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05. Tim Adrianson - Preludes, Op. 103, Nos. 3, 4, 5
Faure is one of my favourite composers, but I admit that I never paid much attention to his late compositions. The first time I listened to his preludes I didn’t really get much out of them, but listening to your performance really opened my eyes. Particularly I liked the way you played No.3. Very expressive interpretation of the whole set.

06. Tim Adrianson - Three Preludes for solo piano
The last year I have discovered some of the 20th century British composers, particularly Cyrill Scott, York Bowen as well as John Ireland. Too bad that their music is so neglected. I never heard these three preludes before, but your performance gave me a very good first impression of them.

07. Seeker - Prelude #2 in D Minor from Fugal Dreams
This was something quite different from most of the other contributions here. A well written piece excellently played.

08. Pianist685 (Constantin) - Prelude Op. 2 No. 2
This was a real gem, and very well played. You manage to make out the fine details of the piece and perform it with great expression.

09. Calavera - Prelude
A fun little piece. As far as I can hear, your performance is flawless.

10. BSharp(C)yclist (Dan) - Prelude In D Flat Major
This prelude is well composed and with a cheerful character that I appreciate very much. Very well played.

11. Tim Adrianson - Six Preludes for Piano
I took some time to get into the musical universe of this composer, but after listening some time everything started to make sense. Still I consider this kind of music to be demanding even for the listener, and I’m impressed that you were able to play this music so well.

12. Tim Adrianson - Preludes 3, 4 for Guitar (trans. Piano)
A pity that I didn’t have the time to find and listen to the guitar version. Clearly the piano version is “amplified” as you indicate. Nice music with a clear latino character.

13. Tim Adrianson - Preludes #s 5, 6, 8
While Mompou uses few notes, he manages to compose music with rich expression. Very relaxing music to listen to.

I've really enjoyed this recital. I can't do individual comments this time, but a few that really caught my ear include Seeker - how wonderful that you are recording your friend's music, PikaPianist, Morodiene's Couperin, Gandalf's Bortkiewicz, PianoGrlNW
Tim, what a fantastic and varied range of submissions. A lot to love here, I particularly enjoyed "Childhood Memory - Elegy"
Facdo, I really enjoyed your Bach BWV 941, it's always especially interesting to hear someone else's interpretation of a piece I am also working on

14. Jason Lenthe - Little Prelude in E Major, BWV 937
Excellent staccato playing and good voicing. I never heard this piece but found it very enjoying listening to. Thanks for sharing!

15. Jordan Nylander - Prelude in C major WTC
While this piece is mostly played with some air between the notes You chose to play this piece legato and using some pedal. I’m not competent to judge what is right or wrong when comes to this. I enjoyed your interpretation.

16. Jordan Nylander - La fille aux cheveux de lin
This was a very slow interpretation of this piece. It is probably easier to get the rhythm correct if it is played faster. Thanks for sharing your interpretation!

17. Sam S - Prelude to a Fairy Tale
This composition is quite original with an unusual form and many surprising harmonic turns. It was enjoyable to listen to it, and I was not annoyed by any mistakes.

18. facdo - Little Prelude in E Minor - BWV 941
I play a lot of Bach myself, but still there are a lot of pieces by him I never heard played. I did not find your tone too harsh, and dynamics sound fine to me. I enjoyed your performance.

The prelude theme turned out really great and it has been quite a joy to listen to the variety of performances! I'm still listening to everything and will comment again later.

Thanks to outo for organizing this recital.

Tim, just amazing that you can present so much music so well. I listened to them all, and indicated my favorites below, but really, they were all outstanding. We are lucky to have you contributing to our recitals!

04. Tim Adrianson - Preludes, Op. 11, Nos. 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 #15 was my favorite of these.
05. Tim Adrianson - Preludes, Op. 103, Nos. 3, 4, 5 The middle one of these was really great.
06. Tim Adrianson - Three Preludes for solo piano Loved the middle one - English folk song influence?
11. Tim Adrianson - Six Preludes for Piano These sound like they should be by Oscar Levant!
12. Tim Adrianson - Preludes 3, 4 for Guitar (trans. Piano) I can see how a guitar transcription would be problematic - they really don't have much bass range, and these transcriptions do. Do you mean that he wrote odd chords for the harmonics?
13. Tim Adrianson - Preludes #s 5, 6, 8 Loved #6 - left hand alone - very interesting!
19. Tim Adrianson - Childhood Memory; Elegy I've heard of Danielpour, but his music is beyond me, I'm afraid.
20. Tim Adrianson - Mysterious; Sprightly Loved Mysterious!

