2023.11.03 Friday 3 hours
10:00-12:00 Rachmaninoff Cello Sonata Op.19 2nd Movement Phrase 2 [Practice Stage 1]
20:30-21:30 Clara Schumann Variation on a Theme by Robert Schumann [Practice Stage 1]
Hi everyone I come back!
Sorry. I disappeared for so many days. I know.
But I do have excuses!
A LOT of them actually!
August was a super busy month for me. I did 6 performances including an academic conference, and by the end of it I was basically half-fainted;
September was the same. I did 5 performances including a chamber concert with Sinfonia Cymru. We played a programme consisting of contemporary American women composers, which is super super super super interesting! And! We got a review from the guardian!! How amazing!
I will update all the concerts and performances in the 「Performance Day」column. Okay okay, I know there are a lot to catch up. But I will, gradually ......
So by the end of September, I am not half-fainted anymore.
I was almost totally fainted.
I just sooooo admire those super famous concert pianists, eg. Yuja Wang, Steven Hough, and my teacher Joanna MacGregor. How could they play 200 concerts per year? Isn't it a suicide mission? Maybe that's exactly the distance between me (a small concert pianist) and Argerich (a super big concert pianist). Of course, if comparing to Martha, maybe there are also many other things that I have a great distance to make up. Let's just ignore these other drawbacks for now, at least pretend to please.
Anyway, coming back to the topic. Based on my current ability, I was completely exhausted by the end of September, so I took a half-holiday during October. The definition of a half-holiday is: keep all the work that gives me money to pay the rent and buy food & refuse all the work that does not give me money to pay the rent and buy food. The latter, of course, includes practice. So for the whole October, I barely did any serious practice at all.
To be honest, it felt good...... Away from the piano a little bit probably is healthy for me, or ... I am only just trying to find a philosophical reason to cover my laziness.
However, when I get back to it three days ago, the first thing I felt was clumsy fingers. My fingers cannot move as strong and fast and flexible as they used to be in September. But that's not a surprise. Pianists have good moments and bad moments. I know after 3 days 8 hours practice they will come back to me (or maybe 8 days 3 hours sounds more accessible...) The feeling which really surprises me was a kind of freshness. Somehow I feel I could feel my strength flow clearer and more precise, especially during the slow practice, I feel I am internally observing my strength flowing across my 10 fingers.
This is really quite amazing.
Maybe having a month rest is actually a very healthy thing to do.
Should I have another month then?
🤣🤣🤣
Good Night
A XinRu who just drank Coke in gym
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