|
Welcome to the Piano World Piano Forums Over 3 million posts about pianos, digital pianos, and all types of keyboard instruments. Over 100,000 members from around the world.
Join the World's Largest Community of Piano Lovers
(it's free)
It's Fun to Play the Piano ... Please Pass It On!
|
|
80 members (AaronSF, apianostudent, beeboss, benkeys, Abdulrohmanoman, accordeur, Animisha, 18 invisible),
2,243
guests, and
458
robots. |
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
Joined: May 2021
Posts: 25
Full Member
|
Full Member
Joined: May 2021
Posts: 25 |
Next Round of feedback! Very enjoyable listens. Btw i also turned on technical feedback in my own post 11. JJHLH - Feuillet d'Album Op 45, No 1You have good musical ideas and you are phrasing the piece rather well. You give attention to interesting points in the music based on the colorful harmonies and melodic contours. Delightful little piece and playing! I'll leave a few more critical comments in a spoiler tag. I noticed that your tempo greatly slows and fluctuates in the middle of piece from measure 13 till the return of the main theme in measure 21. This is normal as there are a ton of polyrhythms and large spreads in the right hand that are likely causing this. (I would make the same mistake too haha). Perhaps another point is the chromatic rising notes in the top line from measure 10 to 14 (the F to B flat) could have more attention brought to it as this runs in tandem with scriabin's notation to go from the piano dynamic to poco forte. Hope this helps in future works you take on! 16. vte - Vieux Noel in G minorThis was played expressively and was in the mood of the piece. Very steady and clean. I really like your phrasing and direction you are giving to his piece. Very tasteful use of rubato and attention is brought to the left hand's upper voice. Very enjoyable listen. A few small critiques below. While i am unsure if this is due to the limitation of the instrument you are playing on or the recording, in places where the left hand takes an interesting melody, the right hand could be toned down a little with the left hand shaped more. I also notice that the left hand doesn't fully maintain legato all the way though in certain places (perhaps due to fingering or slight mistep on the pedal?). For example in measure 28 near the end, you can actually choose to slide your pointer finger in the left hand down from the C sharp to the C natural to maintain the legato without the pedal. Just little nitpicks! Mostly due to the fact your right hand is so beautifully shaped already and i am just eking to see that little more from your great playing 18. psyche23 (Edwin) - Le PiccadillyThis was just amazing. You should be quite proud of what you achieved playing this. You are definitely in the spirit of the piece and everything was very clean, especially the octaves and left hand leaps (if there were any mistakes, i could not catch them) and the ragtime character is brought out very well. Nice dynamic contrast when and where due. I wonder how much more amazing it would be on an acoustic instrument, more subtle details could probably come through more that way. Look forward to hearing more 22. mmathew - Waltz in a minor, B.150 PosthAh a classic! Before i start, i think your analysis of your playing in your recital post is very mature and shows you have a lot of self introspection, which indicates that you will go far in the long run You are absolutely right that this piece is quite complex, it is deceptively simple. I think it's a milestone that your playing did not have any major blemishes it in, left hand was clean and your pulse was nice and steady. You honestly did not leave out that many ornaments, in fact you will find some performers in Bach pieces especially will omit certain ornaments if they feel it intrudes on the integrity of the music. It was an enjoyable listen and i think you deserve credit for putting yourself out there. Looking forward to hear more from you! Since you are already quite aware of your own flaws, i will leave critique behind a spoiler tag addressing a few specific areas First of, i absolutely agree with you with the need for structured learning and progress on a scale of complexity. we are of the same mind haha. Hopefully you have managed to find a good teacher already! A first major observation is that it seems you are either holding the pedal all the way through the piece or you are not lifting the pedal at the right time. This is causing the harmonies of the piece to mush together. Other than that, you are very likely aware of other little blemishes, but i will list a couple out for posterity sake. Firstly is the quintuplet arpeggios need to be cleaner and the ornaments could be done a little more gracefully (although as you said, the piece is already a challenge enough as is). Finally, phrasing and direction could be added to the beautiful melodic contours of this piece. I believe with a solid teacher, you will go really far. 24. PianogrlNW (Ellen) - Sonata K331 1st Movement - Andante grazioso Oh this is one of my favorites, i can tell i am going to enjoy this. I'll give feedback broken down by each variation Theme: Beautifully phrased with tasteful use of breath marks and poco rubato. Nothing much to say, it was wonderfully played. Variation 1: I actaully like that you did not use too much pedal, the articulation is very clear and your playing is easy going. Tasteful ending! Variation 