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That is high praise, thank you! I have never taken lessons for improvisation, I find it to be more of a mode of creative expression. I have been learning classical piano with a teacher since a few months. I just try to imagine music and have gradually incorporated a lot of elements from music I listen to which I like. It is something quite personal which I would like to discover for myself, and I don't want to interfere with that process by learning stuff from a teacher. You are correct with your comparisons -- many ideas are borrowed from Liszt, as well as late Romantics. I find it to be my favorite genre by far.

People learn to play all sorts of Bach pieces but without the cantatas & oratorios we're missing a big chunk of Bach's music since he wrote over 100 religious works performed in churches.

Practicing the piece is ongoing since Christmas is around the corner. There is a chance it would be played in at holiday gathering. It's possible other arrangements would be made in the future.

The first piano version is what Bach would have done with the concertos of Vivaldi & Marcello by taking the notes available and turning it into something playable on a keyboard. When an 18th century composer arranged the works of others in the same period, the keyboard version would sound Baroque. The piece can be reworked to sound like the works of Liszt or Rachmaninov in the 19th century & later. Notes and chords would be added in certain places for louder dynamics to give the piece a more piano flavor than what the earlier harpsichord & clavichord could do. The main theme would be repeated throughout the piece but the connecting bits would be different. You hear something original with reminders of the Christmas Oratorio in between.

And there can also be simplified versions. 1 approach would be removing other instrument parts and keeping only the top 2 parallel melodic lines in the treble and 1 bass line. Another way would be playing the top 2 melodic lines with LH chords as a Lead Sheet.

What a wonderful recital! So much Bach. This might make me go back to the inventions, for which I had great plans. I particularly enjoyed Invention no. 9, and of course the Fantasia - thrilling I would say. The prelude and fugue was amazing, too. I really wish I had the patience to learn more Bach but it seems even more difficult after not touching his music for years. Now I only play a simplified arrangement of his cantata 147. Agrajag, how on earth did you manage to learn Myra Hess' arrangement and play it so beautifully after just 1 year? I am in awe.

I also enjoyed Scriabin preludes very much. He's still an obscure composer to me, but I recently went to a wonderful recital by Lucas Debargue, where he alternated Scriabin and Fauré, and it was an absolute revelation. Great job Ellen and JJHLH!

Last but not least, thank you Shepherd Abrams for playing Tchaikovsky's Sentimental Waltz, it's just the kind of piece that I will enjoy learning. And I think your interpretation was perfect!

I can't possibly comment on all pieces. Ranjit's piece crosses the threshold for billable time ;0

Sonata Pathetique

@Ganddalf and @Flygbladet - I dont' think I'll ever get tired of this Sonata and very much enjoyed both of your performances! Well done!

Will jump a bit this time and perhaps not comment on every one

01. Greta99 - Two Baltic Waltzes -"Tallinn" and "Vilnius" from "Reflections in Waltz"
What a wonderful piece played beautiful. The ever so carefully made rubato in the first part. With such perfection. The delicious trills. The second parts wonderful small rush through some notes. Loved it.
If anything: at some places I loose the base note, believe it’s because the sustain-pedal comes in too late. But yeah- did the same in my piece.

03. PikaPianist - Nocturne Op. 3 No.2
A rare gem.. By an almost forgotten composer is something I truly love. You really did this one lovely. Some part of it really sounded extremely difficult (like 1 minute in). Good one.
And yes once again great waking up the forgotten composers. Melodies that needs to be played again. And know that you stumble upon a lot of "blah". This wasn´t one of them though.

05. MarieJ - Berlin Song (to do)
This was well played. I wasn’t here during Monicas time but I understand she made a big impact on many of you. I enjoyed this one.

27. Ganddalf - Sonata Pathetique, Second movement
How fun wasn´t that. That we did the same sonata but different movements. Some part of this sonata is just so wonderful. I saw you also played the other parts. I am excited hearing the rest from yoiu.
You got quite a speed in this one. Probably correct, but I should be completely honest and say that I do prefer it a bit slower to have time to enjoy all the harmonies. But you managed this one so well - so talking about tempo has nothing to do with you playing. Just what I like.

