As promised...

I listened with pleasure, Ravel indeed with gusto

I did a bit of channel surfing but I was really expecting the Liszt sonata.... I was counting on that one.

Ludovica wrote:

I listened with pleasure, Ravel specifically with great enjoyment

Thank you Ludovica

TheSimon wrote:

I did a bit of zapping but I was really expecting the Liszt sonata.... I was counting heavily on that one.

Eh eh ... that is the toughest nut to crack and it will take some time before I manage to make a decent recording. I would like to do one with microphones because the camera audio is too terrible. I hope to satisfy you soon; however, if, as I believe, you haven't commented on the other videos because you think they suck (how could I blame you??!), don't expect more from the sonata!!!

What are you talking about? Very positive instead.... Then everything from memory! Well done! Let's wait for the Liszt sonata....

TheSimon wrote:

What are you talking about? Very positive instead.... Then everything from memory! Well done! Let's wait for the Liszt sonata....

Thank you

Well, memory is exactly what sometimes fails me; in fact, these days I am dedicating myself to playing everything veeeery slowly.

As for the sonata, I hope to satisfy you soon. In truth, I already have a recording, but it is too indecent

I listened to your Bach, I will try to listen to everything as time permits. The idea is good; I cannot comment on the dynamic aspects because, as you said, the camera audio has auto-adaptive gain. If I may make a note, it seems to me that there is a bit of a lack of synchronization between the right and left hands. Some passages appear confused to me, and I can only perceive the correct intention when the rhythmic structure repeats (within a progression, for example). Perhaps you should think a little more about the classic Bachian touch. If you allow me, I will report this post to Valentina, who graduated in piano with me. She is a great lover and performer of Bach, being also a harpsichordist, but coming from the piano, I believe she can give you some good tips.

TheSimon wrote:

I listened to your Bach; I will try to listen to everything as time permits. The idea is good, but I cannot comment on the dynamic aspects because, as you said, the camera audio has auto-adaptive gain. If I may make a note, it seems to me that there is a bit of a lack of synchronization between the right and left hands. Some passages appear confused to me, and I can only perceive the correct intention when the rhythmic structure repeats (within a progression, for example). Perhaps you should think a little more about the classic Bachian touch. If you allow me, I will report this post to Valentina, who graduated in piano with me. She is a great lover and performer of Bach, being also a harpsichordist, but coming from the piano, I believe she can give you some good tips.

Feel free to note and report, it pleases me... I posted precisely for this!!?

Of course, with 3 weeks left until the exam, I cannot afford to make major changes (it would be too risky), but I will certainly take note of it in my subsequent studies and deepening.

Dearest all, here I am, invited by Simone. In the meantime, good luck with the audition! I only want to say one thing about Bach: in my opinion, playing him on a piano fails to exploit his timbral and dynamic potential. Compliments on your memory: Bach is truly difficult to memorize. The only advice I can give you is to let yourself be carried away emotionally, especially in the second movement, which is one of the greatest masterpieces of music and requires an artistic rather than "mechanical" interpretation, as they are used to teaching in the conservatory. Anyway, most pianists don't understand anything about Bach, so I wouldn't worry too much. Which conservatory did you study at? Best wishes!

Vale wrote:

Dearest all, here I am, invited by Simone. In the meantime, good luck with the audition! I only want to say one thing about Bach: in my opinion, playing him on a piano fails to exploit his timbral and dynamic potential. Compliments on your memory: Bach is truly difficult to memorize. The only advice I can give you is to let yourself be carried away emotionally, especially in the second movement, which is one of the greatest masterpieces of music and requires an artistic rather than "mechanical" interpretation, as they are used to teaching in conservatories. Anyway, most pianists don't understand anything about Bach, so I wouldn't worry too much. Which conservatory did you study at? Best of luck!

well, just listen to what most of them do..... aahhahahahha

Vale wrote:

Dearest all, here I am, invited by Simone. In the meantime, good luck with the audition! I only want to say one thing about Bach: in my opinion, playing him on a piano fails to exploit his timbral and dynamic potential. Compliments on your memory: Bach is truly difficult to memorize. The only advice I give you is to let yourself be carried away emotionally, especially in the second movement, which is one of the greatest masterpieces of music and requires an artistic rather than "mechanical" interpretation, as they are used to teaching in the conservatory. Anyway, most pianists don't understand anything about Bach, so I wouldn't worry too much. Which conservatory did you study at? Best of luck!

Thank you so much Vale and break a leg!!! You are truly kind and I greatly appreciate your advice, mostly because it is extremely precious coming from a harpsichordist.

The reason why I don't let myself get carried away too much is because I fear making it too romantic and therefore making an interpretation that is outside of Bachian stylistic conventions. But now that you tell me this, I will try to remedy this shortcoming. Can I put your suggestion into practice for the allegro and the presto as well? Especially in the presto, it would help me a lot to release the tension.

To answer your question: truth be told, I am a private student. I cannot afford to attend the conservatory because I have a family and work all day. I would have liked to attend the conservatory, but I would have had to think about it a long, long, long time ago. Now I am 34 years old and priorities are different, even though music is always a fundamental and very important part of my being and will accompany me until the end of my days. Anyway, I will take the diploma exam in Messina on July 15th. Let's hope for the best!!!

