Another lesson with Georgia today, and there is much music afoot! Rachmaninov went very well, and we're starting work on the Sonatine, which needs lots of articulation and technical rehashing. Georgia also suggested (without prompting or knowledge of my previous repertoire) that I try the first Chopin Ballade! This is the first time it's actually been suggested to me that I play it, rather than my requesting hopefully with little chance of actually getting it up to performance level. So I'm trying it again--I feel like at this point I have a score to settle with it (pun not intended). I read through it this afternoon, and it's actually uncanny how much muscle memory I have of it, so we'll see how that goes. I may also try the Op. 26 #1 Polonaise, which Georgia also suggested, and if I get the chance I may round out the Rachmaninov pieces with the extremely fun Etude-Tableaux Op. 33 #6, which is sort of insane but great and I may die because it is crazy fast. So between old stuff and new stuff, there's more than enough to keep my on my toes, that is for sure! I may be slightly insane to be trying so many things at once, but it keeps me engaged.
Georgia actually paid me a lovely compliment by noting that I was capable of earning a diploma in music performance if I put in the time. Which I sort of knew, but considering my extremely sporadic practicing habits, it would probably take a small miracle for something like that to actually happen. But hey, at least its something I could look into if this PhD thing falls down around my ears. I've been putting in more hours in the practice rooms recently, so maybe there really is still room for growth on this front. My hands feel fit! Also slightly sore. I blame Chopin, and upright pianos with overly enthusiastic sound dampeners. It was impossible to get a proper fortissimo out of the Yamaha I was working on today. Oh well.
Okay, reading Allan Quatermain now.
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