Welcome to the General Discussion Room for the AB Forum Recital 16!!!

Please utilize this room for any discussion of the pieces in Recital 16 that is taking place in the Main Recital Thread.

Discussions and replies can be posted at-will. Feel free to comment on any or all individual pieces. Some members offer comments on each submission individually; others offer general congratulations. Either approach is fine. Feel free to offer more specific, technical feedback if the participant had indicated that technical feedback was welcome.

For those who wish to comment on all pieces, a copy and paste template for offering feedback can be found here:

Recital 16 Response Template

Please use this thread only to discuss recital performances. If you have any comments or suggestions about ways to make the recital process better, please start a separate thread.

Okay, everything is pretty much done except for uploading the duplicate zip files to the esnips site; I have the first few on there but will do the rest tomorrow.

I was too busy at work to cheat and listen to the entries early so I don't have comments at this time, but I've had the streaming player going all the time I was working on the recital, and I've been hearing some truly terrific playing.

I think we can all be pretty proud of ourselves for pulling off yet another impressive recital. Congratulations, everybody!

Monica, I think I speak for all when I say we love You
Thank You, thank You, thank You for yet another marvelous recital.

I started from the back again, and I'm glad there was a recital to come home to. We had a great band at contra dance tonight, but it leaves me "high" and the recital was a great change of pace. Here's what I've listened to so far.

66. AnthonyB - Exit That was so well played! Great touch and expression. The silences were well-done, tho I suppose that sounds silly. Maybe it was the timing, but they were perfect. Beautiful.

61. TTigg - Glasgow Love Theme Another lovely piece. I liked your split sound. Between you and Anthony this is the perfect after-dance music.

56. rustyfingers - Elves' Dance What a cheery little piece. I liked the bass interludes - made me laugh.

51. ShiroKuro - While the Trees Sleep How nice to have you back. Lovely piece, and very musically played.

46. bluekeys - Invention #4 I love it. I've never been able to memorize this kind of music, much as I like it. This was a treat.

41. grotrianer - La plus que lente Oh, I liked this very much! I kept waiting for the disaster, though, and it never came Lovely, lovely.

36. Always Wanted to Play Piano - Sonatina One of my favorite pieces. You played it with a very nice lively feel to it.

35. Jillian - Morning Prelude Brava! It is pretty. I'm really impressed with the steadiness of your tempo and the confidence with which you played.

30. Copper - Air I am so charmed. I have a whole book of Purcell, and we dance English country to his music. This was wonderful.

25. Carl Mc - Piano Sonata You play so hauntingly. It was lovely.

20. salzdt - Kupelwieser Waltz Waltzes are some of my favorite music. I can see why this would be fun to learn. Congratulations on outlasting the red dot Nicely played.

15. Mar_red - Stranger/Love Congratulations on your creativity. I like your style. The scat was funky

10.kokomo61 - Piano Sonata I was wondering how your hard drive disaster was coming along. I don't think I'll ever know what I didn't get recovered This was well done, with some nice expressiveness in the right hand.

05. Ken. - German Dance There was some really nice dance quality in there. How cool that you can still play your second piece.

There, I think I'm relaxed enough to get sleep now. I'm looking forward to all the rest of these.

Thanks to all who work who to make this recital possible.

Cathy

Hi everyone, I agree Monica deserves a big Thank You for all you have done.
I only have dial up so it is going to take a while to listen to them all, but I will try to get to them all.
..
So far, Jillian for being almost 8 years old I think you did a great job, now I think if you keep at it by the time your my age you will be out of this world, thanks for posting it for the recital, aloha from Hawaii.

Chris

Thanks again to the powers that be that make the recitals possible and all the work they do.

I'm picking entries randomly from the hat this time, in groups of a few at a time:

07. TrueBeginner - Autumn River
Always amazed at what you're coming up with. Almost carousel-like.

22. cscl - Kuhlau Sonatina Op. 55, No. 2, I-II
I really would have liked to have heard the third movement. Nice dynamic changes and good variance in staccato versus legato playing. Most of the scale runs sounded quite good, just a bit of work on where they are leading is what I heard. A really nice listen.

43. Yamaha G3 & P-80 Mike White - Military Polonaise Op 40. No. 1
For being way above your head it was sounding quite manageable under your hands. I've worked on this one a couple of times. Never got it that accurate. At least in my mind, I would work on the repeated turns and slow them down just a might. Nice job on a tough piece.

34. pianonewb - God on the Mountain
Somehow I didn't need to know the robe thing. Hopefully there are no speed-o appearances. Really enjoyable and good vocals. Everyone should be thankful that I will never sing along to one of my entries.

51. ShiroKuro - While the Trees Sleep
Beautiful. A lot of feeling came out in your playing.

jazzyprof - Nocturne op.48 no.1

Yes, Chopin is amazing and no, you didn't butcher it, but instead played this Nocturne very dramatically and very well, as such a somber, less lyrical piece requires.

02. dannylux / Mel - Bersagliera

Jaunty and energetic indeed! Delightful piece, very expertly played uptempo - up to your usual high standards (we've come to expect this) - I remember hearing Ponce pieces played on Classical guitar by Segovia some years ago which were always entertaining - I wonder if they were composed for guitar or were transcriptions of piano piece?


(03. epf - Prelude No. 16 in Db Major

I wasn't familiar with Vandall's work so this is a very lovely introduction - you're correct in saying that it is a "pretty prelude" and you highlighted that with your soft, easy, expressive touch - nice job and a nice piece to dedicate - enjoyed this a lot.


More to follow...

JF

Another set of comments.

55. Musictuary - In The Groove
How did the grade 5 exam go? I missed the piano bar entry and really missed out, this was very enjoyable.

21. Riddler (Ed) - Easy Living
The lifetime of noodling is really paying off. The recordings you share are always a great listen.

48. TX-Dennis (Dennis Turner) - Suicide Is Painless
Maybe lunch before recording is a better idea? Didn't sound even remotely as bad as advertised. I used to watch that show so much when it was in syndication, every night at 10:00pm. Thanks for transporting me back to those days.

63. DragonPianoPlayer - Prelude in E Minor (Op 28 No 4)
Nicely done. It's a piece with a couple of really tricky parts in it.

06. Mr Super-Hunky - Cristofori's Dream
Woohoo! One of those pieces that first introduced me to New Age music. :applause:

Bravo Maestros!
Wonderful recital.
Thank you all for your contributions.
Thank you Monica and the technical staff for your efforts in making this possible.

58. Serge88 - Greensleeves
Pluscuamperfect (did not find a better word for 'more than perfect')

Working hard this morning to get through a good portion of the entries.

Or is that hardly working? Listening is so much fun.

61. TTigg / Steve C - Glasgow Love Theme
Okay, I have no idea where this song is from. It's probably really obvious and I'll feel dumb. Nice performance Steve. Still amazed by the progress people make in such short time. Sounded great.

53. Mateusz 'Mati' Papiernik - Tooi hi no Kizuato
Not as plain as the lunch. Really nice Mati.

03. epf - Prelude No. 16 in Db Major
A composer I know very little about. I can see why you ordered the complete set. Wow. Everything is just so well played so far.

45. joangolfing - Italian Concerto (Presto movement)
A nice start on some very tough music. I'm sure the tempo will come and, ignoring the tempo, the playing was wonderful.

02. dannylux / Mel - Bersagliera
Jaunty indeed. I really liked your playing. Nice and crisp and bright.

Thanks for the feedback on the Beethoven, BTW!

Thanks for asking about the hard drive....some good news, some (likely bad).

I recovered more than I thought I would.

My Documents folder - recovered - 52GB
Applications - recovered or re-loadable
iPhoto library - some pictures irreplaceable.......recovered! - 25GB worth
iTunes library - recovered (completely, I think). - 12GB worth
e-mail - I have the past 13 months....

Still missing....
GarageBand files - not too much, but still, I'll have to re-create anything there.
Older e-mail archives - back to 2004....still missing.

I've cloned the drive to an external one, and am running the recovery (again) on it....each attempt takes 3-4 days, and previous ones, have crapped out at 60-70GB. One got all the way to 200+GB, then failed. I've hooked it up to a different machine now with a good internal hard drive, and the computer is going to the Apple Store at noon today.....If I don't get back any more data, that's probably OK. the 180GB or so of the encrypted folder includes the data listed above, plus a lot of files that aren't relevant.....the only thing I really want are the email archives....and some folder info for my iPhoto library.

I am backing up daily now, and no longer using encryption....consider the lesson learned.

^Glad to hear you are having some luck getting stuff back. Hardware failure is a nasty thing.

44. Euan Morrison - I'm Going to Make a Cake
I was really looking forward to this. I wasn't disappointed. Very nice. I liked the title.

37. mahlzeit - "Up" Theme
That was very enjoyable. Impressive result for a rush job.

33. ten left thumbs - Clair de Lune
One of those pieces I've looked at before, played the first ten or so bars and then given it up as too much work. I'm lazy. I admit it. Wonderful and expressive playing. A treat.

19. Bunneh - Première Gymnopédie
15 months? I don't think I tackled one of the Gymnopédies before eight or nine years. Another very nice submission.

27. Jazzwee - Autumn Leaves - Rhythmic Play (to do)
I don't know, I thought the somewhat wurly sound was quite effective, especially given the 3/4 4/4 you were doing. You are constantly amazing me with the rhythmic and melodic stuff you are doing. Kudos.

Early morning, coffee, everyone sleeping and I get to listen to all you wonderful players...

01
Performer's name: jazzyprof

Wow, such a deep complicated long piece wonderfully done. You must of been working on it a long time. I couldn't imagine trying to record it cleanly...bravo! The B sounds great also...

02
Performer's name: dannylux / Mel

Not familiar with this piece, but its well played and your digital does not sound like a digital. Awesome recording. Thanks

03
Performer's name: epf

Great gentle touch and feel on this piece. Really nailed the dynamics. Videos are extra credit too! Thanks

04
Performer's name: Ode2Joy

Mozart is one composer I find super difficult even on simple short pieces. You did a wonderful long recording on that sweet C-3...thanks.

05
Performer's name: Ken.

Well done Ken, I'm doing many of these short pieces and I really like them. You nailed it. Thanks.

06
Performer's name: Mr Super-Hunky

I love this piece and hope some day to play it. Welcome back to sheet music (lol). You really did a great job. I can't imagine trying to record something this long and complicated. The BB sounds like butter too. Bravo!

07
Performer's name: TrueBeginner

I'm always amazed at those who can imper vise and this time too. Well done. Did your 8 year old ever end up playng it? Thanks!

08
Performer's name: Peyton

Another high end difficult piece not only recorded but video taped. How you guys do it so well amazes me. Especially Chopin which takes such a special touch. Another Bravo! Piano sounds super too...

09
Performer's name: Sam Smith

Play it again Sam! I really liked you playing. I would never guessed that was a digital piano, very acoustic sounding.
Thanks. I never heard the bench either...:)

10
Performer's name: kokomo61

What a great classic piece. You really played it well. You must record this on the Estonia, but the digital sounds very good too.
I'd like to give this one a shot in the future too. Thanks for sharing it with us...

more to come...

I couldn't agree more Mark. It's Sunday morning, wife's reading her paper with her cup of tea. I'm sitting up in my office, chilled, relaxed and listening to all these wonderful recordings.

Here's my first batch of 20....

01. jazzyprof - Nocturne op.48 no.1
Loved it! As always I'm amazed at pieces longer than 5m. I even tried one myself once (which I need to re-do) and will possibly attempt this again soon. Loved the "dark chords" in the bassline. Yep, I think Chopin is bloody talented!

02. dannylux / Mel - Bersagliera
Very technical piece and yes, very much enjoyed listening to it - well done!

03. epf - Prelude No. 16 in Db Major
Very beautiful indeed. I'm becoming more and more fond of the Preludes as I hear them / play them more and more. Great job! On a side note maybe you can help me with how you edited / saved the movie in WMM? My title and the video itself looks WAY more grainy than yours (which looks crystal clear & perfect).

04. Ode2Joy - Piano Sonata in C, K330 Andante cantabile (2nd movement)
Very calming and relaxing piece to listen to, very well done!

05. Ken. - German Dance in A Major, WoO.13, No. 11
Ken I just LOVE the authenticity to the sound of your spinet , great job!

06. Mr Super-Hunky - Cristofori's Dream
(cup of tea and sad down ready) (insert applause) I have always been an admirer of Lanz's work and I confess to having one of his books. I'm not ready to tackle this piece just yet but getting close (it's on the radar so to speak). Great performance MSH and I continue to look forward to more of your pieces. (end applause)

07. TrueBeginner - Autumn River
OK now your just showing off . Another "great" composition and I'm still blown away by your progress & talent. You've been playing only a few months longer than me and whilst I will admit to having "tried to put together some of my own stuff" it's nothing like this, marvelous and keep up the great work!

08. Peyton - Nocturne in Bflat Minor Op.9.1
Simply amazing and very enjoyable to both watch and listen to. Looking forward to move of your videos/updates over time – great work!

09. Sam Smith - Song Without Words, Opus 19/4
Great job Sam and I didn’t hear the bench creak however if you have any tips for a “seriously” squeaky sustain pedal please let me know

10. kokomo61 - Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13 Adagio Cantabile
Very enjoyable piece to listen to, thanks for submitting. P250 eh? I keep “scanning” Craigslist to see if I can pick one up, I love them! I’m also getting more and more curious about Garage Band and the wonders I may be able to do with it (Artist Lessons etc)

11. flyingfroggy - Nocturne #20 in C# minor (posth.)
I’m sitting here on a frosty Californian Sunday morning listening to your piece and gazing out of the window. Yep, pretty much perfect so well done and thanks for submitting. I confess I had one hell of a time getting my piece in and whilst I’d normally strive for 100% perfection (or as near as I could get it) having little glitches here and there, for me, keeps it real. BTW I couldn’t tell where there were any mistakes anyhow, loved it!

12. Glen R. - Waltz (Op. 39, No. 15)
6mths!! WOW great work and keep up the lessons. I’m very much looking forward to hearing more from you.

13. HomeInMyShoes (HIMS, Homey, Home, Aaron) - Trois Gnossiennes
Another stunning performance, very well done!

14. Kalai1/Chris - Leo O Kapo (voice of the night)
Sounded great and was enjoyable to listen to. As for the chords I wouldn’t worry about it. I’m still amazed to this day when I hear about people on Telly etc who (Daniel Powter etc) who have no idea how to read music and have to have people transpose their work, they just sit & play.. Great job!

15. Mar_red - Stranger in Paradise & Love Letters (medley)
It was very enjoyable to listen to, nice work!

16. Sandy Moore - Hills of Purple Heather
Very nicely done Sandy and I’m sure your brother will enjoy hearing it for sure

17. b528nf7 (Bill) - Layla
Great job, I see someone has a new “toy” to play with.

18. Todd Vance - Sonatina (Clementi, Op. 56 No. 3)
Amazing performance for 9mths! No really!!

19. Bunneh - Première Gymnopédie
Simply stunning and beautiful. Excellent job and one I must put on my “keys list”..

20. salzdt - Kupelwieser Waltz
Welcome to the ABF Recitals! Very well done and was a pleasure to listen to!

OK time for some more espresso!

12. Glen R. - Waltz (Op. 39, No. 15)
That was very nicely played. Your teacher must be proud for only six months of lessons. Very nice touch.

