Does this ever happen to you?

[Waldszenen]

Let's say there's some really fantastic piece you've just heard, and you decide you want to learn it. But it's really hard, so you just leave it for a year. Then the year passes and you get to work on it, mastering it in a few weeks or a month. And then after you've mastered it and can play it flawlessly, it's just not as exciting anymore as when you first heard it. Moreover, every time you play it, it's got lack of expression and feeling because you're bored of it.


Has anyone ever had this experience? Or do most of you still enjoy pieces just as much when you first heard them as when you've mastered them?

[Rach3]

...And then after you've mastered it and can play it flawlessly, it's just not as exciting...

If it's not exciting, then it's not flawless; it's severely flawed. The whole point of learning the piece in the first place was to prepare something thrilling - once you can play the notes, there's a whole lot more to prepare, to experiment with. A lot of people fall into a rut of practicing something for hours a day, and then getting fed up (bored) with it; if this is your problem, I recommend leaving the piece alone for 6+ months, and coming back to it with a fresh perspective (meaning you've forgotten all the 'habitual' stuff that made it boring, commonplace, too familiar).

[bernhard]

Although what Rach3 says is true in certain cases, there is another possibility. The piece was not that fantastic to start with. There are some pretty poor compositions out there that are impressive on first listening (e.g. Fur Elise, Fantasie Impromptu) that soon outstay their welcome. Truly excellent pieces (e.g. WTC) can usually be played for a lifetime (and usually a lifetime is not enough). As ones’ musical judgement gets better, this (getting bored with a piece of music) happens less and less because one tends to concentrate on the superior (musically) repertory.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[allchopin]

Although what Rach3 says is true in certain cases, there is another possibility. The piece was not that fantastic to start with. There are some pretty poor compositions out there that are impressive on first listening (e.g. Fur Elise, Fantasie Impromptu) that soon outstay their welcome. Truly excellent pieces (e.g. WTC) can usually be played for a lifetime (and usually a lifetime is not enough). As ones’ musical judgement gets better, this (getting bored with a piece of music) happens less and less because one tends to concentrate on the superior (musically) repertory.

This cannot be the case either though.  I must say I've gotten bored with many great pieces that I never thought would feel hackneyed.  I think the problem is that you know the piece better than you ever did just listening to it - you are aware of every nuance of the work and how it feels to play, and the magic behind it seems to fade.  For instance, a slieght of hand card trick will really make you want to learn how to do it, but once you know the trick, it may seem like a yawn to watch someone do it over and over again.  However, this magic comes back once you have forgotten the piece (give it a year or so) and you come back to it and relearn all the tricks.

[Waldszenen]

Although what Rach3 says is true in certain cases, there is another possibility. The piece was not that fantastic to start with. There are some pretty poor compositions out there that are impressive on first listening (e.g. Fur Elise, Fantasie Impromptu) that soon outstay their welcome. Truly excellent pieces (e.g. WTC) can usually be played for a lifetime (and usually a lifetime is not enough). As ones’ musical judgement gets better, this (getting bored with a piece of music) happens less and less because one tends to concentrate on the superior (musically) repertory.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

I particularly agree with the WTC comment - some works by Bach are truly timeless.

[alzado]

Well, here i'm shooting in the dark.  Perhaps I don't entirely understand your question.

But I would say, there's a danger to staying on a piece too long.

Sometimes the teacher wants you to remain on a piece because there are still a few hesitations, or a few problems of one sort or another.  (Assuming that, generally, you are playing it pretty well).

In a case like that, maybe better to put it aside for some while and promise yourself to take it up again.

After about three weeks on a piece, I sort of burn out.  It isn't fun anymore, it is work.

Fortunately, some pieces come together sooner than that for me. 

Don't know if this helps or not.  But I do know that if piano becomes drudgery, you are definitely doing something wrong.  Not to try to blame everything on your teacher, but sometimes they can take the fun out of things if they are too micro-picky and don't let you move on.

[jeremyjchilds]

I've been casually working on my Brahms Stuke op118 1-2 (I know...very very standard)

But I must say that the more I play, the more I love...

It's like reading scriptures, every time I play it, something new comes comes to me, it's so inspiriational.

Of course, in my opinion, these two "stuke" have a lot of depth to them, so I guess I am digging through layers, not hitting rock. When I was playing schubert impromptu in Eb major (op 90 #2) I lost interest a lot sooner, even though it is a lot more impressive sounding if you are playing for a non-pianist. I guess I am opening myself up to criticism here from Schubert lovers

So I guess I argee with Bernard here...especially with the WTC comment.

[joachimf]

Reading these posts is really interesting.
I don't have much new thoughts to add, only that one should probably try to vary between different styles as much as possible. (romantic, baroque, etc.(I don't know all the names in english  ))

I think that varying in "epokes" and composers can make each piece more fascinating. My teacher gave me these pieces to play (in this order) : Schumann - Kinderszenen, Haydn - Sonata Hob16:49, and now Ravel - Sonatine. I don't think his intention is avoiding getting tired of a single epoke though, more too shape me musically in the different styles...

I think variation is the key to not get bored. But then again, this wasn't really the initial question of the thread and I'm kind of off-track. 

Edit: When re-reading my post I became unsure if the post really relates to the topic of this thread. But I hope so in some manner:P
Also: I'm not sure wether I should use "epokes" or "styles" or something else covering baroque, romantic, etc. (I don't know the english naming...)

Best regards,
Joachim

[6ft 4]

I particularly agree with the WTC comment - some works by Bach are truly timeless.

"some" works?

I think u mean ALL works 

[pet]

I think maybe you're practicing the piece too much, that you get tired of it.  Practice it every other day or so...and the excitement will return.  Have other pieces to occupy your time, instead of this one piece, that way you wouldn't be able to spend all your time on it anyway.

[abell88]

Also: I'm not sure wether I should use "epokes" or "styles" or something else covering baroque, romantic, etc. (I don't know the english naming...)

We usually use the term "period" or "era"...and you did fine on the names...Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Modern (or 20th Century).

[Bob]

My focus changes while I work on a piece.  I can be awed by it at first, but then it turns into "work" especially with a difficult piece.  I focus on technical aspects of it -- am I playing all the notes the right way? and things like that.  I still get bogged down in that kind of technical work.

But this gets absorbed by the music.  Whatever I'm thinking and feeling because how I perform the music.  Whatever is emphasized -- thinking, emotions, pain, tension....  It's much more exciting to come back to that piece after I've "forgotten" it because all that technical garbage is gone and the expression of the piece returns (and much cleaner since I worked up the piece).