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BTW, I hadn't heard Hamelin play Chopin before that link above. When I think Hamelin, in my mind it's always very technically demanding pieces and/or obscure works. However I am pleasantly surprised he could be very lyrical with something as mainstream (for him) as Chopin.
I heard Hamelin play the 4th scherzo, the Polonaise-Fantaisie, and the Schuman Fantasy. It was all surprisingly mainstream apart from a few pieces. Even though I don't particularly like a lot of the obscure hyper-virtuosic stuff he plays, I love that he does his own thing.
I post this with some hesitation because it wasn't a good performance. It was pretty bad, but I have good excuses (the main one being that I'm not that good).
@Mark_C:
Perhaps you do not give yourself enough credit for your 4th Ballade performance as I see and hear it as a very good effort even in spite of the fact you had reported (in another post long ago) that you were quite ill at the time of this concert? As I do applaud you for getting through two (2) of Chopin's most difficult works, nonetheless!
You appear to have no issues with nerves or anxiety in playing in public in front of an audience and this is something I have NEVER attempted to do -- as it would be simply a disaster to play a concert when I have trouble making recordings of my own playing when I am ALONE by myself -- since I tend to freeze up and become tense and anxious when I start playing for a recording and have great difficulty in keeping my hands warm due to a lack of proper circulation -- can hardly play anything in front of merely ONE other person like my piano tuner although this has something to do with the fear of making mistakes and being a perfectionist -- needless to say have been somewhat "OCD" in this regard and I am painfully aware of it. My best playing and practice only happens alone with no one else around and during those rare times I have properly warmed up hands and fingers then playing goes reasonably well enough. Have already made a recording of the 4th Ballade at my AvantGrand N2 digital piano although there are too many mistakes and sloppy playing in the final pages so I have only shared this performance with just a few friends but would never post this recording online since it does not represent my best efforts. Have always been happy enough in playing for myself when the hands are mostly cooperating and nerves are not a factor.
That being said, really did enjoy your playing of the two (2) Chopin pieces!
[offtopic] With digital pianos they should invent a permanent internal MIDI recorder that is always ON and rotates after say 1 week. Similar to a dashcam where it's constantly recording whenever you drive your car. I've also found that whenever I decide to record something, I suddenly become nervous. My best performances were while I was practicing and I often contemplate having some hidden internal recorder on my Yamaha N1X which I can poll for the last 10 minutes and replay for a recording
[offtopic] With digital pianos they should invent a permanent internal MIDI recorder that is always ON and rotates after say 1 week. Similar to a dashcam where it's constantly recording whenever you drive your car. I've also found that whenever I decide to record something, I suddenly become nervous. My best performances were while I was practicing and I often contemplate having some hidden internal recorder on my Yamaha N1X which I can poll for the last 10 minutes and replay for a recording
Agreed!
Yes, if only I could get a recording of myself practicing / performing Chopin's 4th Ballade (for example) when I am not actually attempting to MAKE a recording as I would have some performances of much higher caliber that would be mostly free from mistakes and very bad nerves!
However, always do much better when playing alone.
[offtopic] With digital pianos they should invent a permanent internal MIDI recorder that is always ON and rotates after say 1 week. Similar to a dashcam where it's constantly recording whenever you drive your car. I've also found that whenever I decide to record something, I suddenly become nervous. My best performances were while I was practicing and I often contemplate having some hidden internal recorder on my Yamaha N1X which I can poll for the last 10 minutes and replay for a recording
If you can accept this thing being in software, rather than in hardware, then it already exists: it's called Pianoteq.
Physical instruments: Roland FP-30, and E-28 Virtual instruments: "The Experience" piano collection, NI "The Maverick", Galaxy II Grand piano collection, Synthogy Ivory II Studio Grands, Production Voices Estate Grand, Garritan CFX Lite, Pianoteq 7.5.2 Focus: 1850±100 years
IMO he made one clear mistake of execution there which contributed to the applause, and indeed I'd say there's a very good chance that without that, they wouldn't have applauded: the way he threw he hands in the air.
But part of the preparation and practice of this piece should be (IMO) realizing that this is a place where people might well be tempted to applaud, and make sure not to do anything that would up the chance that this will seem like the end of the piece. It was his fault that they applauded there.
Agree completely. Like the end of the Chopin Etude Op. 25 No.1.
I think your golden age covers too large a time span time. When I hear golden age of piano I think of a period covering approx 1900-1960. That would start with Rachmaninoff, with notable long-lived exceptions of Rubinstein and Horowitz. Cliburn would have started maybe the silver age and extended to Lang Lang. LL and Yuja started a new age but I don't know what heck you'd call it, maybe bronze or age of flash and flesh. I'd swear that without the top of that piano frame Khatia was playing stark naked--which is not a bad thing, really.
One female concert pianist said her manager advised her to start showing more legs and cleavage if she wanted to boost ticket sales and get the one-up on her competition. That's the "age" we live in, sadly.
After checking and going through my original list above it appears I had overlooked at least ONE great "golden age" pianist ... and, that is:
Question:
Would anyone happen to know the specific building and/or very ornate room that Bolet is playing in ... as nothing is mentioned in the video or comments as to where this had been performed?
Update:
Did finally find the answer to my question as to where Bolet was performing at -- the beautiful ornate room is located in the Ripponlea House in Melbourne, Australia -- and, the entire concert with Chopin and Liszt works is included, below:
Wanted to clarify the correct spelling of the title (i.e., two separate words and not one) for the above estate and mansion that Bolet had performed in -- as it is the "Rippon Lea Estate" and mansion -- more info, here:
Born on January 15, 1925 -- and, currently 96 yrs. young -- is the remarkable pianist who had taken lessons with Josef Hofmann and Rachmaninoff:
Here a marvelous video of Ruth in conversation talking about meeting Rachmaninoff on invitation when she was 9. She had substituted for Rachmaninoff in a recital and Rach wanted to thank her personally. Very interesting. She also plays two preludes the e-flat minor and the B-flat Major.