Sam

Excellent recital - I expected a lot of Bach and Chopin in a "Preludes" recital, but there were also a lot of other composers that were interesting to hear, and many that were new to me. Thanks Outo!

01. selfishplayer - English Suite no.2 Prelude Yes, Bach takes time and perseverance. Keep at it - sounds good!

02. Jason Lenthe - Little Prelude in F Major, BWV 928 Very well done!

03. Snejana - Prelude in C Major My first "real" piece ages ago. Well done!

07. Seeker - Prelude #2 in D Minor from Fugal Dreams Loved it! Wonderful jazzy prelude.

08. Pianist685 (Constantin) - Prelude Op. 2 No. 2 Early Scriabin is so much easier to listen to. Short and sweet!

09. Calavera - Prelude I don' know much about game music, but this was interesting.

10. BSharp(C)yclist (Dan) - Prelude In D Flat Major Catherine Rollin is a favorite of my piano group - well done!

14. Jason Lenthe - Little Prelude in E Major, BWV 937 I just realized you memorized these. Outstanding!

15. Jordan Nylander - Prelude in C major WTC Another C Major prelude - like I mentioned before, my first "real" piece. Keep up the good work!

16. Jordan Nylander - La fille aux cheveux de lin One of my favorites - well played!

18. facdo - Little Prelude in E Minor - BWV 941 You teacher is full of it - this was great!

21. Morodiene - Prelude in G Major BWV 860 (WTC 1) It sounds so happy and joyful!

22. PikaPianist - Prelude Op. 10, No. 1 in Db major This is just wonderful!

23. barbaram - Three Little Preludes BWV 939, 940, 941 Well done! I love these little preludes...

24. Pathbreaker - Prelude from Partita No. 1 in B-flat Very well done! Loved it!

25. Mateusz 'Mati' Papiernik - Prelude No 5 in D major (The Well Tempered Clavier, Book 1) (BWV 850) I tried to learn this and gave up in frustration since I had to memorize it! You're doing better than me!

26. Greta99 - Little Prelude in e minor, BWV 938 My teacher would love your playing - very good baroque style.

27. Greta99 - Preludes I, III, IV, V, IX Barbara Arens is another favorite of my piano group - I loved these!

28. facdo - Bachianas Brasileiras No.4 - I. Preludio I loved this - you have obviously taken a lot of time and care in learning it!

29. lvojnovic - Prelude in e minor Well, when we play we are hearing the piece in our head the way we want to play it, and not actually listening to the sound - so sometimes the recording is surprising. Happens to everyone. This is well done though - I hared plenty of dynamics!

30. Ganddalf - Prelude Op.12 No 2 Never heard of Blumenfeld - Well done little gem!

31. Ganddalf - Prelude Op.6 no.1 Yes, he was one of the late romantics - Your fingers don't wound stiff to me - sounds great!

32. Jordan Nylander - Prelude in e flat minor Very dramatic - sounds like an opera recitative - Well done!

33. Jordan Nylander - Prelude in E major Nice voicing of the chords and dynamics!

34. AssociateX (Liz) - Prelude # 12 - F minor - BWV 881 (WTC 2) Nice touch! Loved your piano room too!

35. Morodiene - Prelude (of course) from Tombeau de Couperin One of my friends has been working on this off and on for years - it is not easy, as you know. Excellent playing!

36. PianogrlNW - Prelude from Op. 18 Prelude, Fugue and Variation Very interesting - I can hear the organ in this, if you know what I mean. Well done!

37. nardobrown - Shostakovich Prelude and Fugue No.24 Very grand and majestic - loved it!

38. dumka1 - Prelude in E major op. 28 no. 9 Love this prelude - and you playing!

39. Wisebuff (aka Karen) - Prelude 934 I can't remember ever hearing this one - well done!

40. selfishplayer - prelude op.28 no.4 Well done! Love your room too!

