Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Recital #64 - General Discussion Room

01. Greta99 - Two Baltic Waltzes -"Tallinn" and "Vilnius" from "Reflections in Waltz"
Nice to hear 2 contrasting pieces. Love the performance. Nice to be #1 on the list.

02. QuasiUnaFantasia - 10 pieces for piano, opus 24,7: Andantino
Great dynamics from soft to loud.

03. PikaPianist - Nocturne Op. 3 No.2
Nice playing with good dynamics. I haven't heard many Chopin Nocturnes. Always nice to hear a new piece.

04. Sam S - Valse de l'adieu
A lovely piece. Sounds very romantic. Can use it for background music for a candlelight dinner.

09. peterws - Mozart's 23rd k488 Intro
Always nice to hear a piece of Mozart. The sustain is a bit strong to my liking. Otherwise nice playing.

10. KevinM - Minuet No. 1 from French Suite in B minor. No. 3
Good articulation. Nice playing.
There are 2 versions to this piece. The difference is a few notes in the melody line in the lower half. Some students would play variation A and others would play variation B. I tried them both and found B more interesting.
In the future you can add the Trio (3-part) after to make the Minuet complete.

11. Ido - Invention 11 (BWV 782)
Nice playing in a slower tempo. Some students would run a Bach invention in a faster tempo like technical pieces.

12. JJHLH - Prelude in B major Op 27 No 2
Nice playing. Not familiar with this piece. Has a dreamlike feel to it.

35. Serge88 - Air on the G string
Nice arrangement and tempo. Has a very calming sound.
Around 2:01 in the audio recording RH plays a long B and LH plays a scale run E-F#-G#-A-B your LH played a G instead. After that the RH is supposed to play A-G#-F#-E you played G. In the repeated section 3:29 the same 2 notes supposed to be G# instead of natural.

36. tyschoco - Sonatina in F Major, Op 20 No 3
A niece piece. Sounds very uplifting & cheerful.

44. selfishplayer - Variatio 8 from Goldberg Variations
A technical piece well played.

45. bSharp(C)yclist (Dan) - Invention No. 8 In F Major, BWV 779
Nicely played. 1 of my favorite Bach Inventions besides #4 in Dm & #13 in Am. Prefer a lighter touch however.

46. Agrajag - Jesus bleibet meine Freude - BWV 147
Very relaxing. Always nice to hear a Bach chorale. Can hear the different lines. Thanks for sharing. 3 Bach pieces at different levels 1 after another (#44-46) turning the recital into almost all Bach

47. facdo - Nocturne in E flat Major, Op.9 No.2
A common piece that one can never get bored listening to. Nice playing
The last time I heard this piece was someone playing on a public piano while on vacation.

48. Rachtoven - Piano Sonata in C Major K.545 1st Movement
Nice playing. Got all the notes.
The only thing to comment on is coming to the end of the first section (24s in the audio) the playing was a bit rushed. In the repeat (1m20s) the same. The 3 stacks of notes to end the section should be played longer.

49. Pathbreaker - Nocturne No. 3 - Op. 33
Nice playing. 1 of the few pieces I haven't heard before.

50. Coati - The Setting Sun
Sounds like the piece could have been written by JS Bach instead of someone else in the family. Nice playing & interesting title.

52. P Westberg - Bagatelle Op. 119 No. 1
Nice playing.

53. Moo - Rondo in D K485
Nice playing of a Mozart piece.

30. sma55 (Shepherd Abrams) - Sentimental Waltz, Op 51 No 6

I really appreciate the effort you are putting to bring out the emotional characteristics in this piece. You are making a conscious effort to play with direction and phrasing and it is definitely conveyed to the listener. Good control of the dynamics as well! While i am someone to tends to be a little more on the side of playing things with a little more consistent tempo, i nonetheless appreciate your attempt to interpret it the way you felt made sense. Beyond that, i don't have much critique except perhaps you could bring out the dotted half notes in the left hand a little to give a small emphasis on the *one* , two, three feeling of a waltz.


