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Welcome to the General Discussion Room for the AB Forum Recital #24!!!

Please use this room for any discussion of the pieces in Recital 24 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 #24 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!

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!

[post deleted...the problem I was having was with my computer, not the mp3 file. Never mind!]

Normally I wait until I have a few to post at once but, just to get the first review of the recital in:

01. wouter79 - Mozart KV545 So this is a piece I know well - it being the first one I did with my teacher. So it gets an oversized review

For the first movement (in my opinion drastically undervalued in terms of difficulty - it's the absolute hardest of the movements but often said to be the simplest) you took a very sensible tempo. As you mention it's hard to get the runs and arpeggios accurate and they mostly were. I would skip the repeats and the left hand could do with being a tad quieter in a couple of spots.

The second movement - oh so beautiful! There was a great dynamic range throughout the piece. I was intrigued at your use of semi-staccato in the Alberti bass in some parts. I must say I prefer the legato lines but it did work very nicely.

I missed hearing the third movement. I'm not sure if your comment about tasteless was referring to the Mozart or your current performance though!

#33 Laura Joffe, Fugue #17, Bach

Delightful Bach, Laura! Great control of the voices, you handled them all with clarity and feeling. I never got the impression that one voice was sacrificed for the sake of another. Intelligent and thoughtful playing. I don't know what else to say, it was a pleasure to listen.

#28 Andy Platt, Clementi Sonatina

Wow, that's really excellent. I felt like I was eavesdropping on a conversation, the expression was so clear. I could have sworn there was a jazzy sound in there. The second movement was sublime. This is simply outstanding playing, it's so excellent. Third movement, ok I'm losing track of the movements...the expression, dynamics, phrasing, emphasis of voices, all near perfect. I think the trill (s?) might need more practice, if you want to take your act to the big stage.

Overall, this is an outstanding piece that I couldn't wait to relisten. You are a convincing interpreter of Clementi, I hope you share more of this sound!

BTW this will be my order of review, random but within thematic groups. Thanks for the idea Cathy!

33. Laura Joffe - Fugue #17 in Ab BWV 862 (JS Bach)
28. Andy Platt - Clementi Sonatina No 4 in F (Muzio Clementi)
46. denali - Rondo Alla Turca (Mozart)
18. Bessel - Sonatina - Op 36, No 1, 3rd Mvmt (Clementi)
19. Sam S - Sonata K402 in e minor (Domenico Scarlatti)
32. Teodor - Bach D minor Little Prelude BWV 926 (Bach)
42. MaryBee - Sonata No.11 in B-flat major (Haydn)
44. Little_Blue_Engine - Prelude in C Major (Bach)
17. timmyab - prelude and fugue in d minor bwv 851 (Bach)
1. wouter79 - Mozart KV545 (W.A.Mozart)
3. crescendo - Viennese Sonatina no 1 - Minuet and Trio (W.A. Mozart)
36. hawgdriver (Leon) - Ländler (4) D366 (Schubert)
45. notbach - Von fremden Ländern und Menschen (Op. 15 No. 1) (Robert Schumann)
30. TX-Dennis (Dennis Turner) - Elegie (Jules Massenet)
31. Inlanding - Chopin Prelude b-min, and an Original (Chopin, et. al)
29. raptor - Burgmüller Ballade (Burgmüller)
20. Clemente - Cartas de Amor: Valses íntimos: #1(Love Letters: Intimate Waltzes: #1) (Enrique Granados)
50. Sam Rose (Shmuel R) - Fantaisie Impromptu (Chopin)
41. Yamaha G-3 & P-80, Mike White - Erotik, Lyric Pieces Op 43, No. 5 (Grieg)
48. mcasl - Arabesque #1 (Claude Debussy)
21. SwissMs - Spanish Medley ()
38. FarmGirl - Pathetique 2nd Movement (Beethoven)
24. dannylux / Mel - "Greetings To Liszt" Etude (Otto Nicolai)
14. joangolfing - Prelude No. 1 in G Minor (Catherine Rollin)
40. WiseBuff - Addie (John Maroney)
13. BenPiano - Nuvole Bianche (Einaudi)
4. CarlosCC - Monday (Einaudi, Ludovico)
35. cgyan (Iain) - The Snow Prelude No.15 (Ludovico Einaudi)
49. Dara - Waves Between Silence (Dara C.)
5. Jazzwee - Body and Soul (Johnny Green)
11. Ken. - Evidence (Thelonious Monk)
47. CASINITALY (Cheryl) - Ragtime Do-Si-Do (Mier, Martha)
8. jazztpt - A Long Time In The Making (jazztpt)
10. Riddler (Ed) - I Remember Clifford (Benny Golson)
43. Cathy Turner/jotur - Salty Dog Rag (Red Foley)
26. CebuKid - The Chrysanthemum - an Intermezzo (Scott Joplin)
39. Copper - When You Wish Upon a Star (Leigh Harline)
25. Monica K. - Behind the Waterfall/Desert Rain Medley (David Lanz)
23. Wayne32yrs - Lady Gaga - Telephone (Lady Gaga)
22. Serge88 - You're Beautiful (James Blunt, Skarbek and Ghost)
15. TrapperJohn - So In Love (Cole Porter)
34. BillM (formerly b528nf7) - I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues (John/Taupin)
6. knotty - Blue Bossa (Kenny Dorham)
12. (Was)TrueBeginner - Sighs Of The Night (Original)
2. Peyton - In the Blink of an Eye (Peyton Higgison)
16. Augustina - Defying Gravity (Stephen Schwartz)
7. Mr_Super-Hunky - Tears of Joy - original cover (Joe Bongiorno)
9. ladypayne - The song of the unkown (Myself!)
37. JeanieA - Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen)
27. Norah - The Cutty Sark ()

