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#38. Calavera - Silent Hill I am a superfan of the eerie, and Silent Hill is that. I'd love to see some piano versions of OST work from modern horror video games or movies. So you can understand my passion for this, I'll share that I have OST vinyl of Halloween 3, It Follows, Midsommar, Hereditary, Haunting of Hill House, Alien, Starry Eyes, and many more. Donnie Darko. Blade Runner 2049. Annihilation, The Arrival, etc.

There is something about scores to high-anxiety entertainment that are like catnip to me.

This is, clearly, a sickness.

But now you understand how I might react to seeing this in the recital. I was glad. Those opening measures pulled me in--such a rich feeling of dislocation right next to this sense of sweet nostalgia.

The ending is much more conventional, and while it's beautiful and of course perfectly played, it was the alienation of the first section that I loved most. Thanks!!

#11. PianogirlNW - Milonga del Angel I listened to your Moment Musicaux that you submitted a while back to hear what choices a more amateur pianist would make and I was impressed with how well you handled what I consider now to be a very challenging piece. Especially your comment on pedaling gave me a lot to think about.

I don't know this piece, but on first listen I notice it has that far-away haunting aspect that is catnip to me.

Overall, it seems fine, decent I suppose.

























I mean.

If you're into amazing and enchanting piano music that you want to play on repeat. If you are into that kind of thing then I guess it's ok. (it's exquisite)

1. Kevin- Beautifully played Kevin. Your love of the music really came through. bravo

2. MarieJ- Absolutely lovely Marie. Yes, Monica would be loving it.

5. Pianist685- I'm so glad you picked this piece. I heard it played years ago and loved it and... totally forgot what it was. And now here it is again and played so well.

10. Jason- Well done Jason. I really enjoyed listening.

06 Ido – Sonatina This is a nice and pleasant little tune you composed, but I must say it is not a sonatina at all. A sonatina consists of at least 2 movements, the first of which follows the sonata form with two contrasting themes and the 3 parts exposition, development and recapitulation. None of that is in your piece. You should change the name of the piece, and everything would be fine.

10 Jason Lenthe - Handel Fantasia in C Fine so far, and a pleasure to listen to. My only objection: I have heard many recordings of this piece that are much faster, I prefer. But, of course, we do not know which tempo Handel had in mind; that’s the problem with Baroque music, in many cases we do not know which tempo was intended.

20 Qazsedcft – Invention C minor Quite good, I like your fast Baroque trills.

26 Serge88 – What’d I say Fine! I was expecting to hear you sing…

28 sinophilia – Erinnerung (Schumann) I do like Schumann and you did this piece justice. Mi piace la tua pagina web “My Italian Circle”. La foto con il fiume ed il ponte, quale città è ? Forse è Verona, non ci sono mai stato.

29 Marklings – Gigue from French Suite (Bach) Fantastic! That harpsichord sound you have is very realistic. And your playing is impeccable. The mordents and other ornaments are all up to the point, and the tempo you chose is rather appropriate for a Gigue. All in all, this is a very impressive performance after only 3 years of playing. You do have talent and might be a very good harpsichordist if you had an instrument of the time. I am saying this as someone who underwent a similar experience and recorded Baroque pieces with the (less realistic) harpsichord sound of my silent system.

17. Venu - Prelude in B Minor
Hi Venu, my ISM buddy ;0 Good luck on your RCM 8 exam! I've never tried this piece, so I can't give you a whole lot of feedback.

18. Sriya - Waltz in A Minor
And good luck to you on your RCM 6 exam. I think it's great that you and your father are doing this together.

Something to consider after your exam. When I first learned this piece, I kept the pedal down the whole bar. Two teachers have suggested to me that this isn't correct, and that you should consider lifting the pedal after the 2nd or 3rd beat. My recent teacher said that helps to give the piece a sense of momentum. Not sure if there is really a right or wrong answer here. Something to try and see if it sounds better to you

You are correct of course. Is there a format this piece could fall into? I didn't want to give it a meaningful name, but I also didn't want to call it 'a piece in E minor'... I would love to hear suggestions. Thanks a lot for listening!

