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Random Reviews...


06. Mr Super Hunky - There is love (The wedding song)

Beautifully done Hunky - you "dance" wonderfully all over and around the melody with a sparkling and very nimble touch - a unique and delightful interpretation of Paul Stookey's heartfelt song!

Second Batch:


40. Serge88 - What'd I say Oh, this was fun! I loved your arrangement. It made me want to dance.

41. Starr Keys - It Goes Like It Goes I thought your vocal brought out the spirit of this song very well. Very well done. I am sure your Mom will be absolutely thrilled and very proud of her daughter. I loved your Youtube photomontage. It really gave meaning to the song.

42. CMohr - Imagination Beautiful arrangement! Very good listening. What a wonderful gift for your Mom’s 90th Birthday.

43. ClavBoy - Prelude No. 1 C Major BWV 846 This is such a beautiful prelude. I thought your balance between two voices was very good. I think the break between arpeggios is appropriate for Bach. Great job for less that a year of playing!

44. Ken. - Light Blue This calls for a glass of wine and low lighting. Very relaxing. You have a good touch for this kind of music.

45. daveindenton - Theme from Schindler's List You did a great job of finding the heart in this piece. Very well played.

46. MaryBee - Sonata in C minor, K.457, Mvt.1 Beautifully played Mozart. You have this one mastered. It sounds quite complex with a lot going on, and you make it sound easy and playful.

47. DadAgains_Daughter - Invention in F Major Wow! Beautiful Bach. Good balance between the voices. You have made amazing progress in three years of playing.

48. DadAgain - Prelude and Fugue XX - A minor I thought you played this very well, and it sounded very musical to me. The voices were all clear and well balanced.

49. Yamaha G3 & P-80 Mike White - Dance of the Blessed Spirits You did this sight reading? Very impressive. You expressed it very musically.

#49. Mike White, Dance of the Blessed Spirits -- did you mean prima vista reading (as in: first time seeing the music) or reading as opposed to memorized (as in: reading the music while playing, but having practiced)?

What a wonderful recital! It's so inspiring to hear everyone progress and especially to hear so many first-time recital entries! My hat's off to you all. And to Monica, who puts in all the hard work to get this up and running every 3 months, and everyone else involved in these amazing productions!

01. wouter79 - La Poule (Nouvelles suites de pieces de clavecin, No.12) Three of our neighbors are raising chickens which we hear every morning - it's actually a rather soothing sound. Your playing of this piece is definitely evocative of hens. Excellent work on all the close, fast passages. I really enjoyed the dynamics you put into this piece, too. Perfectly appropriate, as if the hens really were chatting back and forth. A fun listen and great kickoff to the recital!

02. dannylux / Mel - Bortkiewicz Lyrica Nova Op.59 No.3 Absolutely beautiful piece and gorgeous playing! Your affinity for Bortkiewicz is evident in the superb touch and feeling you've put into the piece. I was swept away. I loved it!

03. BenPiano - Prelude Op. 17 No 6 I wasn't familiar with this prelude, and am very glad you performed it so beautifully. I love Scriabin and you've done him justice with just the right touches. (Ha! Doesn't matter what key )Good one, Ben!

04. Jazzwee - Invitation You always play great solo...on top of that your playing (with the band) has taken you to a new level. Great tune, nice groove, fantastic solo! I'm just a little in awe of what all your work has proven. Applause!!

More later - I have a piano lesson and boy do I need it.

11. Jazztpt - Lament Lament is such a perfectly named piece for this work. Just truly impressive. It is touching without being overly sentimental. Simple but, underneath, some great harmonies. And played with such tenderness and care. Wonderful.

12. (Was)TrueBeginner - Goodnight Kiss This reminded me of something but I can't put my finger on it. Very nicely composed and played, a great atmosphere throughout. Perhaps a touch less pedal?

13. kenjazz - A House Is Not A Home A great beat and some lovely piano playing with it. I love the bass (piano bass) playing, some great touches there.

14. Amaruk - Sur le fil There is such a fantastic warm tone, beautifully pedaled with the melody still clear. And at points it feels you must have three hands. Very nicely done.

