Why did Handel not keep a chicken

Because it would go "Bach Bach Bach Bach!"

I am totally in love with Bach right now. I shall master all his Inventions and Sinfonias and have beautifully independent fingers. And then I shall go on to Toccatas, will start with E minor and then go on to D major and then D minor!

I'll go on to Scarlatti and Mozart Sonatas as well, once I'm done with the Inventions and Sinfonias. Each of them has to be record-quality perfect, and I'm not going to be easy on myself. I've been easy on myself far too long, and everyone else doesn't help by being easy on me too.

And I need people to perform regularly to. I think the key to getting past nervousness is all in the quality of the practice. If I would explicitly make it clear that each time I run through the piece must be consistent with the next, I don't see why stage nerves should get my goat.

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I think it's good that I'm starting again with smaller pieces. Managing the structure becomes a more conscious concern. I never really used to think enough about the structure. Considering structure means having a direction in the music such that every new phrase sounds fresh. To me at least. After my small pieces I'll start Beethoven Sonatas to learn more about larger forms.

Am considering Benjamin Low - apparently he loves Chopin. I'll have to learn some Chopin eventually, but I'm not too sure if I'm very much that kind of a person. Chopin takes alot out of you, from my experience. Besides, unless I get a grand piano soon, I don't think I'll enjoy Chopin very much. There's a Romantic notion of elegance when it comes to playing Chopin, and an upright just won't do.

I think I'll stick to Beethoven right after I'm done with my Scarlatti/Bach period. Though I really want to explore Le Tombeau de Couperin too. For now though I believe Bach will be taking up much of the next few years. Toccaten and Suites and then Preludes and Fugues.

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Update on A-level repertoire:

1. Mozart - Violin Sonata in e minor, first movement
2. Bach - Italian Concerto
3. Villa-Lobos - Poema Singelo

I'm still pretty unpracticed for the last piece, particularly the vivace section. And I've barely rehearsed the Mozart. Need to step up practice over the next two and a half weeks.