Today was the last day of class
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Our final performance class for the spring. It went well. I played the last of the three op post Nocturnes by Chopin. I've learned a lot in this class and spent most of it outside of my comfort zone, for sure. I'm hoping to record myself playing all three Nocturnes in the not too distant future, either on one of the school grands or maybe my friend's Bosie.
I feel a mix of emotions tonight, from sad that the class is over, to relief that the class is over. LOL. Definitely going to miss it over the summer and hope to have something a bit bigger to work on in the fall.
There are a handful of possibilities at hand. I can probably get Debussy's "Reflets dans l'eau" prepped in time. I'd love to be able to have Chopin's "Polonaise Fantaisie" ready, but that's a long shot for this fall. I could do another Chopin Nocturne; one that he published during his lifetime, or one of his waltzes. I will most probably start the fall with the first Polonaise, which I did play once in class last fall, and then move on to something else. All to look forward to.
In the meantime, it's spring! And then summer!
The industrial revolution cheapened everything.
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Our final performance class for the spring. It went well. I played the last of the three op post Nocturnes by Chopin. I've learned a lot in this class and spent most of it outside of my comfort zone, for sure. I'm hoping to record myself playing all three Nocturnes in the not too distant future, either on one of the school grands or maybe my friend's Bosie.
I feel a mix of emotions tonight, from sad that the class is over, to relief that the class is over. LOL. Definitely going to miss it over the summer and hope to have something a bit bigger to work on in the fall.
There are a handful of possibilities at hand. I can probably get Debussy's "Reflets dans l'eau" prepped in time. I'd love to be able to have Chopin's "Polonaise Fantaisie" ready, but that's a long shot for this fall. I could do another Chopin Nocturne; one that he published during his lifetime, or one of his waltzes. I will most probably start the fall with the first Polonaise, which I did play once in class last fall, and then move on to something else. All to look forward to.
In the meantime, it's spring! And then summer!
@Bernard that’s wonderful! And Congratulations!
I look forward to a recording whenever you have it.
I’m listening to the Debussy piece now, I think I’ve heard it before but it’s not a piece I know well. it’s lovely! Also sounds devilishly heard! Do you have a favorite recording?
I remain curious about and inspired by this performance class!
I know I’ve asked you about it before, but it’s just for “performance,” right? In other words, it’s not like when someone takes one-in-one lessons and they work with the teacher on all aspects of playing and learning? Actually now that I type that out, it doesn’t make sense to me what I’m asking 
I guess I’m just curious about how the class works, what it would be described as in a blurb advertising for students. I wonder if it’s like the “studio classes” here at the uni music school, in which I think the main point is for students to play for each other learn (improve) perfomance skills.Ah, so that helps me articulate my questions! Are you expected to have a piece prepped or mostly learned by the start of the class? And how many pieces does a student work on over the course of a semester?
Are most of the people in the class intermediate or above? Do they all play pieces like what you’re choosing, in the “standard” classical repertoire?
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I love that Debussy piece.
There’s a fabulous Stephen Hough master class on that piece on YouTube. Totally worth watching.
There’s a fabulous Stephen Hough master class on that piece on YouTube. Totally worth watching.
Thanks, jon-nyc. I will look it up.
I’m listening to the Debussy piece now, I think I’ve heard it before but it’s not a piece I know well. it’s lovely! Also sounds devilishly heard! Do you have a favorite recording?
I would say it has some difficult passages, but even though it is not 'easy' (is anything 'easy'?) it's a little more manageable than it sounds and looks, to me. My favorite recording (mind you, there are a lot of recordings I have not listened to) is Michaelangeli's:
Link to videoYes, the class is for performance practice. One needs to be able to play a piece as if it is ready for performance, and as I've learned, it's usually not ready.
We are lucky that there are only 2 of us students this semester which means we each get half an hour at the piano. After we play through our piece as well as we can, what with nerves and all, the other student(s) and teacher point out areas they feel might be lacking. That could be anything from rhythmic issues to dynamics to rubato to clarity etc. etc. etc. The one thing that is not officially part of the class is technical how-to, however the teacher is generous in making suggestions if he feels some technical difficulty might benefit from his knowledge.The other student is at a good level. She worked on the Prelude and Menuet from Debussy's Suite Bergamasque this semester.
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