@twocats - thanks for your comment on the shostakovich-ness of my playing - it gives me the confidence to try another one of the preludes!
Sophia - your description of my piece is great! also - i really didn't 'perform' as such - all children in the area were running around shrieking with the excitement of the museum and not paying any attention me at all, and the only person who listened was my sister in law!
@plop_symphony - thanks! the large jumps didn't stress me too much but other things in this piece really did! the LH octave semiquavers especially!
@rogerch - yes there is rather a lot going on, at least it doesn't last for long so that helped speed up the learning process a bit!
PianoTell Recital #1 Is Now Live!
I just realized there was a template for comments, and that there is a draft feature! Very handy.
1. Player1 — Energico
Where is the cat? Thanks for sharing, sounded nice. My only suggestion is to play with a metronome to iron out the rhythm.
2. rogerch — Improvisation 6
Well played, I always envy those that can improve and make stuff up that sounds great. Where do you place the H4n for recording? I'm considering getting one myself.
3. keff — A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square
Thanks for sharing! Enjoyed listening.
4. Sophia — Fascination
I remember learning that piece. You played it very well! Check out Musetta's Waltz and Danny Boy from Level 2, they are fun ones to learn.
5. Sgisela — Joropo
Fantastic! What an energetic piece. Nice video editing too 
6. pseudonym58 — Images (5) for orchestra
It's a very spooky sounding piece, but I like it. Well played!
7. Sam — Perpetual Motion #1
Another somewhat spooky sounding piece, but it was nice. Enjoyed listening. Sorry about your accident, hope you recover quickly.
8. hebele — Downtown Abbey theme
Nicely played! The speed will come with time.
9. MarieJ — Week #7
Very relaxing, thanks for sharing. I enjoyed listening and watching the art work.
10. plop_symphony — A Lincoln Tribute
Nice playing. Interesting that Alfred has so many recital suites.
OK, here are my comments on the last few pieces:
25. diretonic — Borrowed Blues
Amazing playing. Maybe after another few decades of practice I could play like that? Nah, never gonna happen! Respect sir!
26. Rubens @Josephine — Waltz Op.70 no.2
What a great production. Congratulations to you both for such a successful collaboration.
27. Serge88 — Misty
I already commented on this when it was accidentally previewed, but somehow my comment disappeared into the ether. Anyway, it bears saying twice - you played this old standard beautifully. I can imagine you playing this in some classy piano bar, with drinks lined up on the bar by the grateful clientele.
28. twocats — Rustle of Spring
When watching this it felt like I'd been transported to a concert - brilliantly played.
29. navindra — Bluebird
That was a beautiful performance in a breathtaking location - the stuff dreams are made of, in more ways than one. I second the other comments made about the hat - it really suits you. If you ever decide to update your avatar the thumbnail picture would be perfect.
Thanks to everyone who posted kind comments about my recital, they are much appreciated. Thanks especially to @Player1 for taking the time to post detailed advice on ways to help me move forward with my journey - you really are turning into my online piano teacher, our long running joke seems to have turned into reality. 
The recital is very useful for beginners who are flying solo, as there is only so much feedback to be had from our spouses/friends (who probably are just as bored with the method book pieces as we are).
"Don't let's ask for the moon, we have the stars." (Final line from Now,Voyager, 1942)
What a great recital! Here are a few reactions and comments from me, prior to reading anyone else’s responses (so as to avoid bias). Just some brief responses to begin with but happy to follow up anyone cares to discuss more.
@Player1: Good job, well played. I like the duet. I wonder if your piano couldn’t be a bit higher. It’s hard to see relative to the rest of your body but it looks rather low. As a result, your knees look a bit cramped and I think your forearms are angled down sharply, causing you to bend your wrists up to compensate. Anyway, it might be worth experimenting with.
@rogerch : Lovely! I always enjoy your improvisations and great envy your ability. Sometime you’ll have to talk more about how you learned to do that. I’m curious where you set up your Zoom. Is it under the piano?
@keff : That sounded pretty good to me for a work in progress. I get the recording nervousness, it never fails to make me uptight once I hit that record button. I’m just trying to do it more often and get used to it, sort of like exposure therapy / desensitization.
@Sophia : Nice job! It sounds like you’re working your way through Alfred quite nicely. I used that method until about halfway through that book 2 then changed gears. I remember a lot of the “oom-BOM-BOM left hand parts! 
