This bouquet from Shin has pleased us so much so far, yet roses are quite delicate. They look so tired that Mei-Shun gave them a cut-and-clean treatment. Here is one vase accommodating half of them, to get along with Ms. Piano. She missed her only player for a while, just kept herself neat and quiet.
Hi, friends.
Thanks, Mr. O. His sudden phonecall reminded us of it. Yes, our duty to let Ms. Piano have tuning once a year. Her “doctor” visited us with a big, heavy bag as usual. It was just when he finished her up that Mei-Shun remembered a slight trouble; the damper for one of D keys did not work well. However, he took just a few words before he opened the lid to show her the fixed part. Applause to this real piano master.
Ms. Piano has not heard from the musical instruments company — she must have been tuned last month. Mei-Shun cannot recognize her trouble, yet professional care of once a year is indispensable to keep her healthy. Don’t you think so, Choco-chan and Ohagi-chan?
Sniff, it’s not a toffee.
Mei-Shun had taken piano lessons from 4 to 17 years old. Her last instructor always told her to keep short nails. She never allowed her students’ nails to touch keys of her piano — such noise must be a kind of torment for her sensitive ears. Now, Mei-Shun is swaying between fashion and hobby.
It is no easy to avoid mistakes in playing piano. Touching wrong keys is out of question for professional pianists, while sounds uncomfortable to normal ears. What is the most important to enjoy beautiful flow of tones? Correct reading of scores seems the first. Picking up parts difficult to play smoothly would follow for concentrated practice.
Mikan-chan’s favorite pieces include Nocturne Op. 9. No. 2 by Chopin, Pavane pour une Infante Défunte by Ravel, Clair de Lune by Debussy, etc. When finger exercises are finished, she comes back to the living room. Here is her expression of satisfaction at mom’s performance.
Well done.
Mei-Shun started to practice “Salut d’Amour” by E. Elgar at Shin’s request. We found this title on the net by chance, as “Gymnopédie“. It sounds sweet and clear, so a simple score has been expected. However, it carries four sharps! Mei-Shun has no perfect pitch. It would take a time to play smoothly …
It’s found to be Gymnopédie by Erik Satie! For an easy sleep at the hospital, Mei-Shun picked up many pieces of heeling music. And this melody came up following others. She immediately asked Shin to order the music score. Simple enough to play, but comfortable to your ears.
“Lieder ohne worte” by Mendelssohn seems to welcome any lyrics. No. 20 Allegro non troppo, called 浮雲; uki-gumo meaning “clouds floating in the sky” is one of the most favorite pieces of Mei-Shun. She has begun to recall the melody after around 30 years!
Mei-Shun sometimes ask Shin to give a request for her piano. When he chooses “flashy one”, it means Debussy’s Arabesque. “Moonlight” is either the one by Debussy or the other by Beethoven. Any pieces need a good finger exercise to play clearly.
meishunkikunoe 