Polonaise "Heroic" - Chopin

[faj]

Still polishing this piece, but would like to hear any comments in this stage.

Thanks.

[pianistimo]

either you and alhimia have a 'thing going' or my computer is doing strange things this morning.  i heard this past concert speed and into light speed.  are you both doing extracurriclar activities after recording your concerts?  like speeding up the mp3? 

[faj]

pianistimo, thanks for your comment but I didn't speeding up this recording, far from that . You can simply check the pitch OR attack-decay-sustain of the piano sound. I think it's not difficult to detect such trick.

Anyway, thanks for your comment 

[victor_ching]

Hey,

I think your intro needs improving: You started off slow and took off at a very fast tempo at the main theme. There needs to be consistancy in your tempo too: don't slow down and speed up too much.

There needs to be more feeling in this piece too. It has to be uplifting and morale raising. Its Heroic. By varying the tempo, I think you have slightly compromised the feel in this song. Listen to Van Cliburn's recording of it: it makes you want to hear more: makes you feel 'up', makes you feel uplifting... if you get what I mean... Your interpretation of it is rushed: if Van Cliburn plays it in more than 7 minutes, you should too.

However, you have played this tiring and stamina demanding piece very well, and apart from the tempo,  which you really should adjust, and the occasional wrong note, it is well played

 Hope this helped,
Victor Ching

[faj]

Hi victor, Thanks for your kind comment.

But regarding intro, though I still need improve as well as at other places, I think I played the 1/8 note count at  intro  faster than 1/8 note count at theme.
Or you're saying 1/4 note in intro should be played as fast as 1/8 note in theme ?  I'm a little bit confused cos' you said "Too slow at intro and too fast at theme"

Anyway thanks for your helpful comments,
Faj 

[imbetter]

Good, good. What you could do to improve it is play it more joyfully. More vivace if you know what I mean. This is supposed to be a happy jumpy playfull piece; almost like a scherzo. But your interpretation is very very good. I've heard some pretty bad interpritations of this piece.

Keep up the good work

[faj]

Hi, Thanks for your kind advice !
Yes, I will keep polishing and improve it.
At the time being I feel it already reach my limit so need to refresh a while to re-polish again .

[jozart]

Hi faj,
I enjoyed your playing very much. I tend to agree with victor_ching it seems to be rushed some and a little less tempo will make control easier. The piece is so exciting, it's hard to hold back sometimes. I personally would like to hear the melancoly part (c section I guess) a little sweeter but that's my feelings. Also, maybe a little less pedal throughout although it could be the hall where you are recording. It's probably just me, I really like clarity..maybe too much. You have great facility, strength and stamina.
Thank you so much faj, I appreciate your work.
jozart

[lewisbrooke]

Just a quick bit of advice - my opinion anyway. I agree that it was slightly rushed and also I think that you could possibly make more use of subtle rubato, without overdoing it of course, at certain places. I thought you played that tricky left hand part with the repeated descending octaves very well, keeping it nice and light, although careful with the pedal when you get to the crescendos. One other thing you might want to try is to make better use of the accents he's written, particularly in many of the left-hand parts, and also on the section around page 12 when you have every C accented along with the sforzando in the left-hand. You mustn't forget or ignore accents like this. Otherwise though, I thought it was a good performance of a very difficult piece. I enjoyed it a lot.

[faj]

Thanks a lot for enjoying my recording . I'm so glad to hear that.
Also thanks a lot  for all great advice …

lewisbrooke, interesting to me that your comment is your 1st and only posting.
Thanks alot anyway 

[chopin53]

hey, i think that`s very good
but i would try to play the first and last part a little bit slower and more powerful and more heroically. and i think for this piece the rythm of polonaise is also very important

[faj]

Hi Chopin53 (Heroic) !

Thanks for your comment and advice.
I agree with you it needs more "Polonaise" . Thanks !