AVA149: Do You Have A Piece Of Similar Difficulty To Handel's Largo With Fingering And Pedaling?

Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas.

Ausra: And Ausra.

Vidas: Let’s start Episode 149 of #AskVidasAndAusra podcast. And this question was sent by David. He writes:

Hello Vidas, I am making progress slowly on Largo from Xerxes. I'm at the point that I would like to also start working on another piece as I finish up Largo. Do you have a piece of similar difficulty with modern fingering and pedaling that you could recommend for me?

Also congratulations on 6 years of Secrets of Organ Playing! This is an excellent service and you and Ausra are going a great job! David

So this is really nice, that people value our work, right Ausra?

Ausra: Yes, it’s always nice to know that somebody appreciates your work.

Vidas: So, talking about this question that David asks...he needs help in choosing a similar piece to Largo by Handel, right?

Ausra: Yes.

Vidas: Do you think that it should be a Baroque composition or a Romantic or modern piece, according to him?

Ausra: It depends on what he likes. Probably, maybe, another Baroque piece. What do you think about it?

Vidas: He did mention that he needs modern fingering and pedaling. But what he means by this, I don’t know. It wouldn’t hurt to play more Baroque pieces, right?

Ausra: Sure.

Vidas: Do you think we could recommend something created by Krebs, for example? Right, from his Clavierübung Chorale Preludes, like Allein Gott, or Jesu meine Freude?

Ausra: Don’t you think this would be too hard, compared to Handel?

Vidas: Jesu meine Freude? Is it too difficult, you think?

Ausra: Well, yes, you have to have quite good manual technique.

Vidas: What’s so problematic about Jesu meine Freude? Sixteenth note runs, or…?

Ausra: Well, yes!

Vidas: Anything else?

Ausra: You would need to have much better technique already, compared to that aria of Handel. Don’t you think so? Don’t you agree?

Vidas: And it doesn’t have pedals. So maybe he needs pedals, right? Do you think we could recommend a piece by Johann Sebastian Bach, like chorale preludes or something?

Ausra: Well, of course.

Vidas: What would you suggest?

Ausra: Are you thinking about Chorale Preludes, or about free pieces?

Vidas: Both. Let’s say both. And first of all, let’s say a free piece, like 3 or 4 pages long, maybe.

Ausra: Well, this could be one of the Eight Little Preludes, like g minor, for example.

Vidas: It would seem like it would be a good choice, g minor, because the prelude is rather slow, and the pedal work is not too complex, and the texture is very chordal; but then the problem is with the fugue, right?

Ausra: Yes, the fugue is much harder than the prelude.

Vidas: What is complicated about the fugue, Ausra?

Ausra: Because you have to master all those notes that are equally important; and already the pedals are quite complicated.

Vidas: Do you think that David could start on the pedal part right away, instead of playing from the beginning?

Ausra: Of course. You always need to learn the harder spots first.

Vidas: What else would you recommend that he could play, like maybe a Chorale Prelude, three or four parts…?

Ausra: Maybe some Preludes from the Orgelbüchlein, or from the Notebook of Anna Magdalena Bach.

Vidas: Mhmm.

Ausra: Or…

Vidas: Dances?

Ausra: Yes.

Vidas: Dances should definitely be doable. And from Orgelbüchlein, things like Ich ruf’ zu dir.

Ausra: Yes, because it’s a slow tempo, yes.

Vidas: Or even maybe O mensch bewein, but…

Ausra: Well, that cantus firmus is so ornamented, it’s not that easy to play. I think Ich ruf’ zu dir is easier. You could even decipher the chords in this piece.

Vidas: Easier. So maybe O Mensch bewein could be for later.

Ausra: Sure.

Vidas: But it’s very beautiful.

Ausra: Yes, it’s very beautiful.

Vidas: One of the most beautiful pieces from the Baroque period.

Ausra: I agree.

Vidas: Excellent. Could we recommend something for David and people like David in that level--maybe from the Romantic period?

Ausra: Of course, there’s a lot of music you can play from the Romantic period.

Vidas: Maybe...Let’s say, some French music--like, Vierne wrote this beautiful Berceuse, remember?

Ausra: Yes, it’s very nice, and not that hard.

Vidas: It could be played with pedals or without pedals.

Ausra: Both ways, I believe.

Vidas: Both ways. And it’s worth trying.

Ausra: Yes, and there’s also that, you know, collection of so-called L’Organiste by Cesar Franck, which is also doable and not that hard.

Vidas: Mhm.

Ausra: And you can also play it without pedals, because it’s intended to play on the…

Vidas: Harmonium?

Ausra: Harmonium, yes.

Vidas: Good. I think people could find a lot of suitable material in this collection, too. And remember, you have to use modern fingering and pedaling, right? We haven’t, I think, prepared any scores by Franck yet. But we did write down fingering and pedaling for Berceuse by Vierne, Allegretto by Vierne, but it’s a little more complex. But not too much. And then, I think, Meditation by Vierne is also a similar slow motion, meditative piece. That could be possible. What else? Or is it enough for starters?

Ausra: I think it should be enough for starters.

Vidas: Mhm. It’s best, guys, to try just a few pieces, and master them to the best of your ability--to spend some time, right? Right, Ausra?

Ausra: That’s true. Don’t practice too many pieces at once, because then your progress will be very slow.

Vidas: Unless you want to sightread things, like…

Ausra: Sure.

Vidas: Do you recommend sightreading, Ausra? Regularly?

Ausra: Yes, it’s always beneficial to sightread things.

Vidas: How much time should you spend, or could you spend, every day?

Ausra: Well, I would say at least 10 minutes.

Vidas: So, do you think that in 10 minutes usually in a slow tempo, people could play through maybe a couple of pages, right?

Ausra: Well, it depends on how long your pages are.

Vidas: Mhmm.

Ausra: And how advanced you are.

Vidas: Maybe some people could play 5 pages in that tempo, right?

Ausra: Yes, yes.

Vidas: So, a piece or two, right? Generally not too long. So, choose your favorite collection that you love, and of course you will be on your way to mastering sightreading as well! It’s very beneficial in the long run. Anything else, Ausra, you could recommend?

Ausra: Well, just keep practicing every day.

Vidas: Yes. Try not to skip a practice. On your calendar, you could mark X, X, X, on each day; that will be a wonderful feeling after one month or two months or three months. Thanks, guys, for listening, and applying our advice in your practice. This is really fascinating for us, to help you grow. And send us more of your questions, right Ausra?

Ausra: Yes, we are waiting.

Vidas: And remember, when you practice…

Ausra: Miracles happen.