Redemption

In my last post, I mentioned something about a piece called "Islamey." Known as one of the most daunting piano pieces ever written, Islamey is admired and feared among many (including myself, I must admit). It's claim to infamy is that it is so difficult that the composer himself could not even play it.

I attempted this piece in 2005 at a competition in Calafornia. A young, invincible performer, I wondered how bad it could possibly be, and only practiced it for a couple of brief months before taking it on stage - at an international competition. I have rarely had a performance that I would describe as bad, but this could definitely have been described as such. Islamey presented challenges I had never encountered, and the pressure of the performance magnified every little slip by about a thousand. My arms tightened up (very rare for me), and I probably stopped breathing momentarily as I tried to get through this beast known as Islamey. It might not have been so bad had I not played it right after a Liszt Transcendental Etude, or so I tell myself...

But as with many things in life, now is the time for redemption. I have taken a six year break from this piece, and I have now worked up the guts to play it again, this time with more experience under my belt, more practice on the piece, and the same fearless determination I had before.

In 2 short weeks, I will be performing Islamey in recital in Dallas. I will be sure to write about how it goes!