Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Recital 33 --- General Discussion Room

So, you're the one

Me too.......

Maybe "I love you just the way you are?"

Don't go changing, to try and please me. Beauty and the Beast.

Hmm, don't see it myself!

Maybe "Uptown Girl"...or "She's Always a Woman"...

Nah...

More thanks to dynamobt ,JimF ,ShiroKuro ,Ganddalf ,Ragdoll ,Peyton ,Andy Platt ,barbaram ,Inlanding ,Pathbreaker, earlofmar , as ever you are all very kind.

01. Andy Platt - Sonata 20 in G Major, Opus 49 No. 2
"one of Beethoven's simpler sonatas", is there really such a thing ?
A wonderful start to the recital, I am not a Beethoven fan by any means and I don't play "classical" piano at all but I really enjoyed your performance here. Any mistakes (which everyone makes especially when recording) and the tuning go unoticed as they are obscured by the rest of the performance. Eight minutes of music by Beethoven, you have my admiration right there, wish I could do that.

02. Monica K. - Lamentations of the Heart
I had to listen twice to this, you have mastered the new age piano genre, really quiet beautifully played with fantastic control of the dynamics and the piano sounds gorgeous.

03. Richard (zrtf90) - Sinfonia 1 with Invention 8
Sounds like expert playing to my ears, very crisp and in control,great technique.
The Kawai sounds great , I thought it was an accoustic.

04. wouter79 - Ballade, op.118 no.3
I imagine this piece to be extreemly difficult to bring to life which you did quiet well, again Brahms is not usually on my listening list but I found this interesting none the less.

05. PikaPianist - Nocturne No. 5 in Bb major
Not familiar with John Field and thought of Chopin as the music started. Very nicely played and I like the idea that you felt you could choose the bits you like from different versions and make it your own.

06. George Schiro - Heartache
I really liked this original piece, the music perfectly conveys Heatache, a lost love one? And when you go into the high register near the end, well you had me.

07. dannylux / Mel - Coleridge-Taylor Three Fours Op.71 No.2
All I can say is that was quiet lovely and beautifully played, this had me over to Wikipedia to find out about the composer. Superb playing.

08. Mr Super Hunky - Beyond Violette
I don't know the muisic you refer to but for me this is one of your best, the melody has a strong hook and you play so fluidly.

09. sinophilia (Diana) - Little Prelude BWV939
Very well done, Bach sounds so difficult to me,very good hand independence and balance.

10. SwissMS/Doris - Venetian Boat Song Opus 30 #6
Beautiful relaxed playing Doris,you make the piano sing.

11. Jazzwee - Wave
Yes it's a hard one but seeing as you play Giant Steps I doubt its too difficult for you.
Like the left hand stabs , really drives the music forward and a very tasteful solo with nice phrase lengths, it all flows beautifully. D is a hard one for trumpet players because they would be playing in E and of course Alto sax would be playing B , yikes !

12. Peyton - Mazurka Op. 17 No. 4
I am more familar with Chopin(not from playing it though) and this sounds fiendishly difficult , all those runs and turns ,you do a wonderful job of making them flow, I can't do this stuff so I am quiet envious and how do you remember it?

13. Sam S - Preludes Book 1 Number 8 - La Fille aux cheveux de lin So much of jazz harmony stems from Debussy so this really appeals to me, lovely gentle playing.

14. earlofmar - Bagatelle Op 119, No 9
Well for 14 months playing that is impressive I must say.

15. timmyab - Song without words op 53 no 1
Your 20 years shows here, pretty expert playing I would say.

16. Amaruk - O Mio Babbino Caro
I always enjoy your music and videos and this must be one of the best, great fun indeed and as usual lovely sensitive playing.

17. torquenale (Alessandra) - Sonata in F Major K78
If this was faster not sure how you would get all the notes in, lovely lively playing you really caught the spirit of the piece.

19. Riddler (Ed) - Aranjuez
Fantastic Riddler, not heard this before on solo piano and you really carry it off. The section where you add the arpeggios really starts to build the tension and then your full chords at the end ,wonderful.

20. Greener / Jeff - Nocturne in Eb Major
One of the classics, wish I could play it, little bit faster than I have heard it before I think ,maybe you could lay back a bit, but what do I know anyway , very well done.

WASN`T THAT ONE, Was the one about his dead child.

