Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Recital #62 - General Discussion Room

Thanks Andres! Indeed, this is probably the most difficult of the two part inventions and is very much like a fugue. Next time I play something like this I will try to make the voices more balanced.

Thank you very much @Serge88!

29. Marklings - Gigue from French Suite #3 in B minor The harpsichord was a nice change - it sounded very authentic to my ears. You teamed that with a terrific performance; a real treat.

30. Talao - Gymnopedie No. 1 I love the Gymnopedies and the Gnossiennes, as my previous Recital choices probably indicate. It took me a LOT longer than one year and 10 months to tackle this piece, which really is far more difficult than it looks at first glance. You can be truly proud of your performance; I have no better advice for you than to keep this one in your repertoire and enjoy playing it often!

31. Qwerty53 - Little Prelude in C Major (BWV 924) Congratulations to your new grand piano and to you - a worthy partnership, producing a delightful result.

6.greta99- What a lovely way for me to start my day listening to your wonderful playing of this so moving piece.

28. Sinophilia- Very nicely played. I also enjoyed watching your very smooth rythmic playing.

30. Talao- Nicely done. Now that you have discovered Satie I hope you have a chance to listen to some of his Gnossienes. Those are my favorites.

38. Calavera- Well, after that explanation I was expecting something a bit more, well, wierd. Instead it's just beautiful and evocative. I love it and your playing is great. (It got my wife's thumbs up from the kitchen).

Thanks to Sam for another wonderful recital, and a great turnout!

I appreciate the comments on my piece.


Thank you! I'm working my way through his book of "Lyric Preludes in Romantic Style." So many nice or fun pieces, relatively short...all keys are represented, and I've found several pieces really challenge my clumsy pedal foot. Lots to learn here.

I haven't made it all the way through the recordings yet, but some comments in haphazard order:

16. Ted Jones - "Late Night Long Time Agone"
An hour of improv...wow! So much energy. The beginning reminded me of a busy city. Some suspense after the 2 min mark. My favorite parts starts just before 5:00. Very interesting, as usual!

06. Greta99 - Adagio, BWV 974
Nice, Greta! Lovely piece, and you have such a delicate touch. Really pretty.

40. sma55 (Shepherd Abrams) - Funeral March of a Marionette
What an interesting choice...I have never heard the entire piece, just the main theme. I liked the arrangement. Nice dynamic changes and the melody stood out really well.

46. Hawgdriver (Leon) - Moment Musicaux Number 3 in F minor
Really impressive! I thought the dynamic contrast between the sections was nice. I did not catch the pedal issues you mentioned.

23. Lilypad - The Orchard
Very pretty! I’m not familiar with this piece, but it sounded to me like you were often in a hurry to get to beat 1. Overall I thought it was a really nice performance.

13. vte - Prelude No 3
Definitely agree that it’s a charming piece...well done! One minor gripe - consider letting the final note ring a bit longer; the recording cut off rather abruptly.

11. PianogrlNW (Ellen) - Milonga del Angel
Gorgeous piece and such a tasteful video. Are you getting tired of hearing that it was great? Because, sorry...it was great.

03. Peyton - When the First Bird Sings
Great! I loved the overall feel of the piece, and how the intensity slowly increased to the end. I also liked the expansion of the RH melody, especially the section right before the end.

14. AndresVel - Sonatina in G major, Anh. 5, No. 1
Congrats on the new piano! And it looks like you have a great recording setup. As far as the performance - super clean, seems like you know the piece really well. [11 months…...amazing progress]

15. Flygbladet - Om kvallen (in the evening)
Wow...lovely piece. I pulled up the sheet music and followed along. That was really good. You did such a great job of bringing out the melody, even as it switched hands. I thought the dynamics were great too. I know you’re interested in critical feedback, but the only thing I noticed was that the trill near the end wasn’t as strong as the rest of the piece. That’s all I got.

01. KevinM - Moonlight Sonata, Quasi una Fantasia, Op. 27. No 2. 1st Movement
That was lovely Kevin, and I liked your tempo.

04. Ido - Sonatina
Nice composition and I thought you played it well! I enjoyed your performance - the only thing I noticed is that you often hang on to the first eighth note in the left hand, and it sort of interrupted the flow a little (gave it a lopsided feel I guess). Just an amateur’s opinion though.

