Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Recital 33 --- General Discussion Room

New batch from me. More to come.

16. Amaruk - O Mio Babbino Caro

One of the most beautiful of Puccini’s melodies. I liked the piano arrangement and the way you performed it. I also enjoyed your video. Thanks for sharing.

17. torquenale (Alessandra) - Sonata in F Major K78

I love Scarlatti’s sonatas, but I never heard this one before. I think your tempo is good, and you shape the phrases very well. Fine performance!

18. Jazztpt (Russ) - For Russell

What a beautiful composition! So elegant, emotional and sensitive and with lots of creativity! Your playing style is very relaxed, and this also makes me as a listener to relax.

19. Riddler (Ed) - Aranjuez

Fine arrangement of this famous composition! You succeed in bringing out the drama of the piece. God job!

20. Greener / Jeff - Nocturne in Eb Major

I enjoyed your performance of this nocturne. Good tempo and not overdoing the rubato. I can hear that you have spent much time studying this piece. I was really impressed by the long trill near the end.

Second and last thoughts. I did listen to all of the submissions but will not comment on each one due to time constraints this coming week.

cas(Cheryl)
I thought your piece was very nicely played. I heard a few tiny hesitations but they did not harm your overall performance or my enjoyment of it at all. Well done indeed.

TrapperJohn
Very good performance of this theme. Lots of feeling and flow came through. Found it relaxing and mellow.

peterws
What a great improve of an old standard peter. It must be so rewarding to do this sort of thing "off the top" Nicely done.

PikaPianist
A beautiful nocturne and an AWESOME piano. How very fortunate for you to be able to use this fine instrument for your recording. Just lovely!

Jazzpt
For Russell was so sweet a tribute for this precious grandchild. Your video was great as well, it's apparent that those stunning blue eyes came from daddy.

jotur(Cathy)
A lovely old time waltz. I pictured a summer festival and people dancing under a pavilion. Well done.

Mar red
A very touching performance of a great theme song. Each time I hear it my mind sees the little girl in the red coat. A fine job of playing.

I finally managed to start listening!

01. Andy Platt - Sonata 20 in G Major, Opus 49 No. 2 I think I said everything I meant to say in my recital submission but, yuck, yes the piano really really needs tuning! Thanks to those who've listened and provided valuable feedback.

02. Monica K. - Lamentations of the Heart That crashing chord at the beginning hooked me too. In fact the opening few measures were just pure magic. I really enjoyed this performance - your hard work has really paid off. 100% professional, but in a good way! Lovely control throughout with a very polished performance.

03. Richard (zrtf90) - Sinfonia 1 with Invention 8 A beautiful performance with the sinfonia, very clear presentation of the different voices and a nice tempo. Perhaps even double for the invention, which came off really well, loved the different touches between the left and right hands. Beautiful Bach!

04. wouter79 - Ballade, op.118 no.3 Wonderful control of the big chords but letting the melody come out clearly. Very difficult to achieve and you did wonderfully. And very nice tempo changes in the slower section with a great transition back to the main theme. As for the official difficultly, I believe this is labelled "freaking difficult!" Wonderful performance!

05. PikaPianist - Nocturne No. 5 in Bb major A beautiful performance of whatever version of this nocturne you want to call this! Yes, a beautiful tone on the piano but you did a really wonderful job of making it sing, the ornamentation and runs are especially nicely done, with great timing and delicate phrasing.

06. George Schiro - Heartache A beautiful composition, lovingly played. I would suggest you try to introduce more of a theme to tie it together.

07. dannylux / Mel - Coleridge-Taylor Three Fours Op.71 No.2 Beautiful, just beautiful. Without us hearing your original recording we'll have to take your word that it was horrible - I doubt it! But you really did do a wonderful job of making the melody stand out and keep the thick chords very well voiced and controlled. Lovely phrasing and rubato with wonderful forward movement. Fabulous!

08. Mr Super Hunky - Beyond Violette Oh I miss your "real" piano! Since I don't know the original tune, I'll assume it's a SH original and wonderful it is too. There is a wonderful overall feel to the piece, which nice phrasing and tempo adjustments. I found myself humming along, very enjoyable!

09. sinophilia (Diana) - Little Prelude BWV939 A lovely performance; you brought out the theme very nicely and it was wonderfully controlled. The tempo didn't sound slow to me and that's the main thing. Bach, even simpler Bach, is very difficult and this is a great performance!

10. SwissMS/Doris - Venetian Boat Song Opus 30 #6 Ah, a piece that's on my "to do" list. I think you did a wonderful job of capturing the "rocking" feel and letting the melody soar; nice trills too! There is a great shape to the entire piece but the details are nicely contoured too.

Fantastic recital! Thank you all for sharing your music.

Thanks to all who commented on mine. I know it must be harder when I mark "no technical feedback" but I'm one who needs some space between a performance and that kind of feedback. Decompression or something But I so appreciate *all* the comments - I read them all for tips, and for understanding other pieces better. And they really put the participation in participation!

Cathy

It's not hard jotur, if users don't want the technical feedback, it's their choice. Besides it's one less thing to worry about for the ones giving comments.

