PianoTell Recital #2 Is Now Live!

rsl12 Thanks! Yes, it starts a bit weaker, gets better as I go along. It's a breathing thing (as I'm sure you know from your own training) as much as it's a pitch thing. I need to prioritize my singing practice a bit more, it has a tendency to fall by the wayside when I get busy ..

Gooseberry

Thank you. My current plan is to keep playing as long as I can. I'm a couple of years away from full retirement and when I finally do retire, the plan is to have a baby grand in the living room.

So, no fears of my walking away. There is always music in my life, even if the only one who can hear it, is me.

Nightowl Sgisela — Do Tebe (to you)
Wow, that's a beautiful piece and you played it effortlessly - you are clearly a natural! How long have you been playing piano? Also, I also loved the way you started and ended the piece with a close up of sunflowers - very nice

Thanks, I’m glad you enjoyed the piece. I took lessons through high school and then life + lack of an instrument got in the way, and I stopped playing for more than 15 years. I started again in late 2020.

Rubens Sgisela
There is a nocturnal lyricism in your playing that tugs at the listener's heartstrings and pull them into the depths of a soul-stirring journey. The part at 2:58 is achingly beautiful. The typical "wet" sound of the Estonia fits this music perfectly. After finishing listening to this I restarted immediately.

Thanks so much for the very kind words. When I first heard the piece, I found it very emotionally compelling and I’m glad I’ve been able to convey some of that. I do agree that it has a ‘nocturnal’ quality — one of the reasons I recorded it at night and with somewhat reduced lighting.

Sophia
That was a really lovely and confident performance. You are quite a natural at this and have a good sense of how to present the material and make it fun for the listener. I was smiling and bobbing my head while you were playing. I especially like the way you "punch" those chords.

Player1 That sounds like a great plan, to buy a baby grand when you retire! I love baby grands - all the allure and curves of their larger relatives, but a modest enough size for many homes to accommodate. Please remember to post a photo when the time comes.

Thank you sooo much everybody who provided such lovely comments. Such an incentive to keep going! Being entertaining is my dearest wish and it’s so very pleasing if I’m able do so in my own small way

I’m still listening to the recitals and enjoying every single one… more comments will follow later

Nightowl

It'll be a couple of years at least. Of course I have to build the house first. Then buy the piano.

lilypad — God Bless the Child

That was beautiful Lilypad - to match your lovely name I absolutely love Billie Holiday (how could I not, after all she is the Lady of the Blues!), but I wasn't familiar with this song of hers. So of course I had to look up her version too. You absolutely captured the spirit of her great performance. Thank you for giving me a new memory on someone I greatly admire (apart from you now too, lol)

BicBic — Prelude no.4 in E minor from Op 11

That's fantastic for one year, comeback or not! Congratulations on renewing your piano vows... I'm very glad I did the same. Though I'm nowhere near your level yet, of course. You have a very delicate touch, and played with very good dynamics. Very nice!

javiercorre — Sonatas K. 208 and K. 380

Beautiful! Delicately played and such an endearing piece. Fantastic dynamics and very skillful playing. Almost flawlessly and from memory, in a single take!!! And you have only five years of practice?! I'm very impressed! I'm sure you will do great on your exam!

Rob — Lost
A wonderful melody for rainy day. You composed a really somber tune, that creates a very strong mood of sadness or pensiveness. Wonderful played, and with your video it just perfect.

@Nightowl - What a Wonderful World. Boy, y’all are contributing a bunch of lovely classics. Nicely done, and I’m particularly impressed that you’re playing like this after only a year, self-teaching no less. Keep it up!
@Sophia - A Classy Rag. Excellent! You have a really nice, smooth, even touch. I’d seriously have guessed that you started playing much longer ago. That’s a really fun tune, and you nailed it!
@Player1 - Ashokan Farewell. A very pretty piece. Well done, thanks for sharing!

@iternabe I am pleased you took liberties with your arrangement. It flowed well, and was delicately played.

@keff A captivating arrangement, played well. What more can I say? Bravo!

@plop_symphony I had not heard that piece before, but it was such fun to listen to, and you played it so well!

@Schubertian2 One word, Impressive!
Impressive performance, especially for a piece of that length
Impressive that it is your own interpretation, and not influenced by any other performances or recordings.
I also enjoyed the images in your video.

@WieWaldi Quick five Blues. You play with a relaxed confidence, and feeling, at the same time.
I really enjoyed it. Thank you.

iternabe your sense of rhythm is really good! I'm curious what the first recording sounded like, because the liberties you took in this one were subtle (and nice).You sound very much in control, and it seems like you are very ready for the Level 2 books.

plop_symphony great recording! You must be happy with it. It doesn't sound like anything gave you trouble with this piece.

WieWaldi is there a missing note? I didn't notice one! You're making great progress. That was a nice blues--it incorporated quite a number of licks and none of them seemed to give you trouble.

Nightowl Motivation is always the most important thing to keep up, so I think it was a good idea to get away from the method book, at least a bit. Do you have a metronome or a metronome app? I think it would help you greatly to use one. And don't worry too much about stepping up your game--it's fun to see your progress no matter what speed it happens at.

Sophia last recital I said you were almost not a beginner any more, and now I would definitely categorize you as an intermediate player. You have good control over tempo, dynamics, tricky rhythms, jumps. You're doing great, and you know how to play a catchy song in a catchy way!

rsl12 I don't have a metronome. I tried a metronome app but found it too distracting.

I do have a reasonable sense of rhythm/tempo, so it's not that I don't realise when I've slowed down or paused between notes - it's just that my brain is slow with sight reading. I should have practised the piece a lot more so that I could play the trickier parts without pausing to locate the notes. Everyone is being very kind but I'll say what many are probably thinking - this effort was not worth uploading and it is quite painful to listen to. I'm in a massive learning curve. Maybe in 6 months' time I'll produce something worth listening to.