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Andy Platt Ta for the comment!

"I liked the little glimpses of tunes like the Bond theme and Sting's Bourbon Street. How many did I miss I wonder? Very enjoyable, wonderfully played."

I`m beginning to wonder myself; you pick up stuff as you go along; unavoidable at my age, it`s part of your brain. Just listened to a new recording. A dead ringer of the old tune "I love my dog more than I love you" or something similar . . . form the 60`s . . .remember? Does anyone remember that one? Terrible isn`t it?

#1. Andy- Well...I made the mistake of reading Richards comments on your playing and I'm left wondering how I can even begin to comment after his thoughtful and educated review. How about...I agree with everything he says. But seriously, I know so little about this work and have such little confidence in my ability to offer advice all I can say is...I really enjoyed listening. I know what it is like to take such a monumental work with so much going on in the piece and play it to your satisfaction. (How do the pros do it??) But man, you are really getting good! Bravo!

Last lot. Great listen. Even Carlo`s cough . . .
(never stopped him in fact he got faster . . !)

50 Mar-Red Fluid playing of a sad theme; You never put a foot wrong. Sounded wonderful and full of atmosphere. Big finish too!

51 Shirokuro Haunting melody on a great sounding Yammy; Very full and melodic; hope you record some more.

52 Barbaram `Tis a bit different; Latin -y feel and fun sounding; great job particularly on the harmonics. Well done!

53 Ohio Mark Love the rhythm, almost 5-4 feel to it, with a blues feel for good measure. Great ending, Keep at it!

54 Mr Pozer Could almost hear the hammers plucking at the strings. Now, THET tell me Bach is good for the soul. I`d argue it`s even better for the fingers ,. . All too short. Enjoyed.

55 Sam Rose An intimate sounding piece fit for the drawing room (or smoking room) of a large country house . .log fire, lab on the floor, a place where the Port flows freely and the fog thickens . . .Loved it, man!

56 carlos88 This keeps tour fingers well oiled. Nice, nice. I`m a tad scared of stuff like this. Bach does train- like stuff; no time to think about what`s coming next. You know it or you don`t! You know it well. Right up to tempo and crisp on that great sounding piano you have. Excellento . . .

Have tomorrow off work everybody. You deserve it!!

18. Jazztpt (Russ) - For Russell
You've really captured the spirit of the gift of your first grandson in this composition. The piece is warm and comforting to listen to and adventurous (harmonically, as best as I'm able to describe) at the same time. Magic!

And your Roland sounds great, wish I had one of those...

19. Riddler (Ed) - Aranjuez
Great choice! I love this piece but haven't heard it in so long. This does sound like a song when you play it and so I think you've succeeded in getting a nice singing tone. The only thing I could say is that maybe you could create a greater sense of expansiveness, like an endless yearning for something. I don't quite know how to describe this, but maybe somehow through your dynamics and making the rhythm as steady as possible throughout...Just some random thoughts for down the road. It's possible that some of what I'm missing is that you are playing this somewhat 3rd hand (strings to vocals to piano) and so some of the sounds I'm expecting are just not going to be possible. Maybe try to expose a greater dynamic range if possible. Just minor quibbles because the performance was really great. Technically I think you nailed it and those right hand runs really sparkled.

Your recorded sound is very good, but I'm not sure if your dynamic range is fully captured? I'm going to have some questions for you sometime about pianoteq. I've been really thinking about trying it.

20. Greener / Jeff - Nocturne in Eb Major
Nicely done! I think this tempo is just fine. Not at all too fast. For some feedback, I think you might want to focus your efforts on a more steady rhythm so that the accompaniment doesn't get in the way of the melodic flow. Similarly, your ornamentation can be overemphasized at times as you are working on making it more effortless. You're probably already aware of this. I have always had trouble with that personally but getting better at it. Maybe try some Bach and Mozart pieces that have lots of mordents and trills? As these get better they will be less likely to interrupt your rhythmic flow. But in the mean time you can always cut them short or even cut them out completely while you work on incorporating them with a steady rhythm. I do it all the time!
The rhythm and fundamental structure is pretty much always more important than the ornaments. (just my amateur opinion of course)
Great work, thanks for sharing.

