trickier than the A (especially at the end), but it’ll get there.

I love Bach’s music. He was such a wonderful craftsman.

ETA: The ornamentation in the prelude? I’ve decided to agree with what @Axtremus said - it’s supposed to be improvisational so I’m doing a turn, rather than a trill as indicated in the score. It fits my fingers niceley and allows me to keep the tempo, timing and rhythm going.

As Duke Ellington said, “If it sounds good, it is good.

[jon-nyc]

I need to engage a teacher again just to keep me focused.

I’m bouncing around between Schubert, Debussy, and Rachmaninoff.