32. Pavel.K - Evening Clouds, No.9 from Album de Nina Op. 141

Huh, another composer i never heard about. This will be interesting.
A very charming piece. It is very stable and well executed. Your voicing is coming through where it needs to and you have some shaping ideas as well! Good job!

33. jamiecw - Prelude in A Major Op28 No7

Another classic!

Beautifully played, i really don't have much to critique because you seem rather secure with it and you are making deliberate attempts for interpretation and shaping! Usually i don't say this, but perhaps for more detailed feedback, maybe you could afford to pick a slightly more difficult Chopin piece for the next ABF (maybe B minor no 6, no 4 in e minor or even no.9)

34. sandalholme - 4 Mazurkas Op24

Oho, recital style. This is a rather large undertaking and i am excited to see the result you managed to put out!

Op 24 No 1, Lento: You have a very good control over the dynamic level and the touch from the get go. Your rhythm is also quite secure while adding natural rubato when and where is appropriate. Good shaping ideas and dynamics, very nice.

Op 24 No 2, Allegro non troppo: Capture the mood of this mazurka rather well and your dynamic ideas come through. Your melody sings out comfortably and your momentum and direction serves this piece well. Perhaps the pulse could be more consistent throughout the piece as the theme in the first 4 bars are played at a much slower pulse compared to the rest of the piece. The left hand theme could be played out more in the second half of the D flat major section.

Op 24 No 3, Your rubato is rather natural in this one, the pulse is much more consistent within the romantic style. You are playing this selection very characterfully and with good shaping!

Op 24 No 4: Good Voicing, you bring the melodies within the textures rather well! Very good nuanced control of the dynamics in this piece. You bring out the performance directions rather well such as the accents and con forza.

I think you should be very proud of your recordings of the mazurkas! You are getting a good foundation in the romantic period and Chopin's style. You have some solid musical ideas built on a good foundation and i hope to see where you progress from here. Maybe i may take your idea and submit a compilation of selections from Schumann's Kinderszenen or Mendelssohn's song without words when i get good enough to tackle them haha!

35. Serge88 - Air on the G string

Very beautifully played! Your melody is voicing out beautifully over the rest of the texture and you bring out the mood of this piece very well. You are definitely enjoying yourself in this piece and it was a very pleasurable listen. I think you are doing good work with your teacher, hope to hear more

36. tyschoco - Sonatina in F Major, Op 20 No 3

Thanks for the feedback from everyone so far, i much appreciate the words of encouragement

37. lyricmudra - Venetian Boat Song No. 2 (Song Without Words Op. 30, No. 6)

A very good interpretation of this piece. You have some very clear musical ideas and you are shaping this piece very beautifully. You better believe there is a significant difference from the previous recording! I love you attention to the dynamics and the use of tempo rubato tastefully. You coordinate the trill with the left hand well and your balance is really good. My only small (subjective) interpretive suggestion is perhaps i would give a very small delay and use of a poco allargando before the double forti in measures 29 and 51 as there is a corresponding change in tonality and the build up to the loudest dynamic in the piece. But your interpretation was really beautiful as is!

39. cygnusdei - Fantasia in C minor, BWV 906

A very good attempt at this piece! It is a very difficult level of repertoire and your tempo was rather ambitious which you handled rather well! I believe with more time your will gain more control over your finger work and your mind will work 'more like clockwork' as you described in your post. My only critique is that there could be more conversations between the themes in both voices as right now, its does sound like right hand is leading the charge most of the time.

Since you have the skill level, perhaps look into some of the WTC preludes and fugues or french suites if you haven't already? I think you would greatly benefit from the increased exposure to pieces of a similar difficulty and style and might serve you in your pursuit for 'fingers of steel' and a 'mind like clockwork'

40. OE1FEU (Peter) - Intermezzo b-flat minor Op. 117 No. 2

Certainly a slightly more moving tempo for this intermezzo compared to some other performers. But its a convincing tempo nonetheless as the score clearly states con molto espessione! Your voicing is very good and the textures never impede the singing line. You execute the dynamics changes rather well and you keep the tone appropriate for this intermezzo. Good use of rubato throughout the piece. The only thing can suggest is to make the quaver beats a little more obvious to the listener as right now, i am losing orientation to the pulse in certain spots. Well played!

