GRACE 8/14: Yeah reading without checking one’s hands is the best groove. On a good day I only have to look down a couple times!
Absolutely love today’s prelude. I should really come back and play it for real some time. Today is my Mom’s birthday so played it a second time, recording it for her. The fugue, though very long and technically challenging, is so interesting. Those trills with the syncopation are very fun to try and figure out how to do in my hands. Glad I was up for the challenge today. Double fugue? Lots of interesting ideas blending together.
CRAIG 8/14: I’ve also been keeping up and enjoying. I don’t really have the problem of looking down at my hands — if I did I would just completely lose my spot in the music and that’s that. So I just forge ahead and hope for the best. Playing more frequently as part of this project is helping me gauge the distance and hit the target key a bit better than I used to.
Helen — I am keeping your quote io the young Chopin-lovers in mind, particularly when stumbling through a 6-page fugue, and not hearing any voices, much less three or four.
Not sure it was exactly this, but something like: “Bach is important to your musical development.”
I am getting a lot out of this. And have been going back to play some of the pieces in WTC1, which makes me happy. Must be working.
HELEN 8/23: Yes, I think Bach is important for everyone’s musical development. And (maybe not so) secretly, important for every other type of development of the person. XOXO