PianoTell Recital #4 is Now Live!

navindra

Welcome to PianoTell Recital #4!

Click for an index to all the performances:

Click for an optional template that you can copy/paste to comment on each performance:

@"keff"#p29747 As Time Goes By by Herman Hupfield


@"Schubertian2"#p29748 Sonata Opus 109 by Beethoven


@"Sam"#p29753 Les Niais de Sologne by Jean-Philippe Rameau


@"WieWaldi"#p29756 Boogie Blues by Christian Fuchs


@"Peyton"#p29757 Love No More by Peyton


@"hebele"#p29765 Old French Song by Tchaikovsky


@"Sophia"#p29766 Country Song by Willard A. Palmer


@"MarieJ"#p29869 The Blue Notebooks by Max Richter


@"rogerch"#p29972 Forest 1 by rogerch


@"Cratersmash"#p29990 Intermezzo Op. 117 No. 2 by Johannes Brahms


@"iternabe"#p30075 Coffee House Boogie by Faber


@"Player1"#p30141 Can You Feel The Love Tonight by Elton John arr. by N. Faber


@"Nightowl"#p30172 esterday by Lennon and McCartney


@"BicBic"#p30183 Etude No. 8 by Philip Glass


@"rsl12"#p30190 Sonatina by York Bowen (1st mvt)


@"AlbertAndreu"#p30195 Your Reflection by Albert Andreu Garcia


@"plop_symphony"#p30219 For River by Kan Gao


@"lilypad"#p30230 Ripple Effect by Joanne Bender


@"Rob"#p30236 Maybe Someday Soon by Rob


@"SalmonJack"#p30254 Mist Again by SalmonJack


@"Javier"#p30275 Cantata BWV 147 by J.S. Bach


@"Gooseberry"#p30285 What the Rain Whispered Softly by Jef Martens


@"Sgisela"#p30393 cherzo, Opus 6 No. 3, from Charles Tomlinson Griffes’ Fantasy Pieces


@"ShiroKuro"#p30395 Pachelbel's Canon, arranged by Brian Crain


@"rach3master"#p30398 Valse-Fantasie by Glinka/Gryaznov


@"navindra"#p30403 Amazing Grace by John Newton, J. Carrell & D. Clayton

Enjoy!

keff

Performer: keff
Piece: As Time Goes By — by Herman Hupfeld
Comment Policy: Not particularly looking for comments. People will see the recording was made early in March 25 and I have used the time since then to work on other pieces rather than try to perfect this one.

Source of music: Sheet music published in the UK by Chappell Music Ltd. My edition has a photograph taken from Casablanca on its front cover which can be seen in the recording below.
Recording method: It was recorded on a mobile phone and directly loaded to YT.
Additional info: The musical director of Casablanca, Max Steiner, famously said he didn't like As Time Goes By and wanted it removed from the film. A compromise must have been made and the song was partially cut. The first verse was fully omitted and in the refrain three bars of music were altered. I listened to the film version of the song and tried to reproduce the film version of those three bars. I have included the four bar intro and the music of the omitted first verse. Words to the first verse are as follows.

This day and age we're living in gives cause for apprehension,
With speed and new invention,
and things like third dimension,
Yet we get a trifle weary of Mr. Einstein's theory,
So we must get down to earth ,
at times relax, relieve the tension.
No matter what the progress, or what may yet be proved,
The simple facts of life are such they cannot be removed.

Sophia

keff As Time Goes By - I know you said you don't really need comments, but I just had to because I love that piece. Of course I am more reminded of the Judi Dench TV series than Casablanca... even though I prefer the original rendition the way you played it. It was so nice to finally hear the complete version! Thank you for sharing 🙂

rsl12

keff I enjoyed listening. I play this tune now and then, and I have no idea which bars got altered. What are you working on now?

WieWaldi It sounds like a great stepping-stone piece. Very clean, as always! I think it's pretty clearly boogie woogie, even without the swing (which would be easy to put in). It just needs a little increase in tempo (though at your stage, you did a great job and you can move on!).

Peyton Great hook, and great work on the sax--it sounds very close to real. Are you playing and singing at the same time? Some of those licks seem hard to do while singing.

rogerch Good job playing through the unexpected harmonic turns. They ended up resolving nicely.

iternabe If you submitted your recording at least three days ago, that means it has been 500 days since you started piano. Congratulations! Great dynamics, and very even left hand!

AlbertAndreu The opening reminds me of some other piece, but I can't place it! Nicely composed, with a consistent tone throughout. The B section is a nice contrast, while still having a strong connection to the A section.

Rob Love the polish you put on a simple song. It's very warm, and well played. I enjoy pretty much all your output.

SalmonJack I love your compositions that take you on a journey as this one does. Thanks for the musical guides in the video! The 7/8 section doesn't quite sound like 7/8, it just sounds uneven--not sure why. Maybe if there was something playing on every 8th note, it might be easier to hear. I like A and B, but C seems a little static. The C section chord movement is nice, but too much chord arpeggio maybe? The outro does a good job completing the symmetry!

WieWaldi

keff As Time Goes By — by Herman Hupfeld
Comment Policy: Not particularly looking for comments.

