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JimF: It's fairly simple compared to some of Joplin's other works, although some other Joplin enthusiasts I've talked to rank it more toward the difficult side. It depends on the player.

I played this toward the end of year 1 of my adult re-starter career, and didn't have nearly as tough a time with it as, say, Maple Leaf rag, which I'm having a very hard time with, but others consider it among his easier rags...again, depends on the player.

It still ranks as my favorite, and it's unique in that it's syncopated in 3/4 time. There are both fast and slow versions out there, depending on your preference, and it sounds nice either way as long as it's "sung" in a melancholy manner. IMO, it's meant to be a sad, reflective rag/waltz. You'll love it!

I love dropping by to read this thread, although I don't often post any achievements. Just wanted to say hello and my achievement is to make post number 1001

Indeed, this is a fantastic thread. It's encouraging.

Ops there are not applauding emoticons. In any case, a lot of applauses from me.

Look forward to hearing the new pieces!

The piece is indeed overplayed, but still beautiful. When I was a kid, my neighbour played this weekly. Though it was the only thing she played. In the beginning I loved it, but after a few years I really hated it. Especially the error she always made. Nonetheless I recently start to learn the piece and I enjoy it too. Way better than hearing it from somebody else.

Chris

Beethoven music is so. Since a while I listen to the Ninth Symphony every morning Sunday. I have this custom. Well, I always find new details in every listening. Beethoven defined the human soul as none has done it.

Playing Beethoven's music is like touching the sky.

I disagree. I think it's not played enough ...

... but by that I mean the whole thing. Not just the first theme. If you are going to play it, learn the entire piece including the middle two sections which are much harder.

I agree. I went a very long time without knowing there was more to it than the first theme, and I know I'm not alone.

Well, it's been a week since I started keeping a log. I think it's helped a lot. Revisiting older Hanon pieces has helped a lot, and writing down the ones I did that day encourage me to do more the next day. I also write down where I was headed that day in practice with certain trouble areas(sometimes I forget!). If nothing else, writing what's what with each piece helps me see how close I am to really finishing it. I'm thisclose to finishing Barcarolle (from Tales of Hoffman) by Offenbach, and some grace notes (and my hesitations going into them) away from finishing Yiruma's River Flows in You.

Over 1000 AOTW entries... that's a lot of accomplishments. Here's to 1000 more!

Had a very good lesson yesterday. My teacher is so understanding to my situation (travelling all the time). So she gave me an hour lesson on Saturday (her normal day off). Bless her. Not sure if its achievement related but I heard that the piano score from the movie "King's Speech" is already published. She said the arrongement is really good. Has anyone already bought it? Do you know we can buy it in the States?

The last weekend I’ve stayed alone in home, so I’ve had a lot of hours to practice. And I’ve been very well accompanied by the members of Adult Beginners.

I have got to play the Fantasia nº 2 by Telemann. It has been very hard for me. The piece has no internal repetitions, and the last nine bars are fiendishly difficult, at least for me.

I’m not able still to play the Fantasia at tempo (Presto). I play it at allegro, but I like it. I hope that Mr Telemann forgives me. After all, the piece is a fantasy .

FarmGirl, your life seems exciting, travelling all the time and playing Rachmaninov in many places. You are lucky. I'd also like to do that!.

Cathy - Thanks for the Bethena info. I've never really done anything with my teacher that focused on octaves, although my abortive self-taught "play along with Hugh Sung" attempt at Claire de Lune would qualify. My plan is to talk to her about it this week, looking to take it on some time in the Fall. I will be sure to find the recital examples for a listen, thanks.

CebuKid - That's exactly what attracts me, kind of a different feel than most of the ragtime music I've heard. The recording I have comes in at just under 8 minutes, which I'm assuming is one of the slower versions.

Jim

JimF, Ive been working on an easier version of Bethena from "Simply Joplin" arranged by Mary Sallee. It might be a little easier to start with. I thought I would start with easier versions and then move on to the Originals.

Recaredo, that piece of Telemann is very beautiful. It's great that you can play it. I wonder how it sounds allegro style.

While reading the messages from Farmgirl, I decided to keep my old pieces alive by playing it weekly. I just need a way not to forget them. So I listened to AimeeO and I think keeping a log is a great idea.

But I don't want to write much each time after practise. So I decided to make a word document with the names of the pieces of my reportoire in it. Then I only have to put a cross in front of the piece when I practised it. It's also good for logging scales and excersises I want to do once a week.

I will print the document and put it in my map together with my sheets. Each week I print a new one.

CasinItaly: nice to hear you have the cd's with discount!

Chris

Paperclip, my playing on the Fantasia sounds clearly worse than playing it at Presto. But it sounds still nice to me, maybe more melancholic.

CasinItaly, I forgot to comment it, Alicia de Larrocha was one of the best pianists on Spanish music. You made a very good choice.

Paperclip: Glad the log is helpful. Good idea with the word document. It can be a bit time consuming writing things down.

Recaredo: I'd never heard the Fantasia before. I pulled it up and I like it! Good luck with it.

It's neat to hear what everyone's working on, because you get exposed to so much you might not have heard otherwise.

+1 to that, I love hearing about your adventures, FarmGirl!

Ricardo and Lain, thanks for your comments. Personaly, I think it's probably better to be able to stay in one place. But it's true, my life is exciting, sometimes just a bit too much. I now have to go to NY and Tronto in August. NY is covered. I know where I can practice. I have to find a piano to play in Tronto (sigh!).

There's a certain amount of delayed reaction in people's face when i start.. "Hi, my name is xxxx, I'm from Arizona. No, no, no.. I am not selling anything. Can I play the piano over there? Ahhhhh I want to practice.. No I am not a professional.. In fact I am not even decent!! Very very bad. You know, I've been on the road a lot. I just like piano and miss practicing! Can you allow me to play". Then I wait in an unspeakable awkwardness until mild and often warm recognition spread across people's faces..

Maybe because it's a challenge every time, after practice, oh boy, I feel good. I am in such heaven that i wanna dance my version of Elaine dance (Recall Seinfeld?) in front of everyone.. Not a pretty sight though.

Recaredo, I think you have the soul of a poet! I understand what you say about hearing something new in a piece that you listen to regularly. I find that since I started playing the piano I hear music very differently - I seem to be able to listen "better" , more "fluently" - it is very exciting.
Thanks for the compliment on my choice of Alicia de Larrocha as the pianist for the new cds, but to be honest I hear about her HERE, so I knew what to look for


On the Fur Elise piece..... I agree that it is played too much, and not enough. Too much and too badly but only the first part, which is all I ever knew existed until Andy put a link up in one of the cardboardanna threads - who knew??? I would love to hear more performances of the whole piece.

Also as a sidebar... apparently it may have been Fur Therese and copied incorrectly.....
however, there is an interesting note about how the first three notes are a musical "scherzo" (joke) and could be interpreted as representing Elise...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%BCr_Elise

Trapper John, glad you are enjoying the ambiance here - why not become a regular?
I loved the link you posted, Rachel York has a lovely voice indeed.

I don't have any significant AOTW ...I continue to make baby steps with my Beethoven. I suppose the upside about making such slow progress is that with all the repetitions I'm doing, I'm certainly fixing it in my brain and it will be firmly memorized by the time I've learned it all.