First thing I played with orchestra was Gershwins Rhapsody in blue - not a concerto really...then, the first thing I worked on after that was Rachmaninovs 2nd, but I only learned and performed the first movement at that time (with 2nd piano). Other projects more recently have been Beethovens third and Ravels left-hand concerto. And now it's time to do Mozart 23rd!

My first concerto was Mendelssohn's 1st in g minor, first movement. I loved the little beauty (still do). Now I am considering tackling Brahms' 2nd in its entirety... I'm just going to have talk my beloved teacher into believing that this is a good idea!

I hope that you do realise that there is a vast differrence in difficulty between the Mendelssohn concerto in g minor from the Brahms 2.

Quite a number of people learn the mendelssohn concerto as a 1st and the Brahms concerto is considered as one of the hardest, far off from the standard off the mendelssohn piano concerto.

Honestly, your teacher will say the same thing. If you want to learn another one perhaps look at other concertos for example concertos by: Bach,Beethoven,Mozart,Grieg,Schumann etc.

There are many others to choose from

Oh yes, I am fully aware of the difficulties of the Brahms second piano concerto. The technical and musical complexity of the piece cannot be taken lightly. However, I learned the Mendelssohn quite a few years ago and, I would hope, have seriouly advanced since those days (especially after beginning study with this great teacher); I feel that the Brahms would be an excellent challenge for me. My teacher, I think, wants to pursue some more difficult solo literature as opposed to concerto literature at this point, which is why I would have to do a little talking to convince her.

My first concerto was Schumann. My teacher suggested as my first concerto Mozart's 23rd (K488), but I loved - and still love - the Schumann so much, that I took the Schumann. It's my dream to play this with an orchestra some day indeed! (But is there such an opportunity also for an amature performer? I dunno...)
There are many people saying that Schumann concerto is so easy to play, but I don't think so. (Of course relative to Rach's or Prokofieff's easier.) Not only technically but also artistically this concerto is demanding.

Sarah, I know you only from your very lovely, always polite and nevertheless meaningful posts on the Audition Room, but have heard actually nothing (I mean, recording) from you! (There are some forum members whom I'd like to know from listening, too )

The Schumann piano concerto is one of my favorites as well! It is so beautiful. And I don't think it's an easy concerto either. Schumann always seems to have a complexity of musical thought in his work that makes it a delight to listen to, but also complicates the task of the performer. One of my young friends and I were talking about music a while back and we were discussing the Grieg and Schumann concertos versus the first Liszt concerto. She held to the theory that, in many ways, the Grieg and Schumann works were more difficult than the Liszt; indeed, the Liszt was more difficult technically, but she thought the Grieg, and particularly the Schumann, presented a greater challenge in the task of really making music. I tend to agree with her.

Thank you for your kind comments, Hye-Jin. I must tell you that I have thoroughly enjoyed the thoughtful, amicable conversation that you contribute to PS. As for recordings, I have thought of terrorizing the Audition Room with a few, but I soon realized that I currently have no really decent recording equipment available to me. And, with funds being used elsewhere, it will be a while before I can buy some sort of equipment myself (and, when I do, I probably will have to spend a year figuring the stuff out! ). So right now I must be content listening to the many fantastic recordings that folks submit here, and that is a very easy thing to do.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on Schumann, Sarah.
Buying a recorder took me a while, too. To save money for it I worked for a translation office extra
But to have a recorder, whatever it is, is very helpful for practice, I think. You can hear yourself more objectively through your own recordings. And you can follow your development, too!
Anyway I'm looking forward to hear you playing someday
(btw are you studying the piano playing or is it your hobby?)

Yes, having a recorder simply for practice purposes would probably be very good for me. The couple of times I have had my playing recorded it was a harsh reality when I listened to the results later! What brand/type of recorder do you have?



No, I'm not studying to have a career in piano performance (although that was my childhood dream - pipedream, I might add ). Probably like many of the people here, I am simply playing and learning music because I enjoy it. I do intend to open a piano studio in the next year to year and a half and see how that goes (which means I need to buy a new piano, and I am thinking that piano shopping will be really fun! I mean, except for shelling out the cash. ). I would like to perform more than I do now, though, but it seems that opportunities of that nature don't come all that often unless one asks blatantly for them, and I haven't the heart to do that. So...I guess I'm along for the ride!