2: Your voicing is very good in this variation, the main theme is cutting through all the textures rather well, shows you have good control over your voicing. I notice a little bit of hesitation in the 4 against 3 polyrhythms. I personally think the tempo has to be slightly faster to ensure the main melody is the same as the theme (120 eigth note ish?). But overall its good! Variation 3: Expressively played, your octave were very clean considering how hard it must be to play them! Once again very tasteful use of a little rubato and good shaping. You bring the mood change to A minor very well Variation 4: Oh my, this variation looks hard! But you did it very very well. I love that the middle mass of notes do not intrude on the main voice. Very very well done. Variation 5: Expressively played and nice flowing scalar passages. Your ornaments are very well done. It should be noted that you left hand is very well controlled, it does not intrude but healthily supports the main melody. Variation 6: Very cleanly played and graceful ornaments and a secure ending. As with the 2nd variation, i believe the tempo for this one has to be slightly faster to ensure the main melody (Quarter note 116 ish?) stays at the same 'speed'. The faster tempo will allow the scalar passages to run more and provide a little more energy. Overall, i love the discipline you put in to the metronome practice as it clearly shows in your steady playing. But it is also expressive with tasteful playing of the tempo. I look forward to hearing the rest of the sonata. Thank you for posting this
Last edited by tyschoco; 08/16/21 09:37 PM.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,476
1000 Post Club Member
|
1000 Post Club Member
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,476 |
Another batch of comments
12. pianist685 (Constantin) - Prelude and Allegro HWV 576 Crisp, clean playing. Your ornaments are clearly articulated. The recording sounds muted, and I think another recording method where the notes resounded would have a larger impact. Clearly there was much skill and practice, so make sure we hear the results of your efforts.
13. Alpha Terminus - Lotus Land Welcome back! I am not familiar with this composer. The harmonies create a certain mystique that I think you effectively reveal. Your glissando is unexpected and dramatic! My only suggestion is to calm down your LH so that it is quieter. I like how you quietly end the piece and the final arpeggios. Very intriguing and lovely performance!
14. AndresVel - Two-Part Inventions, No. 8 in F major (BWV 779) Your performance shows skill in even, fluid playing and the ability to bring out the different voices. The tempo could be a bit faster with some varying dynamics, but with only 1 year experience playing you’re way ahead of the curve. I would like to hear you play a piece that has more emotional content, such as some of the shorter, intermediate level pieces by Schumann, Chopin, Debussy, MacDowell.
18. psyche23 (Edwin) - Le Piccadilly This is one of the highlights of this recital. Performed like a professional! You have the listener in mind and you seem like a natural performer. So helpful to have added and referenced the Max Morath video. I never in a million years would have guessed that Satie composed this piece. Bravo!
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 498
Full Member
|
Full Member
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 498 |
Here go another five:
06. barbaram - Dansul Romanesc Oh boy! I now understand what you meant by "fun to play!" As I listened, I was visualizing a stage with a couple of performers dancing in some sort of cabaret. You definitely managed to convey the energy and feeling of movement. Made me want to learn the piece too!
07. MarieJ - Gnossienne No. 1 I worked on the Gymnopédie No. 1 and this piece is my next in line from Satie. I haven't attempted it yet, but I imagine the rhythmic differences between left and right hand will be a challenge. I like the tempo you chose, the balance between the hands, the way you bring out the melody, and the consistency with the ornaments (another thing I predict I'll have trouble with). Very enjoyable to listen to.
08. Peyton - Gnossienne For Stella Sorry to hear about your furry friend's accident. I hope she recovers fully and quickly. Beautiful composition and beautiful playing all around. Not much else I can add, besides saying great job! Greatly enjoyed listening to it.
14. AndresVel - Two-Part Inventions, No. 8 in F major (BWV 779) Very clean and very well controlled. I like it very much. I haven't gotten the courage to try Bach inventions yet. I want to work on a few more "little preludes" first. One goal for my 3rd year that just started is to work on at least one invention.
30. Wie Waldi - The Entertainer Definitely impressive for 7 months of learning! Nice steady tempo and musicality. I like how you aged the video too. Nice touch! I made the mistake of going for the original version of The Entertainer too early in my journey and then settled for the much easier version that's on Alfred's All-in-One Volume 1. The version you are playing appears to have a nice level of difficulty between Alfred's and the more difficult original version. I went back and saw you wrote the source is "sheet music" and I wonder if you'd mind letting me know where you got this arrangement. I'd like to give it a try since I'm not yet ready to tackle the harder one.