36. Always Wanted to Play Piano - Sonatina Op.36 No.1 in C major - 1: Spritoso
I spent some time this year working on this Sonatina. I thought it was cute, my wife made me quit it. Maybe I'll finish it up with headphones some time. It could be a bit zippier, but you played it well. You should be very proud of this after only two years.

66. AnthonyB - Exit
Beautiful. A quite dark piece, but it's title is a fitting end to the recital pieces (even though it's not the last piece I'm listening to).

47. John Frank - Leaves on the Seine
My memory is calling uncle just thinking of committing something of this length to it. That was a wonderful listen John. I don't know about that last note though, sometimes leaving things hanging is quite effective, but I can't fault the resolution either.

52. EJR (Elwyn) - "Ich ruf', zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ" [I call on Thee, Lord] BWV 639
A nice dark sounding piano for the organ transcription made a lot of sense to me. A nice flow to this one.

01. Jazzyprof... man am I jealous!! I have started that nocturne at least three times only to be frustrated by the middle section. It's one of my favorite nocturnes and you did it justice!! Bravo.

OK 2nd batch, probably going to need some breakfast before tackling the last 20...

21. Riddler (Ed) - Easy Living
Very enjoyable to listen to, I also couldn’t stop staring at your “moving” avatar!

22. cscl - Kuhlau Sonatina Op. 55, No. 2, I-II
May your “reign” continue great job and I love the sound of your 190!

23. Schubertian - Hungarian Melody (D817)
A very enjoyable piece to listen to. The Dynamics came out very well and very much made the piece come alive (for me at least)

24. kawaigirl1 - Like the wind
Yaaaaay she’s back (applause) You’ve been missed and it was a pleasure to hear your work again. Stick around for a bit this time I know you’re swamped but you’ve been missed around here.. Loved the piece, very VERY relaxing and enjoyable to listen to

25. Carl Mc - Piano Sonata No. 14 OP 27/2 1st Mvt (Moonlight Sonata)
Great job Carl and I very much look forward to tackling this piece soon (next year) as I see it’s in #3 Alfred but towards the end. It’s one of those great timeless pieces that is always a pleasure to listen to.

26. Triryche (Rich) - In God's Hands
I love David’s work. Nicely played indeed. One of the things I love most about his music is the sheet music is “exactly” as your hear it. With Wayne Gratz I’ve noticed they are always different to how the recording was done (!). I’m going to have to add this to the list as I simply loved the flow and dynamics – thanks for submitting, really enjoyed it!

27. Jazzwee - Autumn Leaves - Rhythmic Play
Brunch buffet? Now I’m hungry (lol). Very nicely done and the old school Electric Piano sound 2 sounded great!

28. Frotz (Brian) - Notturno (Op.54 No.4)
A very relaxing and enjoyable piece to listen to.

29. Monica K. - Quel Che Resta
look at those fingers dancing across the keys. Simply stunning piece Monica played to perfection!! Bravissimo!

30. Copper - Air
A very light and well played piece – thanks for submitting.

31. jotur/Cathy Turner - Sentimental Journey
Nailed it and it sounded great As for lunch, err, nope but then again I thought I was mad with Peanut Butter & Ketchup…

32. Eighty8 - The Summer Knows
Well played, enjoyable to listen to.

33. ten left thumbs - Clair de Lune
Beautiful. “Ahh Danny Ocean” and I can’t decide whether I prefer the old school “Rat Pack” to the newer Pitt/Clooney mob but none the less it was a pleasure to listen to.. Well done

34. pianonewb - God on the Mountain
Nicely played. OK so to “add” to your side note I think you kind of sound like Scott Glen so now I have the image of Scott Glen in his robe and slippers playing and signing (lol)


35. Jillian - Morning Prelude
Stunning playing Jillian, keep up the “GREAT” work, sounded simply awesome!

36. Always Wanted to Play Piano - Sonatina Op.36 No.1 in C major - 1: Spritoso
A very technical piece for sure, sounded great so pat yourself on the back

37. mahlzeit - "Up" Theme
Sounded great and was very enjoyable to listen to. My original yearning for Piano came from Film & TV Music so pieces from movies always grab my attention. Rush job you say? I re-recorded and re-submitted my piece in the final hour just before I went to dinner – we’re mad aren’t we…

38. 1WeekPlayer - Minuet in F major BWV Anh 113 (Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach)
Nope I didn’t like it, I loved it! Very well done and keep up the AMAZING work.

39. Piano Again - Prelude and Fugue in C sharp major, Well-Tempered Clavier Book I
Love the sound of your 190 and this piece, wow, very fast and very dynamic. I think if I tried to play something like this my head would spin!

40. CMohr - Mazurka op.67 no. 3
Nicely played, Chopin has so many different levels of enjoyment.

24. kawaigirl1 - Like the wind
Thanks for giving yourself a kick. It was a joy to listen to.

15. Mar_red - Stranger in Paradise & Love Letters (medley)
I liked them a lot. Fun stuff and there's nothing wrong with faking it.

32. Eighty8 - The Summer Knows
Nice dynamic playing. A really nice piece. Maybe there should do an adult beginners movie music recital some time?

08. Peyton - Nocturne in Bflat Minor Op.9.1
I won't charge you for the missed measure. Beautiful playing. Hypnotic like it should be. I've tried so many times to learn a Nocturne and just given them up as being beyond me doing any sort of justice to them.

18. Todd Vance - Sonatina (Clementi, Op. 56 No. 3)
Nicely played. Very impressive for 9 months and only about 3 years earlier. The forumers consistently make me feel like I make almost negligible progress.

It might be a while before some more comments, but I'll get around to it.

What a great start to the day. It snowed about a foot last night and is still coming down. Got the oversized mug of coffee working and some great music to explore!
Big hats off thank you to Monica, Mahlzeit, Copper, LaValse for their time and efforts.

26. Triryche (Rich)- "In Gods Hands" /b]

Rich, very pleasant and soothing and a perfect one to start my morning. I enjoyed your playing very much.

[b]27. Jazzwee- "Autumn Leaves - Rhythmic Play"

Good job on the one take. I don't know how you do it. I'm sure I look like a bobble head doll while listening... just can't keep still!

28. Frotz (Brian)- "Notturno (Op.54 No.4)"

Brian, Not familiar with this one- thanks for the intro. Good job of maintaining focus - well done.

29. Monica K. - "Quel Che Resta"

Monica, I can see why you wanted this to be your recital piece, it is a beautifully played piece. I love the rhythmic rolls and it is amazing how the silence speaks and weighs on you.

30. Copper - "Air"

Copper, Good job of maintaining the theme- very delicate.

31. jotur/Cathy Turner - "Sentimental Journey:

Cathy, The title says it all... thanks for the trip. Beautiful intro and loved the trill at the end.

32. Eighty8 - "The Summer Knows"

Remember the movie and the music well, had a huge crush on Jennifer O'Neill. Thanks for the reminder- I enjoyed it!

33. ten left thumbs - "Clair de Lune"

I have a personal interest in this one and was especially eager to hear it. It is a beautiful piece and I think you conveyed that well. I think you are very close to having it well in hand. Your piano seems to be well suited to it also. Thank You!

34. pianonewb - "God on the Mountain"

Very familiar with this type of music- well done.

Time for a re-fill.

02. Mel, what a refreshingly energetic piece. And you handle it masterfully. Great playing.

Carl, you must be in Colorado. It rained 4 inches here in Maine... If that had been snow....

03- EPF... What a pretty prelude. I'll be looking this guy up. You played beautifully.

04- ode2joy... Very nicely played. I've been missing Mozart lately. Thanks.

OK the last bath of 20...

41. grotrianer - La plus que lente
Dark & mystique, enjoyable to listen to – thanks for submitting.

42. Andy Mann - Manndrew - Time On My Hands
Loved it Andy, very well played, flowed great, nice dynamics.

43. Yamaha G3 & P-80 Mike White - Military Polonaise Op 40. No. 1
I’m beginning to spot Chopin pieces as they come up, very nicely done!

44. Euan Morrison - I'm Going to Make a Cake
Loved it!! It reminds me of the “Every day” which may of course be composed by the same person. A challenging piece and you played it very well.

45. joangolfing - Italian Concerto (Presto movement)
8m simply stunning!

46. bluekeys - Invention #4
Very nicely done keys

47. John Frank - Leaves on the Seine
Bravissimo! Stunning, very enjoyable to listen to JF. I’m going to have to dive into David’s stuff once I’m done with my Xmas project(s).

48. TX-Dennis (Dennis Turner) - Suicide Is Painless
Dare I say S*M*A*S*H*I*N*G. I can relate to the red-dot issues since this time around I found myself having one of those “bad days” when it came to getting my recording done. Very well done indeed!

49. Undone - Theme from “The Unfinished Symphony”
Very well played my fellow “Afred’r” I’ve put #3 on hold till the new year since I want to work on some Xmas and “Movie” pieces, hope Waltz and I can catch up after that..

50. GregF - Sleeping Through September
I love these types of pieces, excellent playing, loved the dynamics!

51. ShiroKuro - While the Trees Sleep
Welcome back and a great and lovely piece to come back to us with. Another classic Nevue piece.

52. EJR (Elwyn) - "Ich ruf', zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ" [I call on Thee, Lord] BWV 639
Very dark and mysterious piece, thoroughly enjoyed it!

53. Mateusz 'Mati' Papiernik - Tooi hi no Kizuato
Stunning piece indeed, flawlessly played!

54. MaryBee - Reverie
Love the sound of your CW piano. Not familiar with this piece but sounded great, very peaceful in parts and yet dynamic in others.

55. Musictuary - In The Groove
Very “steppy” piece and hey, composed by a fellow Brit…

56. rustyfingers - Elves' Dance - Elverdans (Alfedanse) - Elfentanz, Lyric Pieces, Op. 12 No. 4.
Nothing Rusty about those fingers, nicely done!

57. ddh - Daniel - Polskie Drogi (Polish Roads)
Very enjoyable Daniel, thanks for submitting.

58. Serge88 - Greensleeves
STUNNING! Lovely piece simply AMAZING (my 2nd fav thus far). On a side note, please tell me more about the cabinet / stand that you have your Roland in?

59. LisztAddict - Praeludium BWV 999 in C minor
Great piece, loved watching & listening to it..

60. Larry Larson - atmosphere
Very relaxing and enjoyable to listen to.

61. TTigg / Steve C - Glasgow Love Theme
Put a sweater on next time and don’t leave things to the last min. Oh and work on the video quality since it’s loosing something in the upload (lol)

62. steveMac - Prelude Op. 28 No. 7
Another Chopin great, very nicely played.

63. DragonPianoPlayer - Prelude in E Minor (Op 28 No 4)
I don’t think I’ve come across a single Prelude that didn’t “move” me. Very nicely played and executed.

64. Mark... - Sarabande
Great job Mark, love the piece and I’m going to have to check out the thread..

65. Jordy - A Brighter Day
Stunning work, always envious of people who can just “compose”. Maybe I’ll get there one day but for now I will enjoy playing as best I can. Very nice work!

66. AnthonyB - Exit
Last but by no means least, great work Anthony. Loved it, really made me just sit back and ponder and imagine all kinds of great piano related stories and wish lists.. Thanks for submitting.

Well done and HUGE thanks to Monica, Mahlzeit, Copper, LaValse for their time and efforts that make this possible.

So another great recital and I’m still stunned by all the great talent we have here. Be we beginners or not, we are family and are all taking this journey together.

We come from all walks of life and from all corners of the globe together with our common passion & love – the Piano..

I can see I’ve got to get “PM’g” Serge & Epf for some advice on how to get some “Crystal clear” videos uploaded. OK my camera’s not the HD wide screen but something is getting lost in my saving/formatting since it looks way better on my pc screen..

OK I will tell myself I’ll be ready for the next one, Feb right?
- SC

I'll stick with my general rule of not actually commenting on all the pieces. Mainly because I simply cannot comment on everything.

I'll just post and say that I appreciate all the effort that goes into making all these recital pieces sound as good as they do. I think we could come up with a rather scary number if we added a field in the recital for the amount of time spent learning the recital piece then added all those hours up.

I'd also like to give a special thanks to Monica for going along with my idea of tacking my piece onto the end of the recital. Sure, this doesn't work for people who start at the end and work the other way but I thought it was a nice touch anyway.

Finally, a thanks to all the people who play the classical music. I don't really listen to much of it outside these recitals so it is a fun chance to get some exposure to it. Of course, there might be some people who feel the same way about some of the Einaudi stuff I've been playing for each recital I've been in so far.

So, 01 to 65 thanks a bunch!

You should pat yourself on the back too AnthonyB.

But I don't want to know the number of hours I spend on recital pieces. I really don't want to know.

Txs to Monica and everyone who had put this wonderful recital together

I've started to listen to everyone's performance this morning and will make comments shortly.

Txs Ttigg and HomeInMyShoes for the warm welcome back and comment I'll certainly try to hang around more often.

Many thanks to those who commented on Clair de Lune!

I've only made a start at listening, but wanted to thank Sandy for the Hills of Purple Heather - that brought a tear to my eye. The very best of Scottish sentimentalism!

Thanks Cathy. I had originally wanted to get the recording done on the Acoustic downstairs but time was running out. Also it's that time of year again in SoCal and she needs a tune badly (lol)


Thanks for the kind comments. The piece is from the movie "Love Actually" and there are LOTS of great piano pieces in that movie, I hope to someday record them all.

1. grotrianer - La plus que lente
Very mysterious..love the story behind your music

61. TTigg / Steve C - Glasgow Love Theme
Very nice performance. Love the song

53. Mateusz 'Mati' Papiernik - Tooi hi no Kizuato
I love your stride and timing. Dynamics were nice.. Great

03. epf - Prelude No. 16 in Db Major
Very well played

29. Monica K. - Quel Che Resta
Monica, your persistence has paid off. You play so well and one can feel your music when listening.

06. Mr Super-Hunky - Cristofori's Dream
I too love David Lanz and you did him proud. I like that you're playing songs as originally recorded, but I LOVE your style. You make originally recorded music sound BETTER when you and "you" to them.


45. joangolfing - Italian Concerto (Presto movement)
Nice playing Joan...a very hard song, but you did yourself proud!

02. dannylux / Mel - Bersagliera
That's got to be hard to play like that, sound like you're a pro with the damper pedal. Very nice
javascript:%20void(0)
42. Andy Mann - Manndrew - Time On My Hands
Could listen all day. Nice dynamics

43. Yamaha G3 & P-80 Mike White - Military Polonaise Op 40. No. 1
Not a big Chopin fan, but might be now...great job!

44. Euan Morrison - I'm Going to Make a Cake
love the story you tell while your playing this song...nice!

46. bluekeys - Invention #4
Very nicely done keys

47. John Frank - Leaves on the Seine
John, you play so very well. I love your "sound".

48. TX-Dennis (Dennis Turner) - Suicide Is Painless
Dennis, nice playing as always.

49. Undone - Theme from “The Unfinished Symphony”
That's a cool song...you played it so very well

50. GregF - Sleeping Through September
I think this song is really, really nice and it's only cause of the way you played it.

51. ShiroKuro - While the Trees Sleep
Sounds so professional, Great Job

54. MaryBee - Reverie
Very interesting music. You kept me wanting to listen more...love the dynamics

55. Musictuary - In The Groove
Very, Nice…

56. rustyfingers - Elves' Dance - Elverdans (Alfedanse) - Elfentanz, Lyric Pieces, Op. 12 No. 4.
There's nothing rusty about your fingers...Yay great job!

57. ddh - Daniel - Polskie Drogi (Polish Roads)
Wow, can't believe you're a beginner. Great job!

