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Oh dear! I submitted my pieces in haste and I forgot to put in additional info. Here goes:
I found both pieces in the current ABRSM Grade 6 syllabus.
Opening Night Jazz - It is composed by Martha Mier, and this is from her "Jazz, Rags & Blues" Book 5. There are a lot of big leaps on the LH to tackle, but I enjoyed learning this!
Rumba Toccata - I would say that this is a gem! The toccata style is certainly fun to play with, but it is also difficult as the touch will affect the sound! Paul Harvey is a pianist and music teacher, who is sadly suffering from dementia. Here is a video about him if you are interested.
I did the same thing, Mel_Lem!! I placed "X"s in the description fields and was going to come back later and update. Sorry I forgot. I've been so busy with other things.
I submitted River Flows In You, a piece which many probably are tired of, but figured it fit the theme. I feel like the piece is easier to play on digital. I find it harder to control the sound I'd like to hear on the acoustic, perhaps too much pedal. Anyway, hope some enjoy the performance. One day I'll stop being lazy and use something other than a cell phone to record.
Looking forward to listening to others' performances.
I just had a quick look into this large recital and randomly picked out some renditions on which I would like to comment briefly.
02 Sam – Suburban Sunday (Philip Lane) Thanks for introducing this rather enjoyable tune. Suburban Sundays must be calm and contemplative, then…
37, 38 winterflower – Searchlight Rag, The Fascinator Well… You say critical comments are allowed and “anything goes”. So I will speak my mind. I have the impression these rags are still too difficult for you. Additionally, one thing bothered me quite much: you are playing the semiquavers as triplets, like in a Swing song. But in ragtime all the notes are even, if not otherwise indicated. Swing triplets were not yet invented in those days. I do apologize for being that negative. Feel free to ignore my comment.
47 bSharpCyclist – River flows in you I like Yiruma quite much. Your rendition is okay so far, though a bit poor in dynamics. I am not sure if it is easier to play this on a digital. I think the problem with many acoustics is that many of them are not properly tuned, voiced and regulated while digitals do not encounter such problems.
48 stevedoz - Send in the clowns Marvellous, congratulations! You really did this fantastic song justice. This song is my favourite Sondheim, by the way.
54 PikaPianist – Elegy (Shostakovich) What a pleasure to listen to your rendition of this dreamy and tender piece! Maybe I will try it myself some day.
59 mel_em – Opening Night Jazz (Martha Mier) Oh, yeah. You really feel the blues, and seem to have fun when you are playing. I like that sonorous bass pattern.
I'm going to skip around - I think these are all the original compositions, which certainly meet the theme!
06. Constantin Stephan - La tete haute et le coeur fier (2015) Wow, very dramatic. And it builds quickly from a quiet beginning to an intense ending. That must be the "head held high" part. Well done!
32. Rickster - The Magic of Music Love your singing Rick! This is a different style for you, but I like it. The words are great too - did you write those? Now if you could just sell this to some recording start - it could be made into any style really..
42. winterflower - Drifting Awake (to do) Definitely fits the title - I can imagine that dreamy time between sleep and having to get out of bed. Well done!
44. winterflower - The Waltz Fades Another great title - it does seem like a fading waltz, gradually dying away to nothing!
56. Greener / Jeff - Insanity Thriving Great vocals! You've got that "smoky bar" voice! Well done!
57. kenbakermn - When Did I Last See You Very nice - moody and dreamy. Very easy to listen to!
58. winterflower - Try 3 We shouldn't get too hung up on recording quality here - at least that's what I try to tell people. Even the simplest setup is fine. This definitely has a Far East feel - like a Chinese or Korean folk song. Very enjoyable.
I listened to part of the recital in the background while working today. It's 4 hours in total, that's 1/2 a billable day! I'm afraid I can't listen critically to all of them, just no way it can happen. I'll post some comments on YouTube videos here and there, but from the first 20 I "Unconsciously" listened to in the background, it sounded great! I might invite some other interested musicians from a Machine Learning discord channel I frequent to hop over and listen.
Thanks for your comment P685 and for any others that are posted. I wish I had more time in my life right now to critically listen. I actually haven't played any piano this week since recording my piece on Sunday. That's a first, but hopefully things will loosen up here in the near future.
Actually, my wife and I are going to Bora Bora next month. I am so looking forward to taking a break from the insane world we live in 😁
26 Tim Adrianson – Raintree Sketch II (Takemitsu) Though I have never been an fan of Messiaen or other similar composers who deliberately avoid catchy melodies and rather focus on interesting sounds, I must say that your rendition is probably the best contribution in this recital. Everything is truly wonderful about your recording, as if you were painting a picture on the piano. I have listened to it three times.
31 Animisha – The Wind (Chee-Hwa Tan) A nice and tiny miniature, very well played.
32 Rickster – The Magic of Music Fantastic! This could be a song from the TV series “Fame”, there were several similar songs on the show.
33 lilipad – Ashokan Farewell This is a somewhat famous tune I knew before. It is written in the style of a Scottish lament and served as a goodnight song at the Ashokan Fiddle and Dance camps run by the composer. The original composition features a violin, but I like your piano transcription better.
I'm going to filter out just the "professional" composers for this round - not that most of the composers aren't professionals, but I am talking about those that publish books of graded piano music like Mier and Crosland (I suppose even Bartok fits that category!), and composers that publish books of pieces.
04. Constantin Stephan - Room with a view (2020) Really lovely- very sensitive playing.
05. Constantin Stephan - Indigo (2003) Excellent - very well done!
16. KevinM - Wishing 23. KevinM - Moments 25. KevinM - Bluebird Well done on all these! I need to spend some time and look into the music of Ffrench- but so many composers, so little time! Was the volume a little low on the videos?
31. Animisha - The Wind (2010) Lots of energy! Loved the video!
41. winterflower - Waltz-Serenade I love Agay's music. He wrote some interesting little pieces - and also edited some great collections. Well done!
47. bSharp(C)yclist (Dan) - River Flows In You Excellent! I don't think you had any trouble with that acoustic!
51. wr - Mikrokosmos 150 I'm glad I didn't have to count this! Well done!
53. PianoPerformance8 - I Hear What You Say Yes, music can be very consoling at times. Nicely played!
59. mel_lem (Melanie) - Opening Night Jazz Excellent - I love Martha Mier!
60. mel_lem (Melanie) - Rumba Toccata Loved it! Very energetic - a good finish to the recital!
Thank you, Sam for organizing another great recital. Congratulations on getting the No.1 spot again. Two in a row, I think?
01. Sam S - Bagatelle op 1 no 3 Beautiful piece! Well done!
02. Sam S - Suburban Sunday Very relaxing to listen to. The music definitely fits the title.
03. Sam S - Farewell to Stromness I love this piece. I hear it now and again on our local all-classical radio station, so it was a treat to hear you play it.
20. Sam S - In a Landscape Very calm meditative music. Loved the slide show. Impressive accomplishment on the thru-hike.
59. mel_lem (Melanie) - Opening Night Jazz I've played from some lower level Martha Mier books, but didn't know she composed more advanced pieces. That sounded great!
60. mel_lem (Melanie) - Rumba Toccata Wow! I really enjoyed that piece. I'm adding it to my "try to play someday" list.
