Performance by MaryBee from Recital #33 - 2014-02-15
- Performer: MaryBee
- Location: Cleveland, OH
- Experience: Too many years on my own; past 5 years with a teacher.
- Composer: Debussy
- Piece: Sarabande (Pour le piano)
- Duration: 351
- Music Link: click to play
- Video Link:
- Music Source: http://imslp.org/
- Instrument: Charles Walter 1520 upright
- Recording Method: Tascam DR-08. Converted to MP3 using Audacity.
- Info: This is probably the most harmonically complex piece that I have played for the recitals -- and therefore not exactly "easy listening". In fact, it was definitely not love-at-first-listen for me. But because it came highly recommended by my teacher, I decided to give it a try. Funny thing was, after the first play-through I was intrigued. And even after six months of work on it, I think I can still say that it is the most interesting piece I've learned yet.
On the technical side, there was a tough challenge in the middle: a section of 37 consecutive 7 chords with various roots and inversions. Learning that was fun! Tempo-wise, the performances that I listened to vary widely, with most taking it somewhat faster than I did, although there were a few that were much slower. I like the slower tempo because it allows time for all those full, rich chords to sink in, so I can really savor them. I still haven't mastered rolled chords, and there are several of them to be found here. This is something I'll be working on for quite a while yet, since they're starting to show up more often in the pieces that I'm learning.
While working on the interpretation, I had in my mind the ups and downs of an often-times stormy personal relationship. I felt in this piece periods of hope and trust along with disappointments and utter anguish, tempered by the beautiful gifts that were brought forth, and ending with hints of reconciliation and understanding which may yet come. I held this image for several months, but as I continued to play the piece, those ideas were either absorbed or they dissipated, and I was left, finally, with just the music to stand on its own.