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Final set!
Quintuple waltz (op.72 no.16) - Ganddalf
I enjoyed this very much. Odd meter for a waltz indeed, but after a while you get used to it. I think you played the middle voice clear. It did not sound that you were struggling with it.

Chant elegiaque Opus 72 No.14 - Paul de Koning (chopinoholic)
When I hear this again after a while, I exactly know what I need to improve. The tempo needs to be faster and the arpeggios need more practice to maintain that tempo. And I need to memorize it. So still a lot of work to do.

Un poco di Chopin Opus 72 No.15 - Paul de Koning (chopinoholic)
Same goes for this piece. Need to memorize it (no odd pauses during the page turns D)). And need to ease on the accents here and there. Will keep working on it .

Op. 39 No. 5. The Toy Soldiers' March - jamie_vt
Another delicate piece from the opus 39. Nice marching tempo and very playful. Thanks!

Souvenir de Hapsal Op. 2 No. 1: Ruins de Chateau - Morodiene
Wow, amazing composure. I love the start, a marchlike walk through the ruins, taking your time, thinking over all the worries back home. Good to hear that middle voice played so well.
The middle section was really virtuoso played. I think you balanced the moods really well. This was lots of work I can imagine.
On to part 2.

BTW, here's the music on IMSLP.
http://javanese.imslp.info/files/im...aikovsky_-_Op.2_-_Souvenir_de_Hapsal.pdf

Souvenir de Hapsal Op. 2 No. 2: Scherzo - Morodiene
I did enjoy this, allthough it was pieced together as you say. Shame that you have to let it go though. I think you have something going here. Loved the middle octave voicing a lot. If it is played a bit faster, I think the melody would come out even better.

Souvenir de Hapsal Op. 2 No. 3 Chants sans parole - Morodiene
On the IMSLP score the title is "Chant sans paroles". Not sure which one is right. Chants or Chant.
I especially liked the question-answer part in this piece, somewhere in the middle. I don't know any Mendelssohn (pardon for that) So I cannot make any comparisons. If he made music like this, then I'll surely check it out.
Thanks for sharing the whole set of opus 2! I liked the first one best. Did you work on that the most?

Mazurka - MrPozor
Great effort to play a mazurka. I think this little dance is pretty tough. Good thing you recorded the piece, despite your doubts. thanks for sharing!

Opus 37, No. 12 December: Christmas - carlos88
Looks like Tchai had some talents. Nice Waltz. Well played.

The New Doll Op 39 no 6 - ClsscLib
Good that you made it in time! This piece was still missing from the "Doll" set. It made it complete.
The recording was a bit loud, but I saw you put it on the piano? It was a decent recording nevertheless. Thanks!

peterws/pyotr: Op 39 14 FolkSong I really love the phrasing of the melody with the staccato accompaniment, lovely job on this miniature.

AZ_Astro: At Church Op. 39 No 23 I think you are being too self-critical, you really bring a lovely sense of space to this piece. The performance suits the title beautifully - nice phrasing, good dynamic range and just wonderful "breathing."

peterws/pyotr: Impromptu op72 1 This Impromptu seems very tricky and I think you did a great job, cuts and all. Perhaps if you had got a teeny bit slower it would have been better controlled but I know how difficult that can be when you know what tempo a piece "should" be! There was ovely phrasing of the melody and a good balance between the hands. I think you brought out the feel of this as an improvisation very well.

peterws/pyotr: Peasant`s Prelude Op 39 13 This is a wonderful piece, I think you performed it with great spirit, really attacking it where that was called for.

patH (Patrick Hollstein): Op. 1 No. 2. Impromptu A wonderful performance, very controlled, elegant in the middle part, capturing the improvisational aspect extremely well. Nice control of the dynamic range and tempo, I loved how you built up the climaxes and varied the mood between the sections.

Thank you so much everybody for commenting my piece! I'm back from a little trip to Germany, neck-deep in work and absolutely dazzled after an overdose of Martha Argerich... but I hope to catch up with the forum and this recital very soon.