15. Sam S - Prelude and Fugue X WTC1 Two voices with Bach are probably worth three or four by another composer! Plus he always seems to have that "hidden" voice. Tackling a prelude & fugue from WTC is quite an achievement. So although you've given us a work in progress, it's still wonderful to hear. The two voices are clear but coordinate beautifully. I really liked the sudden change in tempo by the way.

16. Peyton - Mazurka #4 in A Minor I find Chopin's Mazurkas, of all his works, the most "puzzling" to me but you manage to straighten this out very nicely. Interestingly, surrounded in this recital by jazz riffs, that's what I hear in this piece. Very nicely played. But I have to wonder who you ever considered this to seem "fairly easy"!!

17. ladypayne - A New Change A beautiful piece, lovingly composed and executed. Good luck in your new home. I'm surprised you didn't perform Simon & Garfunkel's "America": "Michigan seems like a dream to me now".

18. Riddler (Ed) - Slaughter On Tenth Avenue I'm sorry but that's just undignified Beautifully played, with a warm and inviting tone. I'm not quite sure how slaughter comes into play though - it feels very romantic and lush. The change in the middle is great, with a wonderful tempo change and those tremolos are great. Overall it's fantastic.

19. Greener / Jeff Green - Schindler's List - Theme I'll be interested to hear how this compares with the other entry. I thought you delivered a wonderfully balanced sound, bringing out the melody clearly but not dominating. There are some lovely timing changes and great phrasing.

20. CASINITALY (Cheryl) - Rigaudon & Entree Very confident pieces, delightfully played. I particularly enjoyed the articulation and the variation between the pieces.

Downloading the recital now. Will listen to some of it today and hopefully the rest of it at work tomorrow.

I'm listening to the recital in reverse order. Here are my first third of comments.

40. Serge88 - What'd I say. I like the rolling nature of this. Played slowly as you play it, it becomes a reflective piece where you can savour every bit of sound and harmony.

41. Starr Keys - It Goes Like It Goes. Singing! What fun! I would have liked to hear the sound from your acoustic piano with your singing.

42. CMohr - Imagination. An interesting piece. You said there were mistakes and hesitations, but I didn't hear any. That's lovely to learn songs for your mother.

43. ClavBoy - Prelude No. 1 C Major BWV 846. I love love love this piece. I wish your piano had a bit more sustain on the first two notes of the arpeggios. They did stand out a bit, but I liked the effect, of setting the low underpinning for the higher notes of the rest of the arpeggio. I think this piece can take many different subtleties in interpretation, and I'm always glad to hear another interpretation. I think the place I'd look to lighten up is on the last note of each half bar of arpeggios. Thank you for bringing this to the recital. You said it is still difficult for you, but it didn't show in your playing, which was even and confident.

44. Ken. - Light Blue. I enjoyed entering into the soundscape of this piece, which is so different from what I usually listen to. What would it sound like if you added a bit of swing to the downward runs?

45. daveindenton - Theme from Schindler's List. I've seen the movie, but didn't remember any of the music from it. Listening to your playing of this theme, brought the movie back to me. Wonderfully emotional rendition.

46. MaryBee - Sonata in C minor, K.457, Mvt.1. Lovely playing, MaryBee. Mozart is so graceful, and you brought that out in your playing. I liked the contrast between the dramatic and the light parts. I would look for even more of that.

47. DadAgains_Daughter - Invention in F Major. DadAgains_Daughter, I only wish I could play as well as you. What a marvelous piece, and marvelous playing.

48. DadAgain - Prelude and Fugue XX - A minor. Bach, what's not to like? I love Bach. It would be interesting to hear this on the harpsichord.

49. Yamaha G3 & P-80 Mike White - Dance of the Blessed Spirits. Curious coincidence: I heard this just the other night on the radio. Hearing it again from you makes me curious to hear the whole opera, Orfeo ed Euridice, from which it comes.

50. Falmc - Sweet Sereny. A lovely melody, and played with assurance.

51. Clemente - Andalucia. Oooh, dramatic and fascinating from the very first chord! Thanks for sharing this piece.

52. Norrec (Tim) - Beaming Sunlight. An intriguing little piece. Welcome to the recital, and congratulations on stepping beyond Alfred's 1, and on recording! For your next step with this piece, you might want to experiment with the balance of the hands: make the LH softer and let the RH sing out more.

