Carl Vine - Piano sonata no 1, first movement

[fnork]

One final recording for now... I know, the sound quality is crap - I had to record it in a practice room.
Not my favourite piece actually, but I had to send SOMETHING I can play somewhat well for summer courses I'm applying for. Luckily, most courses have deadlines next month and I'll have time to make a better recording of the piece until then.

[prongated]

Carl Vine's Piano Sonata no. 1 is a GREAT work...well at least compared to most other works by Australian composers...

I don't know this movement well, but you do bring out the lyrical sections well. The fluency/flow of the fast sections are obviously quite important, and once you practised more, I'm sure it'll be great!

May I ask what summer course(s) you are thinking of attending?

ps. now where's the electronic music movement?

[pianistimo]

the quality of this one show that you obviously have a good start to whatever it is you are desiring.  am thinking performance, definately.  i like your use of pedal in this sonata (whether it is right or not- is really best explained by a teacher who knows this sonata).  seems that you already know how to hold notes without making everything too mushy.  it's like you are in the cockpit of a boeing and really not fearful at all of the multitude of buttons etc. and use them (your pallette) at your discretion.  perhaps it will soon be you - providing an example for your teachers.  i liked the more staccatoey section with less pedal.  really great contrast.  you have a good feel for controlled momentum, too.  it never gets too fast or too carried away - in fact i was AWESTRUCK by how you came back to the EXACT tempo at the end with the main 'theme.'  HOW did you do that? 

[fnork]

in fact i was AWESTRUCK by how you came back to the EXACT tempo at the end with the main 'theme.'  HOW did you do that? 

Oh, I did? Good 
When I learned the thing 1.5 years ago, I did a lot of metronome practice which obviously worked well. Honestly, I just recorded it because I had to have something for the summer courses and I only took it up again two days before recording. I was having all of these technical problems when I first learned it - which I don't have anymore - which forced me to dedicate ridiculous amounts of time with this piece, and thanks to that, I usually have it in my fingers.
Agreed about pedaling in the stuttery "stacatto" parts - some people gradually use more pedal but I prefer the contrast of NO pedal to LOTS of pedal. You just put the foot down at the right time and the effect is great

prongated-

So far, just a local course here in Sweden, in Pitea with Liisa Pohjola from the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki as teacher. I've heard great things about her - she knew  and collaborated  with Ligeti and recorded some of his piano works, maybe I should bring some Ligeti with me. If I get in, that is! The recording quality isn't the best, so we'll see...
I don't know, there's nothing innovative about Vine's music really and mostly it doesn't say anything to me - the piano sonata is maybe one of the better things he did but I'll never learn the whole thing because there's so much better music out there. It's just that since I worked a lot on the first movement I want to "have use of it", so to speak, and at least show that I'm interrested in contemporary music too.