23) Album Leaf – Richard (zrtf90)
A cool head definitely prevails then. It is very clear and right on the money. Yes, agree a lovely piece indeed and worth the time you've invested, and have yet to. It is very good at this snap shot. Perhaps recycle in a future recital? I know it is hard when there is so much new stuff. Good on you for this many Tchaikovsky performed at a very high level. Excellent playing, Richard.

25) Waltz op. 40 no. 8 - timmyab
If I had come across this piece while listening for possible selections,I'd have tried to grab it. I love the theme, and generally love a good Waltz. I'd hope to have done as well as you have here, timmyab. Just listening I don't notice any deviation from the score. But, if you say so. I do know it is beautifully presented here. Thank you for this.

27) Berceuse, Op. 72, No. 2 - MaryBee
This sounds like a very complex work, MaryBee. A lot of timing challenges throughout. Sure to throw a less seasoned pianist off their game in terms of overall tempo. When I listen at 5:40 and skip back to 0:10 it is spot on. Lovely work in this. Really good, MaryBee.

29) Op. 19, No. 4 - Nocturne - Rupak Bhattacharya
I believe this is my first time hearing you, Rupak.
First of all, you have absolutely nothing to apologize about. Only two years playing? I'd of guessed at least 20. This is very nicely shaped. You are doing extremely well … one of those gifted ones perhaps … good for you. It gets little muddy for me around 3:00. Otherwise, beautiful work.

31) Chant elegiaque Opus 72 No.14 - Paul de Koning (chopinoholic)
A fabulous piece, Paul. I'm hearing it for my first time, with you playing it here and I really like this. What a great theme. I'd be doing similarly, and as as we've also heard others saying ... these are keeper pieces. Nice presentation here, Paul. It is a pleasure listening to this. Thank you.

33) Op. 39 No. 5. The Toy Soldiers' March - jamie_vt

I would say … some of these shorter pieces are definitely not simple. But, very cute and clearly worth the effort you've taken. This conveys a very nice feel. One I'd be aiming for, reminiscent of the title. Very nice playing. Thanks for sharing.

35) Souvenir de Hapsal Op. 2 No. 3 Chants sans parole - Morodiene
I am glad to have landed on this one, Morodiene, as it is my favorite of the movements. This movement feels like a pleasant respite after enduring more troublesome waters. Very well executed and fine playing.
Yes, as you mention it, I've heard of these works sometimes referred to as Songs without words, but had no idea of possible correlation to Mendelssohn. Interesting. Thank you for sharing.

37) Mazurka - MrPozor
Glad you showed us this work in progress, MrPozor. That is what this is really all about and you did the right thing. The stitching isn't noticed on the front end. This is coming along very well and just needs a bit more time. For me, I'm often much happier with my playing of any given work, two-three weeks after I have recorded it. But, it is the discipline of preparing for and actually recording, that made it so. Nice job. Thanks for sharing.

39) The New Doll Op 39 no 6 - ClsscLib
You've done well with the red dot pressure test, ClsscLib. This is nicely performed. Recording gets easier, but is never easy. Thanks for getting in on this great recital theme and for sharing this. Welcome, and hope to see you in more recitals to come.

Peasant`s Prelude Op 39 13: peterws/pyotr

When I listen to this piece I imagine an early morning with sunrise over the fields. A simple, but charming little piece and I liked your performance of it.

Op. 1 No. 2. Impromptu: patH (Patrick Hollstein)

Very impressive performance! This piece sounds very technically demanding, but it is obvious that you have done a great job with it. Particularly I liked the more lyrical middle section. Your instrument has a beautiful sound.


Baba Yaga: Richard (zrtf90)

After listening to your performance I just had to read the fairy tale about Baba Yaga (To aid my studies of Russian language I once bought a collection of Russian fairy tales). This is not a nice lady. She appears as a witch flying around in a mortar (not on a broom like most witches do) and eats small children. In the fairy tale a small girl is sent to her by her wicked stepmother who wants to get rid of her. However, the girl is smart and escapes her destiny by bribing the maid, the cat and the dog of the witch. The odd melodic and harmonic character of the piece reflects the odd character of Baba Yaga. I like your performance, where you display both elegance and humor. Thanks for sharing!