Talão Yamaha U3 and Kawai MP11SE My piano journey (playing since July 2019) 10 weeks into Duane Shinn's 52-Week Crash Course
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 498
Full Member
|
Full Member
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 498 |
Thank you Wie Waldi, Qazsedcft, and lilypad for taking the time to listen to my piece and provide feedback. I too meant to write "yes" on the feedback checkbox and it defaulted to "no." Very lovely interpretation of Beethoven's Sonatina. Loved both movements. The 2nd one always makes me wanna sing some text with "...over the sea... over the ocean". (Happened the same as with AndresVel's version) So there must be another song that sounds a bit similar with that text, but I don't get which one. Anyway, you did it very well, not to say flawless. For just a little more than two years of playing this is really impressive! Thanks for sharing. Thank you so much! I think I know what you mean with the desire to sing it. In my case, the piece makes me want to move my body as I play it; more than any other piece I've played before. :-) I was swinging around a bit (you can see some of it in the reflection on the piano in the YouTube video). Sonatinas are fun aren't they? This was very nicely played and your errors are barely noticeable. You keept going which is the most important thing. Thank you! Yes, they are super fun! I'm thinking about which one to try next. If another one from Beethoven, the one many people go for as their first sonatina, which is the Clementi Op. 36, No. 1, or one by Gurlitt from Op. 54. The second movement took me many more takes to get a recording than the first, and at some point I just came to terms with the fact it was going to have some hiccups in it.
Talão Yamaha U3 and Kawai MP11SE My piano journey (playing since July 2019) 10 weeks into Duane Shinn's 52-Week Crash Course
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2021
Posts: 583
500 Post Club Member
|
500 Post Club Member
Joined: Jan 2021
Posts: 583 |
After a series of breaks for gardening, piano practice, supper and washing up, I've had another enjoyable listening session and am headed into the lobby of the virtual recital hall to congratulate another group of participants on their performances:
38. facdo - Impromptu in E flat Major Op.90 No.2 I can see why you fell in love with the piece you played. Congratulations on your perseverance. To my ears, you've conquered both technique and musicality in your performance.
39. Snejana - Contemplation I'm not familiar with the original music, but I find your improvisation very soothing to listen to.
40. PikaPianist - Waltz Op. 39, No. 9 I love your interpretation of the waltz. You brought it to life and the ending sounded especially good.
41. Augustina - Expression Very enjoyable relaxing music.
42. Amy H - Story of You A pleasant, dreamy sound. Thanks for sharing your favorite composer.
43. selfishplayer - Keyboard concerto no.7 in g minor BWV - 1058 first movement - Allegro piano solo You sound right at home with what sounds like an advanced level Bach piece.
44. Rachtoven - Consolation No. 3 Beautiful piece. I'm glad you went for the more interpretive take.
45. tyschoco - Sonatina in G Major, Op 55 No.2 1st Movement, Allegretto Well played. I'm not qualified in the technical feedback department, but my ears are happy with what you played.
46. Pathbreaker - Alte Liebe A beautifully reflective piece.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2020
Posts: 42
Full Member
|
Full Member
Joined: Nov 2020
Posts: 42 |
Some more comments. I am very much enjoying listening to all the brilliant playing. As other have said, it is also really fun to be introduced to so many pieces and composers I am completely unfamiliar with.
16. vte - Vieux Noel in G minor Peaceful and pensive with a beautiful expressive tone. Terrific.
17. dumka1 - Prelude Op. 11 no 2 Another fabulous Scriabin. Thoughtful and slightly mysterious, I particularly liked the dynamics and rubato.
18. psyche23 (Edwin) - Le Piccadilly Wow, Satie really is full of surprises! This was jolly and strutting and really fun to listen to. I think this style of music benefits from a certain care-free brashness, and I don’t think your octaves sounded harsh at all. Excellent playing.
19. Ted Jones - Wet Pavements This was a little hard for me to follow at times, but you were clearly deeply immersed and flowing free.
21. Calavera - Theme of Love Beautifully played, you have great control and tone. You gave it drama and strongly contrasting emotions without becoming histrionic. Very impressive.
22. mmathew - Waltz in a minor, B.150 Posth This is seriously impressive for your level of experience - this waltz is deceptively difficult, well done. A couple of suggestions: a little more dynamic separation between the hands (although this may be the recording), and perhaps to change the pedal a little more frequently.
23. peterws - Winter Terrific performance. Your variety of expression was perfect and made this fun and interesting to listen to. Beautiful.
24. PianogrlNW (Ellen) - Sonata K331 1st Movement - Andante grazioso Wow, this was fantastic. Elegant and understated with just the right amount of expressive nuance.
25. Ganddalf - Tango Your playing has a wonderful quietly lyrical quality. Great performance of this lovely piece.
26. lilypad - The Bass Man Walketh Jazzy and smooth. Your understated groove made this sound very cool.
27. Jason Lenthe - Nocturne in G Minor Op. 15 No. 3 Well done with this beautiful nocturne - you bring out the melody and hold the line really well. At times it sounds a little percussive but this could just be the recording. Overall well done!
28. rwsavory - The Poet Speaks - Op 15 "Scenes from Childhood" A lovely sensitive and contemplative rendition. I think you capture the mood perfectly.