Not sure though what is meant by this phrase. Does it mean technical feedback about the recording process, or the playing technique? Think I gave hardly anyone comments about the latter, since I'm far from being an expert on that. On the other hand I gave a few comments about the recording process, for those who asked for it.

I think she may have meant that it can be hard for a listener to comment on a piece when the performer has specified "no technical feedback."

As for "technical feedback" I believe it means feedback about the performance and/or interpretation of the piece, and is not related to the "technical" aspects of the recording process. I also think this is how most other interpret the phrase, but you know what they say about assuming.

Thanks, TheodorN. It's actually both. I'm in a whole different space when I want to work on technique of any kind. As for the recording, other than watching it for clipping, which I still get some of, it is really not a priority for me. That may be annoying to some folks here but it's a huger time sink than I want to spend. I don't mind if I might lose listeners because of that sense It is what it is.

Thanks again for your comments - it's nice when you know people are paying attention .

Oh, Shiro Kuro, we cross-posted. Yes, that is what I meant. Thanks!

Cathy

Thanks so much to everybody who posted comments on my piece. I really appreciate you listening and taking the time to comment.

I did listen to the recital in it's entirety and wow, so much great music and so well played! I hope I can rise to a level even a tenth as good as some of you. Sorry I don't have individual comments, I will try to do that next time.

Overall a great experience. I will try to do better next time, maybe take more time to get a piece in shape before submitting.

I also would like to thank those who took the time to comment on my contribution to the recital. I've listened to the entire recital now and was so impressed with its quality. Well done, everyone!

This was my first participation on one of the recitals, and it was a last-minute decision to participate. I'm already looking forward to the next one, and am already giving thought to which piece to work on and really try to perfect. Knowing how long each participant has been playing piano, and then listening to their piece is so useful in gauging one's own progress. It inspires me to get back to the piano and practice!

16. Amaruk - O Mio Babbino Caro - tasteful interpretation of this nearly century old aria - one of the music world's most beautiful and recognizable pieces - very nicely done!

The superimposed scenes from the movie version of "Phantom of the Opera" in which the young Christine makes her singing debut were used creatively by you for your own "debut"!

For those unfamiliar with "O Mio Babbino Caro" (Oh, My Beloved Father") here's how it should always be sung:

Thank you ShiroKuro, I thought that was what it meant, maybe goes without saying, since this is a piano forum, not an audiophile forum. They can go to head-fi.org. And of course the digital piano forum, where I spend quite a lot of time, myself.

Again, it does not annoy me, jotur (I can't speak for other users), I don't like to give playing tecnique feedback anyway, since I know so little about it.

second batch. Got to say that there's some really good playing this recital!!!

22. newbert - Rocket To The Moon – Congratulations on your first ABF recital effort!!! We all know how difficult it is to jump in where you’ve never been. You are playing very musically for such a short time back at the piano. I hope to follow along with more recordings as you journey onwards!

23. ajames – Laura – A very pretty piece played very well for your short time at the piano. Well done! Hope you too make more recordings as you move along.

24. CarlosCC - Time Lapse - This free form type of music is much more difficult than it seems. I think you do a great job holding this all together making it something coherent. Dare I say this type of music is growing on me?!

25. Peterws - Autumn Leaves – Improvising is something I envy. Wonderful to listen to! Very enjoyable!

26. ladyaugustina - Sonatina Op. 36, No. 3 - I give you a ton of credit for taking advantage of the resources you have. Not an easy thing to do to record during a break at work. Your playing improves with every recital. Good for you for taking a course! Keep up the good work!!

27. dynamobt / Marilyn - Piano Sonata Op 2 no 1 1st mvt - Ahhh, my monumental effort!! Still completely embarrassed the false starts made it into the recital. Oh well!!! I truly appreciate everyone’s comments. I probably worked harder and longer on this than on any piece I have ever played! And it’s LONG! So I really thank people for listening to the whole thing!

28. Jake S - Chopin Prelude no.6 in B minor – I think this piece is quite the undertaking for only two years experience!! Played a little slower than the norm. But, a very contemplative experience listening to you. You too are improving like crazy!!

29. Coldsalmon - Sonata in D minor K 32 L 423 – Congratulations on your new piano!! It sounds great! I’m not familiar with this Sonata. Kind of melancholy for Scarlatti! Very nice to listen to.

30. corysold - Cory Hallahan – Greensleeves – Three and a half WEEKS?? Aren’t you courageous to be recording yourself so early on in your musical journey!! Heaven only knows what I sounded like at only 3 weeks!!! You are doing great! I really mean that. Keep up the good work! You are going to get to be fantastic!!

31. Sand Tiger - Tracks in the Snow – Another composer!! I’m in awe! Your musical skills are beyond my comprehension! Great work!

32. StevenB - Old German Dance – Another truly brave performer at only 1 month experience!!! I can’t tell you how great you sound! You should go far. This is fantastic playing for such a short time!

