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10. barbaram - Nocturne no 20 in C# Minor
Is this your first Chopin Nocturne? It's a bit like a coming of age, isn't it?

You have a lovely base here for future expansion. You have great sensitivity for the music and keep all the dynamics and rubato in check. You're following all the markings in the text and bring out the phrasing well. In time you'll continue to control the balance between the hands while maintaining a softer tone overall and the piece will really soar for you.

Really well played. A lovely performance.

49 PawelS

Loved the atmosphere on this. A quality sound, and featuring Spandau Ballet, was it? Excellent! Piano sounds awesome . . . .

48 Stumbler Dave

An airy feel to this lovely song. Fluid sounding and very relaxed. Trills were awesome!

47 Megan R

A jazz number in some circles. Steady work here, lass, on a nice sounding Joanna. Enjoyed this. Thumbs up!

46 Richard ZRTF90

You always put in such methodical work, and get the results! And so smooth, a pleasure to listen to as always.

45 JSoo

I remember hearing this on ABF some time ago; I've learned and played so much new stuff thanks to you lot.
This has a wonderful powerful feel to it, and rolls on timelessly, relentlessly, A great spiritual piece reminiscent of Russian Orthodoxy . . and composers. Love it!

44 Luckiest Charm

Great work! Plenty of precision there which is how it should be. An such a marvellous school-room sound from the piano. Don't worry about the flubs. Just grin and they'll cease to exist . . .plenty to get excited about here. Not short on charisma.

01. SMA55 (Shepherd Abrams) - 2 Lyric pieces named "Melody", Op 47 No 3 and Op 38 No 3 These were just beautiful. In all of these recitals there are pieces I didn't know previously that once heard I have to put on my to do list, that is the case here. I can only hope to achieve what you have in your lovely rendition.

02. blackjack1777 - Sonatina in G Major, Anh. 5 No. 1 It sounds like you are totally enjoying this piece, loved the tempo you picked for the first movement, and the second movement just dances!

03. Peyton - Three Romances, Opus 28 #2 Such a gorgeous piece, well played.

04. Whizbang (Chris) - Brejeiro Totally fun piece that had me tapping my toe.

05. wouter79 - Waltz, Album for the Young, op.39 no.7 I'm completely unqualified to make technical comments as you asked, but I can say that I dearly love a waltz and really enjoyed this one.

06. Monica K. - Drop Variation Oh, love the bass in this piece. You did a great job of balancing that low rumble so it didn't overpower the right hand.

07. Riddler (Ed) - Reflections Wow, this was great. Loved this piece.

08. MarieJ - Fairytale So pretty, everyone must have had all their wishes come true in that tale.

09. Piano2138 - Minuet BWV Anh 116 Quite nice, I don't think I would have the "guts" to play with the rhythms in baroque pieces.

10. barbaram - Nocturne no 20 in C# Minor Such a lovely Nocturne, beautifully played.

43 Muove

A very deliberate piece, forceful and full of energy. Loved the atmosphere you gave to this.

42 Piano Primo

I like hearing hymns played on the piano. You got a great full sound on this. Well done!

41 Pika Pianist

I look on with envy at those who manage such good recordings; seems beyond my scope. And the clear sound is great; gives a wonderful ringy feel of authority to your playing which needs no added drivel by me . . . .

40 JoBert

Your piano sounds a heap better than the Kawai demos I've heard. Good to listen to relaxing, uncomplicated stuff from yourself and others here on this recital. A pleasure tonight. Thankyou!

01. SMA55 (Shepherd Abrams) - 2 Lyric pieces named "Melody", Op 47 No 3 and Op 38 No 3 These are two of my favorite Lyric pieces. I really like your interpretations. Nice 4 over 3 in the second one. I really like the flow of 38 3.

02. blackjack1777 - Sonatina in G Major, Anh. 5 No. 1 I love this joyful piece. You paced it very nicely, keeping it marching right along. I like the dance like feeling of the second movement. Nice clear articulation.