41. Tyrone Slothrop - Little Prelude, BWV 939 This was very good - ornaments were snappy and on the beat - very much in the right style.

42. winterflower - Prelude from WTC 1 BWV 869, number 24 in b-minor. No audio on the video? The mp3 is fine though. Well done!

43. winterflower - BWV 861's prelude, in g minor This video has audio - nice trills and ornaments!

Sam

Finally have a moment to sit down and listen to the recital! Overall I'm impressed with the level of playing presented here as well as the variety. Congratulations to everyone who participated!

01. selfishplayer - English Suite no.2 Prelude Bach is tricky and well worth the effort to master, and this piece is a tour de force. Thanks for playing!

02. Jason Lenthe - Little Prelude in F Major, BWV 928 I love the “little” preludes - they are so musically satisfying, and certainly not easy because they’re short. Great playing!

03. Snejana - Prelude in C Major I love your tempo choice and dynamics in this. Perhaps the pedal could be a bit more clear on the changes, but definitely keep it in.

04. Tim Adrianson - Preludes, Op. 11, Nos. 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 Scriabin is one of those composers that I’ve not played enough of (I think I’ve only played one of his pieces). Thanks for bringing him back to the forefront of my mind - this is beautiful!

05. Tim Adrianson - Preludes, Op. 103, Nos. 3, 4, 5 I’ve tried a Faure piece once and found it pretty challenging. These later pieces are very chromatic and musically more complex. Thanks for sharing them.

06. Tim Adrianson - Three Preludes for solo piano I’m not familiar with John Ireland, although I know his music inspired Chopin. I can see why!

07. Seeker - Prelude #2 in D Minor from Fugal Dreams What a fun piece! I look forward to hearing more of your performances of his music.

08. Pianist685 (Constantin) - Prelude Op. 2 No. 2 I love the tenderness you play with. And please don’t hate me.

09. Calavera - Prelude I think you played this very well - I really didn’t hear anything that makes you think you didn’t give it “loving care” - thanks for playing!

10. BSharp(C)yclist (Dan) - Prelude In D Flat Major I really enjoy Rollins’ compositions. You give this piece a sense of grandeur, very nice playing!

11. Tim Adrianson - Six Preludes for Piano The first prelude is invocative and I enjoyed the moments of polytonality.

12. Tim Adrianson - Preludes 3, 4 for Guitar (trans. Piano) From how you played, I could imagine what this would sound like on guitar. But had I not known it was a transcription, they hold up well as solo piano pieces.

13. Tim Adrianson - Preludes #s 5, 6, 8 I immediately thought a bit of the Tempest first movement with the 2-note slur parts LOL - like a happier sort of storm - a light sprinkle. My favorite was No. 8, it seemed to have the clearest affect.

14. Jason Lenthe - Little Prelude in E Major, BWV 937 Another well-done performance of Bach!

15. Jordan Nylander - Prelude in C major WTC A nice tranquil rendition - I especially liked the ornament at the end.

16. Jordan Nylander - La fille aux cheveux de lin I was hoping someone would play this piece for this recital - it is definitely one of the more popular preludes. I think you may have missed a few flats here and there, and the timing at the beginning may just need some review. Still you played this with feeling and conviction.

17. Sam S - Prelude to a Fairy Tale I’m very familiar with Denes Agay as a pedagogue, but I didn’t know he composed as well. Very well-played.

18. facdo - Little Prelude in E Minor - BWV 941 I enjoyed how you played it!

19. Tim Adrianson - Childhood Memory; Elegy Another new composer to me, thanks for sharing these. I really liked the Childhood memory and the explanation that comes with it helped me understand what was going on. The Elegy needs no explanation, and it was absolutely beautiful - not a lament, so much as recalling fond memories that are affected by the loss.

20. Tim Adrianson - Mysterious; Sprightly I loved the Mysterious prelude. How do you find so many new and interesting pieces? On a general note, I’m always amazed at the sheer volume of music that you play so well. Thanks for your contributions to this recital

21. Morodiene - Prelude in G Major BWV 860 (WTC 1) It seems my recording volume was lower than others - I’ll have to keep that in mind next time.