I suppose you play/study the piano for the fun of it as well? I have listened to some of your recordings, and they are so beautiful. Your musical expression is a perfect delight!

I have a Zoom H4 which costs ca. 300 Euro. I'm not sure that was the best choice, but now it's the most useful music equipment to me, with my electric metronom And every review about this recorder says that H4 has the best price-performance ratio among its price category.

Open a piano studio?! That sounds very nice And that means you've studied or are studying piano performance and want to work in this area further, doesn't it?
I envy you, Sarah! Because I'm in a very different field (I'm writing a doctoral thesis in philosophy) and for me the piano playing has been always forcefuly competing against the philosophy in view of the time and efforts I invest for these activities
And it is the very problem that learning the piano is for a serious learner too time-consuming to have this activity as "just" a hobby [sigh...] I've recently decided not to take lessons every week and signed up for a lesson program in which I take five lessons within 3 months from the same teacher.

About the piano shopping - yes, it would be very fun!!! I visited the Steinway Hall in NYC the last year during a trip and it was very interesting, even though all the grands there had so light actions that I wouldn't like to buy any one there, if I went to there for a real shopping. It was strange. (My german piano teacher told me that many American pianists come to Germany to buy a "made in Germany" Steinway. Also Krystian Zimerman is told to play only on a Hamburg Steinway. Is there really a difference?)

Thanks for the kind words It's a great pleasure to hear that from you, Sarah!

Thanks for the information! I will take a good look at this recorder.



Yes, I'm still working on my bachelor's degree, and will be working on it for a while longer, too. I am studying more along the lines of music pedagogy than piano performance, though; if I had to do it over again I'd probably do it differently.



Getting a doctorate in philosophy! With all that you have to do with school that you must have an incredibly busy schedule. I definitely could see that you would have to cut down on some of your activities, but I'm sure it had to be a hard decision to give the piano less priority because you do so well with it. When do you graduate?



Oh, I bet the trip to the New York Steinway Hall was neat! I have heard that it is a great place to visit if you're is a piano aficionado, but I have never been able to go there myself. And it's funny that Steinway would manufacture pianos with lighter actions, because I would think that most advanced pianists would want something a little more substantial.

You know, I have been told that there are differences between the New York and Hamburg Steinways in quality control, cabinetry, and hammer construction, and therefore the tone of these pianos is not exactly alike. But I have only played on American Steinways, though, so I haven’t a clue. Have you played on a Hamburg Steinway? I have cursorily looked at a Hamburg “O” that is for sale at a local piano shop, but I haven’t gotten to lay my hands on it yet (and don’t think I will anytime soon because I’m in the process of moving! I detest said activity. ) I found this presentation featuring Emanuel Ax playing the same piece on two different Steinways - a German one and an American one - and giving his thoughts about the two, and it was very educational for me. http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/ny ... 3_PIANO04/

I think being a piano teacher can be so great as being a concert pianist, if you are satisfied with it. For example my piano teacher loves his job so much, he looks always very happy with his pupils. And I as one of his pupils respect him a lot. He is capable of imparting the love toward the music to others. (Btw I read that you have a great teacher, too!)

Actually it isn't so I know how busy the american students are because some friends of mine and my sister studied in the US. But in Germany PhD students (at least in humanities) don't need to register for lectures - I'm registered for two lectures in this semester though, just for enlargement of my knowledges- and all they have to do is just writing their thesis alone. Because they have so much "free time", they're studying usually longer than the american PhD students (I belong to the lazy german students, too ).

Yes, it was really hard... I'm planning to finish with my thesis within one year. Actually I must work much harder than I do now.

The impression I've got there was that the most of their customer are not "advanced pianists" but the children from rich families. I've been there about two hours and found that more than half of people who were trying on the pianos were small and completely normal-looking - I mean, never being a child prodigy - kids playing a couple of easy, short songs and talking to their parents like "Papa, I like this one! I wanna buy it!" And the rich papa seems to really buy such expensive grands for the kids
Btw I was spoken to there by an old gentleman who looks like a serious pianist and also he complained about the light actions of the pianos there. So I thought they're hiding really good pianos somewhere and showing only the ones with light actions which are for the children comfortable to play

I'm practicing on and using for my recording a Hamburg Steinway B. (Our chorus master of the choir in which my husband and I have been singing had allowed me to use this grand and maintained this is size C, but recently I measured it myself and found that actually it is B which is 16 cm shorter than C!) But it's the only Hamburg Steinway on which I've ever played.