Sam S - three great choices and a pleasure to listen to! And many thanks for making the recital happen, too.
Constantin Stephan - lovely stuff, beautifully played. I am full of admiration of people who write and present their own music.
Tim Adrianson - your playing of the Crumb piece was hypnotic and appropriately dream-like. Loved it! For many years, Ornstein was one of those composers I would read about, but whose music never seemed to be performed. Then a neighbor loaned me the big Dover collection of his music, and I read through all of it, but didn't really seem to connect to it very well. It's wonderful to finally hear some of it in good performances from somebody who clearly does connect to it!
Hi, folks! I'm going to start my commentary going from 60 to 01 -- it's a big recital, and some participants at the end don't get properly acknowledged.
60 Mel_lem (Melanie) Rondo Toccata Paul Harvey -- Great job in all ways on this one, Melanie! In particular, I'll call out the consistency of the rumba rhythm, the repeated notes and the accents. Wonderful way to end the e-cital.
59 Mel_lem (Melanie) Opening Night Jazz Martha Mier -- Solid rendition of boogie-woogie piece, late 30s-early 40s feel. Especially nice was the short interlude in the middle and the coda material at the end.
58 winterflower Try3 improvisation -- For me, this one came off predominantly as a Chinese folk song, probably because of the pentatonic melody. However, by turns it also seemed to evoke an American folk song and/or a Black Spiritual, depending on the subtle changes in accompanying figures. Overall, I could do with less pedal, but it was very pleasnt listening.
57 kenbakermn When Did I Last See You? improvisation -- Overall I experienced a melancholy glow, very peaceful and serene. It reminded me a piece I used to play -- Chick Corea's "Where Have I Known You Before?" -- 30-40 years ago. I very much like the simplicity of two chords in the bass shifting back and forth -- it produces an hypnotic effect,
56 Greener/Jeff Insanity Thriving improvisation -- You have a very pleasant tenor voice, Jeff, and a folksy lyrical approach with enough mild jazzy chords to keep things musically interesting. Unfortunately, I think you need to adjust the balance between the voice and the piano -- there was just too much of the latter, and I couldn't hear your lyrics or melodic line sufficiently. Otherwise, much appreciated!
55 QuentinP Glassworks - Opening Philip Glass -- I confess to being not much of a Glass fan, but I thought your rendition was accurate in all ways -- particularly the melodic line and the polyrhythmic sections you handled especially well. Very pleasurable, secure performance.
54 PikaPianist Elegy Dmitri Shostakovich -- As always, a wonderful presentation of an unfamiliar work. I can always feel your attention to the details in making a piece as musical as it deserves. "Straightforward" was the term I applied several times as I listened to your interpretation of Shosty's Elegy -- it was very satisfying throughout.
53 PianoPerformance8 I Hear What You Say Ben Crosland -- First comment, you need to turn the gain up on your recording. What I listened to was unpleasantly soft. I don't know the Crosland Song, but I thought your rendition felt overall somewhat tentative. Can't put my finger on it, but the song needs more forward impulse somehow. Pleasant, though!
52 wr Cuban Dances #s 3, 11, 12 Joaquin Nin-Culmell -- Solid, no-nonsense approach to these pieces -- lyrical and playful where needed, crisp rhythms, beautiful colors. A treat!
51 wr Mikrokosmos 150 Bela Bartok -- IMO, the best of the submissions to date! Every aspect of this 5/8 piece was seamlessly integrated -- not an easy task. Just -- bravo!
50 wr Haiku Jonathan Harvey -- Take my word for it, there was immense profundity expressed in that 0.5 sec outburst!
Congratulations everyone on another fabulous recital, I'm really enjoying listening. Thank you Sam for putting these recitals together - it must be a huge amount of work and is much appreciated. Here are some comments on a few:
01. Sam S - Bagatelle op 1 no 3 What a sensitive, touching piece. I thought you controlled the sound really well, letting the music speak for itself.
02. Sam S - Suburban Sunday This felt lyrical and nostalgic. Great playing again, I really enjoyed your interpretation.
04. Constantin Stephan - Room with a view (2020) Great playing as usual, full of wistful emotion.
06. Constantin Stephan - La tete haute et le coeur fier (2015) An apt title! Full of passionate energy and with an appealingly confident spirit at the end. You created a lot of drama in a short space of time, yet it all made sense and never felt bombastic. Really impressive.
07. Tim Adrianson - Dream Images -- Love-Death (Gemini) I loved this, great playing. I see what you mean about disconcerting. It reminded me of times when I am dreaming and a feeling of strong dread emerges. I know that I am on the cusp of tumbling into a horrible nightmare, but with great effort I am sometimes able to haul myself out of it back into a nice dream. This piece evoked that struggle for me. The footsteps were great and added even more trepidation to the performance.
12. Saan - Ufie III This was joyous and energetic, well done! I love drumming too and know what you mean by being drawn to it. The only comment I might add is that at times I lost the syncopated pulse of the left hand during the descending right hand semi-quavers at the start(eg 0:02-0:06, 0:10-0:14), but overall it was really fun to listen to.
14. Greener / Jeff - Firth of Fifth (Variation on the introduction) Great playing! Those time signatures – aargh. You kept the groove going really well while keeping it expressive. Possibly a touch too much sustain pedal for my taste, but that may be the recording and is a personal choice anyway - it certainly didn’t take anything away from my enjoyment of the performance.
16. KevinM - Wishing What a beautiful piece. Your playing captures the mood of the title perfectly. I particularly enjoyed your subtle rubato and dynamics – it was expressive without being sentimental or losing the lovely gentle dance-like quality of the piece.
29. Kepijapa - Feuillet d'album, Op 45 Atmospheric and elegant Scriabin, with atmospheric and elegant playing! Well done.
30. rwsavory - Etude 5 I love Philip Glass, and I can only say I wish it sounded as good as this when I play it.
31. Animisha - The Wind (2010) It didn’t sound like you had any problem with the tempo at all. You could maybe make your dynamic variations even greater, especially as it is such a short piece, but it is good as it is. Well done!
12. Saan - Ufie III Very energetic - both the music and the performance. A delight!
13. Saan - Prelude Op. 32 No. 10 Congratulations on getting this far with this piece. I know what you mean about that cadenza - it's strangely intimidating after all the slow chords.
14. Greener / Jeff - Firth of Fifth (Variation on the introduction) Sounds tricky, and you handled it well. Interesting how the piece kind of shifts gears into a different mood at the end.
15. Greener / Jeff - Gethsemane Oh, wow, that takes me back! Never saw the movie, but I remember when the album came out and made a splash. Very nice playing.
16. KevinM - Wishing - Lovely.
17. Tim Adrianson - Four Piano Blues -- #3 (1948); #4 (1926) - Nice atmosphere in # 3. You captured the playfulness of #4 (which reminds me a bit of Stravinsky's spiky ragtime inspired pieces).
18. Tim Adrianson - Two Piano Pieces (1982) -- Midday Thoughts; Proclamation - Excellent job on this late Copland, which is not well known at all.
