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Just a quick thank you to all that commented so far on my playing. I especially appreciate the helpful tips. I haven't had a teacher in many years and know that there are many things I don't do correctly.SMA55 and Richard, I did try that fingering and it was most helpful (although I found the 3rd finger rather than 4th in the 135312(4) series worked better.) Either way it made it much smoother and lighter. Most of my music does not have fingering so I just make it up as I go, sometimes to my detriment. Odd you thought I sounded as if pounding on the download but not on the youtube. It's the same recording. Anytime I hear the word "pounding" I worry as I am deaf in my left ear and have trouble playing very softly. I know I worked hard to keep that as soft as I could.

Thanks for that thought, Richard. I'm thinking maybe a long pause after that ascending arpeggio would be a good way to set off the intro from the start of the first chorus. I agree, It's always a good thing to have a clear line of demarcation at that point.

Ed

Thanks, Peyton and Ed. It's good to see these responses. I'm always wary of overdoing it with my comments and don't want to scare people off!
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I'm still waiting on:


You play the first note of a phrase with the drop weight of the arm and gradually raise the arm so that it clears the keyboard at the end of a phrase.



You're too loud, never mind in the keys. How do you work on interpretation? What does interpretation mean to you? What specific things has she give you to do in this piece in regards to interpretation? And in this first phrase (M2-5) in particular?

M2-5, RH, use 1-2-3, 1-2-4, 4-2-1 (or 4-1-2) and see how the articulation changes. Play these with the float off technique from the Graham Fitch video, not the kick off technique.

What does working on a few measures entail? How do you change the interpretation? Give me a specific instance. How do you change the phrasing? How do you change the accents? How do you change the balance? What else has she asked you to change and how have you attempted it? How has she told you to move your arm? What arm movements do you consciously try to use when you practise D harmonic minor (or does it just move as you play)?

The links to Khatia and David were to let you hear what soft playing sounds like.

Hugh played differently so as not to influence the listener's interpretation with his. I frequently practise pieces in different ways and with different interpretations so that I'm more open to new ideas, make it fresh whenever I play it, make it sound like Rubinstein (ha!), etc.

It's also helpful to exaggerate the dynamics and the accents and the tempo so that when we relax they're still there but more subtle, more fluid, more natural, more musical.

So odd that I decided to investigate! I understand this better now after a few more listens. I caught the streaming player first and went to the video thereafter so the initial reaction was the emphasis on quavers 3 and 6 instead of 1 and 3 that made those particular notes too loud. Because I know the piece and was expecting them to be quieter they probably jarred for me more than they might for others. They felt snatched rather than too loud but the new fingering may ease that issue now anyway. On the video I listened several more times and heard the notes more in context with the whole.

I found I had to adjust my desktop volume a lot more for this recital than usual - way down for J Soo and way up for luckiest_charm so I may have been faffing around with it and had it lower than normal for the video - yours was the first piece I listened to on the streaming player. I don't know what I normally have it at but it's there now so I'll make a note of it for future reference!

Richard, I think those of us who receive your very thoughtful feedback are indeed most appreciative.

For the sake of those who may be new here and feeling a bit overwhelmed by this degree of commentary I'd just like to make sure that everyone realizes that this level of detail doesn't happen unless the people involved have known each other for a long time and have participated in a lot of these recitals, or know each other from long-running threads.

Everyone writes as much as they like, and gives feedback to as many people as they want to /have time to do.
Some people just write a global "thanks everyone, you all did a great job" - others write more. Whatever works for you is fine.

So, don't worry that any feedback you give is too sort or not knowledgable enough - we want to be sure that everyone at every level feels comfortable.
Simply saying you enjoyed a performance is fine- and it's exciting to hear that someone enjoyed listening.

Thank you, I'm happy you enjoyed it. I take credit for the left hand and variations, but the melody is not mine, it is from a collection Scottish fiddle music by William Shepherd, published around 1793. There is a free download available available from the Highland Music Trust.

http://www.heallan.com/freedownloads.asp

Thank you Peter. I'm trilled by your response.