29. bSharp(C)yclist (Dan) - Consolation, Op. 30, No. 3 Very expressive with nice control of dynamics. Well done.
30. Wie Waldi - The Entertainer This is great, and very impressive for your level of experience! It has really good energy and the hands sound well balanced.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 1,907
1000 Post Club Member
|
1000 Post Club Member
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 1,907 |
02. ranjit - Fantaisie Impromptu This was the piece I was the most eager listening to. Especially because of all this forum talk about self-learning vs having a teacher. I was repeatedly thinking about getting a teacher or an online course for myself, but your piece showed me what is possible if one is willing to learn by its own. I would suggest not generalizing from an isolated case. I have personally not reached a high level of piano playing, and players who are self-taught seldom manage to play even as well as I do. The route is fraught with pitfalls, and you need to be very careful and methodical, much beyond what most people are willing to put in. On balance, if you have the funds, I would suggest trying to find a great teacher who can teach you at a professional standard. I don't think you can completely compensate for that through online resources or books. In addition to all of that, as I mentioned, my playing of the piece has improved significantly over the past 3-4 months with a teacher. I only say it's possible (and that too, perhaps not for everyone), not that it's easy. As this piece is often referred as one of the top 10 hardest piano pieces, you did very well. It's not even close, lol. If we had a piano piece difficulty rating from 1-10, where 10 was some crazy hard piece, FI would be at most a 5 imo. It's not actually that hard. And needless to say, he is probably playing a bit longer than just 5 years. Big compliment from my side! btw: I would be interested if you redo Fantaisie Impromptu after one or two years, and see how your playing develops over time. Thank you! It's definitely on the cards. [/quote]
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 4,033
4000 Post Club Member
|
4000 Post Club Member
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 4,033 |
01. Qazsedcft - Sneaky I first heard of this composer a couple of days ago at my teacher’s adult recital. A piece called Katherine, completely different in style than Sneaky. This a fun, flirty piece and you captured the light-hearted spirit and played it really well with expression. Your audio recording was high quality. If you want to keep working on it, I think you can give this piece some more character by coming up with contrasting phrases, like a call and response format, or dialogue between two people having some fun. More Forte in some places, contrasted with Pianissimo. Thanks for your comment. Indeed, I listened to it after some time (I recorded this in May) and now I would play the middle section piano to contrast with the other parts.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 4,033
4000 Post Club Member
|
4000 Post Club Member
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 4,033 |
Thank you! Yes, they are super fun! I'm thinking about which one to try next. If another one from Beethoven, the one many people go for as their first sonatina, which is the Clementi Op. 36, No. 1, or one by Gurlitt from Op. 54. The second movement took me many more takes to get a recording than the first, and at some point I just came to terms with the fact it was going to have some hiccups in it. Clementi op. 36, no. 1 is much easier than this and it's fun too. At this level you have a lot of choices. For example, have a look at Diabelli op. 168 or Gurlitt op. 214, or Kuhlau op. 55. You can even start some Mozart Viennese Sonatinas or even some easier Haydn sonatas (Hob. XI:10, Hob. XVI:8).
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 133
Full Member
|
Full Member
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 133 |
Thank you all for your comment. I actually played some this week. Nit something complicated and frustrating but the mozart early work (that he write as a child). They brought me Joy once. Maybe I should record some of this. Not every piece need to be a challenge? I would love to give some comment on the other pieces. I listened to them all on my way to woek. But find myself unable to write right now. Its been a tough summer so well. A bit worked out. But I want to make a comment on this comment cause i find elfrida so fascinating. 10. Flygbladet - Barnmenuett (Elfrida Andree) Digging out pieces by obsucre composers is always an adventure and it seems you are the first pianist who recorded this one. That alone deserves special appreciation. It seems we do not know what Elfrida Andree had in mind when she composed this piece - the following "Om kvällan" you recorded for the previous recital is much easier to understand. "The sound of children", hm, I would not say so, rather a desricption of 19th century children "drilled" by adults to dance a minuet. The "B" part is playful and joyful, but the "A/C" part sounds really harsh to me, as if someone needed to show the kids who the boss is. Well, it is no secret that children at that time were treated in such a manner. The chords marked "f" and "ff" even sound brutal to me. I am glad I grew up 100 years later, haha... I find your comment so intresting. Do we leave small comment about our inner thoughts in music and the naming of it? What I do know about Elfrida was that she didnt have any children. She also never