Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Recital #28 --- General Discussion Room

44. Valencia - Work in Progress --Chopin's Etude 25/11 Wow, this is one tough project! Sounds like you're making good progress.

45. jotur/Cathy Turner - Alexander's Ragtime Band Very fun song. I enjoyed listening to it, and I bet your seniors did too!

46. Coldsalmon - Nocturne in Eb Major, Op. 9 No. 2 I love this piece, and you play it so sweetly. So sad about your piano, though. Hope you can get another at some point.

47. windywindy - Love Is All Around What an upbeat feeling you give to this song! It raises my spirits just listening to it.

48. Teodor - Tereza's Inspiration (Original Piece) You're getting into composition now - very nice! I like this one a great deal. It has a depth to it that grabs my attention, and your playing complements it very well. What were you dissatisfied with -- the playing or the composition itself?

49. BillM - When You Wish Upon A Star This is one of my favorite Disney songs too. You've got a great voice for this one -- especially those deep notes.

50. Bessel - The Happy Farmer (Returning from Work), and Wild Horseman Listening to The Happy Farmer made me happy. Despite a small stumble or two, you've really got the feeling for these two pieces. Glad to hear you're re-motivated!

51. PianoStudent88 - Minuets BWV Anh. 114, 115 I really like the little ornaments you've added to both these pieces. Were they notated in the score, or did you add those yourself? Have you tried to stretch the dynamics a bit? I think that would add a lot of interest, especially in BWV 114.

52. Mar_red - Dom (Home) / Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - Medley. The two pieces are both very well done -- you can certainly handle quite different styles. But such an unexpected combination! The first is so serious, and then the second is, well..., it's Santa Claus! (A much more interesting version that one usually hears, though.) Love the ending.

53. Sam Rose (Shmuel R) - Solfeggietto (Solfeggio) in C Minor I was just playing through (sight-reading) this piece tonight. Bringing it up to speed and playing it as musically as you have would be a real challenge. You've done such an excellent job with it.

54. Norrec, Tim - Solitude Nice playing. You must enjoy learning and playing these anime pieces. I hope you enjoy the new things you're learning with your teacher just as much.

55. Mile Hi Steve - Halloween Potpourri Oohh. I've got goosebumps! What a great set for Halloween.

My last batch of reviews:

46. Coldsalmon - Nocturne in Eb Major, Op. 9 No. 2 I am so sorry to hear about your piano! That is sad. Very nice job on this Nocturne. You gave it a nice tranquil feel, that fits very well. Very nice balance between the melody and accompaniment.

47. windywindy - Love Is All Around Very nice playing on this old classic.

48. Teodor - Tereza's Inspiration (Original Piece) What a beautiful, sensitive song. I like your powerful transition into the finish. Very nice.

49. BillM - When You Wish Upon A Star I like the very full and rich accompaniments that you do for your vocals. This is one of my favorite Disney tunes, and you sang it beautifully.

50. Bessel - The Happy Farmer (Returning from Work), and Wild Horseman These are such fun little pieces. Very nice job!

51. PianoStudent88 - Minuets BWV Anh. 114, 115 These two pair so well. Very nice ornamentation and dynamic balancing of the voices.

52. Mar_red - Dom (Home) / Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - Medley. The first piece is beautiful. The arrangement is full and rich and your phrasing was very nice. The transition into the second piece was well done and the Santa was a lot of fun! I really enjoyed your arrangement. Great listening!

53. Sam Rose (Shmuel R) - Solfeggietto (Solfeggio) in C Minor Isn’t this piece fun? It looks easy but it is quite the work out. Your Presto is quite presto! I thought you did an outstanding job on this.

54. Norrec, Tim - Solitude This a very pretty piece and you played it well. Excellent job for the short time you have been at the keyboard.

55. Mile Hi Steve - Halloween Potpourri Wow! What a powerful mix you have created! I like the tension and suspense that you build through the medley. The organ finale was a nice touch.

Thanks to everyone for such beautiful music. I love listening to these recitals and hearing everyone's progress.

I'm delighted with the comments you made on my piece. It is a pleasure to contribute to these magnificent recitals.
Here are some comments on comments:

Jazzwee - Jazzwee, this was not pre-planned. I was playing some variations arround the theme and I just joined them until I get the final result. It was a matter of 2/3 sessions. Thanks for your comments.