Um...Billy Joel doesn't have a dead child. He has one daughter, Alexa (with Christie Brinkley) who has attempted suicide but...she is still alive.
He wrote a song "You're only Human" in response to her attempt and to discourage other teens from trying - but it is very jazzy, nothing like Beauty and the Beast.... He also wrote "Lullaby, Good Night My Angel" - and "Downeaster Alexa" for her....I suspect that the Lullaby is the one you're thinking of.

#5. PikaPianist- Nicely played. Field's nocturnes, although I Never feel as deeply for as Chopin's, are still quite lovely. The piano recording sounds pretty darned good considering it was recorded on your i-phone. Wow, go figure!

7. Mel- Wow... I don't know what your first recording sounded like but this one is great. What a dramatic piece and you play it really well. Really nice recording quality too.

14. Earlofmar- Short, sweet and great pedaling... Seriously, very nicely played especially in that you have only been playing a little over a year.

21. MaryBee- Mary, you really worked hard on this one. Wow. It sounds wonderful. I just love some of the bass work... low and grumbling.

Yes. It is "Lullaby". I played it at the Crem regularly; But it was the guitarist wi glasses who`s child died. He wrote a song called Tears from Heaven , or something. Can`t remember his name . . . Eric Clapton!! Got it!

Thank you for your comment, and using a word to describe this that I couldn't quite put my finger on, but conveys succinctly one major theme I was trying to express through this - "haunting". Thanks again for listening!

11. Jazzwee - Wave I just got back from an evening at a wine bar, but no live music there. So it was nice to come home and hear this. Improvising for 5+ minutes sounds like an impossible task to me, but you do great with it.

12. Peyton - Mazurka Op. 17 No. 4 I really like the intensity that comes across in your playing. This piece is a perfect showcase for that. Loved it!

13. Sam S - Preludes Book 1 Number 8 - La Fille aux cheveux de lin Ahh. Love those beautiful chords! I remember this piece as being very difficult to learn, but you've nailed it, with a performance that is just lovely.

14. earlofmar - Bagatelle Op 119, No 9 LOL about the "Virgin Pedallers". Even with the pedal, you keep if very clean-sounding where it needs to be. Very nice.

15. timmyab - Song without words op 53 no 1 Such a pretty piece! And beautifully played. I haven't heard this one before, so thanks for bringing it to the recital.

16. Amaruk - O Mio Babbino Caro The video was great! Looks like you had fun putting that together. Oh, and nice playing too.

17. torquenale (Alessandra) - Sonata in F Major K78 Definitely no butchering here! Very nice performance, with a crisp melody line that stands out well against that fancy left hand work that pops up in a couple places.

18. Jazztpt (Russ) - For Russell Oh wow. Baby has amazing eyes. So expressive -- just like your music. What a wonderful gift you have made for him.

19. Riddler (Ed) - Aranjuez Oh yes, dramatic indeed, but beautiful too. Your performance brought out both those aspects so very well.

20. Greener / Jeff - Nocturne in Eb Major I enjoyed listening to this piece, as it is moving closer to the top of my to-learn list. I'm currently working on one of Chopin's easier Nocturnes before attempting this. There's lots to deal with here, and you handle it very well.

47. (Was)TrueBeginner - Purity - After 5 years, you might need to change your name! I liked listening to your piece and your freshly tuned upright as well. (I had my upright tuned recently as well, and that brief period where it's in tune is heaven!)

46. Inlanding - Glen - Four Threads - Glen, I don't know what to say. Perhaps this came easy to you, but as a bystander, I still don't know how you do it. Different keys, different styles - four threads I'm in awe of. Amazing.

45. Pathbreaker - Capriccio in F-sharp minor, Op. 76 no. 1 - thanks for slowing this down - I usually speed up when recording because of nerves, but your selected tempo seemed very apt and appropriate. I'm amazed that you can slow down on cue - when I try, I begin slowly, then zoom right into a frantic pace I can't sustain. I like your description of this, I don't know what Brahms had in mind, but you brought it to life - well played.

44. TrapperJohn - Beauty and the Beast (from Disney's "Beauty and the Beast") - A well played Billy Joel song - that was him, right? Really, a nice listen, great playing!