Perhaps you could afford to post a larger set of works next time? you certainly have the ability to do so! More beautiful playing for me to listen to.

tyschoco: many thanks for the detailed response. Much appreciated. Yes, I am prone to end up faster, or slower, at the end of a piece! Glad you enjoyed them generally. A bit cross - at myself - for the LH not being prominent in No2, as I love it when Chopin moves the melody to the bass line. It shows that what I think I'm doing is not always obvious to the listener. Rubato is always a tricky one: how much, how little etc. (And of course, not losing track of the basic pulse!) Extracts from Kinderszenen and two or more Mendelssohn's SwW? Go for it whenever you are ready.

Third batch, working backwards, concentrating on classical works.


32. Pavel.K - Evening Clouds, No.9 from Album de Nina Op. 141
This one I had never heard before. Very clearly articulated, and also rhythmically played.

31. thepianoplayer416 - Christmas Oratorio #2 - Sinfonia in G (BWV248)
Impressive work on the transcription for piano! The playing was admirably consistent both with respect to dynamics and tempo.

30. sma55 (Shepherd Abrams) - Sentimental Waltz, Op 51 No 6
Delightful! Tchaikovsky is always a great choice, and this certainly applies here. Your rendition was a pleasure listening to.

29. Flygbladet - Sonata Pathetique Mov. 1
I wish it were me who could play that. Great, just great! And, somehow your P45 actually sounds like an acoustic (are you an Audacity wizard?)

28. Saan Saturday - The Cat and the Mouse
Now that's a quirky piece! But terribly difficult (as far as I can tell). Captivating performance!

27. Ganddalf - Sonata Pathetique, Second movement
Beautiful! This haunting piece of music is in good hands in your treatment.

25. Purrblast - Invention in C Major (BWV 772)
Clear, brisk performance. Well done!

24. vte - Notturno Op 28 No 4
Never heard of that composer until you brought him up. Thanks for doing that! You brought out a very dreamy flavour in the piece. Good work!

Thank you Calavera for your comments on my piece

Thank you Ido. I genuinely enjoy a lot listening to recordings and classical music. It just keeps getting more interesting. As I learn on my own piano path and read about composers and styles etc. there are always new things to catch up when listening to music. These recitals are mostly a source of inspiration for me. We have amazing talented piano players in our ABF community

This is very interesting indeed. Amazing how our perception of music can be so personal and unique.

104 and 123 have been my favorites, but since your submission I have had No 47 on my playlist and it is growing on me.
Next recital could work or otherwise directly as a post on the ABF forum or in Member Recordings in the Pianist forum. In any case, I would be happy to listen to your progress

I finally managed to finish listening to the recital after some very busy weeks at work. This is the fifth recital I have taken part on, and I think this might be the one with the higher quality of playing. I was constantly amazed by everyone's talent and commitment to these recitals. Thank you everyone for keep making these recitals such an amazing event

Here my last set of comments

08. Greener / Jeff - Piazzolla Tango, Medley Lovely submission Greener. Some parts were very romantic and reminded me a bit of the music my mother always listens to, which included of course Tango but also some Clayderman and similar. Your new recording setup sounds very good too!. Thank you for sharing.

09. peterws - Mozart's 23rd k488 Intro This was lovely peter! first of all, props to you for deciding on taking on this project. I also love that concerto, and one could tell from your descriptions and mostly from your playing, that you enjoy it a lot too. I think you did a very good job in general, although I specially enjoyed the second half, from measure 30 till the end. Your phrasing in that part was very tasteful and your articulation was on point Wouldn't it be cool to be able to play a concerto with orchestra once? It would most probably never happen to me but that must be a very nice feeling. Thank you for your submission

10. KevinM - Minuet No. 1 from French Suite in B minor. No. 3 Beautiful playing Kevin! I liked the clarity and steady tempo all throughout. You also use well the left hand bass and highlighted it a couple of times creating great contrast. I also enjoyed a lot the sound of your recording. It fit very well the piece. Great playing, thank you for sharing.

