F.Liszt "Sposalizio"

[vaiva]

some advices or proposes?
At thirs site it looks, that this piece is not difficult, but when I've learned the text, I realised that it is very difficult to play interesting, not boring. As much I tryed to do it, as much it was going bad...
I played it in the concert 2006.12.05

[pianistimo]

you're a speed demon.  take a slower trip through italy.  enjoy the sights.  pretend the 'da da' of the eighth notes is a drip from a wine bottle in an old cellar.  you know drip, bit of a pause, and then another drip. 

there is much to be said for liszt in his pauses and silences.  i think andante means andante.  not too fast. 

wait.  spozalizio means 'engagement of the virgin mary.'  ok.  i guess we'll nix the wine and consider that it is she whom you are focusing on.  i see the start as her tears at not knowing how to explain her pregnancy to others until her husband joseph has the dream that he does.  i would like to hear liszt's interpretation of his own piece.

[jakev2.0]

Yikes...how is he playing too fast?

It's just fine, in my opinion. Good job vaiva.

[opus10no2]

Don't lose the speed, also jake - she's a girl.

If she looks as good as she plays, you'd hit it, I'm sure.

[donjuan]

I don't understand pianistimo's advice at all.  It almost seems like she downloaded a different recording.

Vaiva: You are right, it is very difficult to "play interesting, not boring."  I think the key to making it compelling for the audience is to focus on the pulse of the music, and make the phrasing work within that context.  The idea is to make each phrase seem long rather than short.  This will make the whole piece seem short rather than long.  Practice going from point A to point B (especially in the slower parts, because it is important to keep the audience awake during this) in accurate rhythm.  Only when you see how the phrasing works will you add appropriate rubato that makes sense.

Jorge Bolet's recording of Sposalizio is beautiful but kind of boring.