03. Peyton - Three Romances, Opus 28 #2 These are lovely pieces, that I have not heard before. I liked your interpretation, and especially how you sang the melody, yet kept a gentle feel. Well played.

04. Whizbang (Chris) - Brejeiro This does seem like a blend of ragtime and latin. Really nice job projecting the melody over that busy base. Lots of fun and well played!

05. wouter79 - Waltz, Album for the Young, op.39 no.7 This sounds like a blend of German folk and Russian. I thought your voicing was great, and you gave the piece steady drive. The um pa pa was present without over powering. I really like your presentation.

06. Monica K. - Drop Variation Lovely pacing on the piece. It is an excellent one to show off the resonant base of your M&H! Beautifully played.

07. Riddler (Ed) - Reflections Love your interpretation! I especially like the arpeggio frills. You are truly one with the keys. Gorgeous!

08. MarieJ - Fairytale Lovingly played, with a gentle touch well suited to Einaudi. Very soothing and beautiful.

09. Piano2138 - Minuet BWV Anh 116 Nice gentle playing of this classic. Very steady rhythm, and nicely projected melody. Nicely done!

10. barbaram - Nocturne no 20 in C# Minor I am also playing this piece right now. There is so much to this piece, you can work on it for years and still find more to improve. I truly love it. You interpretation is lovely, and I like how well you projected the melody over the subdued accompaniment. Beautifully done!

11. UnderConstruction - Coracao que Sente You gave this a very sensitive touch in the opening section followed by a nice jaunty Latin dance. I especially like the second jaunty interlude. Very nicely played!

12. peterws - Simple Song I love the energy that you give pieces! This is a wonderful composition taking us on a journey of memory and reflection and determination. Well done!

13. AZ_Astro - Minuet in G Major - BWV 114 Nice balance between the voices, and very nice ornamentation. Nicely played.

14. Khopin - Waltz Op. 70 No. 1 in G flat Really well played. I love the pacing that you give the piece and the flourishes are gorgeous.

15. BSharp(C)yclist (Dan) - River Flows In You You have a very nice, sensitive touch. This piece is very smooth with a nicely singing melody. I like how you phrase the piece.

16. Cathryn999 - Sonata in C K309 3rd Movement You have a lovely light tough very well suited to Mozart. Your articulation is excellent. Great job!

09. Piano2138 - Minuet BWV Anh 116

Kind of jazzy! Good fun, you propel the music along nicely.

13. AZ_Astro - Minuet in G Major - BWV 114

Intersting; I didn't know this is no longer considered Bach! You handle the ornamentation and the staccato playing well. Toward the end I'd like to hear a bit more separation between phrases. Nice job!

27. KalosPiano - Invention N. 2 in C Minor, BWV 773

Wow, very well done indeed; never would have guessed you've only played for two years. Yes, trills are tough, especially in one's non-dominant hand! Beautiful clarity and feeling. You've inspired me to dust this one off and try it on the piano; I think I've only ever played it on the harpsichord.

31. fishandchips - Suite in D Minor, BuxWV 233 - Allemande d'Amour

Six months playing, wow, fantastic job! Not just technically, but in terms of musicality too, especially phrasing.

33. Tubbie0075 - Gavotte, BWV816

Energetic indeed, delightfully so. Short and sweet.

34. Zoot64 - Tempo di Menuetto: No. 3

I think we all know what you mean about being "driven mad" by a piece, but in your performance what comes through is a proper stately dance feeling, good phrasing and dynamics.

38. SwissMS - Sonata in B minor Kp 377

Congratulations on the new piano! Sounds like you have a suitable room for it, too. Lovely introspective feeling; light touch and clean phrasing.

47. MeganR - Musette BWV Anh 126

I wish my piano were only that out of tune after a few months of neglect. Why I usually play my digital... Bouncy and fun it is indeed, well done!

39 Sam S

I enjoyed your far from easy Mozart. Well done, particularly with the memory bit!