53. notbach - To a Wild Rose (Op.51 No. 1). I keep seeing this piece mentioned all over, and now I finally know how it sounds!

54. lyricmudra - Sheep May Safely Graze (from J.S. Bach's Birthday Cantata). This piece always brings a smile to my face.

55. RedKat - Waltz, B minor, Op. 69 n. 2. You play this with a lovely light touch on a lovely piece. I enjoyed it a great deal -- the first Chopin waltz I've heard, and you have me hooked.

56. Grouchomarx - Hungarian Rhapsody 2 Lassan (no Friska). I am completely unfamiliar with Liszt's music! Thank you for introducing me to it.

57. Tiago84 - Prelude in E minor (Op28 No4). I love this piece, and I very much enjoyed your playing of it. Out of curiosity (because I'm learning it myself), what did your teacher point out to improve?

58. AndyMc - Riverlights #1. Welcome to the ABF recital! I enjoyed your composition.

59. yohyrral (= Larry Hoy) - Three Themes for Piano. I am in awe at the skill it takes to compose this. I loved the rich deep sounds of your piano.

60. BillM - Try A Little Tenderness. Very restful. I especially enjoyed the flowing accompaniment.

61. PianoStudent88 - Ivan Sings. A reasonable rendtion. I'd like to hear more variation in the first half. Maybe rubato? And/or variation in dynamics? Not sure exactly what, but something.

batch 2:

#1 wouter79: I like the tempo you chose, very lively performance
#2 dannylux: Never heard of this composer but really enjoyed the piece & your evocative playing.
#3 BenPiano: Love Scriabin & this performance
#4 Jazzwee: Cool…wish my church had music like this. I'm in awe of those who can improvise, an ability not in my DNA
#5 Inlanding Glen: a tender composition & performance

Wow. Where to even start, so much variety of good music.

04. Jazzwee - Invitation No surprise that this was a little bit hard to hear. I fell in love with this tune when I was a big Maynard Ferguson fan as a kid. I also had a memorable experience in a tiny bar in San Francisco chatting up alto player and local legend Andrew Speight right before he got up and wailed "Invitation" as his signature piece. It was memorable for sure. I listened to your rendition of "My Favorite Things" on Soundcloud recently and it is just awesome. Methinks you need to get into the studio soon with Invitation!

33. knotty - Petite Fleur This is just an incredible ensemble effort! The tango character that you create with the chord solos sounds perfect and sets up the rest of the solo elements just right. That certainly doesn't sound like it was recorded on a zoom. Ship it, man!

11. Jazztpt - Lament I wish I didn't read your blurb about this piece first. It was too emotionally gripping. Wonderful jazz composing. The lead sheet for this song deserves to be shared so that you can hear other interpretations of this fine composition. Just sayin...

18. Riddler (Ed) - Slaughter On Tenth Avenue I never heard this song before. I had to look it up on YT. You did a really nice interpretation! Forgive me if I am not the first to say it, but by the time that big ending comes you must be thinking: "Goodnight Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are"

05. Inlanding - Glen - Warum? Op 12 No 3 Weil...
It is so impressive that you can play any style switching back and forth effortlessly. I wish that I knew more about classical music, but it sounded excellent to me.

06. Mr Super Hunky - There is love (The wedding song)
Wow, I remember my sister having this 45! I don't know why a jazz song from the 30's doesn't seem old, but a pop song on a 45 seems ancient. What a beautiful melody. So beautiful that it came out of your memory intact, and with some really nice embellishments too. Well done!

19. Greener / Jeff Green - Schindler's List - Theme
45. daveindenton - Theme from Schindler's List

It is not fair to put two together, but listen to this:
They are both exceptional renditions. Listen to them back-to-back right away and you will be struck by this observation - they come from two distinct parts of the same movie! They each have a decidedly different mood and flavor and you can visualize the different scene (or attempt not to) that each comes from.

