laugardagur, júní 30, 2007
föstudagur, júní 29, 2007
Chopin's First Ballade
...played by a master.
It is so beautiful. The more I listen to it, the more I love it. And I didn't even know it existed.
*hums*
I hear it in my dreams, I hear it when I walk, I sing it all day. But it's going to take a lot of time before the merlin manages to play it a little. I finished p6 today, but, phew ! 1 hour per 1 line. So painfully slow and jammy. And I haven't reached the hectic parts of it yet.
My teacher wants me to play it...by Tuesday. She's gone crazy, but the more I do on my own, the more she'll be able to give advice. If I know it all by heart, it might be enough. Asking for the speed would be too much *winks*.
For now, let's enjoy videos of Masters and delight in Chopin. Dong Hyek Lim plays it magnificently too. I like his interpretation - very delicate. More ballade !
Efnisorð: music
laugardagur, júní 23, 2007
Musical Summer
I've just come back from the last piano lesson of the year. But there was no smell of farewell and endings on the air. The table was overladen with music scores and CDs - the future shaped by little dots scattered between lines, like seeds. Seeds of music.
This means more music for the summer !
In July, there will be no time for idle slumber.
No, there will meadows of hours for dreams and books and pens and fishes; oceans of days for the piano.
My teacher decided to give me Chopin's first ballad to work upon. She told me I have 10 ten days to roughly set it up. Then I'll go to her house and we'll work together on it. This is so mightily wonderful that hyperboles are needed and all the bouncing battalions of punctuation ! This is to be the more difficult piece of all those I've played so far. It is also so beautiful. Well, hard to find Chopin ugly.
I have secret plans as well. I intend to gorge on Schumann. The Waldszenen. The f# minor sonata (my Klaviersonata *melts*). And Fauré's 1rst Barcarolle. And some contemporary piece.
My other musical fellows have been given work too. Chopin : 1rst and 21rst nocturnes. One or two of Debussy's arabesques. And more. The next piano parties will be 'licious.
Musical summer ahead !
(Let's just hope the shadows of Jam and apathy won't strike again...)
Efnisorð: music
sunnudagur, júní 17, 2007
Musico'holics
Is there a man's heart that is not swirling with threads of music ? Is there a land inhabited by men where no melody has ever been heard ?
Music is as much part of man as reason, speech, laugh or Oreo cookies. Oh yes.
We are musico'holic, all of us !
Next Thursday is the day when music is celebrated in France. The 21th of June. Music and summer solstice : how fitting to honor in one day the giver of life and the gardian of our souls.
But tonight was no official celebration, but my teacher's piano party. A cherished moment of happiness and sharing.
The decoration was beautiful. My teacher is a complete artist.
The younger ones began to play this year. Some of them are really good - my teacher knows how to reveal the musician who lies dormant in each child. Then it was us, the "teenagers" (les ados). We feel nervous and all when we're waiting for our turn, and at the same time, there is joy in listening to our friends performing. We wince when their fingers slip on the wrong key, we smile when a melody is beautifully drawn. Hélène played magnificently one of my favorite pieces : Schumann's "papillons" (that would be "Butterflies" in English). So delicate ! Now each time I see her, I will ask her to play it. Schumann ! There is something in his music which calls to me like a magnet.
I didn't play too badly, but, damn it ! I want to play the prelude properly (Rachmaninov, Op.23, N°5). I want people to feel through the music the white expanse of snow, the knights riding to battle, the hooves of their horses pounding on the ice (ta tidada ta ti - ta- da...), then the vision of golden dunes, slowly fading and overpowered by the knights' rythmic race through snow and russian night...who themselves fade away in the distance and poum. Silence.
But I still have loads of work to do to reach that point yet. Will you hit the right keys, oh fingers ?
Anyway, it was good. An excellent evening. But they all went away so quickly. It's all finished too soon. Too soon, top Spoon, like everything in life.
Hello ! That's twisted me turning white under the strong lamps.
Efnisorð: music