On September 27, 2018 I finally could memorize the whole Kabalewski’s Sonata for Piano n. 3 (the three movements) and taught I was ready for the fase two in the preparation of a piece of music, which is to play to an audience. However, I was wrong. I had my weekly piano lesson and, trying to play to the memory that was on the top of my head I made many mistakes, not just notes, but the whole conception of the piece.
I started this piece study on January 11th, 2018, therefore eight months and a half working on a piece that lasts seventeen minutes and STILL isn’t ready.
This piece had a plus! It was so difficult to understand the Russian mentality (Kabalewski was a Russian composer from 20th century), that the musical score study wasn’t being enough. What did I do? I asked for help to the other artistic expressions and, with the study of the Sonata, I started reading the Dostoevsky's book Crime and Punishment. Today, ending the book and the Sonata, my imagination goes far: I see the Raskólnikov’s axe impact on the end of the 1st Movement, I see the dreamy Sonia in the main theme also of the 1st Movement. I see Marmeladóv drunk screaming and crying at the same time on the 2nd Movement. And the 3rd? The madness of the funeral lunch that Katerina made to her dead husband... Just to quote a few, because both materials are very rich.
One thing is a fact: the more you drink from other artistic expressions, the more complete you become as an artist.
The study of a artwork, therefore, is a work of creation, like a gestation. It’s being conceived inside the musician. The musical writing is just a manual the guides the gestation and, most of the time, isn’t enough. To cover it’s needs, the musician should lie on the others artistic expressions.
After a troublesome gestation, it is up to the musician bring the creation to the world.
I suppose I still am in the twentieth week...