*62
Performer's name: Sam Rose (Shmuel R)


I noticed the exact same thing. I already had my submission in. I saw the count down go from 55 mins. to closed.... So I'm not leaving you out.

I'm a big fan of the movie, too. Really fine job keeping that steady rhythmic beat that carries the theme melody. Short but very compelling. I enjoyed it. Good for you for posting!


61. PianoStudent88 - Ivan Sings Love the melody which you brought out expertly. You have a nice steady flow and touch that captures the somewhat Russian feel. (We had a Great Dane named Ivan and I had images of him while listening - his pace was about the same as this piece. )


60. BillM - Try A Little Tenderness I love your "tender" take on this wonderful classic! You've got some really nice nuances in your vocal that are oh, so pleasant! Of course, the accompaniment is perfection. Very cool and very touching!

59. yohyrral (= Larry Hoy) - Three Themes for Piano This is a pretty fabulous composition! Soothing, nice flow and well articulated. I really enjoyed the middle section the most. Beautiful themes you've written and played with conviction.

#61- pianostudent88- A short and sweet little piece. well done.

#60- Bill- A fun one Bill. Always great to hear you play and sing a new one.

#59. -Larry- Very interesting piece. When you say it's an original with three themes, do you play it the same way every time? Or is there a lot of improv? It's such a long piece I'm guessing a lot of improv? It has a great feel. A fun listen.

I'm going up and down the list this time....


05. Inlanding - Glen - Warum? Op 12 No 3 This is my personal favorite Schumann piece. There's so much going on in a short space, not to mention the tricky rhythm. I love the echoing enigmatic questions and the bitter sweetness you've brought out with your signature verve. For me it is perfection. Wonderful touch, as always. Lovely! (I swear you can play anything!)

06. Mr Super Hunky - There is love (The wedding song) A beautiful song, beautifully "noodled" to say the least! You've played with just the right touch and feeling the song calls for. Really nice arrangement.

07. SwissMS - Nocturne in Eb Op. 9 Nr. 2 Fabulous playing on this nocturne! Very clear and clean touch with really very nice dynamics - perfect for this piece. A complete pleasure to listen to!

08. CarlosCC - Ambers Having not heard the orchestral version, you've made this into a beautiful solo work! Very appropriate feeling throughout. I love the last section where the bass comes back in and leads to that perfect ending. A touching performance.

15. Sam S - Prelude and Fugue The presto really was a surprise! You did a nice job of keeping this all moving. The fugue was delightful.

16. Peyton - Mazurka I know what you mean about going back to "easier" pieces and finding them not so easy - your ear has changed But this had some nice dynamics and some great light trills, so I think you learned from those harder pieces.

17. ladypayne - A New Change This was great! How sophisticated you've become, and your recording is way cool.

18. Riddler (Ed) - Slaughter On Tenth Avenue I love it - especially the "strutting your stuff" part with the syncopation. But all of it will capture an audience. The only thing I think might hold you back in a recital is that you're not the cute little kid you used to be. Bro.

19. Greener/Jeff Green - Schindler's List I was looking forward to this, and I wasn't disappointed. I like the way you kept it moving, and I like the phrasing on the opening.

20. casinitaly (Cheryl) - Rigaudon & Entree My favorite piano era. I love the defined, confident, stately ending of the first one, and the second was a delight.

21. timmyab - Moment musical Nicely done! The opening was almost organlike, and the lyrical and forte parts were nice contrasts.

Cathy

05. Inlanding - Glen - Warum? Op 12 No 3
A very interesting venture this melody seems to take you on. It is certainly not easily predictable, but very pleasing with interesting hormonics and shifts in mood. I am not familiar with Schumann's works, but more so now. Nice touch and expression with it. You clearly have quite an interesting mix of selections in your line up. Actually when I first went to your submission, I went to your youtube channel by mistake and listened to "Blame it on my Mouth." A cute little jazzy piece ... and an interesting contrast to Schumann. Always fun to see what you've got next. Great job, Glen.