Thank you, selfishplayer, Sam S and Quasiunafantasia for your comments. Sam: I do not claim expertise here either. Like you, I regard mazurka beats as tricky to say the least. My understanding is that 2nd and/or 3rd beats tend to be accented, but Chopin also includes the first beat as accented on occasions. There is also more than one type of mazurka. All this for me is self-taught and I err on the side of trying to keep some semblance of a dance, so use less rubato than many, rightly or wrongly. For No4, I see the opening as an instrumental intro, maybe as the dancers are taking their place on the floor. Whatever, I play them for enjoyment and as they are short I have a fighting chance of recording them without too many errors.

Sitting here waiting for a HVAC service technician, so I am listening to the recital. Great times!

01. Greta99 - Two Baltic Waltzes -"Tallinn" and "Vilnius" from "Reflections in Waltz" These are wonderful! Delightfully played, very delicate and light. Well done!

02. QuasiUnaFantasia - 10 pieces for piano, opus 24,7: Andantino Excellent! We had a Nordic themed recital a few years ago - can't remember ever hearing this one though. Well done!

03. PikaPianist - Nocturne Op. 3 No.2 I love your performances - so well done and professional. This one is great. Might be too difficult for me, but I will look it up!

05. MarieJ - Berlin Song It has been a while since we had any Einaudi. I have more appreciation for his music now, or at least a lot more tolerance. If it makes someone happy to play it, whether it is Bach or video game music or Einaudi, then I will listen. This one has a definite mood. Not as frantic sound or tense as some of his pieces. Well done!

06. wouter79 - Novelette, No17 Impressive! The end of the A section sounds like - the end. Surprise, it keeps going. Well done!

07. Ted Jones - Croaghaun Triptych (Part 1) This is a different style for you Ted - I like it! More mellow (but not too much). Lots of jazz chords. Very enjoyable to listen to.

08. Greener / Jeff - Piazzolla Tango, Medley Love that skeleton at the garden piano! It does seem to fit somehow, or I can imagine it as the soundtrack for a skeleton party. Well played! You've got the style down.

09. peterws - Mozart's 23rd k488 Intro Loved it! Definitely in the peterws style, which is a good thing!

10. KevinM - Minuet No. 1 from French Suite in B minor. No. 3 Nice touch and articulation, especially in the left hand. Well done!

11. Ido - Invention 11 (BWV 782) Well done! First time on a grand - you certainly look relaxed...

12. JJHLH - Prelude in B major Op 27 No 2 Very nice. But I'm not a big Scriabin fan, even after hearing lots of his preludes over the years. I listened to it twice just to be sure... Very sensitive playing, and a light touch though!

13. Mateusz 'Mati' Papiernik - Loutky (Puppets), H. 92: No. 3. Columbine Excellent! One of the great things about the recitals is hearing pieces I would never hear. Thanks!

14. Calavera - Legend of Mana medley The result of all that hard work was worth it, I hope? Sounds great! And you learned a lot in the process I bet.

15. rwsavory - Les Barricades Mysterieuses This one is on my bucket list. Some day... Very well played. I know it is hard to keep all the held notes straight, and then to play the ornaments on top of that.

16. PianogrlNW (Ellen) - Preludes Op 11, Nos 9 & 17 Very nice. I'm not a Scriabin fan, probably because I have never played any of his pieces. Maybe they are more fun to play than listen to? But these are very well played, as I have come to expect of you. Keep it up!

17. JB_PW (Jen) - Mermaid's Lullaby Very nice. The poem is about a merman? I guess they are forsaken, since nobody every talks about a merman - the mermaids get all the attention. I'll have to look up those pieces - good sight reading material. Well done!

