Summer piano plans

ShiroKuro

As we move into summer, my work duties are lightening up (thank goodness!). We’re moving next month but somehow it doesn’t feel like it’s going to take over everything (we’re moving in town, so it’s much easier than an interstate move). So I’ve been thinking about my summer music plans. It’s been a long time since I did any recording, so I’d love to record one of the pieces I’m working on now. I’m working on three pieces, so any of those would be a good candidate for recording.

I have a list of “pieces to play next” (it’s about a mile long…) so I’d like to pull a few things from that and start working on them….

Also, I don’t have any piano friends or music friends in my new town (we just moved here last summer), and it would be nice to make some music connections. Not sure how to do that though…

What are your summer piano plans?

navindra

keff Wow! I enjoyed that very much — I think you are a very natural entertainer!

ShiroKuro Awesome thread. I've been longing to talk about my current plans.

I've got something old and something new I'm working on.

The something old is brushing up Bluebird by Alexis Ffrench so that I can make an acoustic recording of it. It's funny how this piece still challenges me despite having learned it over 2 years ago. I might record it over the Memorial Day weekend here if I'm up to it.

The something new is a very popular piece from the ABF recitals — Robert Schumann: Scenes from Childhood, Op. 15, No. 1 "Of Foreign Lands and Peoples". It's so popular on the beginner forum and it sounds simple enough, I thought it would be relatively easy. How wrong I was! I don't have a whole lot of time before my recital, so I'm pretty desperate at this point. 😃

shawarma_bees

ShiroKuro Also, I don’t have any piano friends or music friends in my new town (we just moved here last summer), and it would be nice to make some music connections. Not sure how to do that though…

What country/region are you in? I’m in a similar boat. Maybe this forum and recordings section will provide an opportunity for virtual socialization 🙂

ShiroKuro What are your summer piano plans?

I’ll be working on two pieces - Rach Prelude op 23 no. 5, and Rach Prelude Op 32 no 5. The first I’ve already learned, but I’ve hit the limit with what I can accomplish with dynamics and inner voicing using my VPC-1. Once the Bluthner arrives in a couple weeks, I’m looking forward to taking the piece to the next level, focusing on the layers of voicing in the middle section.

I’m still in the early stages of learning op 32 no 5. It’s such an entrancing and uplifting piece, and I’m really excited to hear how the Bluthner’s voice will make it sound.

keff

I have volunteered to play in a fund raising concert for the Salvation Army at the end of June. I am one of six players from my piano group that have offered to do this and I am preparing to play one of two pieces currently being practised.

As a separate project I am practising the secondo part from two duets to play with different people at my piano group meetings. One of them is the secondo from Faure's Dolly suite Berceuse.

Lastly I'm having a think about my next solo piece; either Mozart's sonata in A K331 or the one in F K332. Please feel free to make a suggestion.

PS. Starting your own piano group would be one way of making new piano acquaintances.

PianogrlNW

keff Mozart K331 is one of my all-time favorite pieces, especially the 1st movement. With the theme and variation format, you can pick and choose which variations you want to play, if not all of them. I think that working on these variations helped to improve my technique also. The 2nd movement is short but challenging. I had a hard time playing the 3rd movement at tempo.

keff

keff volunteered to play in a fund raising concert for the Salvation Army at the end of June.

Concert took place yesterday evening and I have been very tired today. Members of our piano group filled about 50% of the programme and made a real success of it.

ShiroKuro

Keff, those all sound like great activities!!

Re starting a piano group... I don't see how I would go about doing that... Like, how/where to advertise?

How was your piano group started?

keff

ShiroKuro,

I have started a new thread to answer your piano group question.

rogerch

I’m planning to participate in the PW online recitals in July and August. I’d love to hear your playing over there! These recitals are fun and supportive.

The May recital submission deadline is 5/15 at 6am EST so if you have something ready to record you could participate this month.

ShiroKuro

I definitely won't make the 5/15 deadline unfortunately. Maybe I can aim for the August one. It's been a very long time since I submitted something to an ABF recital...