Thank you cmb13.

You should give it as try. Maybe try working from fiddle scores, so that you aren't distracted by a pre-existing arrangement. Play the melody as written and experiment with different things in the left hand. Occasionaly when something feels like it works, try to flesh out the idea to a full arrangement. That's what I do---fumble around and occasionally come up with something that sounds musical.

I recall that my daughter had a book of Irish Fiddle music with some beautiful music. I can't seem to find it via a quick google, but if you want I can ask her the details if you'd like.

Randomly jumping...

18. Casinitaly- Ah, a brave soul to play this at a recital… This is such an analyzed work. But…I don't analyze. I just like listening and this was very nice to listen to. It is a deceptively tough piece though. I've played it for years now and yet still keep coming back to it and making new discoveries and changes. Well done.

22. Alexander Borro- Love this! The piece and your playing. I think you caught the mystery of the work.

24- Ralph L. Hey, you had some fun playing this. well done.

26. cmb13- Nicely played. Welcome to the recitals!! Great start.

28. CarlosCC- I really like the fact that you keep changing the piece. You keep making them your "own" and I think that adds quality to the playing.

Hope to get through all of these soon ...

25. Jerzyk19 - Largo in E Flat Major

Nice job for 8 months! I've been listening to a lot of Chopin lately, well the Falling In Love with Chopin CD from Alfred's. I hope to play this someday.

26. cmb13 - Prelude 28.4 E min

Another nice Chopin piece. Well done!

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

Enjoyed the video - very nice!

Thanks! Looking forward to getting more polished pieces out there.

Oh, I'm done. In a way I'm sorry to have finished (but of course I can always listen again) but on the other hand, I am glad I made it through in decent time. At the time of the last recital I was swamped with work and computer problems and didn't have the time or the energy to be in the right spirit for listening.

Here are my final comments - thank you so much to everyone who works so hard to contribute to the success of these recitals!


27. KalosPiano - Invention N. 2 in C Minor, BWV 773 Bravo! I love the mental challenges of wrapping Bach around your brain - it can be such a struggle at first and then it all clicks! This is a lovely flowing performance, and your trills were beautiful. I would never have guessed they were killing you! Bravo

28. CarlosCC - In Principio Well, probably I've heard this piece before, but it sounded fresh to me. The name is "the beginning"-- and in fact as I read that and started to listen I thought of Genesis and the beginning of the world. There's an otherworldly feel to this (it reminds me of some of Peyton's compositions from outerspace!). An ingtriguing piece of music played with feeling. Parabens my friend!

29. h8dk97 - Prelude, Op. 28, No. 4 My first Chopin of the day. I love the rainy-day melancholy of this piece. You played with a gentle delicacy that was perfect for the music.

30. Ralphiano / Ralph - An Evening Tale How sweet to have the music choose you! You're doing so well. I can see why this piece appealed to you - it is light, softly pleasant, with the clear feel of winding down (as the title suggests) - maybe like the a carosel saying good-night to the folks who are taking the last ride of the evening. Very prettily played!

31. fishandchips - Suite in D Minor, BuxWV 233 - Allemande d'Amour This is a new composer for me - and you really got my attention. I did some research and wasn't surprised to hear that Buxtehude influenced Bach. Fascinating piece to listen to as it twists and turns - very well played. I enjoyed it.

32. SandTiger - Echoes of the SevenYou've really made a leap in ability here SandTiger - much greater fluidity and evenness between your left and right hand, much more gentle touch - wow. I'm impressed. Congratulations of your progress!

33. Tubbie0075 - Gavotte, BWV816 Charming! I can picture the court dancers in all their finery. The only criticism I have is that it was too short - too much of a teaser! Nicely done indeed!

