Color Without Color

Op. 118: II. Intermezzo in A Major (Brahms).

For my piano exam in 2019 through which I received the High School Diploma in Social Music, I had to memorize eight songs, on top of all the chords, scales, and arpeggios if I remember correctly. Of the songs I played, the song above by Brahms was without a doubt my favorite. I played it so many times that my muscle memory is still in tact (for the first page at least…). The sheet is heavily marked with various colors so that they stick out to me. Some notes are circled, in some areas my teacher emphasized how loud or soft I should play, and in other spots I was told to “lift” the note. I like the chaotic look of the sheet music, especially after turning it black and white.