What is the best 'superlative' someone has uttered about your playing?

[opus10no2]

We love it, it's one of the reasons we play, but what's the best praise that has been sung about your playing?

[thalbergmad]

great fingers, no heart.

Thal

[ronde_des_sylphes]

The last two comments, in rapid succession.

Not sure that it was one of the more relevant pieces of musical criticism I've experienced, but it was one of the most enjoyable

[ihatepop]

'Nice', and that made my day.

The simplest praises are usually the best.

ihatepop

[pianistimo]

i feel so bad for thal, and yet i laugh and cry - too because one of my teachers was 'joking' with me and i took his comment as serious...and needed windshield wipers for my eyes for the next three days.  it's not that we have 'no heart.'  we have very deep felt emotions - but need ways to learn to overemote.  otherwise - what the teacher MEANS is that 'you sound like every other person that plays this piece.'

anyways - that's my interpretation.

once, i had the good fortune to have someone drop a pen (whilst complete silence) during a performance.  it literally must have rolled off of someone's lap.  now, if it was because they fell asleep - i would be a bit peeved.  but, i have no way of confiming exactly what happened because i was concentrating so much.

sometimes, not saying anything - but just the way the crowd claps you can tell if they liked the performance or not.  i'm learning that half of performance is warming up the crowd.  andre watts is sweet because right from the start, he usually does this.  he says something that makes the crowd relax and be receptive to his playing.

[arbisley]

Mostly my playing is more musical than technical... Although I'm in the process of changing that! I played Scherzo No.2 by Chopin in public recently, and was greeted by a stunned silence at the end. THe good thing about that piece is that you can cover up the mistakes with a lot of people for the non musical people, and put a bit more passion into it. i actually felt so amazingly passionate, full in the piece as I was playing, and got through it pretty well, and got a huge round of applause after that and a load of good comments.

I sometimes get the "fast fingers", for example for Jardins sous la Plui by Debussy... The worst was that it was from my music teacher at school so I wondered about the interpretation....

[super666lucifer]

superlative? are those superlatives?

[verywellmister]

After I performed, my friend's mom said"How do you move your fingers so fast?!?" except in chinese

[counterpoint]

great fingers, no heart.

Thal

That's really a bad comment 

But perhaps it was only jealousy 

Playing with heart is easy: simply accelerate or slow down the tempo a bit now and then - people will like it, I do it all the time   

[counterpoint]

The most (that's superlative!) comments I get is:


    you can't do it this way!

[pianowolfi]

"I must say that I enjoy this improv very much.  I have listened to it several times in a row by now and each time I listen, I have a distinct feeling of never wanting it to end." (m1469 commenting one of my improvs)

This is one of the comments I enjoyed the most. Can you say something more encouraging as this?

I feel very flattered by this one.

[pianogeek_cz]

There were two, one personal, one collective:
The personal one: Some time after performing the Rach c-sharp minor prelude, a very good friend told me the music made her just stare with the mouth open, trembling. 
The collective one: After performing the Rach g-minor prelude, the audience was gaping for what seemed like ten seconds in complete silence. I was almost waiting for the vegetables to fly, but I actually got a standing ovation. 

[chromatickler]

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH F*CKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK"

[pianowolfi]

Ahaha da ticklah!

[franzliszt2]

I was once sitting in a cafe after I had just played a few pieces in a concert, and some women came up to me and said....

"That was just amazing, I had tears in my eyes. You are a genius, and I hope to have the pleasure of hearing you play again."

Then she stared at me for about 10 seconds, and left. 

[brahms4me]

I'm always moved when someone thanks me and says my playing has stirred something in them and they want to play piano.   I am most flattered when they hear the music - that tells me I haven't gotten in the way - it's not about ME.

[quantum]

I was preparing to do a Christmas gig accompanying seasonal selections at a hospital.  This one hospital clerk comes up to me and asks:

"Are you the musician"
"yes", I reply.

"What instrument are you playing"
"Clarinet", I say.

She responds "I love the saxophone, it just sounds so sexy."

**

There's a reason she's never invited to the Christmas party. 

-----

Other people have said about my improvs:

"You really bashed that piano there.  But you do it so elegantly!"

