Haydn - Sonata Hob. XVI: 20

[mig]

Hi!

This a recording from a couple of weeks ago. Feel free to comment.
(Sorry for the out-of-tune piano. I can't believe my uni has this beautiful Yamaha C5, and can't tune it regulary) (First movement only)

[pianistimo]

i mostly teach beginners and intermediate beginning students - so take this crit with a grain of salt.  i thought it was very good and very evenly played.  but, perhaps TOO EVEN and too fast of 'question' / 'response.'  with haydn, there is always the chance of becoming 'boring' (if you know what i mean).  i didn't find your playing boring - but, sort of on the fence.  what i think (besides what you already do really well - dynamic changes, phrasing, etc).  is to think of the various parts as 'speaking' to each other and actually put some 'personality' to each voice.  (remembering the personalities).  mozart does this, too. 

you know how voice-overs do, when they play different characters.  and, you don't want to  interrupt yourself - so take your time when 'changing voices.'  i feel somewhat tense when i hear you play - even though everything seems 'perfection.'  this is where the line is drawn between 'good' playing and 'concert pianist.'  it's really going back and breaking all the rules - i'm finding.  it's terribly disconcerting.

i would color all your 'voices' and give them the personality you want (with color pencil).  then, really try to switch and talk back and forth.

[pianistimo]

with the ascending alternating high and low notes at the beginning - i think they could be less 'regular' in terms of exact phrasing and dynamics.  more shadings as they go up.  not just - loud/soft for high/low.  (ie how you go up a few bars later -pp/mp, mp/p,  mf/mp,  f/mf, ff/f)

i find this piece dry, too.  i'd add a bit more pedal in the staccato mid-section.  you're obviously ready for it.  it will soften the harsh sound.  maybe some pure classicists would want it to sound lighter, but you can still play light with the pedal, imo.

i would say i get the most tense when i hear the turns, etc. because when you do several in a row - they make me get tenser instead of relax.  maybe to relax your audience you shouldn't think of 'perfection' only - but an expression through each one. 

i realize that haydn and mozart are very hard to play from memory because everything sticks out and sometimes things we don't intend come out when we think something different in our heads. 

also, i tend to think 'blah blah' when i hear triplets played exactly the same each time.  whenever you have anything repetitive in haydn - you've got to 'do something with it.'  that's my humble opinion.  but, really, in reality - i don't think i could play this anywhere near what you are doing right now - so - just answering your questions and not really trying to one- up u.

[pianistimo]

i've listened to the beginning several times and find that the repeat of the first 'theme' in my mind should have a different character.  i guess maybe a darker sound?

emanuel ax plays the triplets much lighter in the LH and i sort of can't help comparing the ideas since you are getting close with technical prowess.  maybe just relaxing and letting the music speak through - and taking more time between phrases.

[mig]

Thank you very much for your comment, I will certainly keep that in mind for the future. Really, I've been working on this for a bit more than 3 weeks at the moment it was recorded, so I think that where the tension comes from. There are lots of stuff left to do in the musical department:) Anyways, Thanks a lot.

Mig