That's really funny I decided my thematic group this time would be roughly alphabetical order At least it mixes things up.

How did you get to #33 already? Oh - the streaming player?

Cathy

46. denali - Rondo Alla Turca (Mozart)

Great job making the piece musical! As a matter of taste, I like a faster tempo...but well done at the speed you picked!

18. Bessel - Sonatina - Op 36, No 1, 3rd Mvmt (Clementi)

Ah, more Clementi. To be honest, I have neglected Clementi, and I might have to change my ways. Is this dude Italian? It's a real pleasure to listen. Great melody line and expression. Very musical. Maybe a bit lighter with the LH, and more synchronous in those little crunchy triplet-y bursts I heard a couple of times. You really let the melody sing in a few spots and I found that very appealing. Excellent job!

36. hawgdriver (Leon) - Ländler (4) D366

hey hawgdriver...I'm not quite in full-take-notes-listen mode right now, but just browsing the streaming player. Your piece is one that grabbed my attention, and I listened all the way through!

What a pretty waltz, and I love waltzes - always have, since I was a kid. I'll have to wait for the recital thread to finish so I can read the description. This is definitely a piece I'd like to learn. You performed it nicely.

38. FarmGirl - Pathetique 2nd Movement

Ahhh...now Farmgirl's piece is playing as I just finished Leon's review..lol. The Pathetique Sonata is among my favorites of Beethoven.. I love all 3(?) movements. This is one that the player must play with some hint of sadness, and you achieved that. Great performance.

19. Sam S - Sonata K402 in e minor (Domenico Scarlatti)
Sam, I hear great depth and emotional power in your playing. You are really making a point with your playing. Great understanding of the "spaces in between" if that makes any sense. You are using the whole museum and not just the canvass.

Nice technique, very nice rhythm in trills.

<aside> I should be writing my law school exam right now But this is WAY more fun!!

Great contrasts in dynamics, your p, pp, mf, sf, etc., are all working as advertised!

Overall, this was a deep experience, very thoughtful and complete. You commanded my attention and contemplation. Outstanding job, Sam.

32. Teodor - Bach D minor Little Prelude BWV 926 (Bach)

Great trills. Great rhythm. Good grief this is really outstanding, I can tell right away. Very sophisticated, complex, and nuanced expression. I'm only upset it was so brief! You must be doing something right at that school, keep it up!

01 wouter 79 - Mozart KV545, Mozart
Yes, I hear most of the issues you pointed out, but it's still a really nice performance. I don't think I could hold my concentration for long enough to play this (if I could play that fast in the first place). This is a really solid performance and a wonderful recording. Yes, I listened all the way through.

02 Peyton - In the Blink of an Eye, P. Higgison
This piece is a very emotional experience. So poignant and so beautiful. I am in awe.

03 crescendo - Viennese Sonatina no 1 - Minuet and Trio, Mozart
Congratulations on your first recital. I trust it will not be the last. This is not a bad recording for a cell phone. As you pointed out, your performance isn't perfect. So what? It's still enjoyable and a nice work in progress. Well done.

04 CarlosCC - Monday, Ludovico Einaudi
This is a new piece to me and quite an interesting one. It sounds quite challenging to play well. Despite your protestations to the contrary, you have turned in an admirable and enjoyable recording. I did not find the piece sad.

05 Jazzwee - Body and Soul, Johnny Green
Just enough melody to keep my attention. When I hear a standard I need to hear the melody. I suppose that makes me an unsophisticated listener, but I am what I am. Your performance is nice and mellow the way this song is meant to be. Nice improv all the way through.

06 knotty - Blue Bossa, Kenny Dorham
Nice! I particularly like the interplay between sax and piano in the second half of the recording. Really fun stuff.

