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I purchased the score for this popular little scherzo at my teacher's suggestion back in 1958. Didn't do anything with it back then (it was really beyond my abilities), and have been carrying it around in my music library for 55 years. Finally decided that it was "now or never" in terms of learning and recording it. (One more thing to cross off my piano bucket list.)

Of course, there are several youtube videos of precocious 10 year olds playing this piece , and there are "pristine" renditions on youtube by such greats as Rachmaninov, Rubinstein and Serkin which are absolutely breathtaking and humbling.

Then there is this rendition by a 66 year old amateur.

http://youtu.be/EHIy0KsjQ1Y

I was planning to record the Spinning Song a month ago for the Mendelssohn e-cital, but am unexpected medical situation put me out of commission for three weeks. Thankfully Morodiene stopped up and learned and recorded the piece on very short notice so it could be presented along with ALL of the Mendelssohn Songs Without Words. Thanks Morodiene !!!!!!

Excellent!

I think it's quite hard to make it through this piece without a single "glitch". Very nice accompanying visuals also, although I didn't quite understand the one at around :57?

Yours is pretty good too!

Don't click on "Show me"!





Seriously now...carey, your performance is very good. I mean VERY good. Congratulations. Just work on the articulations a little bit.

Quite frankly, I couldn't get through it without at least one glitch !! Some were more obvious than others.

I just noticed the 'bird" in the image. What's up with that ?????

Hey - at this stage of my life I'm happy with "very good!! Thanks. Of course, the articulations get much better when I slow it down.

And as for other youtube performances, this one blows me away.

http://youtu.be/c3y2CaZ8JSw

Thanks Damon. And it only took me 55 years to get it to this point.

Great job, Carey! I hope to have mine sounding as good after some more work on it!

You should post this on the Mendelssohn recital thread too, I'm sure everyone would really love hearing it!

I really enjoyed your performance and the discussion. This piece takes me back to childhood...memories of a video I had, "Remembering Rubinstein" which had a great effect on me. Boy, and Mendelssohn's even an underrated composer because people expected something revolutionary out of his super talent. What he wrote was just plain great music. (Attended a great performance of Elijah a few days ago...great!)

Wow Phil, you are a fine pianist. I love the fast fingers, rythem and articulation. Glad you got better.

Bravo ! Very good.

Thanks for sharing.

Phil, I also thank you for providing fast playing tip in the Mendelssohn thread in ABF. Its very useful since I'm currently struggling to speed up Mozart's piece I'm working on.

Well, speaking of Mendelssohn AND Rubinstein, perhaps you'd enjoy THIS video ......

http://youtu.be/g7ZL5ipkiFs

The Spinning Song starts at .48. Great views of Rubinstein's hands. I'm betting the piano he was playing had a fairly light action.

Sounds great.

I agree with Morodiene, you should share it with others at the Mendelssohn recital. It is good enough.

Thank you Hakki !!


Here's the statement FarmGirl is referring to.

The biggest challenge with this piece was determining a fingering that worked for ME (not for the editor). In one measure I couldn't make my LH do what Mendelssohn intended so I resorted to dividing the musical line between the RH and LH - and it actually worked. Also found that at this tempo it was necessary to keep the hands high - and play on the fingertips (including the tips of the thumb). Anything short of that bogged the piece down. Then, of course, there was the challenge of getting my brain and my fingers to work together during two minutes of INTENSE concentration. In the end, I tried to have fun with it.

We do whatever it takes !! (Thanks, FarmGirl !! I'm glad I got better too. A couple of weeks ago I wasn't sure I'd ever get this recorded!! )

Thanks !! It's been added by Rostosky to the "Grieg" thread in ABF - but hasn't quite made it to the Mendelssohn recital thread yet.

Well, for a "66 year old amateur" those fingers were spinning just fine! Very nicely done.

Forgot where, but I read that he liked heavy actions.

If so - more power to him !!!!!

Phil, I just now saw this thread. I am definitely impressed! Thanks for posting this!