Actuall I didn't want to comment this one, but I want to tell, I really enjoyed this one.

Nightowl

I've only listened to a few of the submissions, but what I've heard so far has been great. Here are my first few comments.

keff As Time Goes By by Herman Hupfield
This is a wonderful song and the arrangement you played was not simple. The tempo seemed a little uneven in places but there were some really nice flourishes here and there.
Schubertian2 Sonata Opus 109 by Beethoven
I had never heard this piece before - these recitals are great for broadening my musical education. 🙂 It seemed quite challenging and is not a short piece either - you were brave to tackle it and your playing was steady throughout - good work.
Sam Les Niais de Sologne by Jean-Philippe Rameau
Oh my, step aside everyone, the Maestro has arrived! 🤩 I love the fact that you showcased 3 different instruments and the way you cleverly overlaid the three performances at the end was awesome! As usual your advanced piano skills were evident and you also have impressive technical knowledge to produce such a professional video. As if all that was not impressive enough, you also revealed that you built the harpsichord and your wife painted it - you are both so multi talented it's unreal! Thanks for entertaining me.
WieWaldi Boogie Blues by Christian Fuchs
Another well played recital from our resident Bavarian Blues King! Your playing was strong and rhythmic throughout this piece and I particularly enjoyed the way you rounded off your performance with a final flourish of your left hand which was worthy of a conductor. 😁 I'm just a little puzzled by the black band around your wrist though - it has the appearance of something welded onto your wrist to hold your hand in place! It doesn't look very comfortable. But anyway it's always a pleasure to watch your relaxed hands travel over the keys.
Peyton Love No More by Peyton
OMG that song and your performance of it was brilliant! I'm surprised this wasn't a hit back when you first wrote/played it with your band, but anyway it's better than many things in the charts now. You are so talented and I loved the view of the tree and sky reflected on the piano - just beautiful. (I wasn't so keen on the cord draping down near your arm though - it obstructed the view a bit and I wished I could brush it out of the way.)
hebele Old French Song by Tchaikovsky
That was short and sweet - you are steadily growing your skills and your playing is solid. I'm pleased that there are a few other beginners taking part in the recital - there is strength in numbers and us beginners need to stick together while inching slowly along the path to intermediate level. 🙂
Sophia Country Song by Willard A. Palmer
That was lovely Sophia. As usual your playing was very fluid and it was a real pleasure to see another great performance from you. I think your parents would be proud that the musical genes in you are being put to good use.

Schubertian2

Performer:. Schubertian2 / Dallas, TX / all my life -off and on
Piece: Sonata Opus 109 by Beethoven (small fragment)
Comment Policy: any

Source of music: Wiener Urtext
Instrument: Estonia Parlor Grand
Recording method: GarageBand/Samson C01U microphone for .mp3, images from google of "vienna 1820 woods', stitched together with iMovie to produce a .mov file for YouTube
Additional info: I have been working on the opus 109 for a few months and was hoping to post the first movement here and then the following movements in subsequent recitals. I had major surgery two weeks ago and, groggy from the pain meds, uncoordinated from the muscle relaxants, I also am required to hold my leg out straight in front of me all the time. That means no damper pedal. Well that turned out to be very interesting - I have never played anything without the comforting mush of the damper pedal.

But I discovered I had to re-write most of the fingerings and pay more attention to the releases. Without pedal you can clearly hear the melody voice and the phrasing of that voice in a way you cannot hear it with pedal. There is more subtlety in the dynamics and touch and clearer voice leading. The soft passages are softer, the bass line is clearer.

With this sonata you can tell where Beethoven did not want pedal .He does write 'Ped' in places - and probably there are places we can discover that benefit from some (damper) pedal. Nevertheless, It is clear that the entire second movement, for example, should be played without pedal, and most of the third movement. How do I know this? Because in the process of learning it I can see that the material lies under the fingers in such a way that there is no need for pedal if played with skill. As you learn the notes you can see how Beethoven stragetized to make the passages reachable by hand. Also, in the second movement he calls for a legato texture as well as a drier texture - there are indicated by slurs.
So this is Beethoven - who was famous as a piano virtuoso during his lifetime, and especially famous for his legato style of playing, which he introduced and perfected. Before him the keyboard touch was generally more detached. But for Chopin it is so different - Chopin is always playing with washes of sound and reverberation and half and full pedal and it is all written out by him explicitly. So - LOTS of pedal for Chopin.

I can see my piano teacher's eyes gleaming now - with a cruel joy - 'ha! now you HAVE TO play it without pedal!!'

AlbertAndreu

I didn't expect so many people! Hahaha, but the truth is, there's no better way to get to know most of you than through your music. It's such a pleasure listening to you.

WieWaldi Very funny, good work! And what I really liked was the keyboard below...how did you put it?

Sam What a production! I really liked it! It's varied and the piece is very beautiful. It's very educational! It's something I could teach my students. And your music classroom is beautiful. Congratulations!

keff Very good sound, and the arrangement is beautiful. You sound great. Congratulations!

Schubertian2 The effort was worth it; for me, it's perfect without a pedal. And the video is a perfect accompaniment. It sounds like peace and humanity. Congratulations!