BenPiano - BenPiano, I put this on piano at the same time I was listening the variations in my mind. There was no "gap" between thinking and playing. Thanks for your comments.

ATallGuyNH - P85 is fine to practice, althoug there are, today, other models you may consider. I'm glade you like my piece. Thanks for your comments.

Allard - Allard, I was focused and envolved with the original tune, so It was easy to get the mood. Thanks for your comments.

Casinitaly - Cas, as I'm free as a bird to choose my repertoire, it's normal to pay attention on what my close family tell about new pieces (and they are very picky...!). Here, at PW, you also have a major role on my progress and choices. I love to play to you all. About the piece, I was focused and envolved with the original tune, so it was easy to follow the mood. Thanks for your comments.

BeccaBb, Bessel and Sam S - I payed attention to "aditional info" field while submiting this, because I doesn't want to keep the original melody credits for me. Thanks for your comments.

TrapperJohn, TX-Dennis, BillM and CebuKid - I'm glade you like my piece. Thanks for your comment.

Jotur - When I was seeking about the story of this piece, I was intrigued when I realized it was +500 years. I agree it's a beautifull music. Thansk for your comments

Windywindy - Very well observed Windywindy. The LH work gives a Renascence touch to my extension. I didn't notice it...

Amaruk - Yes it's old... and it was a surprise for me, too. I may try to write this version for share with you. Thanks for your comments.

Mr Super-Hunky - Mr SH, thanks so much for your comment. I didn't had realized that my piece was so... exquisite. But, yes, it is, I agree. Thanks for your comments.

MaryBee - I din't follow any rules regarding with composing. I was just inspired and moving forward whit my hands. Thanks for your comments.

Jazztpt - I had to make a warn because I'm not so perfeccionist as some of the members of PW. I'm glad you like my piece. Thanks for your comments.

More later.

Thank you all for your kind comments on my playing of the Petzold Minuets.

MaryBee, the ornaments were written in my score. This is the Henle urtext edition, so that means they were also written in the original score. I'd like to learn how to add ornamentation in a Baroque style when it's not written in, but I don't know where I'm ever going to find the resources to teach me that.

Hi, CarlosCC -

Hm. I think you mean +100 years old for Alexander's Ragtime Band, and I'll admit it amazes me, too. It lets me know just how old *I'm* getting that it seemed still fresh when I was a kid.

Then again, I guess I wouldn't be surprised if Irving Berlin had quoted some melody that's more than 500 years old. It was the style in popular music of that day to quote rather liberally from other songs/tunes. And tunes/songs were popular for a long time - many of the big band era swing tunes were 30 or more years old - ARB was still going strong during WWII.

Thanks for taking the time to listen and comment - these recitals are great.

Cathy

Starkeys, thanks so much for your kind words and encouragement to try singing along with my self (at the keyboard or afterwards... ) Thank goodness for modern technology, it gives us so many options!

I was just wondering.

Now that we have lots of recital comments, and comments on the comments. Is there a way we can take this to the next level and have comments on the comments which were based upon the original comments? You see, if we do, we might be able to keep this going a while until we reach the next "one month 'till recital" thread in which we will start the pre-hype comments, followed by the actual performance comments which leads to the comments on comments that ultimately could lead to the new comment on comment on comment category.


No, we're not a repetitive bunch, just very thorough that's all! Hehe.

I wasn't perfectly happy with the playing but I did my best, the important thing is, I am moving forward and making progress.

I was going to wait and thank everyone as a group who commented on my song after AndyPlatt the way I thanked everyone who commented up to him, but since one of two people who posted since then is not in the ecital and just posted her last batch of comments, I will comment now, since I'm afraid she will not see it otherwise.

Thank you both for your very kinds words of support. I've always been attracted by the story-telling aspect of song, and since my parents started taking us to Broadway musicals at about age 5, I thought my sister would appreciate that approach to her art as well.

That's right, Cathy, I wanted to mean the beginning of 20th century. IMO a music can catch you no matter how old it is - 100, +500 years old, who cares? -. That's the true beauty of music.
Thanks for listening and comment my piece, too.