58. Serge88 - Greensleeves
Seger, you always play so very well. Great job

59. LisztAddict - Praeludium BWV 999 in C minor
Not a big fan of Liszt, but enjoyed your rendition. Great.

60. Larry Larson - atmosphere
Larry, you inspire me!

61. TTigg / Steve C - Glasgow Love Theme
Love the story in this song.. nicely play

63. DragonPianoPlayer - Prelude in E Minor (Op 28 No 4)
Very moving music. Hard music to play, but you nailed it!

64. Mark... - Sarabande
very nice job. You play so well

66. AnthonyB - Exit
You inspire me Anthony, it's like your soul comes out in your music

Thanks for the feedback (I'm #18)---I thought I'd mention how I put this one together. This is a copy of the paragraph I emailed my sister, the REAL pianist of the family (middle school music teacher, piano concentration with her music education major in college):


There are a few mistakes--I recorded it in 6 parts and put them together--I should have put blank space between the movements. 4 parts for first movement (no repeats--the forum had a [tdv: megabyte limit that amounted to about a] 7 minute limit for their online recital) and one part each for the 2nd and 3rd movement. What I did was use the keyboard's own recording feature to record, then played back to my laptop which used Audacity, a free recording program you can download, with an .mp3 plugin to convert to mp3 files. I recorded each of the 6 files multiple times, often stopping, deleting, restarting, and made several complete versions of each file, picked the best file of each, and used Audacity to adjust the volume some. Nevertheless, doing them separately, I managed to do File#1 of the first movement faster than the other three files (it wasn't easier than the other 3 parts, but I'd practiced it more, since each time I practiced, I started at the beginning). My practice method, the last 2 weeks before the recital was due, was to go through first measure by measure (after having very roughly learned the piece over the last few months) and play each measure 10 times in a row without a mistake, some measures taking a long time before I could do that. Then, I tried doing small groups of measures, 2 or 4 or a phrase, and later whole sections. I was never able to do an entire section 10 times in a row without a mistake, so I decided good enough is good enough and started recording. The toughest mistake for me to avoid was hitting two notes with one finger. I'd do a measure many times to try to reduce (never quite eliminate) that one. A lot of hours went in to preparing for this. When I returned to band practice September, the 2nd chair sax asked me if I practiced sax all summer, I said, no, I practiced piano all summer.

Thank you ten left thumbs. That means a lot to me .... especially today. I'm having the absolute WORST practice day. Away from the piano for a couple of days and now everything seems to have fallen apart. I feel as though I can't play ANYTHING so you've inspired me to push on....

I'm off to listen to my teacher in concert now and will begin listening to all when I return later today.

Todd,
Thanks for the insight. I just listened- that was quite a project and a rewarding one as well. Well done.

04. Ode2Joy - Piano Sonata in C, K330 Andante cantabile (2nd movement)

Being a huge Mozart fan (in fact I may be hugher than you) I'm always anxious to hear any of his works here, and I definitely heard some "cantible" in your fine performance - nicely done

05. Ken. - German Dance in A Major, WoO.13, No. 11

Good work on this short but listenable piece - nice independent hand control - thanks for including it in this Recital.


06. Mr Super-Hunky - Cristofori's Dream

SH - just an excellently nuanced interpretation of the ultimate New Age piece - I think you brought out the melody very nicely and the tempo and dynamics are great - everything I was expecting from you and more - I absolutely love this work and you did a wonderful job bringing out it's dark, throbbing beauty and drama - David would be proud of you!

JF

P.S. BTW - for all who enjoyed this gorgeous Lanz masterpiece my sources tell me that there's another one waiting for your listening pleasure at #47...

Oh my gosh, I am just listening (love the streaming!!!)

Everyone sounds so wonderful! I will have to make more careful comments later, but for now:

01. jazzyprof - Nocturne op.48 no.1
Wonderful! This is one of my favorite nocturnes, and I love your rendition of it!

02. dannylux / Mel - Bersagliera
As always, you find some very interesting music and really make it sing.

06. Mr Super-Hunky - Cristofori's Dream
Beautiful! I worked on this piece for awhile, just before i left Japan. It got put aside, but hearing you play it makes me want to take out the music again. Glad you decided to include this one on your list of pieces to revisit!

29. Monica K. - Quel Che Resta Fantastic! I like the "shading" you give to the different sections of this piece.

39. Piano Again - Prelude and Fugue in C sharp major, Well-Tempered Clavier Book I Your playing is just delightful!

BTW, I think listening to the recital is going to be an expensive undertaking for me, because it is going to make me want to rush out and buy loads of sheet music!

To people who have commented on my piece, thank you! It's been so long since I've shared my playing with anyone (besides Mr SK andmy mother!) so it's really nice to get such positive feedback! The recital is such a great motivator, both being able to share my own playing and hear the fantastic performances of everyone else!

Oops! I need to clarify something. The youtube video has nothing to do with my submission for this recital. I thought the space there is just for whatever youtube video of mine.

The piece for this recital is Bach Prelude BWV999.

11
Performer's name: flyingfroggy

Man that Schimmel and piece sound great. Very nice touch on a piece I can't imagine ever playing. Love those trills too...thanks!
Outstanding!

12
Performer's name: Glen R.
Well done so early in your piano playing career! Great touch too. Thanks!

13
Performer's name: HomeInMyShoes (HIMS, Homey, Home, Aaron) I hate to play favorites but this one is my favorites so far. I'm a big Erik Satie fan and loves these pieces. These recital pieces have a professional quality to them and I thought they were hypnotically great...thanks for sharing...Bravo!!

14
Performer's name: Kalai1/Chris
Wow, very nice improv. It really has a nice sound. Keep it up.

15
Performer's name: Mar_red
What a great sound. Felt like I was in a piano bar over looking the ocean. Enjoyed it a lot. Thanks!

16
Performer's name: Sandy Moore
Short and sweet piece. Very nice sound...thanks...

17
Performer's name: b528nf7 (Bill)
Well played Bill. Love the Clapton piece.

18
Performer's name: Todd Vance
I can't believe how good you are in such a very short time. Amazing! You have some real talent.

19
Performer's name: Bunneh
Another great Satie piece. I worked on this one last year and never got it down 100%. You sure did! Just a great mellow wonderful piece. Thanks!

20
Performer's name: salzdt
Well done for a first red dot recital piece! I'm not familiar with this piece, but it grows on you...thank you for sharing...piano sound sweet too...

more to come...

19. Bunneh - Première Gymnopédie

I really love this piece and I thought you did a wonderful job
(applause).

20. salzdt - Kupelwieser Waltz


Delightful, enjoyed your waltz and welcome to the recital!

21. Riddler (Ed) - Easy Living

Ed, wonderfully relaxing. I always enjoy your submittals.

22. cscl - Kuhlau Sonatina Op. 55, No. 2, I-II

Sounds to me you have this one down pretty well, good luck with your with live recital!

23. Schubertian - Hungarian Melody (D817)

Excellent, lively with good expression.

24. kawaigirl1 - Like the wind

I am always drawn to music that starts this way... perhaps it is the wonder of where it will lead you. A beautiful piece and I thoughly enjoyed the performance. Thank You!

Comments, part one.

I hope no one feels like I'm picking on him/her because I made more comments on some pieces than on others. I only offered criticism if I thought I had something worthwhile to say.

01. jazzyprof - Nocturne op.48 no.1

Nice work! My only critical comment is that if you decide to continue to work on this piece, the tempo could be a bit faster so it flows more. You get a good sound out of the Steinway.

02. dannylux / Mel - Bersagliera

It's great that you like to explore unusual rep. Very nice playing.

03. epf - Prelude No. 16 in Db Major

Very well played.

04. Ode2Joy - Piano Sonata in C, K330 Andante cantabile (2nd movement)

You are doing extremely well for the short time you've been back at the piano. RE the cantabile: have you actually tried singing the melody? That might give you some ideas of how to give it the quality you say it's missing. This is very much in the operatic Mozart line, so singing is appropriate.

05. Ken. - German Dance in A Major, WoO.13, No. 11

Good job!

06. Mr Super-Hunky - Cristofori's Dream

I just want to know one thing: who is Cristofori, and what is he dreaming about?

07. TrueBeginner - Autumn River

Nice job -- it sounds like you're having fun playing the piano.

08. Peyton - Nocturne in Bflat Minor Op.9.1

Lovely -- you have a nice way with expressive playing.

09. Sam Smith - Song Without Words, Opus 19/4

Very clean performance. Constructive criticism: I would try to make it sing more, especially in the "marchlike" sections.

10. kokomo61 - Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13 Adagio Cantabile

Too bad about your computer problems -- I would have liked to hear this on the Estonia. You are doing well and have made a lot of progress.

11. flyingfroggy - Nocturne #20 in C# minor (posth.)

Beautiful -- I don't hear the nerves. Perhaps there could be more dynamic contrast (especially more on the fortes)?

12. Glen R. - Waltz (Op. 39, No. 15)

Very nice.

13. HomeInMyShoes (HIMS, Homey, Home, Aaron) - Trois Gnossiennes

This sounds very clean to me. I'm not familiar with these pieces, but one comment: once you have established the rhythm (generally left hand), it could recede much more into the background and the melody (generally right hand) could come forward.

14. Kalai1/Chris - Leo O Kapo (voice of the night)

I'd say you play the piano. You seem to have a good feel for how to construct a piece of music. You might find it enlightening to study a bit of theory, just to understand why you do what you're doing.

15. Mar_red - Stranger in Paradise & Love Letters (medley)

It sounds like you are having a lot of fun with this.

16. Sandy Moore - Hills of Purple Heather

Well played.

17. b528nf7 (Bill) - Layla

Wow -- singing gets into a whole other territory. Good job!

18. Todd Vance - Sonatina (Clementi, Op. 56 No. 3)

Very good, especially for 9 months. You probably know this already, but in the first movement, your tempo at the beginning is much faster than for the rest of the piece. Have you practiced with a metronome?

19. Bunneh - Première Gymnopédie

I agree with you that a beginner can learn a lot from this piece. You have done a nice job with it.

20. salzdt - Kupelwieser Waltz

A good beginning with this. I think the tempo should be faster -- waltzes move along pretty quickly. You might be pleasantly surprised that it is actually easier to play faster.

21. Riddler (Ed) - Easy Living

Using the different tracks sounds like fun. Sometimes the cymbal/snare drum part overpowers the other parts and sounds mechanical. I found myself wondering how it would sound without it.

22. cscl - Kuhlau Sonatina Op. 55, No. 2, I-II

You seem to have the notes learned well. What needs work (as you probably know) is the rhythm, especially in the first movement. Have you tried practicing it with the metronome set at the slowest tempo you need? Once you can do that, then it's easier to build it up to the correct tempo. Any rubato, ritardandi, accelerandi, etc., is the next layer to work on once you have the foundation of a steady sense of the beat. Good luck with the recital.

23. Schubertian - Hungarian Melody (D817)

Nice piece and good playing. I'm not sure about this, but maybe the left hand could be lighter, or not as present, or maybe just more playful.

24. kawaigirl1 - Like the wind

You are so musical. I always enjoy listening to you play.

25. Carl Mc - Piano Sonata No. 14 OP 27/2 1st Mvt (Moonlight Sonata)

Very nice. RE the tempo: Perhaps it could even be faster; it tends to get bogged down. The triplets should just flow, in general with more emphasis on the first of each triplet. I noticed when you have the dotted rhythm in the right hand against the triplets in the left, you distort the tempo quite a bit in an effort to fit the short note in at the end of the beat. Also, always bring out the melody more than the triplet accompaniment, even in the places where the triplets come to the fore.

26. Triryche (Rich) - In God's Hands

It sounds like you've made a good start with this piece. Good rhythm and balance between melody and accompaniment.

27. Jazzwee - Autumn Leaves - Rhythmic Play

I like your rhythmic variations with this. (I think agree with you about the electric piano, though.)

28. Frotz (Brian) - Notturno (Op.54 No.4)

Nice piece and playing. It's hard to tell because of variations in recording level and so on, but I sense that you could get more tone out of the piano. There's quite a difference between your sound in the soft passages and in the louder ones. (Easy to say, harder to do, of course.)

29. Monica K. - Quel Che Resta

Good job! (And thanks for all the work you do in putting this recital together.)

30. Copper - Air

This might win the prize for the shortest recording . . .

31. jotur/Cathy Turner - Sentimental Journey

I bet the seniors love this one . . . good rhythm and feel for the music.

32. Eighty8 - The Summer Knows

Very nice, clean performance.

33. ten left thumbs - Clair de Lune

Nice job.

01. jazzyprof - Nocturne op.48 no.1
A thrilling performance of such beautiful piece. I'm so jealous, Chopin nocturnes are amongst my long term targets. This one sounds challenging but nevertheless you tamed the beast and had it under your control all through.

02. dannylux / Mel - Bersagliera
I always set high expectations on your contributions having admired your last performances. Once again you did not disappointed me.

03. epf - Prelude No. 16 in Db Major
I suggest to rename the forum (Is it the first the first time this topic comes around?) You are kidding me, you are pros!.
You played it as beautiful as it gets. Another amazing performance this one of yours. You played it like it was a simple piece; of course it's not ---an obvious a signal of your talent.

04. Ode2Joy - Piano Sonata in C, K330 Andante cantabile (2nd movement)
I like the sound of your piano --- Jealous again.
An expressive performance with remarkable control of the the dynamics.
Hey! Was I the guy with only 12 months of experience under my belt? I think so, but my ears have accompanied me far longer and your recording speaks clearly about focused training on subtle details.

05. Ken. - German Dance in A Major, WoO.13, No. 11
Playing this must be a brain splitter indeed. I must go under the same treatment, sounds like beneficial.
This piece looks like challenging for a beginner like me. Very well done, you took advantage of those months indeed.

06. Mr Super-Hunky - Cristofori's Dream
A really obedient piano. Have you threatened it? Or was it present when you had a talk with the red dot?
Amazing as always. Keep redeeming yourself, the efforts pay off and we all take advantage of the results.

07. TrueBeginner - Autumn River
You have plenty of music in your heart. Have you had pain in your chest lately?
Splendid job, let alone the additional merit of having less than 2 years of experience. Keep up the good work.

08. Peyton - Nocturne in Bflat Minor Op.9.1
Thank's for the extra bonus of the youtube video. I always enjoy watching you, feels like the ocean is a bit smaller.
My favorite nocturne. Awesome control of the music under your fingers.

09. Sam Smith - Song Without Words, Opus 19/4
That UX1 sounds beautifully. This performance tells me to keep up practicing so as to some day perhaps play like that. Great contribution.

10. kokomo61 - Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13 Adagio Cantabile
Sensitive touch, you let the music speak.

TTigg - you can imply peanut butter and mayonnaise is less than desirable and you eat peanut butter and ketchup!?!?!!!

Car Mc - thanks. My brother the pro wanted to know if the end was a trill or just a nervous tic I don't really have the skill for those yet. We got the tail end of your snow down here at the southern end of the Rockies -

Cathy

LOL!



Just got done with the driveway!

Peyton,
Where the plains meet the mountains in Colorado...just west of Denver.

Piano Again,

Thanks for the comments. They are appreciated.



Is this @ measure 60?
Thxs

A big BRAVO to all of the recital participants!!

Your efforts are so inspiring.

Thanks again,

Jim

ps. a special bravo to tenleftthumbs for his clair de lune, on which I am still stuck at bar 18. Your playing was magnificent and I hope to play it half as well some day.