How about Sonatina-Fantasy?

Most folks, rightly or wrongly, probably don't care if the formal requirements of the descriptor are met: we get the gist of it. Does it abuse definitions? Sure. Does it matter? Idk, personally. I'd be willing to listen to the argument that it matters. I feel it's probably lazy on some level and worth the effort, I just don't see the payoff.

All that to say Sonatina is ok with me (sorry P685!)

Thank you very much QuantinP, dumka1, and SunnyKeys for your lovely comments on my submission. I really appreciate it.

Here another set of comments from what I managed to listen today. Amazing playing by everyone.

04. Ido - Sonatina I enjoyed your composition very much Ido, it has a beautiful melody. I also checked the other ones you have on your channel and really liked the Fantasia. The middle section was very unexpected. Thank you also for your comments in my submission

05. pianist685 (Constantin) - Arioso ex Harpsichord Concerto BWV 1056 I love this slow movement. It was one of the very first pieces by Bach I listened to when I got into classical music almost one year ago. Recently, I discovered it was originally part of the oboe concerto you mentioned, a version I also enjoy quite a lot. Your playing was of course amazing as usual!. Thank you for sharing this beautiful recording.

15. Flygbladet - Om kvallen (in the evening) This piece was lovely. Thank you for introducing us to new music and new composers. It is really a shame that such a remarkable artist did not get the recognition she deserved back in her days, but it is also good to see how slowly gender barriers are being destroyed in many different disciplines including the performing arts. Thanks for sharing this

24. Pathbreaker - Partita No. 1, Sarabande This was so well played. Lovely tone, a very nice phrasing as well. I really enjoyed the ornaments. They were so well put together and integrated to the main melody. I really look forward to the Courante in case you plan to submit it in a future recital. I actually went a listen to your rendition of the Prelude, which you submitted some recitals ago. Lovely as well

25. Ganddalf - Prelude Op.11 No.23 I loved this one. I actually looked at the score and followed along. I think you did very good. I can imagine fitting the trills to be challenging but I think you did a very good job

34. lyricmudra - Intermezzo Op. 118 No. 2 Welcome back to the ABF recitals! What a comeback with such a gorgeous piece, probably my favorite solo piano piece by Brahms. I enjoyed your rendition very much. You made really good use of dynamics and did well in highlighting the melody. Looking forward to your future submissions.

35. joangolfing - Invention No. 8 joangolfing I think you are doing very good. You are definitely on the right track. This is indeed a very cheerful invention and I think it is a great idea to keep working on it. You would learn a lot more once you start polishing the piece. I think you are already feeling pretty much comfortable with the notes. I would not worry about speed at the moment but rather trying to play with the two voices throughout the piece. That is a great exercise to understand baroque and Bach's music, but also skills-wise to train how to play with one hand louder than with the other at the same time. I am sure you will enjoy the process and I would love to listen to a future version of your rendition :))

44. Purrblast - Baba Yaga, The Witch (Op. 39, No. 20) This seems like such a fun piece to learn. I actually think you did great and could not spot the mistakes you mention. But I can easily imagine why speeding it up can become very tricky. I think you did a very good job

45. PikaPianist - Abendlied Op.5 No.3 This was such a lovely piece! Another composer to my list of discoveries. I hope there are recordings of some of his other compositions. Your playing was amazing, and I did not notice you having any struggle with the melody. How did you find out about the composer, or about this work in particular? Your recording also sounds extremely good, lovely piano tone and very good recording set up.

11 PianogrlNW

You play so nice on your well tuned piano. Nice rhythm. So much variety here! And this was a treat.

12 Wouter79

Another unusual (to me) piece. Refreshing and powerful. You do some difficult sounding stuff; a guy who takes music very seriously, unlike me!

13 vte

Sounded fine to me. It'll become more fluid as time progresses. You can be be proud of what is here. Well done!

14 Andres Vel

I can imagine what you'd be playing in another two years. Darned good, man. And without music! Nice, nice!

15 Flygbladet

Very nicely played piece of music, worthy of much credit, both to her (the composer) and yourself. You never put a finger wrong, fluent, expressive, lovely. And your piano too, sounded so nice.