@Sgisela : Wow, that’s some advanced classical playing right there! I don’t see myself getting to that level in my lifetime. I enjoyed the artwork as well.
@pseudonym58 : I’ve only listened to the first movement so far, but it’s very beautiful. Thank you for sharing your arrangement as well!
@hebele : Good job, that’s amazing playing for five months of self-learning. It sounds to me like you basically have it down, I have no doubt the tempo and dynamics will come along to your satisfaction soon.
@MarieJ : Gorgeous piece and playing! I wasn’t familiar with the composer so thanks for the introduction. The silks are beautiful too!
@plop_symphony : Fantastic! I have no constructive criticisms. I love the idea of this tribute suite, I will have to listen to the one from my home states over the years. Thanks!
@thepianoplayer416 : Short and sweet! I dig Purcell, great choice. Very nice Yamaha too!
@BicBic : Nice job, sounds like you’ve managed to get well back into shape after only ten months. That’s a fun piece, and you played it very confidently and musically.
@Nightowl : Well done, very impressive after less than a year. You played the piece smoothly and musically, and if you’re interested in increasing the tempo that’ll just be a matter of time (ha).
@bSharp : That’s a gorgeous piece and you played it really well, your own critique notwithstanding. I looked up the composer and it sounds like he writes the sort of contemporary piano music that I’d like to hear a lot more of. I suspect Akira Yamaoka was influenced by him, I hear some influences on the Silent Hill 2 soundtrack. It’s neat how you were able to dust that off again so quickly, that’s something I hope to be able to do as I get better and have more repertoire bouncing around in my brain.
@WieWaldi : Good job! I like that arrangement, it’s on of those “easy” arrangements that still captures the spirit of the piece quite well. That’s a good tune to pull out if people put you on the spot and say “Oh, you play piano? Play something for me!” I think you’re probably ahead of most people after just a couple of years on piano, a testament to regular practicing. Keep it up!
@SalmonJack : That’s an impressive original composition, thanks for sharing it. It must add a whole other dimension to playing a piece when you wrote it and you have your own vision in mind. Very well done, I’m quite impressed.
@Calavera : Bravo! That’s some pro-level playing of a challenging piece. I love all the different moods created through a mere three minutes. As an on-and-off gamer, I’m often impressed with the quality of the soundtracks (I mentioned Silent Hill 2 above). A good game really draws me into its world, and the music is a big part of that.
@rsl12 : Wow, more impressive improvisation, and now with singing! I definitely aspire to this sort of thing. You’re on track to be my new piano hero ….
TC3: Whoops, that’s me …
@iternabe : Well done, you nailed it. The more I hear from the Faber books the more I think I should have started with them. Keep up the great progress!
@ShiroKuro : Another Einaudi! I need to listen to more of this guy. I used my headphones and the recording wasn’t half bad, just a bit dark. That sounded pretty good to me for a “practice” recording!
@lilypad : Nice playing, very expressive, and the Yamaha sounds great. The same thing happens to me, my best take is usually my first or the second one after a false start the first time. After that, I might as well leave the piano for a while and come back later.
@TheBoringPianist : That’s very impressive! I heard a few tiny inaccuracies early on and then it really started to sing. Making it to the finals was clearly well-deserved! Plus you got to play a Steinway D (insert envious face here). I imagine that was pretty nerve-wracking, I definitely don’t have it in me to play in such situations. Again, very impressed, thanks for sharing that.
@Rob : A beautiful composition, beautifully played. Thanks for sharing!
Diretonic: Wow. Seriously, that’s the kind of playing that I aspire to. Seriously you’ll have to describe your piano journey to me sometime, and tips for I can get to where I am to where you are would be greatly appreciated.
@Josephine & @Rubens : What a lovely collaboration and a heartwarming story to go with it. I’d love to hear more of this sort of thing, from any and every aspiring duet on PianoTell!
@Serge88 : Great performance of a classic. I enjoyed your audience at the end of the piano too!
@twocats : Extremely impressive playing, you’re obviously a very serious pianist. Your Bösendorfer looks and sounds beautiful too.
@navindra : Another Einaudi, clearly a composer I should be listen to more of! I love that you took advantage of your access to the Yamaha, and your video turned out very well, kudos on MacGyvering!
Whew, nice job everyone! Now I’ll go back and read comments, and hopefully respond to a few.
