🎵 Notes from February 17 2024 meetup

We had an excellent session at Jennifer Messer’s 10,000 Hours Piano Rehearsal Studios and received a very warm welcome from manager Mackenzie. The main performance area has room for 65, so we could almost accommodate the entire group!  In addition to many of the classics, we had some ballet/opera transcriptions (no singing unfortunately) and several more recent works. 

Here’s what was played:

• Gregory: Grateful Ghost Rag, by William Bolcom
• Jean-Claude: Ballet music from Orfeo & Euridice, by Christoph Gluck (arr. by Wilhelm Kempff)
• Jeff: Aux Cyprès de la villa d’este, by F. Liszt
• Mary Lou: Sonatina in G minor 1st mov., by C. Guastavino
• Karin: Little Prayer to Jesus, by Gabriel Groulez
• David R: Prelude Op. 28 #15 (Raindrop), by F. Chopin
• Andrew: Invention in B flat, by J. S. Bach
• Jocelyne: Etude in A major, by C. Czerny
• Natalie: Prelude and Fugue BWV 875, by J. S. Bach
• Randy: Melodie Op. 68 #1, by R. Schumann
• Lorraine: Prelude BWV 848, by J. S. Bach
• Martin: Didn’t we almost have it all, by Michael Massner
• Wesley: Polonaise Op. 26 #1, by F. Chopin
• Gregory: Bumble Boogie, by Jack Fina (arr. of R. Korsakov Flight of the Bumblebee)
• Jean-Claude: Méditation from Thaïs, by J. Massenet
• Mary Lou: Impromptu Op. 90 #3, by F. Schubert
• Jeff: Preludes Op. 11 #2, Op. 17 #3 and Op. 18 #10, by A. Scriabin
• Karin: Vocalise, by S. Rachmaninoff (arr. by Paul Baston)
• David: Traumerei, by R. Schumann
• Andrew: Short Prelude #3, by J. S. Bach
• Wesley: Adagissimo, by J. S. Bach
• Natalie: Sonata in E flat major 2nd movement, by F. Schubert

🎵 Notes from February 4 2024 meetup

We had an excellent session at Kunhwa's, longer than usual, with extended works and different pieces, some modern and some old, including one of the “other” Bachs.  Her piano is tuned to the European standard of 442 Hz.  Kunhwa is preparing for her recital and at the end we were treated to a virtuosic performance of Chopin’s Ballade No. 1.  

Here’s what was played:

• Gregory: Solace, by Scott Joplin
• Martin: Passacaglia, by G. F. Handel
• Karin: Prelude #4, by C. Debussy
• Natalie: Sonata in E flat major 1st mov, by F. Schubert
• Jeff: Aux Cypres de la villa d’este, by F. Liszt
• Wesley: Piano Sonata #8 2nd and 3rd mov, by L. V. Beethoven
• David: Fantasie Impromptu middle section, by F. Chopin
• Kathy: Sonatas K32 and K9, by D. Scarlatti
• Kunhwa: Barcarolle Op. 65 #5, by C. V. Alkan
• Gregory: Great Crush Collision March, by Scott Joplin
• Martin: James Bond theme by Monty Norman; theme song to Goldfinger by John Barry; and theme song to Live and Let Die by Paul McCartney
• Wesley: Adagio in F minor, by Joseph Bologne (Chevalier de St. Georges)
• Natalie: Prelude & Fugue  BWV 875, by J. S Bach
• Jeff: Preludes Op. 11 #2, Op. 17 #3 and Op. 18 #10, by A. Scriabin
• Karin: Prelude in G flat major, by A. Scriabin
• David: Solfeggio in D major, by J. F. C. Bach
• Kunhwa: Ballade No. 1 Op. 23, by F. Chopin

On another musical note, Lorraine sent in an interesting and very relevant tidbit that gives us another reason to keep playing the piano (and makes us glad that we started):

“Fyi, I received this through one of the listservs I am on related to cognition. It is a larger scale study supporting the positive impact of playing a musical instrument on different aspects of cognition (working memory for example). Findings comment on the value of this in "older adults" as well - in summary, we should keep playing!
 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/gps.6061”