01. jazzyprof - Nocturne op.48 no.1 Absolutely beautiful playing!

02. dannylux / Mel - Bersagliera Really nice piece played lovely.

03. epf - Prelude No. 16 in Db MajorReally great job! I just bought the Vandall Complete preludes because of your posts extolling this wonderful collection. I'm looking forward to learning some of them. Thanks!

04. Ode2Joy - Piano Sonata in C, K330 Andante cantabile (2nd movement) I too am happy to hear some Mozart. Very nice playing and touch. Perfect Sunday morning listening.

05. Ken. - German Dance in A Major, WoO.13, No. 11 What a fun piece (and a short dance :D) Very nicely done.

06. Mr Super-Hunky - Cristofori's Dream Well, just marvelous! I may have to take up some Lanz, Einaudi, et al. Very beautiful playing makes others want to do the same. (And no editing, yea!) BTW where's a good place to start w/Lanz?

07. TrueBeginner - Autumn River I think you really evoked the feeling of Autumn - I'm in awe of your ability to compose such a lovely piece!

08. Peyton - Nocturne in Bflat Minor Op.9.1 This is in my top 2 of Chopin's nocturnes. I hope someday to be able to play it as beautifully as you have. A joy to hear!

09. Sam Smith - Song Without Words, Opus 19/4 Very enjoyable - did'nt notice the bench creaks. (Mine bench was MUCH worse-my first recordings were drowned out by it, but I finally fixed the bench..now for my playing..well, that's another thing altogether!

10. kokomo61 - Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13 Adagio CantabileThis is one of my hubby's favorites and on my short list - good job! (Hey I was a JT student, too. Didn't make it past 3rd grade book tho).

More after lunch-this is so much fun!

Where? See #47

JF

He's either a 17th century Italian who is credited with inventing his dream (our treasure) the pianoforte - and thus, this piece is Lanz's loving tribute to him;

Or he's a cast member of Cirque du Soleil who undertakes a one-of-a-kind physically demanding, death-defying, gymnastics routine on a high wire while in a dream-like state.

I can't remember which

JF

65. Jordy - A Brighter Day What a beautiful piece, and nicely interpreted. Congratulations on your composition.

60. Larry Larson - atmosphere Nice work, both compositionally and in the playing.

55. Musictuary - In the Groove Oh wow! How cool! The notes on the page are never enough to make a piece swing, but you have the style for this. Wonderful!

50. GregF - Sleepig Through September I love the interpretation. Your time with Pop Pian Pro makes you sound like a pro. Great job.

45. joangolfing - Italian Concerto The tempo works for me. I think we can often hear things in a piece at a different tempo that we would otherwise miss. I think you'll enjoy this as a long-term project. Nicely done, and a great ending.

40. CMohr - Mazurka Wonderful! Wish I could play ornaments as you do.

34. pianonewb - God on the Mountain My old-home music. Great syncopation and feel for this music.

29. Monica K. Nice bringing out the melody over the fills and bass. Takes a good ear and technique.

24. kawaigirl - Like the wind Nice piece, singingly played.

19. Bunneh - Premiere Gymnopedie I've liked every Satie I've heard and you did a good job on this. I think you are right about the difficulty. Fast pieces can sometimes hide a lot of flaws, but on this you have to be there. Well done.

14. Kalail/Chris - Leo O Kapo Nice to have an up-tempo piece. Got my foot moving right off the bat Terrific that you did that by ear.

09. Sam Smith - Song Without Words This was wonderful. It moved just right, and the dynamics and phrasing were really sensitive.

04. Ode2Joy - Piano Sonata (psst - what's a potsticker?) I was hooked from the first few notes. I, too, like Mozart. Lovely, quietly cheerful playing. A baby bear piece - just right

Hope everyone has picked up their medals, either from Copper or from DragonPianoPlayer. They are well-deserved.

Cathy

No, this is Mr. Super-hunky

Cathy

Here's my first batch of comments:

01. jazzyprof - Nocturne op.48 no.1 Very nicely played. You maintained the tempo throughout in spite of some places where that is difficult due to the tricky fingering. I enjoyed this very much.

02. dannylux / Mel - Bersagliera This was really exciting to listen to. Beautiful playing, good control of the whole piece.

03. epf - Prelude No. 16 in Db Major Hey, not bad!

04. Ode2Joy - Piano Sonata in C, K330 Andante cantabile (2nd movement) You displayed a nice, delicate touch in this piece which will allow you to bring out the singing (cantabile) in the piece. Well done!

05. Ken. - German Dance in A Major, WoO.13, No. 11 Very upbeat and bouncy, just as this dance should be. Nice job!

06. Mr Super-Hunky - Cristofori's Dream Boy that M&H sounds good! Your playing isn't bad either Nicely done.

07. TrueBeginner - Autumn River This is very easy to listen to. Nicely played.

08. Peyton - Nocturne in Bflat Minor Op.9.1 Very good! There seems to be a little too much pedal for my taste, but this was well played. I really enjoyed it.

09. Sam Smith - Song Without Words, Opus 19/4 Didn't hear the piano bench and I'm very disappointed. On the other hand, you really did a great job of making this piece sing.

10. kokomo61 - Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13 Adagio Cantabile In general this was well played. A couple of things I noticed as I listened were a few problems with hand synchronization (notes not played at the same time) and a drifting of the tempo that seemed to be related to the complexity of the fingering. There are some dynamics that were pretty much ignored, but that could have been in the recording and not your playing. Thanks for submitting this in spite of your computer problems! Hope everything is getting back to normal by now.

More to follow...

Ed

b]11. flyingfroggy - Nocturne #20 in C# minor (posth.)[/b] I've never heard this one - what a delight! Any wrong notes or hesitatons were certainly not noticed by me. Well done!

12. Glen R. - Waltz (Op. 39, No. 15) Wow! Really nice work on a lovely waltz. The pace was perfect.

13. HomeInMyShoes (HIMS, Homey, Home, Aaron) - Trois Gnossiennes What a nice job you've done. I thoroughly enjoyed them! You really have a nice touch. #3 is my favorite.

14. Kalai1/Chris - Leo O Kapo (voice of the night) Very nice! I bet there are some people here who would love to play this if you have it written out.

15. Mar_red - Stranger in Paradise & Love Letters (medley) I really enjoyed your medley. The whole thing made me smile - well done and nice take on the two!

16. Sandy Moore - Hills of Purple Heather Beautiful piece! Very nice touch - I'm sure your brotherr will enjoy it as much, if not more, than we all have!

17. b528nf7 (Bill) - Layla Very cool! I envy you being able to sing and play at the same time. It sounds a little more honky-tonk piano than harpsichord until the ending, but it worked well. Great classic tune.

18. Todd Vance - Sonatina (Clementi, Op. 56 No. 3) Wow, very nice! Just 9 months?! I really enjoyed this - good trilling, too.

19. Bunneh - Premi�re Gymnop�die I got the goosebumps listening to your piece! This was really, really wonderful!

20. salzdt - Kupelwieser Waltz Another very nice entry! I wasn't familiar with this piece and will have to look into it. Thanks!

21. Riddler (Ed) - Easy Living Very cool!! I want to dance the slow dance-very romantic. Oh, too be able to play so smoothly....(sigh.)

More in a while...

35. Jillian - Morning Prelude

Jillian thanks for braving the red dot and joining our recital. Good job

36. Always Wanted to Play Piano - Sonatina Op.36 No.1 in C major - 1: Spritoso
Well done...we definitly have a duet in the making!

37. mahlzeit - "Up" Theme

Mahlzeit
It seemed you were enjoying playing this as much as I enjoyed listening.

38. 1WeekPlayer - Minuet in F major BWV Anh 113 (Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach)

I did like it, good control.

39. Piano Again - Prelude and Fugue in C sharp major, Well-Tempered Clavier Book I

Not familiar with this piece, boy is it fast, but sounded right on to me. Thanks for submitting- I enjoyed your performance!

40. CMohr - Mazurka op.67 no. 3

CMohr good job of braving the red dot and getting your Chopin piece submitted. Very nice- and hope you get that zoom soon!

John Frank -I'm ready & willing to give Lanz a go. Is your piece from a particular book or just a sheet? I gotta have more info
CMOHR

22. cscl - Kuhlau Sonatina Op. 55, No. 2, I-II Sounded really good to me - I think you have a really nice touch for the sonatina! The King rules!

23. Schubertian - Hungarian Melody (D817) I liked this piece alot! I don't think it sounded "frantic". Your playing fit the piece.

24. kawaigirl1 - Like the wind Absolutely lovely playing of a lovely piece!

25. Carl Mc - Piano Sonata No. 14 OP 27/2 1st Mvt (Moonlight Sonata) Wow! Very nice! This is such a rewarding piece to play-I hope you feel this. I appreciate your pace also, many play this way too fast and lose the whole point. Bravo!

26. Triryche (Rich) - In God's Hands I think the "new age" pieces are pulling me over to their side! Very beautiful playing!

27. Jazzwee - Autumn Leaves - Rhythmic Play Piano or electric piano 2 - AWESOME! One take - that's amazing as is your playing - I've listened to many of your posts and I thoroughly enjoy them all!

28. Frotz (Brian) - Notturno (Op.54 No.4) I'm a big Grieg fan. I've listened to this piece a couple times and I think you really did it justice (especially w/some little interuptions)! Great concentration!

29. Monica K. - Quel Che Resta Wow! Flying fingers and always so smooth! Another wonderful entry from you.( I'm a little worried...my hubby's been watching you on YouTube..so it looks like I'm going to have to add some,as I said to Mr. SH & Triryche, new age pieces to my learning...!)

30. Copper - Air Really nice - short & sweet! Nevertheless, very well played & enjoyable.

31. jotur/Cathy Turner - Sentimental Journey You don't know how many memories flooded into my head when I heard this! Very nicely played, nice & jaunty!! (A big aside here...when I read your info on this piece I got all goosebumpy - I have this same book "34 Hit Parade Extras"! Does yours have a pink & black cover? Mine was also my Mom's book and she used to play Sentimental Journey all the time when I was a kid. My book still has the price sticker-$1.50-TOO MUCH!)

Here's my second batch of comments:

11. flyingfroggy - Nocturne #20 in C# minor (posth.) This was well done. I thought I heard a couple of synchronization problems with the right hand. A couple of wrong notes and the few hesitations were also noted. Overall, though, this was well done. Thanks for submitting it!

12. Glen R. - Waltz (Op. 39, No. 15) I liked the way you played this -- a nice touch and the pedal seemed to be well used.

13. HomeInMyShoes (HIMS, Homey, Home, Aaron) - Trois Gnossiennes Very nice! Good touch and very gently played.

14. Kalai1/Chris - Leo O Kapo (voice of the night) Well, obviously I can't comment on the accuracy to the score. This was interesting with dynamics that helped to move the piece along. Sounds good!

15. Mar_red - Stranger in Paradise & Love Letters (medley) Very interesting. I'd actually call these variations on a theme. Nicely done!

16. Sandy Moore - Hills of Purple Heather Beautiful! You have a very nice touch and this is well phrased.

17. b528nf7 (Bill) - Layla Interesting! The harpsichord is an strange choice for an Eric Clapton piece, but it really does work well here.

18. Todd Vance - Sonatina (Clementi, Op. 56 No. 3) Well played! Your touch here was nearly perfect for Clementi. You might want to make it a bit "bouncier" to give it a bit more life.

19. Bunneh - Premi�re Gymnop�die You are correct that in this piece every single note needs to be played with clarity to make it sound right. In general you did really well on this. The one suggestion I would make deals with the left hand pattern of chords -- the F# seems to get lost sometimes. It may be you are backing off because of the inherent strength of the thumb. Other than that the notation on this piece will sometimes indicate that the right hand plays pp -- but this is really just an indication to keep the hands equally soft will still making the right hand melody sing. Just something to think about. Was denkst du?

20. salzdt - Kupelwieser Waltz Very nice effort! Remember this is a waltz, there needs to be a waltz feel to it.

And still more to follow...

Ed

I've been listening to the online streaming player most of the afternoon - and you have all blown me away! I picked out a few to comment on, mostly because I either knew the ABF member or was curious about the piece. But really, I loved each and every one of the pieces in this recital.

06. Mr Super Hunky - I actually stopped the streaming player to listen to your "Christofori's Dream" a second time. Beautiful!!!

07. True Beginner - Your "Autumn River" is such a pretty, peaceful piece. I love it!

12. Glen R - you did great for your first pedal piece. Another really pretty piece!

35. Jillian - Wow! Super job, Jillian! I have that book. I will look up that piece to play it myself.

36. Jillian's Dad (AW2PP) - you did a super job yourself. I've downloaded that piece, but I can see that it's way beyond me right now. It sounds like a fun one to learn, so I will try it out from time to time.

47. John Frank - I'm really liking the David Lanz pieces in this recital. Your "Leaves on the Seine" was very well played.

57. ddh - I first heard "Polish Roads" last year also, and I really loved it. You played it really well too.

58. Serge - "Greensleeves" is one of my favorites. I'm working on the Alfred AIO Book 1 version right now, but I loved hearing you play David Nevue's version.

Well, it seems like I've picked out mostly soft, pretty, peaceful pieces - I guess I'm in a soft and peaceful mood today. Great job everyone!
_________________________
mom3gram


Alfred's Adult All-in-one Level 1
Currently working on:

"Stranger"
"Greensleeves"
"Scarborough Fair"
"Raisins and Almonds"

Mine no longer has the cover. Another piece I particularly like from this book is Sweethear of Sigma Chi. Talk about a schmaltzy piece It's fun to play thru all these oldies but goodies -

Cathy

08. Peyton - Nocturne in Bflat Minor Op.9.1 Very nice piece Peyton, you performed it with great emotion which comes through. Very enjoyable to listen to.

11. flyingfroggy - Nocturne #20 in C# minor (posth.) Wow, what a beautiful pice. Your playing was very accurate as well as relaxed. Everything flowed very nicely. Well done.

13. HomeInMyShoes (HIMS, Homey, Home, Aaron) - Trois Gnossiennes Interesting piece performed very well. I loved the added emphasis put in certain sections and your playing is VERY clean.

14. Kalai1/Chris - Leo O Kapo (voice of the night) Another unique, well performed piece. I love the sound of this piece.

19. Bunneh - Premi�re Gymnop�die One of my all time favorite pieces which sounded great.

24. kawaigirl1 - Like the wind Boy I am SO glad to see your name back on the roster. Such a beautiful performance of a beautiful piece. Welcome back.

25. Carl Mc - Piano Sonata No. 14 OP 27/2 1st Mvt (Moonlight Sonata) Very impressive Carl. Sounds like you put a lot of practice time into this piece as it sounds wonderful. Nice job.

26. Triryche (Rich) - In God's Hands Wow Rich, that was really nice. Very soothing and relaxing and performed perfectly. One of my recital favorites. No kidding!

29. Monica K. - Quel Che Resta Einaudi is always one of my top favorites and once again youperformed his piece beautifully. Always a pleasure to hear you play.

31. jotur/Cathy Turner - Sentimental Journey This piece is so nice it's almost like cheating! Not to worry though as you did a great job with it.

37. mahlzeit - "Up" Theme I've noticed you have a knack for choosing very nice pieces. Nice job with this one. Your playing has definitely been improved quite a bit. Quite noticeably. Keep it up.

#11. Flyingfroggy... Another favorite Chopin nocturne of mine. Nicely played. I like that you used no pedal at the beginning (wish I had known that when I recorded it). The only suggestion I might make would be to honor the ppp marking at measure 19 and the sotto voce on 23. I think it needs to be pretty soft. Great playing. Thanks.