Peyton Peyton is a very good song, smooth and well-crafted. I really like the way the instruments sound and the vibe it has. The saxophone appears at just the right moment. Congratulations on the composition.

MarieJ The theme is very beautiful, but your interpretation and choice of VST are perfect. Beautiful.

rogerch Very moving, I really liked it. Congratulations.

Cratersmash The classics are always on another level. A very good performance. I love the pauses you use, and you have beautiful control over the sound. Congratulations.

iternabe Very good work, and it shows that you enjoyed it a lot!

Player1 Congratulations! The effort and work are evident. You sound very relaxed.

Nightowl Very nice and everything in its place. Play with the octaves. You can experiment with sounds by lowering the left one an octave or raising the right one an octave at certain points. Very good work!

BicBic I wasn't familiar with this piece, and it's very beautiful. Thanks for sharing, and the sound is great.

rsl12 I really enjoyed it, and I hadn't heard of this piece before. That's what I love about the piano; even if you've been playing it all your life, you always find new things. And your playing is lively and fun.

plop_symphony A very beautiful melody, and your playing is very moving. Congratulations! And for how little time you've been playing the piano, you're really good at it. Keep working, your hands are working really well!

lilypad Very peaceful, and beautifully played. And the final chord is beautiful.

Rob
Rob, the piece is very beautiful, a melody that moves and walks alone. And the imagery is perfect. And then the string entrance embraces you beautifully. Congratulations!

SalmonJack
Very different from everything else, it has a lot of depth of sound. And you can see the work. Congratulations on exploring, creating, and above all, sharing. I love new ideas.

Javier Javier esta perfecto! y sobre todo tu valentía. La música nos desnuda por dentro y mostrarse es de valientes. A nivel pianistico se nota que has trabajado y sobre todo que te encanta esta obra. Haces las respiraciones adecuadas y tienes tu propio sonido. Felicidades!

Gooseberry Looking for a new composer to follow. I really liked it! And you play beautifully. If Jeff Martens hears you, I'm sure it's exactly how he imagined it should sound. Congratulations. I'd love for you to listen to my music; I think it has something similar. Cheers!

Sgisela Spectacular! The piece is really cool. I love the chords, dissonances, and effects it creates. The performance is great. And then... what an amazing video! You look picture-perfect!

ShiroKuro I really liked it. You have a nice sound, and everything is clean. Sometimes speed isn't necessary; it's overrated. Congratulations! I've been on the forum for a few weeks and I've read you, and now I know you. Cheers!

rach3master You can see the work, the technique, and your level. I really like this piece. It's adrenaline, that never goes away. It kills me, haha, but may we always have it! Congratulations, it sounds like a concert!

navindra Great production! I'm going to buy a hat, and next time I'll record myself wearing it in your honor! Congratulations on the work, it shows. And it sounds very beautiful. The piano is spectacular.

And I think I listened to everyone and commented! If I missed anyone, let me know! I enjoyed it so much...very, very fun. I'm joining your forum! I'm already looking forward to more. Hahaha, I'm very hyperactive.

ShiroKuro

keff that was great, and I enjoyed the details you shared about this piece, I didn’t know that the music director didn’t like it. Amazing to think about that, given what we know now about the song’s success!

Schubertian2 that was beautiful! I’m sorry to learn you had to have surgery but wishing you a speedy recovery!
I love the description of “the comforting mush of the damper pedal.” The comforting mush! And your explanation of the piece and what you granted from playing it without pedal was fascinating. Thank you for sharing the music and the story!

Sam that was amazing! I loved hearing all the instruments, first alone and then together. It all sounds great! I remember that you had the harpsichord but I didn’t know about your virtual pipe organ project. How cool!

WieWaldi Really great playing! And I can see (and hear) why you love the piece, I like your description of it being the blues, boogie and rock and roll all in one. Well done!

Peyton this is quite the toe-tapper, Peyton! I love the piano part and all the instruments sound great! Also is that you doing the backing vocals as well? Fantastic!

hebele very nicely done! That’s a really pretty piece and I think you have the pedaling just right!

Sophia Great playing! And I think you have followed the instructions perfectly, you have the gentle lilt and the country sound just right! Very peaceful and calming.

MarieJ Beautifully played! And I love the sound you choose. And the image for the video! I want to learn more about Richter. I have an anthology with some scores of his, but I don’t really know his music. How did you discover this piece?

rogerch that was beautiful! And your playing and your instrument both sound fantastic! Really lovely, thank you for sharing this music.

Ok, that’s the end of my breakfast time this morning, thank you everyone for giving me such a music morning!
Looking forward to hearing the next batch soon! 🎶❤️🎶

Peyton

Schubertian2 Having no pedal was an interesting hurdle but you dealt with it well. Nicley done.

Sam

Performer: Sam S
Piece: Les Niais de Sologne by Jean-Philippe Rameau
Comment Policy: General Comments only: Polite, supportive, suggestions for improvement

Instrument: I decided to give you a short tour of the 3 keyboard instruments I currently have, so watch the video!

The organ is an ongoing project to assemble a virtual pipe organ using midi keyboards and the Organteq software. I made the pedals myself, and the case. Currently it is all awaiting finish. And no, I can't really play the pedals yet.

