Expanding my musicality

[popdog]

Hey,

There is some knowledge I seek from those who are know around this forum. 

1.  I want to start exposing myself to some more music... I am a grade 7 AMEB (Australia not sure what that converts to in the ABRSM thing) and I am not familiar woth all that much music.  I know the styles of Bach, Mozart and Beethoven quite well, but I would like to know more Romantic music and 20th century as well. 
Can people please recommend some composers from these periods, (and any others) and in particular which recordings are good?
I have a recording of the Beethoven piano sonatas played by Gerard Williams, but otherwise, I don't have much piano music.  Lots of orchestral Mozart aswell. 

2.  There are some trills which are troubling me in a Mozart Sonata (K332 in F maj, 1st movement).  Any suggestions on how I can improve these?  My teacher wants to cut them down, but I hope that I will be able to play them.  I practice them daily in rythms (long-short, short-long) and just slowly.  I am able to do them well after doing this, but it's still a strain on my fingers and a very uncomfortable movement. 

3.  I'm not sure about how I produce sounds on the piano, people say that the fingers are the last in a chain of things.  I could so easily pretend I had not read some of the stuff that I have here, but I know better now.  So anyway, can someone liken correct playing to something else or try to help me out here?  I'll ask my teacher, but I won't see her fer a few weeks, and I was wondering what you guiys thought.  Now that I think about it she has said that I'm a bit stiff in the shoulders, and after practicing for long periods of time (say, 2 hours), my lower back does start to hurt.  (Hasn't happened recently.  You may not be able to help hear since you cannot see me play.

Umm... I  think there was some other stuff, but that's all I can think of so, any comments appreciated. 

[Daevren]

I am not an experienced piano teacher so I cannot really answer point two and three points you bring up.

When I clicked on the title I thought this post would be about something else. Like just musicality defined as a natural feel for music. So detached from any instrument.

For this I would recommend singing. Soflege excersizes and 'pointless' singing along with some of your favorite music. I would also recommend listening some music you are not really familiar with. Be it jazz or even non-western music. I think that will increase your natural musicality.

With point 1 I am not sure you mean you look for music to listen or to play. I have no idea which works are good grade 7 works(ABRSM or AMEB). I think listening comes first. For every piece you can play you should know 100 you just love to listen to.

So how go about while you look for romantic work? I could list you some of the more famous composers that have composed excellent piano works in that genre and some other people would name some others. And we could all recommend several good recordings. But how much will that help? Probably a little.

You need to find a pattern in your taste. What do you like in the works of Bach, Mozart and Beethoven? What musical elements attract you? Do you prefer small works? Large, sonata-like ones? Concertos? Do you like fast works? Sad ones? Straightforward ones? Subtle ones? Do you look for harmony? Melody? Rhythm?
You need to get some kind of answer on these questions, get some kind of idea about what you like in music and look for thar. If you can do that it will be alot easier to find something you really like.

My favorite romantic composers are Scriabin, Liszt, Alkan and Chopin. I am not sure what would be your best way in. For people that come from a pop music background it is generally Chopin. I guess jazz people will relate more with later Scriabin or Liszt. Instrumentalist will often love etudes.

For modern music I prefer Ligeti, Barber, Medtner and Rzweski.

Now it would be stupid to make long lists recommending performers of all the major works of those four people. If you can get an idea about what work you want to try and download and buy I could recommend some performers I like.

[galonia]

If you want to play Romantic music, just go for it!

If you want to play Romantic music which counts towards your exam, there are heaps of pieces in the Grade 7 AMEB syllabus from which you can choose, e.g.:

Chopin - some Nocturnes, Preludes, Waltzes, Mazurkas
Grieg - some of the Lyric Pieces
Mendelssohn - some of the Songs Without Words
Brahms

The List C section of the Series 14 and 15 Grade books are generally pieces from the Romantic period.  e.g. in the Series 14 book there is a piece by Tschaikovsky and a Prelude by Rachmaninoff.  The Series 15 book has pieces by Albeniz, Chopin and Faure.

