Rach Prelude op. 32,12, Duel with Amelialw and The_Duck

[pianowolfi]

Okay I decided to post, though Amelialw wants to have one more week. I just can't wait.
Deadline today. I need to get this done, sorry Amelia

I played this on a Schimmel grand and recorded with minidisc. As soon as my companions appear we can add a poll.

[rachfan]

Hi wolfi,

I listened to your rendition of this prelude twice and believe you turned in a very creditable performance.  It's well played--bravo!  Also the Schimmel sounded very good and the minidisk method you used recorded the sound with great fidelity.  If you were to spend a bit more time on the piece, you would probably polish just a few details, like evening out the ritardandos that reverse themselves into accelerandos to get the pacing of those more calibrated.  In the sixth to the last measure, the ritenuto there is only for three beats, as you play it, but I'd still try to make more of it, even if it meant extending it a bit, in order to make the entrance of that rich left hand arpeggio on the down beat of the following measure more dramatic and colorful.  I really like how you've layered the sonorities between foreground and background at all times, and featured the plaintive melody, despite the thick competing accompaniments.  Overall, I believe you've captured the essence and spirit of the prelude with artistry.  Congratulations!

Like I've said before, with the amount of concentration you put into composing, it amazes me how you can find time to also fit in standard repertoire, particularly learning new, complex pieces like this prelude.  A man for all seasons!

Although I play many of the Rachmaninoff preludes, I've not done No. 12.  The one I do have my sights on next in Op. 32 is No. 13 in D flat.  The piece starts off... well, on the stodgy side, but toward the last section, it evolves into incredible chromaticism of ravishing beauty.  The thing that really surprises me is that few pianists bother to explore or play it!  I sometimes would swear that the young pianists these days truly believe that Rachmaninoff wrote only three preludes: Op. 3, No. 2 in C#m, Op. 23, No. 5 in Gm, and Op. 32, No. 12 in G#m.  I'm sure you'd agree that so much music of great merit in these volumes is sadly overlooked.   

[pianowolfi]

Hi rachfan, thank you very much for your comments. Well my two current duel pieces are actually pieces I have played earlier in my life but now am refreshing for the duels. So it's not entirely a new piece to me. But I am currently working on new approaches to interpretation and technique and take this as an opportunity to test these out.

I *love* op. 32,13 and I have started a bit on that a while back, but then put it beside. It's truly one of my most favorite pieces ever. I may come back to that one.

*wonders where the_duck is*

[opus57]

Very nice played. Very tender - Unusually for you...

So you two are some kind of Rachmaninov specialists?

[pianowolfi]

Very nice played. Very tender

- Unusually for you...

   

So you two are some kind of Rachmaninov specialists?

Well I'm at least a huge fan of him and rachfan too, as his name suggests 

[opus57]

so this was supposed to be a moreless rhetoric question... 

[the_duck]

very good recording it will be tough to compete with that! i've hardly been able to practise the past couple of weeks so it's taken longer than expected, but i should be able to post a recording by sunday or monday if that's ok.

anyway, congratulations on a fine recording- i hope mine won't be too far behind.

edd

[pianowolfi]

very good recording it will be tough to compete with that! i've hardly been able to practise the past couple of weeks so it's taken longer than expected, but i should be able to post a recording by sunday or monday if that's ok.

anyway, congratulations on a fine recording- i hope mine won't be too far behind.

edd

Cool, I am looking forward to it  thank you for listening and posting in.

[thalberg]

wolfi, I liked your playing in this very much.

[pianowolfi]

wolfi, I liked your playing in this very much.

Glad you like it, thank you

[liszt-essence]

wolfi, I liked your playing in this very much.

So did I. Nice job wolfgang..

The subtility of the right hand line is expressed beatifully and it's in good balance with the left hand melodies.

[goldentone]

Wow, Wolfi, I thoroughly enjoyed that.    I think you achieved a very fine balance.

[pianowolfi]

So did I. Nice job wolfgang..

The subtility of the right hand line is expressed beatifully and it's in good balance with the left hand melodies.

Wow, Wolfi, I thoroughly enjoyed that.    I think you achieved a very fine balance.