17. Venu - Prelude in B Minor
Good luck on your exam! I think this is coming along really well.

18. Sriya - Waltz in A Minor
Great job...I thought it was very musical/expressive and the trills/ornaments sound nice. One small suggestion...I must admit that my eyes/ears were immediately drawn to the pedal, likely because I’m very focused on improving this in my own playing now (I wish I had started earlier). It’s not easy to coordinate so many things! You might want to try to not lift your foot up all the way, and that will avoid the noise of the pedal coming up. I think that would take this to the next level. Otherwise, the piece sounds excellent and I’m certain you will do very well on your exam - good luck!

02. MarieJ - Saman
This is the kind of music I often enjoy playing outside of my lessons. Sounded like a confident performance...enjoyed it!

26. Serge88 - What'd I say
Fun choice, and enjoyable to watch!

45. PikaPianist - Abendlied Op.5 No.3
Pure elegance...as always. Really enjoyed it!

41. tyschoco - Invention No.5 in E-Flat Major BMV 776
Welcome to the recitals! That was a really strong performance and your tempo is impressive.

44. Purrblast - Baba Yaga, The Witch (Op. 39, No. 20)
Loved it! Seemed fast enough to me and full of character.

10. Jason Lenthe - Fantasia in C Major (HWV 490)
Bravo! Really impressive performance.

05. pianist685 (Constantin) - Arioso ex Harpsichord Concerto BWV 1056
I’ve always loved this melody. I thought the dynamics and trills were great!

07. JJHLH - Prelude Op. 11 - No. 21 in B flat major
What a sweet little piece, and I thought you did a great job with it.

Thank you very much for listening!
I completely agree with your observation, I used this 'hang' when I began practicing this piece (which is when the recording took place) in order to clean the pedal a bit, since it was all over the place (I was overwhelmed by the pedal on the acoustic as I usually play a DP). But I too noticed that it ended up taking away from the flow, so I've later managed to adjust my pedal technique to avoid these hangs.
Thanks again

I used to wonder during my 'lurking' years why the recital discussion threads went on for pages. I never read them until I joined and played in a couple of recitals. Now I know...

Here's my 2nd installment as I listen to all the enjoyable music. Thank you, Sam for carrying on this tradition.

26. Serge88 - What'd I say Gotta love the blues! Nice arrangement and well played. I'm jealous of your glissando. I need to get over my fear of them.

36. JB_PW (Jen) - Night Journey What a fun little piece! I'll have to track down some Gillock music to explore.

37. QuasiUnaFantasia - Smaatrold Delightful listening! You're getting me hooked on classical music.

38. Calavera - Silent Hill As you said, a spooky sounding start that changes to a spellbinding listening experience.

39. QuentinP - June - Barcarolle Enjoyed your piece and your playing of it. My favorite part is the change around the 2 minute mark on the recording.

40. sma55 (Shepherd Abrams) - Funeral March of a Marionette Forgot that the theme from Alfred Hitchcock Presents came from a classical piece. Well played! Love it!

46. Hawgdriver (Leon) - Moment Musicaux Number 3 in F minor I think I just joined the Schubert fan club. Very pleasant listening!

47. winterflower - Train Horn The train horn sound sure got my attention. That's some nice improvising.

48. selfishplayer - EnglishSuite 2 bourree I I can't imagine the feats of fingering it would take to play that piece. Impressive!

49. EdmondRhapsody - Passacaglia This piece is just magical! Your playing sounded superb.

50. psyche23 (Edwin) - Romance in F sharp major, Op. 28 No. 2 Beautiful piece and the romantic story attached to it. I feel the same way regarding sharps vs. flats. I'm glad you decided to play it.

51. Sam S - Polonaise op 40-1"Military" Bravo, Sam! What a marathon of a piece. I see you got the coveted last spot of #51. Congrats.

My apologies for the liberal use of exclamation points. I couldn't help myself.

21 Peterws

You've been around just too long, Peter . . .way too long! Find somethimng else to do . . .

22 Lilypad

Lovely sound from your 635. Loved the feel of this. You don't have to get complicated to sound nice but no doubt you'll progress to such. Well done!