38 SwissMs

You're playing well tonight, A very dextorous performance! There, I invented a new word for your new Bosie . . . .

37 Zilthy

You're having a lot of fun on your new piano. Keep it up, man. Great for a couple o# months; you show confidence already.

36 Yanaha G3&P80

Macdowell does some lovely stuff, always tuneful, I enjoyed this. Might I suggest you stay with this awhile, it has the makings of a really good fluid piece which you may like to memorise.

35 ZsolpyW

Nice nice piece. Your piano sounds very powerful, as does your playing! Excellent left hand; you worked hard tonight, and we got to hear a new composer's music!

34 Zoot 64

I know what you mean about getting a piece out o' the way! I been doin' that for years now. You done well with thus one. Very precise and moves along really well.

33 Tubbie 0075

It's good to be able to return to a piece and play it. I can't, it's like, start all over again. This is short and rattles along the tracks like a good 'un. Nice!

32 Sand Tiger

Nice sound, Pleasant listening, Had a depth to it with an edge of mystery. Well done.

31 fishandchips

Great deep quality sound from your p45 and Pteq. Your playing was confident and very pleasant to listen to. This is really good work. Be proud! What was your Pianoteq instrument and setting? It's better than mine . . .

30 Ralphiano

Another new composer . . . well played, and thanks for introducing us to stuff we've never heard before. I'm probably speaking for myself here . . .

Wonderful stuff to listen to, guys. Well done, all ov you!

I'm so glad to have been able to get started with listening to this recital on day one!
What a delight.

Thank you to Monica for pulling this all together for us - and to everyone who worked so hard to perform so well!

I'll write a detailed thank you later, but for the moment my sincere thanks to Whizbang, Barbaram, Alexander Borro, and zrtf90 for their very kind remarks and suggestions - all are greatly appreciated!

Here are my first thoughts from today!

01. SMA55 (Shepherd Abrams) - 2 Lyric pieces named "Melody", Op 47 No 3 and Op 38 No 3 I know I've heard all the Grieg Lyric pieces, because we played them all in the Grieg recital a few years ago.... but I had forgotten these pieces. I loved the first one - it speaks to me of what Grieg really sounds like and you captured the "voice", for sure, evocative of mountains, alpine pastures, crisp cold waterfalls - just lovely (and your piano is so pretty too!). Your second piece was gorgeous - really working the whole range of your piano, making it sing beautifully! What a superb kick off to the recital. Delightful.

02. blackjack1777 - Sonatina in G Major, Anh. 5 No. 1 Well done! I appreciate your attention to detail in getting all the rests in at the right place and making it so crisp and clean. This is indeed a charming piece and you've given it the light cheery tone it really needs -plus I like your imagery of the garden party! Both movements were delightfully executed! Bravo!

03. Peyton - Three Romances, Opus 28 #2 I undestand being reluctant to present a Schumann piece --there's a Traumerei thread on-going at the moment and I KNOW a lot of people are studying this piece so they'll know exactly what I'm doing (or not!) in my submission! - however, your efforts are several notches above mine, I think you're in the clear. Thanks for sharing the background info on your choice - I like being able to put a background story to my listening experience. The music is moving, going throught quite a range of emotions, and very touching. I felt I was listening to a story unfold in your performance. I really enjoyed your playing - as always!

04. Whizbang (Chris) - Brejeiro What a fun piece - I could imagine being on the dance floor with my hubby for this one! Really interesting blends of sounds and signs of various influences. I can see why you wanted to play this piece. I've heard other Nazareth pieces before but none that was as much toe-tapping fun as this!


06. Monica K. - Drop Variation Thank you for the detailed information on why you prefered this score to others. I enjoy these bits of extra info. The deep growly bass notes are very sexy indeed, I like the shift at about 1.45 minutes - gorgeous drama! Well played indeed Monica!