"I loved your imporv, It was wild yet great"

[andyd]

I was playing a couple of tunes in Harrods earlier this year on a medium sized Bechstein and Petrof, and noticed this couple had stopped and were listening intently.  I thought that like me they were interested in the piano timbres.  So after the third tune I turned to them and said "Hello, what do you think of the pianos?"
"Oh we just liked your style"

Which just goes to show the instrument is of secondary importance to Mr & Mrs Public, and people like George Shearing's arrangements.

Regards

Andy

[rc]

best compliments I've got:

"that really moved me"

"you may be outgrowing your teacher soon"  (not to dis my teacher, I don't think it's even true, but I was flattered)

[elevateme]

my teacher said he was really proud of me & that means a lot to me

[maxd]

When you judge your art by a casual 'superlative' bestowed upon you by an observer, it is proof that YOU are not an artist.

Dog tricks and acrobatics are NOT in the same category as music.

but then you can't know that because you are not a true artist.

[opus10no2]

When you judge your art by a casual 'superlative' bestowed upon you by an observer, it is proof that YOU are not an artist.

Dog tricks and acrobatics are NOT in the same category as music.

but then you can't know that because you are not a true artist.

Speed is art, Music is entertainment. 

[rc]

When you judge your art by a casual 'superlative' bestowed upon you by an observer, it is proof that YOU are not an artist.

Dog tricks and acrobatics are NOT in the same category as music.

but then you can't know that because you are not a true artist.

What do you mean?

I don't think someone is an artist unless their intention is to share the art with others, and what is art but human expression through a medium?

The way I see it, the observer is just as important as the art and the artist.  Getting sincere compliments is valid.  We don't living in a vacuum.

[tds]

Speed is art, Music is entertainment. 

yet your 12 year old twin brother has said:

Speed is Music, Art is entertainment. 


so, which one is more profound?

[maxd]

compliments are nice, we don't live in a vacuum..true.

but the desire to achieve something artistic (music) comes from the unknown inside us.

[alwaystheangel]

I've had soeone cry after my playing ( in a good way) best complment Ive evver recevied.

Once my piano teacher told me that shes never heard that piecw played so well.  That was the biggest compliment from her.  Normally I get. :thats ok, but I don't like this, this or this.

[pianowolfi]

I've had soeone cry after my playing ( in a good way) best complment Ive evver recevied.

Wow for this one i am still waiting . At least in a public recital.

[pianogeek_cz]

Once my piano teacher told me that shes never heard that piecw played so well.  That was the biggest compliment from her.  Normally I get. :thats ok, but I don't like this, this or this.

Yeah, I know how you felt...  I once played a piece I learned by myself for my (now) ex-teacher - Chopin prelude no. 20, and she said, quote, "Now, I would sign every single note of this. Perfect."

Last Wednesday, by that time already with the ex- prefix, she complimented my first complete Mozart sonata that way.  Woohoo!

[elevateme]

what's a superlative? i thought it was like best & better etc

[cmg]

I was 18, in college, and sight read the Chopin A-flat Impromptu at tempo for my teacher.  (He didn't know I hadn't practiced in three weeks.)  It was an amazing performance, lightning-fast, sparkly, fizzy and all he could say was:

"Why, that's just amazing!  I don't think you played one right note."

Superlative! 

[opus10no2]

what's a superlative? i thought it was like best & better etc

noun
1.  an exaggerated expression (usually of praise); "the critics lavished superlatives on it" 

That's one definitition,I just meant it as 'a word of high praise'.

I don't study english, so correct me on what word should be used in this context.

[cygnusdei]

noun
1.  an exaggerated expression (usually of praise); "the critics lavished superlatives on it" 

That's one definitition,I just meant it as 'a word of high praise'.

I don't study english, so correct me on what word should be used in this context.

I think you got it confused with laxatives ...... 

[opus10no2]

I have been told my runs are wonderful 

[ihatepop]

I've had soeone cry after my playing ( in a good way) best complment Ive evver recevied.

I've heard my friend cry after I sung! (And its not in agony, its in the good sense)

I was so shocked after that.

ihatepop

[maryruth]

I made audience members cry with my recent performance of Brahms Intermezzo 118/2 and Chopin Waltz 34/2.  That's always a good thing--they were swept away with the emotion of the pieces! 

I like tears.  I know I've done my job.

