Revisiting an old cassette through an old Walkman

I have been practicing this week. I think I am going to move on to the second movement of the A-minor Sonata this Sunday. I'm starting to feel familiar with the first movement, which is all I'm asking of myself for the moment.

I've been revisiting some old musical favorites of mine this week. How music affects my mood!  On a whim Wednesday night, I listened to an old mix tape using my Walkman, now many years old.  Thursday morning (Thanksgiving), I woke up in a great mood and with show tunes in my head. 

That morning, on a roll, I put on another old cassette tape - Claude Bolling's "Suite For Violin and Jazz Piano." It's a tape my mom made for herself, maybe of a record? I think she used to listen to the tapes in the lab. At some point, I had coopted the tape with the Tchaikovsky violin and piano concertos, the Vivaldi violin concertos, and this one. The Bolling is the only tape I actually took with me to Somerville.

My mom's recording features Bolling on piano and Pinchas Zuckerman on violin. They're good. Listen to one movement of the Bolling here.

I love these cassette tapes.  They've been my favorite music since before my age became two digists, and they still are.  Music runs deep. 

Now for a bit of Phantom of the Opera before bed.  Some may not like it because it's over-popular. Well, it's popular for a good reason.  It's a classic.

Try again this week

This week was as busy as the previous week. But this week, I should have some time to practice. I'm not giving up.

Week of November 15: Repeat last week

I only had one day of practicing last week, so I'm going to play the same music this week. I started the second Bach sonata last week, and since the first movement introduces the sonata, it's particularly important that I at least look at the music, count it, make an attempt to learn the notes and get something musical out of playing it. I can't just go on to the second movement. If I miss the introduction to the other movements, I won't get as much from them.

That's the plan.

Weeek of November 8

B-Flat Minor Scale
Kreutzer No. 13
Sonata 2 in A Major: Grave



This movement will be difficult...I can't believe this Sonata only has four movements. I became accustomed to playing the second partita after two months. I think this Sonata will feel short.

Week of November 1

D-flat major scale
Kreutzer No. 12
Last Double of the B-minor Partita

I have been practicing this week, just not writing. A newspaper article I am working on has taken all my writing time these last two weeks.

This Kreutzer exercise has lots of difficult intonation. Every phrase has a different fourth-finger stretch high up on the E string that has to be pounded into muscle memory. Even the videos of virtuosic youngsters practicing this exercise don't make it sound great.



I am enjoying the Bach. I'm sorry that tomorrow will be my last day to practice the B-Minor Partita. It's exciting, though, to have played 2 of the Spartitas.



Sonata No. 2, which I'll start on Sunday, looks quite difficult, and I haven't played it at all, whereas I've played movements of both the E-Major and D-Minor Partitas.