Beethoven - Sonata no.23 "Appasionata" Ravel - Valses nobles et sentimentales

[suoyung]

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This is me at Windsor international piano competition. It took place in Windsor Parish church. Piano is Yamaha. Please leave a comment about my performance)

[dcstudio]

you have a beautiful touch...  wow.   Low end of that piano is kinda &%$% which is a shame because that was great.  the contrast in the beginning is very well done.   I love the way you treated each section, too.   I so enjoyed the second mvmt...just beautiful.. always has been one of my favorites--and you played it so sweetly. The Ravel was beautiful as well.

if I may make one very small performance suggestion which has nothing whatsoever to do with your playing--please don't ever start messing with your skirt until you get to the piano and you are ready to sit...then only smooth it once --and  smile big when you enter the room and when you greet your audience because that's really when the performance begins.     you are a very poised player--a joy to watch and to hear.

Look forward to hearing more from you!!!

[birba]

There was some wonderful masterful playing in the Ravel.  Especially nos. 2 and 3 and the epilogue.  Beautiful tone creation on piano that was in dire need of tuning.  Unfortunately, you well know, this is a norm in many competitions.  You have to go to Japan where it's tuned up before each candidate.  But it was excellent playing.
Unfortunately, the Beethoven is another story, in my opinion.  I'm wondering how you fared?  The third tempo was quite a mess.  It was a helter skelter race to the end.  You can't impress with this type of playing when there are orientals who can toss this off like child's play.  It didn't sound like you were really making music like you did with the Ravel.

[suoyung]

Thank you very much for feedbacks!!! ^_^
dcstudio, I will take that advice!
birba, yes, I know that... It is going well sometimes, but sometimes I just can't control the tempo. I think after some time I will controll it no matter what. (I used to mess in chopin first ballade's final, but now I can't imagine how I couldn't do that ). And Jury members said that too) Though they liked second part. And I think first part didn't go as bad, as third.

[dcstudio]

just one more thing I forgot to mention.

walk a little slower...  and think about your breathing as you enter--simply to clear your mind.

you were already imagining yourself at the piano as your walked in...   and you weren't "there" in the present.

I used to tell my students to pause at the crux of the piano and give the audience a big smile while thinking

"thank you for letting me play today..."  think about smiling with your eyes, too.


let them get a good look at your face---before and after you play. look just slightly to the left and to the right and give them maybe a hint of a nod....another smile...  then walk to the bench.  


You want to do this especially at a competition because they are already forming opinions about you from the second you walk on stage.  ooooze confidence--even when you're scared to death.

if you appear uncomfortable in any way--the audience will pick right up on that and they too will feel uncomfortable..  there is nothing worse than seeing a player look afraid--then you just wait for them to cake..  you know it's coming....you don't want to watch...but..you do...you want to cover your ears but you don't...and if you know the piece and where the problem areas are...then you know right when to listen for the flubs.    You are poised to cringe in pain when they stumble--and you are waiting to hear mistakes instead of listening to the performance.

sometimes you form an opinion before they even get to the stage...  you see them walking around crying, or shaking from nerves, or throwing diva fits 2 hours beforehand...  you wait for the disaster when you see them walking on stage...

you NEVER want to make your audience feel that way... which you didn't ---I am just illustrating a point... never let them see you sweat.

project confidence throughout the performance--and not just your playing--in every single thing you do from the time you get to the competition... until you are back in your hotel room.  

then you can scream, cry, eat ice cream, fight with your boyfriend, talk on the phone... whatever you do to wind down after playing.  

[suoyung]

Haha, thank you) It's not that I feel nervous, or something. But other people said that too, that I was nervous when walking on the stage :/ I will try to look more confident next time!