I listened to all of these recording.
I enjoyed them all.
Thank You Very Much

Another very fine collection of works, my congratulations to everyone who is brave enough to sumbit. Thanks to the organisers for taking time out of their own playing to bring us this recital and a special thanks to the creators. For someone like me this is the only chance I get to hear other amateur pianists. I find it very inspirational when not terrifying.

01. Andy Platt - Sonata 20 in G Major, Opus 49 No. 2 An impressive start to the recital. This piece sounds wonderful (but I do love Beethoven), but an easy sonata I think someones pulling your leg, I can hear how difficult it must have been to learn, great stuff

02. Monica K. - Lamentations of the Heart Your piano always sounds so good you really have a special one there. Very moving piece and as ever sounds very natural under your fingers.

03. Richard (zrtf90) - Sinfonia 1 with Invention 8 When I was a wee boy in Glasgow Bach sounded dull compared to Pink Floyd. Now many, many years and another country away, when I hear it played expertly as it is here, it’s just joyful listening to it

04. wouter79 - Ballade, op.118 no.3 Only 4.5 years playing and doing a grade 11 piece, you are one of the silent achievers of PW, or is that over achievers, lol. Very powerful piece, played very well I get inspiration from works like this and a little hope for my own future.

05. PikaPianist - Nocturne No. 5 in Bb major The iphone didn’t miss much, I still can tell I am listening to a gifted pianist. This is great stuff and even better knowing how you translated two versions into an original.

06. George Schiro - Heartache What a special piece, I am amazed at the complexity I hear but the overall flowing nature of the work. That is all due to your ability which is top notch.

07. dannylux / Mel - Coleridge-Taylor Three Fours Op.71 No.2 11/10 for this one. If I sold my soul to be a great piano player I would want to sound like this.

08. Mr Super Hunky - Beyond Violette I like how your improvised recording method actually adds something unusual to the piece, almost like I am watching from a distance. My eyesight isn’t great these days but my hearing says this is a master at work.

09. sinophilia (Diana) - Little Prelude BWV939 I know this piece so well because I am attempting to learn it at the moment. It is beyond me for the moment but you have nailed it.

10. SwissMS/Doris - Venetian Boat Song Opus 30 #6 I have listened to a few of your recital pieces now and they are always rich with emotion. This is a beautiful piece, any more refining it may become sublime.

11. Jazzwee - Wave If I were at one of your gigs I wouldn’t be talking I would be sitting with dropped jaw in envy and wonder.

12. Peyton - Mazurka Op. 17 No. 4 Not knowing any other versions I will of course in the future refer to this as the “Peyton” standard we all should aspire to.

13. Sam S - Preludes Book 1 Number 8 - La Fille aux cheveux de lin “sans rigeur” describes my playing but definitely not this gem. This is perfection and that’s not the sort of praise I use often.

14. earlofmar - Bagatelle Op 119, No 9 Why can’t you play like this all the time?

20. Greener / Jeff - Nocturne in Eb Major With Chopin and all other composer’s music, there is no question there are things to be done differently, but the way you own the melody and the way you deliver it is exactly as you wanted. No question, on further iterations of this piece, and as your technical vocabulary increases you’ll play it differently with other influencing factors coming into play. I very much enjoyed your expression of this Nocturne - great playing, Jeff!!

21. MaryBee - Sarabande (Pour le piano) Very rich sounding chords and the melody shines through the way you play it. I am very impressed with this and I’ve listened to it several times already. That Charles Walter upright sounds fantastic, too!

22. newbert - Rocket To The Moon Welcome to the ABF recital. Your first-ever submission was very excellent. I don’t know Jim Brickman’s compositions specifically, but you picked a very nice piece, for sure. I hope to hear more of your playing and thank you for sharing your talent.

23. ajames - Laura The slow tempo you chose for this piece works very well with the melody and it’s clear you are listening to yourself play. Very good work!

24. CarlosCC - Time Lapse I always look forward to your submissions and this one proves why. You clearly understand the abstract nature of this piece, Carlos. You paint wonderful images with this piece. Bravissimo!

25. Peterws - Autumn Leaves This is one of the most refreshing expressions of this tune I’ve ever heard, Peter! I like how you mix a few of the stereotyped harmonies into the melody and created your own tune. A great arrangement, well, played, indeed!

