8 hrs 45 min, 9 items

Poulenc - 1 hr - Read through I. Pastoral and II. Hymne. Work on continuity and fingering of first two pages. Learn 4 systems on third page. Q = 40. Next time: Sightread first two movements with metronome and figure out confusing rhythm in pastoral. Learn rest of third page and work on continuity of third page.

Bartok - 1.5 hr - Learn notes and architecture of piece. Q = 40. Next time: Pay attention to dynamics, accents, and tempo changes. Keep off pedal for now.

Bach - 45 min. - Prelude and Fugue - Fugue - In fugue, think about arm motion for detached eighth notes. Work on memory/concentration for third to last system. Prelude, think to the ends of phrases and decide where phrases end on first three systems. Next time: Continue working on phrasing and decide on what hand to focus on in prelude.

Chopin - 1.5 hr - Learn more notes on penultimate page. Tempo I. Work on voicing melody and phrasing. Use LH to Support RH sound more. Next time: Solidify notes on penultimate page. Work on something other than phrasing and balance of layers. Learn more notes going backwards.

Rachmaninoff - 1 hr - op. 32 prelude 5 - Correct voice leading. Speed up fast figures in middle section. Take ideas from recordings. Next time: work on cadenza

Rachmaninoff - 1 hr - op. 32 no. 6 - Applying the technical motion throughout. Next time: Listen to recordings to think about how to make it more musical.

Schubert - 1 hr - III. Allegro - Learn half a page beforehand. Technical security on penultimate page. Next time: Continue learning more notes and reviewing for continuity.

Schubert - 30 min. - II. Adagio and I. Allegro moderato - Play through both movements while noticing and reducing extraneous movement. Play to ends of phrase. Next time: Continue reducing extraneous movement and improving phrasing.

Piston - 30 min - work on phrasing and dynamics. Next time: continue working on long lines and crescendoing.

Analysis

Bartok

Exposition
1-16 - A theme in f#
17-33 - A theme in c#
34-49 - 34-41 repeated an octave higher in 42-49

Transition
50-61 - 8m of f# + 4m
62-70 - 5m of f# + 4m
71-80 - 5m of f# + 5m
81-87 - 3m of f# + 4m
88-100 - 13m of f#

Development
101-113 - A theme in F
114-127 - A theme in Bb
128-132 - 3m + 2m
133-136 - 2m + 2m
137-143 - 2m + 5m
144-151 - 6m + 2m

Coda


Recordings
Bartok
Christopher Goodpasture - The hands moved up and down, emphasizing the percussive quality. Very good schizophrenic accents and attention to tempo markings. I liked the clean lift going into the developmental major section.

Lars Roos - Seems like it needs clearer arrival points. I like the meno sost on 5th page at top of coda. Should use less pedal for clear texture.

Rachmaninoff op. 32 no. 5
Vladimir Horowitz - the melody line sometimes sinks under the dynamic of the accompaniment.

Vestard Shimkus - Beautiful sound and balance over all. He rips through the middle cadenza like flourish and starts the trill slowly. I like the way he took his time in releasing the last trill at the end after a slow careful roll. Melody not always paced how I like it.

Valentina Lisitsa - Best recording so far. Most sensitively played at all times. I like how the rolled chords do not enter as interrupted events but are smoothly interpolated into the accompaniment. Bass melody on p. 2 well voiced; she doesn't bring out the middle notes in the slurs! Best ending. Chords enter at just the right dynamic as the sound decays.

Rachmaninoff - op. 32 no. 6
Sviatoslav Richter -

Berezovsky -