I made four takes of Mazeppa this evening. This is the third, but they were all pretty much the same (even within 8 seconds of each other). It's still not quite where I'd like it, but I'm reasonably satisfied with it. This will be my second submission along with parts of French Suite No. 5 to the Chicago competition.

I'd love some constructive criticism if you have any Thanks!

Mazeppa

Hey Mark! It's obviously under tempo, but there are a lot of good things here. Let me just give you some feedback based on things I heard.

- On the downbeat of m. 27 and the last three beats of m. 30, the eighth notes are duplets, so you should play them slightly slower than the triplet octaves.

- The first occurrence of the "galloping" theme has pedal indicated, but the second at m. 31 doesn't and it actually sounds better without it.

- At the "Allegro deciso" at m. 136, you're doing a double-dotted rhythm where it's only a single dotted.

- The "Piu Moderato" at m. 178 is the only part of the piece that feels slow to the point of losing its meaning. What I hear in this part is Mazeppa trying and failing to get back up again.

Thanks! I hadn't noticed.


Hmmmmmm. I think in a lot of Liszt (like has recently been discussed in the context of Chopin), pedaling ad libitum is expected if there is no marking to the contrary. So it could be correct either way. I didn't think I would like the sound of no pedal in the second iteration, but in your updated version, it actually sounds fine. I'll have to play around some to decide which I like more.


Quite right! You're a more careful reader than I! At least, I'm not a very careful reader when I return to a piece I used to know years earlier



I think I disagree with you here. When I read through Hugo's and Byron's versions of Mazeppa when I last studied this piece, I remember that after the horse falls and dies, Mazeppa is lying exhausted, pinned partly under the horse, freezing and certain of death as he loses consciousness watching the setting sun. That's what I see in the piu moderato section - not a couple aborted attempts to free himself, but a resignation and acceptance of impending doom. All perception is lengthening and fading as his life sets with the sun.

Hence my thought that the interpretation of the final flourish should not simply be regally grandiose (skipping ahead to his leading the peasants in revolt and rising as their king) but also immediately ecstatic at waking warm and cared for in a peasant's bed, and recognizing and rejoicing that he still has his life.

He's right.
Including that while the narrative that you explain seems excellent, there's an impression in this section (rightly or not) that the slower tempo isn't by choice but because you can't play it faster. (To that extent, the problem is similar to how it had been with the rhythm in first your first version of the Bach.) The impression is accentuated by the several places where you sort of hesitate for a brief split second seemingly to reach for something difficult. Maybe those spots are intentional, sort of rubato, but they definitely don't sound that way. Take what Jeffrey said here seriously -- he's right.

Well crap - I'm 0 for 2 then. There's nothing remotely challenging there, it was all just my "interpretation." I'll have to rethink it...

(But thanks to you, if it's not clear that I appreciate the comment)

No worries -- it was clear!

Wow! (MarkH played it for our piano group a few months ago.) You've made huge progress! Enjoyable listening.

I'm not sure if it is the recording equipment, the piano or your choice, but I'd like to hear more sustain.

Thanks Deborah!

It still needs a bunch more work, but it's coming along.

I think the sustain you're wanting to hear is the lack of an external mic on my recorder. Once it's how I want it to sound, I'll play it again at piano group

Hey I noticed your thread about the recital and that you played Mazeppa, and I happen to have started it a few days ago (it's such a fun piece! even if it's the same melody played over and over lol :D).

Do you have any new recording coming soon? I like the way you play this, it's obviously a bit slow but there are good things. In the middle section I wonder if you have fingering issues since most of it isn't actually awkward at all (aside from those stupid descending triples).

You mean because I'm playing the middle section under tempo? It's mostly because I only recently saw the Lo stesso tempo marking The thirds are indeed a little tricky. I did try making a recording of Mazeppa last weekend, but as I mentioned in my other thread, the action on the piano I used for my concert was really heavy, and I found the introductory scales, 1st variation with bouncing 2-4s, and final variation with upwards and downwards chord arpeggios very difficult to get clean, clear, fast takes on. Maybe in a week or two I’ll make another recording of it on the much lighter Steinway I used for the above recording.

I’ll be excited to hear how you progress on this piece

Ah. For me it was sorta intuitive that it would be "lo stesso". I was talking about the uh triple notes going down in the right before the 3rds, I actually have quite an easy time with the 3rds for some strange reason.

I can see this being a lot tougher on a heavy piano if you're used to a light one yep, best to learn this piece on a heavy piano.