I just gave my senior recital (undergrad), and the program was:

Mozart: Fantasy/Sonata in C minor
*intermission*
Alkan: Symphony for Solo Piano
Bolcom: The Garden of Eden (Nos. 1-3)

All in all, it was pretty good. Not the best I've played it, but I was in a huge adrenaline rush as well, and I think it could be said of most people that the live setting is not always the most conducive to perfect playing--although it was very exciting. I played the Alkan Finale, for example, well beyond the 96=whole note marking, although regrettably I lost quite a bit of clarity because of it (it was just a matter of letting my energy get the best of me--it still came through rather well, though, all said). Anyway, in closing I feel pretty good about it. I told some people that I think I've achieved maybe 50% of what I'm capable of, and that's mainly just an optimistic way of looking forward to improving over the next few years--and also, though I had some memory slips here and there and a few missed notes, it held together better than any other recital I've put on as of yet. So, I have a long way to go but I think I'm on the right track. We'll see.

I don't know when recordings will be available, but PM me starting now if you'd like me to send you some. I don't want to post them on the forum at large, and I'll likely limit the number I send out. It's also likely that I won't give out certain movements, as well...but I'll have to hear the recordings first to know for sure.

Wonderful Goldberg!

I just love the Alkan Symphony for solo piano. It astounds me that you can play it! How do you enjoy the Bolcom? I had a period of enthusiasm about The Serpent's Kiss (the devil ), but now I am completely disenchanted with it... But I have more than enthusiasm to hear you play it!

Keep up the wonderful work

Thanks for the comments, L'echange! The Alkan Symphony for Solo Piano, in all honesty, is not nearly as difficult as legend holds, and I found out very early on that it's actually a very accessible work. If you like it, I say dive right in! I think that anyone who tries it will be surprised at how quickly it comes together. It's an excellent starting place for anyone interested in studying Alkan's music. I hope to play a lot more Alkan in the coming years, as one of my ambitions is to perform all of the Op. 39 etudes (maybe not all in one go, though!). I think the key is to ignore the mythologies surrounding Alkan and his "impossible" technical demands, and just start studying the music like you would with any other piece.

Why have you become disenchanted with The Serpent's Kiss? I find it to be full of life, wit, and energy--put simply, it's just pure fun. It can be a little tricky at first, though--there are a few slightly surprising figurations and whatnot, though overall it's straightforward. I love Old Adam and The Eternal Feminine, as well--although I gave Through Eden's Gates a miss because I thought it might be a rather anticlimatic end to the recital (beautiful music, though).

I did give one encore, as well--an improvisation that ended up being a mix between the Paganini/Brahms Variations and a Danny Elfman score (or something...!) and possibly a Liszt Concert Etude...

*bump*

And, I randomly decided to get over my fear of posting recordings on the internet. I just need to get over the fact that they're not perfect and let whoever wants to hear them, listen.

So, I welcome all comments, but keep in mind that if it's something technical (memory slips, wrong notes...) then I already know about it. I also am aware that sometimes my dynamics are not great (for example, in The Serpent's Kiss, I really forgot about the final return of the A section being ppp, and not mf). Nevertheless, it is one of my best performances to date and I see it as a learning experience. After a few years of plateauing, I'm finally on the right path again. I am a far cry from acceptable, but maybe a few more years like this and I'll be decent.

http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=1cca43209c9652f24012e8015643d9c846813789da4a1d66

That's the link. It turns out you can download individual files. If I could put them in a priority order, I would probably rate them: Alkan, Bolcom, Encore ("Passacaglia" which, by the way, is supposed to be a funny piece satirizing the flamboyant salon style pianism of some of Liszt's etudes, etc.--it's mostly improvised, but you'll hear a little intro beforehand), and then the Mozart, which to me really doesn't capture everything I had hoped it would.

Overall, I would give myself maybe a 5/10. But I'm optimistic that I can still get better from here. So listen with an open mind. Just remember I'm not Hamelin!! In fact, faaar from it...