07 Mr_Super-Hunky - Tears of Joy, Joe Bongiorno
What a nice journey this is! I must confess to have never heard the original, so this is all new to me. I admire the arpeggios. That's something I find difficult. You handle them with aplomb. A very enjoyable performance.

@ Ceebs: thanks for the *early* feedback, you gotta know we love it! This one is much rougher than my typical play a bazillion times until you get a good recording fare--it's more of a live recital type submission. Still, I hope the obvious hesitations are not too disorienting, and it offers enjoyment for a listener!

That's all for now, must return to writing my exam and my concentration is fading a bit on listening. So far some really excellent submissions!

01. wouter79 - Mozart KV545 Very enjoyable Wouter. Your abilities are improving at a noticeable pace. Sounded very tricky in parts to me. Well done.

02. Peyton - In the Blink of an Eye It's always a pleasure to listen to what you come up with and this is no exception. Some of the runs were very impressive. Nice job.

03. crescendo - Viennese Sonatina no 1 - Minuet and Trio I thought for a first timer this was exceptional. Keep up the great work.

04. CarlosCC - Monday This was a very beautiful and emotional performance Carlos. Your delicate touch was perfect for this soft piece. Very nice.

05. Jazzwee - Body and Soul wow, now this IS as smoooth as it gets. I could listen to this all day. So relaxing, so nice.

06. knotty - Blue Bossa Cha-cha-cha, you got me groovin' in my slippers. Very nicely performed. Very professional sounding. Nice multi instrument interaction as well. Well done.

07. Mr_Super-Hunky - Tears of Joy - original cover I can't believe you clipped the mic....again! 'Control' remember? Do it again sometime and fix it.

08. jazztpt - A Long Time In The Making I loved the stormy night type of emotion put into this performance. Very delicate and effective. Well done.

09. ladypayne - The song of the unkown This was very enjoyable to hear what you have created. I liked the flowing melodies and octave changes with the patterns. Your ending was very nice and timed perfectly as well. I don't know why but I would title this piece 'determination'. It just sounds like a piece in which endurance and stamina pay off to a beautiful plateau of an ending. nicely done.

10. Riddler (Ed) - I Remember Clifford Very nice Ed. The sound quality of the Pianoteq is very full and rich. A wise investment. Overall another outstanding performance from you.

16. Augustina - Defyng Gravity I enjoy this author's books, too - I'm not familiar with the songs from the musical, but this one lives up to its name! Glad to hear you enjoying your new keyboard.

28. Andy Platt - Sonatina What a treat! I love the way you held the bass together with all the notes - wow. And you made all the movements hang together as a whole even tho they were quite different. Well done.

13. BenPiano- Nuvole Bianche This was lovely. Wonderful quietness and then the rippling-water effects. Nicely played.

18. Bessel - Sonatina Well done! Very musical, and nice interpretations.

34. BillM - I Guess That's Why... This was cool. I loved the whole character of the piano part - that aggressive, definite, in-your-face kind of playing. Way cool

04. CarlosCC - Monday Maybe more wistful in places than sad. Pretty good - and quite calming - for an "emergency" piece

20. Clemente - Cartas de Amor What a lovely, lilting little piece. Very delicately and tenderly played.

26. CebuKid - The Chrysantheumum It put a smile on my face Somehow I thought of circuses, or cartoons. At any rate, you made it a happy piece.

Cathy

hawgs, yes, but I actually prefer this type of performance. Imagine if we all played in front of each other...live. One take, and no mulligans!! As someone else stated, if you want perfect, then buy a CD or spend time and "splice" your perfect sections together (I know a few YOuTubers who do this).

I took about 10 mullies myself, so this is the "worst" I've done yet for a recital. I usually do the "best of 3 takes". I'm definitely taking it easy next time - I plan to do just a 2 or 3 pager...not sure yet.

24. dannylux - Greetings to Liszt The same dates as Chopin. . .oh, never mind What a lovely piece and you played it beautifully. I like the melody echoes in the left hand and the you make the whole piece move.

35. cgyan - Snow Prelude Wow, very evocative of its title. The reverb was perfect, and you played it just right.

39. Copper - When You Wish Upon a Star You have Disney nailed. You have a great feel for this, and just the right touch. I loved it.

38. FarmGirl - Pathetique You ate in the fridge?!? From the first note I was captivated. This was beautiful.

47. casinitaly - Ragtime Do-Si-Do Can't go wrong with a rag, IMO. I tapped my foot all the way thru it and had to laugh a couple of times, which is what I do when I'm delighted.

Cathy

My comments will definitely sound repetitive, since I'm not much of a music critic. I'm going in pretty much a random order because linear = boring
I feel like a kid in a candy shop. Listen to that one! No, that one! No, I want them all! I hardly know any of these pieces, which makes this so much more fun.