07. Riddler (Ed) - ReflectionsI've heard a few Monk pieces that I had a lot of trouble getting through - but this was NOT one of them. I really enjoyed this. It felt very much a period piece - loved your floating arpeggios sprinkled throughout. I don't know how you play this from a lead sheet - but it sounds great. Most enjoyable!

08. MarieJ - Fairytale Ah, the woes of trying to get a good recording - we are all plagued with this, aren't we? You're right to take this as a "best effort at this point" sort of bench mark. That being said, it is clear how much work you've put into it and how solid your undestanding of what you're aiming for it. I liked the delicacy of this - it made me think of fireflies and fairy lights - which seems quite appropriate! Very prettily played.

09. Piano2138 - Minuet BWV Anh 116 One of my favourites! These pieces really do have to be under your fingertips to get them up to speed, so your idea of going at a slower tempo but getting it right is exactly the right idea, in my opinion. You may find that using a metronome makes things clearer for you and will help you build up to the tempo you want evenly across the whole piece. Sometimes you've got it just right, and other times it feels rushed and uneven. You're getting there, be patient and enjoy the journey!

10. barbaram - Nocturne no 20 in C# Minor You do indeed have a lot to be happy about with your performance. I love this piece and you're really stirring my heartstrings with this performance. This is a graceful, elegant performance and I will hold it in my mind as I head off to the land of Nod and feel sure it will bring me sweet dreams. What a marvellous way to end my day. Thank you for this treat!

I don't really feel qualified to comment on quality or accuracy so I will just put my basic thoughts down. This is the first time I participated in the recital and the first one I have listened to in it's entirety. Fantastic, entertaining and educational! Thank you everyone!

01. SMA55 (Shepherd Abrams) - 2 Lyric pieces named "Melody", Op 47 No 3 and Op 38 No 3 I really enjoyed 47.3. I’d listen to this again. Nicely played. I too used an iphone, certainly not as crisp as it could be. I just ordered a different mic. 38.3 Did have better sound quality I agree. Both were lovely (sorry that’s a word I don’t often use but I’m watching The Crown so it crept into my vocabulary.)

02. blackjack1777 - Sonatina in G Major, Anh. 5 No. 1 Sounds nice, agree it doesn’t sound like a typical Beethoven piece. More like the Clementi sonatina I’m working on.

03. Peyton - Three Romances, Opus 28 #2 Very nicely played.

04. Whizbang (Chris) - Brejeiro New piece to me. Nice.

05. wouter79 - Waltz, Album for the Young, op.39 no.7 I haven’t heard much Tchaikovsky, so this was new to me. Very well done.

06. Monica K. - Drop Variation This sounds like a fun piece to play and learn. Although I know you’re at a much different (ie higher) level than I am, I wonder if I could tackle this. It has a nice, haunting theme and as you pointed out it seems technically possible for the mere mortal. Beautiful!

07. Riddler (Ed) - Reflections I really like this. Thelonious Monk? For some reason it doesn’t seem typical of his music. I’m going to have to listen to this again later. Very well done, sounded professional to me.

08. MarieJ - Fairytale Very nice; sounded fine to me. Only one pause somewhere near middle third seemed long but I’m not familiar with the piece, maybe it was intentional.

09. Piano2138 - Minuet BWV Anh 116 I enjoyed hearing this piece. Seemed pretty good for 13 months!

10. barbaram - Nocturne no 20 in C# Minor I’m looking forward to playing Chopin’s Nocturnes one day so I was happy to listen to this. Played beautifully. Someday…

11. UnderConstruction - Coracao que Sente Well played. Interesting changes between the sections.

12. peterws - Simple Song Doesn’t sound that simple to me! I especially liked the parts with the deeper bass notes.

13. AZ_Astro - Minuet in G Major - BWV 114 Sounded nicely played to me, I listened to this first because it was nice and short! I’ve touched this piece; the hand independence is tricky.