22. PikaPianist - Prelude Op. 10, No. 1 in Db major I love the tempo you chose for this, and the rubato you used was tastefully done.

23. barbaram - Three Little Preludes BWV 939, 940, 941 I enjoyed your playing on all 3! Ornaments are tricky and are a part of what makes Baroque music difficult to play. I think you managed these very well, however.

I've listened to the first half of the performances.I'll just comment on a few of them, but needless to say, they're not the only ones I enjoyed listening to.

1. selfishplayer
I don't know how accurate your performance is, but it sounds really good to me! While you mention that a lot of work is required to achieve satisfactory playing of this piece, your performance makes for satisfactory listening as far as I'm concerned.

4-6. Tim Adrianson
It sounds flawless to me, both in terms of technique and expressiveness. Learning to play all these preludes with such precision must have taken quite a lot of work.

7. Seeker
Fun and enjoyable!

10. BSharp(C)yclist (Dan)
Well done! A pleasant and soothing performance.

14. Jason Lenthe
You play this with great movement and accuracy.

16. Jordan Nylander
Gentle and pretty, which is exactly how I expect this Debussy piece to sound.

17. Sam S
Amazing performance, Sam!

19. Tim Adrianson
I really like the variety of the submissions in this recital, and your performances alone already provide so much variety. I particularly enjoy the second half of this piece.


A big thank you to the folks who offered comments and feedback on my performance. I'm glad I bothered to submit it despite its flaws.

I look forward to hearing the remaining pieces.

24. Pathbreaker - Prelude from Partita No. 1 in B-flat This was played with great sensitivity and while a bit faster tempo could be attempted, I actually like this so you can hear at the subtle harmonies.

25. Mateusz 'Mati' Papiernik - Prelude No 5 in D major (The Well Tempered Clavier, Book 1) (BWV 850) I like your non legato touch on this and you give it a sense of drama at the fantasy-like ending.

26. Greta99 - Little Prelude in e minor, BWV 938 Nicely played, I especially liked your ornaments - they were very crisp and didn’t interrupt the flow.

27. Greta99 - Preludes I, III, IV, V, IX I’ve heard of Arens, but I’m not familiar with these preludes. They’re very accessible musically, however, and I think would make great pieces for students. Thanks for sharing!

28. facdo - Bachianas Brasileiras No.4 - I. Preludio A dark and brooding piece, well played!

29. lvojnovic - Prelude in e minor I’m surprised there weren’t more Chopin Preludes represented here, so I’m glad that you played this one. You achieved a nice balance between the LH chords and RH melody, which needs to played a bit louder than one thinks in order to hold out against the more active LH.

30. Ganddalf - Prelude Op.12 No 2 Lovely piece! I’ve only played one piece by Blumenfeld, (an Etude for Left Hand) and this one is just as enjoyable. A great one to look into for something to submit on the Rare Gems recital

31. Ganddalf - Prelude Op.6 no.1 I’m not sure what you feel was wrong with this, you played it beautifully, IMO. I definitely want to learn this!

32. Jordan Nylander - Prelude in e flat minor This is one of my favorite Bach preludes - so emotional! Thanks for playing.

33. Jordan Nylander - Prelude in E major Very good distinction between the 16ths and 32nds. Nicely played.

34. AssociateX (Liz) - Prelude # 12 - F minor - BWV 881 (WTC 2) I like your tempo, actually. Some feel Bach should be played as fast as possible, but I think you have to listen to the music and let it dictate the tempo - too fast and you miss out on a lot of great expression. I didn’t hear your other recording, but I think this was a great take.

35. Morodiene - Prelude (of course) from Tombeau de Couperin I almost didn’t submit this piece at all because it’s a much slower than I’d like to do, but I’ll keep working on it to improve accuracy and tempo.

36. PianogrlNW - Prelude from Op. 18 Prelude, Fugue and Variation I was trying to imagine it on organ and was having trouble hearing that - I think it sounds great on piano. I love the tenderness you played this with!

37. nardobrown - Shostakovich Prelude and Fugue No.24 I’m mostly familiar with Shostakovich from his symphonies and chamber music, but I should explore his Preludes and Fugues. I really enjoyed your playing.