26. ladyaugustina - Sonatina Op. 36, No. 3 That was very well done, ladyaugustina. Clementi’s music and tempo you very well showcased. Nicely done.

27. dynamobt / Marilyn - Piano Sonata Op 2 no 1 1st mvt You played this movement so very well, Marilyn. This is such a fun piece to hear and the way you play it, so very playfully with a sense of humor and seriousness mixed together.

52. Barbaram- Sounds pretty jazzy to me! Your teacher must be pleased.You did a great job with it.

46. Inlanding- WAY COOL! Times two.

42. Jayden- Pretty damned good for only two months on the piano. Very dramatic playing. You have a great feel for the piece.

I am supposed to be working today but this is so much better than that:

15. timmyab - Song without words op 53 no 1 Don’t know why it wasn’t needed at the other recital but it’s needed here as it raises the bar. Such fine work drives us all on to be better than we currently are.

16. Amaruk - O Mio Babbino Caro Watching the video is an experience in itself which, artfully matched to the music this is a unique and significant work.

17. torquenale (Alessandra) - Sonata in F Major K78 Great playing, very expressive and a confident performance. For only a couple of years back playing this is exemplary work.

18. Jazztpt (Russ) - For Russell This one really tugs at the heartstrings with the baby video, but that doesn’t take anything away from a very well crafted original work you should be proud off. How lucky is young Russell having such a present.

19. Riddler (Ed) - Aranjuez This brings back memories when I first heard it as a pop hit in the 70’s (go figure). I like your arrangement and as the theme builds and flourishes you cannot help but be moved.

20. Greener / Jeff - Nocturne in Eb Major In my youth we have a slang phrase “not too shabby at all” which describes this wonderful performance. From the normally door and not easy impressed Scottish this is high praise

21. MaryBee - Sarabande (Pour le piano) Loved the description, almost as much as your performance. This made it a treat to listen to and at the same time think of the search to find your own interpretation. If there were accolades at this recital I would be nominating this one.

22. newbert - Rocket To The Moon After a 45 year gap and a 6 month start this is great playing. Yes I liked the piece but was more captivated with your command of the piano. Might be changing your name soon to “exbert” (that’s “expert” in case it’s not obvious)

23. ajames - Laura Less pedal is always good and none at all even better, so I think you made the right choice there. Really well played for 7 months, flowing very nicely kept me engaged to the end. What more can one ask for than that.

24. CarlosCC - Time Lapse It’s a great piece and played solo, bare and without distraction is a nice experience. You have given us another great performance and your playing cannot be faulted conveying all the depth, thoughtfulness and charm of this piece.

25. Peterws - Autumn Leaves “off the cuff” brilliance is what I say. A piece can be ruined by to much polish, so I appreciated the performance better knowing it might never be played the same way twice.

26. ladyaugustina - Sonatina Op. 36, No. 3 This is on my to do list when and if I get better. You already got an “A” for it so it just confirms my opinion you played this piece wonderfully.

27. dynamobt / Marilyn - Piano Sonata Op 2 no 1 1st mvt I would like to be unkind just to be unusual but that’s not me. This is such good stuff played with gusto. Quite a lot going on in a piece like this which you pulled off beautifully.

28. Jake S - Chopin Prelude no.6 in B minor A very solid performance, well above what you would expect from 2 years playing.

29. Coldsalmon - Sonata in D minor K 32 L 423 I am learning this piece at the moment and I just love it. Your performance is exceptionally good,(way better than mine will ever be), everything just right. The new piano sounds great as well.

30. corysold - Cory Hallahan - Greensleeves Good stuff for 3.5 weeks, some early indicators there of things to come. Smoothness of playing, lightness of touch, etc. Most beginners will play the left hand chords to heavy but you got the balance just right. Keep it up.

final batch, so pumped up with enthusiasm after listening to everyone can't wait to get to the piano

31. Sand Tiger - Tracks in the Snow Creating original music is a fantastic gift. I liked this piece very much and am eager to hear more.

32. StevenB - Old German Dance This is just great for only one month, shows great promise. There are easy Bach pieces and with progress as good as this I am sure it won’t be long before you are into those.

33. Yamaha G3 & P-80 / Mike White - Zamba No. 10 Love the sound of your piano, very warm. It is hard to play pieces like this and keep the audience attentive but I was glued to this little gem. Thanks for sharing.

