Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Recital #65 - General Discussion Room

Thanks for your kind comment and yes, garritan cfx sounds incredibly natural. A lot of it is due to the Abbey Road Hall it was recorded in. If I can advise on setting that up don't hesitate. It's easy, you need a reasonable modern PC and SSD is a must

12 Kepijapa

A fine effort on a complex long piece. The piano sounded clear but I understand uou thinking it as essentially digital. Knock your Mistral out of tune and see if it becomes more . . . acoustic like.

13 KevinM

Love this piece and you handle it so well with a lovely light touch. couldn't fault it. and loved the definitive ending. Splendid!

14 pianogrlNW

You handle the complexities of this nicely. The music has great depth but chugs along at a fair tempo whic leaves little room for thinking. I enjoyed the complexities, the variety. Excellent!
.

More soon; I'm kinda busy right now . . .

11. navindra (Navindra Umanee) - Bluebird this is something I'd like to learn some day. I really liked the balance and the pace you had. Something I can learn from. Really nice.

14. PianogrlNW (Ellen) - Variation Etude I can't imagine ever learning a piece this long and complex, but it was really convincing and a pleasure to listen to. Great shapes to the different sections as well. Amazing.

20. winterflower - Clouds Drink the Sun yep I could close my eyes and imagine nature at its finest. I've no idea how people can create art like this but I'm glad you do. Thank you.

06. MarieJ - Horizon Variations this is new to me, but exactly the kind of thing I like to listen to and play. I'll definitely be looking for this if I can ever get to the end of my current project! So gentle and enjoyable.

07. peterws - Bike Trip 4 without exaggeration I could easily imagine this as part of a film or TV score covering the subject of the piece. I especially like the way the melody feels to me like changes direction, e.g. from 0:11. Feels like a change to a completely different viewing angle of the scene, and back to the original. I'm sure not what you were intending, but it's how I felt it. Loved it.

15 Rickster

Gracious! I had it in mind to do a sad song with a falling scale . . .this is different. You have a great voice with thoughtful lurics. I'm still trying to get my head round the concepts revealed here . . .
Great work Ken!

16 Ted

Ah Ted! 7 minutes of manic melodicity! Ah do detect some melody lines amongst this musical pot-pourri . . .it requires a high degree of skill to churn out phrases with such embodied complexity . . .
Ted! Help is available, you know . . . the guys in white coats aren't all bad . . .

17 Stevedoz

You do a fine job here; the piece is relaxed and paced by yourself very well. Nowt wrong wi' it, lad . . .

18 Purrblast

Dunno where you guys dig these things up from. This was a little belter. Your playing was flawless imo and the piano sounded great.

19 facdo

Another great rendition. There's some quality here, and yours is up amongst them so listenable , flowing, relaxing. You are a player.

20 Winterflower

Let me start by saying how realistic the pleyel sounds! You have the resonances set right. The music is thoughtful, of the moment, almost abstract. Who knows where the wind comes from? Who knows where it goes? It just . . is.
Your music is. Lovely. Reminds me of an organised Ted, after his treatment . . .(hope he has a sense of humour . . . I'm betting on it!)

21 ThomasG

I loved the mature feel of both piano and player in this. It had character and richness which I found evocative.


More to follow guys. I'm stuck decorating . . .nearly finished! It was kitchen and bathroom this year . . .Same colour!

Ha ha ! I'm not mad, Peter, I'm just a pencil sharpener. I think we SHOULD go berserk in our music, I think it's healthy, what art is for and much better than the ubiquitous converse of fettering music with silly rules and running riot in life, which seems the order of the day at the moment where I live.

I save my craziness for fiction . . . .that nobody wants to buy!

22 Snejana

A gentle flowing piece which relaxes and is well executed. The echo-y sounds reminds of Anya. remember her?

23 TBell

A certain harosichor quality is evident here which of course, gives it authenticity in buckets. Good playimng good acoustics. Bach with a bit of bite. What's not to like?