got married - But her sister (a famous opera-singer at the time) did and had One sources claimed that elfrida didnt have the beauty of her sister where as her father promited this career for her as the "behind the scene" instead of on stage. What we also know is she was - as common at the time - also had choirs with children and teached the piano. She was also a progressive and very involved in that times suffragettes-movement (she even composed long forgotten choir-orchestra music for it). One of the leading progressive at the time in the same movement was Ellen Key - who wrote the book "children's century". She influenced many politicians and authors at the time - one of them Selma Lagerlöf that I wrote about have had a opera-project with Elfrida. The idea was a whole new concept with a better and more child focused education and that children shouldn't be small soldiers and shouldn't have that strict discipline. Elfrida must have met Ellen Key several time - since both being at the same locations and venues at the time. That doesn't mean they shares all thoughts and ideas. Ofcourse So I wonder wonder what she thought when composing this one. We might not really know. Maybe it is a fun song for children to dance to. Maybe it is a comment on the harsh ideal from conservative drilling of children. Maybe it's the sound of children as she sees it. Maybe start the day with a lot of sound- soft playing- sleeping and then all start over? Elfrida also written a fugue called "tooth ache" You can almost hear the tooth ache in it What a fun lady she was
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2020
Posts: 42
Full Member
|
Full Member
Joined: Nov 2020
Posts: 42 |
My final lot of comments. What an awesome recital - congratulations everyone. I have had a little extra time on my hands due to lockdown so have been able to binge the recordings which has been excellent fun. Such a variety of pieces and performances. It's been brilliant so thank you all for bringing a shiny little ray in an otherwise gloomy time. Thanks especially to Qazsedcft, Lilypad (I meant to say earlier - ain't nothing wrong with leftovers! ), tyschoco and Wie Waldi for your kind words. 31. winterflower - I soar now the embers have cooledReally interesting improvisation. Well done! 32. Maira713 - Op. 1 No. 4 ("24 Short and Easy Pieces for Keyboard") What a lovely piece – I agree, it does have a music box quality to it. You played very well and have a really natural sense of rhythm. This is really impressive for only a few months learning! 33. joangolfing - Air Suisse Op. 36 No.5This felt sweet and calming. You did a great job making the friendly melody sing out. 34. Moo - Songs without words opus 38 no 3What a stirring performance. You could possibly make the left hand even more softly quivering against the melody, but overall this was great. 35. KevinM - Songs Without Words Opus 19 No. 1Gently expressive with very sensitive playing, and I don’t think it was too slow. 36. Talao - Sonatina in G Major Anh. 5 (both movements)Really confident playing, I enjoyed listening to this one. Your hands sounded well-balanced and it had a nice energy. Well done. 37. Purrblast - Sonatina in A minor (Op. 27. No. 18)I enjoyed your relaxed playing, and the driving syncopation maintained the pulse very effectively. Sounds like a fun piece to play. 38. facdo - Impromptu in E flat Major Op.90 No.2This was gorgeous. The long runs were like pearly droplets. Loved it. 39. Snejana - ContemplationCongratulations, this is very impressive. I loved the gentle, poignant melody. 40. PikaPianist - Waltz Op. 39, No. 9This had a great energy –almost an Alpine feel – and I can imagine the dancers whizzing around the floor. Really well played. 41. Augustina - ExpressionWhat an apt title. It felt like you were telling a personal story. Well done! 42. Amy H - Story of YouGreat playing of this expressive piece. You manage to convey wonderful emotion, but in a beautifully subtle way, and I really enjoyed the space you gave it. 43. selfishplayer - Keyboard concerto no.7 in g minor BWV - 1058 first movement - Allegro piano soloThis sounds really complex – it was very brave of you to play the whole thing in one single go. Well done. 44. Rachtoven - Consolation No. 3Romantic, dreamy and understated. Great performance. 45. tyschoco - Sonatina in G Major, Op 55 No.2 1st Movement, AllegrettoThis had a lovely balanced rhythm and a pleasingly energetic pulse. I also enjoyed your clear articulation – you played beautifully. Perhaps once or twice the left hand overpowered a little, but that may just be the recording. Well done. 46. Pathbreaker - Alte LiebeAnother excellent performance. You created some lovely phrasing while still maintaining the flowing sensation. Very expressive and meaningful.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 10,512
Yikes! 10000 Post Club Member
|
Yikes! 10000 Post Club Member
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 10,512 |
11 JJHLH
Nice playing, but I'm left wondering what it was . . . sounds modern, like one of the Russian pieces but unless Scriabin was Russian . . anyway, well done for this strange soundimng piece!
12 Pianist 685
Like a Spanish guitar with spikes . . .sounds like a Spanish piece. Then of course, it gets going on its wonderful journey. I reckon everyone would've enjoyed this!
13 Alpha Terminus
Sounds heavy going! A brave attempt indeed! A lot of clinical playing is called for which isn't easy.
14 AndresVel
Good to do this without music! By the time I get to that stage, I'm sick of the song. Very well done here!
