![]() The other day, Peppermint Patty asked, as she was preparing to play me an assigned piece, whether she should use the pedal. The piece, from her 2B Adventure Book, was marked to sustain the pedal for its entire length, without pumping it clear. I understand her reticence. I myself did not feel warranted to use this luxury item until I had voted in 4 different presidential elections and given birth to two sons. My childhood teacher, Frau Klink, did not encourage such audacity. I would pedal only when I earned the privilege. As a result, my pedaling is furtive and erratic. In hoping that no one will notice I'm feeling entitled to sustain, I'll bleed only half-heartedly. The epithet, "Leadfoot" has been used by more than one professor. "By all means, Pedal Away" I barked. "It's not just frosting, It's part of the cake." The thought of bringing the well tempered readership to speed on my decades long piano history seems much too overwhelming and perhaps overtaxing to their and my delicate sensibilities. We will thusly take a tack not unlike Homer who began his epic narrative with most of Odysseus's journey home to Ithaca already finished. Closer to the heart of this enterprise, Haydn's revolutionary C minor symphony no. 95, dispenses with the typical early classical slow introduction, thus jolting his late 18th century out of its drowsy complacency. Speaking of which, the melody of his 94th symphony, the Surprise Symphony is always a crowd pleaser for beginner students. All primers seem to have a version of this. Wake up and listen is always a good lesson. And yes... there will be digression.
The bare bones of my piano experience both in learning and teaching can be found in the About section of this website. As the curtain opens, your gal the Well Tempered blogist is just completing the building of her website. She is a woman of an age getting more and more certain yet with a wry joi de vivre. After many years of teaching and playing the piano as a dedicated amateur she has finally achieved her Masters in Music thereby giving her a greater sense of both legitimacy and responsibility. She hereby will change to the first person. I invite you to join me in my musical odyssey. |
AuthorThe Well Tempered Bloggist Archives
December 2014
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