38. dumka1 - Prelude in E major op. 28 no. 9 I love how you play the lh trills in this! You have a great sense of drama here.

39. Wisebuff (aka Karen) - Prelude 934 Very nicely played! I recommend that you increase your recording volume quite a bit more - don’t be shy!

40. selfishplayer - prelude op.28 no.4 It’s always interesting to hear different interpretations of pieces - I usually like a bit more pedal, but I think what you did worked in its own right. I especially liked your ornaments!

41. Tyrone Slothrop - Little Prelude, BWV 939 I think your mordents are really well-done and right on the beat and crisp as they should be! Great work

42. winterflower - Prelude from WTC 1 BWV 869, number 24 in b-minor. I love the sensitivity in your playing for this, rather than it being played metronomically which I often hear. There’s room to “breathe” in this.

43. winterflower - BWV 861's prelude, in g minor Your trills are very nice! I can see why you think of it as a trill etude

I am a bit late and I won't be able to comment individually, but I have kept a web-tab with the recital playlist and I have been listening to it for a few days. I must say that the overall quality of the recordings is very impressive and it is very interesting to see so many pieces that I didn't know. This recital opened my eyes (or ears) to many new compositions and I am very grateful for that.

I am also very grateful for all the kind words regarding my two submissions. The Villa Lobos prelude I prepared specifically for this recital. I thought about sharing something different from the best-known composer from my own country. Considering the dark times my country is facing now, in a moment of political insanity and diplomatic embarrassment, it is good to remember something good that came from Brazil, and I think Villa Lobos's music is one of those things.

21.Morodiene
Your love for the piece shines through in this fun, lively recording.

22. pikapianist
Fantastic playing. It feels like walking on clouds.

27. Greta99
It sounds perfect to me. A very soothing recording for the most part, with the brisker second piece providing a refreshing mood change. Thanks for sharing.

31. Ganddalf
I really like the sensitivity of this recording. You absolutely nailed the part around 2:30 where the opening theme starts again.

34. AssociateX (Liz)
A beautiful melancholy performance.

35. Morodiene
Beautiful recording with a majestic ending!

41. Tyrone Slothrop
Short and sweet. This is basically like eating a chocolate candy. Nice performance Tyrone!


I had a great time listening to this recital. Thanks everyone!

I finally finished listening to the entire recital, which I did over a couple of weeks in bits and pieces. Really, really enjoyed it! I did expect more Chopin submissions and feel a little guilty not relearning one or two more preludes. Also, I somehow missed the fact that somebody else submitted the same E major prelude until other participants pointed this out . Good to know it's more popular than I thought.

Out of Tim Adrianson's amazing submissions, I think I enjoyed the Scriabin and the Faure preludes the most. Also, a lovely Scriabin prelude by Pianist685.

Lots of wonderful Bach: Greta, Jason Lenthe, Morodiene, AssociateX, and many others. Mateusz, great job with a very difficult prelude (my daughter played it, along with the fugue, for a local competition, and my understanding is that this is one of the trickier preludes in WTC I); another piece familiar to me from my daughter's repertoire is the Prelude from the beautiful Partita I--very well done, Pathbreaker.

A great Slavic selection, in addition to Chopin and Scriabin, by PikaPianist and Ganddalf (it was very nice to hear a composer from my native Ukraine, what a moving piece; I'm tempted to look at Bortkiewicz myself). Gorgeous Ravel by Morodiene; and yes, I'll join other fans of PianogrlNW, such a musical and sensitive rendition of a piece by a less-known composer. Villa Lobos was very enjoyable, too, thanks, Tim and facdo.

I can't comment on each individual submission but will just say that it was a very impressive recital in terms of both its breadth and quality.

19. Tim Adrianson - Childhood Memory; Elegy
Very interesting composition. In spite of some dissonant chords in both movements there is always an underlaying harmony. Playing this music can’t be simple. Just impressive.

20. Tim Adrianson - Mysterious; Sprightly
Mysterious indeed. I found these pieces to be the most difficult for me as a listener. The first one contained a lot of elements with different character. I even thought I heard a small section with a Bach-like imitation. The second one was a bit more extrovert and entertaining. Well played as always.

