September 25, 2019--Practice blog

Unfortunately, no picture for today. It was a long and stressful day which included a quick run to the doctor to see why I was feeling ill. Turns out I have some sort of sinus infection. I received some antibiotics for it. Medicated and dedicated, I continue on! But without pictures.

I only was able to spend any time at the organ today, between teaching classes and lessons, getting help change a piano string on the concert grand at work (I took a piano technician's class this summer and am working toward becoming a registered piano tech), and several choir rehearsals. That left little time for practice. I was able to spend a half hour between dinner and the second choir rehearsal bringing back Bach's Prelude and Fugue in E minor, BWV 533. The prelude is a wonderful piece in the stylus phantasticus tradition requiring a lot of give and take in an improvisational manner. The fugue contrasts nicely in it's serious tone and contrapuntal devices.

After choir, I decided to stick around and work on some other pieces I have been practicing. I practiced parts of the fugue of Bach BWV 536 at a fairly slow tempo, especially the first entrance of the subject in the pedal. For some reason, my hands and feet do not want to work together here. There is flashier stuff later that is much easier. I also worked on the first movement of the Hindemith second sonata and Boehm's Prelude and Fugue in D minor. I finished the practice session off with Jeanne Demessieux's wonderful Attende Domine chorale paraphrase. Things seem to be going very well.

Life is good....