Second batch of comments, going from last to first:
49 Animisha Ivan Sings Aram Khachaturian -- I thought that you brought out the rough honesty and sadness of Ivan's lament especially well. Since Ivan is singing, I would adjust the balance slightly -- more right hand, less left,
48 stevedoz Send in the Clowns Stephen Sondheim -- Just a terrific job in every aspect, Steve! I'm assuming the arrangement is Sondheim's own -- he was an elegant musical craftsman in addition to his importance in Musical Theater. Very satisfying throughout.
47 bSharp(C)yclist (Dan) River Flows in You Yiruma -- I thought a solid, secure rendition of this "New Age-y" piece (does anybody use that terminology anymore?). I especially liked the consistency in flow from beginning to end.
46 Mateusz (Mati) Papernik Mirror of Stars Akira Nishimura) -- This for me was one of the highlights of this e-Cital -- there was beautiful pacing and voicing of the mysterious soundscape, punctuated at intervals with an amplified piano. Very George Crumb-like in feel, albeit harmonically more conservative. Thanks for sharing this!
45 KevinM Tales from the Lop Main Theme Philip Glass/Paul Leonard -- straightforward, effective rendition of a Glass piece -- simple; hypnotic. Personally, I find this boring, but I believe this is at least partly Glass's deliberate intention.
44 winterflower The Waltz Fades improvisation -- For me, this improv was tentative at the outset, but then settled into a more confident pattern. Nice tempo and touch throughout.
43 winterflower Dubovna Preludia #3: Andante Semplice Vitezslava Kapralova -- Here I thought you provided an exceptionally attractive melodic line, beautifully shaped. Also, your handling of the rather complex harmonies accompanying the melody was nicely handled.
42 winterflower Drifting Awake improvisation -- I found this improv to be very pleasant. In total, I got the sense of a Native Song, with effective and satisfying choice of tempo, pacing, and line.
41 winterflower Waltz-Serenade Denes Agay -- I thought that in general you elicited the charm of this piece; I would be just a tad stronger in selling that aspect of the piece -- it is a wonderful little miniature.
40 winterflower Vienna Alexandre Tansman -- Speaking of charming miniatures: I too have played a lot of Tansman, and find him to be unfailingly sophisticated in evoking other styles of music using an extended neoClassical harmonic pallette. In that context, I'm not hearing enough of a Viennese evocation in your rendition, although it is otherwise perfectly satisfactory from a musical standpoint. With a lot of Tansman there is a tongue-in-cheek insouciance that needs to be captured.
39 winterflower Meditation Alexandre Tansman -- I find this piece to be somewhat mysterious, in that I don't get a sense of meditation in its movement. In his later years, Tansman wrote more specifically Jewish music, and this may be a reflection of a shift to more serious musical perspectives.
38-37 winterflower The Fascinator James Scott; Searchlight Rag Scott Joplin -- I agree with the observation of another participant that your Rag submissions are the weakest in your considerable portfolio for this e-Cital (and thank you very much for that effort!). As he mentioned, your use of a "swinging lilt" as a part of the rhythmic flow is simply stylistically incorrect for Rag. Also, your presentation is too labored and slow to be taken seriously as interpretive choice. And, yes, Joplin specifically indicated that he wanted "slow", but that is presuming that other features of the Rag style can be presented convincingly; with conviction. These pieces require both a lot of energy and technical precision -- soft Jazz it ain't!
32. Rickster - The Magic of Music This was the first one I listened to this morning and has put me in an inspired mood. Brilliant melody and I loved the lyrics. Your voice has a great tone, really wonderful to listen to.
33. lilypad - Ashokan Farewell Absolutely beautiful - so much feeling. Your playing sounded well-controlled but free (if that makes sense?) and the piano sounded great.
34. Naroui - Spruce What an evocative piece! Fantastic playing, I really enjoyed listening to this.
36. kenbakermn - Prelude Op. 23 No. 4, 1903 You filled this with passionate colour. I thought the voicing and phrasing was particularly nicely done. Loved it.
37. winterflower - Searchlight Rag This was like a lazy cowboy sauntering on a sunny morning. An interesting take.
42. winterflower - Drifting Awake An interesting improvisation. This felt dreamy and questioning. Well done.
46. Mateusz 'Mati' Papiernik - Mirror of Stars Great performance. Unrushed and contemplative.
47. bSharp(C)yclist (Dan) - River Flows In You You brought out the melody line well, and your use of rubato was nice. I thought your control was generally good and the pedalling sounded fine to me. The only small thing for me was that the tone in some of the softer sections sometimes sounded a little harsh/percussive, but that may just be the recording. Well done overall.
48. stevedoz - Send in the clowns This is a favourite of mine and you played it so beautifully. Sometimes people make this too gushy and romantic, but your sensitive phrasing and lovely tone allowed the wistful longing to just sing out effortlessly. Lump in my throat.
19. Tim Adrianson - Fetes Lointaines (1920) Federico Mompou - Charming music, beautifully done! 20. Sam S - In a Landscape - John Cage - Brilliant idea, putting photos from your epic journey together with this music. I was mesmerized.
21. Tim Adrianson - Cancion i Danza #9 (1957) Federico Mompou - Nicely done.
22. Tim Adrianson - Musica Callada #23, #25, #28 (1974) Federico Mompou - Mompou created some unusual, almost esoteric, atmospheres in these pieces, which you present very well.
I've been through several of the performances and yet again am amazed at the wonderful playing. Thank you all. Here are a few comments to start...
02. Sam S - Suburban Sunday This is one of those 'close your eyes and imagine' pieces. Wonderfully played. I really want to learn this one some day.
04. Constantin Stephan - Room with a view (2020) Beautiful control. The tempo is just right in my view. I think this is probably beyond me, but thanks so much for introducing it to me.
10. Tim Adrianson - A Long Remembered Sorrow (1962) I confess I wouldn't usually listen to this music style but I did find all your performances quite spellbinding, especially this one. To keep up the atmosphere for such a long piece was superb. Thanks so much.
12. Saan - Ufie III Well, another piece I'd love to play one day. I love the energy you maintained. So well played. Thanks
15. Greener / Jeff - Gethsemane I've never heard a piano version of this before. The main thing for me was how you managed to make the tune sing, which doesn't sound easy given the nature of the piece. Really loved it.
Thanks so much also for those who have commented on my piece. I still find submitting to the recitals very daunting, so I'm very grateful to you.
Starting on Tim's excellent contributions. Tim is our resident expert on modern piano music!
07. Tim Adrianson - Dream Images -- Love-Death (Gemini) Now that was unique! It was over before I got a good idea of what was going on, so I had to listen again. A bit like a nightmare, actually.
09. Tim Adrianson - Impressions of the Thames (1920) Dissonant and harsh - check that box off! It's so hard to make sense of it without any recognizable melody, theme, or harmony - at least none that I could recognize.
10. Tim Adrianson - A Long Remembered Sorrow (1962) This one is much more approachable - there were some very striking spots. I can't imagine playing it though - and at the amateur Cliburn - that must have been quite the experience.
11. Tim Adrianson - Sonata #8, Mv2 -- A Trip to the Attic (1990) Now this one was great! I can hear the humor and the regret over a long-lost childhood. Very effective - and well played!