Here's my next response category. I still have one after this:

7. Classical, but not the usual type of selection we’ve come to expect from these people

Both people in this category departed from their typical selections without any loss of quality in their playing. Since I value exploration and openness above all else, even in classical music, I had to honor these departures with a special category.

3 CebuKid
5 Wouter79

CebuKid – Quite an about face – from Joplin to Bach. Great finger action!--I'm sure Joplin didn't hurt in this respect. Wouter79 – I found this lighter and more charming and emotional than your usual selections from the period. Nice to see another side of Wouter79.

But we long ago reached that level of commentary (the "3rd level", one could call it) and some adventurous souls have already explored the interesting possibilities of the 4th level (comments on the comments on the comments on the comments) - it has become an advanced "fine art"...

And while this process does to a large degree serve an informational function, it's alternative, not-so-well-hidden agenda is to garner to oneself multiple compliments far beyond those originally received - this is accomplished primarily through the technique of "quoting" the nice things reviewers say about one's performance so that they appear again (and again) in the thread while one comments on the compliments (predominantly by complimenting the complimentor on his/her very good taste for complimenting you in the first place ) .

Not that there's anything wrong with this...I myself am a confirmed devotee and veteran practitioner of this long-established method of personal aggrandisement and shameless self promotion

Comments anyone?


Trap

That sounds like a lot of work --- there'd be too much time spent writing comments and not enough playing piano!

Yes, sure, I’ll comment – since this metacommentary started directly after the posts represented by Cheryl and my continued dialogue.

This sounds like another convenient excuse for not engaging in any helpful give and take in the ABF, except that of holding forth about ones “cynical” opinions, including not taking on any of the responsibility for participation in the ecital for commenting on anyone’s performance except one’s own-- including providing video commentary on the latter which no one seems interested on commenting on. Sounds like sour grapes to me. If not the musings of a “jaundice eye,” at least those of a decidedly curmudgeon-ly one. At this time of year, Henry F. Potter, the miserable mean old man played by Lionel Barrymore in “It’s a Wonderful Life” comes to mind.

Maybe a curmudgeon with only one jaundiced eye - right in the center of my forehead

And, yes! Henry - one of my all time favorite heros (along with Darth Vader and Scrooge).

Sorry you took my commentary personally - actually I didn't even know you and Cheryl were having a "dialog" - I long ago stopped reading these threads in their entirety - I was just scanning thru looking for something unusual and interesting when I came upon Hunky's post (which are almost always both) and it inspired me - my comments were general and referred to all the comments in all the Discussion Threads since the Recitals started way back when - and they were mostly intended as satirical humor (which we always seem to be so short of around here) - but as with all satire there is a small element of truth in it (I'm sure you'll admit in all honesty) - As a matter of fact, I think I may have been one of the first to use the commentary technique I parody (or at least one of the first to develope it into a fine art...)

Again I apologize if you took offense - none was intended toward anyone in particular (although maybe towards everyone in general )

Trap

BTW - if you'll scan back thru this thread you'll see that I have offered commentary on selected performances, almost all of which are complimentary...

Star Keys, Don't get worked up over Trapper. He really has no negative intent towards anyone here. Actually, some of his replies just crack me up like this last one.

It is the fact that we can poke fun at ourselves that makes this place so much fun.

Just toss a pie at him when he's not lookin'. (hint... insult Karen Carpenter tunes)!
It's okay. You can toss a pie at anyone here. After we all laugh it off, we'll just sit down and eat pie. What's not to love about that?

53. Sam Rose...Holy Cow Sam! This is fantastic!!! Very smooth and unforced. Just beautifully played. You are a natural!! I had to listen to it again. (Good recording too. And the piano sounds great.)

55. Mile hi Steve.- That must have been one heck of a Haloween party. It's a really interesting arrangement. I really like the middle section with the piano overlaying the distant organ.

SH, ever think of being a moderator here for a living? I hear they make big bucks and you would be great at it.

Mmmmm . . . pie!

Does that mean we shouldn't bother commenting on your recital submission, since you likely aren't reading those comments? Or are those are the "unusual and interesting" things you're looking for? On the other hand, maybe there are other people interested in reading the comments on your piece. Oh, wait... you probably won't be reading this post, so I shouldn't even bother asking.