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GRRR your technician makes me angry. The Heintzman is so much more authentic..

Thanks! Yeah it is very different, I get why it is in the album though as one of the first pieces. It helped me get started with syncopated pedaling. Really a wonderful hymn.


Thanks! It looks deceptively easy (and it probably is just easy) but it took me so much effort to get it smooth..

While I'm thinking of it - here are the Youtube videos I made of 4 of my 5 submissions. They include "additional comments" that I didn't think to incorporate when I submitted the original recordings in MP3 format last week.

Am continuing to listen to and enjoy the recital submissions - along with the individual comments !!!!!

Song of War (Kriegslied) Opus 68 No. 31

I've sometimes wondered why Schumann, in 1848, would include a "Song of War" in an album of pieces for children. Nevertheless, children (and adults) have been playing "war games" for centuries.

https://youtu.be/kaQqKwug-IQ?list=UUhgp9Wg9ryMesmZyLgVqiCw


Northern Song (Nordisches Lied) Opus 68 No. 41

I first encountered this haunting little piece at around age 12. Only years later did I understand that Schumann wrote it as a greeting to this friend, Neils Gade - and that the first four notes of the melody line are G-A-D-E.

https://youtu.be/7Ly1WKb_imI?list=UUhgp9Wg9ryMesmZyLgVqiCw


Figured Chorale (Figurieter Choral) Opus 68 No. 42

The fourth selection in the Album for the Young ("Chorale") offers a basic version of this same hymn tune ("Freue dich, o meine Seele" -- "Rejoice, O My Soul") which I recall "analyzing" as a harmony student during my freshman year in college. This "figured" arrangement (No. 42) - in its simplicity - takes the music to another realm.

https://youtu.be/Cri8jWrM8qM?list=UUhgp9Wg9ryMesmZyLgVqiCw

Soaring (Aufschwung) Opus 12 No. 2

Started to learn this when I retired five years ago - but got distracted and put it aside until the opportunity arose to participate in the Schumann Recital. I consider this a work in progress. Still have small issues to address in terms of pacing, touch, nuance, etc. The heavy action on my Mason and Hamlin BB makes this particularly challenging to play - but at least the piece is memorized !!!!!

https://youtu.be/Bzz8bXn3O4A?list=UUhgp9Wg9ryMesmZyLgVqiCw

Authentic indeed !!! Greener - So glad you have a Canadian built Heintzman. But, you are correct, over time pianos start to wear out. I have a 1976 Everett studio upright (built in South Haven, Michigan) that I purchased new way back then. Still holds a tune and plays well, but can't really be used for recording. Still can't get myself to part with it - due to the sentimental value - plus it looks great in our family room !!

Thanks! I'm studying this one as well, I find it rather difficult with all the big chords. It has a nice nordic sound to it, sort of like Grieg, like Ase's Death. Schumann has captured that beautifully, and so did you in your beautiful recording!

37. verqueue - Sonata g minor op. 22
A pity that you didn’t like it, though I suppose it’s useful to identify what you don’t like too.

As a relatively uneducated listener, your lack of connection to the piece wasn’t really apparent to me. The first movement has a real wow factor and your playing is amazing throughout as usual.

I’m listening to your Chopin Ballade in F minor now as contrast – it seems to me that you really “feel” the Chopin, that you are communicating through the music in a way that isn’t apparent with the Schumann.
BUT I strongly suspect that I only think this because I already know how you feel about the Schumann. And also, of course, because any decent performance of Chopin has to pack a huge emotional punch in a way that Schumann does not necessarily require.

38. Erin (Morodiene) - Op 23 No 3 Mit grosser Lebhaftigkeit
Really lovely. I will admit that I do not love all of Schumann’s work equally, but I really enjoyed this.

39. PikaPianist - Nachtstucke Op.23, No.4 'Einfach'
I really liked the rolled chords in this, they sound beautiful

Definitely positively my last comments for today!

82. SwissMS/Doris - Opus 118 No 1 Sonata in G Theme and Variations

First thing, to be clear, this is already a very good performance. If it wasn't an exam piece, I'd be saying "great job, fun variations!" and moving along ...

Because it is an exam piece, I’ve listened to this a couple of times through while looking at the score in the hopes of being able to give some useful comments. But, you know, take what I have to say with a pinch of salt!