"I am not a man. I am a free number" " "
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 10,512
Yikes! 10000 Post Club Member
|
Yikes! 10000 Post Club Member
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 10,512 |
15 Serge 88 Lovely! This really hit the spot and that bass drum; you could feel thw felt pad hitting it. Wonderful stuff. 16 vte You made a nice job of this. Another piece I never heard before. 17 dumka 1 This Scriabin stuff seems popular but a little strange to my ears. there's no doubt it has its adherants and its easy to see why. I enjoyed this nonetheless; thanks for sharing. 18 Psyche23 Delightful, you are of course your worst critic. Nobody else would fault this for its technique or exuberance! Wonderful powerful sound! 19 Ted Jones I always turn up when the party's started . . .You do of course realise that the more often you play this the easier it becomes for us to digest and ultimately to actually like . . . 20 Quentin P After Ted's worthy offering, this is an oasis of calm. I feel there needs to be a little more joining up to be done yet so it flows a tad better.
"I am not a man. I am a free number" " "
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2021
Posts: 331
Full Member
|
Full Member
Joined: Feb 2021
Posts: 331 |
Thanks a lot, @lilypad, @QuentinP and @Talão. 30. Wie Waldi - The Entertainer Definitely impressive for 7 months of learning! Nice steady tempo and musicality. I like how you aged the video too. Nice touch! I made the mistake of going for the original version of The Entertainer too early in my journey and then settled for the much easier version that's on Alfred's All-in-One Volume 1. The version you are playing appears to have a nice level of difficulty between Alfred's and the more difficult original version. I went back and saw you wrote the source is "sheet music" and I wonder if you'd mind letting me know where you got this arrangement. I'd like to give it a try since I'm not yet ready to tackle the harder one. You are right, my version is somewhere between Alfred's and the original. But I thinks it sounds a lot better than Alfred's (not to mention Faber's), it is like the original version, but RH chords simplified and a much easier left hand. But all syncopations are there. I always wondered why Alfred's version does in some places syncopations, but then leaves them away. If a student has mastered this ragged ryhthm, playing more of it shouldn't be so much harder at all. With Alfred:s version, the ragtime-character is destroyed in some parts. I'd go any time for the sheet music is used. It has a quite good balance between simplyfing and keeping the ragtime character. Intro: I did Alfred's intro, because it allows better to build up the piece in the next bars 1st part: I changed in bars: 5, 9, 13, XX the 3rd bass note from G3 to C3 to have more "Ooohm pah Ooohm pah" instead of "Ooohm pah oh pah". I didn't like the sound of this score. 2nd part: here this score really shines. 3rd+4th part: As the first two parts already took me 2 months of learning and I always knew I must relearn those in the future, unsimplyfied. This made me switch to the original score. Took me about 3 weeks more in total to learn. Absolutely worth the time. Not to mention gaining muscle memory with playing octaves and stuff. On one side it is playing above my level, on the other side, it was a great finger exercise and a great hand-jumping exercise. And the best part: this exercise sounds like the Entertainer!
Self teaching Adult Beginner without method | Kawai CN29, Senn HD560s, Casio CT-S1
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 1,907
1000 Post Club Member
|
1000 Post Club Member
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 1,907 |
16. vte - Vieux Noel in G minor Nice work! I think the next step would be to try shaping the melody a bit more, and thinking about longer phrases.
17. dumka1 - Prelude Op. 11 no 2 Interesting piece to listen to, and well played. It has a bit of an offbeat feel like a Chopin mazurka to my ears. I especially liked the phrase at 1:10, you demonstrate a meandering quality quite well.
18. psyche23 (Edwin) - Le Piccadilly Fun piece! Nice job with the stride, and the accents are right on point. Loved the crescendos and decrescendos such as that at 0:33. I think you can allow yourself a bit more bombast for the end. End on a high!
19. Ted Jones - Wet Pavements To be honest, I found this a bit confusing. It does vaguely sound rainy, perhaps due to the harmonies and general note combinations. Whenever I hear improvisations like these, I'm not quite sure what to listen for. Should I pay attention to the individual notes/phrases and how they relate, or should I just zone out and try to pay attention to the overall feel? How do you intend them to be listened to, and how do you personally go about it?
20. QuentinP - WTK 1 Prelude 8 Eb minor I think you should try to be more steady with the rhythm. Right now, you have all of the notes, but it sounds way to hesitant and choppy. On the other hand, I think the tone quality you achieve is nice.
21. Calavera - Theme of Love Gorgeous piece! 2:40 is incredible, you've done a great job setting up the climax. Your playing is very appropriate to the style. It seems like you have the big picture planned out quite well. What you could do to improve at this point is focus in on the individual phrases and try to polish them up and see what you want to do with the phrasing to make it more consistent. Really nice work.
22. mmathew - Waltz in a minor, B.150 Posth Finally, a piece I've played in the past! It is a good effort, especially given the time for which you've been learning. Congratulations on reaching the finish line. Trying to play pieces like these can give you a much-needed boost in confidence. I think you can make some more progress on this piece. In no particular order, you can work on multiple things.