#7. true Beginner... You just get better and better. What a nice feel you put into this piece. what a nice little tune!

#9. Sam Smith... Played well and with great feeling! I didn't hear one creak.

#6. Mr. Super-Hunky. Man, I BET your nerves are shot. Not an easy piece. But you pulled it off!!

#13.. Homeinmyshoes... man there is nothing I hate more than someone massacring Satie. I LOVE Satie!! Obviously you do to. You gave it just the right amount of "mysterious dreamy". I really enjoyed listening.

#29. Monica... wow, that was different from the slow dreamy ones you play so often. Very cool!

#37. mahlzeit... I always enjoy not only your playing but your selections as well.

#48 well I learned something... I never knew that was the name of that piece. I also never realized what a fun piece it is. Or maybe it's just the way you played it...

Comments, part two.

Note: I made longer comments only when I thought I could offer something useful.

34. pianonewb - God on the Mountain

Nice performance. (RE robe and underwear: maybe TMI )

35. Jillian - Morning Prelude

Very good!

36. Always Wanted to Play Piano - Sonatina Op.36 No.1 in C major - 1: Spritoso

Very good for a first try at classical music.

37. mahlzeit - "Up" Theme

Nice job on the transcribing and playing.

38. 1WeekPlayer - Minuet in F major BWV Anh 113 (Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach)

Good job. One thing to work on is keeping the rhythm more steady; when you have those measures of triplet, play them in the same tempo as the rest of the piece.

40. CMohr - Mazurka op.67 no. 3

I thought this sounded nice. You have made a good start in learning how to play Chopin.

41. grotrianer - La plus que lente

This doesn't sound all that easy to me, either. Very nice playing.

42. Andy Mann - Manndrew - Time On My Hands

Nice playing with strong rhythm, and you bring out the melody very well. (I don't think of Keith Jarrett as being this simple. . .?)

43. Yamaha G3 & P-80 Mike White - Military Polonaise Op 40. No. 1

You managed to play this quite well, above your level or not!

44. Euan Morrison - I'm Going to Make a Cake

I like Glass, too. This is an appealing performance -- you capture the feeling of his music well.

45. joangolfing - Italian Concerto (Presto movement)

It's good that you're being careful to play all the notes correctly. Just curious about how you've been practicing this. One thing I've found helpful in trying to get something faster is to first break it down into small sections and then just dive in and try each small section up to tempo. Sometimes I can only do this one hand at a time. You may be surprised that you actually know it better than you think. Slow practice is an excellent thing, but it's also important to at least get the feel of how it will go at the correct tempo. Good luck with it.

46. bluekeys - Invention #4

Very good! Keep at learning the inventions -- they are a great way to build your technique.

47. John Frank - Leaves on the Seine

It sounds like you're enjoying playing and expressing yourself.

48. TX-Dennis (Dennis Turner) - Suicide Is Painless

This sounds pretty good to me -- I didn't hear any problems.

49. Undone - Theme from �The Unfinished Symphony�

The arrangement leaves out quite a bit, but you played it musically.

51. ShiroKuro - While the Trees Sleep

I'm glad you were able to start playing the piano again. You have a nice feel for it and an artistic approach.

Another batch of comments:

21. Riddler (Ed) - Easy Living Your pieces always have such a nice sound to them. This is really relaxing jazz that feels very bluesy. I liked it!

22. cscl - Kuhlau Sonatina Op. 55, No. 2, I-II Well played -- a couple of tiny slips but nothing that takes away from the quality of your playing.

23. Schubertian - Hungarian Melody (D817) Excellent! The liveliness of this piece really comes out in your playing. The piano sounds good too!

24. kawaigirl1 - Like the wind Welcome back to the recitals, I've missed your playing! BTW, "ars" in Latin means "art" -- glad you got your art in gear! I don't know this piece but I really liked it.

25. Carl Mc - Piano Sonata No. 14 OP 27/2 1st Mvt (Moonlight Sonata) Mostly my comments will be in the "things to work on category" but I'll start by saying this was good. The most obvious thing is tempo -- you have a tendency to slow down in places and, overall, to slow from beginning to end. It's slight but it's there. The second area is dynamics. You played this pretty much at a common level, yet the piece does have numerous variations that help to bring out the beauty of this passage. Finally, you do a really good job of letting your little finger bring out the melody throughout most of the piece. Consider bringing out just a bit more. Thanks for submitting this, I did enjoy listening to it (in fact, listened several times).

26. Triryche (Rich) - In God's Hands This is another piece I don't know. As a result, I have no idea if it is accurately played or not. Still, it seems confidently played with a nice touch.

27. Jazzwee - Autumn Leaves - Rhythmic Play Interesting rendition. The 3 against 4 works well here. I, too, would have liked to hear this with a piano sound...

28. Frotz (Brian) - Notturno (Op.54 No.4) Nice job. You captured the nocturne feeling beautifully as well as bring out the lyricism that is found in Grieg's music. Good job!

29. Monica K. - Quel Che Resta Hmmm... I've always understood scorrevole to mean "flowing" or "glissando" -- I think that's even faster than you implied. As I watched your video I was struck by how nicely you shape your right hand, but seem to drop the wrist on the left. Have you noticed this? BTW, I had to comment on something since I don't know the piece and can't comment on how accurately you played it.

30. Copper - Air I enjoy playing pieces by Purcell. They have an interesting challenge behind their simple looking score! Well done!


And still more to come later...

Ed

Great job, everyone! There are so many tranquil and expressive pieces in this recital. Congratulations on sharing your music with everyone here. I thoroughly enjoyed all your pieces! Here are just a few things that stood out to me.

Ode2Joy: I'm a huge Mozart fan too! I love the pureness and elegance of his music. You can get more cantabile out of the piece by really making sure to bring out the melody over the accompaniment. Also, you have to remember that the piano decrescendos on every note. When you have a longer sustained note, you have to make sure that the following note matches the end of the note, not the beginning. That will help you get a very even and singing tone. Also, imagine the melody being played by a melodic instrument such as the violin or flute. Remember too that singers need to breathe!

Mar_red: Wow! You did such a great job with your semi-improv number. That'll be my goal for next summer: learn to improvise and play by lead sheets.

Monica: Great job getting that piece up to speed! I noticed that you have a lot of "alternating" repeated notes and such in your left hand. You can make playing those a LOT easier if you rotate your wrist back and forth while playing them instead of using only your fingers. Using your arms more while playing will also result in a more flowing sound and give more shaping to your phrases.

Piano Again: I'm really loving your Bach Prelude and Fugue. I've only played one Bach P&F before...and I remember learning that you're not a pianist until you've played the WTC and all the Beethoven sonatas (I've only played one of those, too!) It really makes me want to go and dig out my WTC...too bad I have too much rep on my plate already. I took a look at your blog and I can relate to your post about being an amateur musician. My parents wanted me to major in music but I decided against it for many of the reasons that you listed there (in addition to my lack of talent and dislike of performance).

01 jazzyprof - Nocturne op.48 no.1, Chopin

Although I cannot play it worth a darn, I love this piece. You played it beautifully with feeling and a great touch. What a magnificent way to begin the recital!

02 dannylux/Mel - Bersagliera, Manuel M. Ponce

Another astonishing performance of a pretty darned difficult (sounidng) piece. I've never heard this before. It sounds quite difficult to play well. Bravo!

03 epf - Prelude No. 16 in Db Major, Robert D. Vandall

Ed, I wasn't familiar with this piece. Now I want to play it. Your performance brought tears to my eyes. Beautiful indeed!

04 Ode2Joy - Piano Sonata in C, K330 Andante cantabile (2nd movement), Mozart

Beautiful piece. Your best shot at it is quite pretty. A very enjoyable and moving performance. Mmm mmm, I loves me some cantaloupe!

05 Ken. - German Dance in A Major, WoO.13, No. 11, Beethoven

Nice job, Ken. I agree, this piece is much more difficult than it sounds. You played it beautifully.

06 Mr Super-Hunky - Cristofori's Dream, David Lanz

Beautiful job! No, that's not good enough - MAGNIFICENT!! There, that's better. All 9 pages sound wonderful. This is a tough piece ot play. Consider yourself redeemed. By the way, you have the best sounding instrument thus far in the recital, too. You may want to tighten up that squeaky bench, though.

07 TrueBeginner - Autumn River, T. Beginner

Nice playing. I admire your composition. It is quite nice.

08 Peyton - Nocturne in B flat Minor Op.9.1, Chopin

This is a lovely piece, and your playing is well suited to it. Beautiful job (skipped measure and all). I can certainly relate to losing one's place in the music. A moving performance.

09 Sam Smith - Song Without Words Opus 19/4, Mendelssohn

Beautiful playing, Sam. I've always loved this piece, and your interpretation is spot on.

10 kokomo61 - Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13 Adagio Cantabile, Beethoven
Wow, another of my favorite classical pieces! I always tend to play the left hand too loudly on this piece. you did not succumb to that difficulty. Beautiful job. I enjoyed listening!

More in a bit . . .

01. jazzyprof - Nocturne op.48 no.1
Wow, those chords are very full. This was not an easy piece, but you did it justice.

02. dannylux / Mel - Bersagliera
Mel, this one really moves. A fun piece. Thanks for bringing this unknown piece to us

03. epf - Prelude No. 16 in Db Major
Very pretty indeed and touchingly played.

04. Ode2Joy - Piano Sonata in C, K330 Andante cantabile (2nd movement)
I agree with you on Mozart--. I could definitely hear some singing in there, I do think your �cantabile� is coming along very nicely. I like the darker middle section best.

05. Ken. - German Dance in A Major, WoO.13, No. 11
This is a fun piece. You played it very cleanly with nice attention to the rhythmic evenness so important in a dance.

06. Mr Super-Hunky - Cristofori's Dream
You�ve inspired me to go back and clean up some of my not-too-proud moments. Congratulations on living the dream! This was a very clean performance!

07. TrueBeginner - Autumn River
Sounds like something you could sing to your son or daughter. Does it have words? Very sweet piece.

08. Peyton - Nocturne in Bflat Minor Op.9.1
I love this piece, but I have no idea how to do those ornaments the way you do. The whole piece is one long sigh. Heavenly. I especially liked watching the video.

09. Sam Smith - Song Without Words, Opus 19/4
I enjoyed your rendition of this very stately and regal piece.

10. kokomo61 - Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13 Adagio Cantabile
Such a pretty melody, which you bring out very well.

11. flyingfroggy - Nocturne #20 in C# minor (posth.)
Oh, this is so lovely. You play it with such a melancholy feeling. I love it.

12. Glen R. - Waltz (Op. 39, No. 15)
Played so sweetly and feelingly, I really enjoyed the simplicity of this familiar melody.

13. HomeInMyShoes (HIMS, Homey, Home, Aaron) - Trois Gnossiennes Love the dark and mysterious quality of these pieces. I�ve heard a few people play Satie�now I�m going to have to put these on the list. The second one is particularly weird and wonderful. I notice the you take the rhythm much more freely in this piece as well. Thanks for an enjoyable listen.

14. Kalai1/Chris - Leo O Kapo (voice of the night)
I think you�ve captured the new age feel very well in this piece. I�ll leave more detailed comments to those who are more familiar with the style (and there are many here). I�ll just say that I enjoyed your performance.

15. Mar_red - Stranger in Paradise & Love Letters (medley) I love these old classics. You do an especially nice job of preserving the beautiful old melodies in your interpretation. I agree with you about the jazz scat. How fun is that?

16. Sandy Moore - Hills of Purple Heather
This is a different song than I thought it was going to be, but equally as fine.

17. b528nf7 (Bill) - Layla
Nice accompaniment to a rock n roll classic. Great sense of rhythm�so important!

18. Todd Vance - Sonatina (Clementi, Op. 56 No. 3)
This is quite a project. I don�t really know Clementi, but the regular cadences are somehow quite reassuring. You played very cleanly. I noticed some slight tempo variations between the sections. I suppose that can�t be helped when you are working with so many parts. Thanks for sharing this.

19. Bunneh - Premi�re Gymnop�die
This is a slower and more weighty reading of this piece than I have heard before. You played it quite well. Interesting how the same piece can sound so different in different hands. Keep up the good work.

20. salzdt - Kupelwieser Waltz
Welcome to the recital. This is a pretty, stately waltz. You do a nice job of bringing out the melody in the left hand. That can be very tricky.

21. Riddler (Ed) - Easy Living
This song is new to me, but I enjoy your take on it. Some yummy chord voicings in there. Nice solo work too!

22. cscl - Kuhlau Sonatina Op. 55, No. 2, I-II
Another confident and clean performance. Love the scale at the end.

23. Schubertian - Hungarian Melody (D817)
Ooh, I really like this piece. Your playing has nice movement and balance to it. Very nice rhythmic bounce.

24. kawaigirl1 - Like the wind
So pretty. Nice to have you back.

25. Carl Mc - Piano Sonata No. 14 OP 27/2 1st Mvt (Moonlight Sonata)
Ah, I love this piece. Can�t thing of too much to suggest�you�re doing a nice job of bringing out the melody, which is so important here. I did notice a few hestitations in rhythm the main theme, but I wasn�t sure if you were doing this for effect or not. If not, you could try running through it a few times with a metronome to hear the steady beat before opening yourself up to a looser rubato. Just my 2 cents, but it sounds enjoyable as is too. Very pretty.

26. Triryche (Rich) - In God's Hands
Dreamy new age. I find this music good for letting my mind go where it wants. Very relaxing. I needed that.

27. Jazzwee - Autumn Leaves - Rhythmic Play
This was fun. Thanks for describing the rhythmic pattern. I enjoyed trying to piece it together. Learned something too. Kinda bee boppy.

28. Frotz (Brian) - Notturno (Op.54 No.4)
My fellow Grieg fan. Love the family chiming in! Great job keeping your concentration. I always think of bird song when I hear this piece. Great job.

29. Monica K. - Quel Che Resta
I keep thinking the title translation should be �no rest for the weary.� ☺ Nice job on this. And BTW the Q3 sounds great. I have those Lean Cuisines for lunch all the time too.

30. Copper - Air
Leave �em wanting more, eh? You did a great job on this melodic piece.

31. jotur/Cathy Turner - Sentimental Journey
One of my favorites�this is more upbeat than the version I play, but many of the voicings and the baseline seem similar. The mark of classic�good in so many ways. Love it sistah.

32. Eighty8 - The Summer Knows
Wow, this takes me back. I have a version of this in a book called something like �Sensational 70 from the 70s.� Nice job with this pretty arrangement. Don�t you love those crunchy chords?

33. ten left thumbs - Clair de Lune
I thought you�d have more company on this piece given the recent entrance in it here at ABF. I think you�ve done a great job with the notes. My only suggestion was to be a little more generous with the pedal to create that sort of dreamy Debussy sound. It may be difficult to do on a digital�not sure about that. Anyway, I haven�t even got the notes down, so what do I know? I enjoyed this.

34. pianonewb - God on the Mountain
Neat performance of a song that is new to me. Of course now I have an image of you in your robe and, you know, stuck in my head! Maybe we should start saying what we�re wearing instead of what we had for lunch. Not!

35. Jillian - Morning Prelude
Hey Jillian, nice job on the pedal here. Welcome to the recital. This would be a hard piece to sing, wouldn�t it with the sort of weird melody. You did a great job with it.


36. Always Wanted to Play Piano - Sonatina Op.36 No.1 in C major - 1: Spritoso
The beginning of this sprightly piece always reminds me a little of Reveille. I thought you did a nice job, especially with the scale runs.

