A specific thread where I would post my compositions, arrangements and recordings and share them with everyone.

Regards,

Saul

Ocean Reflections In E major No. 1

Your music is always very soothing, Saul. I like it!

Thank you!

I have another one of these Ocean Reflection...

Performing my 'Love In the Forest' In G major for Piano...

Moonlight Sonata

Here's a performance of a well-known work. Within the bounds of artistic licence or ... well ... just terrible?

(Sorry Saul, but you DID say you didn't want criticism. And I NEVER do what I'm told.)

What my performance of the moonlight sonata has to do with anything here?

Or spamming people's threads is your hobby?

This thread is specifically to "post my compositions, arrangements and recordings and share them with everyone".

So your performance is definitely on-topic.

It was quite a serious question, actually. I recently heard a performance of the "Moonlight", by an established artiste, which seemed to me to take mannered "expressiveness" to ridiculous lengths. The underlying triplet movement (which seems to me the unifing and propelling factor of the piece) was ripped to shreds, far beyond any concept of rubato.

So I started a mini-project, collecting recordings of the piece on Spotify and comparing the performances. I found a lot of refusals to embrace the essential simplicity of the music. Some went so far as to be, IMO, laughable. But, obviously, they were acceptable in the classical piano world.

My hobby is debunking foolishness.

Well, I didn’t post this performance here, so why post it here without my permission, who gave you this right?

You have absolutely no legal right to do anything with my music or videos without my permission.

Interesting point. I didn't "do anything" with your music, of course, just mentioned that it existed on a web site that you had previously publicised. If you're ashamed of it, you know what to do. But if you present your work on a discussion forum, expect it to be discussed! You can't enforce special rules.

Note that I've expanded my previous comment.

I like your art work though!

Perhaps you have no understanding of copyrights issues, so let me inform you. You have absolutely no right whatsoever to do anything with my music or videos without my permission, get this clear. First clear up your foolishness and then preach others to do the same.

So I strongly advice you to delete the video you posted, I have not granted you any right to post it here, so delete it.

I have not posted your video. I have posted a link to your web site, http://www.musicalpaintings.net, which you publicise repeatedly in each of your messages here. If there's anything there not for public consumption, it is completely within your power to remove it.

Wanna play some more?

You posted a link to a video on my website.

I wonder who in the world gave you this right?

All the content of my website is copy righted. You have no right to use it, post it, or do anything with it without my consent. So I advice you to remove the link.

My two cents:

Exalted Wombat, you're just being combative and provocative, and I think you know it. "Debunking foolishness" is a worthwhile hobby when applied to pseudoscience and faith healers; on internet forums devoted to artistic merit it's completely counter-productive and it's just going to get you reprimanded. Saul's made it clear that he doesn't want this kind of criticism, and he's nicely complied with a request to consolidate his compositions into a single thread. Why muck up his thread with unwanted bickering?

That said, Saul: Wombat has a legal (and IMO moral) right to link to any recording he finds on the internet, especially one on youtube. If you don't want it linked to, take it down.

-J

Of course he does, I just wanted him to see that been an '$$$$ole' wont get him far with me...

Anyways, thanks for saying it like it is. I appreciate your comments.

"My hobby is debunking foolishness." Looks like you're learning how to do it for yourself! :-)

That really was a bloody awful rendition of the "Moonlight" though.

So it was a 'bloody awful rendition' hope youre satisfied now….

I’m very pleased by those who have sent me their complements in the mail.
Music lovers from all over the internet have told me that they enjoyed this performance.
A single voice in the wilderness that doesn’t like it, doesn’t make much of a difference…

Jason, one quick question... Mostly wondering and not trying to steer up any trouble.

There is some huge misunderstanding with the Internet and the findings inside it! There was a long gone saying that "anything on the internet is public domain property", which is actually wrong! The idea is that when you enter something on the net you have little to no control on it. Makes sense. Can I stop anyone from taking my videos and messing with them? I can't and legal conquere over that would cost tons of money!

On the other hand by no means this means that whatever stuff I hacve on the net is actually for free consuption! It's not and nobody has the right to take my stuff and use them as they please! At least stupdily legally speaking, cause in the end the practicality of things remain: I can't have total control of my stuff.

But the simple question: If I find a free copy of windows 7 on teh net, do I have a right to use it? ... has a very direct reply and we all know it!

The lovely thing about this forum is that every effort, however mediocre, is praised!

The worst thing about this forum is that every effort, however mediocre, is praised!

I just listened again, in case I was being unfair. But no, it lacks any musical flow. You're better than that! What does your teacher say about that recording?

You dont have to like the recording, in fact I dont really care if you like it or not. That's the whole reason people have their 'favorites'...