14. Khopin - Waltz Op. 70 No. 1 in G flat Very well played.

15. BSharp(C)yclist (Dan) - River Flows In You That sounded great to me. Only 18 months experience? Wow!

16. Cathryn999 - Sonata in C K309 3rd Movement Sounds like you nailed this to me.

17. jazztpt - At The Edge Of The Lake Very nice composition. I enjoyed it.

18. CASINITALY (Cheryl) - TRAUMEREI Very good.

19. sinophilia - Dear Little Sister Nicely played; the recording was a little quiet.

20. joangolfing - Tansman Medley ( Petite Reverie and Blues Record Sounds good nice job.

21. Ganddalf - The Dream of Olwen I enjoyed your left hand work in this piece! I had not heard it but like playing pieces from movies; for instance I fiddled with Summer of 42 recently. Very beautiful, I have only 46 more years before I catch up to your half a century of experience, and I hope I’ll play like you do by then!

22. Alexander Borro - Gnossiennes No 2 10th recital in under 3 years? Pretty impressive I’m on my first. I enjoyed this piece might listen again later. Thank you!

23. dumka1 - Venetian Boat Song, op. 30 no. 6 I enjoyed this piece also. One great thing about the recital is that I’m getting to hear music I didn’t previously know.

24. Ralph L. - Island of dreams (pop) What a nice break from the Classical music! Great job for under a year.

25. Jerzyk19 - Largo in E Flat Major Very pretty.

26. cmb13 - Prelude 28.4 E min Should be 28.20 C min. How embarrassing! This is my recital submission. I’m not particularly happy with the sound quality; just ordered a Blue Yeti microphone to use for next time. I wonder if I played it a little too slowly and possibly unevenly. I’ll use this as a baseline. I can be more critical of this one as it's mine. Thanks for listening!

27. KalosPiano - Invention N. 2 in C Minor, BWV 773 Very good thank you. Trilling!

28. CarlosCC - In Principio I enjoyed this thank you. Nice and moody!

29. h8dk97 - Prelude, Op. 28, No. 4 I’m working on this also. Love this piece!

30. Ralphiano / Ralph - An Evening Tale Sounds nice. I’m not sure which high note you were referring to and I don’t know the music – at what time? 1:19? If this is the one to which you were referring the effect is subtle but I heard it after listening a few times. Very nice.

31. fishandchips - Suite in D Minor, BuxWV 233 - Allemande d'Amour That sounded nice thank you! Wait…only 6 months?? Very good!

32. SandTiger - Echoes of the Seven Game of Thrones is the best show to hit TV in decades! Nice mellow song. Thank you.

33. Tubbie0075 - Gavotte, BWV816 A lot of stuff seems to be happening in 40 seconds! Lively little piece. Thanks for the detail on recording.

34. Zoot64 - Tempo di Menuetto: No. 3 Very good. I know what you mean about just wanting to get to the next thing if it’s something you don’t really want to play. I feel there are too many fun pieces to get bogged down for months on something I don’t love!

35. zsolpyW - Etude g minor Sounds like a Polish waltz.

36. yamaha G3 & P80 - Forgotten Fairytales A little tentative but sounded fine.

37. Zilthy - Folk Dance No 6 short and sweet!

38. SwissMS - Sonata in B minor Kp 377 Beautiful! Sounds nice on that Bosendorfer in the sky!

39. Sam S - Sonata K332-1 Very well played.

40. JoBert - Album Leaf (Opus 99, No. 4) Lovely piece.

41. PikaPianist - Etude Romantique Op.13, No.15 Beautiful tempo and dynamics. Loved and will want to listen again.

42. Piano_Primo - Hymnal Praise Composer Arron Williams Nice short piece.

43. Muove - L'enterrement du pouppee Beautiful slow piece with brooding tempo. Will listen to this again also. Just up my alley.

44. luckiest_charm - Minute Waltz Recording volume a little low. Otherwise sounds good.

45. J Soo - La cathedrale engloutie Very nicely played, great bass notes and rich chords. I’m going to listen to this one again too.