34. paul1971 - The Entertainer this is really good, confident playing. Not that easy (even the simplified versions) to play so your are showing early promise at only three months.

35. JimF - Sung Outside A Prince's Door Any improvements will be for the purist, to my ear it was just beautiful, well played and full of emotion.

36. CASINITALY (Cheryl) - Sonatina Op 36 N2 3rd movement Such is the nature of these recitals they don’t wait for a piece to be a 100% ready. But as you know I am also learning this one so I have heard it one or two times (more like several hundred actually) and I hear a very solid piece coming through. Very impressed with the trill which was spot on, I do hope we get to hear the full sonatina at some point.

37. copper - Scenes From Childhood, The Poet Speaks I like this one so much I listened a few times, cannot give a better compliment than that.

38. lyricmudra - Nocturne in D-Flat Major, Op. 27 No. 2 Despite some self criticism, this is a remarkable piece of music to listen to. As a performance you get my top descriptive “wondrous”.

39. evamar - Pelagia's Song - With Sausage Fingers Remix Only four months and playing a 3.5 minute piece is a great achievement no matter how easy you think the piece may be so well done. The statistics aside you gave a very musical & emotive rendition.

40. BenPiano - Dahlonega (to do) What a well written original work, very beautiful and haunting piece and also comes with a history lesson as well, what more could one ask for.

41. jotur/Cathy turner - A Little Street Where Old Friends Meet Sorry I didn’t want to dance to this but not much can. Would happily be a wall flower and just sit and listen to this wonderful playing all day.

42. Jayden (Jayden Traynor) - Locke'd Out Again Great musicality here and even more remarkable for only two months. The left and right hand interplay is a treat.

43. Ganddalf - A piece for me to play Bored was definitely not my state, more like stunned by beauty. You are being very hard on yourself in your description. Isn’t the aim of music to entertain and delight which does this admirably. As a piece of song writing alone this is high quality, never mind the playing which is simply gorgeous.

44. TrapperJohn - Beauty and the Beast (from Disney's "Beauty and the Beast") I can’t disagree with a word you said, your performance is exquisite and the arrangement is a joy. Such wonderful music of course but your delivery of this is a “hey, stop and smell the roses” moment.

45. Pathbreaker - Capriccio in F-sharp minor, Op. 76 no. 1 It’s always dangerous to compare yourself to another but could I being playing like this in another eight years. Probably not, but there is no harm in having a little fantasy. Brilliant so happy you shared this.

46. Inlanding - Glen - Four Threads It is wonderful to hear someone improvising at this high level. Each one of those small parts has the potential to be expanded into a large piece and you get the feeling you heard it first.

47. (Was)TrueBeginner - Purity Liked the piece very much and another original work, I just can’t believe the composing talent in this forum at times.

48. joangolfing - Gavotte and Variations (Suite No. 14) Loved your work here. I find that pieces I may once have considered dull have a new sound to my ears now I am musically maturing. So now I want to learn some Handel.

49. Ken. - Monk's Dream A bit of a misnomer calling it an easy piano solo, but you are right it does swing.

50. Mar_red - Theme from Schindler's List Takes me months to learn a recital piece and you two days, life is so unfair. None the less it can’t be denied you did a marvellous job here.

51. ShiroKuro - Midwinter Memories It’s a long time between recordings and what a comeback. Beautiful piece played with great consideration and feeling.

52. barbaram - Tequila Sunrise This is a fun sounding piece but also sounds hard. For only nine months you pulled it off rather well not only entertaining me but bringing a smile to my day.

53. Ohio_Mark - Red Rose Rendezvous Another gem you only find when listening to what others are playing. I think you did a great job here, quite lively and I bet it’s quite a hard one that sounds simple enough.

54. MrPozor - Prelude in E minor - BWV 941 Well done, I listened to this one over and over I was so captivated. I can’t quite get how the hands are playing two different pieces at once with only one brain but I would like to give it a go.

55. Sam Rose (Shmuel R) - Nocturne in C-Minor, No 21 (Posthumous) Only three weeks to learn in your third year of learning, just stunning. A natural talent, very rare indeed.

