Week 4: Romantic spirits! 
Welcome to the Main Thread for the fourth week of "The Romantic Era" challenge!
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I have lived with Spanish Dance #5 (Andaluza) for quite a while, with extended periods of rest and revival. Granados composed it in 1890 for piano, but I think it feels at home on the guitar.
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Marilyn Blodget this one is sooo great!
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Marilyn Blodget I love that bass
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Marilyn Blodget great playing!
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Stefanie Mosburger-Dalz Thanks for your comments Stephanie!
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Marilyn Blodget That is wonderful, Marilyn. You have a great feel for this Spanish music. It is interesting how guitaristic the Spanish composers were (though understandable considering the prominence of the the guitar in Spain). Did / do you also play this piece on piano?
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Jack Stewart Thank you, Jack. Yes, especially Albeniz and Granados captured the Moorish rhythms and harmonies. I have not yet played this on piano.
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Marilyn Blodget Wonderful. You have such a great feel for Granados and Albeniz.
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Dale Needles Thank you Dale!
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Marilyn Blodget You are really going for the iconic pieces during this challenge, and you are playing them so well! I bought the score to this piece decades ago, but every time I pull it out and say I'm going to finally learn it, I end up setting it aside after getting frustrated.
I really loved your transition back to E minor around 3:15ish and forward. Dramatic, but elegant.
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Eric Phillips Thank you Eric! I appreciate your specific feedback. You are doing so well with the pieces you’ve chosen to learn. This one is quite fun to play—lots of contrasting feelings for me. If you want to learn it, there are many small pieces within the big one. I’d recommend starting with a section you love, and focus just on that, and then move on to another. As you know, patience is key.
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Marilyn Blodget That's wonderful Marilyn!
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Marilyn Blodget Really well played! Another piece that I thought was guitar music originally, I have never heard the piano version before, let me find it on Youtube. Thanks for sharing!
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Marilyn Blodget Yes, I am sorely lacking in patience. Generally, if I can't get something under my fingers within an hour, I tend to move on. Focusing on just one section is a great idea.
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Derek Thanks Derek!
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Wai Thank you Wai!
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Marilyn Blodget Beautiful Marilyn! Always nice to see another member of our community who still loves the music of Granados and Albeniz. I posted a request in the "Lessons Suggestions" area of the forum to learn Granados' Spanish Dance No. 10 and La Maja de Goya, so we can brush up on these wonderful masterpieces. If you are interested, please add your vote there, so it may eventually get some consideration. thanks!
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Barney Thank you Barney! I do love the music of Albeniz and Granados! And I like your suggestions for lessons. I worked on La Maja de Goya last year. I had fun with it!
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Marilyn Blodget bravo Marilyn, that was a great time listening to you. You definitely have affinities with Spanish music!
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Blaise Laflamme Thanks Blaise! I do enjoy it!
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Here are two little studies from the first Venezuelan classical guitar method, entitled "Nuevo Metodo de Guitarra o Lira" written by Venezuelan guitarist, Tomas Anteros, and published in Caracas in 1840. It has recently been edited and republished in 2016 by the Venezuelan guitarist, Bartolome Diaz. It is filled with wonderful little gems. The two that I chose for this post are an Andante and Valse. The Andante is based on a theme by Giovanni Paisiello, an Italian composer of popular operas who lived from 1740 to 1816. As you will see, the classical guitar in Venezuelan at that time drew heavily from European classical traditions. The music and styles which we now associate with Venezuelan classical guitar arise much later, particularly with the 20th Century Venezuelan Maestros: Raul Borges, Antonio Lauro, Emilio Sojo, Alirio Diaz, and Rodrigo Riera.
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Dale Needles Great selections, Dale, and well played. I love these generally unknown but very lovely pieces you are always introducing us to.
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Dale Needles Wow! Where do you find these, Dale? They are really charming which you bring wonderfully. There is an inn once to these pieces that is really refreshing.
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Dale Needles These are nice little pieces Dale and well played. Thanks for another informative video. You should write a book on the history of Venezuelan music!
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Dale Needles Thanks for introducing those rare gems to us! Beautiful!
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Dale Needles Such charming and fresh to my ears pieces. I detected a familiar Christmas carol, O Christmas Tree, in the Andante.
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End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