18. AndresVel - Two-Part Inventions, No. 9 in F minor (BWV 780) You're doing great for such a short period of time. You don't hear this one very often. Loved that legato melody above the other hand and the different articulations. Well done!

19. Talao - Gnossienne No. 1 Well done! So relaxing and meditative...

20. winterflower - The Night is Too Long and So Deep Lovely - so light and delicate - and sad.

21. ranjit - The Madman's Circus Did you ever see the movie Freaks from 1932? A pre-code film, uncensored. Disturbing to wimpy modern audiences. Banned in some countries. I was initially repulsed and fascinated, but now I love it. Haven't seen it in years. This would be good film music for it. Excellent improv!

22. stevedoz - Dawn Welcome to the recitals! Sounds difficult. This was great, well done for your first recital performance!

23. pianist685 (Constantin) - If I could see you again Very pleasant to listen to. What more can we ask for? Thanks for playing!

24. vte - Notturno Op 28 No 4 For some reason I am reminded of a warm South American night with a full moon shining through the palm trees. But I have never been to S. America, so it's just my imagination. Well done!

25. Purrblast - Invention in C Major (BWV 772) What's not to like? Steady tempo, crisp articulation, lots of excitement and even some dynamics. Well done!

26. lilypad - The Great Pumpkin Waltz Loved it! There's something so satisfying about all those jazz chords. And the rhythm. Well done!

27. Ganddalf - Sonata Pathetique, Second movement You should be really proud of this Ganddalf. Yes, there are little problems and things that could be improved, but what an accomplishment to get it to this level for an amateur player. Well done!

28. Saan Saturday - The Cat and the Mouse Loved it! The cat and the mouse are so clear. We should be watching a Tom and Jerry cartoon (do they have those in Germany?).

29. Flygbladet - Sonata Pathetique Mov. 1 Quit beating yourself up! This is really great and a significant accomplishment. I'll tell you the same thing I told Ganddalf - you should be really proud of this. For an amateur player to play such a difficult piece so well is something to celebrate. Well done!

Another great recital. Many excellent pieces and great performances! Thanks everyone for participating.

Sam

Thank you Sam S for your very kind words. I've really enjoyed listening and admiring people's playing.

thank you Sam for your comment on my submission. I am glad you liked it
Thank you also pianoplayer416 for your insights into the arranging process. It is very interesting and impressive at the same time.

Here my second group of comments.

02. QuasiUnaFantasia - 10 pieces for piano, opus 24,7: Andantino What a great contribution to this recital! To the question of which composer would I like to have composed more for piano, my answer was always Sibelius. I deeply love his Symphonies (his 5th is perhaps my favorite symphony), and his violin concerto. I knew he head composed a bit for piano but had not actually explored those composition since I thought they were just a handful of them. Thank you for sharing this. Now I will go and listen to his piano pieces for sure. I loved your playing, it moved as you intended to, after a couple of seconds I just closed my eyes and listened. What a beautiful lyrical midsection. You beautifully played with tempo stretching some phrases tastefully. The only thing that I noticed was that sometimes the sound was a bit dry, specially in the middle section. Some more pedaling could perhaps help. This was very enjoyable, thank you very much for sharing :))))

12. JJHLH - Prelude in B major Op 27 No 2 Lovely Scriabin as always John! I liked this one a lot. I also like a lot the artwork you use in your videos. I am wondering now how you pair them together? Do you make a painting specifically for each piece? Or do you check what you have and pair them together? thank you for sharing

22. stevedoz - Dawn congratulations on your first ever submission to a recital! I had not heard this piece before and I do not think I know the composer either. Thank you for showing us some new music. I liked your playing. Very nice use of dynamics. I think you did a very good job in the opening section as well. Making the piano sign with repeated notes is no easy task. I did not get the impression you were struggling with the piece or that it was too hard for you. Great stuff

32. Pavel.K - Evening Clouds, No.9 from Album de Nina Op. 141 Beautiful piece. I remember playing and enjoying a lot two pieces from Gretchaninov's children's album, but did not know any more music by him. Thank you for showing us more of his compositions.