The Seasons, Op. 37: 1. January: Heather W. Reichgott (hreichgott)

The second title of this piece is “At the fireside”. And really, when listening to your performance I feel like seeing the flames and feel the warmth from the open fire. You play the piece with great sensitivity and perfect dynamics. Flawless performance!

The Seasons, Op. 37: 2. February: Heather W. Reichgott (hreichgott)

This piece also has a second title: “Maslenitsa “ which means something like «Fat Tuesday». As expected you make an excellent performance. I have heard it played a bit faster than you do, but I like your tempo since I can hear clearly more of the fine details in the fast sections. I also appreciate the contrast between the sections of the piece. I’m very glad you presented this piece.

June - Barcarolle - opus 37b/6: Sam S

This is one of the very few piano pieces of Tchaikovsky I knew from earlier years. Probably one of the most frequently played Tchai pieces, at least outside Russia. Not so surprising. It is a very beautiful composition. You play with a beautiful tone and give an overall pleasing impression. I enjoyed listening.

Mama: gingko2

I can hear that you have done a nice piece of work with this composition. It was nice and relaxing to listen to your performance. The mp3 was loud enough for me. After all this is not a piece with great contrasts. I enjoyed it.

Dolly Is Ill: earlofmar

Another nice little piece. I think you were able to make a lot out of it. I enjoyed the melodic lines, and also think your dynamics were great. Thanks for sharing!

Album Leaf, Op. 19 No. 3: Richard (zrtf90)

Listening to this piece really raised my mood. You play with great delicacy and draw the melodic lines beautifully. Indeed, you are right when comparing the structure of this piece with Bach composition. Great job!

Op. 39 No. 8. The Doll's Funeral: ajames

Quite a lot of drama in this small piece. You did very well with the dynamics and succeeded in expressing the mood. Very sad, of course, but also very beautiful. I enjoyed listening to it.

Waltz op. 40 no. 8: timmyab

So typical a Tchaikovsky waltz! Pretty demanding technically I think. You give the piece a nice dancing character, and bring out all melodies neatly. For me the performance sounded virtually flawless.

This has been a great recital! I never realized that Tchaikovsky had written so much great piano music. Lots of music to explore!

MaryBee - Berceuse, Op. 72, No. 2 - very dreamy and sleepy. You handled the middle section very well and didn't let it spoil the mood. The transition back to the dreamy lullaby was great.

Ganddalf - Meditation (Op. 72 no.5) - I'm jealous of your ability to bring out those inner voices - well done! I can hear how difficult it is...

Rupak Bhattacharya - Op. 19, No. 4 - Nocturne - You are way too hard on yourself - it sounds great and very expressive. You shaped the phrases well.

Ganddalf - Quintuple waltz (op.72 no.16) - Wow, a 5/4 waltz. That's surprising coming from Tchaikovsky. Sounds great - it has that stumbling, rushing quality that fits the 5/4 time.

Paul de Koning (chopinoholic)- Chant elegiaque Opus 72 No.14 - I think a lot of these Tchaikovsky pieces are surprising - more difficult than they seem, more subtle than they seem at first glance. You played it beautifully and sensitively.

Paul de Koning (chopinoholic) - Un poco di Chopin Opus 72 No.15 - A fitting piece for you, given your screen name! It does remind of a mazurka. Good job with the accents, and the sense of touch was great. Nice use of the pedal too. And that was a lot of notes in the middle section!

jamie_vt - Op. 39 No. 5. The Toy Soldiers' March - I think you captured the feel of it very well. I can see the soldiers marching stiffly off.

Morodiene

• Souvenir de Hapsal Op. 2 No. 1: Ruins de Chateau
• Souvenir de Hapsal Op. 2 No. 3 Chants sans parole
• Souvenir de Hapsal Op. 2 No. 2: Scherzo

Impressive work - Excellent, which is what I have come to expect of you. Everything fit together so well. The contrasts were excellent. You shaped the phrases so musically. Great control of touch and pedal. Just outstanding all around.

MrPozor - Mazurka - Excellent job getting it this far. Nice staccato touch.

carlos88 - Opus 37, No. 12 December: Christmas - For your first waltz, this was great. Wonderful feel of spinning and rushing around the dance floor.