The harpsichord is a single manual "spinet" that I built from a kit way back in the 1980s. The manufacturer went out of business long ago, but I manage to keep it playable. My wife decorated and painted the case for me.

The piano is my 1987 Yamaha C3 - still going strong...

Additional info: This piece dates from 1724, and is really a theme and variations - but I am only playing the theme. Each section is also in rondo form, so playing the whole thing takes closer to 10 minutes.

The title is usually translated as "The Simpletons of Sologne". Sologne was a rural region south of Paris. I don't think Rameau was poking fun at simpletons, but rather celebrating the rural life of the region.

My wife made the large quilt that is decorating the wall!

When I started the recording project I tuned the harpsichord, but they are famous for going out of tune if you look at them funny, so by the end of the project it was out of tune with the piano and organ - sorry!

Thanks for listening!

WieWaldi

Sam Les Niais de Sologne by Jean-Philippe Rameau

Amazing work, Sam. You brought all three instrument together into a small ensemble. Loved especially both accoustic intruments; didn't even know you own a harpsichord. Good video edit, and as always, great playing.

WieWaldi

Performer: WieWaldi / Bavaria (near Germany), 3¹/₄ years of active practicing
Piece: Boogie Blues by Christian Fuchs
Comment Policy: All comments; anything goes!

Source of music: sheet music with Youtube-tutorial
Instrument: Kawai CN-29 (Upright Piano sample)
Recording method: Headphone-jack to PC (OBS-Studio)
Additional info: I am working through a (free) online blues tutorial by Christian Fuchs. At my current point, he inserted a sub-course with the lovely name "The Joy of Boogie Woogie". What else could fit better than playing this piece, composed by the teacher. It may not be a real boogie, as it is played straight instead of shuffled/swung. Nor is it a blues; it is too happy for that genre. So it could be a rock'n roll for beginners. But most likey it is everything in one little bag. And this is the reason why I love the piece so much: It shows how blues, boogie and rock'n roll are connected.

Peyton

Performer: Peyton
Piece: Love No More by Peyton
Comment Policy: Critical Comments: Anything goes!

Source of music: Original composition
Instrument: Yamaha GP-295, Breedlove bass
Recording method: All tracks recorded to Studio One
Additional information: I wrote this song a number of years ago but, given all the fun I'm having with the Yamaha, I thought it worth revisiting. 35 years ago in my fleeting attempt at musical fame I had a small band called Biff and the Buffaloes. Now with all the cool instruments available to me on the Yamaha I've brought the band back from the ashes.

WieWaldi

Peyton Love No More by Peyton

As always your work is amazing, both the piano work, your voice, the composition itself and the lyrics. I love the subtle swing, the tempo, the instruments of your garage band and of course the arrangement and how you bring all the parts together into a full blown song with all the bells and whistles. Thank for sharing this masterpiece with us.

Sophia

Peyton Wowow!!! My husband just came in and we were both swinging along, that was awesome! Should be a hit for sure 😃 He was quite sad with the words though, haha. But overall we really enjoyed it - that's definitely one to take along on a road trip because who could doze off listening to that 😃

hebele

Performer: hebele. It's been more than one year of piano now.
Piece: Old French Song by Tchaikovsky
Comment Policy: All comments; anything goes!

Source of music: imlsp.org
Instrument: roland fp10
Recording method: pianoteq midi, old smartphone
Additional info: I've picked this piece to practice pedaling. But ended up with minimal pedal just to connect notes. Well... that was the intention anyway 🙂

WieWaldi

hebele Old French Song by Tchaikovsky

This was a nice and a really well performed piece - very clean and good steady tempo. Couldn't see you pedaling, but it seems you did it really well. I always say, Nobody should hear the pedal, but everyone should notice if it is missing. And this was the case with yours. I think it is a good idea to start pedaling very early. Because the pedal influence your entire playing, topmost your fingering. If you try to play legato without pedaling you have to use some awkward fingerings. Don't make this a habit - use the pedal instead. Well done! 👌

Sophia

hebele You can't ever go wrong with Tchaikovsky (except the spelling, I think I spelled it wrong five time trying to type it just now). Very sweet piece, and "French Song" basically indicates it's a gentle piece. And it was very gently played. I remember you had some tendency to play staccato readily, but you joined the notes very nicely.

From around the 0:39 to 0:45 did it call for staccato? In my mind those notes might sound nicer in legato (even pedalled), but perhaps the sheet music says otherwise?

Another lovely performance from a fellow beginner who is rapidly making progress... and like me you seem to enjoy a healthy mix of blues and classical, refusing to be in a single mould 😃

Sophia

Performer: Sophia (Canada BC)
Piece: Country Song by Willard A. Palmer
Comment Policy: All comments, anything goes

Source of music: Alfred Adult All-in-One Course Level 3 page 112
Instrument: Clavinova
Recording method: iPhone
Additional info: I just finished all three Alfred books, and thought it would only be right to celebrate by picking one of its own composer's tunes. The instructions say to play it very slowly, with a gentle lilt to give it a characteristic "country sound".