Thank you so much for this link, Sarah! It's really interesting!!! Even though my experience with Steinways is limited to the pianos in NY Steinway Hall and to the Hamburg B, I would agree with Ax about the differences after I watched this presentation (even though I understood what he said just ca. 70% I'm not good at listening in English). And the sound of Hamburg one played by him is more familiar to me than the sound of New York one, indeed.

Yes, you are right. It seems that some teachers can inspire their students, and others just don't seem to have that gift. I am hoping that I don't fall in the latter category. I am very thankful for my piano teacher; I love her vibrant, infectious enthusiasm, energetic personality, and seemingly limitless fountain of knowlege. I have to admit, after just eight months of studying with her, I am very attached. Some of my friends like to tease me about that! It sounds like you have a wonderful teacher as well - the good ones are few and far between, aren't they?



I think it's nice you're getting a little break! I'm sure you've earned it; anyone who is getting a Ph.D. has had to work very hard to get to that point.




That’s really funny! I have always envisioned the New York piano stores catering to the serious amateurs and young, up-and-coming professionals. But to rich families – what a rude awakening!




That’s great that the chorus master is allowing you to use his Steinway! I bet it's fun to practice on a really good piano. How do you like singing in a choir? I sang in a couple of children’s choirs when I was younger, but the last ten years I haven’t sung much (the fact that my voice changed from a high, sweet one to one reminiscent of out-of-tune thunder probably has a good deal to do with it ).



I’m glad you enjoyed the link! From listening to the differences, I think I might really like the sound of a Hamburg Steinway, and they’re supposed to be a little better made, too. And don’t worry – I had to listen to the video twice before I understood what Ax was saying.

Yes, sarah. I had many teachers before, but I'd like to say that now I've met a wonderful teacher. I've taken lessons from him over four years. He has a rather different personality than your teacher He has a very mild personality and is always so nice to everyone at every moment that I cannot imagine him to be got angry. However it is not so easy to satisfy him with piano playing on the other side. So when I get any compliment from him, I become really happy

You know what? I've read from a german classic-magazine that the job category which has the most Steinway owner is DOCTORS! The magazine gave also the reason: The musicians are generally poorer than the doctors

Yes. I'm very thanksful for that. I was the happiest person in the world as I practiced on it for the first time. I've never experienced a Steinway myself before and it was like a magic! But the owner of it is not the chorus master but a church parish, and German churches suffer from financial problems in general, so I can hardly request for tuning of it (I use this instrument for free). Actually it was tuned in October last year, but by a really bad tuner, so it has now so many keys out of tune!!! I'm learning and practicing the second Scherzo of Chopin now and its beautiful singing section sounds on it really terrible because of these wrong pitchs. I don't know whether I could record it on this piano

And about the singing in a choir: I don't have a good voice, either. This is the first choir in which I participated as a singer (I was piano accompanist of a church chior in my country, South Korea). I've been singing here about two years and now I think it's really useful not only for extension of my knowledge about music in general, but also for piano playing itself - at least in my case. The human voice is able to produce a long sustaining tone differently from our beloved piano so you can imagine and explore more possibilities on the piano. Besides I've learned what a fugue is through singing a Bach cantata And before having performed the big chorus works with an orchestra (such as Mozart, Verdi Requiems) I wasn't so familiar with the various orchestra-instruments. Now I'm more aquainted with them, so it became easier to imagine another instrument at playing piano.

Sarah, thank you for this pleasant exchage with you! It's really nice You've written that you're in a process of moving. All the best at moving and at piano-playing!

My first concerto was the Mozart No.14 in Eb, K.449, although my teacher was pushing me to do the Mendelssohn g minor, which I did after the 449. Heh, the teacher arranged a performance for me with a local orchestra and the conductor asked me to play the Mozart instead of the Mendelssohn, since it was more rewarding for the orchestra than the Mendelssohn. This was the beginning of my going against my teachers' wishes ( a lifelong pastime ), but I must say that teacher (my first serious one) dealt with it better than most of the rest.

Thanks, I have greatly enjoyed it too! It is great to meet wonderful fellow musicians. All the best to you as well!