37. mahlzeit - "Up" Theme
It certainly sounds like you spent a lot more time on this than one afternoon! I had forgotten about this pretty piece from the movie until I heard your recording, so thanks for bringing it back for me.
Like those grace notes especially�adds a little sophistication to the simplicity of the tune.

38. 1WeekPlayer - Minuet in F major BWV Anh 113 (Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach)
You settled into a nice steady rhythm. A slight suggestion: I wonder if you could bring out the right hand over the left a little bit�it�s so much more interesting�would love to hear more of it.

39. Piano Again - Prelude and Fugue in C sharp major, Well-Tempered Clavier Book I (to do)
Wow! That Prelude really moves! Your patterns are so even and rock solid. I really enjoyed this. You must have worked it hard to get it to sound so effortlessness. I admire your musicianship. I find Bach difficult to play musically. You apparently do not. Brava!

11 flyingfroggy - Nocturne #20 in C# minor (posth.), Chopin.

I am really enjoying the recital tonight. This is, I believe, my favorite of Chopin's nocturnes. Very well played. Thank you.

12 Glen R. - Waltz (Op. 39, No. 15), Brahms

Short and sweet. Very well played.

13 HomeInMyShoes - Trois Gnossiennes, Erik Satie

I favor the first one, myself. Your favorite is my least favorite of them. That said, they are all quite beautiful. I enjoyed your interpretations of all three. Beautiful!

14 Kalai1/Chris - Leo O Kapo (Voice of the Night), Chris Allen

Chris, whether you "know what you're doing" or not, I like the results. Your piece is beautiful. I wish I could write like that. Well played, too.

15 Mar_red - Stranger in Paradise & Love Letters (medley), R.Wright & G.Forrest / V. Young

I'm glad you couldn't decide. They are both lovely. I like your interpretation of Love Letters the best. Wonderful job! That scat voice is quite fun.

16 Sandy Moore - Hills of Purple Heather, Martha Mier

The piece certainly sounds Scottish. Well done!

17 b528nf7 (Bill) - Layla, Eric Clapton/Jim Gordon

Bill, I love it! I grew up listening to EC and saw him in concert a couple of times. Layla is, of course, one of my favorites. I agree, that harpsichord voice really works for the solo. Fabulous!

18 Todd Vance - Sonatina (Clementi, Op. 56 No. 3), Clementi

Ahhh . . . my favorite of Clementi's beautifully played. I love it! What more is there to say?

19 Bunneh - Premi�re Gymnop�die, Erik Satie

Although, the Gymnopedies are not my favorites, you have played this one really nicely. Tackling a grade 8 piece after only 15 months - amazing. Playing it well - priceless! A lovely performance!

20 salzdt - Kupelwieser Waltz, Schubert

Some how I've missed hearing this one before. Very nice piece, and quite a beautiful job on it.

More tomorrow . . .

I�d like to thank everyone who made this recital happen, both the organizers and all of the participants. I haven�t listed to every performance yet, but here are a few comments:

02. dannylux / Mel - Bersagliera I always look forward to your recital contribution because I know it will be a wonderful piece that I have never heard before. You played this beautiful piece with so much confidence! Great job, as always.

03. epf - Prelude No. 16 in Db Major This is a very pretty piece. I enjoyed listening.

06. Mr Super-Hunky - Cristofori's Dream I love this piece, and you did a fabulous job. Did I hear a couple of hunky-style improvisations?

08. Peyton - Nocturne in Bflat Minor Op.9.1 You did a great job with my favorite Chopin nocturne. I especially enjoyed your interpretation of the B section---nice rubato.

39. Piano Again - Prelude and Fugue in C sharp major, Well-Tempered Clavier Book I Wow, I�m very impressed that you can play at that tempo so accurately. Nicely done.

40. CMohr - Mazurka op.67 no. 3 Nice and lively! Very enjoyable.

46. bluekeys - Invention #4 Very nice even tempo, well done! I admire your ambition to learn all of the inventions!

54. MaryBee - Reverie I love this Debussy piece; it is on my �to learn� list. You played it very nicely. My only suggestion would be to make the right hand triplets more even in measures 5 and 21, where you are playing against 4 eighth notes in the left hand. Overall, beautifully done.

57. ddh - Daniel - Polskie Drogi (Polish Roads) This is such a pretty piece, and you did a wonderful job. I enjoyed listening!

58. Serge88 - Greensleeves Wow, I just loved both the arrangement and your playing. Fabulous job!

61. TTigg / Steve C - Glasgow Love Theme Very nice piece and played with feeling. Well done!

64. Mark... - Sarabande I am impressed that you have only been working on this piece for 2-3 weeks. Very nice!

66. AnthonyB - Exit I�m not familiar with this particular Einaudi piece. You played it with nice dynamics and feeling, and made it sound effortless!

Thanks for the critics and hints. I promise to post a youtube video with an improved version. The recording took place in a really busy month with lots of intereferences from my job and family responsabilities. I don't mention it as an apology, (don't want to sound too serious) since I consider that the recording reflects in a faithful manner my current skills, but as a confirmation that those weaknesses had been formerly addressed by my teacher and progress is being made in order to correct them. I knew it was not perfect but I was already committed to improve it an publish a video with a better interpretation later since I had no time for further improvements at that time.

I keep on listening to the rest of the pieces, great performances! Thanks for the recital again.

07. TrueBeginner - Autumn River

Our resident "Einaudi" strkes again! Lovely piece well played. Because you're a composer you are - and always will be - a step ahead of the rest of us - I raise my glass to your (and all) creativity!

08. Peyton - Nocturne in Bflat Minor Op.9.1

Adroitly played - great touch and loads of feeling - while I'm not a major fan of the somewhat somber Nocturnes, this was an especially enjoyable listen (as is just about everything else you do, pianistically speaking).

09. Sam Smith - Song Without Words, Opus 19/4

Isn't this the famous "Regrets" piece or am I confusing this with another of the "Songs"? Nicely done Sam And as long as your bones don't creak...

More to follow...

JF

CMohr - FYI (and that of others) here's a brief listing of sources from sheetmusicplus.com (as you will see there are many others avaiable):

I used the following book for my Recital piece (this contains the works of other New Age composers such as Wayne Gratz, Michael Jones & Kostia):

Narada Easy New Age Piano Sampler (Level 4 - Intermediate)

Some other sources dedicated just to David are:

The Ultimate David Lanz Collection - Easy Piano (Level 2 - Late Beginner)

Solos for New Age Piano (Level 6 - Late Intermediate)


To hear David's wonderful performance of his own outstanding compositions get this CD (there are a number of other good ones):

Love Songs

Hope this helps

JF

@John Frank: Sam's was Confidence, Regrets is op. 19, no. 2.

Some more comments. I am slowly getting through them.

16. Sandy Moore - Hills of Purple Heather
A very pretty piece and very nicely played.

35. Jillian - Morning Prelude
It's morning here, the sun not even up on the horizon yet. What a nice way to start the day. Nicely controlled on the pedal.

64. Mark... - Sarabande
Doesn't really sound like such a short time on the piece. The Estonia sounds really nice as well.

10. kokomo61 - Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13 Adagio Cantabile
I love this movement. Nice job brining out the melody. Hoping your hardware woes are behind you.

57. ddh - Daniel - Polskie Drogi (Polish Roads)
I really liked this. Mmm...pancakes.

17. b528nf7 (Bill) - Layla
I always enjoy your performances. I wasn't sure when you switched to the harpsichord, but you could hear your enjoyment and it was infectious. Nice

50. GregF - Sleeping Through September
That was very pretty.

42. Andy Mann - Manndrew - Time On My Hands
Lots of great stuff in here. I might have to look for these transcriptions.

54. MaryBee - Reverie
That was seriously nice. I'm pretty unfamiliar with Debussy's works outside of CDL and the Girl with the Flaxen Hair, but it sounded wonderful.

56. rustyfingers - Elves' Dance - Elverdans (Alfedanse) - Elfentanz, Lyric Pieces, Op. 12 No. 4.
That was delightful. Love the dynamics and the pace.

26. Triryche (Rich) - In God's Hands
Very flowing. Really great stuff for only three and a half years.

Thanks Monica and all that helped put this together.

Somehow my playlist got scrambled and I don�t know how to put it in order again, so my comments won�t be sequential. I plan to listen to a piece, comment, and then practice for 5 minutes, listen, practice, etc.

33. ten left thumbs - Clair de Lune Nicely done. I gave up on this one, but plan to give it another go next year.

36. Always Wanted to Play Piano - Sonatina Op.36 No.1 in C major - 1: Spritoso It is one of my favorites that I had played before, your performance has inspired me to play this one again. Thanks.

37. mahlzeit - "Up" Theme You nailed it. Really solid waltz feel.

39. Piano Again - Prelude and Fugue in C sharp major, Well-Tempered Clavier Book I Good job on a difficult piece.

40. CMohr - Mazurka op.67 no. 3 Nicely done.

I was out of town for a wedding and got back last night, so I just started listening to the submissions. I downloaded them all to my iPod (is that allowed?), which makes listening that much more enjoyable. (BTW, it would be nice if the information for all the submissions was in a single file, so it would be easy to print out and not have to sit at your computer and page through the entries as you're listening.)

But now for the gushing:

Wow! I am so impressed with all the performances I've heard so far. I love hearing all the different styles of playing and listening to music that I might not ever have listened to otherwise. It is so cool to know that these pieces are all from people with real lives and jobs and responsibilities and other interests, but who love playing the piano enough to put in the effort it took to do this.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing your performances!

Starting off with the new age/contemporary pieces:

06 � Mr_Super-Hunky: Oh, I have such good memories of you and this piece from our long-distance �duet� years ago. You did a good job way back then, but your recital piece this time shows just how much progress you�ve made in your playing (and sight-reading!) abilities. You make all those octaves sound easy. And even though you�re playing the score, the inimitable super-hunky style still manages to break through. This is one of my favorites of the recital.

07 � True Beginner:A while back Ed Weiss started a thread on how it was possible to make beautiful music using only two chords, and your composition is further proof of that assertion. Very nice!

14 � Kalai1: I was impressed when I first heard this piece, but that was before I read Chris�s description that he is entirely self-taught. This is a beautiful and complex piece. I look forward to hearing a lot more from you.

16 � Sandy Moore: I�m including Martha Mier in this category, as she�s certainly contemporary, and many of her pieces have a definite new age flair. Great job on a delicate, pretty melody, Sandy, and how touching for you to learn this for your brother in law.

24 � Kawaigirl: It just doesn�t seem like recital time without one of your flawless and beautiful recordings, Kawaigirl! I think this is one of Lanier�s prettiest pieces.

26 � Triryche: I�m always happy to hear a Nevue piece in the recital, and you did a fantastic job on what I know is not at all an easy piece.

37 � Mahlzeit: It sure didn�t SOUND like a rushed piece! I like your arrangement; it captures well the jaunty atmosphere of the movie.

44 � Euan: I love Phillip Glass, too, for the same reasons. Those deep bass notes sound wonderful, and after contorting myself silly in �Metamorphosis I� (which is infinitely easier than the piece you�re playing here), I know just how hard it is to hit those without interrupting the flow of the rest of the piece. Fantastic performance!

47 � JohnFrank: You know, JohnFrank, it�s a documented fact that many people who start out playing David Lanz eventually record Einaudi pieces. Just sayin.� This is one of my favorite Lanz pieces, and hearing your recording makes me want to move that one up in my �to be learned� pile.

50 � GregF:The more of I hear from the Pop Piano Pro book, the more I like it. Very nice melody, nicely played.

51 � ShiroKuro: This really is like a recital reunion, with ShiroKuro back as well as Kawaigirl. This is a stunning recording, Shiro; I don�t know if Nevue himself could�ve played it any better. Yours is another candidate for my own personal �Best Of� recital nominations.

53 � Mati: All I can say is that your �not really a girlfriend� was a fool not to be, especially after receiving a Valentine�s Day present like your beautiful recording. I loved the part toward the end where there is a big crescendo with the octaves.

58 � Serge88: This is one of my all-time favorite Nevue pieces, and probably one of my all-time favorite arrangements to play, period. You do a great job of playing the bridge section with a delicate touch... I have the bad tendency of speeding up way too much there.

60 � Larry Larson: Is this really the first AB forum you�ve submitted to?! I really like your compositions, Larry, and this one is no exception. I�m not convinced �atmosphere� is the most descriptive title for it, though.

61 � Ttigg: It�s Craig Armstrong, isn�t it? Not David? I�ve got his �Piano Works� album that this is on, and just love it. You played this one well and made me want to add it to my sheet music pile.

65 � Jordy: Glad we were able to get your mp3 conversion problems worked out, Jordy, because it would have been a shame not to have your recording in the recital. A very pretty composition well-played!

66 - AnthonyB: I couldn�t think of a better piece to end the recital on. You have a real gift for playing Einaudi�s music.

I hope I didn't leave any other new age pieces out. With luck I hope to get to some of the others later today or tomorrow, work schedule permitting.

21 Riddler (Ed) - Easy Living, Ralph Rainger & Leo Robin

I have missed hearing this song before for some reason. I listened to a good deal of jazz during my formative years and even played a little in my trumpet days, but this song is "new" to me. How could I have missed such a beautiful piece? I am really enjoying your version. OT - I looked the piece up on wikipedia and followed a link to a place called jazzstandards.com. I had no idea the site existed. It contains a wealth of information about the many jazz standards. Have a look if you haven't already. Great job. Now I want ot learn this one.

22 cscl - Kuhlau Sonatina Op. 55, No. 2, I-II, Friedrich Kuhlau

I have heard this but never played it. A beautiful piece well played. Yes, there were a couple of rough spots, but there always are when I play anything. I love your dynamics on the piece and the sound of your piano.

23 Schubertian - Hungarian Melody (D817), Schubert

You may naturally hate your recording, but it sounds wonderful to me. I have always admired the piece which is out of reach for me technically. You played it beautifully. I enjoyed listening.

24 kawaigirl1 - Like the wind, Stanton Lanier

This is another gorgeous piece of music that is new to me. I haven't heard of Lanier before, but now I want to find out more. Your touch on it is wonderful. Beautiful job! OT - Crud, sheetmusicplus has nothing from Stanton Lanier - they have Gary, Sidney, and a couple of others, but no Stanton.

25 Carl Mc -Piano Sonata No. 14 OP 27/2 1st Mvt (Moonlight Sonata), Beethoven

Everyone loves this one. You have captured the essence of Moonlight with this performance. Great job. The stumbles, which I did not hear by the way, probably come about from taking it at the slightly faster pace than you are accustomed to. Very nice job on the dynamics. I believe the key to this one is its majestic dynamics.

26 Tryriche (Rich) - In God's Hands, David Nevue

The piece is new to me. Thanks for sharing it. A beautiful piece that sounds rather challenging to play well. You say this isn't the complete piece, and I want to hear the rest. Well played with just the right touch.

27 Jazzwee - Autumn Leaves Rhythmic play

I love Autumn Leaves, and I love the fact that I can still hear the original through your improv. I am not a big fan of the more esoteric jazz wherein the melody is unrecognizable. Throughout your piece I knew what the tune was even when you veered from it dramatically. That three on four sounds great, and I know it takes tremendous concentration to do that. Great job! I like the electric piano voice for this one.

28 Frotz (Brian) - Notturno (Op.54 No.4), Grieg

This is a devilishly difficult piece to play. I actually think the very young voice crying "Daddy!" during one of the more dramatic sections adds to the piece. Beautiful job on a difficult piece.

