Godowsky-Strauss: Fledermaus

[sjskb]

Hi...

    hope you guys like this rendition of fledermaus... feel free to leave any comments and criticisms....

thank you

regards,
sjskb

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Really impressive. I don't have the score to hand, nor have I studied this piece, so I'll leave it a few general comments.

There's a lot of control in this performance; the lines come across clearly, despite the difficulties of projecting them when there's so much other texture around. There's a nice feel for the general aspects of the genre - your playing seems sympathetic to the music. The piano sound isn't quite as mellow as I think it should be, but I don't feel that is your fault; your rubati and little details suggest to me that you know what you're aiming for.

Congrats, this is very difficult music.. I hope more people to take the time to listen to it.

[jakev2.0]

It sounds professional.  My only complaint is that the performance lacks dynamic variety. You handle the difficulties very well, and your rubato and phrasing is excellent. Needs more piano-pianissimo to contrast with the loud sections, though! 

It can be improved slightly, but you really ought to be proud of this virtuoso performance.

Thanks for sharing. 

[jlh]

Impressive... Bravo! 

[thalbergmad]

I am pretty much lost for words as that was absolutely astounding.

I worked for a while on this but got just about nowhere. The difficulties are immense but you coped admirably.

If i could play it, i would like to play like you.

Fantastic playing from the top draw.

Congratulations.

Thal

[pianistimo]

this is really enjoyable!  am sure even more in person.  perhaps the recording doesn't do justice to the mellow sounds that would come in a large room when the sound dissipates.  i can hear the waltzing and the partying in it.  cool!

and just when you think it sounds exceptionally hard enough - the wild ending!  that is awesome.  full of life and personality.

this is a once in a lifetime recording.  i hope you put it on cd.

[rachfan]

Hi sjskb,

You never disappoint in posting a performance here.  This virtuosic Godowski transcription was most impressive to hear.  Congratulations!  You have enormous capabilities. 

I'm guessing that you played the Yamaha at the studio again, although it was in better tune this time.   Yes?

[sjskb]

hihi...

   thank you all for the fantastic comments... I did notice that most of you commented on the technical aspects of the piece. For me, I wasn't that satisfied with the range of colour and character that should accompany such a big operatic transcription.

to jakev2.0: as stated, i fully agree with your complains about the dynamics level. I did the recording in a less than satisfactory studio.... with a too-bright piano. It's especially hard to play soft while maintaining two or three simultaneous voices as Godowsky demanded.

to pianistimo: thank you for your kind words. Yes, it's on my debut album, together with scriabin's op28 fantasy, schulz evler blue danube, both liszt sonnets, busoni chaconne, and granados allegro di concierto. Let me know if you want me to post some more here....

to rachfan: hi there, old friend! yep, u guessed right.. it's the same yamaha, in the same studio. haha....i saw that you have been posting lots of music on the forum.. will you be thinking of having your own CD too? or you already have one?
sjskb

[berrt]

to pianistimo: thank you for your kind words. Yes, it's on my debut album, together with scriabin's op28 fantasy, schulz evler blue danube, both liszt sonnets, busoni chaconne, and granados allegro di concierto. Let me know if you want me to post some more here....

I just want the CD... where can i get it?

B.

[sjskb]

I just want the CD... where can i get it?

B.

hihi... thanks for expressing interest...

as i am not a professional, i don't actually distribute my CD. I did it to complement my recital last year. it's entirely self-funded and not with any recording company, therefore, you'll never see it on sale anywhere.

So, all sales are actually ad-hoc and person to person.

if you are interested, could pm me your mailing address. We could also discuss further thru pm..

thanks again

[pianistimo]

dear sjskb, 

say - do you think you could post the shultz-evler 'blue danube?'  i LOVE that piece!  susan

[rachfan]

Hi sjskb,

I do have a sizeable set of private CDs of my own playing, which were the source of my postings here.  But they are not studio recordings, only home music room recordings.  I originally recorded them on tape, then digitized them on the CD medium.  Later I ripped them from the CDs into electronic wav format, then for purposes of this forum converted them into mp3 format.  Quite an evolution, haha!

At the time I recorded it all, I was working with a piano coach and doing my own survey of the repertoire, which was both a lot of work and fun.  It was mostly focused on character pieces more so than larger works, as I wanted to build a wider breadth of composers and an enhanced depth of experience with their styles.  I believe that many of my recordings are quite good, and I received some nice comments here in the Forum, for which I'm grateful.  But the fact is, that I spent no more than 8 to 9 weeks studying each one.  If I were to select pieces from this repertoire for a really good CD, I'd want to spend a year or so living with the music and polishing those works to a much higher level of excellence, or "recital pitch" as we say.   

Currently, I am finishing up with Debussy's "Reflets dans l'eau".  I love playing the piece so much, I cannot put it down.  On the music desk though is your Scriabin "Fantasie, Op. 28".  It beckons to me, so I know I must get to it soon.  I think for the time being I have too many pieces I'm eager to study, like the remaining Rachmaninoff Preludes, so I will probably not pause to perfect a CD program, particularly where my practice time (2 hours a week) is so very limited.  I wish I could do four-hour sessions daily.  But probably someday I'll do that CD project you mention.  It's a great idea! 

