Monday, September 7, 2009

My First Glance at Vallee d'Obermann

I needed a Romantic period composer that wasn't Chopin.

 
Sorry, not this year.
My teacher recommended Liszt's Vallee d'Obermann, a profound piece of contrasts - like light and dark, fast and slow. It's a wonderfully beautiful piece.
 
It starts of Lento. SLOWWWWW. Deceptively so.

In some places, it feels like you are in a utopia of happiness. Other times it's similar to an ominous typhoon threatening to hit.
Half notes, times, whole notes, hold-me-fermatas. Going at an even slower speed.

The trick is to try to make the piece move. Unfortunately, the first few pages are almost like trying to hurry a sloth. :( It gets dull when you don't play it right. (*cough* I need to work on that. :))
 
 Hey look, eighth notes!
By the fourth page or so...

Directions: Play as if recited.
AGHHHHHHHH.

It's like riding a rollercoaster - exciting, exhilarating, and my-gosh-my-fingers-are-flying-off-my-hands!
Don't you see the awesomeness of this piece? (Awesomely difficult for the pianist of course.)

Don't get me wrong, I love this piece. As I play it better, it sounds cooler than ever each time.
It's time to scour the pot and get rid of those nasty wrong notes. :( Oh well.
Wait how does that work.

*Note: I know 2 images aren't centered properly.

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