24 Saan

Ther's something so tuneful about these ancient pieces, long before the big boys changed the music for ever! The tempo changes. are quite sudden and dramatic. Nicely done!. .

25 vte

Well done on this handy but quite complex piece of music!

26 Cygnusdei

Ohh! It hurts to think of playing that! I know my place. It sounds like a mix of Beethoven and . . .Mozart. Like a stek and kidney pie haha and very tasty!

27 Andres Vel

I love these Schuman songs; you don't have to be a young 'un to appreciate the challenges at every page. Great stuff and a super recording!

28 Candela

Your Roland sounds like a little jewel and you are playing splendidly and maturely after such a short time. Congratulations; be proud.

Guys, you are all doing so darned well . . . I am in awe!

01. QuasiUnaFantasia - Esquisses Op. 63,4: Les Cloches

I'm speechless. How do you even produce something like this, with all the sound effects? Reminds me of Piet De Ridder. Definitely one of the more abstract submissions as well. Congrats and well done!

02. Calavera - Ending Theme [from Final Fantasy VIII]

I'm not familiar with the game but this is some fantastic classical sounding music. Very entertaining, bravo!

05. Marklings - Sonata KV 280 in F Major, 1st part

Very fanciful... sounds like Mozart. A true recital performance and very enjoyable... well beyond my level, sounds perfect to me. Congrats!

06. MarieJ - Horizon Variations

I always look forward to your pieces and look to your musical choices for inspiration. Very interesting! I love how much thought you put into the tone and I loved the end result. This piece really reverberates and feels very comforting. Love it!

07. peterws - Bike Trip 4

I've been looking forward to your piece since back when you were still debating which piano you would render it with and back when it was still titled "Dunno yet". I'm happy to say that the piano sounds amazing and the title is inspired! This piece is really fun and entertaining. Seriously. You composers are in another league. Bravo!

1. Quasifantasia- Well.... that was different. A nice change from the usual.

11. Navindra- What a lovely piece. And you play it wonderfully. (Great piano sound too.)

Thank you very much MarieJ, Sam S, Calavera, peterws, KevinM, marklings, navindra, and Peyton. I appreciate the kind words.

@peterws: No piano in there; I used Pianoteq's church bells (they're amongst the freebies).

@navindra: The magic ingredient is Audacity, which I used to add the various individual tracks, and which also supplied the church echo. It's a swiss-army-knife for sound manipulation. The non-bell sounds were taken from Youtube videos.

Now my third batch of comments.


The PW Chopin and Liszt players:


19. facdo - Mazurka in A minor Op.17 No.4
Mazurkas are mysterious to me also. But your performance seemed flawless to me, and highly dynamic, and the recording quality was excellent.

30. bSharp(C)yclist (Dan) - Nocturne No. 20 in C# minor
Wonderful performance, with very lovely trills.

33. pianist685 (Constantin) - Consolation #3
Gorgeous, and just perfect.

43. Agrajag - Sonata No. 2 mvt. 3, Funeral March
Impressive in so many ways. Very good work!

45. CasualPianist123 - Polonaise in C# Minor Op 26 No.1
Formidable playing! I'll probably never get to love Chopin's polonaises, but this was really well done. The mic'ing felt somewhat distant.

Thank you very much for listening and commenting critical on my pathetiq endeuveurs with no 38 Bach Busoni Goldberg Aria, very helpful. Rhytm, tempo, pedal, evenness, lines etc.
I think this was the first time I got all the notes right. Some even seem to get a special feeling from it, and yes I guess I was in some sort of mood when playing it. Playing an Aria on piano, such a neutral instrument, and trying to sing with it…..

15. Rickster - Road to Somewhere

Very evocative and feels like a lovely narrative... and that's before the singing kicks in! So much feeling in this. Absolutely thrilling! 👏

16. Ted Jones - Shiva's Dance

It would seem you have the best titles ever... for all your pieces. This is certainly original. I wasn't sure about the start, but I loved how the themes started to emerge out of this. Not sure if it's an appropriate comparison, but it feels very fugue-like. I stand by my earlier statement, you composer folks are on another plane...