[mikey6]

I've made a few people cry even though I wasn't happy with the performance - I think the best compliments for me personally are when I have a shite lesson then bring it back the next week and the piece is  fixed.
One of the worst worst/funniest I've gotten is after a lesson on the trout quintet, the first comment was 'yeh....its' a good piece'

[elisianna]

I had been playing for about a year and a half and I went over to a friends' grandparents' house.  They had this sad wobbly keyboard and I played Beethoven Sonata Op. 49 No. 2 (haha not too impressive, I know xD).  Anyway, the old man said "Wow!  I've heard people who have been playing for 8 years who don't play that well!"  Sure, those people probably really suck.  But it was still a nice compliment back then.

Since then people just say "Oh! I like that!" , "Oh! You play with so much more emotion that most people!". 

First time I played Chopin Prelude No. 6 My teacher said he liked it better than any of the recordings he had heard. I'd been playing for a year at that point and was still very inexperienced so I had no heard any recordings of it before. therefore it was really different from anything else.

It sucks though.  I never really sing, I like to sing but I don't do it much.  I recently sang for a group of people (about 300 or so.)  I hadn't really practiced much, I kinda just winged it.  People were crying, and commenting about it days afterward.  I was also the only person to get an enthusiastic applause during auditions.  u.u  I've ALWAYS made people cry when I sing (not just my family either).  I really wish I could do that with piano... =(

[rob47]

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH F*CKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK"

ahahah tha highest praize pozzibl

666

[pianowolfi]

I've got new superlatives since new year's night:

imbetterthenyou
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   Re: Music that broke your heart
« Reply #4 on: 01 January 2007, 23:44:53 »
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The arrieta movement in pianowolfi's recording of beethoven op.111

imbetterthenyou
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   Re: Music that broke your heart
« Reply #6 on: 01 January 2007, 23:54:14 »
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I looked at my media player and ive listened to it 174 times



imbetterthenyou
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   Re: Music that broke your heart
« Reply #8 on: 02 January 2007, 00:09:16 »
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yea it really touched me it made me cry
   

Okay this boy seems to be kidding often, but well, who is not grateful for such comliments. And this really made my long and lonely f****** new year's night, sorta.......

Thanks Imbetty!

[invictious]

Sigh. The best I ever got was 'That was OK'. I was playing a simple Mozart Sonata..

Usually I get 'you suck' or 'that sucks'. Or worse 'since when did Beethoven compose so crappy music?

[pianowelsh]

'well.....that didnt go SO badly....It was certainly better than last week!'  from a distinguished college proff... I was on air after that! I had turned a corner.
One of my earlier teachers once made a comment that my passagio sounded like Brendel when I was playing the pastoral sonata  of Beethoven.....looking back im not totally sure that was a complement!?!

[ahinton]

Stop!

Actually, maybe that's not quite the best such compliment I ever received in those far-off days when I used to pretend to play the piano - it was, in truth, probably the remark made by my long-suffering piano teacher at Royal College of Music (who was quite brilliant and with whom I had many long, fruitful and interesting discussions) at academic year-end; I cannot now recall his exact words (although I really should have written them down at the time), it was along that lines that "given that you have no natural talent at all for piano playing, you've really made quite good progress this year". He was right about the first bit - and, apart from any other considerations, it's no wonder, really, since my thumb tips are in a line with my finger-joints, which is not, of course, a great situation for a real pianist.

I once heard it said that, had God intended Man to play the piano, He would not have created him with thumbs. Doubtless Pianistimo will shortly argue with that...

Best,

Alistair

[soliloquy]

Sometimes my mom says I sound like a big gorilla banging on the piano if I'm practicing anything modern.  I think that means I'm furious and have incredible power 

[Mozartian]

"You were born to play Chopin"

"Your voicing and articulation are superlative" (haha the word)

"You play intelligently"

and, after an all too memorable performance of the 1st movement of Beethoven's 10/1 sonata-

"CALM DOWN GIRL"

 

[andyd]

Moving people to tears with your playing must be the greatest compliment, showing your expression is really being understood.  Never happened to me.

Back in 1988 I was practicing piano in a hospital public area with people walking past, when this chap stopped and offered me a job playing.  That was quite a compliment for me.

Andy

[henrah]

Did you take the job?

[apion]

F*ck me, baby.

[andyd]

Surely that dubious complement is reserved for lead singers and guitarists?

Henrah, no.

Andy

[maxy]

maybe not the best, but it's a funny one:

"holy crap! I swear I saw some smoke coming out of the piano after you were done!"

I deserve a special SDC status with that! 

[pianowolfi]

true!