- Try to gain a feel for the rubato in Chopin's playing. You are playing metronomically, and that simply does not work with Chopin. - Emphasize the melody more, when compared to the accompaniment. Let the bass note protrude slightly above the chords. - Work on the three-octave arpeggio in the middle, by isolating it, and trying to play it with the right rhythm. You should get it eventually.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,476
1000 Post Club Member
|
1000 Post Club Member
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,476 |
A few more comments -
22. mmathew - Waltz in a minor, B.150 Posth The recording sounded very blurry I think because you aren’t changing the pedal. The pedal should change when the harmonies change. I think for this piece, the pedal change would be on the first beat of each measure. I think your tempo is OK. Maybe focus on pedaling and getting the feeling of the waltz lilt internalized, where you place slightly more emphasis on beat 1.
25. Ganddalf - Tango An enjoyable performance. One suggestion when the theme repeats is to do something different, such as more Forte, or bring out the lovely LH part more.
26. lilypad - The Bass Man Walketh That was a confident performance. You were effective in creating an assertive walking bass that underpins the melody.
27. Jason Lenthe - Nocturne in G Minor Op. 15 No. 3 I think of the Nocturnes as introspective, even when they call for Forte playing. If you make the beginning quieter and wait to build the sound level until around 1:45, the performance will have a greater dramatic impact. Taking a breathing pause after a long phrase (around 8 bars) will give the piece more shape. Also experiment using rubato.
28. rwsavory - The Poet Speaks - Op 15 "Scenes from Childhood" Nice shaping of phrases and bringing out the melody. The notes aren’t always held for their full value and you sometimes have gaps between beats where you come in too late or sometimes you rush the beat and come in too early. I think the damper pedal needs to be changed more frequently so as not to end up with a blurred sound.
29. bSharp(C)yclist (Dan) - Consolation, Op. 30, No. 3 A confident performance and great job with the voicing. I agree with your assessment that the pedaling could be improved with more frequent pedal changes. Take your time with the final cadence as it sounds rushed. Your hands look relaxed.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 498
Full Member
|
Full Member
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 498 |
Thanks a lot, @lilypad, @QuentinP and @Talão. 30. Wie Waldi - The Entertainer Definitely impressive for 7 months of learning! Nice steady tempo and musicality. I like how you aged the video too. Nice touch! I made the mistake of going for the original version of The Entertainer too early in my journey and then settled for the much easier version that's on Alfred's All-in-One Volume 1. The version you are playing appears to have a nice level of difficulty between Alfred's and the more difficult original version. I went back and saw you wrote the source is "sheet music" and I wonder if you'd mind letting me know where you got this arrangement. I'd like to give it a try since I'm not yet ready to tackle the harder one. You are right, my version is somewhere between Alfred's and the original. But I thinks it sounds a lot better than Alfred's (not to mention Faber's), it is like the original version, but RH chords simplified and a much easier left hand. But all syncopations are there. I always wondered why Alfred's version does in some places syncopations, but then leaves them away. If a student has mastered this ragged ryhthm, playing more of it shouldn't be so much harder at all. With Alfred:s version, the ragtime-character is destroyed in some parts. I'd go any time for the sheet music is used. It has a quite good balance between simplyfing and keeping the ragtime character. Intro: I did Alfred's intro, because it allows better to build up the piece in the next bars 1st part: I changed in bars: 5, 9, 13, XX the 3rd bass note from G3 to C3 to have more "Ooohm pah Ooohm pah" instead of "Ooohm pah oh pah". I didn't like the sound of this score. 2nd part: here this score really shines. 3rd+4th part: As the first two parts already took me 2 months of learning and I always knew I must relearn those in the future, unsimplyfied. This made me switch to the original score. Took me about 3 weeks more in total to learn. Absolutely worth the time. Not to mention gaining muscle memory with playing octaves and stuff. On one side it is playing above my level, on the other side, it was a great finger exercise and a great hand-jumping exercise. And the best part: this exercise sounds like the Entertainer! Nice! Thank you for sharing the sheet and details! That's why I like your version, as you said, it captures the essence of the piece. I agree the Alfred version is too simplified (and short). I'm definitely going to give this a try. I need to get better with my left hand jumping around while the RH plays melody. Plus, I don't have much experience with playing octaves in pieces and this could be a nice exercise for that. Thanks again!