56. carlos88 - Bach's Italian Concerto, First Movement The best is generally saved for last especially if you like Bach and I certainly do. Sounds quite an accomplishment to play quite a large chunk of Bach, he is so demanding, I was certainly was entertained and enthralled with your technical mastery here.

41. jotur/Cathy turner - A Little Street Where Old Friends Meet You've captured this perfectly - both the piano sound and the playing evoke the past. I thought the tempo was wonderful, I can't waltz but I was swaying. Although it's in a relatively minor dynamic range, you made the most of that in the phrasing.

42. Jayden (Jayden Traynor) - Locke'd Out Again Two months? I demand a recount! You create a wonderful feel, the piece is totally in control, very evocative and wonderfully played. Congratulations!

43. Ganddalf - A piece for me to play Fabulous. I was incredulous when I saw this was an original after listening to the first part. Of course very evocative of Romantic composers; nice themes, wonderful playing and a very strong progression. Very difficult too ... I loved it!!!

44. TrapperJohn - Beauty and the Beast (from Disney's "Beauty and the Beast") A very wistful, beautiful performance of this lovely tune. I'm not quite as enamoured with Disney tunes as you are but, yes this is lovely. You keep the melody strong with a wonderfully controlled accompaniment.

45. Pathbreaker - Capriccio in F-sharp minor, Op. 76 no. 1 I'll address the tempo question first. This appears to be a somewhat flexible piece - I really enjoyed the tempo: You gave the piece room to breath, there was a beautiful weight to it. I can see how it would work quicker but when played as beautifully as this, the extra time works. This sounds very it would be a challenging piece but you make it sound easy. It is phrased very nicely, the climaxes and points of relaxation are well done but it never sags. Great job!

46. Inlanding - Glen - Four Threads A wonderful set of improvisations; separate yet joined. The first two had some calm serenity; what a wonderful juxtaposition the third jazzy movement is. I could have listened to these all day - wonderful!

47. (Was)TrueBeginner - Purity A very simple tune, very nicely played. Perhaps a teeny bit more of a variation in the harmony?

48. joangolfing - Gavotte and Variations (Suite No. 14) Very nice statement of the main theme - straight forward. I would play around with the legato/non legato more see how that works. I liked the variations, the theme was clearly present but the variation self-evident.

49. Ken. - Monk's Dream While it lasted it was great, lovely last run. It swung and was played with great control. Just too short!!!

50. Mar_red - Theme from Schindler's List Beautifully played - very touching. Nice touches to it with trills and turns, brought a little extra. But the theme was clear and beautifully phrased!

21. MaryBee - Sarabande (Pour le piano) - Very nice, great movement through the piece, I can feel the images you draw. Really well done. Thanks for sharing.

22. newbert - Rocket To The Moon - Never heard of Jim Brickman until you played this piece. It reminds me Helen Jane Long work - check my submission to Recital #27-. Enjoyed your performance, well done!

23. ajames - Laura - Laura, I don't know this piece, but it is quite beautiful. Very soothing and enjoyable to listen to. Great work for someone who has only played for 7 months. Congratulations!

24. CarlosCC - Time Lapse - I really need to improve some details... Yes, Mr-SH, "immersion" is the right word. Thanks for your comments.

25. Peterws - Autumn Leaves - I don't know how you do it... one thing is to use a sheet as a guide, other completely different is to improvise around a theme like you did. Great job!

26. ladyaugustina - Sonatina Op. 36, No. 3 - What a nice sonata. I hadn't heard this before, and found it to be very moving. Congratulations for this work and, of course, for your achievements!

27. dynamobt / Marilyn - Piano Sonata Op 2 no 1 1st mvt - Wow... Beethoven. You do a wonderful job with it. I enjoyed very much your performance of this beautiful (and far from easy) piece. Very, very good!

28. Jake S - Chopin Prelude no.6 in B minor - Jake, It's so very impressive you've been playing for only 2 years. Truly remarkable!

29. Coldsalmon - Sonata in D minor K 32 L 423 - Your piano has beautiful sound, I love it! I'm not a big admirer of Scarlatti but this piece is... heartfelt, rich in emotion. Well done!

30. corysold - Cory Hallahan - Greensleeves - Let me check again: "Experience: 3.5 Weeks"... yes, it's right. Wow, you've played it well!

That's all folks! See you in May!