21. MaryBee
piece:Debussy, Sarabande Pour le piano
technical:
clipping: no. Well done, with this stuff it's tricky to avoid clipping.
balance L/R: ok
noise:A little white noise. Interesting vibrato sound at 2:33, what happens there?
bass: the piece could use a lot more bass (deeper bass I mean).Good job using what you got :-)
piano sound: I like how the piano sound changes when you go for fortissimo. Nasality in the tenor.
musical:
overall impression, like: very nice playing. Interesting sounds. At first I did not notice this is by Debussy and I had written down "sounds like Debussy" LOL. Nice singing parts. Octaves close to the end are slightly broken , on purpose?
Phrasing: very long lines. Nice. But the phrasing and overall line gets a bit hard to track because of the long lines. Some extra seems needed now to clarify the phrases. Also maybe you could bring in some smaller, easier to grasp sub-phrases to bring more detail in the piece. At a few places, I would play repeated figures slightly different when they repeat.
rubato, speed changes: bit slower and faster parts, and a bit rubato. Sounds all well judged. You can exaggerate these a bit to bring it out more.
Dynamics: great!
articulation: lots of pedal. Fits the piece. But maybe you could bring out the melody even more if you use a bit less pedal in places.

21. MaryBee - Sarabande (Pour le piano)
Actually I found this very easy listening , lovely chords and you play them very well , a beautifully paced interpretation.

22. newbert - Rocket To The Moon
6 months back , you play with an assurance of someone playing 6 years, great recording too.

23. ajames - Laura
Another amazing performance from a real beginner, very good control and you laid back nicely on what is a pretty hard tune to play, well done.

24. CarlosCC - Time Lapse
You play with such sensitivity and dynamic control over each note,I can't see how you could improve this performance.

25. Peterws - Autumn Leaves
This shows off your experience of playing all sorts of music, great fun, loved the James Bond insert and just about everything else :-)

I spent a week away after several frantic days and I completely forgot the recital. Now I have to catch up: 56 pieces to be listened (well, 55 because I can skip mine), and 7 pages (so far) of comments to be read... I'm panicking!

Had some time today to listen to the rest of the recordings and comment. So much great playing this time, from the absolute beginners to the seasoned veterans!

21. MaryBee - Sarabande (Pour le piano) It is complex and difficult - I can hear that. You've done a great job with it, especially if it has taken six months so far. Isn't a sarabande a dance from the baroque period? Slow and triple meter? I wander if he had something like that in mind.

22. newbert - Rocket To The Moon Welcome to the ABF recitals! I had about a 30 year hiatus, so you've got me beat with 45 years. You picked a good piece for your debut - loved it.

23. ajames - Laura This is wonderful for just a few months at the piano - keep up the good work!

24. CarlosCC - Time Lapse It wouldn't be an ABF recital without an Einaudi piece - sounds very mysterious. Wish I could join you for the party!

25. Peterws - Autumn Leaves This is probably the best rendition of this I have heard in the online recitals. Very creative and full of energy.

26. ladyaugustina - Sonatina Op. 36, No. 3 Nice dynamics! and the tempo changes fit very well. Loved it!

27. dynamobt / Marilyn - Piano Sonata Op 2 no 1 1st mvt Well, you're doing better than I am if you can play Beethoven. I've tried and didn't get very far. Don't worry about the pauses and restarting. It sounds just like my own recording sessions!

28. Jake S - Chopin Prelude no.6 in B minor Sounds great for only 2 years experience! I love this piece, played it myself.

29. Coldsalmon - Sonata in D minor K 32 L 423 Love the new piano - sounds great! Your playing is great too - I don't think I have ever heard the Scarlatti sonata before.

30. corysold - Cory Hallahan - Greensleeves Welcome to the ABF recitals! Only a few weeks playing? That's great - you're brave!

31. Sand Tiger - Tracks in the Snow This is a great tribute to your dad. I hope that composing and playing it keeps him in your memory.

32. StevenB - Old German Dance Welcome to the ABF recitals! Only 1 month playing? That's very impressive - keep up the good work!

33. Yamaha G3 & P-80 / Mike White - Zamba No. 10 Another stellar performance Mike. You have quite an impressive string going!

34. paul1971 - The Entertainer Welcome to the ABF recitals! Impressive job with so little experience. Keep up the good work!

35. JimF - Sung Outside A Prince's Door MacDowell is one of those composers I would kie to explore someday - I've played "To a Wild Rose", but everybody plays that. This was great - very sensitive playing.

36. CASINITALY (Cheryl) - Sonatina Op 36 N2 3rd movement Loved it Cheryl. The tempo was nice, and the small bobbles made it seem all the more real. You're always improving!

37. copper - Scenes From Childhood, The Poet Speaks Interesting piece Copper. One of the introspective ones from Scenes from Childhood. I've always wanted to tackle a suite like this and play them all. You did a great job with it - thanks for sharing!