23 Snejana

I liked the aound of this; could be a litttle more fluid around the 1 min mark, and again at 2 mins. Phrasing on this is pretty crucial for its completion but you'll soon feel your way more into the mood of the piece. Nice job nonetheless!

Thank you very much AndresVel, Serge88, MarieJ, and Peyton for listening to my piece and providing feedback!


You're the second person who jokes with me about hitting a ninth, and all I think about is: you should see my teacher's hands! I envy his reach! :-) Thank you for the encouragement about the live recital experience. I'm trying to make my rational brain convince my emotional brain to let it go. I should be OK. Next one, I'm going to over-prepare by a ridiculous amount. As for musicality, I think you're under-selling yourself. I've listened to many pieces on your channel and I think you're pretty musical. As others have said before, what you've accomplished in 11 months is astonishing. I'm happy to hear the melody came across well. I listened to a professional play this piece about 100 times and was trying to mimic the phrasing and dynamics as best as I could.


Thank you! I'm happy to hear I managed to convey some of the feelings I was going for.


Thank you so much! It means a lot coming from someone who's also worked on the piece. I for sure want to keep it as a "can play it any time from memory" piece. I'm putting together a list of 10 pieces that I plan to always keep fresh and ready to go, say, if I run into a piano in the middle of the street or a hotel :-)


Absolutely. I downloaded an album on Apple Music with all the Gymnopédies and all the Gnossiennes and listened to all of them. I'm going to try and learn Gnossienne No. 1 next. I also like Gnossienne No. 5 very much.

Thanks, Pianist685, AndresVel, Sam S, QuentinP, and Peyton, for your kind words about my Scriabin. I worked very hard on this prelude, so it's nice to know you appreciated it (although I know it could have been better). And yes, Sam, I'll make sure to check out Zhdanov's videos, thanks for suggesting it.

I've been listening to more submissions and will listen to the entire recital, but, as I said, I'm not sure I'll be able to post more comments. I'll definitely try, though.

The “busy city” image has been a frequent reaction among listeners. Curiously, it is the opposite of my general temperament and indeed, I detest the increasingly and to me pointlessly neurotic pace of activity evident in recent years in the city where I live. Generally speaking I prefer the life of a happy pig to that of a wretched Socrates so perhaps an unconscious compensatory mechanism is at work. Thanks for listening.

32. Peter Hontaru - Rocket Man Very impressive piano sound and a complex arrangement; I appreciated being able to watch the score in the video. Your progress is commendable - keep up the good work!

33. Tootles - What A Glorious Day A lovely swing style to this bluesy Martha Mier piece - it was clearly fun to play, and it was fun to listen to!

34. lyricmudra - Intermezzo Op. 118 No. 2 In a nutshell: stellar!

35. joangolfing - Invention No. 8 It sounded quite lively at that speed, so I can imagine that increasing the pace will be an interesting exercise. Very well done!

36. JB_PW (Jen) - Night Journey I loved this! Very short and very sweet, I’m almost glad that your pedal had a squeak because that was a great choice.

Some more gems in this recital:

36. JB_PW (Jen) - Night Journey
Excellent performance! I didn't want it to end

41. tyschoco - Invention No.5 in E-Flat Major BMV 776
This is some proper Bach playing. Each voice is very clear and well phrased. Really enjoyed it!

43. dumka1 - Prelude Op. 11 no 20
What a beautiful piece. Thank you for introducing it, I think you've done an excellent job, especially with the dynamic effects

44. Purrblast - Baba Yaga, The Witch (Op. 39, No. 20)
Nice piece, very well executed!

46. Hawgdriver (Leon) - Moment Musicaux Number 3 in F minor
A very enjoyable listen, I tapped my foot to it:)

Finally back to share comments; meanwhile, I've enjoyed listening to everything at least twice now!

12. wouter79 - Sonata, K.119 From the first few bars, it makes me think of ornate rooms with high ceilings and beautifully dressed people promenading through. Very nicely played! You bring out a beautiful sound from your piano.

13. vte - Prelude No 3 Lovely piece! You play it very musically, which is especially impressive, considering you haven’t been playing piano very long.

14. AndresVel - Sonatina in G major, Anh. 5, No. 1 Beethoven in your first year! Your hard work on this piece has really paid off. Well done!

