Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Time to Check IN - Chopin Nocturnes Recital Claim l(Octobe7, 2009

I've been working on mine, but I admit it's been difficult since I became pregnant earlier this year! I'm to the point where I feel comfortable with the piece and it sounds pretty darned good. All that's left is recording it. I need to find a suitable piano that is in tune first!

Carolyn, congratulations! May the God bless you, your family and your child! And, of course, I can't wait to hear your Nocturne!

How are your recordings progressing, folks? I still have three or four measures that need serious ironing and bringing up to speed. The piece is much more tricky than I thought due to rhythms involved. I am sure that even after recording and submitting it will still need much work and I won't be able to say I mastered it for quite more time.

Mateusz

I know it's probably somewhere in this thread but... who do we send the mp3's to? e-mail?

I'm making good progress on 27/1. I did a test recording, but can't really record it until the piano gets tuned (next Friday!).

Mine's as ready as it'll ever be.I'm just waiting for detailed instructions on the posting procedure.

Hi everyone, please send your recordings to me. My email address is:
maryrosedouglasukATyahoo.co.uk

I'd really appreciate getting them a bit before the 17th so I can get them up and running on the day.

Well done to all you clever people - can't wait to hear your playing!

Mary-Rose, I just sent off my two to you. Please let me know if you don't get them (you know how e-mails can be...)

Many thanks,

Peyton

Yippee! I just sent in my recording of the nocturne Op.48 no.1!

I've got a cut that may be usable for this recital, 37/2.

How is everyone doing?

Two measures! I say, two measures! And it will be ready... DANG.

I got a take yesterday that is usable, so I have one in the bag. I'm hoping that this will take the pressure off, and I'll be able to come up with something better.

Ted

A pretty thought Ted, would that it were true.

Do you know my poem I posted a while back? Perhaps others will benefit from my posting it again:

The Red Dot

Once upon a midnight dreary - feeling vexed and feeling weary -
laboring over chords lugubrious and dire -
Suddenly a glow came stealing - to my eyes a feeble feeling -
like the dying embers of a dank and noisome fire
"What demonic spirit seeks me? What foul fiend of heck bespeaks me?
While I record upon my vain inglorious lyre -
Tis a house light - and nothing more."

Yet within my brain a vision - yet so still and so insistent -
as if a bowl of laudanum quaffed I not moments before -
Gives to me now all unseeking - and it seems is fairly shrieking -
the unholy knowledge I forswore:
"Music - O so soft and O so soothing! - O so winning and so moving -
cannot go along without a flaw -
You must fail - not once - but - forevermore!"

Red infernal light from Hades! Let me be and go, I pray thee -
Let me forget and play as once before!
Once anon I touched so softly - how like water bubbles frothy!
All is lost - alas! - my song is but a chore!
For the Red Dot ever grieves me! Never, never will it leave me
From this cursed spell its weaves and casts its glow upon the floor
Quote the Red Dot "Delete and try once more!"

Mine are in the bag and sent off. I listen to them now and think.."I should have played the left hand softer".. or "I should have kept trying until I got that run better" but... I did the best I could and they would just never have been "perfect". But man am I glad that's done!

Ugh -- I should have started working on this much sooner. But I didn't, so it will have to be what it is.

It will never be perfect. I've wrestled with the same demon internally. Perfection is something to which we as pianists, even avocational ones, are intrinsically inclined. This is especially true if we listen to recordings from professionals who devote their careers to its attainment. You can end up beating yourself, abusing yourself, in the attainment of that fleeting ideal which, like a butterfly, is ever present in your mind but never quite attainable. What I'm saying is, don't make the good the enemy of the perfect. This goes for all of us.

"Don't make the good the enemy of the perfect."

Gerg, I like that!

Oh, my recording is far from perfect. The left hand is mostly too loud. I miss a jump badly in the Doppio movimento section. If I had to go with it, however, I would still be proud of it. One thing that has helped me was buying a 2 gigabyte SD card. This allows me to record for more than three hours at better than CD quality. Now, I just turn the Zoom on, start practicing sections, and when I feel ready I give it a go. Eliminating the 'stop and delete' cycle had a tremendous effect on my psychological well-being when I was recording.

Ted

Schubertarian: Spoken like a pro!

Schubertian, your poem is dazzling. Poe would surely have understood our sufferings!

I just re-edited my 48/2-- doesn't change what I actually played, but I was able to make a nasty splice much better. That's as good as it's going to get. Whew.

Elene