Theme: be careful with the rests in measures 5+6 (first 4 measures seemed fine to me). You could make more of the accents.
Before looking at the score, I would have said the opening felt a little plodding. Now I realise the tempo is pretty slow so I guess my quibble is with Schumann and not you :-)

Var 1: Lovely. The melody is nicely voiced rel to the accompanying quavers. Not sure about dynamics relative to the preceding section, is the "p" really "p"? Maybe a little more delicacy here.

Var 2: I really like the triplets, for me they are maybe taking too much of a back seat

Var 3: Very nice. There's less "busyness", so you have more work to do to keep it interesting. Use a bit more dynamic contrast here I think.

Var 4: Great, love this part

Zuruckhaltend I assume is ritenuto? Maybe this is held back a little more than I'd like, but as with the opening "ziemlich langsam", it *is* what's indicated on the score

Etwas lansamer: Don't let it get clunky as you slow it down

Overall, this is already very good. To make it great I think focus even more on tone, delicacy and dynamics

83. stumbler / Dave - Albumblatter op 124, no 5, Phantasietanz (Fantastic Dance),

Wow, this blew me away. Absolutely great!

84. Outo - Gesange der Frohe op 133-1 (to do)
Well done Outo for getting this in. Despite your dissatisfaction, it’s a very creditable performance. And we have all been on this journey and understand the struggle involved!!

I am totally blown away by the quality of playing in this recital. This collection is truly a treasure. My comments on many are limited what I found interesting in the piece. The playing is all top notch.

01. Pianamateur - Papillons, op. 2 What a wonderful way to open the recital. This is a beautiful piece and you really did it justice. Very nice presentation.

02. Valencia - Davidsbuendlertaenze Op. 6 No. 4 - Ungeduldig (Con impazienza) Another beautiful piece, well played. I like you pace, and the dreaminess in the piece.

03. patH (Patrick Hollstein) - Davidsbuendlertaenze op.6, Nr.8 "Frisch" Whoah, there is a lot packed into that one minute! A virtuosic performance!

04. Valencia - Davidsbuendlertaenze Op. 6 No. 10 - Balladenmassig sehr rasch This one has a sense of urgency about it. Again I like the slower tempo. There is so much going on in here, it is nice to be able to hear the harmonies. Really nice job on this one!

05. Richard (zrtf90) - Davidsbuendlertaenze op.6, Nr.15 "Frisch" This piece has a lot of drama and contrast. I love your interpretation. The arpeggios were lovely and nicely subdued. Gorgeous.

06. Richard (zrtf90) - Davidsbuendlertaenze, Op. 6 No. 16, Mit gutem Humor This is quite a contrast to the preceding piece. It is an unusual piece, but it sounds like you have captured the feel that Schumann wanted.

07. Richard (zrtf90) - Davidsbuendlertaenze Op. 6 No. 17 Wie Aus der Ferne This is a lovely piece, with a lot of variety that you tied together very well. Really nice playing.

08. timmyab - Three pieces from Carnival op 9 Three nicely contrasting pieces. I really like your interpretation and pacing. Wonderful playing.

09. Greener / Jeff Green - Carnaval, Chopin Op. 9, No. 12 Very nice, subdued arpeggios and singing melody. Great job with this challenging piece.

10. Richard (zrtf90) - Des Abends, Op. 12 No. 1 A nice sensitive presentation of this beauty. It has very interesting layers of sound and rhythmic play between the hands, and the cantabile melody sang beautifully.

11. Carey (Phil Jones) - Aufschwung (Soaring) Opus 12 No. 2 Soaring is a great name for this piece. It is an exuberant work. Beautifully played.

12. dire tonic - Warum? Op. 12 no.3 Why indeed? Was the piece searching for an answer? Very nicely played!

13. FarmGirl - Op12 No 4 Grillen This is an outstanding job after being sick for four weeks! Very expressive playing and nice dynamic control.

14. hreichgott / Heather W. Reichgott - Fantasiestucke Op. 12 no. 5 In der Nacht
15. hreichgott / Heather W. Reichgott - Fantasiestucke Op. 12 no. 6 Fabel
16. hreichgott / Heather W. Reichgott - Fantasiestucke Op. 12 no. 7 Traumes-Wirren Beautiful playing. Thank you for introducing me to these lovely pieces! I appreciate your including you visions of the pieces, it added to the listening.

