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Original poster

Calling All Musicians - what is your dream piece?

88 replies

NeleusTheStatue · 08/02/2019 14:09

Do you (or your DCs as in my case) have any dream piece dying to play/learn? It can be your next piece or a piece you are planning to learn in near future, or something big so more of a life time dream.

Having a rather dull day at a dull place (in rain) so just to cheer myself up... It's been very quiet since the breach issue so I may not get any response, but here you go!

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Original poster
NeleusTheStatue · 17/02/2019 14:05

NeverEverAnythingEver, thanks for the link. I will pop in when I have enough courage to claim I am an instrumental player. I deliberately didn't join as I can't say that (yet). Blush

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flowery · 17/02/2019 14:08

DH bought me the music for Lark Ascending. I’ll get round to it at some point but it will take a lot of work! 🎻

catkind · 17/02/2019 14:15

Dreamy selection of recordings there neleus!

Original poster
NeleusTheStatue · 17/02/2019 14:25

flowery, another absolutely beautiful piece. I listened to Hilary Hahn playing the piece (not live I'm afraid!). Love that.

cat, aren't they? DS is practising right now. I can hear some odd sounds coming from his bedroom. Grin I'll keep the videos for us to listen to later - it'll be one of our evening treats.

DS told me Violin Concerto no.1 in G minor is also his dream piece. These days he's listening to it almost every night in bed. Smile

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catkind · 17/02/2019 14:30

G minor? Do you mean Bruch? (Not brunch thanks autocorrect!)

Original poster
NeleusTheStatue · 17/02/2019 14:34

Oh forgot to add the composer. Yes Brunch, no no Bruck. I think he heard someone playing at school. Actually all his dream pieces listed on this thread are those he heard at school, apart from Moonlight.

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PinkBuffalo · 17/02/2019 14:42

I probably shoukdnt join in here as looking at all the acheivements I'm Blush
But i started learning the violin a couple if years ago, and this week am starting learning king George 1's March which is a grade 1 piece!
I'm actually quite pleased with myself as I am in my 30s and if I can get a grade under my belt, I'll be really proud Smile

catkind · 17/02/2019 14:56

That's awesome pinkbuffalo, do join in it's fab playing music at any level and so much harder fitting things in as an adult. There's a lot to coordinate in early stages of violin so it's great you've got to grade 1 pieces already - so much lovely music you can learn now.
Neleus, one of my orchestras are playing Bruch this term, that's why I guessed - can't wait :)

GinUnicorn · 17/02/2019 15:07

Piano
Aquarium - Saint Saens
Flight of the Bumblebee -Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

I will one day have a piano again and learn these pieces.

PinkBuffalo · 17/02/2019 15:52

Thanks catkind Smile learning to play is hard but I love playing the "easy" pieces I have been learning and progressing with. I get real joy out of playing which has surprised me!

Original poster
NeleusTheStatue · 17/02/2019 16:03

PinkBuffalo, please keep staying here. You are absolutely amazing to have picked up a violin in your 30's. I am in my 40's and only a few days into piano playing - playing grade 1 pieces looks like climbing a mountain to me! You are inspiring many people like me without realising.

cat, DS just confirmed Bruck is his number one dream piece at the moment. What's a fabulous experience you are having.

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Original poster
NeleusTheStatue · 17/02/2019 16:07

GinUnicorn, thanks for posting your wonderful ambition. I'm glad I started this thread. So many great pieces keep coming up. Flight of the Bumblebee is a fun peace, but the beauty of Aquarium is out of this world.

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Original poster
NeleusTheStatue · 17/02/2019 16:17

I thought I wouldn't be able to practise during holiday but now boys are out swimming so I'll have my piano time now, before I start cooking!!

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Nodrama999 · 17/02/2019 17:18

@GinUnicorn, I hate Flight of the bumblebee 😂 although it’s my brothers favourite, must be a marmite price.
I used it to play revenge on nightmare neighbours who used to keep us up until 4.00am weekdays for their summer parties.
Went away for the weekend, turned up the base and played it on loop for the whole time we was away.

Tintini · 18/02/2019 11:28

Thanks for starting this thread! I really wanted to contribute...but then I found I couldn't really think of anything and that's made me realize that I don't really have any specific 'dream pieces'. (Certainly not the Chopin G minor ballade - enjoyed the book but Rusbridger can keep that one!)

I think my ambition is more that I want to be able to play more generally - it doesn't have to be at a particularly high level, just be able to sit down and have lots of songs in my head that I can just play without music, well enough for people to sing along. Play happy birthday off the top of my head when it's someone's birthday. Be able to play it in a different key if that's better for the singers. Or go to the piano in St Pancras station and play a boogie woogie or something...just like that. That's what I'd like - I think it centres around playing by ear really. Not really there yet but going in the right direction now I hope.

Sorry if I've gone a bit off topic!

Original poster
NeleusTheStatue · 18/02/2019 14:52

Tintini, thank you so much for your contribution. You haven't gone off topic at all. I like your ambition and actually I can share some of yours such as being able to play happy birthday, being able to change a key according to the singer or instruments, etc.

I think I generally want to be able to play something effortlessly, be able to 'enjoy' playing alone or with friends, families or even with strangers.I would like to experience the joy of sharing the moment. I suppose you have to be fairly confident and advanced to be like that so... It may be my lifetime dream then.

But I have decided to be there one day. Smile And here I am, playing the music my DS was playing when he was 6..

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GinUnicorn · 18/02/2019 16:16

Ha ha I think flight of the bumblebee is definitely a marmite piece!

Moonlight sonata is lovely but a bit easy. I weirdly like to play pieces that stress me out...

Original poster
NeleusTheStatue · 18/02/2019 16:53

Wish one day I can say Moonlight is 'easy'. Grin

It's relatively simple in terms of the skills required, say, compared with something that covers a lot more technical and stylistic ground. But still it is hard enough for many people, especially to play it cleanly is a whole other matter.

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NeverEverAnythingEver · 18/02/2019 18:34

Moonlight first movement is easy. :D I found the second not so easy and the third fabulous in a furious way. Or furious in a fabulous way.

Original poster
NeleusTheStatue · 18/02/2019 20:22

the third fabulous in a furious way
Agree. Grin

I think whether it's 'easy' is a subjective matter.

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NeverEverAnythingEver · 18/02/2019 22:11

I don't think it's easy, but I think where it sounds hard is not as hard as it sounds and where it sounds easy is not as easy as it sounds, IYKWIM.

Original poster
NeleusTheStatue · 19/02/2019 00:28

Ah yes, the 1st may be the easiest in terms of the techniques required but needs a lot of musical maturity to make it sound convincing and interesting. The 3rd is def the hardest out all three but actually rather simple technically. It sounds impressive and challenging enough to make many piano learners want to try and learn though. And it tends to be played rather poorly.

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GinUnicorn · 19/02/2019 07:23

Fair points actually. I think it’s relativrly easy to get the notes right but playing beautifully and playing correctly are two different things. Sadly I haven’t had a piano in years so hope I can still play.

Partridgeamongstthepigeons · 19/02/2019 07:35

Piano

Saint Saens piano concerto in G minor
Grieg piano concerto in A minor

Violin
Tchaikovsky violin concerto in D

Orchestral
The Rite of Spring
Shostakovich 7
Respighi Pines of Rome (DH has played it and I loved it)
Sheherezade (played it before but would love to do it again)

NeverEverAnythingEver · 19/02/2019 10:13

Neleus I didn't mean the 1st movement. I meant that the parts that sound hard in the 3rd movement are not the hard bits... At least for me.