42. Marlings - Well Tempered Clavier / Prelude and Fugue 6 in D minor Awesome playing Marlings! It is so cool to be able to work on WTC. I cannot wait to do it. I think you showcased great pianist qualities here. You did very good o the Prelude, specially given the tempo you are targeting. It is true that in some spots you might lose a bit the pulse but I think it is something that could be solved with a bit more polishing. In the Fugue, I think you were gaining confidence and energy as the piece went on, and started to play more with the voices. I would try to do this at the beginning as well, specially when each voice sings the theme for the first time. It is clear however, that you can handle the three voices. I really enjoyed your submissions :)) Thank you for sharing.

52. P Westberg - Bagatelle Op. 119 No. 1 P Westberg, congratulations on your first recital as well! I hope you keep joining us in the future. What a fun piece! It sounds really fun to play. I think you did very good, gave a good momentum to the piece and seemed to be in control all the time. I was following the score while listening and I think you did a good job with the articulation. I would try perhaps to add a bit more dynamic variation to it. I enjoyed your playing very much.

Here's the first batch,

01. Greta99 - Two Baltic Waltzes -"Tallinn" and "Vilnius" from "Reflections in Waltz"
Anything goes ! Ok, nothing to say it's just wonderful.

02. QuasiUnaFantasia - 10 pieces for piano, opus 24,7: Andantino
Beautiful !

03. PikaPianist - Nocturne Op. 3 No.2
Well done and good recording.

04. Sam S - Valse de l'adieu
I enjoyed your piece. I just noticed you're using a bluetooth pedal with a tablet. I got one but I can't play with a second pedal.

05. MarieJ - Berlin Song
Interesting piece. Well done !

06. wouter79 - Novelette, No17
Interesting two parts piece.

07. Ted Jones - Croaghaun Triptych (Part 1)
Good improvisation ! I enjoyed it.

08. Greener / Jeff - Piazzolla Tango, Medley
Nice performance ! And your recording setup sound really good.

09. peterws - Mozart's 23rd k488 Intro
A piece from Mozart is always a winner for me.

10. KevinM - Minuet No. 1 from French Suite in B minor. No. 3
Beautiful piece, well played!

Another great recital, lots of inspiration for me. Thanks Sam for all your efforts.

Below my comments.

Sidenote for SAM, I mistyped my nick, its marklings, not marlins. Can you change that, so that in the archives it will fall under my proper nickname ? Thanks if possible.

01. Greta99 - Two Baltic Waltzes -"Tallinn" and "Vilnius" from "Reflections in Waltz" Really nice, very expressive, very inspired, congratulations

05. MarieJ - Berlin Song Very nice, I am not a fan of Einaudi's but I might change my mind over this.

15. rwsavory - Les Barricades Mysterieuses I absolutely love this one. I think your interpretation is spot on, a lot of work into that shows; since you don't care for suggestions I might say I would play it a tad faster.

16. PianogrlNW (Ellen) - Preludes Op 11, Nos 9 & 17 I am not a big fan of Scriabin myself but this is very very good. So expressive, much less easy than it seems; congratulations a really nice performance.

19. Talao - Gnossienne No. 1 Just the way it should be played !

20. winterflower - The Night is Too Long and So Deep Enjoyed, charming, dreaming, nice harmonies

25. Purrblast - Invention in C Major (BWV 772) I like a lot this one. Your playing is flawless, no question. Since you don't mind a couple of ideas: maybe a little bit faster ? Phrasing a tad looser ?

26. lilypad - The Great Pumpkin Waltz Nice piece, didn't know it, very well played, expressive, conveys a sense of calm and beauty, really enjoyed it.

27. Ganddalf - Sonata Pathetique, Second movement Well, for what is worth I think it's an excellent interpretation, congratulations. The recording does not give it justice though, low volume, too much reverberation.

