Advice for Schumann's "Grillen" from Fantasiestucke

[aquariuswb]

Measure 15, people, left hand.

I can't play the chord that contains G flat, E flat, B flat. Just barely can't make the reach. How should I get around this little trouble spot? Should I drop a note? I can't even make it with a roll, unless I hold down the pedal. What would you do?

Thanks in advance.

[Barbosa-piano]

Well, I can make the reach easily, but if I could not, I would roll it very quickly using the pedal... I just tried it out on my piano. I would never drop a note, it is there for sonority reasons, and if you did, wouldn't sound good... Maybe some slow training on that part, playing the notes without the roll, would work...  If not, I don't see any problems playing it as a roll...
Oh, do you also have trouble with the chord on the measure before that?
I hope this was helpful... 
                                                         Mario Barbosa

[aquariuswb]

Thanks for the reply.

No, the chord in the measure before that I can make. I can do white note 10ths, or a 10th from a black to a white, but white to black or black to black I just BARELY can't make. I suppose I must roll. Damn, just 2 more millimeters and I think I'd have it. Seriously!

[hodi]

i wanted to play grillen and i didn't just beacuse of that damn chord!

[faulty_damper]

Is there some reason why you wouldn't want use the pedal if you break the chord?  Or rather, why would you not use the pedal in this piece?

[ako]

This is from a person with small hands. I can only reach an octave. The way I played the big chords in Grillen was play the bottom 2 notes together, catch the base tone with the pedal, then holding the middle note, let go of the bottom and catch the top (not too loud). The pedal comes up after the 8th note the next measure.

I actually used this pedal pattern throughout the piece on those 3-decending note mini "motifs", straight from the beginning. It sounded good plus it helped for someone having small hands like mine.

Have fun!

-Alice