17. Tim Adrianson - Four Piano Blues -- #3 (1948); #4 (1926) These are great. But I do think they suffer from trying to put a "high class" spin on something that is best in the original form. But great playing!
18. Tim Adrianson - Two Piano Pieces (1982) -- Midday Thoughts; Proclamation I really liked Midday Thoughts - that's the Copeland that I love. Great!
19. Tim Adrianson - Fetes Lointaines (1920) This was very joyous at times - I guess like a Fete. Lots of contrasts too - well done!
21. Tim Adrianson - Cancion i Danza #9 (1957) OK, he stole that melody and harmony from "Oh Shenendoah" right? Maybe unconsciously? The similarities are just too striking. I guess just the Canzone, since the Danza is different. Excellent playing!
22. Tim Adrianson - Musica Callada #23, #25, #28 (1974) These are much more mysterious. Well done!
32. Rickster - The Magic of Music Love your singing Rick! This is a different style for you, but I like it. The words are great too - did you write those? Now if you could just sell this to some recording start - it could be made into any style really..
Thanks, Sam! Yes, I did write the lyrics to this song, and the music just flowed along with the lyrics. I like it too! Not sure it has any monetary value, but I sure had a great time writing, performing and recording it!
Originally Posted by Pianist685
32 Rickster – The Magic of Music Fantastic! This could be a song from the TV series “Fame”, there were several similar songs on the show.
Thanks, Pianist685! I hope you could understand all the words/lyrics. I wrote, composed and recorded this around 2009 or so, and was using an older technology camcorder with "firewire" software.
32. Rickster - The Magic of Music This was the first one I listened to this morning and has put me in an inspired mood. Brilliant melody and I loved the lyrics. Your voice has a great tone, really wonderful to listen to.
Thanks, QuentinP! I'm in the process of listening to all the great submissions to the 21st Century Recital myself, and will have comments later.
36 kenbakermn -- Prelude Op 23, #4 Sergei Rachmaninoff -- Wonderful job on what I consider one of his most beautiful pieces, Ken! Superb control over the musical arch and all the myriad of detail that accompanies its full realization. My only cavil is that, as good as this rendition was, I don't care much for the digital piano -- I think this particular piece cries out for the slightly sustained sound of an acoustic piano - i.e., the "details" in a digital rendition are almost too prominent for my taste. But it still was a joy to listen to!
35 Naroui -- Piano Etudes Op 42, #6 Fifths Einojuhani Rautavaara -- Very exciting, rhythmically precise -- really effective!
34 Naroui -- Spruce Jean Sibelius -- This one for me was the surprise of the e-Cital. So Sibelius writes a French chanson, tender and moving, almost jazzy in feel? Excellent rendition, great sense of style.
33 lilypad -- Ashokan Farewell Jay Ungar -- I guess I'm a sucker for American Folksong; I really love this genre of music. And very tastefully presented.
32 Rickster -- The Magic of Music Ricky Henson (Rickster) -- nice full-throated high baritone (2nd tenor?); interesting modal shifts in the melodic line. We need that kind of optimistic, inclusive attitude, IMHO!
31 Animisha -- The Wind Chee Hwa Tan Strong, confident reading of a short, declamatory piece -- good stuff!
30 rwsavory -- Etude #5 Philip Glass Very convincing reading of an extended minimalist piece. Not very easy to retain the repetitive phrase over a long time period, against a slowly changing harmonic flow. I particularly liked your handling of the ambiguous chords in the last third or so of the piece.
29 Kepijapa -- Feuillet d'Album, Op 45 Alexander Scriabin. Nice sense of style and touch -- you captured the intimate, light, guileless spirit of the piece to a T!
28 KevinM -- Bluebird Alexis Ffrench -- My personal favorite of the three Ffrench pieces you provided -- an utterly charming waltz with slightly melancholic overtones. I get the general feel of music for a sweet French movie -say, a light comedy.
23 KevinM -- Moments Alexis Ffrench -- A slightly more complex piece harmonically, with more minor in the mix. Kind of reminded me more of Henry Mancini here -- still theme music for a movie, but perhaps not as innocent.
20 Sam S -- In a Landscape John Cage -- Serves to show that Cage knew what he was doing as a composer if he so desired. If you're willing to install all the special pieces under the strings and other areas of the soundboard, his Sonatas for Prepared Piano are IMO wonderful listening!
51. wr - Mikrokosmos 150 This was energetic and atmospheric – great playing.
53. PianoPerformance8 - I Hear What You Say It always feels special when you have an emotional connection with a piece, and that comes across in your heartfelt rendition. Well done.
54. PikaPianist - Elegy I enjoyed this understated piece. Your thoughtful playing lent it a soothing, lullaby quality.
56. Greener / Jeff - Insanity Thriving Fantastic! This sounded timeless, and your great singing fit the feel of the piece perfectly.
57. kenbakermn - When Did I Last See You This had a wandering, cinematic quality that I very much enjoyed. The plaintive repeating melody is very effective. Really great.
59. mel_lem (Melanie) - Opening Night Jazz This was awesome, Lady P and I felt ready for a night on the tiles! I particularly liked the balance of the base line against the right hand – everything was clear but without sounding too clinical or losing the groove. Great performance.
23. & 25. KevinM - Moments & Bluebird - Alexis Ffrench - Your affinity for this composer is displayed so well in these pieces. Well done.
24. Tim Adrianson - Diversion #2 (1999) - Elliott Carter - Enjoyed listening to this, although I probably need to listen at least a few more times to really "get it". Your differentiation of the sustained and short notes into layers was very impressive.
26. Tim Adrianson - Raintree Sketch II (homage a Messiaen) (1993) - Toru Takemitsu Nice, very evocative.
27. Tim Adrianson - Two Drinks (2000) - Michael Torke - It's an interesting idea for a piece, but I'll admit I couldn't match the concept to the actual music while listening. So it goes...
28. Tim Adrianson - On an Unwritten Letter (1999) - John Harbison - I like this music and your performance of it very much. It's the only piece in the recital so far that I immediately played again after hearing it the first time.
Thank you Pianist685, QuentinP and Tim Adrianson for your kind remarks.
Here are my second batch of comments after another great listening session:
04. Constantin Stephan - Room with a view (2020) Really lovely. I hadn't listened to Yiruma until now.
05. Constantin Stephan - Indigo (2003) Another delightful Yiruma.
06. Constantin Stephan - La tete haute et le coeur fier (2015) i really enjoyed your delightful composition. Thank you for sharing it.
07. Tim Adrianson - Dream Images -- Love-Death (Gemini) Interesting piece. I think of a pianist, who has lost the ability to play, having a troubling dream with memories of playing Chopin interwoven into the dream.
09. Tim Adrianson - Impressions of the Thames (1920) No definitely not a pastoral impression. Perhaps a dead body found floating in the Thames.
10. Tim Adrianson - A Long Remembered Sorrow (1962) Much mellower than the Thames Impression. Good recital piece for something off the beaten path.
11. Tim Adrianson - Sonata #8, Mv2 -- A Trip to the Attic (1990) Delightful! My favorite of the Ornstein pieces. Loved the variety in the different vignettes.