34. Zoot64 - Tempo di Menuetto: No. 3 I seem to be in the Baroque section of the recital now! Very nicely played. I know what you mean when you say "this is as good as it gets for now" - I feel that way about my recordings 90% of the time. Think of it as a bench mark for you to compare yourself with in six months. Mind you, I think this was very well played - you are very attentive to the precision this sort of piece requires, your phrasing was good and you were very crisp on the rests (which many people end up making muddy in their first attempts). This is a performance you can feel good about, and if you happen to do better in the future - more power to you! I enjoyed listening to you play

35. zsolpyW - Etude g minor Lovely music! I can see why you say it is remeniscent of Chopin (I watched the video as I wanted to see you playing the 10ths! Well done. Your piano is really beautiful. I love the colour of the wood. You played with great energy and feeling - very enjoyable.

36. yamaha G3 & P80 - Forgotten Fairytales I like MacDowell. Six flats... that's a lot to keep track of but you seem to have managed. I really like this particular piece, I don't think I've heard it before, or at least not often enough for it to be familiar. There's a lot of really interesting musical conversation going on here, and you've done some good work with your dynamics.

37. Zilthy - Folk Dance No 6 I couldn't see the video..... You gave a very nice performance - fluid, even with clear management of the dynamics - a very pleasant happy tune! Nice work!

38. SwissMS - Sonata in B minor Kp 377 Wow. Gorgeous piano, stunning sound, splendind performance. I can see why you enjoy playing this piece -it's a brain puzzle, it's delicate but energetic, it is go go go from the start, and it's simply wonderful music. Thouroughly enjoyed watching you play, looking as relaxed as always. You are so prepared for your exam! Bravissima! (Mr. Casinitaly enjoyed it too)

39. Sam S - Sonata K332-1 A six minute piece is a challenge at the best of times - playing it from memory is another thing altogether - well done Sam. That part just before the 1m mark sounds wickedly difficult - the fact that you pull it off shows how much work you're putting into this piece. There were just a few spots where it seemed you might be pushing your envelop for speed but overall it sounded very much under control with great attention to the "tick tock" precision Mozart demands, great range of dynamics - a very exciting piece to play, I'm sure, and a delight to listen to.

40. JoBert - Album Leaf (Opus 99, No. 4) Lovely! Isn't it great to find a piece that you can do so much with in a relatively short time? I did indeed enjoy this.

41. PikaPianist - Etude Romantique Op.13, No.15 ooooh! Very pretty! Thank you for introducing me to this composer. This is the kind of music that gets into your heart and soothes your soul. Lovely performance.

42. Piano_Primo - Hymnal Praise Composer Arron Williams Hymns have a lot to teach us about the basics of music. Play or sing enough of them and you automatically start to understand what natural progressions to expect in other pieces. This is a short piece, but it was very pleasant to listen to! Nice work!

43. Muove - L'enterrement du pouppee Oh, such a sad, sad piece. You seem to be exercising excellent control over your sound and dynamics. Played with feeling, and balance. Well done.

44. luckiest_charm - Minute Waltz Elegant and exciting - I should very much love to swirl about the ballroom in the arms of my sweetie to this music. Charming !

45. J Soo - La cathedrale engloutie I haven't heard this piece often, but love it. Talk about a musical painting - A sunken cathedral - you can hear the waves tearing into the fabric of the building and the bells crashing and tumbling - wow. Truly dynamic!

46. Richard (zrtf90) - Allegretto in C Minor, D. 915 Richard it is really clear that to perform so well, you've dedicated time and energy to studying and practicing this piece. This is a piece the listener relax with, melting into the flow, music that washes away the hovering stresses of the day and lets you settle into a restful peaceful state. Beautifully played, thank you for sharing this music so sweetly.

47. MeganR - Musette BWV Anh 126 Love this piece! You really have captured the cheeky bouncy nature of this one in a delightful fashion. Great tempo and dynamics. You put a smile on my face at the end of a very long and somewhat frustrating day. I thank you for this.

48. stumbler / Dave - Miss Graham's Jigg I can picture red-haired girls dancing in figures, light and lithe. A perfectly charming piece! Most enjoyable.

