Make it Sing

For the last month and a half I've been laboring to coax my clunky, plodding piano keyboard and my aching, rheumatic fingers to cooperate to produce a singing-like quality for a piece of music that I have been trying to learn and commit to memory for our yearly recital.  It was the second movement of Mozart's piano sonata No. 16, K545 -- a perennial favorite for piano novices.

Three days before the recital I went with my teacher to the place, the Fellowship Hall of one of our local UU chuches, where we are to perform for our family and friends.  I was fortunate to have the opportunity to test out the piano there beforehand; it turned to be even more unresponsive in certain keys than the one I have been practicing on.  In order to make some of the notes heard, I had to put more weight on my left hand -- basically unlearn the habit I've gradually acquired during the many weeks of practice, that is, to play softly and velvety with my left hand and let the melody sing from my right.  If there was any consolation, my teacher told me that it was something that most concert pianists had to go through, that is, having to make adjustment of their playing according to the idiocyncrasy of the pianos at the venues where they are to perform. 

As usual, I was the last person on, being the only adult in the group of elementary school children.  While waiting for my turn, I worked myself up with mounting stage fright and cold sweat; I walked up to the piano with something like the resignation of a prisoner walking up to the guillotine.  It was over in a flash though and I pretty much got through the piece relying on auto pilot.  I counted 7+ mistakes on the whole but it was not completely disastrous considering that my fingers were trembling the whole time. 

Here is a YouTube video of Yuja Wang, the amazing flying fingers from China, playing the entire sonata when she was in elementary school.  More about her, here.