29. Flygbladet - Sonata Pathetique Mov. 1 Good ! The part with the octaves on the left is quite tiring and you play it flawlessly. Also the following minuet like part, , nice delicate, appropriately fast. Very nice work indeed. If I really need to be picky there are some inequalities in the fast passages. Personally I would play the initial part a tad faster. In any case you engaged in a risky piece, well known to anyone and came out IMO very well.

30. sma55 (Shepherd Abrams) - Sentimental Waltz, Op 51 No 6 I find your interpretation absolutely adequate, really enjoyed it. It's romantic and it should sound romantic !

34. sandalholme - 4 Mazurkas Op24 Many years of experience and it shows ! Absolutely professional level ! One of the best if not the best of this lot. Congratulations.

38. CasualPianist123 - Sonata Op. 40 No. 2, 1st Movt A tough nut to crack, but you came out very well IMO. The recording is somehow feeble and does not give it justice.

39. cygnusdei - Fantasia in C minor, BWV 906 A very difficult one, quite challenging. It seems to me your technique is appropriate though. With more work it can only get better. In any case I enjoyed it a lot.

40. OE1FEU (Peter) - Intermezzo b-flat minor Op. 117 No. 2 Another pro level performance! Flawless, excellent.

42. Marlings - Well Tempered Clavier / Prelude and Fugue 6 in D minor Self comment, can I do that? The fugue is much less polished than the prelude, needs more working, the embellishments with the left are really hard.

45. bSharp(C)yclist (Dan) - Invention No. 8 In F Major, BWV 779 Nice, works out fine. I would play faster though.

46. Agrajag - Jesus bleibet meine Freude - BWV 147 Ok, my weak spot. This one for some reason always brings tears to my eyes and your interpretation is no exception ! Brings out the serenity, perfect beauty of this one. The different voices come out perfectly fine in case you are worried. There are some obvious mistakes in the end but do not detract from the pleasure of listening. I am always surprised as to why a piece so severe in principle is actually so moving. Well, thank you for this. Can I ask what transcription you used?

51. RudolfRSK - Sonetto 47 del Petrarca A tough one but you came out ok IMO. You point out some obvious areas for improvements, ok, needs some working but on a very strong basis. Key elements of technique and interpretation are clearly there. Not far from a pro level performace I believe.

selfishplayer- thank you for listening and commenting!

peterws - it's great to get such a comment from a musician I look up to, thank you so much.

AndresVel - Thank you! You may have struggled with invention 8, but you still did a remarkable job with it, and with such a short experience. I was nowhere near that level after a year of playing!

Sam- thank you for listening and commenting! And for making this recital happen.

10. KevinM - Minuet No. 1 from French Suite in B minor. No. 3
Wow, great job Kevin, you nailed it. And you make it look so easy. Superb performance.

12. JJHLH - Prelude in B major Op 27 No 2
Beautiful

30. sma55 (Shepherd Abrams) - Sentimental Waltz, Op 51 No 6
I know you like critical comments...
But I simply enjoyed it so much. That's the first time I hear this piece and I can't imagine a better introduction to it. Thank you.

36. tyschoco - Sonatina in F Major, Op 20 No 3
Really really great performance. You captured the style perfectly.

39. cygnusdei - Fantasia in C minor, BWV 906
I had to double check that I wasn't listening to some professional performance on YouTube. Impressive!

21 Ranjit

Wih a bit more experience under your belt, these impros will come out more logical. if you don't do logical, you're hitting wrong notes with gay (!) abandon and recovering, improvising on the fly as you do. I guess mental improvisation isn't the same as muscle memory impro.
And yet, as with Ted, I feel an empathy and almost a stricture without stricture.
I can see you were not in the best of moods.
Well done. Darn sight better than I could do!

22 Stevedoz

A darned nice submission; it's not too hard for you. You're playing it well. It sperkles with gentle energy, and powerfully his home at the same time. Lovely harmonys.
Great job.

