Chopin 4th Ballade

[pianomx]

Hi guys, so I wanna show my playing of Chopin's f-moll Ballade. I hope you will like it. I'm still searching for better tone quality and technical accuracy. Naturally comments are welcome

[arumih]

*applauds*

Sorry I can't give any advice or tips, just wanted to say I listened and enjoyed and it was brilliantly played and it's something you should be definitely proud of. It's difficult isn't it...no matter how brilliantly we play (and you played brilliantly) perfection is always out of reach...but your performance was a good compromise!

Apologies again for the basically useless comment lol.

[pianomx]

Hey, thanks for your nice comment! Actually I'm very surprised I only got one comment, but I guess not so much people are willing to hear another Chopin's 4th Ballade recording. After all, we already have Rubinstein and Solomon's recordings. I think mine will be at an acceptable level in 20 years or so, and probably nowhere near to those great recordings.
Anyway, thanks for sharing and I'm hoping for some more comments 

[ganymed]

I cannot be of much use in terms of advices but  I enjoyed the recording very much. I think you play the piece very well and the tone quality is very nice. Don't be ashamed.

[gerry]

First off, I want to compliment you on a very fine overall interpretation and execution of this difficult Ballade. It's a bit strange addressing a performer when you know nothing about them; i.e., whether they are a young aspiring student or a middle or late aged amateur, what their goals are, etc. In any case, you display a really superb technique including an extremely mature mastery of pedal and an understanding of Chopin's overtones allowing them to ring in all their glory. That said, I hope it's not too presumptuous of me to address one major concern - and please realize that my remarks reflect my personal opinion and approach to this work so please take them in that spirit.

I must admit that when I first sat back and listened I found myself somewhat disenchanted with your playing up to bar 58 and then it was like a different pianist had taken over. For some reason that initial expository section seemed rushed as if you were impatient to get to the flashier sections. This piece gets thick and complex enough later so this our chance to hear the beautiful theme--simple and unadorned. Therefore I feel the tempo could possibly be a bit more relaxed, letting the melody really sing. I found the accompaniment figures often strident--the punching of the initial bass note in several measures seemed to break the melodic phrase and reduce the section to a somewhat trite sounding waltz instead of a ballade. I listened several times to this and also heard unexpected accenting of notes at the ends of phrases rather than letting the phrase trail off. In meas. 15-16, 17-18 for example you rush through the repeated notes and accent the final notes of 16 and 18 instead of subtly building each repeated note and peaking on the last one then trailing off so that the ensuing phrases can begin cleanly. Also, I have to take issue with your tempo increase at meas 46. I feel we are still being introduced to the melody here and part of me wants to save any bravura for the later sections yet to come. Meas 46-55 really don't need to be rushed as Chopin has increased the tension merely through the note complexity and harmonics. This also renders it unnecessary for such a lo-o-o-ng (firmata?) at meas 56. However, from this point on you really soar and show your stuff. Just one more (very personal) comment. I like to keep some mystery going in meas 58-67 by keeping a degree of emphasis still on the melody - the accompaniment begins to get really thick here and too much weight on it just begins to sound too bravura for its own sake. Just for fun, try to play this section with the melody in mind -in the end you're perfectly justified in your own interpretation but you might find that the complexity of the accompaniment still comes through enough without putting undue weight on it. You play this section really well, though, and the alternative I'm offering is really a very subtle change and at best can help build toward a more satisfactory climax.
Please believe me when I say that you really are very close to complete mastery of this work - for the most part I was hearing this ballade played the way it should be. I find it fascinating that to me the relatively easier section needed the work while the most difficult was faultless. Great work and I look forward to hearing more from you.

[pianomx]

Thanks very much for taking the time to write so much about my interpretation! Many people have listened to this and not commented anything... hello people!? 
Anyway, I agree with you with most of the stuff you said, the punching bass at the beginning really bothered me when I first listened to it so I was working on it already.
I personally believe that the first 2 pages are the most difficult and I had a lot of trouble choosing the right tempo, because I actually get faster when the 16ths come so I was trying to form the whole thing keeping a relatively equal tempo as possible, but you're right, it feels somehow rushed... oh well, but actually thanks very much for your comments, are you piano teacher? or advanced student? I consider myself still a student, I'm 24 already though, If i wanted to be a "young aspiring student" is kinda late, but I'm still aspiring somehow. Aren't we all?

[gerry]

I'm glad you took the time to respond to my response. I'm doing a quick check on my blogs tonight as I'm leaving for 2 weeks vacation tomorrow morning. I'd like to chat a bit more about the ballade when I return.
Gerry

[practice]

Wow. Incredible job man.

[tagadam]

I did enjoy your interpretation a lot, never played that ballade so not really able to comment, only I do think your attacks are a bit rough, but I love the way you master the "phrasé" afterwards... thanks for this post.

[go12_3]

A lovely ballade, that I may just learn it in my dreams though....wonderful clear execution of running passages....good clarity and good tone and expression.  You have a nice touch, very well done.   

best wishes,

go12_3

[conmoto]

I think there are 2 main classes of pianists - those who are beginning and those who are not beginning.  It's interesting because I notice that people are much easier on beginners when it comes to criticism, and tougher on people who are further ahead.  I think it's just a natural tendency of the brain to categorize people along the lines of "people who are kinda in the beginning phases" and people who are "definitely not in the beginning stages".  The cool thing is that although you tend to get tougher criticism when you're in the latter category, the fact that you can even be in that category is a major accomplishment! 

I see very good things in your piano future! 

[pianomx]

Thanks for the nice posts from everybody! I was off for a while because my computer crashed. Had to format everything. Good thing that I had backup for everything.
Anyway... Thanks for taking the time to write something. I see lots of downloads but just a couple of replies. Thanks to those who replied!
Now I have a better recording with less mistakes, I think much more accurate. I made it in march, maybe I'll post it  maybe later

[birba]

That will be interesting to hear.  Not because maybe there are less mistakes (and you really make very few in this one) but to hear how the cantabile sections may have changed and matured.  (In particular, that glorious section in d-flat major after the desceding chromatic scale.)