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The piano world is buzzing with excitement this summer. As we predicted, recent media channels have been dominated by news and updates from three of the world’s most prestigious piano competitions: Chopin, Cliburn, and Queen Elisabeth. In its recent issue, the magazine “The World of Piano Competitions” dedicated a special feature to the Queen Elisabeth Competition Read more

Topic: Starting a Schubert Impromtu and Dynamics in a Beethoven sonata  (Read 1551 times)

Offline bernadette60614

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For the last couple of months I've been working on the Beethoven Sonata Op 10, No. 1.  My teacher has told me that I have the mechanics but my playing lacks dynamics.  I don't seem to really "hear" this piece the way I "hear" Mozart or Bach, so the dynamics are a challenge. Any advice would be appreciated.

The new piece she gave me is the Allegro (2nd movement) from Schubert's Impromtus Opus 90, No 1.  First question: Does anyone know of an edition which gives all the fingering. 2)  What is the best way to approach this?  I typically just divide into phrases, ,work on a piece phrase by phrase..but I'm wondering if there is a more sophisticated approach..particularly one which will help me memorize this as I learn it.

Thanks all!
 

Offline wnlqxod

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For interpretation ideas, have the score in your hand, and listen to a recording as you follow along on the score. Listen to MANY DIFFERENT pianists; they all have some unique insight to offer. For Beethoven playing in general, check out Wilhelm Kempff (i.e. NOT FREDDY KEMPF), Alfred Brendel, Artur Schnabel, and Claudio Arrau.

Your teacher gave you No 2 from Schubert's Op 90 Impromptu?
Let me see here.
What kind of "fingering" are you fretting, or should I say fingering, about?
Do you not practice scales and arpeggios?

Let's take the opening bars- it's just a doodle-around on the E flat major scale.
Starting with the pick-up B flat, your fingering naturally works out to something along the lines of:

4 243 213 214 321 321 212 323 121 212 323 121 212 132 123 123 154 321...

As for memorization? After a few repetitions, take away the sheet music from the visual range and try to play from memory.

Practice your scales and arpeggios. They will help you develop some "fingering sense" without necessarily having to look at an edition with fingerings.

Offline bernadette60614

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Thanks so much!

Offline harusame

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the most important thing playing schubert impromptu no 2 is how you play clearly and evenly/regularly

practicing mozart sonatas always help in this kind of thing
beethoven, not so much

Offline bernadette60614

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Any advice on how to approach the triplets? 

Offline harusame

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you could add accent on every first note in the triplet (and play slowly)
i used this trick also when i started learning Chopin FI op 66

speed is the last thing you refine, after you can play the triplets evenly/regularly

i strongly recommend to practice any mozart sonatas, even something like K 330 and K 545 will also do
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