Episode 75 - Something New

G’day everyone, I’m David Reidy. Welcome to Piano, Finally — a podcast by an old bloke who’s getting around to learning the piano, finally.

With the exams marked and reports written, the last weeks of the school year bring a welcome return to regular practice (and twice-daily swimming). This week’s episode is built around a story in two parts: a run of theatre outings, and an unexpected new musical adventure.

🎭 Performances Around Sydney
A free week meant several nights out:
• The Rest Is History Returns at the Opera House, with Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook delivering a lively extended podcast episode and Q&A.
• Bell Shakespeare – Romeo and Juliet, a polished, contemporary staging with excellent pacing and standout comic moments. Video excerpts here:
https://www.bellshakespeare.com.au/romeo-and-juliet

• Devi Mamak & the Caravan Band, blending sitar, sax, drums and dancers in a Marrickville venue that doubles as a belly-dance school. More info:
https://caravandancecompany.com.au/

📝 Something New – Joining a Community Choir
An email from Sydney Festival announced a community choir performing on 25 January at Barangaroo. Despite not being a singer, I signed up — partly out of curiosity, partly to step outside my comfort zone. The rehearsal, led by composer Nardi Simpson, was warm, energetic and enormous fun. Two of the four songs were introduced, including Four Directions, complete with harmonies and some accidental “clams” in the projected lyrics. With over 200 people in the room and only a handful of tenors, it’s going to be an adventure.

🎼 Review – Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier (Schirmer)
Another aspirational addition to the music shelf. This Carl Czerny-edited volume includes fingering, dynamics, a short biographical essay, and all 48 Preludes and Fugues. Clear engraving, perfect-bound, and solid value.
https://www.musicjunction.com.au/products/complete-well%EF%BF%BDtempered-clavier

🎹 Progress
• Beethoven – Moonlight Sonata: Still uneven in places, but improving.
• Wynn-Anne Rossi – A Wild Chase: Nearly complete and played from memory.
• Trumpet Tune (Clarke/Purcell): Slow but steady.

Recorded on the Kawai NV10 using Cubase 15 and Pianoteq 9 with a Shigeru Kawai SK-EX piano model.

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