Practice Journal #14

​I have a lot of music.  A lot of sheet music.  A lot of recordings.  A lot of books...
I use it all- if not for reference, to share, collect, and research. Nevertheless, without the organ console at work (it is away being restored),  I am just going through all my music or not all of it, but things that I am interested in, and I am playing through things for the future.  I am feeling great, and just seem to be in the spirit of moving upwards with my skill level.  I hope that the practice pays off.  It's also fun to go through and play things that I bought and have never even looked at!  JOY divine!

FINALLY starting to see the minute, and detailed work starting to pay off in some things like the Rachmaninoff transcriptions, and my sight reading of lesser-used keys in my line of work, has become quite a bit sharper.  

This morning, and evening, I transcribed two tunes that Liberace wrote.  "Start the Day with a Smile" & "When Liberace Winks at Me," I believe they will be fun to work out and perform or record.  Very busy today, creative.  Henry was definitely trying my nerves though today.  He had two buggy rides (his stroller, I call the buggy)- and now is asleep.

Anyway- tonight's practice menu included the following:  

Cyril Scott: 
Lotus Land, Op. 47, No. 1

Rainbow Trout

Impromptu "A Mountain Brook" Op. 41

Alberto Ginastera:
Sonata 1:  I, III, & IV

David Del Tredici:
Aeolian Ballade 

• I am concerned that this piece seems to be copy and paste of repeated stuff, kind of boring, I'm sorry to say

Ballad in Yellow (After Lorca) for Robert Helps

• This is fantastic, and beautiful.   A good Del Tredici piece.  Makes me wonder, and I will research the Robert Helps connection, as the 3rd of the Gymnopedies of Del Tredici is dedicated also to Helps, and the title of the 3rd Gymnopedie, is something like lost love, or something that implies that there was a very bittersweet connection between the two gentlemen.  
• I will probably continue to work on this piece.

Gymnopedies:

• First one is good, the second one bored me, the third is far too long for me... I may continue on the first.

William Bolcom:
Three Dance Portraits: 
1:  The Dead Moth Tango
3:  Abbracadabra

Olivier Messiaen:
Preludes:  
I:  La Colombe 
IV:  Instants defunts
VII:  Plainte Calme

Rachmaninoff:
Flight of the Bumblebee (Rimsky-Korsakov)

Liebeslied (Kreisler)


Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein II:
All the Things You Are

• I was trying to practice this in E Major, Db Major, and Ab Major.  Trying to find some engaging and lovely harmonies.  Such a great song.  

Einojuhani Rautavaara:
Ikonit, Op. 6:
Movement I - The Death of the Mother of God
Movement II - Two Village Saints
Movement V - Holy Women at the Sepulchre
Movement VI - Archangel Michael Fighting the Antichrist
​

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