Arensky: Andante con variazioni Op. 36-23 -- memorizing problem and others

Here is another "Andante con variazioni".

Anton Arensky (1961-1906) was a Russian composer of Romantics, a pianist and a professor of music. As a composer he was influenced by Tchaikovsky and especially good at chamber music. This piece is included in "24 Morceaux caractéristiques, Op. 36" (1894), covering all 24 major and minor keys. It consists of a theme (Moderato, not Andante) and 5 variations. Following the relaxing and delicate theme the first 3 variations develop in such a traditional manner as Schubert did in his Op.142-3, and then he switches to rich open sound with heavy use of pedal in the remaining 2 variations.

This piece is written in H major and it moves to G# minor and other nearby keys. I am not good at memorizing pieces with many black keys, especially when it is slow tonal music. I prepared this piece for almost 1 month before the performance in the piano circle, but failed miserably in playing in the session (even worse than my Faure performance). I at first thought that it is due to a mental problem emphasized in the circumstance of playing such a piece before the audience. However it should be attributed to a bad preparation. Melody shaping and V->I progression are my weak points and I never feel at ease.

Generally my playing of this piece is less expressive than good pianists. Var 3 (andante) should be played more clearly with lower accompaniment. The last two variations (Var 4 and 5) could be played with richer tone. Before serious practice of Var 5 I imagined a scene of a wedding ceremony with many balloons soaring towards the sky. I could not make it sound like that. Var 2 is the only part I might have succeeded in attempting to make rich sound.

instrument: Yamaha C3L