learning/ polishing pieces for a mini recital. HELP!

[db05]

I haven't performed in years, so I'm really nervous. General suggestions might help at this point... Okay... Tentatively, my set would be this:

Bach Invention #1
Kuhlau Sonatina in C Op20*
Chopin Valse Op69 No2
Bartok Ostinato from Mikrokosmos
San Pedro Aliwan (Filipino piece)
Mozart Concerto No18 K456 mvt1 (easy arr.)

So far, I've learned+memorized the Bach, the Chopin and the Filipino piece. But far from polished. How do I say this... I don't get them! They don't speak to me. The Bach I enjoy, but it's too complicated to play cleanly. The others I can't seem to decide on a tempo to stick with. Ughhh.

The Kuhlau is a special problem. I played it for an exam 3 years ago, complete but the interpretation is off. I'd since dropped the whole thing and relearned it this year, but I find the same mistakes popping up... I'd overdo the staccato, or mess up the beat. I had played it too much before that I put too much expression, when I need to be restrained (it's Classical Era after all). How can I correct this if it's so ingrained?

What I would rather do, though I doubt the feasibility of this, is to drop the Sonatina entirely and upgrade to a full Haydn Sonata (any suggestions?).

I'm halfway through learning the Bartok (it's a bit painful for my hands and ears), and I'm so terrified of the Mozart I haven't even read the whole thing yet!

My teacher and I are aiming for December of this year. I started in June and so far I'm not even halfway through... I don't know how good my progress is, and I'm a little worried. At this rate, will I make it in time?

[hfmadopter]

Practice in 20 or 30 minute spurts of good work, break for ten. Practice again. Get several hours a day in this way vs a couple hours at a whack where after 45 minutes you aren't fresh anymore.. Work out the weak spots, work them out by deliberate and slow practice then gradually bring up the tempo. Anything gives you trouble the rule is to slow down, sometimes to the point of agonizingly slow till you get it. I mean slow slow, oooooonnnnne llllooooonnnng nnnnote at a time, so both hands get it together.. Same for breaking your old pattern you are concerned with.

Memorizing, can't help you there my short term memory is shot, I may have to sight read from here on out.. Not my favorite thing to do, I always played better once memorized.
David

[1piano4joe]

One thing I find that is so often overlooked is preparing the music. I have attended several piano teacher's student recitals and so many teachers don't have their students do this.

I am talking about making sure the book doesn't close on you. I am talking about using clips to keep the pages from turning as if their was an incompetent invisible evil page turner out to get you. I am talking about making a one inch dog ear at the corner so your page turns are more polished.

I have creased bindings and/or made photocopies to lay out 3 or 4 pages side by side on the music desk. I used to use clothes pins then I found out about piano clips used specifically for this very purpose. On heavy books, at home, I still use the clothes pins and use a a 2 foot wide piece of  cardboard as a backing to clip the books.

I find it both sad and funny to watch people squirm in their seats as the page starts to move and they do all sorts of hilarious contortions on the bench to keep the music going.

I recently went to a local piano recital where about a dozen teachers (many with doctorates and on faculties of universities) seemed like they didn't really prepare their students properly. Okay, I suppose it's entirely possible they did and their students were just absent minded. I certainly have had my share of them in my day.

Anyway, it was like watching a performance of Victor Borge. This one student in particular had just experienced the worst case of Murphy's Law I have ever seen in my life. Finally, I read his mind, yes, just about everyone could. What did he say to himself you ask? "Oh, the hell with it" and he closed the book and just played from memory. Fortunate for him that he could.

Someplace, somewhere, I read about a teacher who prepared his student by playing loud music, talking on his cell phone and even shining a flashlight at the score, at the student, at the keys, coughing, sneezing, generally giving his student the business. Maybe it was a post here?

I think a trip to a piano store might not be a bad idea so that you can play on many different pianos. Different actions, tone, benches and environment might make for a more relaxed (prepared) performance.

What about a dress rehearsal playing in the clothes/outfit/dress you will be wearing the day of the performance prior to that actual day to make sure your comfortable? Hope that helps, Joe.

[db05]

Thank you so much! 

The plan has changed a bit, since I'm going back to school next semester. I'd have to study various things other than piano... but I still hope to make it in December or January. And the sonata we chose is Haydn Sonata No. 11.

The 20-30 spurts of work is good to remember. I'm quite guilty of going on for 1 - 1 and a half hour at full power, only to succumb to fatigue.

We use clothespins to keep the music open  Hopefully that would not make me look too silly lol.

Lately I'm being taught/ pushed to learn the interpretation of pieces... To me, it's very frustrating to correct my playing at this late point of learning. Some parts I already memorized had to be partly forgotten and relearned because my movements/ ideas were so wrong. Some parts were hard to memorize precisely because I didn't know how it should sound. Sure, I'd listened to the pieces a lot, but I didn't "understand" them.

I am grateful though that my teacher knows a lot about the styles. Before, all I did was memorize the piece and make it playable somehow.

I was able to play for one of my former mentors, and embarrass myself! The Invention was just... ruined. I had to stop and start several times. The situation was different (it was someone I really look up to and I was nervous), the piano was different (lighter and softer), and the sound was so different I couldn't recognize the notes. The rest were okay, but not convincing. The feel/ sound really threw me off. I hope I wouldn't have to play such a strange piano in a performance... I was depressed for days... 

But I gotta keep fighting! 30 minute sessions, a few hours a day total, I can do this!