ClsscLib - The New Doll Op 39 no 6 - This is great for your very first recording! And your playing was great too! Welcome to the online recitals!

That's all...

Sam

Ganddalf: Seasons: May A wonderful invocation of Spring, gentle yet with passion. I love the arpeggiated chords near the beginning. There is great space in the second subject and a fine transition into the middle section. Loved it!

Richard (zrtf90): Baba Yaga I could almost hear the witch flying, it was a great performance of this miniature.

Heather W. Reichgott (hreichgott): The Seasons, Op. 37: 1. January You bring across the cold space in this Winter piece very nicely, there is a wonderful control particularly in the runs and transitions. The overall shape of the piece was great.

Heather W. Reichgott (hreichgott): The Seasons, Op. 37: 2. February There is a nice contrast with January, but still feeling seasonal. It is great to hear these back to back, feel the progression. You performed this very nicely, good phrasing and nice dynamic range. I really like the "scampering" in the quick sections, building up to a nice climax. Great performances both!

Sam S: June - Barcarolle - opus 37b/6 Summer comes! I almost chose this piece for the recital, can't remember you might have already picked it or my teacher just steered me to October because other pupil had done June. Anyway, you showed me just why I like it, very simply placed but with great tenderness and control. Nice phrasing and passing of the melody and I loved the climax in the middle section.

gingko2: Mama This is a truly beautiful performance, I really feel you took great care with the phrasing and overall shape of the piece. Yes, the mp3 was loud enough! Beautiful, just beautiful.

earlofmar: Dolly Is Ill Poor Dolly. I think you did a good job in general with the dynamics - there were a couple of unwanted accents, but otherwise it was shaped really nicely and you have great interplay between the hands in the sections where that's most important.

Richard (zrtf90): Album Leaf, Op. 19 No. 3 Yes, I can hear the "Bach factor" in this and you did a great job of keeping the voices nicely separated but in sync. I liked the dynamic range, with long and gradual crescendos. Nice control of the rhythm too.

ajames: Op. 39 No. 8. The Doll's Funeral Sigh, the Dolly died. Surely Tchaikovsky knew and imitated (parodied?) Chopin's Funeral march. I think you did a fabulous job of keeping that stately and simple - well played! I really liked the way you did the big crescendo though it did clip a teeny bit in the recording.

timmyab: Waltz op. 40 no. 8 I'm not following along with the score so I don't know where you deviated but it sounded pretty authentic to me! This has quite a different feel than the other waltz, you bring a smooth quality to it, very nice. There is still a good rhythm though, and I felt you shaped the overall piece very nicely.

Op. 39 No. 20. The Witch Baba Yaga: jfmartins

Another elegant performance of this piece! Sounded spooky to me, and I think this was the composer’s intention. Well played!

Berceuse, Op. 72, No. 2: MaryBee

This is another example of a piece that makes me wonder why Tchaikovsky’s piano pieces are not more frequently performed. I listened twice to you performance, and afterwards I had problems getting the piece out of my head. So much beauty and such a peaceful performance! It sounds very technically demanding. You made a great job with this composition. Any you make your piano sound beautifully.

Op. 19, No. 4 – Nocturne: Rupak Bhattacharya

I think this was a great performance. You phrase all the melodies - also those in the middle voices - very nicely. I’m not bothered with tempo changes at all. In fact you handle them so intelligently that it all seems natural to me. I’m amazed that you can do this after just 2 years of self-learning.

Chant elegiaque Opus 72 No.14: Paul de Koning (chopinoholic)

Studying this piece must have taken a lot of time and effort. It sounds very difficult to me, but you don’t seem to have any problems with the technical challenges. And still you have the energy needed to make beautiful music out of it. Great performance!

Un poco di Chopin Opus 72 No.15: Paul de Koning (chopinoholic)

Another virtuosic performance! I think you succeed giving this piece the right character. It was very enjoyable to listen to it.

Op. 39 No. 5. The Toy Soldiers' March: jamie_vt

A cheerful little piece! Nice rhythm and fine staccato. I enjoyed listening.