[sjskb]

dear sjskb, 

say - do you think you could post the shultz-evler 'blue danube?'  i LOVE that piece!  susan

dear susan,

will do that soon.. actually i am pretty ashamed and critical of my recording of schulz evler... it's just fast notes without much groove.... have you heard earl wild's version? sigh sigh

[sjskb]

to rachfan:

i'll say.. go for it... you have an enormous amount of repertoire.. wow, the entire rach preludes would make a sensational CD!!!

for myself, if i were to do another CD, i would surely find a better piano!!! Kinda regret it now, but then, budget plays a big big part. Sigh. 

i'm not sure how many of us here can afford 4 hours of practice a day... so don't worry too much about it. With either work or school, it's a blessing to be able to put in 2 hours!!! 

[pianistimo]

dear sjskb,

as you can tell from my own recordings - i'm not a perfectionist (yet).  so just post it anyways.  i just love the piece.  and, having never played it --wouldn't notice if you played it like earl wilde or anyone else.  i heard it long ago on the radio, and i don't know who was playing.

[rachfan]

Hi sjskb,

I think for now you can safely stick with that Yamaha at the recording studio.  Although it's not a large grand, he did have it in better tune for you this time, which made a big difference.  And despite its age, it still has a good sound. 

I'll say one thing for 2 hours of practice time per week--it trains one how to practice intelligently rather than just repetitiously to maximize the value of every minute.  Unlike the days when I had unlimited time and could practice a rough spot into the ground, now I instead examine exactly what the hands are doing or not doing, and analyze the difficulty.  Then I devise a better fingering, think of note groupings differently, find creative ways to practice the figuration differently, see if raising or lowering wrists might help, consider redistributing music between the hands, etc., etc.  So that's actually a benefit.  But I still miss long practice sessions though!   

For me the Rachmaninoff Preludes seem to have more musical content than the Etudes Tableaux, although some would debate that observation.  But yeah, someday I'll have to do a nice CD.

[sjskb]

dear sjskb,

as you can tell from my own recordings - i'm not a perfectionist (yet).  so just post it anyways.  i just love the piece.  and, having never played it --wouldn't notice if you played it like earl wilde or anyone else.  i heard it long ago on the radio, and i don't know who was playing.

prob you would have heard lehvinne.. is that how you spell it? earl wild's recording can't be too long ago....

okkkk... will post it up very soon...
thanks for your support, forum god!

sjskb

[pianistimo]

dear sjskb,

i'm anxiously waiting.  say, if i was really a pianoforum 'god' - nils would let me post again.  i've been waiting and waiting to hear if he says i can still post on my casio privia.  it's a touch sensitive keyboard (thankfully) that only has a damper pedal and no soft pedal - so when i want to get soft i have to play really soft.  maybe it's helping my technique in that respect?  but, strangely the keys are much harder and are very hard on my hands.  i didn't not realize this would be the case with these plastic keys.  my pinky especially has these cuts on it.  at first i thought it was because i was dealing with some paper cuts.  but, every time i play my hands get cut up.  maybe occasionally i accidentally angle in and hit the edges ?  i play really low with my hands on the keyboard.  right now - feeling the edges of the white keys that face me - they are sharp.  i wonder why they didn't round them off - making them continuous instead of sticking out.  they're a hazard.

[sjskb]

honestly, I don't see the reason why one cannot post recordings done by  a digital piano.... Did the moderator explain why? Do you mean he actually deletes what you have posted in audition room?? 

[mwhite]

Absolutely delightful!  I have a recording of this piece by Piers Lane and yours is on the same level in my opinion. 
Mike

[sjskb]

Absolutely delightful!  I have a recording of this piece by Piers Lane and yours is on the same level in my opinion. 
Mike

many thanks! that's a huge compliment, though I strongly feel that in terms of note layering and clarity, I still have a long way to go!

I have the piers lane recording too, i assume it's the same on we have... all the different strauss transcriptions, right?

do check out my schulz evler blue danube recording too... it's in audition room as well.

sjskb

[mwhite]

Yes, you're right.  It's the one with all of the Strauss.  I had already downloaded the Blue Danube and it is equally as good as the Fleudemaus.  For a long time, I thought that Piers Lane was using a dubbing technique like on a disklavier because it sounds impossible for one person to play all of those notes and themes at once.  You have answered my question in that matter.
Thank you very much for sharing.  This music will be added to my music library and portable mp3 player.
Mike White

[sjskb]

Yes, you're right.  It's the one with all of the Strauss.  I had already downloaded the Blue Danube and it is equally as good as the Fleudemaus.  For a long time, I thought that Piers Lane was using a dubbing technique like on a disklavier because it sounds impossible for one person to play all of those notes and themes at once.  You have answered my question in that matter.
Thank you very much for sharing.  This music will be added to my music library and portable mp3 player.
Mike White

my pleasure! 

[mchiuan]

hihi...

   thank you all for the fantastic comments... I did notice that most of you commented on the technical aspects of the piece. For me, I wasn't that satisfied with the range of colour and character that should accompany such a big operatic transcription.

to jakev2.0: as stated, i fully agree with your complains about the dynamics level. I did the recording in a less than satisfactory studio.... with a too-bright piano. It's especially hard to play soft while maintaining two or three simultaneous voices as Godowsky demanded.

to pianistimo: thank you for your kind words. Yes, it's on my debut album, together with scriabin's op28 fantasy, schulz evler blue danube, both liszt sonnets, busoni chaconne, and granados allegro di concierto. Let me know if you want me to post some more here....

to rachfan: hi there, old friend! yep, u guessed right.. it's the same yamaha, in the same studio. haha....i saw that you have been posting lots of music on the forum.. will you be thinking of having your own CD too? or you already have one?
sjskb

[mchiuan]