PianoTell Recital #2 Is Now Live!
Gooseberry Thank you
Schubertian2 — Ballade 4 – That was admirable! What’s most impressive to me is that it is your own interpretation through and through, that you’ve worked on it only with your teacher and based only on the score. And it does capture the nature of a ballade. Beautiful.
Schubertian2 I wonder if I could start a separate thread just to go over all that I learned from working on this and my ideas about what a 'ballade' is. It would be much too long here.
Please do, I would love to read that!
WieWaldi — Quick Five Blues – Great job! Your playing seems so laid-back, and sounds really bluesy, wonderful. I follow your and Sophia’s beginners blues thread and think you both are making tremendous progress!
Nightowl - What A Wonderful World – It may be a simplified arrangement, but it still is a difficult piece, and you’ve managed to play it well! You’re making a good, steady progress, congratulations! And it is so endearing that you have this amiable furry audience. Does it help with recording anxiety? I think I must try it too 
rsl12 on the topic of memorizing… I’ve read various snippets about research on how the brain physically changes as a result of how it’s used. For example, that bilingual people have a heavier prefrontal cortex, or the studies of the physical differences in the brains of London cab drivers…
I would love to know what physical differences would be observed in the brain of someone like me, who hardly ever memorizes and always plays from the score, vs someone who memorizes solo piano music, vs someone like you who memorizes both piano parts and lyrics.
/threaddrift 
Gooseberry
I don't know what would be the appropriate place - maybe here under notes "Me and the Fourth Ballade". LOL.
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Schubertian2 one nice thing about this forum is that we can prettily easily split threads if things go too far off topic. Like what I'm about to do...
ShiroKuro I would love to know what physical differences would be observed in the brain of someone like me, who hardly ever memorizes and always plays from the score, vs someone who memorizes solo piano music, vs someone like you who memorizes both piano parts and lyrics.
For classical, I almost never memorize pieces! I have a really bad memory, and it's rare that classical pieces are just 95% scales and simple chords like it was in this case (though vocal accompaniment is usually pretty simple). Usually classical has interesting lines with ambiguous and creative voicings which don't follow standard patterns or fingerings. If I go through the trouble of memorizing a piece like that, it will fly out of my memory within a couple weeks of disuse, making it not worth the effort.
In pieces like my recital piece, what I have in my head is no harder than what you might see in a lead sheet: a soprano line with chords, with maybe a little extra information about the rhythm bass alternating between two notes or whatnot. But from that I can recreate the score with 97% accuracy, and the remaining 3% will be noticeable only if you're familiar with the score. That ability will come with experience, though learning theory well and analyzing the pieces you play can help speed up the process.
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Here are my last few comments:-
15) Gooseberry
That's a lovely piece and you played it beautifully. It was unusual watching somebody play with fingerless gloves, but maybe I'll get some if it will help me to play like that! (Anyway they'd cover my horrid veins.)
16) Rob
You created a beautiful piece of music there and the title is very apt, because I'm almost lost for words. I'm in awe of your talent.
17) TC3
Wow, that was great! You sure have soul, man!
18) Lilypad
That was a lovely rendition of an old time classic. Your piano really sings.
19) BicBic
That's quite a tricky piece and there were a few hesitations, but I think you're nearly there.
20) Javiercorre
You chose some lovely relaxing music to play and you seemed totally immersed in your playing. Sometimes when somebody uploads a fairly lengthy piece I find myself tempted to jump forward to the end, but there was no such temptation here - it was 11 minutes of magic. If that's what you've achieved in just 5 years, you clearly have a lot of talent and I'm sure you will iron out the tiny flaws and pass your exam with flying colours. Good luck (not that you'll need it).
21) SalmonJack
That was a nice composition, you clearly have talent for playing and composing music. The images of travelling over the water went nicely with the music, which ebbed and flowed at times, in the manner of an unpredictable sea.
The submissions to this recital have been amazing, there has been something to appeal to all tastes and some truly incredible performances. I feel lucky to be in such company (although I really need to up my game if I'm going to take part in the next recital).
"Don't let's ask for the moon, we have the stars." (Final line from Now,Voyager, 1942)
Gooseberry Thanks! It's a bit stilted in places and if I used the pedal it might sound better, but at this stage I haven't mastered the pedal and it felt like too much to remember during the recording process - just hitting the right notes was enough for my small brain!
"Don't let's ask for the moon, we have the stars." (Final line from Now,Voyager, 1942)
Sophia — A Classy Rag – Girl, you are amazing – you fly through those Alfred books in leaps and bounds, to say nothing of the blues course, and you play so smoothly and delightfully as if nothing was easier! Colour me impressed
rogerch — Slow Steps – I love the warmth and tenderness that emanates from your improvisation, and I admire how you can transfer the flow of your ideas into such beautiful music 
thepianoplayer416 — When You Wish Upon a Star – I didn’t know this song until a year ago or so when my teacher at the time suggested it for me to learn. That’s how I know that it’s not easy to play it at that tempo, but you’ve done a good job there!
Sam — The Never Finished Piece
Listened to this again, I must admit it got better every time listening. It's both very well composed and played. One thing: It doesn't sound unfinished to me, like there is something missing. You could easily change the title and it's done. But if you want to improve it further, I can wait to listen to the "The Finally Finished Piece".
Rubens — Sonata no.2, Op.36 (1913), 2nd movement
Well Rubens, I took a break for a day to listen again with a fresh ear and mind... and boy am I glad I did! Eight minutes of sheer perfect playing... well done! And such a lovely story to go with it... that made it such a deep piece. Thank you for posting that, I wouldn't have wanted to miss out! Rach is normally not my favourite genre and slightly out of my comfort zone (nothing to do with your playing, everything to do with my lack of taste), but with your description I could listen with an open mind and see what you were talking about. That is why we need these recitals... if nothing else, it helps us open our minds and hearts to new adventures
Cratersmash — Sonata No. 3 in A Minor
Welcome to the recitals, Cratersmash. As you said, a difficult piece and you played it with verve. Well done!
MarieJ — Waltz in F minor
This was just beautiful. Both, how you played it and the selection of the music itself. There might be a wrong note somewhere, but is doesn't matter. The overall impression was nothing than great, because of a very nice and relaxed tempo.
Also liked the video, it is a very good visual match to the music. Thank you sharing this beautiful piece of music.