Enthusiastic but mediocre amateur.
pseudonym58 Thank you! I'm working through The Joy of B&B volume 1 right now, then volume two, and after that I'll definitely look into that volume
Sophia Thanks! I do try to have fun, though it's harder when the red light is on ...
Nightowl You are too kind. I can hear some inaccuracies still, but it was the cleanest take I managed that afternoon ...
rsl12 Thanks for listening! Yes, it's a neat progression, I'll take a look later but it's mostly triads (major or minor) moving down by halfsteps. It's probably a simplified version of a circle of fourths with tritone subs that allow the descending bass.
Player1 I'm lead to believe that there is one orange brain cell out there somewhere ...
rogerch Thank you! You put your finger on the exact reason why I've been working on this piece, to practice dynamics. They're a bit better when the red light isn't making me tense up ...
Enthusiastic but mediocre amateur.
Player1 Energico - Pausing for the cat duet made for an interesting interpretation. Nice expression.
rogerch Improvisation - What a happy accident to result in such a calm flowing performance with interesting variations.
keff A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square - I love this one. I got goosebumps right away, listening to it. Thank you for sharing this work in progress. When you mentioned you were working on it in another thread, I could hardly wait to hear it. In the video you looked completely calm the whole time.
Sophia Fascination - You're well on your way in your piano journey through the Alfred books. A sure-fingered performance with a nice sense of rhythm.
Sgisela Joropo - I heard this on the ABF recital and love hearing it again. I'm glad you chose the livelier of the two recordings. I can imagine a party going on as I listen to it.
pseudonym58 Images - Simply lovely to listen to this one-of-a-kind transcription. I can well imagine how difficult it must have been to play. You've done an outstanding job with both the arrangement and execution of it. Bravo!
Ok I am finally getting started! This is indeed a wonderful recital!
@Player1 Great job, and I love the duet!!
@rogerch very nice, I really enjoyed that! Especially gentle glide into the ending! May I ask what the artwork is behind the piano?
Also, can I ask about your background? You've been playing for a long time, was your training classic or other styles? How did you get into improvising?
@keff What a great piece! I'm not familiar with it, but I really liked the chord colors!
@Sophia , great job!! Very nicely played! Also, what is this piece and why is it so nostalgic to me! 
@Sgisela what an interesting piece of music!! Wow, it sounds soooo challenging! I really enjoyed reading your additional info, the experience of having a performance with maybe more mistakes than I want, but that has a special energy or feel, is very familiar to me. It's the balance between accuracy and musicality, and in the end, I think we are wise to choose musicality.
By the way, I'm just speaking in general here, I thought your playing was superb both in terms of musicality and in terms of accuracy in that I didn't hear any sections that sounded rushed or had "HT issues." Very, very well played!
Ok I'll do some more listening more tomorrow!!
- Edited
@keff thank you for listening and complimenting my recording!
@bSharp thank you! Sensitivity is hard to accomplish, but pretty essential for Einaudi!
@Sophia , thank you!!
@Nightowl thank you!! Glad it sounded ok, I think it's just my laptop speakers!
@rsl12 thank you for your kind words!!
Is there more you want to do with it?
Thank you for asking. I need to go back and listen to this specific recording to see what I disliked about it :sweat I've made probably 5 recordings of this piece since July, and each one, there are mistakes, missed transitions, things like that... IIRC I think this recording was one of the ones that came closer to what I was aiming for with fewer obvious mistakes. Oh and btw what I was aiming for was: control over the tempo variations (I think I mostly have that), detailed dynamic shading (I don't think I have that) and a clear melody line (I think I have that). Also, I always want note accuracy or to play through the mistakes so that they're barely noticeable. This is a goal I rarely achieve!
@TC3 thank you!!
thepianoplayer416 That was short and sweet.
Well done for getting it recorded in such a short time.
Congratulations all. I have only had time to listen to a few bits but you all did an awesome job getting pieces in for the first PT recital.
@BicBic I really enjoyed your playing, and the camera angle was just perfect.
@bSharp That was lovely. I really must listen to more Einaudi. Video effects were great.
@SalmonJack I always like when compositions are linked to a story, and yours is excellent, connected to imaginative video work.
@Calavera Quality audio recording. So much contrast in the piece. I could almost hear a full orchestra backing you.