Thank you both very much for listening and commenting 

*Waits impatiently for contrahents*   

[the_duck]

i can post up a recording tomorrow, but i've not been able to practise a great deal, so i'm sure it won't be quite as polished as yours (in fact i've only just learned the last page). but i'll definitely post something up tomorrow!

edd

[amelialw]

ok, i'll post mine in the afternoon today, if I have the time or tommorrow...I'm ready

[pianowolfi]

[opus57]

so we're waiting... 

[the_duck]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uvq-fAPIdrU

[pianowolfi]

Respect
This is a really difficult piece to me and I have had a hard time with it. And I am also still in the "work in progress" phase . I would have the suggestion to let yourself play more rubato. Let it flow and breathe.  I notice that you use a sort of circular motion in your right hand, which I find very interesting to watch and try it out for myself.

[teresa_b]

Hi, 

I listened to both of you, and CONGRATS to both of you--very nice!   

Pianowolfi, I agree, I played this (I actually have posted it somewhere on here) and found it rather difficult too.  The transitions between sections are hard to do smoothly, and the balance is tricky.   I think you play it very well--maybe try to smooth it out a little and make the melodies as rich as possible.

Duck, I agree that you might give it more rubato.  A bit looser and more romantic.  (I think my own recorded rendition was not loose enough, either.  It is tough to do especially when you're recording and you don't want to slip up.)
Great playing!
Teresa

[amelialw]

as promised...I could have worked on it more 1st but anyway I said today

http://www.freewebs.com/amelialw/myrecordings.htm

[schubertiad]

Well done all of you!
There haven't been many duel where even 2 people have both managed to post something (my duel was cancelled  ) but for all 3 of you to both post something respectable is excellent.
Putting nepotism aside I really enjoyed all of your performances (actually, having heard the duck practise this for the last few weeks did start to grate a little...)
Anyway, I think both Amelia's and Edd's could do with a bit more freedom (the former by speeding up from time to time, the latter by slowing down a bit) and Wolfl's could do with a bit more fire in certain spots. It's very well thought out, but maybe a bit too much so, and could be more impulsive.
Anyway, congrats to all 3 of you. When will you add the poll?

[prongated]

...wow...

amelialw's is too slow and drags but I like the temperament the most out of the three. The_Duck's is a solid performance, but I agree with wolfi - needs more rubato; more direction. Wolfi's impresses me the most - a dynamic performance!

...my humble opinion only nonetheless...and btw wolfi, what mics did you use?

[amelialw]

yikes...I did'nt notice mine was too slow when I recorded it, should have played it faster

[thierry13]

The temperament of Amelia is very good indeed, but I think the sound could be reworked ... just a guess, but do you play with curved fingers all the time ? Your recording sounds like that, and it limits your tone coloration a lot.The attack on each note is too rough too in some parts. Apart from that, excellent performance !

[amelialw]

thanks! no, I did not play with fully curved fingers all the time, my hands are already small enough. I know, I will rework some of those parts and post a newer recording soon

[pianowolfi]

...wow...

amelialw's is too slow and drags but I like the temperament the most out of the three. The_Duck's is a solid performance, but I agree with wolfi - needs more rubato; more direction. Wolfi's impresses me the most - a dynamic performance!

...my humble opinion only nonetheless...and btw wolfi, what mics did you use?

Thank you  I used a Sony ECM-MS907 condenser mic, nothing very special. I have also two studio projects B1 but I don't use them together with the minidisc.

[pianowolfi]

yikes...I did'nt notice mine was too slow when I recorded it, should have played it faster

I would not necessarily say that it's too slow, I like your approach and to hear interpretations in different tempi makes it more interesting

[shingo]

Hi,
Great to see this finally come together as I have observed the build up so to speak in the other thread. First of all may I say congratulations to all of you and that any criticism or suggestions I make are not intended to degrade your performance, I could not play this piece yet so I am impressed with all of your efforts  .
Pianowolfi's recording was very good I thoroughly enjoyed it. I will look into that mic you reffernced to as well I liked the clear quality.
The_Duck I always envisioned as an under-dog I don't know why, I don't mean to offend, I think it is just Pianowolfi's reputation on the boards and his confidence which exuded some form of superiority. It was a great performance though, and at the risk of repeating everyone else, I too think that a bit more emotion in the form of rubato, but under the pressure of recording I think it's great.
Amelia, I feel some time the attack on certain notes made some sections a little harsher than they need be, also sometimes the LH notes would come a little too strong. I didn't on the other hand feel it was too slow it was still engaging and nice to listen to.
Thanks again for sharing your playing.