Liszt - Un Sospiro

[jlh]

This is from a recital I did in St. Louis in 2005. 

Comments/critiques always welcome!

EDIT:  I was dissatisfied with this recording because the audio was so hot it was distorting and it was REALLY annoying, so I remastered the file from the original WAVs and it sounds much better -- I even included the footsteps in the beginning and the applause at the end -- I was so proud of them for waiting so long to applaud.  Of course, I can't do anything about those darn notes that were weighted weird (The Db was too loud and the Eb was too soft on this piano -- follow the melody line and it will be apparent what I mean.  I compensated for it, and since I was able to warm up on that piano I was ready for it, but it was a distraction to say the least).     --why am I making excuses?? We all know what Liszt said about pianos...

Take another listen, and see if it's easier to listen to now... 

Josh

[nicco]

Amazing.

I dont know what to say, you play with such feeling and passion for this piece, its everything i expect of it. There was a part in the hand crossing section where the octaves are in the left that was a bit "turbulent", so the phrasing was a bit messed up. Great overall.
Can i ask for even more melody?

[kelly_kelly]

Excellent! At least, I loved it  First truly inspiring recording I have heard of this piece.

Edit: Oh yeah, does anyone have the music to this piece?

[jlh]

Thank you very much!  This piece and I go way back... and I first learned how to think about it from my teacher who played it for some 50 years in concert.  This recording represents the 2nd time I've gone back and relearned it.  One of my favorites simply because it's straightforward and beautiful.

Edit: uh, yeah.... I have the music to this piece.

[jlh]

Amazing.

I dont know what to say, you play with such feeling and passion for this piece, its everything i expect of it. There was a part in the hand crossing section where the octaves are in the left that was a bit "turbulent", so the phrasing was a bit messed up. Great overall.
Can i ask for even more melody?

Yeah, I don't doubt it.  I wish the piano was better for this recital... I'm not just saying that to be saying that, but the piano had some major problems to deal with.  Listen to it again, and near the beginning you'll note that the Eb in the melody is softer than the rest of the melody.  It was actually the weight of the keys that was messed up on this piano and I was fighting with remembering and compensating for things like this the whole concert.  I guess since I was playing at the Steinway & Sons Gallery, I just expected the piano to sound and feel ideal.  This was not the case.

[kriskicksass]

I guess since I was playing at the Steinway & Sons Gallery, I just expected the piano to sound and feel ideal.  This was not the case.

Do you mean the Steinway Gallery in NYC? How did you get a chance to perform there?

[rachfan]

Hi jlh,

I too liked your performance a lot!  You bring great expressiveness to this often-played piece that enable you to make the piece distinctively your own.  Very nice!

By the way, I was greatly impressed with your performances of both of Rachmaninoff's Etudes Tableaux you posted.  Fabulous!

A segway on pianos: Do you usually play Steinway in recitals?  What about Baldwin?  Just curious about your preference in American pianos if any.  Thanks.

David 

[jlh]

Do you mean the Steinway Gallery in NYC? How did you get a chance to perform there?

No, the Steinway Gallery in St. Louis, Missouri.  The recital hall there was named after my former teacher, Jane Allen.

[jlh]

A segway on pianos: Do you usually play Steinway in recitals?  What about Baldwin?  Just curious about your preference in American pianos if any.  Thanks.

To tell you the truth, I haven't been too impressed with ANY American made pianos for some time now.  Also, I'm not too fond of east Asian piano makers either.  All the Baldwin pianos I've played on have had a tough action to overcome.  Earlier in my studies it didn't make much difference to me because I didn't have much experience with other pianos.  My current professor is on the Int'l Bosendorfer Artist roster so they gave him a new Bosendorfer for his studio as well as a nice 9' model for the recital hall, so I've enjoyed playing on those.  I'm also very partial to the Hamburg Steinways -- we have one of those in the recital hall as well and it's awesome (so good in fact that it almost plays itself). 

[rachfan]

Hi jlh,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on that.   My opinion: There are a couple of drawbacks to Bosies and the Hambourg Steinway (my first teacher had a B which I played for 10 years).  The Bosies voice seems to crack at fff dynamic.  Also, the German Steinway favors the fundamental, giving it a thinner sound, rather than the overtones and undertones which give the NY Steinway (when they build one right) its more wooly and richer tone.  I had a Steinway at home for a long time, but eventually shifted over to Baldwin.       

[jlh]

Hi jlh,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on that.   My opinion: There are a couple of drawbacks to Bosies and the Hambourg Steinway (my first teacher had a B which I played for 10 years).  The Bosies voice seems to crack at fff dynamic.  Also, the German Steinway favors the fundamental, giving it a thinner sound, rather than the overtones and undertones which give the NY Steinway (when they build one right) its more wooly and richer tone.  I had a Steinway at home for a long time, but eventually shifted over to Baldwin.       

From what I've been told, the Hamburg models are easier to "break in", and the chance of getting a well-built model is better because the quality control over in Germany is superior to that in NY.  I'm sure there are good Baldwins, just like there are good Steinways, but I have yet to play on a good one.  Bosies do have a clearer sound than do Steinways.

[jlh]

NEW MP3 posted on this thread.  The old file is deleted, but it's the same performance.  Read the edit notes in the first post.

Going to bed now... it's late,

Josh

[lagin]

Okay, don't laugh at my ignorance, but the right hand and left hand share those arpeggios right?  I mean all that sweeping around isn't just one hand, correct?

Also, don't laugh again because this is a serious question!  So far, the hardest piece I've learned properly is the first movement of the Pathetique Sonata (at about 132 - 148 to the half note).  My teacher thinks I can now handle Rachmaninoff's op. 23, no. 5 and Bartok's Roumanian Dance, op. 8a, no. 1, and Brahms' Ballade in g minor, op. 118.  BUT since I won't be talking to her for a bit yet, do you think that I should go to the trouble to get her the sheet music for this and ask her if I can learn it too, or do you think that it's still a bit out of my league?  Since I don't have the sheets for it (could only find the first page for free on the web), I can't answer that question!  So that's why I'm asking you.   What do you think?  I need a concert etude for my exam and this one seems perfect. 

[jlh]

You're correct, the hands are constantly trading off arpeggios and crossing to play both bass and treble notes.  The melody is frequently LH-RH-LH-RH etc, with one melody note each hand (pretty much every section is like that).  The cadenzas aren't particularly troublesome, but you do need to have good unison (and fast) scale technique for them and good control of dynamics throughout.

Unfortunately I don't have these sheets in an electronic form, so I can't send them to you.  Perhaps you could put in a request for them in the Repertoire section on this site?  I'll be honest, this is not a particularly easy etude to pull off (nor is it as hard as, say the TE), and I can't answer if you can do it or not, since I really don't know how you play.  It's pretty well-known, so you could just ask (email or call) your teacher and ask her about it.  I'm sure she could better answer that question. 

[lagin]

Thanks jlh,
I'll go ask in the repertoire section, and I'll probably call or email my teacher tomorrow anyway to set up a lesson in July, and I can ask her then.