29 Monica K - Quel Che Resta, Ludovico Einaudi

It's good that you had Italian for lunch. I think it helped you with the Italian piece. Seriously, this sounds difficult in the extreme. I only wish I could play that. I'd tie my fingers up in knots just trying. Beautiful as always with wonderful dynamics.

30 Copper - Air, Henry Purcell

That's a short but beautiful piece. You played it well with good dynamics and a nice touch.

31 jotur/Cathy Turner - Sentimental Journey, Bud Green, Les Brown, Ben Homer

Nice one, Cathy. I always enjoy this song. Once many years ago, Les Brown came to town, and I got to hear his orchestra play this live. What a wonderful experience that was. Nice job!

32 Eighty8 - The Summer Knows, Michel Legrand

I don't think Legrand ever wrote anything that isn't beautiful (and challenging). Beautiful!

More in a bit . . .

epf, frozenicicles: Thank you both for the comments on my video! epf, you're right that 'scorrevole' means 'glissando-ish' and 'flowing.' Either way it's too freakin' fast for me, though I have a better shot at the flowing than I do the glissandoing. And you picked up on my nasty low wrist problem. I'm guessing that when I get around to starting formal lessons, that will be #1 on the list of technique issues to be addressed.

frozenicicles, proper wrist rotation will be #2 on that list. I know intellectually that wrist rotation is the key to making arpeggios smooth and even. It's something I concentrate (and do a better job at) on when I'm playing a slower piece, but I will admit to finding it hard to do on such a fast piece. I'll keep working on it, though.

Many thanks to the e-cital organizers for another successful venue, and for providing the motivational force to get through red dot-itis once again.

I feel most comfortable commenting on the classical genre, so here goes. Usually I just ask questions or lurk on background of the forums.


01. jazzyprof - Nocturne op.48 no.1
Beautifully played. I really love how the bass comes through, both from how you carried it and the tone from you piano.

02. dannylux / Mel - Bersagliera
I really enjoyed this piece. It sounds very challenging indeed to bring out the RH staccato, but you did a terrific job.

03. epf - Prelude No. 16 in Db Major
Hello fellow SoCal neighbor. Very lyrical prelude and played beautifully. Nicely done. I love French toast with warm maple syrup…

As an aside, is it really difficult to synchronize the flip video with the wav file coming from your zoom? I’ve tried once or twice using iMovie but with no success ☹ Any tips would be appreciated.


05. Ken. - German Dance in A Major, WoO.13, No. 11
Nice touch and dynamics throughout a sweet piece. Great job Ken.

06. Mr Super-Hunky - Cristofori's Dream
Great job on a very soothing and dreamy piece. I have to admit that I’m not very familiar with pieces from the New Age genre though. 9 pages and no edits, from memory to boot. Impressive!

07. TrueBeginner - Autumn River
Sweet original tune and played beautifully

08. Peyton - Nocturne in Bflat Minor Op.9.1
I always enjoy your playing, and your performance of this nocturne is quite beautiful. The RH must have been quite challenging to keep “singing” especially with all the trills, but you did an excellent job.

09. Sam Smith - Song Without Words, Opus 19/4
I love this piece and I enjoyed your playing very much. Nice touch and good dynamics.
For this piece, my teacher told me “to lean on the top notes of RH” so that the melody can really come through. The other thing she told me to be careful on is the descending eighth notes that is the melody in the opening phrase ((m2-3 starting at beat 3) and at the end of the piece (m27-28 starting at beat 3).

10. kokomo61 - Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13 Adagio Cantabile[/b
Another one of my favorites! I enjoyed your performance and your tempo is just right. Sorry to hear about your hard drive troubles, especially since it’s a Mac. I’m glad you were able to recover a good percentage.

[b]11. flyingfroggy - Nocturne #20 in C# minor (posth.) (to do)
Nice touch and a lovely rendition of Chopin.

12. Glen R. - Waltz (Op. 39, No. 15)
Great touch carrying the melody. I really enjoyed this.

13. HomeInMyShoes (HIMS, Homey, Home, Aaron) - Trois Gnossiennes
Very expressive and sensitive. I’m not that familiar with Satie. Thank you for sharing.

18. Todd Vance - Sonatina (Clementi, Op. 56 No. 3)
Nicely played. Good dynamics and good control throughout.

19. Bunneh - Première Gymnopédie
Wonderful playing, especially for just 15 months! Very expressive, although my personal preference would be a tad faster.

20. salzdt - Kupelwieser Waltz
Really lovely playing. Congratulations on your first e-cital and on a touching performance!

21. Riddler (Ed) - Easy Living
Hey Ed, I really love your submissions. Real nice swingin’ rendition.


22. cscl - Kuhlau Sonatina Op. 55, No. 2, I-II
Very enjoyable, good tempo and control. Red dot is a good warm up to the real live recital. Best of luck – you’ll be terrific for sure!

23. Schubertian - Hungarian Melody (D817)
Very lively and spirited piece. Great playing w/LH staccato.

25. Carl Mc - Piano Sonata No. 14 OP 27/2 1st Mvt (Moonlight Sonata)
Nice playing and very expressive. Although I have not learned this piece, I would say that the LH needs to be subtler at places, and have bigger differences in your dynamics for more emphasis in your phrases.

27. Jazzwee - Autumn Leaves - Rhythmic Play
I like your rhythm interpretation of this great piece. Very enjoyable.


28. Frotz (Brian) - Notturno (Op.54 No.4)
Beautiful nocturne, beautifully played! Lovely rendition in bringing out the melody. And getting those trills in, very nicely indeed!!

29. Monica K. - Quel Che Resta
Great performance and great control throughout. I can see how challenging it must be to not let the tempo runaway.

31. jotur/Cathy Turner - Sentimental Journey
Well done on a real foot-tappin’ melody. I really enjoyed it.

PS: Potstickers are meat and veggie filled Chinese dumplings. Think perogi or ravioli. Can’t say that I’ve mixed PB&mayo for a salad dressing, although I’ve put the peanut sauce from satay over a salad before ☺

33. ten left thumbs - Clair de Lune
Wonderful balance, nice touch and great expression. I really enjoy Debussy’s music, but am intimidated by it.

35. Jillian - Morning Prelude
Great job!

36. Always Wanted to Play Piano - Sonatina Op.36 No.1 in C major - 1: Spritoso
Good dynamics and nice playing.

37. mahlzeit - "Up" Theme
Super job! You transcribed and played it by ear in just under 3 days???!?? Nicely done. I really liked the melody when I saw the movie.

38. 1WeekPlayer - Minuet in F major BWV Anh 113 (Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach)
Good balance and nice performance.

39. Piano Again - Prelude and Fugue in C sharp major, Well-Tempered Clavier Book I
Great Bach performance! IN the prelude, you bring out the melody very nicely and in the fugue, the voices are distinct. Kudos to a job well done.

40. CMohr - Mazurka op.67 no. 3
I really enjoyed your Mazurka performance, and just enough rubato. I envision dancers spinning and twirling away on the dance floor.

41. grotrianer - La plus que lente
Very lovely performance. You bring out the LH syncopation quite nicely and I love tone of the resonating bass from your piano.

42. Andy Mann - Manndrew - Time On My Hands
Great jazzy piece indeed. And your playing was absolutely wonderful. I really enjoyed it.


43. Yamaha G3 & P-80 Mike White - Military Polonaise Op 40. No. 1
Chopin is no easy feat and you did a good job with this polonaise.

45. joangolfing - Italian Concerto (Presto movement)
Another great Bach performance. Lovely expression and phrasing throughout. I really enjoyed your piece.

46. bluekeys - Invention #4
Great articulation of the 2 voices, and that long trill was no easy feat. Well done! This is on my teacher’s list for me learn. Our teachers must have us on the same tract – remember that recital when we both submitted #8? ☺

47. John Frank - Leaves on the Seine
Nice melody with an airy and dreamy quality to it. Must have been challenging to memorize. Played it very well. I’m not familiar with Lanz or this genre of music. Thanks for sharing.

48. TX-Dennis (Dennis Turner) - Suicide Is Painless
The theme from M.A.S.H.! Nice playing indeed.

49. Undone - Theme from “The Unfinished Symphony”
Very nice. Good dynamics and phrasing.

52. EJR (Elwyn) - "Ich ruf', zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ" [I call on Thee, Lord] BWV 639
Melancholy and melodic. I really enjoyed your performance.

54. MaryBee - Reverie
Lovely playing, with a nice touch to convey the dreamy feel of the piece.

55. Musictuary - In The Groove (to do)
I really enjoyed your playing of this nice jazzy piece.

56. rustyfingers - Elves' Dance - Elverdans (Alfedanse) - Elfentanz, Lyric Pieces, Op. 12 No. 4.
Great dynamics and expression. I can imagine the little elves prancing around. Lovely playing.

59. LisztAddict - Praeludium BWV 999 in C minor
Nice articulation and holding the melody line. Great job!

61. TTigg / Steve C - Glasgow Love Theme
Beautifully played.

62. steveMac - Prelude Op. 28 No. 7
Great performance, especially for only 6 months. Keep up the good work.

63. DragonPianoPlayer - Prelude in E Minor (Op 28 No 4)
Nicely played. I would try to bring out the melody more, and let your LH play more like a murmur.

64. Mark... - Sarabande
Beautiful piece and you played it very well. Nice job.

65. Jordy - A Brighter Day
Very nice melody. Well done.

66. AnthonyB - Exit
Soothing melody and nicely played AnthonyB.


Congratulations once again to everyone’s submission and performance. I really enjoyed it. Hoping my immunity is developing for the next bout with red dot-itis and the next e-cital ☺

It was hard for me. It eventually got easier when I discovered that there was a button I could click on that would expand or contract the audio waveform displays. (In MovieMaker, it's one of those little magnifying glass icons with a plus and minus sign on it; I'm guessing iMovie would have a similar button but I don't know what it looks like.) Once I stretched the Flip and the H4 waveforms out, it was a lot easier to line them up so that the peaks matched. It still took a little trial and error.

Thank you to Mark, Ttig, Peyton, Johnfrank, pianoagain, 1weekplayer, cmohr,
Jotur, epf, frosenicicles, txdennis and rustyfingers for your comments.

@pianoagain: mmmm, only tried singing in the shower, as the din of the water will mask the awful, off key humming ;-) I will try humming in my head instead.

@Frozenicicles: good point re:note decrescendos. I will pay more attention and try to incorporate that.

Thanks to all for listening.

33 ten left thumbs - Clair de Lune, Debussy

Yes, this piece is truly beautiful. The best you can do is quite good. The dynamics of this piece are quite challenging. you did a great job.

34 pianonewb - God on the Mountain, The McKamey's

I didn't recognize the title, but after the first few bars I knew this one was familiar. Great job. Your voice sounds well suited for Southern gospel and perhaps for bluegrass as well. I enjoyed listening.

35 Jillian - Evening Prelude, Bastien

Jillian, you played this very nicely. My son, who is nearly 7, is working in the Bastien book as well, but he's not as far along as you are. Great job!

36 Always Wanted To Play Piano - Sonatina Op.36 No.1 in C major - 1: Spritoso, Clementi

Great job! Yes, some difficulties with tempo in a place or two, but overall well done.

37 mahlzeit - Up Theme, Michael Giacchino

That's a beautiful arrangement, mahlzeit. You always play tremendously well. I want to hear you sing again, though. I haven't seen the movie, but my son says he wants it. I guess I'll have to buy him the DVD to add to his collection. I usually make copies, and put the originals away since he tends to be a bit rough on his movies.

38 1WeekPlayer - Minuet in F major BWV Anh 113 (Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach)

This is really nice, and it's truly amazing considering that you have only been playing for a year.

39 Piano Again - Prelude and Fugue in C sharp major, Well-Tempered Clavier Book I, Bach

This is way out of my reach. You played it beautifully.

40 CMohr - Mazurka op.67 no. 3, Chopin

Yes, this is a beautiful mazurka, and you did a great job with it.

41 grotrianer - La plus que lente, Debussy

One man's disaster is another's dream, so to speak. Your interpretation of the piece is beautiful and musical. Your dynamics and the sound of your piano are divine. I failed to comprehend the disaster you mention. That's more than "a bit of music."

42 Andy Mann - Manndrew - Time On My Hands, Vincent Youmans: Melody, Harold Adamson: Lyrics

I agree, Jarrett tends to take the standards a bit more straightforward than his other music. I found, much to my surprise, that I could sight read most of his Over The Rainbow transcription - if I simplify a few chords that require a larger reach than mine. There are a few tricky bits that elude me, though. I haven't tried this one, but it is beautiful and sounds almost playable. Wonderful job!

43 Yamaha G3 & P-80 Mike White - Military Polonaise Op 40. No. 1, Chopin

It doesn't sound over your head, Mike. You played it beautifully. I once played a simplified arrangement of this, and even that was quite the challenge. I enjoyed listening.

44 Euan Morrison - I'm Going to Make a Cake, Philip Glass

I clicked on what I thought was the link for the music and sat back, thinking, well . . . where's the music. It took a moment before I realized I had clicked the link for your photos instead. The piece sounds challenging. It is quite beautiful, and I am not usually a Glass fan. Your touch and dynamics on the piece are strikingly beautiful.

More in a bit . . .

As usually, huge thanks to all the people behind the scenes that make the recitals run so smoothly. And of course Frank!! THANKS!!

And a general “Thanks for Sharing!!” to everybody.

And a special thanks to all the first time submitters and/or players with a year or less under their belt. We all know how scary it can be for some to share their playing, even if under the veil of anonymity.

[Brief disclaimer: I apologize for receptiveness of my comments, it’s difficult when commenting on so many pieces.]

In blocks of 5...

01. jazzyprof - Nocturne op.48 no.1 Well Done!! What a great way to start the recital. One of these years I hope to tackle a Chopin Piece. Is it just me, or is there a bit of irony in jazzypro submitting Chopin!!??

02. dannylux / Mel - Bersagliera How cool is that to have such a special piece of music?? Well played!! These type of pieces I put in my category of : Some day I hope to have the technical abilities to pull this off!!

03. epf - Prelude No. 16 in Db Major Nicely played!! I can totally see why you fell in love with this. It almost sounds like it could be a young love story.

04. Ode2Joy - Piano Sonata in C, K330 Andante cantabile (2nd movement) I don’t know too much about this type of music, but it sounds like you pulled off the “cantabile” just fine to me. Nicely done!!

05. Ken. - German Dance in A Major, WoO.13, No. 11 Well played Ken!! I know how difficult it is to have your hands play different dynamics while trying to keep the touch spinning out of control. Sounds like you nailed it to me!!

45 joangolfing - Italian Concerto (Presto movement), Bach

While you certainly do not play it presto, you've got the notes and the feel for it. I would never be able to play this anywhere near the correct tempo no matter how many years I tried, so I will not criticize you for that. For presto, I read satanically, impossibly fast. Evil, evil Bach. Okay, I know, he wasn't evil just amazingly gifted. Nice touch.

46 bluekeys - Invention #4, Bach

Another very difficult Bach piece (aren't they all). The trill you are concerned about sounded wonderful to me. Great job!

47 John Frank - Leaves on the Seine, David Lanz

This arrangement doesn't sound terribly simplified. You have most assuredly captured the beauty and emotional essence that is this piece. I know what you mean about notes demanding to be played. In my case, though, they are usually "clinkers." Your memory is most definitely better than mine. I suffer from CRS when it comes to piano music.

