Last Month!

This is the last month for this goal. This month I am doing 5 pieces to get up to the number 50. I have been doing four per month which only totals to 48 pieces so I did an extra one a few months back and now I am doing an extra one this month. The two Debussy pieces I have picked are easier and shorter so it should work out well. This month's pieces are: Mozart K 394 the Fugue (from Prelude and Fugue in C) -- I did the prelude a while back. Debussy Jimbo's Lullaby and La fille aux cheveux de lin. Bach Sinfonia #13 and Rachmaninoff Prelude in G sharp minor. I have learned a lot of pieces this year. I have made an improvement in my confidence and subtlety. I don't think there is a huge change but definitely some improvement. I am making emotional progress, which was my original intent. It is hard to say exactly what the changes are.

I am thinking of studying Jazz next year. I have been improvising and writing music since I was 10. I took 10 Jazz lessons at USU. I also went through the 5 Jazz method books from the library twice. I need to figure out what is a good goal to do that is not too time consuming so as to distract me from my real life!! Maybe Samba month and Calypso month and Ragtime month etc? I need some more ideas to make it a little more concrete.

February

This month I picked Bach Sinfonia #10, Mozart K. 457 2nd movement (I have already done the 1st and 3rd), Rachmaninoff Prelude in B Major, and Debussy En Bateau. I finally found a Rachmaninoff piece that was pretty easy so I finished it early (yesterday). I am now working on the Prelude in B minor which seems not too hard except for about 1 page that is more challenging. I am usually intimidated by really fast parts and this has a fast part. When I started this year long goal I was mostly hoping that it would help me grow emotionally. I think the faster I go the more out of control I feel so I get a little tight. I'm not sure how to approach this but I will play it as fast as I can and try to stretch my boundaries.

New Month

Hi!! I have picked the pieces for January: Mozart Sonata in C minor K 457 (3rd movement Allegro Assai), Bach Sinfonia #9, Debussy Second Arabesque, Rachmaninoff Prelude in Eb Major Op. 23 #6. It is usually difficult to find a Rachmaninoff piece that is acheivable. Most of them are very difficult. The Bach seems fairly easy so hopefully I can get in another piece soon.

Month 8!!

I finished month 7 and now I have picked 4 new songs to learn:
Mozart Variations on a French Folk Song K 265 (Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star)
Debussy Prelude from Suite Bergamasque
Bach Sinfonia #8
Rachmaninoff: Elegie in Eb Minor Opus 3 no. 1
Still looking for the balance between control and letting go. I know it takes a lot of work to get to where it seems second nature. The Rachmaninoff was a much easier piece last month (except for one page that was really fast). I have always had a hard time with fast. The more prepared a piece is, the easier to let it go and just play.

Update

Today is the first day of November. I am starting on Bach Sinfonia #7. I am doing the rest of the variations on the Mozart that I started last month (I broke it up since it was 12 pages). I am playing Debussy Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum. The Rachmaninoff is Etude Tableaux opus 33 no. 8. This one seems easier than the other Rachmaninoff pieces.

I think what I learned last month is that you have to be in the mood of the piece to be able to play it well. The Rachmaninoff from last month was really upbeat and fast. It was hard to get in that mood. I played it slower than the recommended Allegro con fuoco.

Update

Last month I worked on Debussy: Golliwogg's Cake Walk, (very interesting reading on Wikipedia for what Golliwogg means), Mozart: Sonata in C minor K. 457. Rachmaninoff: Etude Tableaux op. 33 no. 4 (5) in D minor, and Bach Sinfonia #5 and #5 ornamented version. This was a really good one for learning what all the ornament markings mean. OK #5 was very easy. I pretty much had it done on the first day so I mostly worked on learning the ornamented one. I played Rachmaninoff every day and all the others only every 3rd day since they were all pretty easy. I still struggle with letting go and just playing, even when I know the notes. I guess this is part of the reason for practicing. The Rachmaninoff is amazing. Check it out here!

This month I am working on Mozart Sonata XVI K 331 the first 5 variations, Debussy Passepied, Rachmaninoff Etude Tableaux op. 33. no. 7 (6 is way too crazy fast), Bach Sinfonia #6.

Catching up

Last month I played: Bach Sinfonia 3, Mozart Rondo Allegro (K. 485), Debussy La Plus que Lente, and Rachmaninoff Etude Tableaux Op. 33 no. 2. I find that I usually give more time to the Bach and Rachmaninoff followed by Debussy and last of all Mozart.

This month I am working on Bach Sinfonia 4, Rachmaninoff Etude Tableaux Op. 33. no. 3, Debussy La Cathedrale Engloutie, and Mozart Prelude in C (K. 394). I have been alternating Bach and Rachmaninoff on one day and Debussy and Mozart on the next day for the most part working one page of each at a time. The main struggle is getting each piece done. It seems I could really spend two months and still not have them really polished.