I hope this thread finds you well.

Australia is in lockdown (but can still go out for essentials but with rules). I am one of the lucky ones that get to keep my job and work from home. I have contacted my teacher that I've decided to put lessons on hold until the situation improves. Without my daily 2-hour travelling to work each day, I'm finding a lot of extra time to spend on work and music.

Alongside a rather emotionally dramatic piece I'm learning, I've decide to start learning Schubert Impromptu 3. This will officially be my first Schubert piece. It is so beautiful and full of hope, just the piece I need for a time like this.

How about you? How are you doing during the COVID-19 pandemic and what music are you learning or listening to?

So I guess D960 might be a bit too intense for an apocalypse?

I have been retired for a few years now, so this lock down is just another day at the office for me.

But what a way to go!

However, I wouldn't recommend the Black Mass, nor Vers la flamme.......

I am finally making progress with Impromptu D 899 nos 4. The notes don't look that difficult but getting it to run smoothly has been a nightmare. At one stage I vowed not to learn another hard piece ever again. On the positive side I have been able to memorise most of the notes which is something I have tended to resist or had no aptitude for as an adult learner.

Loved hearing this piece! Thank you for posting Horowitz, I think this was his last performance in Moscow.

Working on The Heroic Mouse from this collection:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_n6lTKAkt7sY3xUe6q7VnDjgfH2ArZWHE8

I've been working from home for 20 years, so it's not a big deal for me. But I miss my walks outside and I spend too much time sitting in front of a computer, which makes me hate the idea of also sitting at the piano right now.

Recently I've been listening to a lot of Mozart, because I had this crazy idea that I might try and learn an entire sonata - K. 280. I kind of learned the Adagio, and now I don't think I have the patience nor the technique to learn the other movements, but it was interesting to read and analyse a sonata in its entirety.

I'm also listening to all Chopin's nocturnes, because I'm learning no. 20. I must say that I find it easier than no. 21, which I learnt last year - probably because that was my first. But I can see that the musicality, smoothness, and expression of this one will be harder.

Here's a refreshing one about the virus. Share it to your friends. BTW it's not me on the video, but I just think it's a great idea.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykieEE1j9eA

I was trying to teach myself mendelssohn e minor prelude woo 13 but was not getting far. I was recommended yesterday on reddit to look at bach invention and have been playing bach invention 13 today. I initially downloaded a version which had wrong notes and no fingering and did not get far but found one with fingering and correct version. A short and quite a straight forward piece works. I figured that will keep me busy for the next month as there is a few of them that have a lot of left hand finger work which is what my teacher advised me to look for in the baroque pieces. I found schubert impromptu is extremely frustrating and could definitely not teach myself a long piece. It is a very naked piece where if you have too loud the accompaniment or a wrong note or uneven notes it sounds very noticeable. Good luck!

This was my version

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLrpwVVYe9A

I did not find it very easy to be honest. You may find some of the frustrations I had here but this piece I learnt by Schubert without much problem.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zm390aUZcnE

I can send you the scores if you have not got it.

I also found the C sharp version of Walking on Air online and have been playing that.

I don't know much about Schubert music (actually almost zero). Thanks for introducing D960 to me.

Because I hardly hear any Schubert's music, I'm hearing traces of Beethoven here and there. Is it just me?

Ah! I've heard this before somewhere. So this is Schubert too!

I feel that learning any sonata is mammoth endeavour. So you're not alone. In 10 years, I only managed to learn 2 sonatas, revisited them a couple of times and I'm still not any good at them.

I've attempted 3 nocturnes so far, Op. 27 No. 2, Op. 72 No. 1 (did this for AMEB grade 8 exam) and Op. 48 No. 1. I occasionally feel like I want to return to Op. 27 No. 2 but never got to it. As I flip through the book, there's so much more to learn here but I feel obliged to explore outside of my usual composers, and Schubert has been on top of my list of next 'get to know' music.

Teacher called me to offer online lessons for lower lesson fee. I don't like having to set up video camera and not able to properly observe both ways. So I've decided to return to lesson this Sunday agreeing we'll both take the necessary precautions, e.g. stay away 1.5 meter, wash hands etc. Let's see how we go...