19. Talao - Gnossienne No. 1 Yes my favorite Satie's piece!! Lovely playing Talao, a lot of feeling and emotion. You added nice dynamic variations here and there to emphasize some phrases and that kept things interesting. I have always found Satie's music very deceptive and harder than it looks. You seem to have grasped some of his style already. I tend to struggle a bit with pieces that are very slow, also in terms of concentration, but you seem to have no such problems. Well done looking forward to your next recital submission.

20. winterflower - The Night is Too Long and So Deep This was lovely. First of all, your sound settings on Pianoteq are on point! Lovely rich warm sound from that Bluthner. I loved your playing. This was very soothing and full of nuances, but at the same time very interesting all throughout. I never lost attention in your playing. Great improvisation skills. Thank you for sharing.

28. Saan Saturday - The Cat and the Mouse Saan what a cool fun piece! i enjoyed this one a lot! This reminded me a bit of a Prokofiev piece. There was just so much humor all throughout, and it looked like the most fun thing to play with all those hand crossing, rolled chords, rhythm changes and keyboard exploration. You played it with a lot of energy and that made the recording very special. I like your glissandos a lot. I have tried a couple for fun but it always hurts a bit hah :P What a fun submission! Thank you for taking part in this recital.

29. Flygbladet - Sonata Pathetique Mov. 1 Amazing playing Flygbladet. You should be very proud of your efforts with this piece an of the recording you got. When reading your description I thought there would be a section where still a lot of work was needed or where errors will start creeping in, but I found none of that. We are usually our worst critics (although I think that is in general a good approach),. I found instead a very emotional playing. Great use of dynamics and tempo variations, and pauses were very well added to the piece. As a suggestion I would recommend to make the opening statement more contrasting in terms of dynamics. Awesome stuff!

30. sma55 (Shepherd Abrams) - Sentimental Waltz, Op 51 No 6 Tchaikovsky indeed knew how to compose a waltz. I had never heard this one before. I am in general not so familiar with his piano music, more so with his ballets and orchestral works. I think a romantic approach serves this kind of pieces very well. Do you think that the less romantic interpretation has perhaps to do with keeping a dancy-more steady character all throughout? I certainly enjoyed your playing very much, and liked the middle section a lot. The way you played with tempo clearly shows your skill and experience. The recording quality is also very good, this felt like a professional recording. I enjoyed this very much. Thank you for sharing.

38. CasualPianist123 - Sonata Op. 40 No. 2, 1st Movt This was so good!! You put so much energy into your playing! I really enjoyed it a lot. I do agree with you, Clementi sonatas are very underrated and underperformed and in my opinion a lot of them are as interesting as many of the Beethoven, Haydn or Mozart sonatas. I had listened to the Op. 40 before, but it had been a while so thank you for reminding me of these group of three sonatas. Your playing was very energizing. You seem to have this piece very well under you fingers and I applaud you consistency with articulation all throughout and your attention to the score. Some small bits might still require a bit of polishing but you are good on your way to get a very good rendition of this piece. Specially in the parts where the melodic line has a group of consecutive trills, I have the impression that the melody gets a bit interrupted and your playing loses a bit of clarity. You might be even rushing those measures slightly because of the trills. In certain passages I think the left hand could sing a bit more, when it gets the main motifs, but here your recording setup might be playing a role in my impressions. In general, I think that just a bit of polishing would make your recording even better. This last mile tends to be a hard one to reach but I think it is totally worth it. Are you planning in learning the remaining movements? Thank you for sharing

39. cygnusdei - Fantasia in C minor, BWV 906 I am in awe! This was awesome! Incredible playing. This was very enjoyable in so many levels. The clarity of your playing is outstanding so as the sense of tempo and rhythm. There was no single inconsistency in those two aspects that I could notice. The ornamentation was so enjoyable! specially these double cadence on the main theme. The only thing I would try to improve on is the quality of the recording. I read you are using a Zoom h1, but there seems to be plenty of white noise in the background. In any case, what an enjoyable submission. Thank you for sharing and inspiring us with your playing

40. OE1FEU (Peter) - Intermezzo b-flat minor Op. 117 No. 2 This was very interesting, a different interpretation form what I have heard before for one of my favorite Brahms pieces. I think I have always listened this piece at a slower tempo. I liked your rendition a lot. There was a lot of emotion in your playing and you added some very interesting dynamics all throughout. The sound of your grand is beautiful, lovely recording. What a cool project to take on the entire Op. 117. Please share those recordings as well.

