VIDEO: Fantasie Impromtu

[kyle556]

Hey everyone  .

I would like to apologize for the bad quality of this video.  I record my videos with an out dated digital camera XD.

Anyways, it seemed to record the sound terribly as if I wasn't even using dynamics.  I was recording this at the same time with my digital piano so I could post that later too if any of you are interested to hear better audio.

Before you watch:

Try to ignore the mistakes I made neer the end because I had no chance to turn the page there and I don't have the notes fully memorized yet.  Also you'll notice the video gets cut off at 5 minutes.  Sorry about that =(. 


I need some good conctructive critisizm because I havn't been playing this for too long, and my piano teacher went to Europe for vacation, and I just missed 3 lessons!

[lagin]

Hi, to be honest I am no Chopin expert (I'm learning my first piece by him now, a nocturne), but I do have 2 general comments besides, wow!  And on a digital too!  I didn't know they had such dynamic contrast.  What is the key weight like on those things?

Anyway, 1.  The second opening chord.  I usually hear it played quite loudly like the first.  Are you doing it quieter on purpose?  I'm not saying it's bad, just different.  And I thought you looked a little hesitant to start the fast part.  If you are "easing" into it, I think it could come across a little more......hmmmmmmm... lol, this is hard to explain, and I have the exact same thing I'm working on in one of my Beethoven pieces.  I think you need to get faster quicker, but that is just what I'm used to hearing again.  Someone else would probably be able to comment on it better.  It just seems that it could "flow" a little more into the quicker stuff.  It's one of those things that is so close it's hard to explain. 

And 2.  The middle section has nice melody projection, but I think the left hand could be quieter yet to give more of a "haunting meloncholy" sence.  I heard one clinician explain it as "barely breathing."

But, yeah, very impressive over all!  Btw, your hands were nice and relaxed.  No flying fingers which was nice to watch!  Good job.

[kyle556]

Hi, to be honest I am no Chopin expert (I'm learning my first piece by him now, a nocturne), but I do have 2 general comments besides, wow!  And on a digital too!  I didn't know they had such dynamic contrast.  What is the key weight like on those things?

Anyway, 1.  The second opening chord.  I usually hear it played quite loudly like the first.  Are you doing it quieter on purpose?  I'm not saying it's bad, just different.  And I thought you looked a little hesitant to start the fast part.  If you are "easing" into it, I think it could come across a little more......hmmmmmmm... lol, this is hard to explain, and I have the exact same thing I'm working on in one of my Beethoven pieces.  I think you need to get faster quicker, but that is just what I'm used to hearing again.  Someone else would probably be able to comment on it better.  It just seems that it could "flow" a little more into the quicker stuff.  It's one of those things that is so close it's hard to explain. 

And 2.  The middle section has nice melody projection, but I think the left hand could be quieter yet to give more of a "haunting meloncholy" sence.  I heard one clinician explain it as "barely breathing."

But, yeah, very impressive over all!  Btw, your hands were nice and relaxed.  No flying fingers which was nice to watch!  Good job.

I actually have a very nice digital piano.  Most of them sound and feel fake, but, the sounds on mine are very realistic (you should hear it in person).  The weight on them is amazing for a digital too!  Of cource it can't be like a really piano, but, it still is very impressive.  (Yamahas.... p series ).  Btw,  I wish I could practice this more and record myself playing this on a real piano.  My piano is in really tuff shape currently, so I rarely use it now.  Very sad.

Comment 1)I havn't really listened to any recordings of this.  Would you mind sharing? I was playing that second chord softer on purpose though  .  The music has an accent on the first and there isn't one on the second, so I just went along with it seeing that the first dynamic sign right ahead is Piano.

Is the "fast part" the part right before the chromatic scales?  I really don't know the exact spot you mean, because basically the whole piece until the slower quieter part comes is 6ths against 16th notes and there is no accels.  I guess the recordings you heard were creative  . I guess I will wait until you clerify the exact area/part you mean in the piece.

Comment 2)I definetely agree about my left hand being too loud at times :|.  I noticed as well.  I think I will go check to see if it sounds any better on the audio only recording (which cuts off unforntunately even before 5 minutes).

Thank you for your time to listen to this and try to help .  (oh yeah, thanks for saying it's impressive and my hands were relaxed)

Kyle 

[allthumbs]

Comment 1)I havn't really listened to any recordings of this.  Would you mind sharing?

Here you are. I'm not sure who the pianist is in this recording.

Enjoy

allthumbs

[teresa_b]

Hi kyle,


Very, very nice!  You play with wonderful feeling.  I like the soft second note, and the slower intro is fine--After all, it is an "impromptu." 

My only suggestions are, in the climactic parts of the fast sections where you are rising up to the descending passages, I think you are rushing, at the expense of your accuracy.  You can play it a little slower! 

In the middle section (which sounds really nice already) you might play with even more rubato in the right hand  (It sounds a little too well-behaved!), maybe vary the dynamics a little more with each parallel passage--or emphasize slightly different aspects. 

Sorry the end was cut off, as i was enjoying! 
Have fun!  it sounds great. 
Teresa

[kyle556]

Here you are. I'm not sure who the pianist is in this recording.

Enjoy

allthumbs

Thanks a lot.  The more recordings the better.  I want to see what this piece can do.

Hi kyle,


Very, very nice!  You play with wonderful feeling.  I like the soft second note, and the slower intro is fine--After all, it is an "impromptu." 

My only suggestions are, in the climactic parts of the fast sections where you are rising up to the descending passages, I think you are rushing, at the expense of your accuracy.  You can play it a little slower! 

In the middle section (which sounds really nice already) you might play with even more rubato in the right hand  (It sounds a little too well-behaved!), maybe vary the dynamics a little more with each parallel passage--or emphasize slightly different aspects. 

Sorry the end was cut off, as i was enjoying! 
Have fun!  it sounds great. 
Teresa

Thanks for all the great comments!  I actually remember my piano teacher telling me to have a lot of rubato in the middle section.  Great suggestions, thanks again.

Kyle

[turner]

Very nice video! Thank you for sharing.

Regarding others' suggestion for the middle part, I personally believe that you have the correct general concept for this lyrical section. The ornamentations, e.g. trills, appoggiatura, may be slowed down a bit, so it doesn't give off this "well-behaved" impression.

BTW, what make and model is your digital piano? (if you don't mind sharing...)

[gilad]

hey, that was really nice imho,is that a yahama p-120?

[kyle556]

hey, that was really nice imho,is that a yahama p-120?

Nice guess! It is a yamaha p-120!  They stopped making them though, but, the better version of mine is the p-250, which is magnificent for a digital.

Thanks for the compliments =).  I just played this at my lesson today, and my piano teacher was going nuts.  I just got it my last lesson, but, since I had 3 weeks off from lessons I managed to pull this off .

[nik0]

Damn, this is a fine piece! I must start it right away

[kyle556]

Good luck, it gets pretty tricky at times