12. Saan - Ufie III Thank you for sharing this interesting lively music. I enjoyed it very much!
13. Saan - Prelude Op. 32 No. 10 Well played! Congratulations on getting the recording done before the move. Beautiful reflective sounding piece.
Tim, I really appreciate all the time and effort you put into performing and recording these pieces for us. I have a hard time doing a handful of easier pieces! I just feel bad that I do not care for them very much! I need something more pleasant to listen to...
24. Tim Adrianson - Diversion #2 (1999) Pretty odd! I couldn't possibly keep all this straight - how do you do it?
26. Tim Adrianson - Raintree Sketch II (homage a Messiaen) (1993) It's just too directionless for me - just washes of sound.
27. Tim Adrianson - Two Drinks (2000) Well, I don't hear a conversation. There is that repeated two note pattern - up down - over and over again, sort of like a raindrop prelude repeated figure, although on different pitches. Yeah, not high on my list of things to listen to!
28. Tim Adrianson - On an Unwritten Letter (1999) Another difficult one to play - and to listen to.
12. Saan - Ufie III Terrific! And impressive! Loved it!
13. Saan - Prelude Op. 32 No. 10 That was wonderful. Your hard work paid off. Good luck on your move, and I hope you get your piano out of storage soon!
14. Greener / Jeff - Firth of Fifth (Variation on the introduction) This was great Jeff - I can see how hard it is. Loved the ending too!
15. Greener / Jeff - Gethsemane I remember when the soundtrack came out - I was a teenager - and it was a big topic of discussion in the rather strict Baptist Church I grew up in. Haven't thought about it in years. Great playing!
29. Kepijapa - Feuillet d'album, Op 45 This one always sounds like modern jazz to me - the man was ahead of his time in a lot of ways. Well done!
30. rwsavory - Etude 5 I love playing the glass etudes, although I have only done a couple. They are more fun to play than to listen to, I think. Well done!
33. lilypad - Ashokan Farewell I love this one too - he has really tapped into the modern folk song feel. Yeah, sixths in one hand are a tricky thing to master. You did a great job - loved it!
34. Naroui - Spruce Welcome to the recitals! Excellent!
35. Naroui - Fifths (Etudes Op.42 No.6) So energetic - and all those hand crossings - loved it!
36. kenbakermn - Prelude Op. 23 No. 4, 1903 Very impressive - I loved the arc of the whole piece that you managed.
37. winterflower - Searchlight Rag 38. winterflower - The Fascinator Loved the rags! Well done!
39. winterflower - Meditation 40. winterflower - Vienna I love Tansman's pieces too. Excellent!
43. winterflower - Dubnova Preludia (April Preludes), Op. 13.3: Andante Semplice I've never heard this piece, or the composer. Thanks for finding it and playing it. It fits the "Semplice" direction. Very nice!
45. KevinM - Tales from the Loop Main theme I love to play Glass - not quite as much fun to listen to - you have to be in the right mood. Loved it!
46. Mateusz 'Mati' Papiernik - Mirror of Stars That is interesting. You were holding down some unplayed notes with the sostenuto in the beginning? Nicely done!
48. stevedoz - Send in the clowns Yet another thing to add to my list of pieces to learn! Well done! I love the deliciously sad feeling of this.
49. Animisha - Andantino "Ivan Sings" Very well done! So hard to get Ivan to "sing" while playing the accompaniment - which is the whole point of the piece. Loved it!
50. wr - Haiku OK, I had to laugh at that one. One burst of haiku! Excellent!
52. wr - Danses Cubaines 3, 11, 12 Never heard of him - great little short cuban dances. Loved the middle one especially. Great selections!
[54. PikaPianist - Elegy Excellent as always! Loved it!
55. QuentinP - Glassworks - Opening Another Glass - he's getting lots of attention in this recital. This piece should have been first in the list just based on the title. Not easy to bring together, since I have done some Glass too, but not this one. Well done!
That's all folks! Such a diverse selection of pieces! I enjoyed listening and discovering them all!
01 Sam S, Bagatelle op 1 no 3, Valentin Silvestrov: Very nice, Sam! Relaxing and calming, I enjoyed listening! 02 Sam S, Suburban Sunday, Philip Lane: Again, very nice, and I like the left hand on this one! Well done! 03 Sam S, Farewell to Stromness, Peter Maxwell Davies: Like the left hand on this one too, and a great colaberation beteween left hand and right hand! Fine playing as usual!
04 Constantin Stephan, Room with a view (2020), Yiruma: Beautiful! Sounds professional, and like it was played in a concert hall! 05 Constantin Stephan, Indigo (2003), Yiruma: Well played, and great timing. A beautiful performance! 06 Constantin Stephan, La tete haute et le coeur fier (2015), Constantin Stephan: I think I like your original composition best of all!
07 Tim Adrianson, Dream Images -- Love-Death (Gemini), George Crumb: Nice! Sounds like a background tract from a movie!
08 keff, Odessa Beach, Michael Nyman: Enjoyed it keff! I like the way you play the melody in the left hand, and respond with a reply in the right had! I like that style!
09 Tim Adrianson, Impressions of the Thames (1920), Leo Ornstein: Mysterious! Dramatic! Great performance! 10 Tim Adrianson, A Long Remembered Sorrow (1962), Leo Ornstein: This is a bit more sophisticated, to me at least. Well played! 11 Tim Adrianson, Sonata #8, Mv2 -- A Trip to the Attic (1990), Leo Ornstein: A peppy tempo! I like it! I like your variety of music!
12 Saan, Ufie III, Christian Onyeji: Wow, I like the change in tempos! A delightful piece, and well played! 13 Saan, Prelude Op. 32 No. 10, Rachmaninoff: Interesting piece, and keeps your attention. Nicely played!
14 Greener / Jeff, Firth of Fifth (Variation on the introduction), Genesis: Sounded great! Reminded me of a mixture of genres all in one! 15 Greener / Jeff, Gethsemane, Andrew Lloyd Webber: Sounded good! Your piano has a nice tone, and nicely played!
16 KevinM, Wishing, Alexis Ffrench: Well played, Kevin! Good collaboration between right hand and left hand! Smooth! Enjoyed it!
17 Tim Adrianson, Four Piano Blues -- #3 (1948); #4 (1926), Aaron Copland: Nicely played, Tim! Well balanced and articulated! 18 Tim Adrianson, Two Piano Pieces (1982) -- Midday Thoughts; Proclamation, Aaron Copland: Another good one, Tim! Great playing! 19 Tim Adrianson, Fetes Lointaines (1920), Federico Mompou: Another mystic and charismatic piece! Well played!
20 Sam S, In a Landscape, John Cage: Well played, Sam, and your Yamaha C3 sounds particularly nice on this one! Love you playing!
21 Tim Adrianson, Cancion i Danza #9 (1957), Federico Mompou: Nice voicings on this one, Tim! I can tell you've been playing a long time! 22 Tim Adrianson, Musica Callada #23, #25, #28 (1974), Federico Mompou: Another beautiful piece, Tim! Great performance!
23 KevinM, Moments, Alexis Ffrench: The tonal balance flows smoothly on this one, Kevin! Well played!
24 Tim Adrianson, Diversion #2 (1999), Elliott Carter: This one sounded more jazzy, Tim. And, it sounded great!
25 KevinM, Bluebird, Alexis Ffrench: Nice repititions, Kevin! Another good one!
More comments after another listening session and thank you to Sam S. for your comments.