51. ShiroKuro - Midwinter Memories I have to take issue with your statement that this isn't a good performance! Stop being a tough critic. This is a wonderful, flowing, controlled performance. The accompaniment gently ripples with nice phrasing of the theme above. Very nice.

52. barbaram - Tequila Sunrise I thought it was going to be the Eagles! You give this a really nice laid back feel, it's drenched in sunshine. You handle the syncopation nicely, it swings and dances along. I liked it!

53. Ohio_Mark - Red Rose Rendezvous I wouldn't worry too much about the performance - sure it's good to play around with the tempo but the upbeat version works well. It had great rhythm and you handled the melody really nicely.

54. MrPozor - Prelude in E minor - BWV 941 This was wonderfully controlled - the voicing of the parts was very well done and nicely phrased.

55. Sam Rose (Shmuel R) - Nocturne in C-Minor, No 21 (Posthumous) Why did Chopin keep these wonderful pieces until after his death? Sigh ... anyway, I really liked this. You kept the tinge of melancholy needed for it; the runs were excellent, nice sense of the shape of the piece and lovely phrasing.

56. carlos88 - Bach's Italian Concerto, First Movement
This is a difficult piece that you handle wonderfully. There is great interplay between the voices, the ornamentation is well done, there is a nice sense of rhythm and phrasing. A wonderful bookend to the recital.

Thank you for the kind words, Carlos. I listened to your performance from Recital #27, and the Helen Jane Long piece indeed sounds a lot like a Jim Brickman song. Very nicely played too!

My last batch. I want to thank the organizers and anyone who has done work so the rest of us can have these recitals. Playing for the rest of you is a wonderful opportunity. I'm so glad so many take up the challenge!! So, thanks again everyone. Really good playing in this recital. A great listen!!


41. jotur/Cathy turner - A Little Street Where Old Friends Meet – Lovely to listen to. I don’t know squat about the tempo. Sounded good to me!

42. Jayden (Jayden Traynor) - Locke'd Out Again – Another true beginner! Welcome to the recital!! This is really fantastic playing for such a short time at the piano! Keep it up, and hope to hear more from you as you progress!

43. Ganddalf - A piece for me to play – Another composer!!! This is really some advanced stuff!! Very mature writing. Your playing is always a joy to listen to. I can’t get over how beautiful this piece is! In awe again!! Certainly NOT boring. Not hardly!! Really good stuff!

44. TrapperJohn - Beauty and the Beast (from Disney's "Beauty and the Beast")- Not a follower of movies or Disney. So all these pieces you play are new to me. I enjoy that you include the lyrics. Compelling stories these. Your playing always tells a story too. You put such great feeling into it.

45. Pathbreaker - Capriccio in F-sharp minor, Op. 76 no. 1 – I think we all know how family can get sick of hearing us. It takes a lot of work to bring a piece to this level. I find Brahms sort of dark and mysterious. I’m not familiar with this piece to comment on tempo. You’ve played it beautifully. So, no issues with tempo at all. I can’t actually imagine it faster. This seems perfect! Play it like this all the time! Ha ha!!!

46. Inlanding - Glen - Four Threads – You composers need to stop. You are putting all of us who depend on someone else’s writing to shame!! This reminds me of Debussy in the first part. And not knowing all of his music, you would have fooled me if you said he had written it!! I can’t say how impressed I am by those of you who write music! This is really wonderful work. And very nice playing too. Very evocative and sensitive. Enjoyed the first part better than the jazzy part. For me, write more like that!! I liked the ending too.

47. (Was)TrueBeginner – Purity – Not another composer!! You people are killing me! I continue to be incredibly impressed. And that’s about all there is to say about that!! Simple as this sounds, most of us could not write it. But you did!! So, congrats!!!

48. joangolfing - Gavotte and Variations (Suite No. 14)- Would have sounded great with harpsichord sound on your digital. But even as piano, I enjoyed listening very much. Nice job!

49. Ken. - Monk's Dream – Not familiar with Monk’s music. It’s like he’s playing a joke on you. Or, something like that. Not my usual stuff, but I liked this very much. Must be fun to play!!

50. Mar_red - Theme from Schindler's List – One of the ice skaters last night used this theme. I find it very emotional to listen to it. You might find taking it at an even slower tempo would add more intensity to it. My opinion is more melody less embellishments. But, that’s just me. Really quite impressive considering you are self taught!