23 Pianist685

Lovely sound, very much in tune, and the echo gives it a sweet ring. Excellently played, this was a treat including the sound separation in evidence.

24 vte

I'm sure you'll get good critical advice, but for your level, excellent. Back off the pedal, though. Judicious use only!

25 Purrblast

This is the only invention I've played, and it was hard work for me. A great instructional device, you handled it in a very competent manner. I love the ending, like "YAAAY!! I got there!!!"
It's like that for me everytime I play it!

26 Lilypad

Great, Lily, and your piano sounds super too, like a top- liner. If I might suggest, your left hand chords. The last note of each trio could be played staccato to lend it more bite.
Not an easy rhythm to maintain, you're doing a fine job which can only get better as you get used to different styles of play.

27 Ganddalf

Beethoven ain't easy, especially as one ages. I wouldn't dare attempt any of those long stretches which give his music such depth. You still sound excellent, though perhaps you could give it more strength around the 2 minute mark.

28 Saan Saturday

This music definitely has its claws out! This isn't cats playing . . . .I'm scratching my head, but I liked it!

Thank you so much to AndresVel and peterws for your very supportive comments.
I feel very encouraged to keep playing as I've never enjoyed playing this much before.
One day I'd love to have the courage to play something live to someone else
I'm still enjoying going through the recital. Thanks everyone...

I appreciate the warm welcome. selfishplayer, QuasiUnaFantasia, Sam S, sinophilia and marklings, I'm glad you enjoyed it, I'm grateful for the feedback.

marklings, It's Myra Hess' transcription. I completely agree on its inherent beauty, it's the main reason I settled on learning it. It has certainly become my favourite piece in my repertoire so far.

sinophilia, I can only postulate, but I'd like to think my biggest advantage to be my already developed finger dexterity and sense of rhythm from some guitar and lots of Guitar Hero in my youth. Coupled with consistent practice and a decent ear, I might be well rounded among the skills required of this instrument.

29. Flygbladet - Sonata Pathetique Mov. 1 I've been trying to learn this for the past few months as well, and I can appreciate the difficulty of just playing through it without stopping even once. Well done.

Some more comments from my side

03. PikaPianist - Nocturne Op. 3 No.2 What an amazing first listen for this piece. Thank you for showing us such beautiful compositions. There is so much sentiment in your playing, the amount of detail and intention you are able to create from each phrase is amazing. Your recording quality both soundwise and videowise makes this even more enjoyable. The level of production and playing of your recordings is very top level and something to strive for for sure. The tone of your piano definitely suits the piece. Amazing in all ways

13. Mateusz 'Mati' Papiernik - Loutky (Puppets), H. 92: No. 3. Columbine What an interesting piece. I loved every second of it. You played very good with dynamics to keep things interesting. Thank you also for the information on the story of the piece. It definitely helps to create one's own story while listening. I hop you keep returning to these recitals

23. pianist685 (Constantin) - If I could see you again Great playing as usual! I have to admit I am not a huge fan of these kind of pieces, but you definitely succeeded at adding a lot of passion and feeling to this interpretation. I would reduce the reverb a bit, but this is just a minor detail. Very well done :))

33. jamiecw - Prelude in A Major Op28 No7 This is a very lovely prelude. I really wish it would be just a bit longer :P I think you did lovely. The only thing I can think of as a suggestion based on the several times I have listened to this prelude before, is to add a bit more of dynamic variation so the short climax is more notorious and perhaps reduce a bit the pedaling in some phrases. Good job

43. CarlosCC - One wave one sea This was beautiful. Cool that you experiment a bit with your DP sounds. Thank you for sharing

53. Moo - Rondo in D K485 Great job with this rondo Moo. Pieces from the classical era are for sure very challenging and daunting and I think you did very good with this one. The only suggestion I could perhaps think of it is to work a bit on voicing in certain bits to better bring out some of the motifs or elements of the piece. Thank you for sharing

Thank you, marklings, for your very generous comments. Really glad you enjoyed it.

Check it now...

Sam