38. lyricmudra - Nocturne in D-Flat Major, Op. 27 No. 2 Gorgeous playing! Loved the video with the "spotlight" in the center too!

39. evamar - Pelagia's Song - With Sausage Fingers Remix Very sweet and simple - and a little sad. Played very well!

40. BenPiano - Dahlonega I know Dahlonega well - go through there all the time on my way to the AT. So is the music sort of sad and nostalgic for what was lost? Very impressive...

41. jotur/Cathy turner - A Little Street Where Old Friends Meet You really know how to find these old songs - from the golden age of songwriting when there was a piano in every parlor. Loved it!

42. Jayden (Jayden Traynor) - Locke'd Out Again Anoterh beginner! Welcome to the ABF recitals. This is great for just a few months of experience!

43. Ganddalf - A piece for me to play We always have a handful of original pieces in the recitals, and I have to say this is one of the best ones I have heard. Outstanding effort!

44. TrapperJohn - Beauty and the Beast (from Disney's "Beauty and the Beast") I love the way you love this music - it really comes through when you play. Now if you could just learn to sing along!

45. Pathbreaker - Capriccio in F-sharp minor, Op. 76 no. 1 Very interesting - and difficult - outstanding job!

46. Inlanding - Glen - Four Threads Love that bouncy feel. Wonderful bit of improvisation.

47. (Was)TrueBeginner - Purity Very impressive that you can come up with something on such short notice - loved it!

48. joangolfing - Gavotte and Variations (Suite No. 14) This was a treat - we don't hear much Handel in the ABF recitals. Great job!

49. Ken. - Monk's Dream Cool! The ending was interesting...

50. Mar_red - Theme from Schindler's List Not familiar with this one, so thanks for introducing me to it. Loved the tremolos (is that what they are called?) Great job.

51. ShiroKuro - Midwinter Memories Welcome back! A very haunting piece - nicely done.

52. barbaram - Tequila Sunrise You're doing a great job for only a few months back. You're really getting into the rhythym! Loved it!

53. Ohio_Mark - Red Rose Rendezvous Nice swing feel - very jazzy and bouncy. Good job!

54. MrPozor - Prelude in E minor - BWV 941 Short and to the point! Loved it!

55. Sam Rose (Shmuel R) - Nocturne in C-Minor, No 21 (Posthumous) You have improved Sam - I can hear it very well!

56. carlos88 - Bach's Italian Concerto, First Movement I would love to learn this sometime, but it's very intimidating. Great job!

That's all folks!

Sam

Thanks to everyone for listening to my attempt at Brahms' Ballade :-) I'm glad that you all seem to like it, even though I believe it could use some more work



Oops, glad you still liked it but could I have played it to sound more simple?



Thanks!



Yes it was challenging. I am going to pick some easier pieces for a while. The quieter B part indeed sounds nicer, Brahms dropped the aggressive sound there and gives more possibilities to develop a nice melody.


Thanks Mr Super-Hunky! Soft entries into contrasting chords, this the amazing chords in the B section? yes there are some very nice harmonies there. I love to play these slow (like half speed) but Brahms asks for allegro...



Good. But it seems you prefer something else?


Thank you evamar!

Jazzwee thanks for the feedback and compliments! Is the sound too agressive in the fortissimos? Or are you talking about timing?




Good to hear Sam that all my work on this worked out



Great to hear that you like my playing and the sound of my piano. Seems I made the right choice removing the rug



Jim, thanks for your compliments. Yes it's dense and difficult but I hope that doesn't bother the listener. If it sounds good, I must have done the right way



Great to hear that I managed to squeeze out at least a tiny bit of melody And also good that the performance overall worked. Indeed that transition back is tricky, you really need to pick up speed well in time otherwise it will sound really odd. Yes, it seems Brahms' trademark is 'freaking difficult'...



Thanks Inlanding for the feedback!



Good to hear this!



Yes, these grade 11 pieces are just way too nice to skip but wish they weree easier Glad that you like my attempt


Jazztpt, thanks for listening and your nice words!

Thanks for the comment, Sam. It wasn't meant to be nostalgic, necessarily.

I was captivated by the history of this place - to go from a small town, to being overrun for roughly 20 years where some great things and some really awful things happened, to eventually reverting back to this tranquil retirement community 150 years later.

I've never been there, but I created this piece with the thought that the history of this place must certainly be reverberating along the streets and sidewalks, trying to tell its story - good or bad.

One day I'll visit, and try my luck at panning the creeks for some Dahlonega gold.