I just uploaded a preliminary candidate to the PW CD Project files.

http://www.pianoworld.com/cdproject/uploads/files/ChopinWaltzAminor.mp3

Comments, as usual are welcome.

Wow - I'm impressed. I love that piece. We have very similar tastes, obviously. YOu play it much better than I do. I like the way your repeats are different. Very nice! Another of those pieces I've taught myself and haven't really tried to perfect.

Oh, Mark! I love that piece, I really do. I'm always recommending it to people as a recital candidate.

There's a big difference between the way you play it and the way I play it. You sound so light and graceful, with so much musical expression.

I, on the other hand, sound like I am playing the piece with two hooves rather than fingers.

That was inspiring!

Thank you so much again Kathy! My teacher (web page) is incredible. Having studied with Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli and still doing performances all over the globe he has insight into music the likes I have never witnessed from anyone else. His playing ability is of the finest caliber on this planet.

Renato is attending my annual Chateau LaFite wine party next Sunday. We will all play various pieces on the Estonia of course. If this year is anything like last year, He will be the musical highlight of the evening.

The differences in the repeats are because of Renato. I was playing them the same way twice (or attempting to anyway! and he showed me how beautiful it would sound by varying the dynamics and tempo a bit. I am not saying that I do this anywhere near as well as he does, but I do like the feeling it conveys.

This performance has some "issues" now that I sit and listen to it more. I will try to do a better one for the CD project but I wanted to get some feedback on it. The piano also needs to be tuned and it will be next week before the party.

In fact, my piano technician is also attending the party! He is doing a full concert tuning and regulation Wednesday afternoon. He will show up a couple of hours early on Sunday to do any required touch up work before the guests start to arrive.

Thank you Cindy!

I am sure you are being way to hard on yourself.

It is a favorite of mine as it is the first piece I started learning with Renato. I had already started the Prelude in E Minor before becoming a student of his earlier this year.

I had a previous teacher who I felt was not going to advance my playing abilities as fast as I would like. I have known Renato for many years but always felt intimidated to ask him to be my teacher. It was silly to think that way and I am kicking myself for not starting with him earlier.

Nice recording mark. I really enjoyed your light touch. If you have any more recordings, please share them.

Thank you wldrumstcs!

I am working on additional Chopin pieces and will post them in the near future.

Generally a good work, I think that rubato is not so well done, sometimes the pedal makes the sound become blurred.

Thanks Alvin.

Gorgeous playing. I love how light your notes sound.... clear and crips and certainly very waltzy! Thank you for sharing!

Mark, last night I had my daughter listen to this piece, and then listen to a version on a commercial CD of Chopin Waltzes. We both agree that yours has so much more feeling. I have opened this file and played it countless times. You do an absolutely beautiful job with this piece. Frederic would be proud to hear you play it.
Once again, thank you for sharing it.

I had missed this recording before, mark, but I do like it, now that I finally listened to it.

Can you post the Opus# info on this? I looked on my CDSheetMusic disk but couldn't find the waltz that matched the piece you played. Op34 #2 is in Aminor, but its a different piece. I've heard it often and like it, but have never searched for the score before in my enormous library. :rolleyes:

Bob

It is as Mark posted, Waltz in A Minor, Op. 34, No.2 I have it on CD's and in Alfred's "Chopin-The First Book for Pianists". It is a beautiful piece and Mark plays it beautifully.

Mark - I don't make it over here very often so I just listened to your piece this morning. You do play it beautifully with so much expression. I really struggle with that light touch that you have in this piece. I also sometimes struggle with those "pregnant pauses" (I have no patience) and I love the way yours comes off.

Cathy

skeletony, leebea, Bob and Cathy,

Thank you so much for the kind words! I am very happy you enjoyed it.

The following is the newest edition and what will be on the PW CD Project.

http://www.pianoworld.com/cdproject/uploads/files/02WaltzAminor_Final.mp3

I think this version is better than the first one.

Woah i am new to playing the piano but i am very impressed with that song.Is that a difficult song for some one new to the piano to play?

Thanks jgoo and RoyalJoyal89!

Like my teacher says, "Everything is difficult If you play it correctly!"

For an absolute beginner it would be very difficult.

I still am not completely satisfied with my performance but when are we?

The best thing I can say to you if you are just starting out is to find a good teacher and practice at least 60 minutes each and every day. You will be amazed how fast you make progress.

You play this very beautifully - If you have 13 years on the piano, that means I have about 11 more years to go before I aplay this.

thank you for sharing - you play this poetically.

Thanks for sharing with us Mark!

I tried to find it online as well and kept coming up with another Valtz Brilliant in A minor. However...
after at least an hour I found it!

http://icking-music-archive.org/scores/chopin/walzamin.pdf

Now off to play it on this rainy miserable spring day!

Roberta

BRAVO !!

Thanks Mark, now I have to live up to that?

Beautiful Mark!!

Cathy

wow! I didn't even know mark was SICK[/b]! :rolleyes:

Bob,

HUH?

oh I just thought for a moment that you had recorded it posthumously, not that he had written if posthumously.

my bad!

I'll call the florist and cancel the order.

Bob

Liked the recording, btw.

markjpcs,

I loved your recording. I started this piece awhile ago but gave up....Just finished Waltz in B minor and am thinking about going back to it.

I have a confession. I listened, loved it, but was wondering about the interpretation compared to some of the recordings I have already heard. So.....I downloaded it and brought it into a lesson for my teacher's comments. He thought it was great! It lead to a great discussion on what's "interpretation" or just plain wrong!! I still just "do what I'm told" and I guess that would be my teacher's interpretation but until I'm a little (or a lot) further advanced, that's fine with me..

Great job. I'll look forward to more recordings!!!

Thank you Sandy!

I am very happy that your teacher liked it so much.

Heard it recently live (encore) with the great Grigory Sokolov

Your interpretation is quite good, lively, not too academic. The piano is out of tune, but has a nice sound. What size Estonia is it?

Thanks Thomas.

Yes the pianio was not in perfect tune that day.

It is an Estonia 190.