I'll try to comment on every piece, although I don't know how long it will take me. See if you can spot a recurring theme in my comments


31. Inlanding - Chopin Prelude b-min, and an Original
Kudos to you for being the only other person to do Chopin. Before you submitted, I was worried I'd be the only one. Nice jazzy stuff at the end too! I really need to learn how to improvise like that. Thanks for sharing a bit of yourself with me!

01. wouter79 - Mozart KV545
Wow! That's a long piece. I actually listened to the whole thing, and enjoyed every bit of it. As expected from the recording wizard, the recording quality is superb. The rhythm seems difficult at times, and there doesn't seem to be much pedal, so you can't use it to blur mistakes either, and it sounds great!
Thanks for sharing a bit of yourself with me!

48. mcasl - Arabesque #1
I love this piece, and you did a beautiful job. I normally prefer it a bit faster, but that's a matter of taste I suppose. Thanks for sharing a bit of yourself with me!

13. BenPiano - Nuvole Bianche
I haven't heard this one before (I'm going to be saying this a lot, as I haven't heard most of the music on display here). It's hauntingly beautiful, and it has some similarities to a part of the Lord of the Rings soundtrack, which never hurts. I only heard your flubs because I loved it so much that I listened to it multiple times. Thanks for sharing a bit of yourself with me!

02. Peyton - In the Blink of an Eye
You and the piano seem like one unit. I'm very impressed. Lovely, dreamy, music and nice work with the video too! Thanks for sharing a bit of yourself with me!

09. ladypayne - The song of the unkown
Really nice!! Teach me how to do that! I have music in my head but I don't yet know how to get it out. I can't come up with a good name for it, but it's beautiful! Thanks for sharing a (bigger) bit of yourself with me!

28. Andy Platt - Clementi Sonatina No 4 in F
This doesn't sound too easy to play, but you don't seem to have any trouble with it. I kinda feel like dancing now. Excuse me while I go do that...
Ok, all done. Thanks for sharing a bit of yourself with me!

36. hawgdriver (Leon) - Ländler (4) D366
I noticed the video you posted is at a faster tempo than the one in the recital. I prefer the recital one. Anyway, I really enjoyed listening to you play. Lots of good dynamics in there. I'd have to listen to this many times to match the amount of time you've spent listening to my crappy recordings. As someone you might know once told me, "That's maximum awesome!" Thanks for sharing a bit of yourself with me!

38. FarmGirl - Pathetique 2nd Movement
Beautiful playing! I like your touch on the piano. Very nice. I was half expecting your husband and your dog to crawl out from under the piano any second Thanks for sharing a bit of yourself with me!

47. CASINITALY (Cheryl) - Ragtime Do-Si-Do
Excellent! I was also tapping my foot to this one. So much improvement from the last recording I heard of yours (which I think was the one you sent me from last recital)!! Thanks for sharing a bit of yourself with me!

Sam, your comments are great

33. Laura Joffee - Fugue #17 I knew I liked Bach, and this is why. What a great piece, and you played it like it was meant to be played.

44. Little Blue Engine - Prelude in C Major See - I knew I liked Bach This was delightful. Congratulations on facing the red dot and coming out ahead!

37. JeanieA - Hallelujah Well, this was still pretty good after 972 tries. I'd be exhausted. I like the way the bass keeps it moving along.

05. jazzwee - Body and Soul Ah, jazzwee, we knew you when This was pro. Wonderful wonderful playing and style.

06. knotty - Blue Bossa Great! Our jazz guys hit it this recital. The opening and solo were terriffic.

31. Inlanding - Chopin & Chopin Glad to know you're back at the piano. Hope this quiet beauty is a reflection of where you're at - you deserve it after all the cr*p! See you soon, I think, at the Denver piano party.

36. hawgdriver - Landler I've danced some landlers, and I'm glad to hear you played these with character. The first one was like those little figures that pop out of cuckoo clocks - I knew a dancer just like that. I enjoyed these a lot.

25. Monica K. - Behind the Waterfall/Desert Rain The slide show was perfect for this medley, and vice versa, too. My kind of country. And wow, your son is sure growing up! You played this so well - it must have been really fun to go back to an earlier piece, because you really owned it. Wonderful.

That's all for tonight - I'm looking forward to the rest of these. Great recital.

Cathy

Just finished listening through the streaming player from 1 thru 50. A lot of great playing, and I'll get to the comments in time. Great recital, no question. I often found myself thinking, "this is really great, who is this?" and I'd check the player and I'd be surprised by the identity of the performer! A lot of progress going on in ABF! (well...me, not so much... :p )

Ok, I'm nearly done with this irritating exam...oh, is it midnight? arg.