October 10, 2013
I apologize to my readers for the dearth of new material, but I am in full tilt boogie teaching college again. And, for the first time — I have four classes — so that has tired me out and slowed me down considerably.
In addition, I am also working on my third solo piano CD, and, the level of difficulty for this compilation has been “jacked up” for me as my Mother has requested that I play a Mendelssohn piece on it – while Giti has requested Chopin’s Nocturne in C# minor.
Now, the Mendelssohn piece I played in the past (40 years past) – but it’s coming back rather quickly for me. It’s kinda like riding a bicycle – albeit with a heavy case of arthritis: the fingers don’t quite respond as nimbly as they once did – even after warming them up with scales and arpeggios in the scale of “A.”
As for the Chopin, well I’ve never really played him, and, I am starting to realize why: Chopin was obviously a keyboard sadist. I’m sure my piano teachers probably wanted to spare me the frustration one engages in when attempting to will the fingers into performing nothing less than metacarpal gymnastics! C# Minor?! Four fucking sharps?!?! No matter how much I run through the C# Minor scale and its attendant variations – I can’t seem to get my fingers working in the way Chopin’s obviously could. Metacarpal Murder!
First off, I can’t seem to find a glass’ prescription that allows me to focus on the sheet music (another nasty byproduct of the aging process) so I limp along with the naked eye (not even my computer glasses seem to help). Even worse is how many sharps and flats this Chopin Mother Fucker uses to maintain the integrity of the key signature! Over-the-years, I have come to play a “B sharp” as a “C”; but, as I attempt to read the stuff – my brain does some weird translation that gives me pause before I can connect to the “C” note; and that brain fart throws off the timing of the measure (and the piece of course).
What this sick, twisted piano composer does to One’s left hand is also merciless! There is no way I can work a 9 note arpeggio while trying to maintain what my right hand is supposed to be doing. And 3 Time Signature changes over 12 measures..who the fuck was this guy?!
I can play Beethoven, Brahms, Bach, Tchaikovsky, Schubert, Liszt, Rachmaninoff (and Mendelssohn) – but this Chopin bastard is killing me! It’s a 3-page piece for Chrissakes – and I think it will take me about 3 months to just play a page without pause or error!!
I am unashamedly attempting to blame my struggles with Chopin on age and arthritis – but I believe there is something else at work here – something insidious that might make Chopin the Devil of the piano…because if Nocturne in C# Minor is played properly (as in ‘The Pianist’ soundtrack) – it is beautiful (and that’s why Giti loves it). But I have started to believe that Chopin went down to Georgia and stood at the crossroads to create such devilish music. I don’t think I’ll ever master this bitch of a Nocturne and would prefer to shove it up Chopin’s ass, note-by-note!