ShiroKuro

BTW rogerch, what are you going to play?

rogerch

ShiroKuro I'm playing an improvisation for the May recital. After a lifetime of playing from sheet music I started working on improvisation during COVID and I'm having a great time playing music I make up on the fly!

keff

Something I recorded about a year ago...https://whyp.it/tracks/68173/fool-on-the-hill-played-by-chris

It is not particularly polished!!!!

ShiroKuro

Lovely!!

keff

Thank you ShiroKuro. However I am beginning to think the recording is more than one year old. It is probably a year since I transferred it to Whyp but may have recorded it on my phone during the covid period, hence the not so good sound quality.

The following recording was made with an external microphone and more accurately demonstrates the sound of my piano. It is from the Bach French suite in E flat.
https://whyp.it/tracks/87179/allemande-in-e-flat?token=zA298

ShiroKuro

That's awesome!

Pallas

navindra The something old is brushing up Bluebird by Alexis Ffrench

Based on this video, I'm going to have to join the Ffrench ffan club. Thanks for sharing it.

ranjit

navindra I learned the Schumann piece, Of Strange Lands and People a while back! I tried it out and realized the piece was still in my fingers, which was awesome. I thought I might record it and share it here. It's not that hard to play, but boy is it hard to phrase. I spent the past two hours recording the piece like 50 times, and even then I'm not totally satisfied. But it was a rewarding experience and I think I learned something from it.

ShiroKuro

Navindra, I’m working on Bluebird again as well. Actually, I’m working on both Bluebird and Moments. I recorded Moments a few years ago (maybe I submitted it to an ABF recital? I don’t remember). But at the time, I wasn’t working with a teacher. I’ve been taking lessons again (since February). So I’m working on both Bluebird and Moments with him (as well as another piece). My plan for the Ffrench pieces is to play them together, as a set. Moments first.

Separate from that,I’m also working on a piece called Reminiscene, by Takashi Kako. I’ll see if I can find a recording.

I hope to be able to play all three of these for friends when we have our housewarming party after we move.

ShiroKuro

Ok wow. I cannot find a recording of Reminiscence or a video of it. Wow, that seems surprising to me, especially since the composer has other videos of him playing his compositions, either as solo piano or with a trio.

I guess I’ll just have to make a recording of it myself. 😅

Sam

Tonebase is having a summer piano camp, their first ever, with Seymour Bernstein as one of the teachers. But don't bother applying - it filled up almost immediately. I couldn't go anyway, because of a conflict. Maybe next year.

But I still have lots of things going on. I belong to not one, but two, piano groups. One that I started, which is very informal, and one that is more formal with dues and rules. Both are having recitals, one in August and one in September. And they meet monthly for performance practice. so lots of opportunities to play.

Not to mention the ABF recitals on a website that we will not mention here. As long as they still last...

I also play in the Tonebase concerts - June will be Glass Etude #6.

PianogrlNW

Sam I checked out the Tonebase Summer Camp and was pleasantly surprised to see that it’s taking place at the Adamant Music School in Vermont. BTW, when I clicked on “apply” there was no message that it was full, but it did say deposits were due by May 1st. Maybe they are collecting additional names to compile a wait list.

I attended the Adamant Music School for the first time last summer and will be going again this summer over a long Labor Day weekend. The focus of that particular program is 2 piano plus solo repertoire. Sara Davis Buechner, who is teaching at Tonebase, will be one of our 5 teachers. I’m going to be playing Gliere Six Pieces for 2 pianos with the same partner I was matched with last year and Chopin 3rd Impromptu in Gb major. I’m also learning the Ravel Piano Concerto, 2nd movement which begins with a piano solo. The score I have is a transcription for piano.

Adamant is a magical place. If you can get into the Tonebase summer program, GO!

BartK

ranjit
That was very good. I wonder why you don't participate in the recitals. You don't have to play virtuosic pieces when your playing of simple pieces is great.

Josephine

You play it beautifully Ranjit!