See you and listen to you all again in February

I'm incredibly slow as usual, but I like sharing some quick comments on every piece. Here's my next batch!

30. sma55 (Shepherd Abrams) - Sentimental Waltz, Op 51 No 6
Nice playing and the emphasis on emotion seems to have been the right call as far as I can tell.

31. thepianoplayer416 - Christmas Oratorio #2 - Sinfonia in G (BWV248)
A fun piece. It sounds festive and playful. Impressive work with this custom arrangement.

32. Pavel.K - Evening Clouds, No.9 from Album de Nina Op. 141
A pleasant piece played with subtle expression.

33. jamiecw - Prelude in A Major Op28 No7
I don't how it compares to professional performances, but I found your rendition pretty and enjoyable.

34. sandalholme - 4 Mazurkas Op24
Impressive work. Very clean-sounding and enjoyable performance.

35. Serge88 - Air on the G string
Beautiful and polished performance.

36. tyschoco - Sonatina in F Major, Op 20 No 3
I neither see nor hear any 'dirty laundry' here! Nice energy and momentum in this performance.

37. lyricmudra - Venetian Boat Song No. 2 (Song Without Words Op. 30, No. 6)
Gorgeous and expressive performance! Well done.

38. CasualPianist123 - Sonata Op. 40 No. 2, 1st Movt
I like it! Passionate, energetic and almost breathless. A grand finish too. Lovely piano sound to boot.

39. cygnusdei - Fantasia in C minor, BWV 906
Wow, that sounds like a difficult piece, yet you manage to deliver a very clean and smooth performance.

40. OE1FEU (Peter) - Intermezzo b-flat minor Op. 117 No. 2
Beautiful and excellent job with the dramatic changes.

Fourth batch ... hmm, this seems to be taking more time than I anticipated. Hopefully I'll be through this before the Grieg recital.


19. Talao - Gnossienne No. 1
The Gnossienne's are great, and this was excellent playing, so a really good listening experience.

18. AndresVel - Two-Part Inventions, No. 9 in F minor (BWV 780)
This was a very fine performance in its own right, and much more so considering how recently you began playing. The whole piece "felt" good to me as a listener.

17. JB_PW (Jen) - Mermaid's Lullaby
Walter Carroll is not a composer I was familiar with, but the piece was delightful, and I thoroughly enjoyed your performance.

16. PianogrlNW (Ellen) - Preludes Op 11, Nos 9 & 17
Scriabin is proving a tough nut for me to crack, and that is just as a listener. It's really strange music to my ears, but very fascinating. Your playing was simply lovely.

15. rwsavory - Les Barricades Mysterieuses
It's still an interesting piece (as I wrote the last time around), but you're clearly having a much better time with it now, and playing it a lot faster. Really nice to observe the improvement!

13. Mateusz 'Mati' Papiernik - Loutky (Puppets), H. 92: No. 3. Columbine
This is probably the first Martinu piece I have encountered, so thanks for performing this. And it was an excellent performance, elegant and fluent.

I'm finally back for my last batch!

42. Marlings - Well Tempered Clavier / Prelude and Fugue 6 in D minor
Another enjoyable Bach submission! I think I liked the energy of the prelude better.

43. CarlosCC - One wave one sea
Very evocative of the sea indeed. A peaceful and relaxing composition.

44. selfishplayer - Variatio 8 from Goldberg Variations
An enjoyable performance and impressive work with this challenging piece. I hope you find a piano that suits you!

45. bSharp(C)yclist (Dan) - Invention No. 8 In F Major, BWV 779
This Bach piece is a treat to listen to and you do it justice as far I can tell. Nice playing!

