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Topic: Rzewski - Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues  (Read 11117 times)

Offline Kassaa

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Rzewski - Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues
on: April 16, 2007, 05:22:22 AM
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Offline Mozartian

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Re: Rzewski - Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues
Reply #1 on: April 17, 2007, 08:38:03 PM
haha nice performance, oh overly talented dude. ;)
[lau] 10:01 pm: like in 10/4 i think those little slurs everywhere are pointless for the music, but I understand if it was for improving technique

Offline pianistimo

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Re: Rzewski - Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues
Reply #2 on: April 17, 2007, 11:09:26 PM
the speaking portion of the radio broadcast sounds like it was recorded in a bathroom.  i mean, the reverb.  but, the piano recording sounds very live and forward and not so 'closed.' 

interesting piece.  cotton mill.  yes.  it sounds like one of those old time cotton machines.  amazing replication actually.  we have a bunch of old mills here in pa.  sounds like a train ran into the mill in the middle.  yes.  this music fits the train tracks that run right by the mills.  hmm.  interesting.

Offline onction_terrible

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Re: Rzewski - Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues
Reply #3 on: April 18, 2007, 06:23:14 AM
This was a great performance, Tim. The first thing that hit me, besides the fact that the announcer woman couldn't pronounce Rzewski's last name, was that you play it a bit slower than Hamelin, but at about Rzewski's tempo. That, I admired. I also loved that little improvisational bit you inserted around the 2nd to the last page. It fit in there like a glove, which was a bit of a surprise to me (no offense). All in all, I loved the spirit you showed in it. Thank you for this refreshing interpretation!

Offline rob47

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Re: Rzewski - Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues
Reply #4 on: April 20, 2007, 07:07:53 PM
true this performance is awesome i enjoyed listening a lot

the random improvs work really well

Ree-Speck!

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-Alexis Weissenberg

Offline Kassaa

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Re: Rzewski - Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues
Reply #5 on: April 21, 2007, 09:36:05 PM
Thanks.. 8)

Before this performance I had never played the whole piece without stopping, and it was for 700 people plus a jury ;D . But damn it was fun.

Offline arensky

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Re: Rzewski - Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues
Reply #6 on: April 22, 2007, 04:38:02 PM
Superb. Incredible range of tone color. Very intense. Good jazz feel. 8)


What kind of piano was this, it doesn't sound like a Steinway (I could be wrong). Bosendorfer, Bechstein? Other?

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Offline Kassaa

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Re: Rzewski - Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues
Reply #7 on: April 23, 2007, 06:13:08 AM
Superb. Incredible range of tone color. Very intense. Good jazz feel. 8)


What kind of piano was this, it doesn't sound like a Steinway (I could be wrong). Bosendorfer, Bechstein? Other?


<3

It was a big-ass Steinway, a bit heavy action, but fantastic sound <3 .

Offline lostinidlewonder

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Re: Rzewski - Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues
Reply #8 on: April 24, 2007, 12:31:34 AM
The opening is certainly an interesting interpretation and good since an improvisation was a requirement in this case. I couldn't get away from the feeling that it overall sounded too legato, probably the recording, the bathroom effect as pianistimo pointed out :)
The softer touches are quite ineffective in the recording the dying away at the end highlights this. Certain parts you want to just bite you but it smooths out. Some wrong notes but that is to be expected for a tough piece like this but entertaining stuff nonetheless! Not many people can pull it off.
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Offline Kassaa

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Re: Rzewski - Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues
Reply #9 on: April 24, 2007, 05:51:01 AM
The opening is certainly an interesting interpretation and good since an improvisation was a requirement in this case. I couldn't get away from the feeling that it overall sounded too legato, probably the recording, the bathroom effect as pianistimo pointed out :)
The softer touches are quite ineffective in the recording the dying away at the end highlights this. Certain parts you want to just bite you but it smooths out. Some wrong notes but that is to be expected for a tough piece like this but entertaining stuff nonetheless! Not many people can pull it off.
The hall itself was quite legato and even when you played a lot of staccato it sounded quite 'blended', could you please tell me more about the parts you want to bite and the parts that were rather ineffective? :)

Offline lostinidlewonder

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Re: Rzewski - Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues
Reply #10 on: April 25, 2007, 01:08:57 AM
I haven't the sheet music in front of me at the moment so I'll give briefly highlight some times of the Mp3 recordings. When I get the sheets in front of me (it's somewhere in that pile over there :) )I might be able to give some more useful critique.

0:54   - When now you play three black and the three whites they blend in too smoothly. This should be somewhat a staccato touch allowing the listeners to discern the two parts. It should some almost as clear as the opening two notes.

1:02 - When now you return back to the opening two notes the line which connects it to the previous three black/three white chords is somewhat mumbled. I cannot hear how you actually return back to the begining F# F ....

This critique continues throughout the opening. however you notice at 1:28 onwards we actually can start hearing the notes more clearly defined, not so smoothened out, probably because you are playing louder, it would be nice to hear this type of clarity throughout.

2:10ish when the upper chords start coming in and increasing in pulsations by one every time, this should be somewhat more growing and decaying in sound, it sounded to me a little too balanced although I can hear some type of volume control there it could be more effective. ALso be careful when they start becoming more frequent (the upper chords) do not drown out or mumble the opening theme idea, it sounds slightly lost.

3:27 more bite. Especially 3:35.

3:54 onwards  the Low bass note is legato should bite more sounds too smooth to me.

6:01 sounds too mumbled you need to make the voices clearly defined here especially when it goes up to the higher register. 6:16 when the upper voice comes in you should somewhat make it a cresendo giving more accent to the last note of the voice. 6:26 you should shift up another gear and. 6:30 gets a little inaccurate and doens't really make me excited. 6:37 needs to be bigger in sound and even grow a little more at 6:41 nearing the end.

6:55 onwards is too legato for my ears, especially 7:22-35 is effected adversly. You get that jazzy feeling to it but it would sound more effective if it was more clearly defined not so smoothed. 7:41-7:51 that clarity is an extract which is ideal to what I would like to hear carry thoughout.

8:16-8:20 that rising up, the volume simply is level to my ears, we would expect to hear a max point when you reach to top. Similar idea when you go back down and reach the min point.

8:47 the Rh single note voice MORE BITE and throughout. 9:34 is most effected.

9:48 the return of a theme in the RH should have more character than before even.

Of course this is a live recording so there are so many little inaccuracies that we can pick out. Unlike a CD recording which you can edit and have retakes, you played the entire piece quite well.
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Offline Kassaa

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Re: Rzewski - Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues
Reply #11 on: April 25, 2007, 08:43:15 AM
Thanks, I will definitely into it. You do need to know however that I studied this piece for only two weeks before performing it 0_o .
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