33. Yamaha G3 & P-80 / Mike White - Zamba No. 10 – I can’t think of anything more difficult that teaching oneself! You are playing very well. You are clearly listening to yourself and not just playing notes. Great work!

34. paul1971 - The Entertainer – Another one I think very brave to be recording themselves so soon in their musical endeavors! You too are doing very well. I have nothing to offer but encouragement. Keep at it. You are only going to get better and better.

35. JimF - Sung Outside A Prince's Door – It takes a special add on program to get Audacity to convert to mp3 on exit. Sorry don’t have the link. But do a search and you should find it. A very pretty piece and you certainly do it justice.

36. CASINITALY (Cheryl) - Sonatina Op 36 N2 3rd movement – We are all too critical of ourselves. These recordings are a great accomplishment. Your playing is improving too. Sometimes we are so close to the work we don’t see our improvement. But it is there!! Keep it up!!

37. copper - Scenes From Childhood, The Poet Speaks – Love me some Schumann!! I think this piece is tricky to interpret. You do a credible job with it.

38. lyricmudra - Nocturne in D-Flat Major, Op. 27 No. 2 – Sorry about your kitty. I’ve looked at this Nocturne. It’s not so easy! I think your tempo is just fine. This is really beautiful and sensitive playing. Nice job!

39. evamar - Pelagia's Song - With Sausage Fingers Remix - Ah, the fingers going the wrong way syndrome!! We all experience it at times!! You are doing extremely well to stick to the piano with the challenges you have faced. Good work! Just stick to it! The Sausage fingers do get better!

40. BenPiano – Dahlonega – ANOTHER composer!!! Quite the story that goes along with this work. I’ll just say again that I am in awe!

05. PikaPianist
piece:John Field, Nocturne No. 5 in Bb major
technical:
clipping: no
balance L/R: ok
noise: slight low noise, hiss when moving the dampers . Some cracking around 1:30
bass: ok. Phone is limiting the bass a bit I think.
depth of field: bit shallow
piano sound: nice. A keeper!

musical:
overall impression, like: Great playing! Sings well, flows well. Sections connect good. Playing a Bösendorfer also helps a lot of course I don't even hear anything to nitpick on !
Phrasing: clear
rubato, speed changes: yes, nice
Dynamics: not extreme, fitting a nocturne
articulation: mostly pedal per measure. Released properly for some runs

ejem... always... well... maybe professionally... but please let people like me, who can't carry a tune in a bucket, "sing" this too!

25. Peterws- I love your approach to this. Your touch is so light and lively. And tell me... do you have a little 007 in there (a number of places but .57 for example)??? I really enjoyed listening.

24. CarlosCC- What a perfect name for this... "Time Lapse". I love the echoing theme throughout. It sounds like you are really enjoying playing it and that comes out in the piece. REALLY well played!! Thanks for sharing it.

18. Russ- What a great tribute to your grandson. Sweet piece and wonderful playing.

16. Amaruk- Boy you had some real fun with this one. The playing is great and the video is a hoot. Bravo!

13. Sam- Great playing Sam. I always enjoy your youtube vids as well. Being able to follow along as you play is neat.

You`re the second to say that! That little 007 run is used in a number of songs, and lends itself to loads more. . . fills in a bit of time so you can think about what comes next!

Sure - go ahead - knock yourself out - just make sure the shower is running at full speed and that all doors are closed

Good, that means it wasn't my imagination! I haven't posted my comments yet for the next group, but I was listening to your performance and I was wondering if I was losing my mind or if there actually was a little bit of .. Bond, James Bond, going on!! Anyway, Peterws I loved it!

Bouncin' around a bit now with some more.

31. Sand Tiger - Tracks in the Snow How incredibly special this original tune must be to you. I 'm glad you shared it with us, along with your story. Very moving, your dad would sure be proud of you.

35. JimF - Sung Outside A Prince's Door This sounded very nice Jim. I love the warm-rich sound of your Estonia as well.

36. CASINITALY (Cheryl) - Sonatina Op 36 N2 3rd movement This was very nice Cheryl. Your technical abilities are getting noticeably more complex and your confidence is always beaming. Flub or not, who cares? haha, I love it. Your performances always bring a smile to my face.

40. BenPiano - Dahlonega Wow, I really enjoyed this performance AND history lesson. Your tune was the perfect musical backdrop to this engaging story. I'm glad I read it and listened to your musical presentation of it. Outstanding.

41. jotur/Cathy turner - A Little Street Where Old Friends Meet This was very impressive Cathy. Listening closely, all those chords with the subtle inflections sound pretty tricky. I liked the Waltz tempo, but agree a quicker version could be fun too. Well done as always.

43. Ganddalf - A piece for me to play I was thoroughly impressed with both your performance and composing skills with this piece. An absolute joy and pleasure to listen to.

44. TrapperJohn - Beauty and the Beast (from Disney's "Beauty and the Beast") This sure is a beautiful piece Trap and the feeling and emotion you put into it seems to be increasing all the time. That's what it's all about right? It's nice to observe someone improving as a result of their passionate efforts. This is one of those examples. and I agree, I love the Disney tunes too.