This visit hasn't been anywhere near as good for visiting with people. It seems everyone is very tired or down this time of the summer.I suppose it's understandable, and some of my friends have very good reasons to not be available this week, so I won't complain.
It definately has felt different, on account of knowing that I'm not going 'home' tomorrow; rather, I'm going out of town for a little vacation almost. Anyway, it's not important.
I have so much work to do during the rest of the summer. For example:
In terms of composition, I need to finish the piano composition I am working on. For all intents and purposes, I haven't really moved forward on that at all since I moved out there. I also want to have finished reading my orchestration textbook. I won't have to have read it for the course, but it will put me at an advantage in terms of the course, and lower my disadvantage a bit in terms of learning how to compose for orchestral instruments and groups. These two goals represent a bare minimum for what I have to do. I really should aim much higher, but as the list continues, it becomes doubtful as to the amount of stuff I will get done.
In terms of Piano, I have said that I need to have a substantial start on my recital rep, but thats an anderstatement. I need to learn a Haydn sonata for my half Jury/ I have began to pick at it, but not in a nearly picky enough fashion.
Let's take a look at my recital plan:
Bach - French Overture- As a base minimum, I need to have learned the first movement, so that I just have to work on the remaining dance movements. The first movement is about 9 pages. I have worked a fair bit on the opening two pages, but after that there is a rollicking fugue that will take a fair bit of tenacity to get in shape.
Beethoven - Op.101, I have learned the majority of the first and third movements... But I'll be honest, those are the easy movements in terms of technique(this will give me the chance to get more familiar with them, so that I can be very comfortable with them and make my musical intentions solid..... but ya, I need to focus on the technical stuff) The second movement is a fast march and I'm sure it will not be a breeze in the park to learn or play. The scary part is the fourth movement. It's very fast and has a fugue as part of it.... Intimidating, to say the least.
Liszt - Vallé d'Obermann- I've started to make some progress on this one. I think it's safe to say that the intro is ready for a first lesson scenario, and I forced myself to dive into the obviously more difficult sections. I absolutely LOVE this piece. I absolutely LOVE Liszt.
I'm loving all my repertoire of course! The Beethoven I'm listening to right now and it's just amazing how brilliant it is! It was the fifth last sonata for piano that he wrote and the experience and mastery of his craft are just amazingly present!
McIntosh - This is a piece I will be performing with a singer..... thats the first issue I should take care of....finding one.... The piece involves a lot of improvising and coordination... so I don't quite know how to approach the learning process. I think I'm going to treat it as an excuse to practice technique drills (I really really shouldnt need an excuse) so that I have a battary of options available at my fingertips(pun intended).

Anyway, thats the main things I need to be concerned with learning. Although I can't let myself forget that I will have to also learn something for the second half jury... but I'll probably do the same thing as this year, leave most of the work for those pieces til the last minute.
Bargh! too much thinking about the school year that hasn't even come close to starting yet! Oh well, I need to be focussed! yippee!
gnite!