51. ShiroKuro - Midwinter Memories – Not going to say anything but “Welcome back”!!! Hope you can start to contribute more regularly again.

52. barbaram - Tequila Sunrise – Also going to say nothing but “Welcome back to the piano”!! The more the merrier in these recitals!! Thank you for your submission. Hope there are more to come!!

53. Ohio_Mark - Red Rose Rendezvous – Definitely jazzy!!! I think with jazz you are allowed a bit of variation in tempo. So, nice job!!

54. MrPozor - Prelude in E minor - BWV 941 - Short, but not simple. None of Bach is simple. A tiny hesitation in a couple of places. Otherwise, very nicely done!

55. Sam Rose (Shmuel R) - Nocturne in C-Minor, No 21 (Posthumous)- Chopin is open to interpretation if any composer is. I think you play this very beautifully. If anything you could use more rubato is some places. I always love listening to Chopin. You do a very credible job with this. Very nice!

56. carlos88 - Bach's Italian Concerto, First Movement – I know how hard this is, because I’ve looked at it. I say “looked”. I got no further!!! I can hear all the work you have put into this. Yes, more metronome earlier is a good motto for Bach!! I thought your ornaments sounded very even and well done. Maybe needing a tiny bit more work on the trills. But otherwise, really good. This is long and lots of places to screw up. You did great!! I really enjoyed listening. A great finish to another really great ABF recital!!!

I'm on Day 2 of a three-day long speech tournament with my son. (Those of you who have been on speech teams, or parents of kids on speech team, know just how much a time suck those tournaments are.) So I've had to slow down a bit on my comments. Here's the next batch of five:

31. Sand Tiger - Tracks in the Snow: I’m always impressed by the people who can compose AND play, and the story behind your piece is very touching. I especially liked the quiet section starting around 0:50-1:07.

32. StevenB - Old German Dance: I wish I could have played this well at one month! I think your guitar background must have helped a lot. Congratulations on your first recital piece. I hope it is the first of many to come. (to do)

33. Yamaha G3 & P-80 / Mike White - Zamba No. 10: I wasn’t familiar with this composer, and I find this piece intriguing. It started out sounding new age-ish, but then it got jazzy. You do a great job of setting a mellow, relaxing vibe.

34. paul1971 - The Entertainer: I’m really loving all the contributions from people fairly new to piano! This is an impressive performance for somebody with only three months on the bench. I like the Alfred’s arrangement, too; it (and you) captures all the perkiness of the piece.

35. JimF - Sung Outside A Prince's Door: The only MacDowell piece I knew of is the famous “To a Wild Rose.” This one has much the same gentle romanticism, which you do a great job of communicating. (p.s. there’s a learning curve to Audacity, but don’t give up; it’s just so much easier to edit in it than on the Zoom software.)

21. MaryBee - Sarabande (Pour le piano)

I've taken this journey too. I learned this one last year and found it to be quite rewarding.

I tried to learn this one years back and got fatigued with learning that middle section and gave up. I came back to it only just last year and got through it this time. I actually liked your rolled chords. I could tell it was something you are working on, but your strategy for getting through them was quite good IMO. There was a way that you break them up, especially the larger ones, that had a convincing effect. I guess this was a good piece for your technical growth.

For another piece to work on those rolled chords, well within your level and probably easier than this one, try Bach's prelude in E-flat minor (from WTC book 1 no. 8). A similarly breathtaking piece, I think you will like it. Here's Schiff: http://youtu.be/2OCe2QbsqKQ
(keep in mind those trills are actually notated as mordents so not so bad on that front)
I really enjoyed your Debussy, thanks for sharing.

22. newbert - Rocket To The Moon
A very nice first entry, I like this one. You've made quite a bit of progress in those 6 months, I'm looking forward to seeing your progress. I'm not a huge fan of Brickman but I agree this is a nice tune.

23. ajames - Laura
Not familiar with this one but it is a nice tune. You get a great recorded sound out of that piano. The thing with pedaling is that it often gets better with lots of experimentation. There are so many variables that will have an effect, you really just need to use your ear and decide if it sounds good to you. And in this case I think it sounded quite good with no pedal. Nicely done!

