Warning: piano wonkiness ahead.
When I began planning for my senior recital, the program repertoire was centered around my plan to learn Schubert's Wanderer Fantasy, a 25-minute, grueling, relentless work (foreshadowing). It has never felt right, not just the piece, but the ways I've had to shoehorn other repertoire around it. As someone quite particular about, well, everything, I couldn't make the program make sense. It felt forced and awkward, and I felt fraudulent preparing it.
And then last week, I chucked it. Due to Prof K's encouraging me to turn my summer research into a departmental honor's project for the coming year, I've rescheduled my senior recital from November to March, which also gives me the freedom to change some of the repertoire, including the debilitating Schubert. Does my piano teacher know yet? Nope. Do I care? Not a whit. Finally I have a well-balanced program, one that gives me great joy to practice, and an excitement for performing. To wit:
Program
J. S. Bach, Prelude and Fugue No. 9 in E major, WTC II, BWV 878
Bach, Prelude and Fugue No. 20 in A minor, WTC II, BWV 889
Felix Mendelssohn, Prelude and Fugue No. 5 in F minor, Op. 35
Mendelssohn, Prelude and Fugue No. 1 in E minor, Op. 35
Chopin, Barcarolle, Op. 60
Intermission
David Evan Thomas, Sonatina (1993)
Maurice Ravel, Sonatine (1905)
How do I know this is the right program? Because I've had more satisfying and productive days of practicing in the last week than I've had in the last several months. See you in March.
6 comments:
When, specifically, in March? I'd like to make certain this event is inked permanently on my calendar.
No date yet, Tom. You'll be the first to know.
That is awesome! I feel relieved too. Happy practicing.
Congrats on revamping your program - why spend hours forcing yourself to work on a program you don't enjoy and love?
p.s. Love that you used wit and whit in the same breath.
Will this change your outfit now to a spring palette?
My black "outfit" as you so QVC-ly call it, will be seasonless. It's you audience members who need to start worrying. I don't want to look out at rows and rows of awkward shoulder-season horrors.
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