WieWaldi

Sophia Country Song by Willard A. Palmer

You and your Alfred. You are the one who always complained about his books repetoire. But I admit, this one sounds really lush and so relaxed. I listened to it a few times now. The rolled chord is so soft every time, just a beautiful sound. I have no idea what a characterisic country sound means, but I guess you know it quite well. It sound really like banjo playing cowboy, riding into the sunset.
Congratulations for finishing all three A-books!

Peyton

Sam Excellent Sam! And great to see you exploring the world of multi tracks. Really well done. (Funny to hear this great pipe organ coming from that little organ 🙂)

WieWaldi Great playing. I really enjoy that added feature in your video being able to see what you are playing. (don't have to go to my piano to see what key you are in 🙂 )

Sophia Nicley played Sophia. But "Country sound"? I found myself more like strolling in the park. 🙂

MarieJ It is such a sweet haunting piece. You picked just the right sound for it.

MarieJ

Performer: MarieJ from Brisbane, Australia. I've been flying solo on my piano journey since December 2011. 
Piece: The Blue Notebooks by Max Richter.
Comment Policy: Positive comments only, please.

Source of music: ‘Max Richter: Piano Works’ album.
Instrument: Kawai ES110 with Pianoteq 8 (Standard). 
Recording method: WAV file recorded by Pianoteq, converted to MP3 with Audacity.
Additional info: From one extreme to the other! My February submission, I Giorni, was my longest-ever recording; this one is the shortest.
Finding the best piano voice for what Max Richter describes as a ‘tiny nocturne’ was a challenge. I wanted something special to complement the plaintive/haunting theme, so I experimented with Pianoteq’s ‘layering’ facility for the first time. I had fun!

Sophia

MarieJ You picked a gorgeous voice for a pretty piece... both very delicate and fragile (fragile as in, Wedgwood tea cup vs Walmart coffee mug). The fun you had is apparent 🙂

WieWaldi

MarieJ The Blue Notebooks by Max Richter

The fact, that the piece is rather short has nothing to do with its quality. I found it very relaxing, it created a strong mood like having a rainy and cloudy day, but sitting in a warm home, looking out of the window and watching the raindrops dancing. Thanks for sharing.

Nightowl

MarieJ The Blue Notebooks by Max Richter
This piece epitomises the expression "quality over quantity" - you played it well and left me wanting more. 🙂
rogerch Forest 1 by rogerch
You have a real flair for improvisation, this piece was very relaxing to listen to and was evocative of a stream meandering gently through a wooded glade on a summer day. Nice work.
Cratersmash Intermezzo Op. 117 No. 2 by Johannes Brahms
Your playing is impressive, you've clearly worked hard to achieve this level of proficiency in your playing. Are you going to study for a music diploma?
iternabe Coffee House Boogie by Faber
Well played, especially considering you only worked on this piece very briefly. Keep doing what you're doing - it's working!
Player1 Can You Feel The Love Tonight by Elton John arr. by N. Faber
You seemed to struggle with this piece, especially your left hand - I guess this is probably due to the medical issues you've been having? It's clearly a work in progress and I applaud the fact that you were determined to submit a piece to the recital, in spite of recent setbacks. I like your dogged determination to push on and despite your own rather damning indictment above I noticed some lovely playing from your right hand - those note runs were very nicely done and show what you're capable of, health and time permitting. Keep going P1. 🙂

rogerch

Performer: rogerch from California
Piece: Forest 1 by rogerch
Comment Policy: Positive comments and suggestions for improvement (no direct criticism please).

Source of music: Improvised
Instrument: Steinway M
Recording method: Zoom H1essential
Additional info: When recording for the recital I played several consecutive improvisations in A. Three of them turned out nicely. This is the first one in the set.

WieWaldi

rogerch Forest 1 by rogerch

This one somehow similar like "Relaxed" and also very different. It seems as both had been composed for a record and the record follows a musical direction. Just like the great bands in the late 70ties and 80 did. It's hard to believe you playing all those melodies just our of your fingers without specific preparation.

Cratersmash

Performer: Summer, United States, 9(?) years of experience
Piece: Intermezzo Op. 117 No. 2 by Johannes Brahms
Comment Policy: All comments; anything goes!

Source of music: IMSLP
Instrument: Piano
Recording method: IPhone XR
Additional info: The last of my pieces I played in a competition a few weeks ago along with Prokofiev 3 and the Bach Italian Concerto. This one’s difficult because there’s lots of notes. Lots and lots of notes. Sounds really nice though!

WieWaldi

Cratersmash Intermezzo Op. 117 No. 2 by Johannes Brahms

Your polished this piece to a quite high degree. Kudos to your perfection. You said, this one has lots and lots of notes. But isn't this true for every piece of a similar length?

Sophia

Cratersmash Very impressive playing Cratersmash. Are you planning on making piano your career?

iternabe

Performer: iternabe from North Carolina, USA. I am 1.36164 year into learning piano.
Piece: Coffee House Boogie
Comment Policy: Critical Comments: Anything goes!

