Help with Rondo Alla Turca

[thepianonoob1649]

This is my first post, so I will introduce myself. I am Trevor Du (14 years old) and have been playing the piano for about 5 months. I have devoted my whole life to piano, but I still consider myself a total beginner (seeing people my age who have played 10 years just amazes me).

I have started Rondo Alla Turca about 2 weeks ago and can now play the whole song through, but my teacher keeps telling me that my ornamentation is wrong. Somehow I am not "rolling" the arpeggiated A major, D major, D# diminished, and E major chords correctly. I am also having trouble playing the right hand sixteenth note runs at 120 BPM (allegretto), as my hands just CANNOT move that fast. Also, there are several arpeggiated 1st inversion A major chords with an extra C# (C#,E,A,C#) that I cannot reach.

I don't know if I should just stop trying to learn all of this ornamentation stuff.

[j_menz]

Alberti basses and rolled - arpeggiated - chords are not "ornamentation", they are foundational - fundamental.

Keep at it.

[mikeowski]

Slow the piece down to where you can manage to play everything. And also try to aim at a final tempo of around 100 bpm, not 120 (which is Allegro and which Mozart would've written if he wanted it). This piece needs - in my opinion - a much slower tempo than what it is normally played at to really shine and to become more than just a show-off piece.
Think more 'Glenn Gould' and less 'Lang Lang' on this one.

As for rolling chords: Do the rolling very slowly and carefully, and if you need accent every note. It shouldn't take long before you can roll like a pro.

[j_menz]

Think more 'Glenn Gould' and less 'Lang Lang' on this one.

Gould:

Lang Lang:

BTW, don't be confused by the relative durations - the last minute and a half of the Lang Lang is either unintentionally leftover silence, or an unheralded encore of the first movement of 4'33.

My own preference is a little faster than the Gould, but not much.