Souvenir de Hapsal Op. 2 No. 1: Ruins de Chateau: Morodiene

Very impressive performance! The contrast between the main and middle part was great, both in dynamics and character. The middle part sounds extremely difficult technically, but the rest doesn’t seem easy either. I was thrilled by the fine melodic movements in the middle voices.

Souvenir de Hapsal Op. 2 No. 3 Chants sans parole: Morodiene

Very beautiful singing melody and cheerful mood! Particularly I liked the segment where the voices run in canon. It was very pleasing listening to your playing.

Souvenir de Hapsal Op. 2 No. 2: Scherzo: Morodiene

Indeed you managed to express the scherzo character of this piece. It is great composition, and I can’t hear any signs of the recording being stitched together. I love the brightness you give to the opening theme. Fine performance!

Mazurka: MrPozor

I enjoy the fine dancing character you give to this piece. It must be something with subtle timing that makes the music so appealing. I enjoyed your performance very much.


Opus 37, No. 12 December: Christmas: carlos88

Indeed you succeeded in giving the right character to this piece. It is just a very fine piece of music beautifully played.

The New Doll Op 39 no 6: ClsscLib

Congratulations with your first piano recording. You gave a very nice presentation of this charming little piece. I enjoyed listening to you.

I listened to all the recital pieces. Thank you all very much. I enjoyed it.

At Church Op. 39 No 23 (AZ_Astro) - Plodding? No! Let's call it solemn and deep. But I must admit, I do like the relative brightness that's added when the right hand comes in on the high notes.

Impromptu op72 1 (peterws) - I for one am glad that you bit off more than you could chew. Otherwise I never would have heard this great piece. So much of interest here, and I do like that middle section and those rumbly chords near the end. I really enjoyed listening.

Peasant`s Prelude Op 39 13 (peterws) - My goodness -- how many pieces did you prepare for this recital? That's funny; I don't get a sad feeling from this at all. I hear anticipation of something that's about to happen.

Op. 1 No. 2. Impromptu (patH) - Wow, you really show your versatility here. After that powerful opening, you easily slide into that sweet second section, then gradually introduce some tension back in, meanwhile handling all those smooth arpeggios, and finally return to that amazing opening section.

Seasons: May (Ganddalf) - You bring a breath of calm sweetness with a touch of yearning to this piece. Just so like spring.

Baba Yaga (zrtf90) - I was considering doing this piece for the recital. It just has so much character; I love it. The beginning reminds me of a song we used to sing in grade school about a witch named "Sophia".

Just finished listening to all the pieces.

I guess the best I can say is: Good job from all the performers. Thanks for putting this recital together.

last group:
27 MaryBee Berceuse, Op. 72, No. 2 Very soft and gentle feeling. I like the rolling waves imagery. Very beautiful job.

28 Ganddalf Meditation (Op. 72 no.5) Fantastically deep piece, really beautifully done.

29 Rupak Bhattacharya Op. 19, No. 4 - NocturneSounded great to me, very sweet and melodic.

30 Ganddalf Quintuple waltz (op.72 no.16) Interesting dance sound, would require some practice to actually dance to this, I think. Loved hearing it.

31,32 Paul de Koning (chopinoholic) Chant elegiaque Opus 72 No.14 & Un poco di Chopin Opus 72 No.15 These are wonderful pieces, and you played them beautifully. Op. 14 is nicely understated, very pleasing melody.

33 jamie_vt Op. 39 No. 5. The Toy Soldiers' March Very good marching feel. I enjoyed this.

34-36 Morodiene Souvenir de Hapsal Op. 2 No. 1: Ruins de Chateau, No. 2 : Scherzo, No. 3 Chants sans parole Really wonderful playing- very enjoyable listening to this.

37 MrPozor Mazurka, Op. 39 This is definitely one of the more challenging of the Op. 39 pieces. Thanks for submitting it, you have the right feel for the rythmn, nice job.

38 carlos88 Opus 37, No. 12 December: Christmas Love the delicate feel of this dance. Very wintery and celebratory. Hey Oreo, good kitty! (My cat will do that too, sometimes when I'm recording!)

39 ClsscLib The New Doll Op 39 no 6 You conveyed the excitement very well- great tempo. Enjoyed hearing this.

Many thanks to the organizers who did all the work behind the scenes, this was a very fun recital and very enjoyable listening.

