Schumann Papillons op.2, nos. 1-6 (part of 7 )-- see next post for complete 7

[matterintospirit]

  Damn this stuff is musically challenging.. Suppose I'll spend rest of my life trying to do it justice.

[pianistimo]

i always thought papillions was more difficult that it looked, too.  i'd like to hear more lightness like the butterflies (even in the forte areas).  somehow - more pedal, too.  is that a metronome in the background?  yikes.  this is making the butterflies stiff.

but, you know what -i'd be hard pressed to play this the way i want to hear it for a few months.  keep at it and post again.  that's what people tell me all the time.  i'm reworking some things and doing more. 

[matterintospirit]

no metrenome

[matterintospirit]

i always thought papillions was more difficult that it looked, too.  i'd like to hear more lightness like the butterflies (even in the forte areas).  somehow - more pedal, too.  is that a metronome in the background?  yikes.  this is making the butterflies stiff.

but, you know what -i'd be hard pressed to play this the way i want to hear it for a few months.  keep at it and post again.  that's what people tell me all the time.  i'm reworking some things and doing more. 

Oh, if there were any more fluctuations in tempo of no.4, it wouldn't hold together. Also, title. Papillons, shouldn't be taken too literally. Actually, in Schumann's own words, the set of pieces represented a maked ball(very popular at the time) that was from a scene in a novel, can't recall which, but you know, one of those stories where someone goes mad from being rejected by a lover and all that sort of thing so popular in Schumann's time. After the ball, he quietly slips into the water or something. Not that what the music represents is should be taken so literally, but it is helpful in "conceptualizing"  the music---it helps to know the source.

[pianistimo]

after the ball he 'quietly' slips into the water?  you mean he doesn't make any noise when he's dying?  i should think this should cause all sort of enormous fluctuations in tempo.  perhaps my imagination is getting carried away again.

[counterpoint]

There is a great posting of Bernhard about the story behind the Papillons here:

http://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,15925.msg170957.html#msg170957

[matterintospirit]

There is a great posting of Bernhard about the story behind the Papillons here:

http://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,15925.msg170957.html#msg170957

thanks counterpoint. very, very interesting.

[prongated]

There is a great posting of Bernhard about the story behind the Papillons here:

http://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,15925.msg170957.html#msg170957

...wow...

somehow - more pedal, too.

I agree - some of those notes (e.g. beginning) shouldn't be that dry [although it's probably the sound quality]. Don't always be polite at the endings (e.g. if it's marked cresc). Your tendency is to always decresc. at ends of phrases, which is what you'd do in Mozart)

...so probably you need to think of it more as a romantic work in style, not classical. Otherwise, very nice! ^^

[matterintospirit]

Does NOT need more pedal, does NOT decrescendo at the end of every phrase, does NOT sound "polite", is classical/romantic and not late romantic, does NOT sound like Mozart--and--- and---:P--------(

[jepoy]

I think a little bit more contrast on the repeats would be better. Some parts could use more pedal too. On the whole, you played very well though. Keep it up!