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Welcome to the General Discussion Room for the AB Forum Recital 20!!!

Please utilize this room for any discussion of the pieces in Recital 20 that is taking place in the Main Recital Thread.

Discussions and replies can be posted at-will. Feel free to comment on any or all individual pieces. Some members offer comments on each submission individually; others offer general congratulations. Either approach is appropriate. Feel free to offer more specific, technical feedback if the participant had indicated that technical feedback was welcome.

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Recital #20 Response Template

Please use this thread only to discuss recital performances. If you have any comments or suggestions about ways to make the recital process better, please start a separate thread.

Enjoy the music!

Just wanted to offer my congratulations to one and all for another terrific recital!

I've been swamped at work the past two weeks, so I was not able to cheat and start listening early to the submissions. I'll try to get to specific comments in the next few days. But I will say that I have been hearing some absolutely lovely music all evening.

I'm jumping around, mostly the videos. Must give a big thumbs up to Inlanding - Glen for his improv Invention 1...check it out!

Monica k: Very beautiful!Your chords at the end were lovely too
dannylux: nicely played!
MR Super-Hunky: A wonderful melody and beautifully played
Riddler: Great job! Sounded very nice
Roger: Liked this one! Great job on improvising.
John Frank: I have always liked this song so I felt like skipping ahead and listening to your arrangement. It was very enjoyable and I liked the way you played the other instruments with the piano. Well done!
ladyaugustina: glad you made it in time for recital. Sounds very nice!

more comments later

I have some heavy reading to do for my morning class tomorrow but I couldn't wait to hear everybody, so I went ahead and skimmed through (I apologize in advance to some performers to whom I couldn't listen fully).

Excellent work by all. A few of my initial favorites (initial, because I haven't listened in detail to everybody):


20. Jazzwee - Stella by Starlight

31. MegumiNoda - Nocturne Op. 32 No. 1

37. beeboss - Very Early

40. AnotherSchmoe - Piano In An Empty Room

50. Inlanding - Glen - Short Conversation


Good job everybody!

01. epf - The Celebrated Chop Waltz

Now that was definitely the funnest opener I've heard to a recital so far! I've never heard the whole waltz like this, so it was a real treat to hear. Oh, and that looks much more difficult than the chopsticks I'm familiar with.

02. liszt85 - Etude Op.25 No.2

Holy crap! A player like you definitely needs a zoom product. Happy shopping!

03. dannylux / Mel - Bowen Serious Dance Op.51 No.2

A really beautiful piece and very well played.

04. Monica K. - Braveheart

Wow, I never knew that Einaudi wrote the music for Braveheart - cool! Other comment on Y.T.

05. Sam Smith - Song Without Words Opus 19/3

Sam, I admire you for tackling M.'s Songs Without words. This was terrific and sounds like a whole 'lotta fun to play!

06. PhilzPiano - Moonlight Sonata 1st mvt.

From what I heard, nice! Unfortunately, places in the piece were skipping around either on my end or the recording's end, so I couldn't listen to the whole thing. But anyway, from what I could hear, it was a great first submission.

07. ladypayne - I'll Fly Away

Yes, that does sound very difficult!

08. tdvance (Todd Vance) - Sonata No. 20 in G major, Op49 no. 2

I was looking forward to hearing this as I attempted this last winter but was rebuffed. For an "easy" Beethoven sonata, it really is difficult! I was delighted when the second movement kicked in - I wasn't expecting that! I can tell you put a lot of time into this one - well done!

You've inspired me to get back to this one. Someday!

Please don't take offence. Here's my humble feedback.

1 EPF - Fun to listen to. The glissando must have been fun to play!

2 Liszt85 - Like singing a lot of notes in one breath. Quite a feat just to play all the notes without a single slip!

3. Dannylux - Beautiful bass notes. What piano do you play? Very musical and relaxing.

4. Monica - Beautiful piece and nicely played.

5. Sam Smith - Not an easy piece and it is apparent you've worked hard learning this piece. Keep it up.

6. Philzpiano - Beautiful piece. Perhaps the melody can sing a bit more and the groups of 3-note accompaniment could be played softer? I know that is very hard to do given it's all in the right hand.

7. Ladypayne - A little heavy handed? Do you play a digital piano? That could explain why the bass is as loud as the melody. I think you were not quite ready with the piece yet. The rhythm needs some attention.

8. Tdvance - I can hear some good articulations in your playing, but thought a bit over use of the pedal? That's subject to person taste of course.

9. Truebeginner - Cute little sad song. Very steady rhythm. I thought the piece could make it more expressive with a bit of rubato thrown in here and there ;-)

10. Mr Super Hunky - Very nice and steady rhythm. I thought the bass could be softer to let the melody come out a bit more. This piece gives a very strange, melancholic feeling, like telling a story. Is it a soundtrack for a movie?