17. AndyPlatt - Ende vom Lied, from Fantasiestuck, Op. 12, No 8 This must have been very difficult with an injured hand. It sure was not evident in your playing. Very nice job!

18. sinophilia (Diana) - Op. 15 no. 1 - Von Fremden Laendern und Menschen Excellent job with this. I can tell you really love the piece. To play this after three years is a great accomplishment!

19. Forrest Halford - Schumann Op. 15, #2 "A Curious Story" This sounds like a child skipping along. Nicesly played!

20. Forrest Halford - Schumann Op. 15, #3 "Catch Me" Lightly dancing on the keys! In has the feel of a cat silently skittering along. Great dynamic control!

21. peterws - Pleading Child A very convincing child, melting a parent’s heart. Nicely played.

22. dynamobt/Marilyn - Perfect Happiness Op 15 no 5 It is amazing how much Schumann packs into these short pieces! I really like your expressive playing on this.

23. ElaineAllegro - Opus 15, Kinderszenen, #6: Wichtige Begebenheit (Great Adventure) I like your vision of this piece. It sounds like a work out in one minute. Nicely played.

24. dynamobt/Marilyn - Dreaming Op 15 no 7 I admire your ability to get this in one take! I like the slow dreamy pace. This is one piece on my some day list. Beautifully played.

25. Forrest Halford - Schumann Op. 15, #8 "By the Fireside: Another gorgeous piece, well played. I like the way you played the finale especially well.

26. Forrest Halford - Schumann Op. 15, #9 "Knight of the Rocking Horse" I can definitely visualize a boy on the rocking horse with his magic sword. Very nice.

27. Forrest Halford - Schumann Op. 15, #11 "Frightening" Ha! It sounds like you had your own fightening high blood pressure kind of day! With all that, this is still a beautiful rendition of this piece. Truly steady under pressure!

28. Moonsh1ne (Ken) - Op. 15, No .13 Kinderszenen - Der Dichter Spricht (The Poet Speaks) I like your pacing, and rubato. Very nicely played, and amazing for 18 months!

29. Tim Adrianson - Kreisleriana #1 - 2 Op 16
30. Tim Adrianson - Kreisleriana #3-4 Op 16
31. Tim Adrianson - Kreisleriana #5 - 8 Op 16
35. Tim Adrianson - Noveletten #5
36. Tim Adrianson - Noveletten, #6

That was an amazing job on what is clearly virtuosic work. Wonderful job.

32. Pover - Op.18 Schumann Arabeske Excellent playing! I am impressed you could do such a wonderful job on this after only three years of playing. Nice dynamics and use of rubato.

33. peterws - Novelletten 21 1 This piece sounds like it is perfect for your style. It certainly does roll on as you say, but it has a underlying melancholy to it. Beautifully played.

34. chopinoholic (Paul de Koning) - Novelette op.21 no.2 That sounds extremely challenging, but you are clearly up to the task. There is so much going on. Wonderfully played.

Loved your Faschingsschwank interpretation - do you play the whole opus? I have small hands, and some bits of the Allegro and Finale are a challenge for me to play up to speed. The Intermezzo has a difficult mood to catch. I would have loved the playfulness of the Scherzino added between the two parts you played.

And what piano did you use? (I guess I should go back into the files for that info. I wish I had more time!)

barbaram - Thanks for the detailed analysis! It is greatly appreciated. I have played with the tempo, and I may push it up a bit. It seems plodding in the opening to me too! I have played around with the triplets, so I appreciate your advice to bring them out a bit more. Thanks again!

Today is super busy so I haven't had a chance to comment, but I do plan on listening and commenting this week. I'm very excited to hear everyone!

I really want to comment on these performances, but I have only listened to the first few and have not had time to go through more than 10, but I am really looking forward to any break I have to do that! I have to see, even from the small sample I've heard, it is really humbling and motivating at the same time to know that I'm part of such an accomplished forum and pianist with very refined performances.

So honestly, thank you for the evident effort and attention to detail you all bring out.

Morodiene, thank you for giving us the opportunity to share our music and our struggles, it really is wonderful.

