Donjon: Etudes de Salon – No. 3 Le Chant du Vent

Happy Sunday! Once again I’ve recorded my Etude of the Week submission on the very last day of the week- here’s Donjon No. 3, Le Chant du Vent:

This set of etudes is new to me, but with each one I play I like them more and more. I’d love to put a few of these on a recital some day! This one, however, caused me more trouble with practicing and recording than the previous two. I’ve been lucky so far in my playing career that I haven’t had any significant trouble with my hands and arms, but something about this particular etude was causing me to feel a lot of tension in my hands. Maybe more Ab Major scales and arpeggios are in my future so I can figure out where I’m going wrong!

See you tomorrow when I go back to the Moyse etudes!

#Donjon #EOTW

Moyse: 24 Petites Études Mélodiques – No. 3

Recording these etudes is really helping me to see areas I’d like to improve, particularly around my breathing. I’m gasping more than I’d like, and what is up with all the weird shoulder movement? In spite of that, this etude felt much more comfortable than the previous two. Today was also the first day in about a week that I’ve done really serious warm up and technique practice. Correlation?? You decide, dear readers.

See you soon for number four!

#Moyse

Moyse: 24 Petites Études Mélodiques – No. 2

Hello again! It’s been a quiet weekend around these parts, but since I have two etudes for you today my neighbors might disagree with that.

I’ve moved on to No. 2 from Moyse’s 24 Petites Études Mélodiques. While this one presents about the same level of technical challenge as No. 1, it also provides similar opportunities to focus on tone, intonation, and beautiful interval leaps. I’m enjoying playing these etudes at the end of my warm up to check in with how I’m doing with the expressive elements of my playing each day.

Focusing on the larger intervals in this one has been good preparation for this week’s Etude of the Week assignment. We’re working through the Donjon Etudes de Salon and I’m really enjoying getting to know this new-to-me book. Today is the end of Week 2- Serenade so it’s time to stop trying to perfect it and just turn in my homework. Last week’s etude (Elegie) was much flashier, but in a lot of ways I find this one more challenging. Those leaps! Those high notes! Those (hopefully) beautiful pianissimo note endings!

Thanks for listening!

#Donjon #EOTW #Moyse