Piano Competition!

 Hey y'all, 

I know I've done a lot of posts about French horn, so I thought I'd spice it up and write one about piano. I'm preparing for the Festival, which is a competition done by the Louisiana Federation of Music Clubs that I've participated in for 12 years. You have to play two pieces - one required piece from a list of approved pieces in your level of difficulty (I'm in the Musically Advanced 2 category), and another piece of  your choice. You get a rating of superior recitalist, superior, excellent, fair, needs improvement, etc., and if you get a superior or a superior recitalist for 3 consecutive years, you get a gold cup. I have 3 gold cups, and if I get a rating of superior or superior recitalist again this year, I'll get my fourth gold cup, so the pressure is on. The competition is virtual this year, so I have to record videos of my pieces by next Monday. I'm a bit nervous but also excited. The pieces I'm playing this year are Praeludium by MacDowell and the first movement of Sonata no. 8 in C Minor (Sonata Pathetique) by Beethoven. I particularly love the Beethoven, because it has a lot of really heavy chords that make me feel like I can do anything, not to mention it's extremely cathartic to play. I've had a bit of trouble recording it because I always speed up too much, but hopefully I'll get a good recording before Monday. 

          I keep waiting for my Mr. Darcy to fall madly in love with me over my *exquisite* piano playing. Hopefully he'll sweep me off my feet sometime soon. (Maybe he'll turn out to be one of my Quiz Bowl guys... who knows haha). Anyway, if y'all feel so inclined, look up these two pieces and let me know which one you like better. 

Love from 

Clara