Talão Yamaha U3 and Kawai MP11SE My piano journey (playing since July 2019) 10 weeks into Duane Shinn's 52-Week Crash Course
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 498
Full Member
|
Full Member
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 498 |
Clementi op. 36, no. 1 is much easier than this and it's fun too. At this level you have a lot of choices. For example, have a look at Diabelli op. 168 or Gurlitt op. 214, or Kuhlau op. 55. You can even start some Mozart Viennese Sonatinas or even some easier Haydn sonatas (Hob. XI:10, Hob. XVI:8). I greatly appreciate these suggestions. Thank you. I recently watched a Haydn documentary and listened to some of his sonatas afterward (for the very first time). I've become a fan! I'm going to look into XI:10 and XVI:8 as you suggested.
Talão Yamaha U3 and Kawai MP11SE My piano journey (playing since July 2019) 10 weeks into Duane Shinn's 52-Week Crash Course
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 498
Full Member
|
Full Member
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 498 |
Really confident playing, I enjoyed listening to this one. Your hands sounded well-balanced and it had a nice energy. Well done. Thank you, QuentinP! Hand balance is something I need to get better at. It's always in the back of my mind but I don't always manage to deliver it. I'm happy to hear you liked that aspect of the performance. I started the recording session with confidence (had practiced this a lot), but as the mistakes kept creeping in and I had to play several takes until a decent one came through, that confidence became anger! :-) "I know this! Why am I missing that note! AAAAArrrrrghhhh!" :-) I'm glad it still came through as confidence, though.
Talão Yamaha U3 and Kawai MP11SE My piano journey (playing since July 2019) 10 weeks into Duane Shinn's 52-Week Crash Course
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2021
Posts: 583
500 Post Club Member
|
500 Post Club Member
Joined: Jan 2021
Posts: 583 |
Thank you to Wie Waldi, Rachtoven (love your forum name), QuentinP and PianogrlNW for taking the time to listen and comment on my piece.
Last but not least... no wait, they for the first group in the recital, I'm greeting and congratulating the first group of performers after listening to some fine performances.
01. Qazsedcft - Sneaky I can tell you had fun playing this. A very stylish performance.
02. ranjit - Fantaisie Impromptu Simply gorgeous. It's like you were born to play Chopin.
03. sma55 (Shepherd Abrams) - Sonata in C Major K545 Wow! To my untrained ears, you conquered all the obstacles you mentioned encountering in this piece. It sounded superb.
04. Sam S - Etude 2 A serenely meditative piece with the perfect visual backdrop. I take it your AT thru hike wasn't like 'A Walk in the Woods'.
05. wouter79 - Op.45, Over Hill and Dale (24), Ballet (20) Thank you for my first introduction to Heller's music. I'm halfway through reading 'A Grand Obsession' where I heard about Grotrian pianos for the first time. I really like the sound of yours.
06. barbaram - Dansul Romanesc Indeed, a fun sounding piece. Going by the title, it's easy to imagine a gypsy dance scene.
07. MarieJ - Gnossienne No. 1 I'm a Satie fan, so there's no such thing as hearing this piece too often. I definitely hear the dynamics in your piece and without being the dynamics police, following along with the score, I'd say you did a good job.
08. Peyton - Gnossienne For Stella Very beautiful composition and playing. I'm very glad Stella survived her accident. Furry friends are family.
09. QuasiUnaFantasia - Stimmungsbilder, opus 9 no. 4: Traumerei Dreamy definitely came to mind as I listened to you playing this beautiful composition. Love the woven harmonies.
10. Flygbladet - Tonbilder part 2 "barnmenuett" (Childrens menuett) Beautiful performance. As to piano as fun, I've occasionally thought of just listening to music instead of going through the work of making it. Now I look on it as a (mostly) fun 'brain puzzle' of getting brain and hands to cooperate with each other enough to make some music. I've spent hours on jigsaw puzzles, and while I find them relaxing and satisfying to finish, I feel as if I've wasted the time. Solving the puzzle of making music at the piano makes my brain happy. Some days can be frustrating with no progress or even regress, but even tiny victories feel really good.
11. JJHLH - Feuillet d'Album Op 45, No 1 I've been a Scriabin fan since I heard you play a prelude in recital #62. Very nice!
12. pianist685 (Constantin) - Prelude and Allegro HWV 576 Those trills sound terrific! While I admire the skill required to play music from the baroque period on the piano, it just sounds better on a harpsichord.
13. Alpha Terminus - Lotus Land Wow, very nice! It's obvious that your time back at the piano has been well spent.
14. AndresVel - Two-Part Inventions, No. 8 in F major (BWV 779) Well done. You sounded as if you moved through the piece seamlessly.
15. Serge88 - Boogie Blues Etude Very nice. There's a lot of variety in your improvisation.
Bye for now. Time for a glass of wine and a gardening magazine.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Piano
by Gino2 - 04/17/24 02:34 PM
|
Piano
by Gino2 - 04/17/24 02:23 PM
|
|
Forums43
Topics223,405
Posts3,349,434
Members111,637
|
Most Online15,252 Mar 21st, 2010
|
|
|
|
|
|