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Composers you most want to apologise to!

Author: Paula S
Date: 2012-11-28 13:57

Well after hearing the Schumann Fantasy Pieces beautifully played on the radio recently, I felt a terrible pang of guilt :-(. I had last played them when I was about 13 when I played the first movement for my Grade 5. I remember really disliking it and I think I sounded terrible even though I got a good mark.
I ordered the music again and have played the pieces in the last few days and they are truly beautiful. I wish I could apologise to Schumann for making them sound so bad when I was younger. Also Gerald Finzi, I am so sorry for treating your Bagatelles so appallingly :-( I heard them played with orchestra a few months ago and went back to re-visit them and they are fast becoming a real favourite. I think some of the pieces the ABRSM let people loose on in the early stages of their clarinet playing got a real rough deal.

Is it just me that thinks the first movement of the Schumann ( still Grade 5) is more difficult than the two last movements (which are now combined together for Grade 8)? I don't want to stop to take a breath in the first one as the legato is so beautiful when you get it right.