17. stevedoz - Where is my mind

I love it! Thanks for introducing me to this piece. It sounds great and your playing is very fluid and engaging. This was a fun piece, thank you!

20. winterflower - Clouds Drink the Sun

I can only wish I was as creative as you! I certainly felt transported by this piece and the sense of tranquility you so delicately weaved. Bravo for the original and inspiring composition! 👍

Pleased you like it. I am more or less 100% improviser these days, my repertoire is small and I have written nothing out for twenty years. Spontaneous musical creation is just an compulsive, engrained habit really; how fluent you become just depends on how often you do it. My measurable musical skills are modest compared to some on forums, I just enjoy myself. Your comment is acute, I am very fond of two or more things going on at once, not necessarily melodies.

My titles, with very few exceptions, are mnemonic labels so I have a chance of finding bits I want to hear again in the heap of more than six hundred recorded hours. Nothing about me is on another plane, I assure you. Thanks for listening.

11. navindra (Navindra Umanee) - Bluebird
I'm not fond of Debussy, so it's a good thing I got Satie and Tiersen vibes from this instead. An enjoyable piece and performance. Love the changes around 1:30 and 2:20. Really nice job with the mood and expression.

12. Kepijapa - Partita No.6 In E Minor, BWV 830 - 1. Toccata
Really impressive work here. Nice and expressive playing.

13. KevinM - Sonata in C K545 3rd Movement Rondo
Very enjoyable performance and nice use of dynamics at key moments. Quite a satisfying finish too!

14. PianogrlNW (Ellen) - Variation Etude
An impressive and super polished performance with a lot of variety. The movement around 5:20 really caught me by surprise. Well done.

15. Rickster - Road to Somewhere
Fantastic work, Rickster! It feels a lot like an old-school hit song, the kind of catchy tune you'd sing while sitting around a campfire. Your performance is a very welcome addition to the recitals and I'm looking forward to hearing more submissions from you.

29 Peyton

A lovely work! A lot of memories here; old and new, and very moving. Is that tractor an old Ferguson?

30 Bsharpcyclist

A great piece form Chopin. Very steadly played; you're ready to speed up just a tad. Yes?

31 ebKawai/Lisa

A finger-twister! I loved that one. You have a light touch which is apropos to this piece. A little more nimble and you're there!

32 Rachtoven

How a good piano should sound! A great job here overall; you have a darned nice touch!

33 Pianist685

Don't reckon you'll get a better VST sound than what you have here. The reverb is cool, and the music . . .lovely. It doesn't need to be faster.

34 The pianoplayer416

Bit before my time haha . . .Nice work on this old classic!

35 Briangmoore

I've heard this played a few times. It is nice, and you do a good job. It's good that you're doing live recitals; you learn so much doing this.

36 Qazsedcft

This goes well. I like the flow and the sound is wonderful. So is the pedal . . . !

I just wanted to say "Thank you" to all those who listened to my submission to the ABF Recital #65, and posted comments. I do appreciate you taking the time to listen, and I appreciate the comments, every one of them!

I know I commented earlier on all the submissions, and didn't mention any one member by name, but I did listen to them all. However, as I mentioned earlier, they were all good and, in fact, outstanding!

Since this was my first time posting to the quarterly ABF recital, I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into here, but it was an honor and a privilege to participate and be a part of the recital. Next time I will offer more individualized comments on each submission.

I'm already thinking about the next recital, and what I might record. I'm always working on something new, while polishing what little I already know.

My oldest son came by to visit a while back, and I was playing the piano. He asked me, "Dad, are you working on a new blues song? I said, son, I'm always working on a new blues song".

Thanks All!!!

Rick

22. Snejana - In the Journey

Very calming and peaceful, thanks for sharing and for transporting us on this journey! Love the delicate and expressive playing. Well done!