46. Richard (zrtf90) - Allegretto in C Minor, D. 915 That was an interesting piece that must have taken a lot of care and patience to get it right, as it was a little slow, not much pedal, no hiding! Great job!

47. MeganR - Musette BWV Anh 126 Sounded good; not too uneven to me as per your concern.

48. stumbler / Dave - Miss Graham's Jigg Very good

49. PawelS - Jeff the Killer Very nice, fun piece. Sweet Dreams / Eurythmics phrases in there? I thought the dynamics were good but to me, the increase in the volume in the louder sections was a little too much. For 2 years, excellent!

24 Ralph L.

Welcome to the recitals and a nice refreshing change to have something like this pop up, pun intended . Great stuff to be doing this after 6 months and you are making music and holding/following the beat confidently. Well done.

31 fishandchips

Another welcome, amazing progress after 6 months. This is not easy stuff at all to be playing so soon, very impressive indeed. I take it the secret must in the eating of fish and chips, I know what my diet is going to be from here on out.

30 Ralphiano / Ralph

it's a very pretty little piece. I know well the trial and stuggles of self teaching but also how rewarding it is, no matter how long it takes. I liked in particular the ending you put on it. I don't know this piece at all, so I'll leave the technical feedback to those in the know but I always very much enjoy listening to fellow self teachers and the difficulties we face, and to have the guts to do it and take part in these recitals.

I have few thoughts actually since I know you are using a keyboard with the same action as mine and pianoteq, so I am suspecting a few things that may or may not help you but it is not really of interest to the music worthy discussing here I think. If interested I'll PM you tomorrow.

Congrats, I look forward to your future renditions.

cmb13, yeah in louder parts I sometimes get carried away (I tend to play it differently depending on the mood I guess multiple unsuccessful recordings made me slightly angry).
There are phrases, the piece originates from Eurythmics Sweet Dreams:

1. Eurythmics creates Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
2. Among 46 covers and 24 remixes, there is spooky cover made by Marilyn Manson
3. The Marilyn Manson cover was inspiration for creating Jeff Theme on guitar by warlocktheripper https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43JX97b4bZE
4. And finally myuu created piano arrangement inspired by warlocktheripper's song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0V3Rn1xrb4

Oddly enough I am familiar of course with the Eurythmics version but also the Marilyn Manson version! I didn't realize this song was so well regarded as to inspire that many covers. Very interesting. I'll listen to the others.

I also get what you're saying about the frustration. This is the first time I recorded anything and it took me about 10-15 takes or more and I'm still not thrilled with my final result.

I enjoyed another session of these performances this evening. Tonight's fare was every bit as nice as yesterday's.


11. UnderConstruction - Coracao que Sente That was nice. I hope more of his music gets played in recitals to come. I think you played well. On second and later listens, I found myself anxious for the returns of that first part. I really enjoyed it, and am glad it repeated. Well done!

12. peterws - Simple Song Nice composition! I'm impressed by your ability to do that. It seems like you played it very cleanly, and, your expressed reservations about it before the recital were not justified. I think you did well.

13. AZ_Astro - Minuet in G Major - BWV 114 Like you, I struggle with staccato in Baroque pieces, particularly with the left hand. My overall impression is that you played at too high a tempo. Perhaps a little slower would help with the staccato. Well done!

14. Khopin - Waltz Op. 70 No. 1 in G flat I am still relatively unfamiliar with most of Chopin's pieces. I haven't advanced in my play enough to tackle them yet. This is a nice one. I admire your ability to get through those ornaments, particularly when they come in such rapid succession. Nice playing!

15. BSharp(C)yclist (Dan) - River Flows In You Well done, and good luck with the live performance. I liked the way you closed it out, combining ritardando with diminishing dynamic. I think it sounded nice, and the ending was very smooth.

16. Cathryn999 - Sonata in C K309 3rd Movement Wow, that was something special. You really seemed like you were in very good control. I think I only heard two or three instances of tempo wavers that were sufficient to catch my attention. There is a huge amount of very well played music in this performance. You should be happy!