Next opus... doing them in random order...

10. Richard (zrtf90) - Des Abends, Op. 12 No. 1
This was very well played and you really made the piano sing. This is the piece I liked best in this op.

11. Carey (Phil Jones) - Aufschwung (Soaring) Opus 12 No. 2
That was fast and furious and a lot of drama! Great playing!

12. dire tonic - Warum? Op. 12 no.3
Nice playing, I could definitely hear the question...did you find an answer?

13. FarmGirl - Op12 No 4 Grillen
Being sick and having to record, that must have been hard. So congratulations on succeeding so well!

14. hreichgott / Heather W. Reichgott - Fantasiestucke Op. 12 no. 5 In der Nacht
15. hreichgott / Heather W. Reichgott - Fantasiestucke Op. 12 no. 6 Fabel
16. hreichgott / Heather W. Reichgott - Fantasiestucke Op. 12 no. 7 Traumes-Wirren
That was some impressive playing, all 3 of them!

17. AndyPlatt - Ende vom Lied, from Fantasiestuck, Op. 12, No 8
So glad your wrist wasn't stopping you from playing. Very well done!

I have listened to just a few of this wonderful collection on Schumann's music so far, and hope to find the time to comment on most of them in the next few days. But what I have heard so far is fabulous -it makes me feel very honoured to be part of such an inclusive, high-quality recital. Thank you for letting me be a part of it, and to Morodiene for organising.
To those of you who have taken the time and effort to listen to my submission (all 13 minutes of it!) and leave comments, thank you! I'm really pleased that my efforts to learn Papillons have paid off at least to some extent!

Ta

Pam

25, 26, 26 forrest halford

Really lively playing on this trio. Loved them. I bought the op 15 album, some super stuff in there which I'm working on now. . . .you put a lot into these and that ole piano of you4s sounds really well. Its just great working through a one pager( maybe 2) in snappy fashion. Great work,Mani.

Thanks! I have played the whole opus, but not for years. These two movements I felt like I could manage quickly. One of these days I'll record the whole thing!

I played on a Yamaha P-140 connected to my computer. I controlled Pianoteq 5 D4 with it. Used Reaper to record.

Just received shipment of a Kawai VPC-1 today, so I'm looking forward to messing with it.

Apologies for a temporary diversion off-topic. I've been using the VPC1 for a while now and really like it. I know those on the digital piano forum would appreciate your feedback on it if you find yourself with a few moments to spare. The dominating issues are playing weight and key length. I think it's generally held to be the heaviest DP action - not everyone's cup of tea - with the 'for's arguing that it helps build strength and adaptability to real AP action while the 'anti's worry about tension, injury and sluggishness in the playing. The VPC1's key length being shorter to the fulcrum than Kawai's Grand Feel (and the upcoming GF2) means having to use a little more playing pressure as you move towards the back of the key. For an already heavy action this could be the final deal-breaker.

I'd be particularly interested in your experience of VPC1's let-off. I find it a hazard when trying to play pp to ppp - a grave risk of silent strike (apparently, the mechanism is removable!).

(your Schumann contribution is wonderful, btw!)

Thanks, dire tonic, I really enjoyed your performance on the VPC-1 with Garritan CFX. It sounds great! The VPC-1 sure is *different*! When I've had some time to think it through thoroughly, I'll be writing a detailed blog post addressing everything you mentioned.

Hi Rachel,

Your intermezzo was beautiful. I only discovered the piece after this recital was first announced and really considered claiming it. But the mood of the piece is too similar to what I usually play so I thought I should pick something different. I'm so glad you played it and gave such a sensitive performance.

I have many recordings of my piece (Op. 99/9) using the Ivory II ACD plugin. I will share one at some point. The problem is that the piece keeps getting better with each recording so I feel like I should keep working on it. That's how much I'm enjoying this piece is that I'm still playing it quite often. The constant 4-5 triplets are not a strain anymore so that's been quite encouraging. The entire Op. 99 is another of my favorite sets and I might try to work through all of it (over several years!).

I second what you said about the Garritan. So I had a look at the website. Before I got to the price, I looked at the computer requirements. . . . &%#&@&%££!!!!! New computer needed. . . .eh bien . . .maybe Pianoteq is pretty good after all!