48 Some Goofball from Texas - Suicide is Painless, Mike Altman & Johnny Mandel

Four clinkers in a piece this short - oh, the shame!

49 Undone - Theme from The Unfinished Symphony, Schubert

Nice job, Undone. I enjoyed that.

50 GregF - Sleeping Through September, Peter Friesen

I haven't heard this one before. It's quite beautiful. I'm not hearing the audio problems. Perhaps it is in your playback setup rather than in the recording? Very nice job!

51 ShiroKuro - While The Trees Sleep, David Nevue

We seem to be on a sleep theme, now. I've missed your participation in the past couple of recitals. Your playing is always wonderful. This is no exception. A beautiful, peaceful piece played with just the right touch.

52 EJR (Elwyn) - "Ich ruf', zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ" [I call on Thee, Lord] BWV 639, Bach-Busoni

I think I've heard this prelude played most often on pipe organ at church. The piano transcription is majestic and moving as well. Wonderful performance!

53 Mateusz 'Mati' Papiernik - Tooi hi no Kizuato, Takumi Masanori

Very enjoyable little piece. Your pain comes through in the music. Passion and sorrow are inexorably linked, Mati. One cannot feel true sorrow unless he has loved.

54 MaryBee - Reverie, Debussy

Your love for the piece shines through your playing, MaryBee. Beautiful job with great dynamics and a wonderful touch. Give your teacher a hug. She or he deserves one.

55 Musictuary - In The Groove, Mike Cornick

I didn't recognize the composer's name, but I certainly recognize the tune. Nice job!

More later . . .

What a great set of recordings in this recital...

Here's my first set of comments...

01. jazzyprof - Nocturne op.48 no.1

Wow! Moody, dark, brooding and emotional. What a way to start this recital. Excellent.

02. dannylux / Mel - Bersagliera

<a very jaunty, energetic piece, with a little Baroque feel to it.>

Sums it up beautifully! You nailed this piece and I enjoyed it very much.

03. epf - Prelude No. 16 in Db Major

Beautifully played. Wonderful! What a pretty piece. I’ve not heard of this composer before and can see why you fell for this piece.
Your playing was perfect.

04. Ode2Joy - Piano Sonata in C, K330 Andante cantabile (2nd movement)

Very well played.

05. Ken. - German Dance in A Major, WoO.13, No. 11

You did a great job on this piece.

06. Mr Super-Hunky - Cristofori's Dream

Awesome! I loved it! A great professional performance Mr S-H. It sounds like you were having a great time.

07. TrueBeginner - Autumn River

Less than 2 years and your own composition? Incredible! Well done.

08. Peyton - Nocturne in Bflat Minor Op.9.1

Wonderful. You ‘owned’ it…

09. Sam Smith - Song Without Words, Opus 19/4

Very enjoyable!

10. kokomo61 - Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13 Adagio Cantabile

Forget about the problems with your Mac, this was a very enjoyable recording, and Beethoven Sonatas are a tough!

11. flyingfroggy - Nocturne #20 in C# minor (posth.)

A great performance. Very enjoyable. I loved the clarity of your runs and passage work and the way the piece worked as an integrated and cohesive whole.

12. Glen R. - Waltz (Op. 39, No. 15)

Well done! I think you are showing progress after just six months of lessons.

13. HomeInMyShoes (HIMS, Homey, Home, Aaron) - Trois Gnossiennes

I love Satie and you did a great job on all these pieces!

14. Kalai1/Chris - Leo O Kapo (voice of the night)

Self composed and very well played you have considerable talent. Keep at it!

15. Mar_red - Stranger in Paradise & Love Letters (medley)

You clearly had a great time doing this medley and it was fun to listen to.

16. Sandy Moore - Hills of Purple Heather

Very enjoyable…

17. b528nf7 (Bill) - Layla

I enjoyed this a lot! A sort of Bourbon soaked, Smokey bar version. At the start you sound a lot like Tom Waits.

18. Todd Vance - Sonatina (Clementi, Op. 56 No. 3)

A clear, crisp and accurate performance which suited Clementi very well.

19. Bunneh - Première Gymnopédie

For supposedly ‘simple’ pieces, the Gymnopedie require very accurate playing and careful phrasing. You did a very good job. Was Satie the first “New Age” composer?

20. salzdt - Kupelwieser Waltz

Good job!

21. Riddler (Ed) - Easy Living

Ah.. so not the Uriah Heep song! I enjoyed this, it really put a smile on my face! Who was playing the double bass <g>?

22. cscl - Kuhlau Sonatina Op. 55, No. 2, I-II

Nice precise playing. This was very enjoyable.

23. Schubertian - Hungarian Melody (D817)

A nice jaunty fun piece new to me. You played it very well. Until the ending it sounds a bit like an accompaniment to a silent movie…

24. kawaigirl1 - Like the wind

Very professional and very well played.

25. Carl Mc - Piano Sonata No. 14 OP 27/2 1st Mvt (Moonlight Sonata)

Very well done. The Schimmel sounds great and suits this piece perfectly. You raise an interesting point about finding the right tempo. I always find it interesting to look at pieces in iTunes shop and sort by the time of the track. There’s always a huge spread.


26. Triryche (Rich) - In God's Hands

Divine!

27. Jazzwee - Autumn Leaves - Rhythmic Play

Cool!

28. Frotz (Brian) - Notturno (Op.54 No.4)

I enjoyed this very much and the …

<< family interruptions remain>>

They suit it!


29. Monica K. - Quel Che Resta

Another great performance Monica! Many thanks for all your hard work in supporting the forum and these recitals in particular.

30. Copper - Air

Lovely.

31. jotur/Cathy Turner - Sentimental Journey

You nailed it!
It really gets going after the intro. The weather has been horrible here today, and listening to this brought the sun out!!! Great fun!

32. Eighty8 - The Summer Knows

Very melancholic and sad, Oh..and very well played.

33. ten left thumbs - Clair de Lune

You showed great sensitivity and control in this very enjoyable performance.

Hello everyone, late to the party! But not by choice. I've been so ill since last week and just barely recovering now. So in between coughs, here's what I have so far.

46. bluekeys - Invention #4
Bluekeys, you've suddenly left us for a reason I'm still not clear on. I hope you start posting again. In any case your Bach work is certainly coming along here. Sounding really good.

47. John Frank - Leaves on the Seine
It's our Bartender John Frank! This is too formal for you Can't leave the bar unattended you know. Nice playing here and quite enjoyable. I see you playing with the dynamics so I really liked hearing those contrasts. When you build up your technical skills, shoot for even more dynamic contrasts. It will sound really cool.

48. TX-Dennis (Dennis Turner) - Suicide Is Painless
Dennis, first of all the arrangement is great. I think you did great here. The little flubs are easily solved and generally non-noticeable. I think that rhythmically this is not easy. Just because it's a popular tune doesn't make it so. It's very easy to get lost in the time here because of the syncopations. So a big kudos to you!

49. Undone - Theme from “The Unfinished Symphony”
Good work Undone especially for something rhythmically challenging like this. Not bad at all for a couple of years of playing.

50. GregF - Sleeping Through September
Well played GregF. If you want to bring it up a notch. Make the melody sound louder than the rest of the harmony. I think you can do it technically, this is probably just an awareness thing. Think of the melody as a dynamic level higher.

51. ShiroKuro - While the Trees Sleep
Good job ShiroKuro. It sounded pretty good. Maybe shoot for more variations in dynamics for more pizzazz

52. EJR (Elwyn) - "Ich ruf', zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ" [I call on Thee, Lord] BWV 639
I really liked your tone control Elwyn. The chords are so well balanced. I can't believe this is pianoteq. It sounds like a real piano!

53. Mateusz 'Mati' Papiernik - Tooi hi no Kizuato
Sounds great Mati. I bet if you recorded this again you'd sound even better. Very enjoyable.

54. MaryBee - Reverie
Very nice MaryBee. You played this rather well. Are you saying you have been self-taught for 40 years?

55. Musictuary - In The Groove
Of course I liked it automatically, being that it's jazz. On top of that you played it well with a good swing feel. Except you recorded it on one channel...Great job!

56. rustyfingers - Elves' Dance - Elverdans (Alfedanse) - Elfentanz, Lyric Pieces, Op. 12 No. 4.
Was that really in a church? You can hear a nice background reverb to highlight a very well played piece. Well done Rusty!

57. ddh - Daniel - Polskie Drogi (Polish Roads)
Very pretty playing there Daniel. I really enjoyed that! Doing nicely for 3 years.

58. Serge88 - Greensleeves
Serge, a very nice rendition of Greensleeves! I hear great improvement in your playing. Great work.

59. LisztAddict - Praeludium BWV 999 in C minor
ListzAddict, beautiful playing. Very controlled used of pedal never felt outside of appropriate (in fact if you didn't tell me I'd probably not have initially noticed).

60. Larry Larson - atmosphere
Nice composition Larry. Very dramatic. If this directly from a Baldwin, how do you have so much reverb? How did you do that?

61. TTigg / Steve C - Glasgow Love Theme
Very good Steve! Just a little over a year and such great product. You're off to good things here just like the last recital.


62. steveMac - Prelude Op. 28 No. 7
Not bad for 6 months steveMac. Great beginnings here.


63. DragonPianoPlayer - Prelude in E Minor (Op 28 No 4)
Dragon, good job on this. A little pedal work would have brought it to a higher level with not much extra effort.

64. Mark... - Sarabande
Nice tune Mark! Sarabande is a tune played in jazz so I had to listen to a version I had on my Itunes today and sure enough, it's the same thing (my conception of the original coming only from you). I had no idea who the original composer was until you started your thread. Thanks for bringing it up.

65. Jordy - A Brighter Day
What pretty playing here! Such a balanced tone and a melody that stands out. Great job.


66. AnthonyB - Exit
Wow - Anthony that was amazing. It was so well played that I actually did a double take. You certainly did justice to Einaudi here. And your time was very good.

32. Eighty8 - The Summer KnowsI just love this! Played with feeling - well done!

33. ten left thumbs - Clair de Lune Well, I'm really jealous of how well you played this piece so many of us are working on! Very nice job keeping the melody above all the rest of ALL those other notes! For me, it's one of the hardest things to do. Great job on the rolls, too. (those 10 left thumbs are pretty agile :D)

34. pianonewb - God on the Mountain Really nice job! I was just waiting for the choir to join in!

35. Jillian - Morning PreludeWelcome to the recital! Very well done! I think anyone who's parent is a member here should join in the "recital fun". Congrats!

36. Always Wanted to Play Piano - Sonatina Op.36 No.1 in C major - 1: Spritoso Nice! Sounded somewhat modern to me. Very enjoyable. (and that's a GOOD stretch!)

37. mahlzeit - "Up" ThemeWow, really cool that you did all the work on this charming piece in so short a time! Enjoyed listening to this immensely! Well done!

38. 1WeekPlayer - Minuet in F major BWV Anh 113 (Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach) Good job! Another charming piece played very well.

39. Piano Again - Prelude and Fugue in C sharp major, Well-Tempered Clavier Book I Holy cow! Wonderful! I have great admiration for anyone who plays Bach this well. I think you brought out both hands perfectly.

41. grotrianer - La plus que lente

Thank you for the insight to the piece. I am a fan of Debussy so this was particularly delightful.
Thank you for this most excellent recording on a wonderful sounding piano.
But most of all thank you for the performance!

42. Andy Mann - Manndrew - Time On My Hands

Not familiar with this one, but enjoyed your playing this very pleasant piece, you seem to have it well in hand.

43. Yamaha G3 & P-80 Mike White
I think this is well within your level. Nice projection of the intended dynamic.

44. Euan Morrison - I'm Going to Make a Cake

Euan, I was looking forward to this one, I think it is a great piece. Beautiful performance, (applause).
OBTW, A rose by any of name....

45. joangolfing - Italian Concerto (Presto movement)
It is accomplishment to find the end of this one. Good job.
When I heard the first page turn I thought- your music had just fallen to the floor - and you did not miss a beat!

46. bluekeys - Invention #4
Good job bluekeys, sounded perfect and crisp.

47. John Frank - Leaves on the Seine
JF, very nice. I think you are well connected to this piece and convey the necessary reflection and emotion, it is not a path for the young and foolish.

48. TX-Dennis (Dennis Turner) - Suicide Is Painless

We all strive for the perfect recital submission. Few, if any achieve it. So it comes down to- was it played, was it heard, was it enjoyed? Indeed, it was!

49. Undone - Theme from �The Unfinished Symphony
Good job, well played!

50 GregF - Sleeping Through September, Peter Friesen
Not familiar with this one. Thanks for the submittal I enjoyed listening.


51 ShiroKuro - While The Trees Sleep, David Nevue

Beautiful story telling in your music, a joy to listen to as well. Well played and recorded. Welcome back!

52 EJR (Elwyn) - "Ich ruf', zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ" [I call on Thee, Lord] BWV 639, Bach-Busoni

Very well done, Thank You.

53 Mateusz 'Mati' Papiernik - Tooi hi no Kizuato, Takumi Masanori
Thank you for sharing, music is a wonderful venue for emotional release. It was great!

54 MaryBee - Reverie, Debussy
Another debussy piece I aspire to. Congratulations on your accomplishment. This baby you can nourish for a lifetime- well done!

Of course (LOL) but that was many years ago, don’t think I’ve eaten them in a good 10yrs+


Thanks Jordy, I’m going to add some more pieces of his from this movie to my “pile” to get done


Thank you for the kind comments, I do love this piece (and the movie)


Thanks I'm hoping to team up with epf shortly so I can make my videos look as good as his. I will be adding the other great piano pieces from this movie to my pile very soon..


bollocks so it is.. (runs out to update YouTube!) Thanks Monica.. Yep I do love it and will add it to my everyday list now. I’m also going to tackle the other pieces PM Love Theme etc from the same movie very soon..

Piano Again - Bach Prelude and Fugue in C# major. I don't know what else to say but GOOD JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mr SH - David Lanz Cristofori's Dream. I thought I read it wrong. You really played from sheet music, and you played wonderfully. Congratulations!!! How does it feel playing from sheet music vs by ear/improvise? I hope to hear some classical pieces from you one day.

The piece of Armstrong's I *really* want to be able to play is "Leaving Paris," but it looked too daunting for me at this point.

Alright, I am back from the blood center and ready to listen to some more. Here we go.

56 rustyfingers - Elves' Dance - Elverdans (Alfedanse) - Elfentanz, Lyric Pieces, Op. 12 No. 4., Grieg

I agree, lots of Grieg's work sounds "Halloweenish." This was fun to listen to and well played.

57 ddh - Daniel - Polskie Drogi (Polish Roads), Andrzej Kurylewicz

I won't go back and compare your version to Mati's, but I will say that he couldn't possibley have played this much better than you have. Another satisfying performance. Great job, Daniel.

58 Serge88 - Greensleeves, arr. David Nevue

I really don't want to give Nevue credit for the original composition although we don't know the composer. His arrangement, though, is immensely satisfying. You played this beautifully, and you've made me want to purchase his arrangement and try to learn it.

59 LisztAddict - Praeludium BWV 999 in C minor, Bach

I always look forward to your pieces. They are always very polished and professional sounding. This is no exception. Beautiful performance, Than! By the way, I watched your youtube performance as well. I only play that well in my dreams! Fabulous!

60 Larry Larson - atmosphere, Larry Larson

Another Larson original composition. You are prolific. This is certainly atmospheric. Very nice job.

Regrettably, I am out of time for now . . .