11. Serge88 - Finally we have Mozart ;-)

12. Tubbie0075 - No comment. That's me and my Kawai RX2!

13. Riddler - A nice jazz piece.

14. Ode2joy - Wow! Well done! Very nice balance between the left and right hand volume. Fluent and expressive playing. Sensible use of pedal.

15. Lavalse - a nice little gem

16. Joangolfing - I like your dynamics and what a beautiful sound on that piano! A digital or a grand?

17. Peyton - Bach! my favourite ;-)

18. Carlocc - beautiful!

19. Roger Ransom - Aren't you good at those arpeggios!

20. Jazzwee - need a nice glass of red wine to go with that. Mmmm... nice.

21. Ken - Not very familiar with the piece at the moment? Could hear hesitation in some parts.

22. Benpiano - What a gem! I like your phrasing and applying rubato very sensibly.

23. Keemanan - Well done bringing the melody out and playing with a steady rhythm.

24.Wouter79 - Ambitious! Notes not quite so even though. Perhaps play at a slightly slower tempo for the time being?

25. Yamaha G3 - A bit heavy handed? Otherwise, well played.

26. Glasslove - Need some oil on that pedal? Other than the pedal (which is a bit disturbing to hear, almost like you're gonna break it), very nice piece and well played ;-)

27. Wow! Jazzwee (no. 20) got some serious competition there! The quality of the recording is by far the best. What do you use to record? Now where's my glass of red wine...

28. Cgyan - This is so good it can go on a CD!

29. Casinitaly - Left hand can be softer? Other than that, nicely played.

30. Coper - Good tone. Is it me or is this piece quite similar to that of Casinitaly (No. 29)

---- Intermission ---

jazzwee - can we have more chords like the one at 00:27 - awesome improv. - really enjoyed listening - thank you.

MegumiNoda - really nice Nocturne - you obviously had thought a lot about the overall structure and pulled it off with an authentic/credible performance imo. My piano teacher would make the same small criticism he did to mine - you took your hands away before the sound died - something that was drilled into him at his convervatory was to never do that - and it's something he insists on - and I think it's a nice idea - when I remember but it's personal choice of course...

beeboss - awesome - loved it...

42. Bluekeys - Swipsey Cakewalk

If there were 10 Joplin submissions, I'd listen to all 10 first...lol. Nice work on Swipsey, Bluekeys! I liked your swing rhythm and tempo, and your version was very clean!

It's not just you, I heard a lot of skipping when listening to #6 (apart from that it was really good).

I've just spent the last couple of hours listening to it, and all the pieces are really good. I did wince (a lot) when mine came up, I didn't realise how quiet it was (sorry) and there were quite a few places that sounded really bad (I blame not playing anything other than a keyboard for two months :P)

So, if I want to listen on my iPhone, do I have to download the zip files into my computer's iTunes first and get everything on to my phone? I can't seem to get the streaming player to work. Anyone have any other ideas?

PS I was recording from 6:30 to 7:30 last night (central time zone here) and had to give up because time ran out and all my takes were horrid! maybe I can contribute to Mr Super Hunky's holiday thread.

Congrats to all who submitted recordings!

epf: Nicely played!
liszt85: I thought it sounded great!
Sam: This was pretty. Well done
PhilzPiano: your playing sounded nice and was very good but does skip around.
Tubbie0075:This was nice to listen to. Very pretty piece

ps. Also on my piece, I know it wasn't quite up to speed and ready yet. It would probably take a full memorization of that piece and alot more work in order to play it perfectly but got rather tired of playing it So hope you enjoy it nonetheless. The base is probably louder due to my positioning of the digital camera. Maybe I should have put the camera on the other side of the piano

Shiro, you should just be able to click on the "direct link" in each of the individual entries to the recital thread and listen to the pieces one at a time.

I'm baffled as to what happened to Phil's "Moonlight Sonata" piece. We're working behind the scenes to re-upload his recording and swap out a new direct link in the recital thread; fixing the zip file will probably have to wait until tonight, when I am at my home computer with all the other recital files.

Well, shucks. I've got an uncorrupted copy of Phil's piece, but the recital thread is now locked so I can't edit it but will need to have one of the moderators do so. In the mean time, here is the link:

Philzpiano's recording of Moonlight Sonata, uncorrupted this time

I have a big stack of papers to grade , but the recital so far has been so wonderful....I listened for far longer than I planned.

EPF: I loved this. Nice way to start the recital. I have never heard this piece in its entirety, just the "baby" version and a duet version. Very nicely played.