46. Agrajag - Jesus bleibet meine Freude - BWV 147
Really clean and musical. I enjoyed your submission.

47. facdo - Nocturne in E flat Major, Op.9 No.2
A highly polished and highly enjoyable performance. Beautiful and expressive playing.

48. Rachtoven - Piano Sonata in C Major K.545 1st Movement
A pleasant performance with great momentum.

49. Pathbreaker - Nocturne No. 3 - Op. 33
That sounded beautiful and smooth as butter to me. A lovely piece played with graceful expression.

50. Coati - The Setting Sun
Submitting this was the right call. I found this performance pleasant and relaxing to listen to.

51. RudolfRSK - Sonetto 47 del Petrarca
An enjoyable and highly musical performance. The (perceived) flaws didn't bother me.

52. P Westberg - Bagatelle Op. 119 No. 1
Welcome to the recitals! Nice playing and thanks for sharing this lesser-known Beethoven gem.

53. Moo - Rondo in D K485
Impressive and elegantly played!


Here's to another succesful recital! And thanks to the people who listened to and commented on my submission.

Fifth, and final batch for this recital from me also (never say never).

Thank you lilypad, Coati, KevinM, Greener, Calavera, Ido, P Westberg, Rachtoven, MarieJ, and thepianoplayer416 for the kind comments. And thank you Sam for the heavy lifting behind the scenes.


12. JJHLH - Prelude in B major Op 27 No 2
Kind of like with Debussy there seems to be no gravity working here in this quite mysterious music, just somehow hanging in the air. It was a lovely performance.

11. Ido - Invention 11 (BWV 782)
Bach will probably never be my favourite composer, but there is a mesmerizing quality to his music when it's played really well. It was so here. Very good work!

10. KevinM - Minuet No. 1 from French Suite in B minor. No. 3
There's quite a bit going on in this piece, but it felt calm and pleasant and evidently in safe hands.

09. peterws - Mozart's 23rd k488 Intro
Mozart's solo piano works certainly have their own charms, but this is something else entirely. Just wonderful, and very entertaining!

06. wouter79 - Novelette, No17
Pleasing, and somewhat quirky work (unknown to me before, as is virtually everything by Heller), very capably performed. Nicely dynamic rendition.

03. PikaPianist - Nocturne Op. 3 No.2
Another excellent performance, really elegant. And I agree completely on this being a true gem of a nocturne. Never heard about Korganov before this.

I'm very late to this thread as I've been especially busy but I wanted to drop in and thank everyone who commented on my piece. It took me a while to finish listening but I really enjoyed the recital. The level of playing here is pretty inspirational. Great job, everyone.

Sorry for my lack of presence here, on top of the computer issues there there is now a severe medical issue with a family member that takes most of my time. The computer did not get fixed, I switched to ubuntu which took any remaining time. But I'm glad that I can still read your replies!


Thanks peter!

Good to hear, thanks for your comments!

Yes!.

Great to hear you liked it!

lilypad good to hear that.




Coati thainks for the elaborate comment. The computer was replaced with a completely empty one, I wasn't happy with that, see my comments above... Yes Heller is a bit more on the classic than romantic side I think.

THanks Greener, good to hear.

Thanks Calavera!



Andres thanks for the detailed comment! Yes especially at the start I always have troubles getting afst arpeggios right, my hand needs some notes first to settle. I moved on to the next piece but I keep working on these issues!

MarieJ thanks for the feedback and great that you liked it !


Yes, Heller got lost somewhere between the great romantics as Schumann Schubert Liszt etc. But this etudes album just works for me. Thanks!

19. Gnossienne,

Nice static chords, though for me a bit to static, i kind a zoom out. Good dynamics melody soft/forte. Piece feels a little dead, but maybe thats what Satie wanted. Meditation. I think i prefer more flowing dynamics. What do you want to communicate with the piece? My amateurish thoughts.

33. Chopin op 28 no 7. Very good, you could improve by getting a finer/more expensive instrument. Maybe pianoteq/garritan cfx or hybrid piano maybe combined. You can then have more nuances in every note. Thoughts from an amateurish piano primate.