Prokofiev 2nd Sonata- video

[pianiststrongbad]

Hello everyone,

I'm going to be auditioning with a few pieces for a grad school in a month.  One of the pieces is Prokofiev's 2nd Sonata. 
This video was taken from my Senior Recital (five months ago).  I haven't played it since.  I am currently relearning this (luckily I still remember most of it).  There are several wrong notes in this performance, I was nervous.  My hand also got stuck on one of the black keys early on in the 1st movement, the only time this has ever happened to me.  Anyways, I would greatly appreciate any feedback anyone has to offer.

Thanks!

1st movement:

2nd movement:

3rd movement:

4th movement:

[ilikepie]

Sorry if I'm being to frank but the performance is still raw and needs quite a lot of polishing. I can see you can play it fast, actually rather fast(2nd and 4th movement), but for pete's sake slow down XD (It helps when you're nervous when you slow down your performance since it will produce deeper tones) I'm sure there is a brilliant performance hidden by that nervousness and a slight lack of control. I did notice sometimes your tempo and tones were uneven, but nothing that can't be fixed with hard work. One month should be enough to "perfect" it since it's already in a good condition(I sure hope you didn't lose it when you stopped practicing).'
I loved your 3rd movment btw

[mike_lang]

Dear Benjamin:

I sympathize, as I will play this piece for one of my degree recitals in January.  Therefore, let me offer a few comments on the outer movements, in my humble opinion -

I: Overall, a bit rushed in the ascending thirds -  allegro, but not stringendo (in my opinion, could be more lyrical, but that is personal taste).  For the transitional sections (i.e., gm-fm-ebm-dbm), I believe they are too thrown-off, and though the color should be soft, mysterious, and unsettled, one can still do a bit of voicing to refine the sound (the scale, then the ascending chromatics) and hold it back a bit (it is not a dramatic tempo change, but just a bit more movement).  The second theme, for me, is a bit too "measure-by-measure;" it does not seem to lead anywhere, but to the next bar.   Finally, I am missing the hemiolas at the end of the exposition and at the same position in the recap - the chord on the "and" of two comes too late, and should not be delayed.

IV:  Too fast!  This is a tarantella, and must be well articulated.  Do not let your nerves or your virtuoso instincts get in the way of the character of the piece.  As for specifics, I believe that you must practice the shifts in slow motion for accuracy, as these seem to be the thematic gesture for the movement (stubborn Sergei wouldn't write that coda for four-hands).  No ritard at the end of the A section - it destroys the hypermeter.  I enjoy the direction you've found at the beginning of the development - please donate some of that to the second theme in the first movement!  For the part that follows, please find one tempo - you have left it a bit ambiguous at vivace, and it accelerates thenceforth.  I suggest that you take some of the C#'s in the l.h., at the very least, when the C major sustained chords enter in the r.h.  There should be no concern of power in these sforzandi, as the entire region is still "piano giocoso."

Best,
Michael Langlois

[ilikepie]

Heh, seems like a few people are playing this for degree auditions/recitals x_x
I'm actually doing it for my uni auditions too. xD