24. CarlosCC - Time Lapse
There's been talk of this composer but I haven't been able to investigate. I'm glad you chose this one because I like this kind of contemplative or abstract work, to use your words. It's a really fascinating piece because it does appear straightforward initially but there is an elusive quality expressed by the chord progressions. After listening I can't say I really understand it but your playing made for an enjoyable experience. Nice job.

25. Peterws - Autumn Leaves
A real salon feel to it, but also somewhat of a character piece. I assume this must be the piece that brought the '007' comments, but I feel a lot of the other subjects in this piece are also really evocative and charming. Thanks for sharing.

26. ladyaugustina - Sonatina Op. 36, No. 3
Thank you for the description. Wow, sounds familiar. I was assigned a Clementi sonatina once and it was just agonizingly boring LOL. I had trouble getting through it. I think maybe I just didn't give it a chance. Listening to you play this, it is quite refined and well played. You have clearly put some work into this piece because if I was bored by a piece I would not play it anywhere near this well! Hope that comes across as a compliment because it's meant to be. While I will forever despise Clementi for making me suffer I can still enjoy your playing.

27. dynamobt / Marilyn - Piano Sonata Op 2 no 1 1st mvt
Not accepting your apology. It's just not necessary! Glad you shared the entire process and did this in one take. Not easy at all. I've performed live and done much worse! I think in this type of situation, the listener is fine with a do-over and your recovery is more than fine. The playing and piano sound are quite good. I've never heard this sonata but I enjoyed your performance of it.

I should mention that it does seem your do-overs occur when you miss a note (could be wrong on that). I always did this too but you will want to start letting those missed notes just happen and continue sometimes. A missed note here or there is just guaranteed. There's definitely a few in my performance. But still, this is one take and I can't say the same for mine. (Well mine was one take but it was an accident so that was just dumb luck haha. I've been trying to re-record it at a different tempo for over a week now and haven't got a single take yet.)

Your playing is refreshingly assertive in places and I think you play this music quite well. Thanks for sharing.

28. Jake S - Chopin Prelude no.6 in B minor
Love this prelude. I don't know why everyone goes for the E minor, I much prefer this one. Your piano sounds wonderful. I think you have done some good work on this. There are many things that you do well in this but if I was to give feedback I would focus on your rhythm. Have you tried doing a check with a metronome? (I wouldn't if it were me so sorry to be a hypocrite)

56. carlos88 - Bach's Italian Concerto, First Movement - Excellent playing, and a terrific end to the recital this quarter! I've drifted away from classical, but hearing this makes me want to return - but perhaps to something less challenging! (although, this is too beautiful to pass up) Again, well done, and very inspiring!

55. Sam Rose (Shmuel R) - Nocturne in C-Minor, No 21 (Posthumous) - Excellent job recording this in such a short period. I spent weeks (months) on this and could never get it to the recording level. This is such a beautiful and short piece, I just have to recommend to keep it fresh to play on the spot (in case you ever run into another piano on the sidewalk!) - I stopped working on it, and now it's completely foreign to me Again, well done on this beautiful piece!

54. MrPozor - Prelude in E minor - BWV 941 - comment on your channel


53. Ohio_Mark - Red Rose Rendezvous - a great rendition of a standard we all love - keep it up!

52. barbaram - Tequila Sunrise - Nice work with the funky rhythms on this one for such a short time back at the piano. Stick with it and keep learning, you'll never be sorry!

51. ShiroKuro - Midwinter Memories - Well, it's good to hear you back in these recitals. After how awful this winter has been, your selection is more than appropriate for a lot of us. I've personally been toying around with one of Einaudi's Snow Preludes, but this has such a different feel, and I really enjoyed this beautiful reminder that winter is almost over.

50. Mar_red - Theme from Schindler's List - I think you really captured the intent that Williams was trying to project with this piece, which is not easy to do - well done!

49. Ken. - Monk's Dream - Even on your spinet, I think you're able to make this sound just as it was intended to sound - it sounds good no matter what it's played on as long as it's played well!

48. joangolfing - Gavotte and Variations (Suite No. 14) - Love Handel! Very well done and happy to hear some classical again!

"Beauty and the Beast" reminds you strongly of a Billy Joel song?

I'm curious - which one?