49. PawelS - Jeff the Killer Interesting title. Great music for a thriller movie. You certainly created a sense of drama with your dynamics - lots of energy and tension in this piece, excellent control! (Parts of it reminded me of "Sweet dreams" by the Eurythmics...interesing). Well done.

More thanks!



Thanks ! it delights me to hear people enjoyed listening to my playing1



Definitely a keeper - so glad you enjoyed listening. Since recording it, I have smoothed out more of the wobbly parts and picked up the tempo a bit. By doing more memorizing I find there's less hesitation. It's getting better, but I think I've still got a long road before me!


I've never been called musically brave before- thanks! (and considering that there's a current thread going on discussing this very piece .... I was a bit leery of submitting my offering!) ---- I feel that it will be quite a while before I can really bring out what I can hear in my head, but hey, it's worth keeping at it, isn't it?


Thanks to everyone who has listened and commented - getting feedback from the community is a very special part of playing in our recitals.

01. SMA55 (Shepherd Abrams) - 2 Lyric pieces named "Melody", Op 47 No 3 and Op 38 No 3
I was so taken by this opening selection to PW Recital 46 that I got out my Grieg Lyric Pieces and started learning Op. 47 No. 3. I am impressed with how well you play this lovely folk song in true Grieg fashion. I will be working on this piece for quite some time. I use these recitals as a listening experience to find new pieces to explore. This definitely was a delightful treasure. Thank you so much.

How sweet, Joan. I'm so glad that you were inspired to begin to learn this piece. I, too, find performances on these ABF recitals that motivate me to learn new pieces. Best of luck to you with Grieg's Opus 47 No 3. And thanks for the kind words!

I followed your suggestions for playing these with screwdriver and silent. But I don't feel any relation to how I play the piece normally. Now maybe there is some effect but I'm not aware of any change in the way I play it.

FAIK my teacher does not observe a 'too loud' problem. So there is nothing to correct.


I had seen that video before but it was good to check it again and apply it to m1-5 (and rest). This seems to address the same issuee as my teacher's comment that I'm playin the last note of the slurs in the RH too loud. But my teacher is more focusing on getting me to HEAR these accents, less on exercises to fix those. And that matches my learning goal, I want to hear these problem spots. Solving them is only step 2.

Interpretation means for me, where do phrases start and end, how to distribute volume and tension about the phrases, This is of course tight related to the structure of the piece. The teacher gives indications like keeping mf instead of dropping to p in one place, making the lowest voice more legato, pointing out accents where they should not be, etc.




I don't hear a difference. Starting on 1 feels clumsy but that's probably because I'm used to a different fingering.


A specific examples: (1) in the forte parets I was playing too heavy, particularly in LH. I then practice some of these measures to see if I can make the quarter notes just a bit shorter. (2) I played the LH chords on 2nd and 3rd beat with the g dominating, the teacher asked to change this into a more prominent e-flat. So I practice LH separately in this hand to get the new voicing .Many things have been changed here, spread over many lessons.

We talk quite often about moving and flexibility. I'm often stiffening up in my shoulders and wriist. On other moments I'm moving too much esp with my shoulder and elbows. I am currently more focused on a wrist movement when playing the D harmonic minor scale as that was something suggested recently: point the hand a tiny bit up or down corresponding to the direction that the scale is going in. I can usually focus only on 1 detail, the other things go kind of automatic, so if I'm working on that wrist movement I don't know what my arms are doing.



My interpretation is usually very stable, after the analysis I even put in the extra details in the score such as un-written (de)cresc, articulations, slurs etc. I have one, work to play it as planned, and unless the teacher changes it I usually feel no need to try different things.

I listened again to those. My impression is that the recording volume is just very low on those videos. Why do you believe that they are actually PLAYING soft?

So, this exercise is only for the very first note of each phrase? The rest of the notes are played with the finger motion?

21. Ganddalf - The Dream of Olwen
Interpretation certainly not left hand work and tells a melody says story in itself.
That is The highs and lows of a charchter. So a good movie theme piece.
Tempo –dynamics, played very well and a moving piece.

