Grieg Piano Concerto in A Minor - I. Allegro molto moderato

This is my first solo performance with an orchestra.

indeed. Bravo!

Oh man I'm excited. I'm downloading it now, damned slow connection

Well, there's the obvious memory slipup a few minutes in - not much to be said on that, except for the fact that you kept going. Painful as it was to hear that, that you kept your composure and kept going is admirable.

Compared to your other recordings that you posted, I was impressed in this one that you seemed to keep your tempo more under control (not so much that the others were out of control, but they were for the most part way too fast). What I think this would benefit from is a serious effort to control accuracy. I thought your tempo was good, as was your interpretation, but a lot of places had major note flubs, as though you were aiming and hoping that you'd hit the right notes. Instead of just hoping the notes will come out right, you will do well to prepare. The extra fraction of a second you take to adjust hand position and be ready to play the notes properly will go miles towards a cleaner performance.

For a first performance with an orchestra, good job...

8ude -

I don't remember the last time I've felt so exhausted after a practice session.

Boy, did your post inspire me to work!

Keep up the good work. From what I've read, I think you're doing considerably well for playing as long as you have. And playing with an orchestra is always an awesome experience, you're lucky to be able to play with one (and from what it sounded like, a pretty decent one too).

I should also mention, I thought parts of the cadenza were quite well done...

That part where you stopped playing was cool.

I say, even with the memory slip and some minor flubs here and there, this was probably my favorite of the recordings you've posted so far. The others still need a good polishing up.

Keep up the good work. I wish I could had played with an orchestra after only six years of lessons.

Joseph:

Not bad. I recognize in you a lot of the tendencies I had just a few years ago, which still hound on me now, though I've gotten better mastery of them since my, umm... "not-so-triumphant, in fact, perhaps mediocre" return to the piano.

That tendency is to expect that you're playing things too slowly, and that they must move along at a quicker pace. I did this for the first 12 years I played. Nothing was fast enough...except the slow stuff, which I was, in fact, content with. :p As a "for instance", I used to play the friska from the Hungarian No 2 in about 3:45. That's about 1:30 faster than most people tend to play it. I'm sure, under control, it would sound decent, and perhaps even light and 'dancy', but when I was 17, it was out of control. And, more recently, I just slowed the 3rd movement of the Moonlight down from 5:30, which was just overkill. Fast music sounds good fast, but sounds incredibly bad 'too fast'.

Anyway, as far as I can tell, that's the "number one" reason for your missed notes (except that memory slip which was, well, a memory slip, and they do happen...great job getting back in there).

So, my best advice would be to "start feeling comfortable in your own skin", leave the music to the music, and the tempo to your fingers. They'll play it well, if you don't try to push them too hard. (And, as I said, of this I have been guilty myself.)

Aside from a lot of the Left Hand "bangin" (no offense) and the missed notes, the performance was quite good =D Congratulations!

Thanks, guys. Perhaps I ought to study the Russian school of thought here to loosen up my "banging" and get everything more under control! :p

Wow, lot's of notes in this piece, good job!

Must be fun and satisfying working with an orchestra!

Indeed, very much.

I agree...playing the piano was 'fun' until I played with an orchestra for the first time, and then fun became love.

How do you get to play with an orchestra? Was that in school?

We had a concert every year for the 12th graders, called the "Senior Concerto Concert." Any senior in band/orchestra/choir could play/sing a concerto/aria at the concert in June.

On the same program, this year, we also played Mendelssohn Violin (first movement), Saint-Saens Cello #1 (first movement), Lalo Symphonie Espagnole - 5th mvmnt, and some other great pieces.

Last year we played Rach 2 (the first movement) and Chopin 1 (also the first movement) and Mendelssohn 2 (also the first movement).

Was that you, too? (recording...now...)

Of course not! :p I was just one of the cellists in the orchestra.

