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Joined: May 2003
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OP
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Hi, This is Chopin's Nocturne No.1 in Bb minor. This recording isn't perfect, with a some note slips. Anyways, please listen and critique! http://www.savefile.com/projects/378985
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Joined: Jan 2005
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The first effect that jumps out at me is that it sounds very robotic - particularly when you have lots of notes in the right hand against a few notes in the left. The timing is perfect theoretically, and it's very metronomic, but it doesn't quite flow like a nocturne. The good thing about that is that it means you have control over the notes, and you know exactly where each note should theoretically go. So now that you've got all of the notes and basic rhythms down, try and put in a little bit of rubato. Maybe add a little ritard at the beginning of a phrase, then speed up slightly, and then ritard just a tad through the end. That way, the timing is perfect - if you set it against a metronome, it will take the same amount of time as if you were playing with perfect rhythm - but it will have a much more natural, smoother, nocturnal, Chopinesque feel to it. Another thing that will help, too, is smoother legato. Right now each note of the left hand (and sometimes the right hand) sounds very detached - yes, you're playing legato, but still detached. Try and smooth out the left hand so that there isn't a space between notes or accent at the beginning of any notes (except maybe the first note of each group (maybe play it "deeper") - definately not the top note of each group, though). Also, maybe try some hairpin dynamics on those left hand figures - crescendo slightly going up and descrescendo slightly going down. Of course, all of this being said, you're doing a pretty good job with it. Without knowing how long or hard you've worked on this piece, I'd say you've got the foundation fairly well, and maybe you can make it even better by considering some of my ideas and others. Keep up the good work.
Sam
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Joined: Jun 2005
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This is the best recording that you've posted IMO. At least out of the the several that I've heard. If your shooting for perfection, I would agree with Piano Jerome on the whole but mainly that the runs need a bit more fluidity. As he said, maybe start off as if the phrase is teetering on top of a hill and then let it fall accelerating to the bottom. not too fast though. just a tiny bit of freedom with the tempo. The sotto voce section was a bit slow for my taste and felt like it lagged just a tiny bit. You really don't have much to do in order to make this one really great. There were some very nice moments in this one. Do post another when you feel you've worked out the kinks.
JOHN
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OP
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Thanks for the tips! They are really helpful.
I will post this one again after a few weeks.
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Joined: Jun 2005
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I got confused while finding the sheet music, because I saw "Op 9 No 2", which is the Eb. :p But I think it's "Op 9 No 1", according to the playlist entry...so as soon as I can get a hand on the music, I'll go through the score. Over all, though, the playing sounds very nice! Commenting on the above two comments...go to the 5:00 mark of the recording...you did a pretty good "teetering off the hill" right there. (Coincidence that I happened to hear it as I was reading their comments. ) I'll say more when I have the score in front of me (probably tomorrow).
Every day we are afforded a new chance. The problem with life is not that you run out of chances. In the end, what you run out of are days.
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Joined: Jun 2005
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Okie, dokie. Here we go.... Ok, with the score, I was able to see a lot of things I couldn't see before. What the other two guys said is right on...you've got the tempo so well locked in that you're not letting the music go. Rubato would be sooooo nice to hear...particularly in the sotto voce section...look at the ppp measure...I hear a slight accelerando there and then a rit. back to the tempo at the pp 3 measures later. Over all, what you've done is very good...so there really isn't much to comment on. Obviously, you have to find your own stylistic interpretation. I don't believe there is a "right" and a "wrong" way to play any one particular piece. So, here are just two more things I heard that you might want to look at. After that previous section, 16 measures before the end, there's a rall. e dolciss. I think you may have ralled a little too much and not dolcissed enough. (It sounded slightly broken, and then coming back into the tempo, it sounded like you wanted to slowly work into it but then changed your mind and did an a tempo about a beat-and-a-half late. :p ) The only other thing I'll mention is the line in the last three measures. It's an FF accelerando with accents, and then the last five notes are dimmed into a ppp. Play around with this...really explore the limits. I think you can do more with it. (And do something with the last chord, while you're at it...it sounded VERY anti-climactic to me...I'd have to tinker with it in my ears...see if the F is 'the' note...one of the notes needs to be focused upon, which means it needs to be brought out slightly...but I can't say which one by the score. I can only guess, based on the previous eighths, that it's the F again.) So, there's my take. And I think I agree with Mr. Enthusiast up there when he said this is probably your best recording so far. Very nice.
Every day we are afforded a new chance. The problem with life is not that you run out of chances. In the end, what you run out of are days.
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Joined: May 2003
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OP
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Wow. Thanks for the detailed replies everyone!
I will surely have to record this over and fix it up!
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 220
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Well, firstly, I know the nocturnes inside out, so that always gives a lot more to say when you listen to recordings.
Ok, good job on the whole. but:
I'm sorry, but while perhaps in somewhat good rythme, the phrasing all throughout the piece and especially in the beginning lacked logic. You put too much rubato in all the wrong places, and then almost none in the right places. Sometimes you take too long to launch the phrases like in 4:46..
Another thing is, as I said about your other nocturne, the piece doesn't seem to change colour enough and there's not enough dynamics to accentuate the dramatic places.
Also your right hand is not independent enough from your left hand, which may be why your phrasing was a little off.
Overall though good job!
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Joined: Dec 2005
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a really good recording of the nocturnes is Maria Joao Pires's recording. I would suggest, if you're a nocturne player, that you get her double album of the nocturnes, its very good, and won a lot of prizes etc..
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Piano
by Gino2 - 04/17/24 02:34 PM
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Piano
by Gino2 - 04/17/24 02:23 PM
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