Although I seldom wrote articles in this English version blog, it will be in August that a new text comes up. It is because I am challenging PTNA Piano Competition for enthusiasts ("Grand Muse" Division) with Clementi : Sonate Op. 47-2.
Even though my technique has not leached the level I satisfy, I will do my best.
Here comes LA FOLLE JOURNEE AU JAPON "Days of Enthusiasm" Music Festival 2005 this weekend!
I always walk through Tokyo International Forum almost every Friday for piano lesson and I have checked this vestival since the last New Year's Eve. Now the building are full of the music festival atmosphere like this. The special listening corner is available on the basement floor where you can check the all programs with Apple iPods.
I bought three tickets on the 29th as bellow.
Sinfonia Varsovia Peter Casba cirection
Beethoven : Symponie No.3 en mi bemol majeur Op. 55 "Heroique"
Shani Diluka
Clementi : Sonate Op. 24-2, Op. 25-5
Cramer : Allegro Moderato, Aria and Maestoso
Czerny : Sonate Op. 7
Concerto Koln RIAS-Kammerchor
Beethoven : Missa solemnis en re majeur Op. 123
I have much interest on Clementi's Sonate because now I practice his Sonate Op. 47-2 (same as Op. 24-2) and Concerto Koln's program which is the only performance using period instruments.
Today, I also bought the official guide book and it told me many interesting programs. It is very difficult not to help buying more tickets! I must be poor after this festival.
Jiyugakuen Myonichikan, the "House of Tomorrow," is one of the buildings near JR IKEBUKURO station in Tokyo designed by renowned American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Every year in spring, it offers a special events for cherry blossom appreciation. We can see the inside of the buildings and enjoy cherry trees in full bloom.
At the first time, most of the events were planned at the end of March this year. However cherry blossoms will be in full bloom about a week late as usual because of coldness in late March. It must be very appreciated that the events of cherry blossom viewing will be held until this weekend. This building is open to public only daytime (closed on the 9th because of the wedding service) but on the 7th and 10th you can enjoy light-up blossoms at night.
Please refer to Jiyugakuen Myonichikan web site for more details. You can find the history of this building and visitor information but the special event schedule for cherry blossoms is only provided in the top page in Japanese.
Tuesday, March 29th, 2005 at Suntory Hall (small)
Johannes Brahms - "Liebeslieder" Walzer fur klavier zu vier handen op. 52a
I / II / IV / V / VIII /X / XI / XV / XVI / XVIII / VI
Maurice Ravel - Rapsodie espagnole
Prelude a la nuit
Malaguena
Habanera
Feria
Primo=Noma Harumi, Secondo=Dido Keuning
----------------------pause----------------------
Anton Arensky - Suite No.1 op.15
I. Romance
II. Valse
III. Polanaise
Sergei Rakhmaninov - Suite No.1 "Fantaisie-tableaux" op.5
I. Barcarolle
II. La nuit...l'amour
III. Les larmes
IV. Paques
piano 1=Noma Harumi, piano 2=Dido Keuning
It was my first experience of listening to a piano duo recital. I enjoyed
it very much and also have much interest to piano duo music.
My work time is from 9:30 to 17:30. The office locates near the railway
station but it is very difficult to go to a weekday evening concert, except
in Ginza, Yurakucho and Hibiya area. However we can find few piano duo
concerts that it is very difficult to have a chance to watch piano duo
performance. I took risk to miss the first program and bought a tickets and
naturally missed the exact train that I must ride on in order to arrive the
hall in time. I listned "Liebeslieder" Walzer fur klavier zu vier handoen by Brahms in front of the door by TV monitor. About 20 minutes later, I
could enter the hall. However all seats were non reserved and I only found seat available at the right end of raw of the 3rd line from the front.
Although I have listend some CDs of piano duo music, I thohght that it was
completely differnet from recorded one. It is obviously difficult to
synchronize in music for 4 hands on a piano and much more in music for 4
hands on 2 pianos. I noticed that pedaling technique was marverous
especially in duo on a piano. The seconde pianist had to catch the touch of
the primo. It might not be the same of one's own way. The usage of pedals
of him was very delicate and varied very much. In some phrase he use damper
pedal with very short quick steps lightly, in another phrase with long
powerful steps deeply.
And one more thing surprised me very much. He played glissand with his
thumb! From my seat I could see only his left hand and I was not sure his
right fingers played another melody or not (it seemed to be natural to use
left thumb in glissand rightword when one's right hand play another phrases.
Even though missing the fisrt program, it was worth paying money for a
ticket. Real perfomance gives me many suggestion. If I am allowed to wish
so much, I'd like to enjoy simply music itself much more as well as
investigate theiry performance. Because I tend to just only concentrate on
how a pianist play a piano these days I'm afraid.
This is the first memo of my piano lesson after I started this weblog. Although I have a lesson almost every Friday, my teacher got severe influenza and the lesson was cancelled on the 4th February. (It was the national holiday on the 11th February with no lesson in my music school.) Since I happened get cold at the same day, it was lucky to me no to miss a lesson. When lesson is cancelled by a teacher's reason, my music school offers another lesson.
On the last lesson, my teacher didn't have enough time to choose the next piece from Czerny "Thirty New Studies in Technics" because I spared much time to report my performance at the AOYAMA STEP. Therefore, I had practiced only the 1st and the 2nd movement of sonata Op.47 No.2 (this number had caused confusion about purchasing a text and I'd like to write details later) by Clementi which I have been struggle with since the last march. I have almost memorized this piece but playing without a book is different from playing well at all. The assignment for this lesson was keeping a metre through a movement. She had pointed it out that I often hurried up or slowed down at some particular phrases or
patterns of rhythm. She had recommended me playing with a metronome and check where I swung beats and then trying to play at a constant beat in my mind.
It worked! A range of fast phrases and slow phrases have been narrow comparing with that 2 weed before. It couldn't be said perfect. If I could play at a constant pace as like a metronome, it might not attractive but discontinuance of a melody or a phrase makes music just clumsy. Especially phrases with octave keys force me cut fluency or put an extra accent. When I hit octave keys, I cannot help tensing my arms, hands and fingers.
It seems in far future when I complete lessons of this piece but there were some improvements. I played scales more smoothly and I didn't bend down when I stared to play. I think this small but very important progress was brought by the MIKIMOTO method (finger training) and also after AOYAMA STEP I pay much attention to straightening up with abdominal and back muscle. I'm very glad that my attempt has gotten into good results. I became aware of balancing myself around chest and shoulders so I attempt to keep my equilibrium at lower part of the abdomen. My upper-half posture of playing piano has been more stable. I take notice that I still perform only with upper-half and I imagine standing on the ground (or floor) by my feet and take energy from the earth and flow that energy to music through my fingers on keys but I cannot yet. It is a big theme to strike a balance between relaxing and balancing oneself with stable lower-half as long as I play a piano.
The 2nd movement were awful. What you try to express in this movement, Mr. Clementi? I don't find it out. All I can do is catch each phrases and I have nothing to do with whole form of them. I spent much time for 1st movement to achieve maintaining an even pace. I paid a lot of attention to the 2nd movement for the next lesson. Honestly saying, I just choose this sonata only by the reason that I was interested in the 3rd movement of it and I started with the 3rd movement for a biannual recital of the music school which had held in July, 2004. When I picked it up, I didn't think this sonata was so difficult for me.
Challenge for the next lesson is that keeping a steady tempo, not tensing so much at the octave notes to loose phrase's flow in the 1st movement and trying to see whole context in the 2nd movement. In addition, I practice 3rd movement not for lesson but for higher quality.
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