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.

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!!'

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

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 and after submitting I found the 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.

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 🙂

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".

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!

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.

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!

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!

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.

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

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 😅

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.