#824 in Arts & photography books
Reddit mentions of Play It Again: An Amateur Against the Impossible
Sentiment score: 4
Reddit mentions: 4
We found 4 Reddit mentions of Play It Again: An Amateur Against the Impossible. Here are the top ones.
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- Farrar Straus Giroux
Features:
Specs:
Height | 9.18 inches |
Length | 6.41 inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Release date | September 2013 |
Weight | 1.38 pounds |
Width | 1.41 inches |
I'd say the Ballade is more challenging than the Etude ... it focusses on many different techniques. That said, why not give it a go after 10 years' learning. You might like to read Play It Again: An Amateur Against the Impossible - available on Amazon - the story of Alan Rusbridger's plan to learn this Ballade in a year (mixed with other interesting bits of his very full life [he was the editor of the Guardian at the time]). It is splattered with hints on this Ballade given by some very well known pianists and is in any case an interesting read.
There are also a few masterclasses on it ... one of which given by Rubinstein on the piece ... just search on YouTube and you'll find them.
As you go along, definitely read Alan Rusbridger's Play it Again: Against the Impossible
It's a book by the former Guardian newspaper editor who is also a pianist - he's an amateur who attemps, like you are, to learn the Ballade in a year. It's a great, motivating, interesting read, and it has many tips to help you along the 'Ballade challenge' :)
Good luck!
Perhaps loosely related is the book "Play it Again: An Amateur Against the Impossible". Link here. It's about an editor from the Guardian who (against most ideas of best practice) tries to learn Chopin Op. 23 in a year as an amateur pianist.
Play It Again by Alan Rusbridger. Anyone's who's played (or attempted) Chopin's G minor Ballade should read this, for the insightful and often hilarious commentary on the challenges of learning this piece.
Also, not a book, but a webcomic. Don't Shoot the Pianist is a lot of fun! (the official site seems to be down right now, sadly)