That should help you get started at least!

[popdog]

Thanks for all you're help, I'll was unclear so I'll clarify some things. 

The pieces I'm learning have been set in cement and I was lacking a lot of freedom because I had to choose from the VCE list as well, for a 22 minute performance. 
Daevren you asked if I meant listening or playing?  I was meaning listening... and thanks for asking about more specifics in terms of my taste. 
I tend to like dark music, sad, depressing, brutal, unforgiving, all of those characterists seem to cause a chemical reaction in me, I love the quality of the minor key.  For example, I listen to Radiohead, a "rock" band although I would never catigorise them as such.  If you know they're music, it's pretty dank.  One of their albums was rated as the third most depressing albums of all time. 

I like a lot of Beethoven, and the things which appeal to me there are the richness of the music, a lot of the afformentioned dark qualities, and the interesting harmonic progressions which were apparant in his music (late especially). 

One of the problems is getting hold of this music aswell, I don't have enough money to buy a lot of music and it gannot be salvageed anywhere for free, so I guess I'll get what I can. 

If you want to play Romantic music, just go for it!

Chopin - some Nocturnes, Preludes, Waltzes, Mazurkas
Grieg - some of the Lyric Pieces
Mendelssohn - some of the Songs Without Words
Brahms


I'm learning one of Mendelssohn's Songs Without Words - opus.  102 no. 3

I listen to and play jazz as one of my subjects, and another thing I'd like to get into is blues.  Anyway, peace out...

[whynot]

You seem very passionate about your music!  How wonderful.  About finding music on limited funds, most used book stores have old music for sale very cheap.  It's always a small amount to choose from, but I have found great things.  Also, if you know older people, say retirement age, who play or used to play, ask to borrow a few of their books in order to explore your broadening taste.  If they see your interest and need, and they aren't using the music themselves anymore, they will probably give it to you, and if not, you still get to look through new material and see what those pieces are like.  And people get rid of their old music all the time in garage sales and estate sales, again very cheaply.  You have to do some digging in this way, but you will probably find some treasures.  Best of luck.

[Tash]

also if you just want to listen to music, not necessarily own it, just so you can see what you like, go to public libraries and borrow out their entire cd collection!

romantic composers: chopin, faure, grieg, brahms, liszt....just try all of them!
oh rachmaninov's pretty good if you want some nice minor stuff. oh and out or romantic, dohanyi's piano quintet no.2 in E minor (1914) is really really nice. reminds me of rachmaninov so if you can get a hold of that it's yum.
if you would quite literally like a list of the 80 composers i have the birth/death dates etc. that are stuck around my room i will type it all down for you!

but cheers for taking your interest further, i'm in the process of collecting as much music as possible to listen to and have gotten quite far thanks to the good old libraries- oh if you want a massive supply of cds that you can't necessarily borrow but if you live in sydney the conservatorium has SO many cds it blew me away, and they have some interesting stuff. like spend a day there listening to everything!

um can't really help with the other stuff, but if you're getting a sore lower back during practicing take short breaks every now and again and give it a stretch so you're not being a statue for 2hrs.

hope that helps:)

[Daevren]

I think you will like romantic music. Maybe try Rach's first sonata.

You can download music for free using file share programs. Going to a music library is also a good idea. Or you can go to a shop specialised in classical music. If their personnel has the time they will probably help you find something you like. You can listen to the recordings and then but what you like. At least, they should do that if they are a good shop. The people there should be very enthusiastic and knowledgeable about classical music. And costumers will often need help to find what they want.

If something hurts while playing, stop.

[galonia]

oh and out or romantic, dohanyi's piano quintet no.2 in E minor (1914) is really really nice. reminds me of rachmaninov so if you can get a hold of that it's yum.

Heaps of Dohnanyi's really good... pity he didn't write more stuff, he spent so much time promoting other people's work.

[popdog]

Thanks for all you're help.  I like the libraries suggestion, and I can even burn copies from the originals (please frown).  Can't wait to get down there and borrow some cd's. 
But thanks for all you're help.