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.