Hello!

Don't want anyone to think I'm unappreciative of their comments about "Mama." I left on the 16th on a trip to China with students and just got back today. WiFi wasn't available as expected, and it was v. busy all day.

It is great when someone says anything--positive or even suggestions for improvement--isn't it? This online recital experience is very rewarding. Thank you for taking the time to listen and post. I worked hard and thought a lot about this piece. Haven't done that to this extent in years. Even though the fingers don't work too well it's gratifying to hear that some of the expression comes through.

Morodiene, Sam S, and chopinoholic, I'll experiment with volume and Audacity and if I need further instructions, I'll ask. Thank you!

OK-I'm very jet-lagged and a little slap-happy. I will listen more this weekend and make some comments later.

Thanks so much Andy and Ganddalf for your nice feedback!

It took a while but in the end I could listen to all the pieces. As usual a fantastic recital, I discovered a lot of great music I never heard before.
No individual comments, but a big thank you to all the participants for sharing this.

The next fivesix pieces (I had to keep Morodiene's Souvenir pieces together):

Paul de Koning (chopinoholic): Chant elegiaque Opus 72 No.14 You sent the mood beautifully with the opening. I loved the wonderful tone and really nicely shaped melody, the dynamic range was great. Obviously the middle section is a little harder but I was impressed that you were generally able to keep the melody present, that's a tough section!

Paul de Koning (chopinoholic): Un poco di Chopin Opus 72 No.15 A nice change of mood, well played. I think you handled the rhythm very well. I've always had a hide time understanding Chopin's Mazurkas but this seemed more "natural" to me, not sure if that's the excellent performance, the piece or a combination! There were great changes in here from the fast runs back and forth to the very bouncy rhythmic melody which you brought off really well.

jamie_vt: Op. 39 No. 5. The Toy Soldiers' March I think you got the feel of this piece very nicely. It feels march-like, but at the same time has that necessary childlike simplicity. Perhaps a little more dynamic contrast would give it a teeny bit more life?

Morodiene: Souvenir de Hapsal Op. 2 No. 1: Ruins de Chateau There is a great atmosphere to the start of this piece, very nicely brought off. I love the pianissmo chords with the very nicely phrased melody on top. The middle section has a wonderful contrast, I actually might have preferred it more legato but there is no doubt it has fantastic energy. You control such a fast passage extremely well.

Morodiene: Souvenir de Hapsal Op. 2 No. 2: Scherzo A nice change of pace for this "joke" (I think by Tchaikovky's time the meaning of a quick piece in 3/4 time was surely the conventional one?) In any case, I think you did a great job, pasted from multiple takes or not. It is a big piece and you managed to keep an overall structure to it, giving it wonderful energy and depth.

Morodiene: Souvenir de Hapsal Op. 2 No. 3 Chants sans parole I think Song(s) without words just means, "Can't think of a title!" This really completes the triplet very nicely. You have a great solid rhythm, with nice melodic flow, and a wonderful dynamic contrast down to the final fading away. Lovely set of pieces.

The last three, sob. This was a great recital. Like many it really opened my ears to Tchaikovsky's piano music. Prior I knew his piano concerto and a couple of The Seasons, but beyond that it was really only his orchestral (including ballet) works. This shows what a wonderful versatile composer for the piano he was.

MrPozor: Mazurka It's difficult to hear where it's pieced together which is good. I think you got the rhythms of the Mazurka down pretty well, the left hand needs better phrasing and that will make the piece really shine. The melody was shaped well, and overall it was an enjoyable listen.

carlos88: Opus 37, No. 12 December: Christmas Finally we have Christmas - you bring across the festive nature really nicely, the waltz rhythm is done really well and I liked how the melody flowed, even when moving quickly. The mood changes were well done, keeping the piece together but providing variety. And a baby cry for added interest (or was that the cat you mentioned?!) - good timing!

ClsscLib: The New Doll Op 39 no 6 Yeah, a new doll. RIP old one! A fitting end to the recital. Delightfully played, there's a great sense of fun and enjoyment. You phrase it very well and, if you felt the red dot, it doesn't show!