Peace of the Sunday Morning Stable

I spent the weekend at my parents’ home, the place I grew up in. They were out of town, visiting a brother of mine.
Life this time of year can be stressful for everyone, because it seems that everything is due “right now”–taxes, forms, insurance payments, reports, results.
Lately, I’ve gotten so caught up in all the [...]

True Intent

I was studying my Chopin recital program this afternoon, minding my own business, savoring the Sarabande from Bach’s English Suite No. 5 as played by Andras Schiff. In my opinion, this is the most beautiful dance in the suite, with plenty of room for expressiveness. I haven’t started to learn notes for it myself yet–I’m [...]

Last Walk of the Night

We were warned about the cold.
I had been listening to Chopin just before midnight last night, still in my clothes because Ecko and Kiefer had to go out once more. Ecko, who will turn 6 at the end of this month, never passes up a chance to go outside. Kiefer, who is now 15, doesn’t [...]

Courtly Dances: Courante

Today, we had snow–not much, but enough that my two students who come down out of the Helderburgs to study canceled because of bad road conditions.
So, I took a glass of hot, sweet tea downstairs and set about learning some Bach, particularly the Courante from the fifth English Suite.
It’s a much more lighthearted dance than [...]

Half Steps and Whole Steps

Frederic Chopin lived from March 1, 1810 to October 17, 1849. He is recognized as one of the giants of pianism, and his playing and composing impact the art even today.
Chopin was a master of smaller-scale works, and most of his output was for solo piano. He was equally at home making grand and dramatic [...]