23. TBell - Bourree 1 and 2 from Cello Suite #3

Thanks for the Bach! These cerebral pieces always remind me there's more to aspire to and why I got interested in the piano in the first place. You captured the spirit of this one (or two)... I can almost imagine it being played on a harpsichord. Nice.

25. vte - Cradle Song from Piano Pieces Op 66 No 2

I absolutely love the ambience and sense of comfort you created with this interpretation. Capturing this on the iPad actually makes this sound like an acoustic to me, complete with pedal sounds and what I imagine to be page turns. Lovely!

26. cygnusdei - Sonata in F, K. 280 - I. Allegro assai

Oh wow! You are one of the pianists here who are playing on a whole other level. Super cool and impressive... not a piece I can ever imagine attempting. Really love how you got this voice out of your piano... your piano sounds like it is literally singing. Is this what cantabile means? Amazing! Bravo! 👏

28. candela - Chess

10 months, wow! This is so lovely and so expressive! Not to mention you memorized this. Kudos to you for putting so much thought and expression into this piece. 👍

29. Peyton - All That Love Remains

I know I already reviewed your piece, but this time I listened to it without the video. All the raw emotion and feelings came through. You created such beauty and feelings of hope and strength out of your personal story. I'm so sorry about the tragic loss of Luna and Stella. I'm glad you were able to continue playing and wish you the best as you rebuild.

16. Ted Jones - Shiva's Dance
Great title and enjoyable performance. It does sound like someone is dancing wildly and with abandon.

17. stevedoz - Where is my mind
Pretty, clean and smooth. I like both Pixies' original song and this piano version, and your rendition did not disappoint. I've actually learned this arrangement before too and I remember playing the part at 0:20 with less weight than you do, though I'm not sure I was doing it right. Whatever the case, nice playing and great job with the expression.

18. Purrblast - Etude in G minor, Impatience
It certainly sounds like you're having fun playing this. Your performance does evoke some kind of impatience, petulance and inability to keep still!

19. facdo - Mazurka in A minor Op.17 No.4
I've never attempted Chopin's mazurkas, as they don't appeal to me as much as his other works. I have tried, however, to learn pieces where just playing the notes accurately don't result in an enjoyable and musical rendition. More often than not, I've failed spectacularly at bringing out the musicality of such pieces. I'm happy to say that you have managed to make this performance musical and expressive. Nice playing and an impressive achievement.

20. winterflower - Clouds Drink the Sun
Interesting and relaxing piece. It does make me think of dawn.

A few more.

22. Snejana - In the Journey
I love just how mellow the piano is that you have used for this. It works perfectly for the music. This is just lovely. Thank you.

23. TBell - Bourree 1 and 2 from Cello Suite #3
Perfectly captures the feel of Bach. Well controlled.

24. Saan - Sonata in E major, K 162
I can see why you find Scarlatti Sonatas to play. There is fun with your fingers playing pieces like this and it really shows in your playing.

25. vte - Cradle Song from Piano Pieces Op 66 No 2
You are making excellent progress.

26. cygnusdei - Sonata in F, K. 280 - I. Allegro assai
You sound like you are having fun playing this. You are right, it does sound cool.

27. AndresVel - Album for the Young, Op. 68: No. 7 and No. 10
I am not really keen on the Hunting song, but you manage to give it a nice brightness. Your staccato was so well done without being harsh. Really enjoyed the Happy Farmer.

30. bSharp(C)yclist (Dan) - Nocturne No. 20 in C# minor
You played this with nice confidence and you have got this trills down and polyrthyms down. I wish I could say the same.

31. ebkawai / Lisa W - Elfentanz / Elfin Dance
Loved this. It is most definitely a dance of elves.

32. Rachtoven - K.466 Sonata in F Minor
Wow, so characterful. You give it a beautiful life.

33. pianist685 (Constantin) - Consolation #3
Such sensitive touch Constantin. It really is beautiful. Thank you.

34. thepianoplayer416 - Blue Skies
You have captured the blues feel. I hope to get the chance to do the same one day.

35. briangmoore - Cowboy Song
i enjoyed that. Thank you.