16 Ted Jones

You are very experimental, Ted! Nor do you give your piano an easy life. Now, I tried playing according to my mindset and I ran out f steam after 10 seconds . . .the abstracicity of your music overwhelms me! Power to your elbows!

17 Venu

I wish you well on your musical journey. You have a nice style and this piece suited it.

18 Srya

Great job here, and a decent recording on your iphone. Sounds and looks like you're serious about this! And with good reason. Splendid!

19 Mosotti

I just sat and enjoyed that, forgetting where I was, or that I was to comment on it. Excellent, steady flowing, uninterrupted. wonderful Bach! It is just good to listen to such, whenever. What is there not to like?

20 Qazsedcft

Super work. This sounds so intimate, like I have my head into the piano and I hear what's going on. It's good, and a pleasure to listen to.

Great stuff! See you later, guys!

11. Pianogirl- What a lovely sweet piece. I enjoyed your video as well. It put me into a melancholy mood.

14. AndresVel- Well done! Nice playing.

15. Flygbladet- Very interesting piece. It's really neat you have found this virtually unknown composer and Introduced her to us. A lovely piece and you play it very well.

16. Ted- Your playing is technically very good. I can tell you have a blast playing. It reminds me a bit of one of my all time favorites Cecil Taylor. The only thing I would like to hear more of would be you finding a theme that you explore a bit longer. You find these really interesting patterns and melodies and then they are gone not to be heard again. Why not work them a bit?

11. PianogrlNW (Ellen) - Milonga del Angel I listened to your earlier version too. I thought that this one showed more power, more drama and more emotion than the first … magnificent.

12. wouter79 - Sonata, K.119 A great deal of variety in this (unfamiliar-to-me) composition. Very interesting and beautifully played - I really enjoyed it.

13. vte - Prelude No 3 A very pretty piece - and you’ve made great progress in only 15 months! Congratulations.

14. AndresVel - Sonatina in G major, Anh. 5, No. 1 I can’t begin to imagine the amount of practice you must have put in over those 11 months to achieve this skill level - congratulations to both you and your teacher.

15. Flygbladet - Om kvallen (in the evening) That was a delightful, delicate, and sensitively played piece. Thank you! I’m looking forward to hearing more of Elfrida’s compositions in future Recitals.

You are not the first to suggest this and the point is a good one. To some extent it is because I have a grasshopper mind and cannot control the idea flow once it is under way. Whether the propensity is a liability or an asset is not for me to judge. I guess I could try extending each idea for longer, giving it more definition by virtue of imprecise repetition. I shall see what effect that has in the next recording, probably tomorrow.


It is nothing more than a lifelong habit because I am not much good at classical or jazz, Peter.


It usually takes the first fifteen minutes to get things moving, thanks for listening.


Thanks for listening, glad you found something of interest.

Thank you. I found this piece through the Youtube channel 'Kenji N'. Special thanks to him that I was able to discover many very obscure composers and pieces.

The next batch:

31. Qwerty53 - Little Prelude in C Major (BWV 924)
Lovely clear tone, letting the beautiful music breathe and speak for itself. Very enjoyable.

32. Peter Hontaru - Rocket Man
Your interpretation of this arrangement was good, particularly in keeping the melody clear against the denser accompaniment.

33. Tootles - What A Glorious Day
This was sassy and fun to listen to.

34. lyricmudra - Intermezzo Op. 118 No. 2
Lovely touch and colour. Your expression was great – I really got a sense of different moods.

35. joangolfing - Invention No. 8
Really bright and clear. Well done.

36. JB_PW (Jen) - Night Journey
Excellent performance with great dynamics. What an entertaining piece.

37. QuasiUnaFantasia - Smaatrold
Very evocative. I enjoyed how you made it expressive without losing the mad character of the piece.

38. Calavera - Silent Hill
Really moody and spare. You capture the sense of uneasiness perfectly.

40. sma55 (Shepherd Abrams) - Funeral March of a Marionette
Terrific performance – evocative, foot-tappingly energetic and full of marionette-y life. Which is exactly what all the puppet funerals I have been to were like.