14. Greener / Jeff - Firth of Fifth (Variation on the introduction) Impressive and enjoyable. Thank you!
15. Greener / Jeff - Gethsemane Really beautiful. Thank you for posting the lyrics on your video. I saw the rock opera long ago and forgot how moving the lyrics were.
56. Greener / Jeff - Insanity Thriving That was a thoughtful commentary on our times expressed through piano and voice.
16. KevinM - Wishing 23. KevinM - Moments 25. KevinM - Bluebird Thank you for sharing the Alexis Ffrench music. Back in January, I kept noticing the Alexis Ffrench thread on the forum, got curious and checked out his music on YouTube. I bought a book of his sheet music right after and hope to get started on some of his easier pieces when I get some other projects out of the way. Your playing sounded excellent!
45. KevinM - Tales from the Loop Main theme I've heard of "Tales from the Loop", but not heard the music until now. I can understand why you'd want to share it for this recital. Elegant sounding music, beautifully played.
29. Kepijapa - Feuillet d'album, Op 45 Delight music! It does seem reminiscent of the 1900's. Thank you for sharing it and playing it so well.
30. rwsavory - Etude 5 Somber but pleasant sounding at the same time. Well played!
Here is the final batch of comments, going from 16 to 01. A terrific e-Cital-- so many widely diverse worlds! Thanks to all who participated, and thanks to Sam for managing this!'
16 KevinM Wishing Alexis Ffrench -- A sad, pensive piece, just perfect in its simplicity and delicacy. Would love a few other Ffrench pieces in the future.
15 Greener/Jeff Gethsemane Andrew Lloyd Webber -- Effective piano arrangement of a signature song from Jesus Christ Superstar. I like the understated quality that you bring to this song, Jeff -- for me, it gets too melodramatic in the wrong hands.
14 Greener/Jeff Genesis Firth of Fifth (Variation on the Introduction) -- Now, there's a nasty exercise in polyrhythmic movement! Nice musical handling of a really quite effective variation -- appropriate speed and dynamics throughout.
13 Saan Rachmaninoff Preludes Op 32, #10. Thanks for a compelling reading of what apparently was Rachmaninoff's favorite Prelude - and mine as well. I've also worked extensively on this piece; in fact, I think you can find my rendition in the e-Cital Archives if you were so inclined. Briefly put, I hear a Russian choral work, and so attempt to evoke the sense of a large choir as the piece progresses. I thought your voicing of the massive chords as especially good at several junctures, and I would emphasize that aspect as you refine your interpretation. Thanks ever so much for posting!
12 Saan Ufie III Christian Onyeji . Great job on this one, Saan -- for me, one of the highlights of the e-Cital. You have the guts not to play with any pedal, and the result is clarity even at relatively high speeds. Bracing; thoroughly exciting!
08 keff Odessa Beach Michael Nyman At your request, I'm providing no commentary on your rendition. I'll just mention that the song is a beautiful one and worth obtaining.
06 Pianist685 (Constantin Steohan] La Tete Haute et la Coeur Fier -- For me, this piece had a very European quality -- perhaps a lavish party at some castle. What circumstances prompted you to write this piece, and what does the title mean? As always, your presentation was impeccable in all ways.
05 Pianist 685 (Constantin Stephan) Indigo Yiruma -- Especially loved the mild jazz chords and rhythmic displacements that made this piece both interesting and charming. Your realization of these elements was wonderful.
04 Pianist685 (Constantin Stephan) Room with a View Yiruma I was struck especially by the beautiful textures of the piano writing., The feel was quite Romantic, but never excessive in that regard, at least for me. A very professional effort, in all ways.
03 Sam S Farewell to Stromness Peter Maxwell Davies I love this piece -- so Scottish in character! Your rendition evokes for me a craggy, slow march -- resolute and unbreakable.
02 Sam S Suburban Sunday Philip Lane A genial piece with an especially attractive rhythmic flow. You presented it with understanding and aplomb.
01 Sam S Bagatelle Op 1 #3 Valentin Silvestrov Good idea to begin with a Ukrainian composer, Sam, given the recent course of events. The Bagatelle is pensive and sad, and I thought you provided shaping of the melodic lines to underline that sadness very effectively.
Here is my final set of comments. Thanks once again to Sam, and well done to everyone who participated. Such a great variety of composers and styles, many of which were completely new to me. Thanks also to Tim and Sam for your comments - much appreciated.
03. Sam S - Farewell to Stromness Great playing again. It felt very lyrical and I really liked the noble emotion you conveyed.
09. Tim Adrianson - Impressions of the Thames (1920) Wow, radical indeed. This was pretty intimidating, as was the level of your playing. There was threat, despondency, dead-eyed stares and reeling insanity; all of which made me think that rather than the Thames, Ornstein may have been presciently describing impressions of the Croydon Home Office waiting area. Great performance.
10. Tim Adrianson - A Long Remembered Sorrow (1962) Excellent playing again, but I was less keen on the piece itself. I can’t exactly pin down why. While it sounded dreamy and reflective, there was a sort of self-indulgent quality throughout which jarred against the title a little for me.
13. Saan - Prelude Op. 32 No. 10 I don’t think your nerves were noticeable at all in this great performance. You conveyed a lot of emotion and drama, and I particularly like your dynamic contrasts.
18. Tim Adrianson - Two Piano Pieces (1982) -- Midday Thoughts; Proclamation Midday Thoughts: A gentle feeling of consolation. I really enjoyed the dissonances weaving in and out. Proclamation: This was quite ‘in your face’. Very interesting.
20. Sam S - In a Landscape I must admit I was so irritated by 4’33” when I first came across it that I have never actually listened to any Cage. I enjoyed listening to this and I agree it has a panoramic quality - broad and meditative. Beautiful playing.
26. Tim Adrianson - Raintree Sketch II (homage a Messiaen) (1993) Your playing sounded really good, but this one was not really my cup of tea; I don’t think I “got it”.
35. Naroui - Fifths (Etudes Op.42 No.6) I loved the ominous quality of this chaotic little piece. Really well played. I felt like I was being chased round a house and had finally found the exit only to realise I had accidentally run into the basement. The End.
49. Animisha - Andantino "Ivan Sings" What a lovely, contemplative piece. You brought a wonderful clear, honest tone to the melody. It sounds like Ivan might be a bit sad, I hope he feels better soon. Well done.
52. wr - Danses Cubaines 3, 11, 12 This was very enjoyable to listen to and your performance of all three was great. Thanks for the interesting info about the composer. No 3: It was impressive how you managed a laid back, understated tone without losing the energy. I really liked this one. Nos 11/12: These both felt like a passionate story was being told, and I liked how you added fire and emotion without it becoming over-the-top.
60. mel_lem (Melanie) - Rumba Toccata This was fantastic! Perhaps my favourite of the lot and it looks fun to play. I don’t know how you maintain those breakneck repeated notes while balancing the dynamics of the melody. Enviable control.