17. jazztpt - At The Edge Of The Lake This is very easy to listen to. I enjoyed it and appreciate those who have enough piano mastery to put their own musical ideas into playing. Very nice!

18. CASINITALY (Cheryl) - TRAUMEREI This piece has the odd effect on me of not being something I like in its entirety, yet, I get pleasure from some of the smaller bits and pieces, some really artful phrases and twists. I think the fact that you like it shows. It felt like you were really enjoying it. A nice performance.

19. sinophilia - Dear Little Sister I think you just placed this one on my “to do” list. I agree that it is lovely. I had not heard it before. You played it well.

20. joangolfing - Tansman Medley ( Petite Reverie and Blues Record I'm happy to hear you playing more Tansman. I just love Petite Reverie, it always grabs and holds my attention from start to finish. Your treatment of it is very nice. And, Blues Record has themes that made it into Tansman's Trois Preludes en forme des blues, one of my absolute favorites. I really enjoyed hearing you play these.

I appreciate any contribution. When it comes to the digital world, I am lost beyond words. I use pianoteq, but its features and capabilities are sooooooooooooooooooooooooo mysterious to me. My greatest achievement with it, and this is only very recently, is my effort to manually (click and drag) modify the dynamics curve to more accurately reflect my Casio's characteristics. But, I am not certain that I have done a good job of that. All the rest pianoteq's (Pianoteq Stage) capabilities are yet undiscovered and untouched.

It will probably take me awhile to get through all these. I've listened to almost all of them, but I'd like to spend some time reading each user's description before commenting, and also checking out a video if there is one.

01. SMA55 (Shepherd Abrams) - 2 Lyric pieces named "Melody", Op 47 No 3 and Op 38 No 3

I very much enjoyed this, both pieces. It was calm and relaxing. I'll have to remember this composer. So you have two pianos? I thought at first it was the same, but then I see in the YouTube video that it appears you are in two different rooms for each piece. Very nice!

I have been taking Piano Pedagogy classes, and last semester we actually studied adjudication, or how to critique student performances. Usually at the ABF recitals I restrict myself to polite and encouraging comments. But if anyone would like a more detailed critique I would be happy to try. It can be either by private message or public in this thread - your choice. Send me a message and I will do my best. Classical music only please.

In addition, I will also do "polite and encouraging" comments as usual in this thread.

Sam

Sam don't spare me please. Can I have full opinion. It can be public no problem.

02. blackjack1777 - Sonatina in G Major, Anh. 5 No. 1

Another fine performance, blackjack1777. I don't think I ever heard this before until MeganR and you played it. Great job!

19. sinophilia - Dear Little Sister
This is a lovely piece, Diana. I learnt it at the end of 2015 for the 40-piece challenge. You have everything in place for this and are doing a delightful job with it.

While you're bringing out the phrasing well with the right dynamics there are some places where you might try to improve the legato. The most obvious breaks are in M7&8 and the last bars (m22&23).

In m7&8 the RH can be played fully legato without pedal. The only place that's difficult on the first part is the transition from m4 to m5. I can take the E with 1, 2&3 for D#&F# and stretch to the D# with 5 but that's not an option with a hand that can't make on octave between 2 and 5. It's possible to release the lower D# and pivot up to the upper one otherwise you'll need 1&2 for the D# & F# and cover the break after the E with the pedal.

M12 is marked 52, 51 and 52 in my edition (ed. Lionel Salter) but I prefer 51, 41, 31. In the last phrase, m14 and m15 can take the breaks better using 4 on the notes before the chords and 5 on them.

(It'll be awkward learning new fingerings but if you make the effort you might also use 4 on the C#s in M1 & 2 while you're about it. It won't sound any different but it'll encourage a neater hand for other pieces.)

Really lovely playing though, you have the right touch for the music and I enjoyed listening.