41. tyschoco - Invention No.5 in E-Flat Major BMV 776
Great performance with nice clear articulation.

OK. I've managed to listen to half a dozen so far. I'm going slowly but I'll try to comment a bit as I go. I've enjoyed all pieces so far and want to congratulate everyone for submitting an entry. I'm not experienced enough to give much technical feedback, so here are some that spoke to me. My first mini batch of 3:

01. KevinM - Moonlight Sonata, Quasi una Fantasia, Op. 27. No 2. 1st Movement
Very nicely executed; steady job with the left hand.

03. Peyton - When the First Bird Sings
I hadn't heard this piece before. Love it. Feels like I'm dreaming and soaring, like a bird!

05. pianist685 (Constantin) - Arioso ex Harpsichord Concerto BWV 1056
Just beautiful. There's an authenticity in the sound that made me feel transported to Bach's time. Can't explain it.

Thank you, QuentinP, for commenting on my piece. I'm happy to hear you thought I captured the weirdness/spookiness; that made me smile. Satie is indeed unconventional (in a good way). Like when the piece ends in this unresolved minor chord and keeps you wondering "is that it? was that a mistake? shouldn't there be more?" :-) As for live recital nerves: I agree I won't be able to get rid of the nervousness and I need to be better at coexisting with it. I think the key to my issues was the piano itself and how different it felt to my own. Maybe I can try going to a piano store a couple of days before my next live recital to play my pieces. Another thing I need to do is know my piece better, as in, get closer to knowing all notes by heart. There's a very nice video by Dr. Mortensen on this topic. He talks about: always knowing what chord you're in, really knowing all the notes of a difficult passage, not relying too much on muscle memory, etc. Here:

Thank you for listening and commenting on my piece

Some more comments:

01. KevinM - Moonlight Sonata, Quasi una Fantasia, Op. 27. No 2. 1st Movement
Great tempo, I think the lack of rubato is appropriate here, it helps to get the musical idea across, at least for me.
Gread dynamics, maybe except for some loud spikes, which I suspect are a result of unbalanced touch curve.
Overall a great performance.

07. JJHLH - Prelude Op. 11 - No. 21 in B flat major
Very pleasant playing, great touch.

22. Snejana - Whispers of Winds
Very nice piece, I like the atmosphere it creates. Great playing! It improved my feeling a bit. Thank you!

24. Pathbreaker - Partita No. 1, Sarabande
Impressive playing! I do think something about the piano sound detracted a bit from the performance, but it's a matter of taste. Great work.

29. Marklings - Gigue from French Suite #3 in B minor
Sounds great. Impressive achievement for 3 years (and even more)!

31. Qwerty53 - Little Prelude in C Major (BWV 924)
Great performance. You get a great sound out of that piano. Couple of points:
- I think the ornaments at the beginning throw your counting a bit off
- I think the last part could use a bit more pedal.
I think these two would take this from a very good performance to a superb one.

16. Ted Jones - "Late Night Long Time Agone" Another fascinating and energetic abstract with some colourful little threads. I noticed that you say you have a ‘grasshopper mind’- I like what it produces!

17. Venu - Prelude in B Minor I loved the slow pace and sombre atmosphere of this piece; well done! I wish you well in your RCM level 8 exam.

18. Sriya - Waltz in A Minor Another Chopin favourite, which you handled most sensitively. Best of luck with your forthcoming RCM level 6 exam; learning for only 2.5 years, you’ve made amazing progress.

19. Mosotti - Fughetta in C minor, BWV 961 That was simply beautiful - I’d say you achieved that ‘gentle and flowing’ atmosphere you were aiming for.

20. Qazsedcft - Invention no. 2 in C minor Another Bach treat, with polished ornaments - nicely played. (The clicks didn’t detract from my enjoyment.)

Grazie mille Pianist685! Sì, è proprio Verona, il ponte romano nella foto è Ponte Pietra

Given the shortness of the piece and the limited musical content (I do not mean this in a pejorative way, most of Chopin's preludes have a limited musical content), IMO your piece is more a prelude than a sonatina. So why not call it a prelude? Or simply "Melody in G".