Liszt85: Holy cow, this sounds so challenging. Very nicely played. I listened wondering how you kept your fingers from getting tangled. It is hard to imagine it is meant to be played even faster. Excellent job.

Dannylux: VERY beautiful. It is a dreary overcast day where I am, but the sun peaked out for just a moment right at a quite dramatic part of your piece (first third or so). You planned that very nicely. Listening to this really made my morning. Thank you!!!

Monica: This really does sound like an Einaudi piece. Very beautifully played. Silky smooth playing.

Sam Smith: I love Songs without Words--some of my favorite pieces. You played it very well and it sounded like you were having a lot of fun with the piece. Best of luck on your next SWW piece. Cannot wait to tackle one myself!!!!

Philzpiano: This is such a excellent job, it is a pity that it cannot be listened to properly due to the skips. From what I could hear, you had very nice dynamics and a good steady tempo. Congrats on your first recital.

Ladypayne: nice chords, I don't know this piece but for a minute I thought that you were going to break into "The Entertainer." It sounds like a very hard piece indeed. Nicely played.

Tdvance: BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL!!! I love this piece and you did an excellent job with it. Quite remarkable for 21 months back at the piano.

Truebeginner: Wow, I LOVE THIS. You played it very expressively and the composition is just beautiful. Do you ever share your compositions with others. I would like to be able to play this one day.

MrSuperHunky: I love the melody of this piece as it is both sad and sweet. Your dynamics are very nice and your playing is very smooth.

More Later!!!! Thanks to everyone so far. I am sure my students should thank you too because your beautiful music has elevated my mood. I am sure that the grades that I assign them will certainly reflect this!!!

01. epf - The Celebrated Chop Waltz

Nice polished rendition - very much fun listening to and watching.

02. liszt85 - Etude Op.25 No.2

Very fast (is this the standard tempo?) and very well played.

03. dannylux / Mel - Bowen Serious Dance Op.51 No.2

Never heard of Bowen - a pleasant piece not all that "serious" and extremely well played - as usual - enjoyed this.

04. Monica K. - Braveheart

Lovely piece and very nicely executed - up to your usual very high standards - love the sound of your M&H !

I had the distinct impression while watching/listening that you would/could have really absolutely nailed this piece to perfection if you had memorized it, which at nearly 6 minutes might have seemed daunting (although technically the music seemed somewhat repetitive enough to possibly allow for this - well maybe?)

But, as always, love your pianistic efforts!

JF

05. Sam Smith - Song Without Words Opus 19/3

Great job Sam - seemingly not an easy work - enjoyed listening - who turnrd the dogs (foxhounds) lose?!

06. PhilzPiano - Moonlight Sonata 1st mvt.

Well done on this classic (or at least what I could hear) - may come back later for a better listen/more comments.

07. ladypayne - I'll Fly Away

Isn't this an old hymn? Played with passion and inspiration! Good job.


More to follow...

JF

I download the zip files to my computer, unzip them, drag the mp3 files into iTunes, and then copy the Recital #20 album to my iPod. Works great for me.

Sorry you couldn't get something in for this recital.

01. epf - The Celebrated Chop Waltz Not bad, a couple of hesitations during the glissandi, but otherwise okay!

02. liszt85 - Etude Op.25 No.2 Very nicely played. It seemed that the right hand was a little too dominant, but that might simply have been the recording.

03. dannylux / Mel - Bowen Serious Dance Op.51 No.2 Very nice touch on this piece, delicate yet clear. A few tiny slips but nothing that was really noticeable unless, like me, you were listening critically (and I always do that). I enjoyed this very much.

04. Monica K. - Braveheart Beautiful! You really brought out the haunting qualities of this piece in a way that the full orchestra couldn't. Well done!

05. Sam Smith - Song Without Words Opus 19/3 Very jaunty! You brought out the playfulness of this piece very well. I heard a couple of slips, but nothing glaring or that would detract from the otherwise excellent playing. Good job!

06. PhilzPiano - Moonlight Sonata 1st mvt. Watch your hand synchronization -- left and right should be played at the same time. You really brought out the melody with your little finger and you pretty much nailed the dynamics. Thanks for submitting this!

07. ladypayne - I'll Fly Away What an interesting mix of styles: a definite Gospel style, some blues and rag. No -- I'd say this was certainly not an easy piece to play. Toe tapping good! Do I hear an Amen?

08. tdvance (Todd Vance) - Sonata No. 20 in G major, Op49 no. 2 This grabbed me right from the beginning! Nicely done!

09. TrueBeginner - Dew Drop on the Leaf I have to admit that from the title I expected something light and, instead, got this dark piece. Nice melody and a wonderful left hand line -- it really works!

10. Mr Super-Hunky - Sea Feeling I don't know the piece, but it seems to be very close to a tone poem. I hear bells in the beginning, the tide rolling in (or, perhaps, out). Nicely played.