I wish I had a recording of that concert, though. It was great. The girl who played the Mendlessohn Concerto actually flubbed towards the beginning, a bit like I did in the Grieg, but she was able to get back into it and perform well. The Chopin was great, too, but the Rachmaninov was really awesome. I doubt that there was a single person in the hall (including the orchestra) who didn't give him a standing ovation.

They're doing the Rach 2 and the Grieg (1st movements) again next June.

I think I will go and listen to that concert!

Where is this, again? (If it's not too far... )

It's a bit of a drive from Philadelphia...

Do I have to go under water? :p

You can if you'd like, but it's not recommended.

It's about a 10-hour drive east.

Hmm...ten hours east?! Doesn't that put me just west of the Canary Islands...a good four hours drive from Africa? :p

Ah, indeed. Make that 10 hours WEST.

*laughs* Indeed! I was about to rent a canoe. :p

So you're somewhere east of the North-South line that runs through Louisville, Kentucky? (That was approximately a ten hour drive last time I did it...though it should probably be closer to 12.)

Hmm...I guess we'll have to see how adventurous I'm feeling come June. I've done it before (a friend wanted to drive from Philly to Chicago to have lunch, and then turn around and come back). (We didn't do it...but we still toss it around every once in a while. )

Ah yes our Orchestra teacher does the same thing.

I am hoping that by the time I am a senior mabye I can attempt the 2nd Prokofiev concerto movement 1. It will be hard but I think I can and besides it's just for a bunch of parents who think anything is good anyways.

If I can't do that then I'll probably do the Rach 2 (Which I already have learned) or 3 depending on my technique level

Amazing job. Aside from the few mistakes already mentioned, but what you did great definately outweighs what you did wrong. I am palying with an orchestra this summer... I can't wait to play with them.... I bet its an amazing feeling.

Good work though. I always love hearing you play!

Thanks, PianoBeast. Yes, playing with an orchestra is full of wonderful feelings. You're going to love it.

Yaaahhh ! I got a "recital" yesteday, where I played Chopin's first concerto's Allegro Maestoso, with my teacher playing orchestra on a second piano... And I did it very well ! I'll probably play it with an orchestra in a few months ! Soooooo Happy !!!

Great! I've played concertos with a 2nd piano a few times, and it's a lot of fun. There's something really special about playing with other people, that you don't get when you play by yourself.

Of course, performing with an orchestra is even more fun than playing with just a 2nd piano, as you'll soon find out. (The rehearsals, too.)

Brilliant!

That was like listening to a professional. Great job on that everything in the song was just right, keep up the brilliance.

Damn you! How'd you manage to stay at the "top of the charts"? :p

Ah, side discussion, I see. :p Well, let me add to it....

Absolutely. You know, I was really nervous before the first rehearsal, because I tend to doubt myself as a "good" musician...and I didn't want to let down the guy who asked me to play (because he was the director of the group, and a professional cellist). I was actually more nervous for the first rehearsal than I was during the performance, because by the time the performance came around, I was comfortable with the group, and everything kind of went into "automatic pilot". (Plus, I like to perform, so even though I get nervous I'm still where I like to be.)

There's nothing better than playing with a group. Solo is fun, and when you finally "get something right" there's a "Holy Crap!" moment and you're elated for an hour or two. But when you get something right with a group...to me, that's a feeling that doesn't die.

I have no idea.




My first rehearsal was just with the string section. At the first rehearsal with the full orchestra, I had not yet finished learning one small section. So, when we got to that part, how embarassing! Plus, we hadn't expected to rehearse it that night, but some of the other soloists weren't there, so I had to play on a digital with a very strange action.

I loved all the other rehearsals.

Wow. I think that's an, "Umm...you want me to do what with that thing? *pause* Well, I'll try..." moment.

Well, however you did it, I'm firing my agent and going with yours. :p

This is one of my favourite concertos, so unfortunately I am full of very pendantic and specific preferences about it. Luckily this is a very nice recording. Well done. You are so lucky to get to play with an orchestra. I can play 4 piano concertos, but have never played them with accompaniment. I just hum the orchestral parts to myself.