15. Flygbladet - Om kvallen (in the evening) A wonderful thing about these online recitals is the chance to discover work by composers who should be more widely appreciated. Beautiful presentation of this work. Elfrid Andree; I will remember that name and look out for more of her compositions

16. Ted Jones - "Late Night Long Time Agone" I have come to look forward to your improvisations, Ted (and your titles!). This may be my favorite one yet. Love the grandly ominous feel of the final minute or so that blooms into a gentle contemplativeness at the end.

17. Venu - Prelude in B Minor It’s hard to believe this is a digital piano and an iphone for recording! You bring out a very compelling sound as you play this beautiful Chopin.

18. Sriya - Waltz in A Minor Sriya, you played this waltz so gracefully! Well done!

19. Mosotti - Fughetta in C minor, BWV 961 Ahhhh, more Bach! Mosotti, this is such an assured and serene performance. I immediately listened to it a second time.

20. Qazsedcft - Invention no. 2 in C minor More Bach, and still C minor, yet such a contrast to the preceding Fughetta. This one is firm and decisive, offering in another way the “heartbeat” that I love in all of Bach.

21. peterws - Contemplation Peter, your playing and your composition are wonderful. The video was oddly entertaining! The music was no joke, really nice.

22. Snejana - Whispers of Winds There is so much new and original music in this recital! I don’t know the original, but I really enjoyed listening to your arrangement and interpretation. Your playing brings across the changes in mood so well.

23. Lilypad - The Orchard Another composer new to me, with a beautiful moody piece. Well played in Vancouver!

24. Pathbreaker - Partita No. 1, Sarabande Thank you for sharing more of the ever-changing, ever-satisfying Bach heartbeat.

25. Ganddalf - Prelude Op.11 No.23 Scriabin is growing on me; this was beautiful!

26. Serge88 - What'd I say What a fun change of pace! Nice that you play for your tiger. I can imagine you later at the old upright at the back of a darkened bar, wearing a jaunty hat along with your shades, and dashing this off while basking in the admiration of everyone around.

27. mmathew - Prelude in E Minor Seems one of the saddest pieces of music ever; how did Chopin manage that with so few notes? Nicely played.

28. sinophilia - Erinnerung, Op. 68 no. 28 One of my favorites from this collection by Schumann; I hope to play it as well as you do someday.

29. Marklings - Gigue from French Suite #3 in B minor You rose to the Bach challenge! I like the use of harpsichord sound with this piece.

30. Talao - Gymnopedie No. 1 One of my favorites; you played it very well. I look forward to hearing more Satie from you.

32. Peter Hontaru - Rocket Man Great idea to motivate yourself with a piece that means a lot to you. Your hard work paid off; sounds great!

33. Tootles - What A Glorious Day Aren’t Martha Mier pieces a ton of fun to play?! Loved this, right down to the way you played the ending(s). And then your great smile -- I only wish your videographer hadn’t turned the camera off quite so soon!

34. lyricmudra - Intermezzo Op. 118 No. 2 One of my favorites from this recital! So much is revealed by the way you play this, informed I am sure by your understanding of singing. Simply gorgeous. More please!

35. joangolfing - Invention No. 8 A worthy addition to our selection of Bach pieces this time around. I hope you continue to enjoy it!

36. JB_PW (Jen) - Night Journey Gillock is new to me; what a fun piece, and you played it with jaunty insouciance!

37. QuasiUnaFantasia - Smaatrold Another fun and jaunty piece that is new to me. Even if you aren’t playing at the breakneck speed Grieg demanded, your performance has a wonderful buoyant forward momentum.

38. Calavera - Silent Hill This piece drew me in. Your sound is lovely; hard to believe it is a digital!

39. QuentinP - June - Barcarolle One of my favorites out of so many gorgeous pieces in this collection; I just wonderful why Tchaik didn’t call it “Months” instead of “Seasons”! Beautifully played. Your sandwich sounded good, too!

40. sma55 (Shepherd Abrams) - Funeral March of a Marionette What a treat! It took days to remember where I had heard it before, and then the visuals came back to me from the days of black-and-white television, watching Alfred Hitchcock’s distinctive profile appear as a line drawing. Fun to hear the whole thing; I can't help smiling as I listen!