Thanks again, and if you want to comment on the other videos, I will read them with great pleasure.

P.S. By the way, in Saint-Saëns there is a fugue, very beautiful in my opinion, which, if you don't already know it, I invite you to listen to (perhaps on the "tube" from someone better than me)

I believe it is always necessary to remain within the Bachian scope, but I agree with Valentina. There are passages that cannot fail to be expressive, in which it is fundamental to exploit all the potential of the piano that Bach had the opportunity to know in a very summary way...

Dearest, I was asking you where you studied because I believed it was no longer open to private students, but evidently that is not the case! Fantastic! Yes, of course it doesn't have to become a romantic piece, absolutely, but interpretation is not romanticism: it is just emotion! You can certainly let yourself go in the other two movements as well, without then naturally overdoing it too much! Well, I await news from you then. And congratulations on managing to combine such "demanding" activities! A hug

Vale wrote:

Dearest, I was asking where you studied because I believed it was no longer open to private students, but evidently that is not the case! Fantastic! Yes, of course it doesn't have to become a romantic piece, absolutely, but interpretation is not romanticism: it is just emotion! You can certainly let yourself go in the other two movements as well, without then naturally overdoing it too much! Well, I await news from you then. And congratulations on managing to combine such "demanding" activities! A hug

Thank you

you will certainly have news, I hope good news!!!

I return the hug

Even though I am not an expert and cannot give you advice, I still want to congratulate you on the results achieved. It is not easy to study, especially when one's life is moving on different tracks, but it is precisely in these cases that one realizes what things are truly important.

Don't worry about the exam, be serene because you are already a winner... Bye

sisifo1987 wrote:

Even though I am not an expert and cannot give you advice, I still want to congratulate you on the results achieved. It is not easy to study, especially when one's life is moving on other tracks, but it is precisely in these cases that one realizes what things are truly important.

Don't worry about the exam, be calm because you are already a winner... Bye

Thank you very much

I am giving it my all, as always; I hope to win this last battle too

For Beethoven, I suggest a couple of links ... that never hurt

Annie Fischer plays Beethoven 32 Variations in C minor:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=PRbRKjbzicc

Vladimir Horowitz plays Beethoven 32 Variations in C minor

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hd1Bk_vmbYM

just to draw from good performers as well, without imitating them though

What I miss most is the agogic variation; perhaps it suffers a bit from the usual "problems" highlighted by Vale for Bach.

Technically speaking, it seems to me that control could be improved, meaning dosing the forces involved ... hand, wrist, arms, etc.

Obviously, I have taken the liberty of pointing something out because there is a diploma in the middle, for which I imagine one never finishes being unsatisfied ...

Open content (youtube)

Open content (youtube)

I lost myself; while waiting for Liszt to arrive, I gave the variations a listen

The most convincing ones (in my opinion, obviously) were the XVIII and XXVII; perhaps the IX and XXVIII deserve a bit more verve.

From a musical/formal point of view, perhaps some little things could have been highlighted more; they are all internal phraseological elements, false polyphonies, etc.

I don't know if you have made progress and if you are still working on it; perhaps you can propose a new version and see how it goes after a couple of weeks.

ttw wrote:

For Beethoven, I suggest a couple of links ... that never hurt

Annie Fischer plays Beethoven 32 Variations in C minor:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=PRbRKjbzicc

Vladimir Horowitz plays Beethoven 32 Variations in C minor

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hd1Bk_vmbYM

just to draw from good performers as well, without imitating them though

What I miss most is the agogic variation; perhaps it suffers a bit from the usual "problems" highlighted by Vale for Bach.

Technically speaking, it seems to me that control could be improved—I mean dosing the forces in play ... hand, wrist, arms, etc.

Obviously, I took the liberty of pointing something out because there is a diploma involved, for which I imagine one never finishes being unsatisfied ...

Thanks for the links, I will listen to them with pleasure.

As far as the agogic variation is concerned, believe it or not, someone suggested that I keep the same tempo for all variations.

Frank wrote:

I missed it; while waiting for Liszt to arrive, I gave the variations a listen.

The most convincing ones (in my opinion, obviously) were XVIII and XXVII; perhaps IX and XXVIII deserve a bit more verve.

From a musical/formal point of view, perhaps some little things could have been highlighted more; they are all internal phraseological elements, false polyphonies, etc.

I don't know if you have made progress and if you are still working on it; perhaps you can propose a new version and see how it goes after a couple of weeks.

Thank you for your comment.

I won't hide from you that since then (about a month ago) I have worked a lot on Beethoven, as well as on other authors, and I have made some progress.

Unfortunately, I don't have the time to start recording again, and I hope to be able to do so after the exam.

I am almost certain that, unless I forget everything due to some sort of rejection from exam abuse, when I play the pieces after the diploma, I will know how to perform them a bit better because I will be free from all tension and anxiety.

See you soon

Open content (youtube)

Open content (youtube)