Source of music: Faber Adult Piano Adventures All-in-One Book 2.
Instrument: Kawai MP11SE + Pianoteq 8.4.1 Shigeru Kawai SK-EX Ryuyo
Recording method: Audio: digital out of Pianoteq. Video: OBS Studio + Webcams
Additional info: My first boogie-woogie! I find it relatively easy to learn the notes and rhythms. However, the dynamics took me some practice, especially to play the soft part soft enough. Also tricky for me is to get those double notes on the off beat sound clean. In the end, I am gladly surprised that it took me less than a day from picking up this little piece and get this recording. Whew!

Sophia

iternabe Whooo hoooo boogie!!!! And what a cute, whimsical piece, I love it! I really enjoyed those clashing harmonies, Christian mentioned it can't be blues/boogie if there isn't any pain involved, and you brought that out beautifully. That last chord screamed "THERE, DONE!" - I know this feeling so well. Whew! indeed 😃

The walking bass very good too. As a fellow blues/boogie learner I know exactly what you're saying. The notes are usually not the hard part, but once you put those two hands together, it seems like you have to teach each one to stop being so dependent on the other one... they often contradict and occasionally fight with each other. We'll get there, somehow, someday 🙂

WieWaldi

iternabe Coffee House Boogie

Welcome to the world of Boogje and Blues.💙 Nice intro with the "Hit the Road, Jack" theme. Well done 👍
(This isn't bad for someone with only one year, four months and about ten days of piano experience.)

Player1

Performer: Player1
Piece: Can You Feel The Love Tonight by Elton John (ar. N. Faber)
Comment Policy: Anything goes

Source of music: Faber Popular Level 1 music book
Instrument: My Casio
Recording method: Samsung S9
Additional info: Very difficult for me to sit for long at the piano. I mostly relied on sight reading for this and got this recording after 4 (I think) days. I'm not all that thrilled with it, but at least I have something to submit.

WieWaldi

Player1 Can You Feel The Love Tonight by Elton John (ar. N. Faber)

I like your taste of music. It's a pity to hear about your health problems and how this handicaps you with playing piano. Nevertheless I pay the deepest respect that decided to do a recording for the recital. You know it is not perfect and you know all others are polishing their pieces to the limit. In my opinion the medal for bravery goes to you - and honestly for only 4 day of practice - with you tremour handicap - this is astonishing good.

Sophia

Player1 I'm so pleased you managed to record something after all! At least you can still be busy with your hobby - and who cares what it sounds like, right? But I don't think you need to be that harsh about your performance. To get a two page piece into your fingers AND recorded after only 4 days is quite impressive... That's never happened to me - ever 😃 Plus it's nice to hear your very characteristic style, unique to you, which means you made the piece truly your own.

Javier

Player1 One of my favorite songs by Elton John. Thank you for sharing.

Nightowl

Performer: Nightowl, based in UK. I have been playing piano for about 18 months now, using Alfred's method books.
Piece: Yesterday by Lennon/McCartney
Comment Policy: Positive comments and suggestions for improvement (no direct criticism please).

Source of music: First 50 Popular Songs (Hal Leonard)
Instrument: Donner DP 80Plus
Recording Method: Chromebook

Sophia

Nightowl That was lovely!!! I was very impressed with your rubato around the 1 min mark - that really flowed so well! Also the notes leading up to that were so delicately played, beautiful. And then you went straight back to the original tempo, only to slow down again towards the end. Loved that 🙂 Making progress in strides, young lady!

May I offer a suggestion as one ~~bloody~~ total beginner to another? Remember, I never had a teacher, all I have is eyes (I leave the ears to WieWie) So my advice is probably worth exactly what you paid for it: nothing. Ok, here goes. I see a huge improvement in relaxing your fingers compared to your previous recital, but I'd say you should definitely continue to work on that. Try to flatten them even more - it may feel a little strange at first, but I definitely think that it will improve your playing overall. I remember that in the past you would refer to your hands as talons (I believe, something equally unflattering for sure) and that is definitely no longer the case. You still have a tendency to curl them a little more than needed, but honestly it's so much better than your previous recital already! Keep working on that and the rest will come - if you don't already have it. You lucky devil you having all that inborn musicality 😃

Very nicely done! Never forget that you are probably the only participant in this forum who has never played another instrument, or had any official music lessons. I'd say you are making really rapid progress!

WieWaldi

Nightowl Yesterday by Lennon/McCartney

This was the very first submission I had interest to watch - and it did not disappoint. I love this arrangement, that you picked. It seems Hal Leonard is somehow on the jazzy side of the notes. And I absolutely adore the sound - the arrangement - and how you played it. About your playing - it is so nice to see an improvement. Compared to the last recital, your hands look way more relaxed. Still, there is some more room for improving your hand posture, but you made a huge leap. Keep goin this way!
The next thing that baffled me, is the difficulty of the piece itself. IMO, this is a 100% increase. It consists of some fat chords. I can't detect them by ear, but I am sure there some 7th, something diminished or maybe half-diminished and I am sure at least one chord is named something like "D seven minor flat five half-diminished", or something else of this advanced sh...t. And you made it

hebele

iternabe Coffee House Boogie by Faber
That took less than a day? Amazing! You are flying through the book now. Not funny when mortals like me spending weeks on a single piece 🙂

Player1 Can You Feel The Love Tonight by Elton John arr. by N. Faber
Great to see your submission here. I hope your health improves soon so you can go back to piano full speed.