21. Morodiene - Prelude in G Major BWV 860 (WTC 1)
This piece I tried to learn myself during my younger years, but wasn’t successful in my attempts. I understand very well what you mean when saying that it is tricky to play. Your performance really encouraged me to look into the WTC again.

22. PikaPianist - Prelude Op. 10, No. 1 in Db major
Beautiful piece. Wonderfully played and excellent sound quality.

23. barbaram - Three Little Preludes BWV 939, 940, 941
I have listened to your submissions for the themed recitals as well as the quarterly recitals for some years and I think you have improved a lot. I enjoyed listening to your performance of these Bach preludes.

24. Pathbreaker - Prelude from Partita No. 1 in B-flat
I’m very fond of the Bach Partitas and have played three of them but never No.1. You play the prelude with clarity and handle the difficult embellishments in both hands very nicely. Enjoyable performance.

25. Mateusz 'Mati' Papiernik - Prelude No 5 in D major (The Well Tempered Clavier, Book 1) (BWV 850)
I think you play this prelude with nice flow and smoothness. And the tempo is fine. Nice performance.

26. Greta99 - Little Prelude in e minor, BWV 938
Very delicate playing. Nice trills in both hands. Very enjoyable to listen to.

27. Greta99 - Preludes I, III, IV, V, IX
This music was new to me too. You play everything with clarity and very steady rhythm. Thanks for sharing.

28. facdo - Bachianas Brasileiras No.4 - I. Preludio
Interesting composition. You play with great dynamics and I can hear that you understand the music and enjoy playing it.

29. lvojnovic - Prelude in e minor
Good voicing and fine dynamics. Your performance gives a very good overall impression.

32. Jordan Nylander - Prelude in e flat minor
It was a real treat to listen to this performance of the Bach prelude on your acoustic piano. Your playing is very clear and transparent and you obviously pay a lot of attention to the details of the composition.

33. Jordan Nylander - Prelude in E major
Nice to hear one of the less frequently performed Chopin preludes. Your dynamics are fine and the sound of your piano is great.

34. AssociateX (Liz) - Prelude # 12 - F minor - BWV 881 (WTC 2)
The first time I heard someone play this prelude I thought it was something written by Brahms. It is a very beautiful piece and I think it is one of the more emotional of Bach’s piano works. I particularly noticed your phrasing which gave the right baroque character to the music. I enjoyed your performance.

35. Morodiene - Prelude (of course) from Tombeau de Couperin
Very interesting piece. Definitely impressionistic character, but containing baroque elements as would be expected, of course, from a “hommage” to Couperin. You make the music to flow nicely and it’s very enjoyable to listen to your performance.

36. PianogrlNW - Prelude from Op. 18 Prelude, Fugue and Variation
I can hear many elements from Franck’s organ music in this piano piece. To begin with it sounds quite simple, but the composer develops the material and makes the music build up towards the end. Very good performance.

37. nardobrown - Shostakovich Prelude and Fugue No.24
Shostakovich is always interesting to listen to when the music is played well like you do. Lots of nice polyphony here both in the prelude and the fugue. Actually a composition that needs closer study to fully appreciate its depth. Impressive performance.

38. dumka1 - Prelude in E major op. 28 no. 9
So nice to hear one of the less frequently played Chopin preludes. Although this is a short piece it contains so many exiting and unexpected harmonic turns. Fine performance.

39. Wisebuff (aka Karen) - Prelude 934
Very appealing Bach playing. Like all Bach pieces this is very transparent. You absolutely do not need to increase the tempo. It was enjoyable to listen to your playing.

40. selfishplayer - prelude op.28 no.4
You don’t need to play this piece any faster than you do. Many masters do it considerably slower. Your voicing is good. Thanks for sharing.

41. Tyrone Slothrop - Little Prelude, BWV 939
Your sound file didn’t load, but fortunately I could open your YouTube video. You have managed to learn a lot in 23 months and made a nice performance of this prelude.

42. winterflower - Prelude from WTC 1 BWV 869, number 24 in b-minor. and 43. winterflower - BWV 861's prelude, in g minor
These are both quite long and difficult pieces and takes a long time to study. I suspect that you had some technical problems with the recording which is a pity.

Thanks Gandalf, this made my day!