03 Sam – Farewell to Stromness This was rather enjoyable. I like the lyrical and Scottish character of this piece.
09 Tim Adrianson – Impressions of the Thames (Ornstein) It takes some effort to get into this dissonant music of sounds with almost no melody. The piece seems quite random at points, however, I am sure each and every note is intentional. And, eventually, at 5:46 Ornstein comes out with a melody. The repertoire you selected for this recital is most interesting and fits the theme probably better than all the other selections, although I must say I find this kind of music difficult to understand.
Originally Posted by Tim Adrianson
06 Pianist685 (Constantin Steohan] La Tete Haute et la Coeur Fier -- For me, this piece had a very European quality -- perhaps a lavish party at some castle. What circumstances prompted you to write this piece, and what does the title mean? As always, your presentation was impeccable in all ways.
The title of my composition is a common French expression that has no exact equivalents in other languages. Translated, it means “With your head held high and a proud heart”. Most of my (few) compositions have an autobiographic aspect. In this case, the piece was triggered by a big disappointment. But then, there was nothing for what I had to blame myself, and since I am not a man of long grief (who would compose a lengthy and sad consolation), I decided to get out of the situation “la tête haute et le coeur fier”.
Another enjoyable listening session and more comments on the fine performances:
31. Animisha - The Wind (2010) A very smooth flowing performance. Bravo!
49. Animisha - Andantino "Ivan Sings" Touchingly beautiful. I've heard the piece once before, but somehow neglected to add it to my "play someday" list. It's on there now. Thank you for choosing to perform it.
32. Rickster - The Magic of Music I enjoyed your heartfelt rendition of your original song. Thank you for sharing it.
34. Naroui - Spruce I'd only ever heard "Finlandia" by Sibelius. His piano music is just gorgeous! Well done!
35. Naroui - Fifths (Etudes Op.42 No.6) Very modern sounding. Interesting contrast to the other piece and a demonstration of pianistic versatility.
36. kenbakermn - Prelude Op. 23 No. 4, 1903 That sounded very good. I'm glad you rediscovered it and were able to play it so well.
57. kenbakermn - When Did I Last See You What a beautiful composition. It brings a feeling of reverie.
37. winterflower - Searchlight Rag 38. winterflower - The Fascinator I've only ever played beginner ragtime. Challenging, but a ton of fun.
39. winterflower - Meditation 40. winterflower - Vienna I'm mostly familiar with Tansman's works for classical guitar. Thank you for including some of his piano works for this recital. Well done!
Hey folks, a couple of comments. First, to those of you who commented on my entries, thank you so much for the kind words. When I listen to my own stuff all I can hear are flaws on almost every note. We are often our own worst critic.
Second, I don't think I have the intellectual wherewithal to comment intelligently on 58 entries but I'll do a few. The ones I don't comment on, the omission doesn't mean anything.
Sam S, thanks for putting this whole thing together.
Sam S and Tim Adrianson, thanks for commenting on every piece.
45 KevinM Tales from the Lop Main Theme Philip Glass/Paul Leonard -- No everyone is fan of Philip Glass but I like this. Very clear, crisp performance.
13. Saan - Prelude Op. 32 No. 10 -- nicely done.
55 QuentinP Glassworks - Opening Philip Glass -- Another nice tune from Glass. I used to listen to his Glassworks album way back in the 80's. I played this at an informal recital recently. Simple as it is, it's still enjoyable to play.
26 Tim Adrianson – Raintree Sketch II (Takemitsu) -- Beautiful. I like Takemitsu's stuff.
29 Kepijapa, Feuillet d'album, Op 45, Alexander Scriabin: Short, but sweet! Nice playing!
30 rwsavory, Etude 5, Philip Glass: Very soothing to listen to. nicely played.
31 Animisha, The Wind (2010), Chee-Hwa Tan: Kind of mysterious, played with confidence, and well played!
32 lilypad, Ashokan Farewell, Jay Ungar: I love this tune, lilypad! And, you played it very well!
33 Naroui, Spruce, Sibelius: Nicely played, and pleasant to listen to. I like how it starts out fast and then changes tempo; well played!
36 kenbakermn, Prelude Op. 23 No. 4, 1903, Sergei Rachmaninoff: A beautiful piece, and well played. It's easy to tell you have a lot of experience playing.
37 winterflower, Searchlight Rag, Scott Joplin: Nicely played! I like all of Scott Joplin's music. Still working on my stride style. :-)
46 Mateusz 'Mati' Papiernik, Mirror of Stars, Akira Nishimura: Beautiful! The piece certainly matches the title! Well played!
47 bSharp(C)yclist (Dan), River Flows In You, Yiruma: Nicely played, and your piano sounded great!
48 stevedoz, Send in the clowns, Stephen Sondheim: Nice piece, and good voicings! Well played!
50 wr, Haiku, Jonathan Harvey: Wow, wish I could play that fast! Just that little taste was great!
53 PianoPerformance8, I Hear What You Say, Ben Crosland: Pleasant to listen to! Well played!
54 PikaPianist, Elegy, Shostakovich: A beautiful piece, for sure! Nicely played, and your piano sounded great!
55 QuentinP, Glassworks - Opening, Philip Glass: A fast moving piece, and you articulated it well!
56 Greener / Jeff, Insanity Thriving, Jeffrey Green: I enjoyed listening, very much! A great composition/song! Glad to hear someone else singing while playing, which is not an easy thing to do...
57 kenbakermn, When Did I Last See You, Ken Baker: A fine composition, Ken! Intriguing and inviting! Very well played!
59 mel_lem (Melanie), Opening Night Jazz, Martha Mier: Made me smile big! My kind of music, and you played it so well! Loved it!
Wow, so many talented folks here! What an inspiration!
I've been delighted with the flourish of nice comments directed my way, I must say. Thank you all, and once again especially Sam for all the effort you put into to setting these up and being unsung Master of Ceremonies. It has been nice for me to be recording and participating occasionally, once again. It is these recitals and the process of trying to get it right (or as close as possible, as the case may be) for recording, that has been the single biggest contributor to my improvement over the entire history of my playing, I believe.
Thank you again Sam, as well Tim, Lilypad, QuentinP, wr, stevedoz, Rickster, for your specific comments and in some cases, appreciated and warranted advice to consider in hopes of making better.
The quality of entries, and at all the various ranges of experience, is really quite impressive when thinking in terms of Adult Beginners Forum, that we are.
I'd like to apologize now for not commenting on all the pieces directly, but indirectly and collectively I do offer a big Thank you to everyone that have participated. It is what makes these recitals work so well. I really don't think I could offer much that might help you improve, except we all just need to stay with it and keep practicing. Also, variety is the spice of life and the Themed Recital concept has been a great winner in this regard.
---
On a side note, the Gethsemane was the dearest to me for this recital. Opening on Good Friday, the timing was too good not to do it. For anyone that may be interested in it, there is quality sheet music available for it, and the complete version is more of a Rock rhythm. That is how it is in the movie too. But, in the credits they come back to this theme again for instrumental only, and where it is more dreamy like and how this ballad type arrangement came about. Just saying, for anyone wanting the more Rock like version, it could be a really cool piece and very different than the one I recorded.