Yes, I thought long and hard before condemning that performance, particularly the second time. And I took opinions from others here, also musicians.

Not that three opinions are necessarily any better than yours! But there ARE certain absolute standards that can be applied. Be honest to yourself. Rather than continuing to protect yourself, listen to it now, see if you're happy with the lumpy, uneven LH triplets (I didn't say they should be metronomic!) and the huge gaps in the melody. Others on this forum, reluctant to criticise you in public, may PM you to concur. No need to admit this here, but listen, learn and progress.

Now, if you wish, you may have the last word on this matter :-)

Since several opinions on this performance of the Moonlight Sonata has been stated, I think it would be useful to state the OBVIOUS facts. The rhythmic and dynamic balance between left and right hand is lacking in several places, so that the rhythmic flow is disturbed. At one point it got so bad that I jumped in my chair. At that point I hit the stop button. I am not sure, but it sounded like the piano was a bit out of tune on some notes.
I have not noticed this problem when Saul plays his own compositions, and I find some of them quite charming. Pianists more accomplished than Saul has managed to make disasters out of classical compositions, so he is in good company.

You know what I find mostly ironic and surprising, is the audacity to believe that I some how am not aware of the things you said, and that I need you to tell me and inform me.

I am not a concert pianist, I'm a composer, therefore I play the compositions of other composers very differently then what you'll find with mainstream pianists. I played the piece how I felt it should be played and how it reflects my own thoughts and feelings with this piece, highly subjective I know, but that's the way it is.

I'm not looking with my performances to portray Beethoven at his best, but my own unique interpretation, I know that some wont be too delighted with that, but I know for a fact that others are and were delighted with this performance, and I also know that I cant make everyone happy, I wish I could, but I cant.

So to sit here and to preach me that I should fix this and that with this performance is a nice gesture, but frankly I just can't understand what makes you think that I was not aware of these things myself.

You are not talking to a math teacher or a carpenter, but a musician, if you have sensitive ears, I also have sensitive ears, so what are you trying to do here by telling this to me publicly?

That's you have superior hearing and listening capabilities?

Well let me just inform you that you don't.

Here's a performance of myself playing the Chopin waltz in C sharp minor, yes I know you dont have to tell me all the un-orthodox points found in this recording, but as I explained before as a composer I play other composer's music in a very different way, not the main stream way, and if I was a concert pianist I would have attuned my performances to the profession of concert pianism, and that means more orthodox interpretations.

This work is called ‘Waltz of the third Sabbath Meal’…

Some background of course.

Every week Jews celebrate the Sabbath, it is a holy day and is the 4th Commandment from the Ten Commandments. Jewish Law says that a person must enjoy this day and keep it holy, that means refraining from any creative work, and also it means to eat special traditional foods in a set of 4 Sabbath meals. The first Meal is on Friday night, the Second one is Sabbath morning after the services, and the 3rd one after the afternoon service, and the 4th one after Sabbath ends, a farewell meal for the Sabbath.

This song is sang by Orthodox Jews sitting together in the Synagogue after the afternoon services, in the ‘Third Meal’ of Sabbath. I always found this Waltz very moving, uplifting and inspiring. Right after eating a little the singing begins and everyone sings together, it doesn’t have words, its only music but it expresses the voice of generations.

I decided to create an arrangement of this Waltz and perform it and present it here for everyone to hear.

‘Waltz of the third Sabbath Meal’…

Fair enough Nikolas, and I'm sure that as you actually make your living as a composer, you've thought about copyright issues more deeply than I.

But I wasn't talking about downloading (or using software). I think that linking to public-access videos, especially videos on youtube, is fair game, no?

-J

Saul, I enjoyed listening to the latest piece you posted here.

I am curious, since copyright issues have arisen in this thread, about the art you use in your videos.

For example in this Sabbath Video, do you acknowledge in any way the artist that created these images. I don't see any mention of the painter. Is this not important to you?
Do you have permission to use these paintings in promoting your musical compositions ?

VERY VERY nicely done!

Thank you very much, glad you enjoyed it!

One can only assume by your lack of response to my questions,

that...
You haven't acknowledged/made reference to the artist ,
It doesn't matter to you.
You don't have permission.

I am a painter, photographer and sculptor. I'd be rather ticked if someone used images of my works to promote their works, without my consent.

lol Saul,

Ok first thing

Copyright does not cover who you think should visit and who you think should post links. You can't copyright a string of letters which is all a link is. You also can't claim a copyright for your site as it contains material for which you don't have permission. So out window goes any legal hold on your website and the word copyright. \

Second thing.

Your version of moonlight. Criminal.

Third thing

For someone your age, you really need to stop taking yourself so seriously. You are a self admitted amateur and you are 36. Why do you act like EMI has you on retainer.