16. Peyton - Mazurka #4 in A Minor
First of all Peyton, I really relate to your comments re: mastering stuff you may already know vs. trying to solve world hunger. Did you say that? Anyway, I relate entirely and am working in same space. I am not familiar with this piece at all, nor qualified to offer any help. It is quite a dramatic piece with some lovely melodic twists ... I would say. You play very well ... its beautiful.

Cathy, Andy, AndyMc, kenjazz, CMohr, Greener thank you so very much for listening and your very encouraging comments!

Glen

34 Andy Platt
Now this piece just makes me melt. Could there be anything more beautiful than these chord changes? Seriously Andy, I remember hearing my Dad playing this when I was in bed as a kid and it really had this affect on me. To be honest I did not recognize the name "Prelude in E minor." But, I will remember it now. In fact I am going to go out, get the score and learn it. I do not read well, but this seems as good as place as any to start learning to read better. Who knows, maybe I will enter it in a later recital. If I come remotely close to your performance I will be pleased. Great job Andy, and great selection. It sure worked for me.

9. Diana Raymond - Theme from Overture
This is a really cute piece and sounds very familiar. You are just 5 months in? Outstanding. Thanks so much for sharing. It may be fun for you to come back to this one in a couple of years. Not sure what style or genre you are heading towards, but you could really make a production out of this. Jazz or otherwise. Of course, it is already great production I just mean really great. This is the type of melody I could have pictured Oscar Peterson or Andre Previn taking a liking to ... Fabulous work, Diana.

A few random comments:

06. Mr Super Hunky - There is love (The wedding song) Where is that CD of yours you mentioned making a while back?!? I want an autographed copy! I am a huge fan of the super-hunky method, and this piece is no exception. I remember singing this song way back in my junior high chorus, and it was a pleasant romp down memory lane to hear your arrangement.

08. CarlosCC - Ambers Love the melody, and I thought the arrangement was fine as a piano solo, better in fact than the arrangement of "Release" that I did last recital. You played it beautifully, and this is one that I think I'll add to my "to do" list.

29. Mar_red - Rosemary's Baby - Lullaby I loved the book and the movie. I love how the theme starts out slow and plaintive and then becomes more urgent and desperate. Very nice!

32. TrapperJohn - Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again (from "Phantom...") A beautiful song from one of my favorite musicals, and the arrangement was terrific. Nicely played.

35. Newman - Desperado Congratulations on your first recital submission! You've got a great voice, well-suited to the material. That's one of the Eagles' saddest songs, and you capture the emotion well. Hope this is the first of a long series of recital contributions from you.

36. Copper - Ave Maria I'm not as familiar with this version of 'Ave Maria' as the Bach/Gonoud one, but I enjoyed the delicacy with which you played this.

38. Augustina - Touched This is my favorite of all your recital pieces so far. So melodic and moving.

51. Clemente - Andalucia Oh, this one really took me back. "Andalucia" was my signature solo piece back in my long forgotten accordion days. I had no idea there was a piano solo version of it. The piano version sounds even tougher than the accordion version, and that was tough enough. I'm impressed.

60. BillM - Try A Little Tenderness You note that it's been covered a lot, but this was a new song for me. As I said on YouTube, this is sadder and slower than your usual material, but I liked it a lot.

More tomorrow...

Hi Inlanding. Thank you very much for your kind words.
It it really exciting for me to get feedback on my playing. I will definitely try to take part in these recitals regularly.
Hope that I can get some more feedback into how to improve this piece or whether there are any mistakes in my playing.

First of all, thank you Andy Platt and Greener for the kind words! I had such a hard time taking a single decent recording of that tiny piece. And I've learned that I need to turn the volume higher on my DP if I want to manage dynamics better! I'm actually focusing on learning the building blocks rather than polishing a single piece from start to end, but it would be nice to build a bit of a repertoire even at this stage.

I'm in the process of listening to the recital, beginning from others who have started just a few months ago like myself, and I was already blown away but some performances.

MrPozor (23)... that's such a charming piece and you're so smooth and soft on the keys! I can't believe you've only been playing 4 months.
Bobpickle (27)... simply amazing! Makes me want to practice more!
Sand Tiger (39)... I could never play for two minutes straight with the red dot glowing beside me... outstanding job.