Nightowl esterday by Lennon and McCartney
I definitely agree with others that your technique has improved a lot from the previous submission. Good job! The piece is also nicely played, very enjoyable to listen.

BicBic Etude No. 8 by Philip Glass
What a weirdly enjoyable etude. I like that it goes de-dum de-dum (like Jaws theme) then turns into such a soft melody 🙂 Thanks for sharing.

rsl12 Sonatina by York Bowen (1st mvt)
I think your decades of piano experience showcasing itself here. So much going on and yet you seem to be in full control. Thanks for showing on what is possible.

AlbertAndreu Your Reflection by Albert Andreu Garcia
Thanks for participating the recital. I think it is great to able compose pieces like this. I've enjoyed listening it and did not notice any inaccuracies like you say.

plop_symphony For River by Kan Gao
Adventure games tends to be memorable. I had forgotten most games I've played but scenes from games like Monkey Island, Grim Fandango seem to have permanent residency in my memory. Congratulations on your piano progress and well done on this piece.

lilypad Ripple Effect by Joanne Bender
I can feel the ripples. Maybe some of them had imperfect timing like you say (I did not notice any). But ripples in nature are not perfect either. Nicely played. Thanks for sharing.

BicBic

Performer: BicBic in Utah
Piece: Etude No. 8 by Philip Glass
Comment Policy: Any feedback

Source of music: Sheet music
Instrument: Digital Yamaha P-140
Recording method: Line out to Audacity, combined with iphone video in lightworks
Additional info: I came across this set of pieces after @Sam recorded no.6 for one of the PW recitals. I'd not played music like this before but I've enjoyed the ones I've worked on so far, they are quite hypnotic! I read somewhere that Philip Glass wrote these etudes to help improve his piano technique. Hopefully they are improving my technique too 😅

Sophia

BicBic Nice! They may be etudes, but they are rather soothing. Definitely unusual - especially the start theme that keeps coming back. That is probably going to haunt me in my dreams now 😃 And that last note is not one you hear often... it doesn't get any lower than that! Thanks for sharing BicBic 🙂

rsl12

Performer: rsl12 (USA). Piano has been a hobby for decades. First half of my piano life was focused on classical, but now I'm into jazz. (But I still play some classical!)
Piece: Sonatina by York Bowen (1st mvt)
Comment Policy: Critical Comments: Anything goes!

Source of music: Sheet music
Recording method: Blue Yeti
Additional info: In January, though my time was limited, I tried to prepare a short Burgmueller etude, "The Storm", for the February recital. Halfway through preparing, my wife, having a stressful month, asked me to practice something less stormy. I came across this sonatina by a (to me) unknown composer. Oh, he's wonderful! Wikipedia says he had previously been dismissed as an old-fashioned 20th-century Romantic, but I think (and I hope you agree) that there is something special about York Bowen.

The biggest technical challenges were keeping the sixteenth notes even and the dynamics strong at high velocity. The challenges in interpretation were finding how to make the fast sections sound light, applying just the right amount of rubato (too much made it drag), getting the nice contrast between the lively and sweet sections, and deciding how to phrase the slow parts, as there were several possibilities.

I can blame my smashed finger for any mistakes, but really I took it a little faster than I could control. I'm not happy with my uneven sixteenths or some of my accelerando choices. Still, I'm satisfied that the recording gives some taste of the magic of the composition.

WieWaldi

rsl12 Sonatina by York Bowen (1st mvt)

I was used to your performances when you sing along, or accompany someone else. Those pieces are a lot of fun, albeit your piano playing came a bit short; it was kind of a sideshow. Glad to see you focusing on piano playing, purely. This piece seems way way way more challenging than I expected from you. (Well this comes from your former submissions - not that they were any bad - nonono - they were good but by far not that challenging). I am also quite impressed by your tempo. The 16^th notes are about as fast as my 32^th would be. (Thank god, my repetoire stops at 16^th). But due to your well performed rubato you build up some stress here and there. And you you relief the stress. This is a nice play with the emotions. Very well performed!

Sophia

rsl12 Ohhh, is there anything you can't do??? Sing, know everything there is to know about blues, jazz and boogie, and now you are showing yet another talented classical side of yourself. Such elegant hands and the charismatic smile when you turned the page... and then played a piece that contained more notes than all my books combined 🙂

AlbertAndreu

Performer: Albert Andreu Garcia from Barcelona. A lifetime music teacher at a music institute and school.
Piece: Your Reflection by Albert Andreu Garcia
Comment Policy: Critical Comments: Anything goes!

Source of music: I composed this piece thinking about what we see when we look in the mirror. Relaxed but tense. Your Reflection. Who am I? You look in the mirror and search. Through the map of your face, you find memories of childhood, the struggles of adolescence, or how you overcame certain fears. You see the sum of seconds you've been able to enjoy and still have left to enjoy. You also reconnect with your parents, your grandparents, and those more remote lineages unknown to us, which together make you who you are. Imperfect, but you.
You are never alone, and the most important thing is that you are and we are.
Instrument:ROLAND FP-60X-WH
Recording method: recorded directly from the keyboard in wav on a USB of the same keyboard
Additional info: In this piece, I didn't even know what a luf, a reaper, or a midi was, so it's played in a rough way. But I like it because it's real, even with its inaccuracies.