@rsl12 This really put a smile on my face! Your singing improves with everything you do, and you were so laid back and relaxed throughout. That was fun
@TC3 I have always liked that song, and the arrangement and performance worked perfectly. The retro, black and white movie effect, was icing on the cake.
@iternabe I didn't realise that Faber had such good tunes. I especially liked your light touch.
More later, when I get a chance to listen some more.
- Edited
21. ShiroKuro — Nuvole Bianche
I listened with headphones on my laptop and the recording sounds good. I really enjoy listening to you play! Your interpretation is tasteful and I like the way you balance the voices and shape the phrases. I especially like the sections that start at 3:05 and 5:13. In these sections I hear three very well balanced voices and the effect is lovely. This is a beautiful piece and I love the way you play it.
22. lilypad — Manhattan 1928
Very cool bluesy piece! I was reminded of Rhapsody in Blue in a few spots. Nice smooth playing, you create a nice atmosphere. I really like the way you play the high note flourishes in the section starting at 1:05. Great crescendo at 1:35! Thanks for sharing!
23. TheBoringPianist — Prélude, Fugue et Variation, Op. 18
Very impressive! You sound like a pro. I’m amazed that you can learn that much music in 6-7 weeks.
I really enjoyed listening. I hear prelude from the beginning until 4:09, then at 4:10 hear transition (still prelude?), and at 5:08 I hear fugue. Between 5:08 and 8:07 I hear fugue alternating with dramatic interludes, with a change of character at 8:07, which I’m guessing is where the variation starts. Listening for the changes was fun and I enjoyed your playing throughout!
You are an amazing player and I love the dynamic contrasts and drama in your playing (Boring Pianist?? No way!!). Very cool that you played this in a competition!
24. Rob — Sunday Morning
What a lovely, tranquil piece! I greatly enjoyed your playing. Very cool that you composed this! I like the interplay between voices and your phrasing. Thanks for sharing!
25. diretonic — Borrowed Blues
Wonderful! Very cool that you picked the kernel of this from a video. The intro that you added sounds really nice and fits with the rest of it. Nice flourishes throughout. I love your spirited playing of this fun piece!
26. Rubens @Josephine — Waltz Op.70 no.2
Nice collaboration @Josephine and @Rubens! If you hadn’t told me that this was two players I don’t think I would be able to tell. The transition was amazingly smooth. I guess you were both using the Kawai SK-EX samples?
Great playing from both of you: nice phrasing and expression. The B section seemed more dramatic, but a single player could certainly play the B section in a different way to emphasize the difference between the sections so that’s an observation not any kind of comparison or criticism.
Very fun, thanks for sharing the great music and the great story!
27. Serge88 — Misty
Very impressive, lovely jazz feel. This is a beautiful piece and I love the way you play it. You have a delicate touch, with some contrasting drama that adds interest. Nice swing in the section starting at 2:12. Well done!
28. twocats — Rustle of Spring
I admire your wonderful playing! There is a lot going on here and I love the way you emphasize certain notes and balance the voices. Impressive attention to detail. Your playing sounds dramatic and powerful to me throughout, yet you also play with astonishing contrast. Thanks for sharing, this is a treat!
29. navindra — Bluebird
Beautiful playing in an amazing setting! Your playing is solid and impeccable despite the challenging environment. What a treat for you and for everyone who got to hear this in person and for those of us who get to hear it on youtube!
Thanks for all you do for PianoTell and this recital!
Sophia @rogerch You know you are my improvision inspiration right?
TRUTH. This conversation just happened. My husband came in and commented "what a very pretty piece". I told him that it is improvised on the spot and he was absolutely flabbergasted. What more needs to be said
Thanks for the nice feedback and the great story about your husband Sophia. I am flattered!
Thanks bSharp! For this recording I had the H4n on a tripod about 3 feet away from the open side of the piano, a little further back from the curve, pointing down at the strings. I've tried several different positions and I'm not completely satisfied with any of them.
I'm considering getting a new recorder that removes the need to set gain when recording. I haven't done the research, but I saw a discussion on pianoworld about this a few months back
Thanks TC3!
I work a lot on scales and chords in major and minor keys, followed by improvising in that key. I also work on trying to ignore what I know about keys and just play things that sound good. I work on a lot of random things to try to keep things fresh.
The zoom is about three feet away from the curve of the piano, pointing down at the strings.