More comments after another enjoyable listening session -
17. Tim Adrianson - Four Piano Blues -- #3 (1948); #4 (1926) I enjoyed both of these. My favorite was #4, but, alas, it was over too soon.
18. Tim Adrianson - Two Piano Pieces (1982) -- Midday Thoughts; Proclamation "Midday Thoughts" was my favorite of the two. It reminded me of Appalachian Spring.
19. Tim Adrianson - Fetes Lointaines (1920) Fascinating music. It started out as too modern sounding for me, but soon I got drawn in and found myself listening to it with my eyes closed.
21. Tim Adrianson - Cancion i Danza #9 (1957) Your description fit. Lyrical and exquisitely harmonized. Really nice! Thank you for choosing it.
22. Tim Adrianson - Musica Callada #23, #25, #28 (1974) Interesting pieces. I liked #23 the best.
46. Mateusz 'Mati' Papiernik - Mirror of Stars Interesting, dreamy piece. It seems to really fit the title and had me mesmerized with all the beautiful sounds you made with your piano.
47. bSharp(C)yclist (Dan) - River Flows In You I've heard of this piece, but never listened to it before. It sounded beautiful and soothing.
48. stevedoz - Send in the clowns What a gorgeous arrangement! I think you definitely made it sing.
29. Kepijapa - Feuillet d'album, Op 45 - A good interpretation of this Scriabin piece - I especially liked the way you handled the ending.
30. rwsavory - Etude 5 - Fascinating music. I really enjoyed your performance of it.
31. Animisha - The Wind (2010) - Sounded good!
33. lilypad - Ashokan Farewell - Very nice. I got curious about the name, and discovered that there was a whole Wikipedia entry about this piece!
34. Naroui - Spruce - Beautifully played, and a nice reminder that Sibelius did write some interesting and lovely piano music (which rarely heard where I live).
35. Naroui - Fifths (Etudes Op.42 No.6) - Cool piece, and performance! The sudden ending made me laugh.
In addition to acknowledging and thanking other participants in general terms. I thought I would provide some individualized commentary to those who commented on my piece selections, the composers, and/or my renditions:
Pianist685 (Constantin Stephan) -- Thanks for your sound-out of the Takemitsu Raintree Sketch II. I'm a big Takemitsu fan -- his solo piano music is difficult to read, precise and detailed directives throughout, but the resulting music is for me unfailingly haunting and angelic. KenBakerMN echoed a similar sentiment.
wr -- Thanks for your compliments regarding my understanding of Ornstein's music. I was introduced to Ornstein's music at the Washington D.C. 2003 inaugural Amateur Competition by one of the judges -- Janice Weber. She was hawking her wares in the lobby, and that turned out to be an entire album of Ornstein she had recorded shortly before the Competition. When I asked her where I could purchase some of the pieces she was presenting, she basically said "nowhere -- you HAVE TO download the scores from a Website". That turned out to be a site developed by has son Severo, and you could obtain them all for free" !! Over the next couple of years, that's what I did -- and found out how good a composer Ornstein was. stevedoz, thanks for your generous comment (spellbinding!) regarding my renditions of Ornstein.. And lilypad, Sam S -- thanks for sounding out Trip to the Attic!
At that same competition, I devoted the final round to Federico Mompou. At that time (2003), he wasn't all that well-known to people -- even a couple participants asked who he was, and several others indicated that they had never heard his music before. I believe, though, that his star has risen considerably in 20 years -- virtually everybody knows him now. Thanks to all who provided varied commentary -- I agreed with the verdicts for all three. Sam S, although I agree that the Cancion sounded A LOT like "Shenandoah" at the outset, it actually was Mompou's arrangement of a Catalan folk song, like many others in his Cancion/Danza series. The Musica Callada, is comprised of 28 SLOOOOW pieces -- I remember one of my Amateur contestant friends admitting that he fell asleep in a recital of one of the Washington judges (Haskell Small), wherein he presented all 28 in one sitting.
I knew I wanted to include Aaron Copland as a third tip-of-the-hat to composers who straddled most of the 20th century, but didn't think I should ignore Elliott Carter, who eclipsed everybody in writing significant works in old age, some past the age of 100! As it turned out, I got a break when an 83-year-old Copland, who stopped composing several years prior, revised a couple of short works for a pianist-friend who was putting out an album of American piano music in 1983. Well, clearly, the Appalachian Spring guy won that one -- both Sam S and Lilypad loved it. And not surprising, either -- Copland is easily best known for the music he wrote from 1935-55, wherein he developed a distinctly American sound. Coupled with two of the four Piano Blues pieces, then, I had short samples from 1926 - 1982 -- just what I needed to match what I had done for Ornstein and Mompou.
By contrast, I had only one solo piano piece by Carter from the year 1999 -- i.e., no other period -- and so I hemmed and hawed about presenting it.Lilypad and wr, thanks for listening and commenting -- I agree that this was actually pleasant to listen to, although I can't begin to claim understanding of his later music.
Thanks to Sam S and wr for providing additional commentary on Michael Torke's "Two Drinks" and John Harbison's "On an Unwritten Letter." The one that surprised me was the Torke -- I've always held in my mind's eye a clear image of a NYC restaurant with two people entering a more serious relationship in back-and-forth banter. I haven't previously tried that out on other audiences, however, and may not, based on your assessment. By contrast, the Harbison has been more successful, agreeing with your assessment that the piece is somehow striking and gripping,
Finally, George Crumb died only a month or two back. IMO, he is definitely a significant presence, and so needed to be included in this Themed e-Cital. QuentinP, Sam S, wr, Lilypad, thanks ever so much for your varied reactions to this metaphysically-inclined composer.
03. Sam S - Farewell to Stromness Really well played Sam!
10. Tim Adrianson - A Long Remembered Sorrow (1962) Leo Ornstein is a very interesting composer. I wasn't familiar with this particular piece. I think it requires quite a mastery to play his pieces and you definitely have that.
31. Animisha - The Wind (2010) Wow, this performance rocks!
33. lilypad - Ashokan Farewell Very beautiful piece and performance!
34. Naroui - Spruce Really enjoyed it!
47. bSharp(C)yclist (Dan) - River Flows In You Beautiful!!
51. wr - Mikrokosmos 150 Amazing playing, interesting music
Enjoyed my last listening session and am sharing my comments below. Thank you, Ido for your kind remarks on my performance. Thank you again, Sam S. for making these recitals possible.
24. Tim Adrianson - Diversion #2 (1999) Strange sounding atonal music with unpredictable rhythm. It definitely sets a sort of mood.
26. Tim Adrianson - Raintree Sketch II (homage a Messiaen) (1993) Other-worldly came to mind as I listened to this piece.
27. Tim Adrianson - Two Drinks (2000) A very enjoyable piece made even better by your helpful background commentary.
28. Tim Adrianson - On an Unwritten Letter (1999) The music does seem to be evocative of the scene described in the poem.
53. PianoPerformance8 - I Hear What You Say Beautiful piece. I have a book of Ben Crosland pieces and have only tried one so far. It was nice to hear one of them performed so well.
54. PikaPianist - Elegy Lovely piece. The tempo you chose for it sounded just right.
55. QuentinP - Glassworks - Opening Gorgeous piece. I can understand why you love playing it and am glad you chose to share it.