Sophia

AlbertAndreu Welcome to the recitals Albert! I really enjoyed your composition, the imagery and the explanation you provided of what inspired you to write this. It's a very gentle piece, so if that's what you see in the mirror, that probably says a lot about yourself 🙂

plop_symphony

Performer: Arnold Lau, Philippines, 2.5 years of experience
Piece: For River by Kan Gao
Comment Policy: All comments; anything goes!

Source of music: From the soundtrack to the 2011 adventure game To the Moon.
Instrument: Yamaha P-71
Recording method: MIDI via Pianoteq (C. Bechstein D282)
Additional info: I've wanted to play this piece ever since I started learning the piano. It's from one of my favorite games (it's really more like a novel), with a story so compelling that even reading the Wikipedia synopsis over a decade later makes me tear up. Two years ago it seemed insurmountably difficult, what with all those wide arpeggios and that octave section in the middle, so it's very fulfilling to have reached the point where I can perform it.

rsl12

hebele That staccato & jumpy left hand is tricky, isn't it? Keep practicing, it seems you are on the right track!

Sophia Congratulations again on finishing the book series! A somewhat tricky piece in Ab! It looks like black keys don't give you any trouble. And you found the pastoral sound the instructions told you to find. I hope you have many pleasant hours with John Thompson!

Player1 I'm glad you found a way to participate! My daughter is about to start Faber level 1. Are you enjoying it? I hope you're able to get back to the piano properly very soon.

Nightowl The rhythm is great, though I'm curious if it's the rhythm actually written. Your performance sounds truer to the original, but I can't believe they would write it out that way in a "First Songs" book! If you decided on your own to make the modification, then you did a great job and you must have a strong musical instinct! Hands are looking better and better. I can hear a lot of improvement!

plop_symphony It's been fun watching you improve at every single recital! Wow, a beautiful performance! If that's the tune's true ending, I would hold the last note a little longer. But that's a small nitpick!

Gooseberry I hear better use of rubato and dynamics. It seems like you're making more of your own musical choices, which is a great milestone!

navindra First of all, what a great sound coming out of your piano. Your hard work on both tuning and setting up the mics really shows. I should probably learn some of your mic setup skills! Second, I see why you needed time to prepare your video. Wow, I have no idea how you do all of that! Three cameras, movement and zooming that seems as if people were holding the cameras, and polished titles. As far as your playing goes, it sounds good, though perhaps not very challenging for you. But I know you were busy with life. Sorry to hear about your Uncle Baby 🙁 anyone with a nickname like "Baby" must have been either a great person or a really spoiled brat. I hope it's the former.

lilypad

Performer: lilypad from Vancouver, WA, USA. 8 years of lessons as a child. Then playing on & off since retirement in 2004.
Piece: Ripple Effect by Joanne Bender
Comment Policy: General Comments

Source of music: RCS Level 3 Piano Etudes book
Instrument: Yamaha CLP-635 digital piano
Recording method: ...USB, Audacity to normalize
Additional info: Some of the timing on the "ripples" was off and probably the melodic 5ths due to recording jitters. I made a later recording that was more technically correct, but this one sounded better so I stayed with it.

plop_symphony

lilypad Ripples are uneven in real life! I thought this sounded great.

Rob

Performer: Rob
Piece: Maybe Someday Soon by Rob
Comment Policy: Anything goes

Source of music: ...Own Composition
Instrument: ...Kawai ES920
Recording method: ...Grandeur VSTi in Cubase
Additional info: Short and simple.

hebele

Rob Maybe Someday Soon by Rob
This one is beautiful and warm. Thanks for sharing.

SalmonJack Mist Again by SalmonJack
No surprise it took so much practice. That is a lot of work for a single piece. I've very much enjoyed listening it. I like the picture of Columbia River too.

Javier Cantata BWV 147 by J.S. Bach
It is a great first submission. I am looking forward to able to play Bach pieces (not meant for children). But it will take some time 🙂 Also I thought the page turn was smooth.

Gooseberry What the Rain Whispered Softly by Jef Martens
I like how it gently moves. I am totally fine with this kind of rain. Thanks for sharing.

Sgisela cherzo, Opus 6 No. 3, from Charles Tomlinson Griffes’ Fantasy Pieces
This one feels different, distinctive. Also it has so much variation in dynamics & rhythm. Thanks.

ShiroKuro Pachelbel's Canon, arranged by Brian Crain
I like Pachelbel's Canon and I've enjoyed your rendition of it. Also it is played in the best key ever 🙂 Thanks!

rach3master Valse-Fantasie by Glinka/Gryaznov
And here goes another piece that is out of reach to me even if gods give me a chance of reincarnation 🙂 I've listened in awe. Of course that is usual for rach3master. Many thanks participating the recital.

navindra Amazing Grace by John Newton, J. Carrell & D. Clayton
That doesn't sound like first method book piece at all. Well played! And the hat makes an appearance . I hope your busy week has calmed down now so you can have a relaxed weekend. Thanks for managing PT and organizing the recital.