41. tyschoco - Invention No.5 in E-Flat Major BMV 776 Very nice! An excellent debut! Welcome to the ABF recitals. More please! Bach, or anything else you want to play!

42. barbaram - Waltz in A Minor This waltz is certainly trickier to play than it looks, but you have done beautifully with it.

43. dumka1 - Prelude Op. 11 no 20 The passion really comes through in your playing!

44. Purrblast - Baba Yaga, The Witch (Op. 39, No. 20) Oh, that Baba Yaga! Your playing really brings across the feel of the children’s story, somewhat scary and somewhat comical.

45. PikaPianist - Abendlied Op.5 No.3 Sauer is another composer new to me; thanks for introducing this piece! You played it beautifully, despite the challenges you mentioned. Your left hand had a lot of traveling to do! (PS Nice Estonia!)

46. Hawgdriver (Leon) - Moment Musicaux Number 3 in F minor A real toe-tapper! Well done! I have no good advice about the pedaling, except to listen hard and adjust to get the sound you want. So often, getting my feet to coordinate with my hands feels like learning to drive a stick shift, again and again and again…! But you will get it!

47. winterflower - Train Horn I love it that there are several original compositions and improvisations in this recital. I can hear train horns from my home when the wind is right; I think you captured their flavor and added richness to the musical mix. Very nice!

48. selfishplayer - EnglishSuite 2 bourree I Maybe you would feel more of a sense of mastery if you were to slow it down a bit. You have all the ingredients! And Bach sounds good at so many different speeds.

49. EdmondRhapsody - Passacaglia Very interesting to know that background of this familiar theme; good choice, and you played it well!

50. psyche23 (Edwin) - Romance in F sharp major, Op. 28 No. 2 Beautifully played. It is quite moving to think that this was the music Clara wanted to hear at the end of her eventful life.

51. Sam S - Polonaise op 40-1"Military" Great work, Sam, and what an energetic ending for our recital! It is a call, not to arms, but to the piano bench! Thank you for sharing so much of your piano journey with the rest of us; it is inspiring.

And thanks to everyone who took the time and effort to share their playing!

Last batch,

37. QuasiUnaFantasia - Smaatrold
Good playing, I don't know this piece so I don't know if it's fast enough !

38. Calavera - Silent Hill
Well played. The mood of the piece ? I don't know, the intro, the middle part and the last part have different mood.

39. QuentinP - June - Barcarolle
Beautifully and sensitively played.

40. sma55 (Shepherd Abrams) - Funeral March of a Marionette
Well done. Very joyful funeral march.

41. tyschoco - Invention No.5 in E-Flat Major BMV 776
Good playing, I hope you do more recital.

42. barbaram - Waltz in A Minor
Beautiful piece, well played!

43. dumka1 - Prelude Op. 11 no 20
Short but nice. One technical note, I hear some distortion, maybe you should lower the gain on the Zoom.

44. Purrblast - Baba Yaga, The Witch (Op. 39, No. 20)
Another short piece, Well played.

45. PikaPianist - Abendlied Op.5 No.3
Wow that's really nice.

46. Hawgdriver (Leon) - Moment Musicaux Number 3 in F minor
Good ! I didn't hear the pedal mistake.

47. winterflower - Train Horn
Nice improvisation.

48. selfishplayer - EnglishSuite 2 bourree I
Interesting piece. Well done !

49. EdmondRhapsody - Passacaglia
Well done. yes you're right it does sound like a modern composition.

50. psyche23 (Edwin) - Romance in F sharp major, Op. 28 No. 2
Romantic and beautiful.

51. Sam S - Polonaise op 40-1"Military"
Well played with good expression.

My titles are mostly nonsense, just labels to trigger my memory when I want to find something myself in the massive heap of recordings. This one is another quote from Joyce's "Finnegans Wake". Pleased you like it.

Sam S - Polonaise op 40-1"Military"

I usually stay well clear of remarking about classical playing but the progress you have shown over the last few years is remarkable and demonstrates considerable discipline. The only thing I would question is whether you really want to abandon pieces like this one and the Ives. Once learned, playing through something at least once every three months should be sufficient for most people to keep a piece in memory. Of course if you don't particularly like the music and it was just a goal then that is a different matter but to the casual observer it seems a pity to drop any repertoire you enjoy.