Week 1: Wanderer over a Sea of Fog! 
Welcome to the Main Thread for the first week of "The Romantic Era" challenge!
- Make sure you've read the guidelines before replying (<- click)
- Watch the kickoff livestream! (<- click)
When is a piece of music romantic for you?
↓ Happy Sharing! ↓
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Coste - Op 38 No 8 (May 4 initial attempt)
I'm now moving on to the eighth study in this opus (sorry Martin , I thought it was number 9 in my reply to you yesterday). This one is a considerably more difficult piece of music, and will take me a while to get it up to speed. In the video below, I have made some fingering choices (which I have already changed) and practiced it for about an hour. It's quite slow and full of mistakes.
I'm sorry the video is so long. The new material ends around 3:15. After that is a repeat of the A section already played.
In the upcoming days, I hope to break the piece into sections and practice each section more intensively. I have quite a few obligations over the next few days, so I'm not sure when my next post will be.
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joosje Thank you, Joosje.
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Blaise Laflamme Thanks, Blaise. I'm not sure if Coste intended these to be in any way progressive. For instance, I think #5 (which I skipped) is one of the most difficult. Certainly the general trend in the opus is easier to more difficult, but there are many exceptions. I would love to have a conversation with Coste about this collection of studies.
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Eric Phillips This looks hard Eric. When Martin says it's a challenge you take it quite literally! You're playing it very well!
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Eric Phillips Great! Great start, after a time of studying it, will be perfect, no doubt. It's a difficult piece and your approach to studying in sections is great, sure you will soon get results.
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Posting my first video of the challenge. Unfortunately with rushing to do it on the first take I forgot to switch the pre-amp on so I had a video with no sound then a few muffed attempts and finally one that I was OK with (although there are a few mistakes etc in there) and I had the gain too high this time so there are a lot of issues with the actual recording. I'm doing the recording on my phone so it's difficult to monitor the sound. I'm away next week but when I get back I need to get back to doing the audio on the computer and the video only on the phone. I just wanted to post at least one video before I go away on Friday so please excuse the 'clipping'. It's worst in the intro.
It is Fingal's Hohle by Mertz - I won't say which was easy (none really) or hard as it is probably obvious. I've pretty much memorised all of it (I had an attempt at learning it last year) but not the intro which I had to play from the score.
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Derek Very nice, Derek. It's so dramatic. Is this named after the cave in Scotland?
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Eric Phillips I think so Eric. Unless there is another one. I know the piece by Mendelsohn is named after the one in Scotland. I've never been there but I'd like to.
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Derek Wouldn't it be fun to take your guitar there and play the piece in the cave!
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Derek yes! Nice dramatic piece. Didn’t know it. Mertz is a great composer. You have a great flow.
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Eric Phillips Derek knows how to make him play anywhere he wants to!
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Derek you're right the sound is not as good as you usually do but we can hear the music you're doing and this is great, I hope you'll find time to record it again with your usual sound!
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Derek I can see the fog and smell the sea
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Derek Bravo! Is a difficult piece, and you played so well! As said Blaise Laflamme , there are some clicks and noises in your recording, maybe something with your interface. At some point, you could record with this guitar that wears a hat... Thank you, guy!
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Derek Derek, aside from the sound quality, this is very well done. Love it!
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Time to post a first submission in this challenge. I really like this one, because it’s offering such a wide range of beautiful pieces on all levels.
We had a Carcassi and a Sor challenge before, so I now chose to get in the mood with some Aguado. (Mr ‘Who Else’ Eric already introduced some of these beautiful studies in the Spanish challenge.)
I chose four short etudes with charming melody and great educational/technical value. Not quite as easy as they look at first sightthe first set of 2 for the thumb/chords coordination.
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joosje Very beautiful! I really enjoyed these two Etudes and very cleanly played with beautiful dynamics.
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joosje I love these so much, Joosje! Aguado’s studies are full of charm and elegance, and each one has such a clear pedagogical purpose, given to us by Aguado himself. In your playing of these two, I’m struck by your great control of the phrasing, dynamics, and tone. Let’s hear some more, please!
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joosje Wonderful Joosje. I have played these pieces before but now I know how they should be played!
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joosje great take on those studies Joosje! I've never really listened or read through them but your level of musicianship and playing reveal me they are better than I thought
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joosje I never heard this one so nice!
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joosje These studies are wonderful and you play them very well. I have not heard them before so thank you for sharing them. Yes, like Eric, more please!
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joosje I love to hear you, Joosje, you're really expressive and your sound is very beautiful. This study 3 is a challenge to the thumb, and you did perfectly. Obrigado!
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joosje I love these absolutely delightful little pieces Joosje! Very nicely played
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Realized most of the songs that I'm learning and really like are all from this era.
Lob Der Thranen, I've worked on this piece for a while now. Thanks Martin for the fingerings suggestions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDaof66E_VY
The girl with the flaxen hair: Simply love this piece.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEovbkmv-hw
Julia Florida: Have learn it a while back, meaning have memorized the fingerings and the piece but never really work on it in terms of phrasing and dynamics. Will use this challenge as an opportunity to work on it. Very rough especially with the B section and harmonics.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiB2RX64Rg8
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don Lovely selections, Don! I particularly enjoyed listening to the Girl with the Flaxen Hair, as we don't hear that one too often.
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End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