More later (really).

Ed

01. epf - The Celebrated Chop Waltz Loved this. I don't think I ever heard the Real version. Nice job!

02. liszt85 - Etude Op.25 No.2 Great job! It sounds pretty close to me! You mean it's supposed to be faster????!!!

03. dannylux / Mel - Bowen Serious Dance Op.51 No.2 This was beautiful. You did a good job of keeping the right hand soft. It's so difficult to do well but this sounded wonderful!

04. Monica K. - Braveheart Beautiful Monica! I can imagine how difficult those right hand arpeggios were! You did an amazing job of keeping the left hand steady throughout! Not always easy to do while the right hand is so busy. And I thought the tempo was perfect!

05. Sam Smith - Song Without Words Opus 19/3 I love Mendelssohn and would love to be able to play the whole Songs Without Words. I've only done 2 (and not all that well). The very beginning is quite different on my recording however.. I thought you did a very good job!


06. PhilzPiano - Moonlight Sonata 1st mvt. You did a very nice job on this but the recording seemed to jump a little...or maybe it was the streaming I'll have to download....

07. ladypayne - I'll Fly Away This was nice. I think the left hand was a little overpowering at times but overall a nice job. It sounds very difficult!

08. tdvance (Todd Vance) - Sonata No. 20 in G major, Op49 no. 2 I am learning the first movement right now and did the second a while ago It's lovely and very difficult in places. I think it will be a while before I have the first movement this polished! Great job! I was getting a little frustrated/tired with this but now I'm inspired. Thank you!

09. TrueBeginner - Dew Drop on the Leaf Beautiful. This sounded familiar. It must have been inspired by a piece that I've heard before. I thought you did a good job keeping it steady that's always difficult for me! Sometimes I thought the left hand could have been quieter but I really enjoyed it. Amazing for less than 3 years playing!

10. Mr Super-Hunky - Sea Feeling As usual a very nice composition. I imagine you are one of those who can just sit and make beautiful music come out of that piano when ever you choose..... nice wanna come to my Christmas party!??!

11. Serge88 - Piano Concerto no.20 2nd mvt k.466 (intro) I thought you did a great job on this familiar classical piece! I really enjoyed it.

12. Tubbie0075 - Ballade pour Adeline ooooooh Loved this! So glad you had the opportunity to record and share.. Beautiful job! There was a lot of feeling and easy to tell you loved playing it.

13. Riddler (Ed) - The Duke Nice job. I've been noodling with lead sheets for Christmas music. It's fun but not easy. You made it sound easier than it is!.

40. AnotherSchmoe - Piano In An Empty Room
Well done. I like the title and think it is quite appropriate for this somber piece. You captured the illusion very well.

41. Emphursis1/ Tom - Sonata #8 in C Minor 'Pathetique' Mvt 2 Adagio Cantible
Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor is a wonderfully beautiful piece. A piece such as this, will take a bit of time to get well under the fingers. You are off to a good start!

42. Bluekeys - Swipsey Cakewalk

Bluekeys, very nice job of delivering the goods with this piece. A very impressive first. I enjoyed listening very much!

43. EJR / Elwyn - Bah-ba-doo bah
EJR, I fell right into the groove of this music and was a bit disappointed that it was not as long as I would like it to be... so I hit the rewind a couple of times. You did a great job with this. It does seem to be a fun piece to play and one of those crowd pleasers. I must find he music to this.

44. John Frank - The Prayer

John, I thought Bocelli did this with Sarah Brightman, but then realized I was confusing this with "Time to Say Goodby". Both are both outstanding. Good job with the voices you put together. It sounds like a lot of work on your part, but worth the effort. Thanks.

45. grotrianer - Our evenings

Thank you for the introduction to this piece. It is well recorded and very well played. Love the tone of your Delta.

46. Mar_red - Song for My Father

I am not familiar with this music, but it certainly seems well suited for this pace. Nice sparkle to your playing. Well done.

47. b528nf7 - Bill - Here Comes the Sun

I am pretty sure there was a squeak in my Beatles version
As usual the singing is great; I thought you did very well with the piano playing here also. Good job Bill!

48. Playagain/ Kathy - Waltz Op. 69 No. 2
Kathy, a most impressive first ABF performance. I am perhaps influenced by the beauty of the piece, but not by much. I am dumbfounded as to why Chopin did not hold it in very high regard. I bit of clipping in an otherwise lovely performance. Bravo!

49. Augustina - Toccata & Fugue in d minor
The improvisation flowed very well. Nice job.

50. Inlanding - Glen - Short Conversation
Excellent ending to the recital, Inlanding. I liked this and your improvisation playing is outstanding!