22. Alexander Borro - Gnossiennes No 2

Interpretation – yes I ‘d say your playing captured the mood of this piece some a haunting reverb, and small important passages in the piece and listener.
Tempo –dynamics- were well played and smooth, false ending was effective in creating reverie.
Originality I’ve never heard Satie’s compositions until I listened to the recitals, but the ones I’ve heard all have or led my mind to hidden mystery of a story , like a secret in a Goth place.
Comment well done.

23. dumka1 - Venetian Boat Song, op. 30 no. 6

Interpretation- could be my speakers , but had a lot of hiss but the sound came through good piano dynamics and emetic piece. I never heard this version of a Venetian boat song,.- good choice and work .
Maybe the left hand –accompaniment- bass needs more emphasis but enjoyed the piece .


24. Ralph L. - Island of dreams (pop)

Sorta see saw rhythm , good interpretation but recording had some hiss. Good Work

25. Jerzyk19 - Largo in E Flat Major
Welll done effective dynamics and tempos smooth .

26. cmb13 - Prelude 28.4 E min

Seemed a little slow in tempo and the recording was actually hissed , there must be a problem processing the files because I noticed it on many recording, or my speakers .
Anyway , good work !!

27. KalosPiano - Invention N. 2 in C Minor, BWV 773
A nice clean and clear crisp recording , quite a listen and well executed , the dynamics were effective and made the piece beautiful . Well done !!

28. CarlosCC - In Principio
Well, the mystical aspect of the piece cam through with your playing, Reminded me of Satie’s compositions, only slightly though. Well played.


[b]29. h8dk97 - Prelude, Op. 28, No. 4

Interpretation- Very good, contemplative .
Tempo –dynamics- played excellently, dynamics soft and delicate.
Originality-yes
Comment-nice listen

30. Ralphiano / Ralph - An Evening Tale

Quite a nice delicate piece , and played very well . Effective dynamics. Enjoyed the listen . It seems like this piece would work well with elaborating the ending (adding four measures that had another accompaniment in the bass )

31. fishandchips - Suite in D Minor, BuxWV 233 - Allemande d'Amour
Ver well done for 6 mos too!, even and smooth , good recording…. Enjoyable listen –
For the future, Dynamics and touch really creates an effect in a piece. Something to work on once the piece is learnt ! Wish someone would have told me that – I’m self taught.



32. SandTiger - Echoes of the Seven
Nice different kind of piece, I enjoyed the piece and playing was super. Good recording.

33. Tubbie0075 - Gavotte, BWV816

I really liked this, well played and the recording was excellent !

34. Zoot64 - Tempo di Menuetto: No. 3
Well played and I enjoyed the listen , very effective dynamics and touch .

35. zsolpyW - Etude g minor
WOW! Impressive sound and playing .. Good choice . Nice authentic piano!! So dramatic!
I bet this took some work to learn .

36. yamaha G3 & P80 - Forgotten Fairytales
Beautifully played good choice and effective dynamics ,, the harmony in this is beautiful Enjoyable listen .

37. Zilthy - Folk Dance No 6 Very well done, nice smooth tempo .. Great for two months …I recommended this to another player… For the future, Dynamics and touch really creates an effect in a piece Something to work on once the piece is learnt(ed) ! Wish someone would have told me that – I’m self taught.


38. SwissMS - Sonata in B minor Kp 377 WOW ! quite exact and excellent playing and dynamics—impressive, enjoyable listen ! Quite an impressive sound on \f the piano, authentic and beautiful…. That new piano holds future pieces that will awe the listener.

39. Sam S - Sonata K332-1
The tempo is quite a mover , enjoyed the listen , well [played. Really effective dynamics .

40. JoBert - Album Leaf (Opus 99, No. 4)
Really an original choice of a piece . I ‘d say it’s well played and emotive. Very enjoyed the sound playing and recorded well!!