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Dance of the Digits

Note: I've expanded significantly on this post over at my other blog, A Sort of Notebook.

I am loving Liszt. I love the way my hands have to "share" the melody. I have so much to write on that, but I'm borrowing a computer and don't have enough time to do it justice. Suffice it to say that I've practiced three and a half wonderful hours today, and about two hours on Liszt alone.

What I find wonderful about Liszt is that it pushes one hand hard, but not too hard. Then the other hand gets a turn to be pushed. But it's never both at the same time, and never one hand for too long. It's hard to explain. When I have more time to write, I'll word things rather more eloquently, I'm sure.

All I can say now is that my fingers feel like they're dancing a wonderful, graceful dance. I've been trying to "play with my body," as my piano teacher says to do, so all of me is dancing.

And Standchen, though it still need a lot of work (like, um, learning Sections 1 through 8), is sounding really nice.

I'm so eager for tomorrow to get here so I can practice some more!

Comments

robert said…
Isn't it great to have a day when you were on just one piece? I try to do it every so often, usually with something that's either in very good shape or else in no shape at all. Always inspiring, always rewarding.

So true about FL sharing the melody. I think of Un Sospiro too. Just modest OpEd -- there are FL pieces which aren't quite as democratic about sharing, imho. The big ones. The really big ones: Mazeppa, Mephisto come to mind. But why borrow trouble just yet?!
9:02 AM
Waterfall said…
Heh ... Those pieces aren't quite on the old horizon yet! I've actually been playing with the fingerings, seeing where I might have the LH share something unconventionally, just to practice the finger (and brain) independence required to do this type of stuff. I know, I'm a glutton for punishment!

BTW, on my other blog, A Sort of Notebook, I posted this same entry, only I expanded upon it (a little loopily, I might add!).
11:40 AM
robert said…
Not so loopy, Waterfall. Not at all. I second your "no experience" point. And I positively love you Xmas present analogy, although I might modestly add something about getting the occasional paper cut. Not, obviously, to be taken literally!
3:09 PM
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