Yes, of course !
-- Rachmaninov came to me in a dream and told me all about it. That's really all I can say because he actually made me promise not to tell anybody and I am already breaking that promise, to some degree
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Oh, well, yes I developed this image as a result of how Marik suggested I approach the passage in my thinking -- and as a result of what you and others were telling me it still needed dynamically. However, I don't agree with your second sentence, I don't feel any struggling at all, actually, and I think that if you are saying that you can hear it as such, you are making it up or psyched out because you know what my fingering is and you *want* to hear it a certain way
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Well, first of all, yeah, don't be impressed with the smiley. I only put that there to cushion my huge ego with a little bit o' charm
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Other than the need for more dynamic shaping and perhaps a quicker tempo and a more defined character, I don't hear any true defects at all -- at least not in basic mechanics.
HEY !
How did you know that 
Yes, I completely agree and that is precisely why I fully advocate my secret weapon fingering ... hee hee.
For as much as I write and talk, I actually have a very difficult time finding words sometimes (just be glad you don't know me in person
). I still plan to get back to that stuff ... I just ...
hmmm... well, thanks for your concern. Actually, after your's and walter's and marik's previous posts, I completely broke down and cried and quit teaching, and quit piano and quit music. Of course, the next day I woke up and the piano beckoned me as though it were a very new thing, and I felt like learning how to play the piano. I still had to work and be there for my students ... so, you know, life went on. But anyway, I deeply reconsidered everything and realized that what I am doing still makes perfect sense to me. I cried because I realized that I am in *WAY* over my head, and I felt embarrassed and like such a fool about that at first ... but then I realized that of course I am in way over my head. OF COURSE !! Life itself is bluddy over my head. We are all in way over our heads. I realized I guess I better just get used to that. And, really, would I want it any other way ? No, not with my current concept of life.
Well, to be very honest
, I am happy to discuss the logic if you are really asking
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Okay
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Well, it's obvious that this topic has become more than only a question about fingering and therefore I think discussing a fingering for the sake of fingering or motion for the sake of motion is pointless to me.
Some members have offered different solutions (besides the original fingering ), just take it or not. More important, there are
arguments and reasons why some fingerings are better than others. And these have been shown. It's not all subjective.
I never would have picked in your recording, but you aksed for it specifically (to give an opinion on your recording), so I pointed out some things. You say that you don't hear any true defects. Well, for me, the arbitrary way of shaping dynamics, rhythm, lack of speed, tone quality etc. as a result of lack of control (and it is in 99% because of lack of control) is a defect, because lack of control is a defect.
However, to not only give some vague criticism about your motions, fingering, and recording without any reference and without showing you how it does work, so to leave you in a kind of state you described, here is my take on approaching the piano (technically speaking):
There are no hard things on the piano (at least physically). A lot of things can be broken down into doing a lot of easy things.
The easiest thing is to play one note (although many don't have even a clue here, but that is partly for other reasons). Anyone can do that, and anyone can control it. It's not difficult. However, there are may ways of pressing even a single key. Anyway, consider at least the instrument you play (the piano, it's not a harpsichord). Therefore you press the key not only with your finger, but also with the weight of your hand. The tone will be richer and stronger (not necessarily louder). Also, be aware that you go deep into the keys, i.e. to the bottom. The position of your fingers should be normal, relaxed (you can write books on position of the fingers, but that's more for special effects regarding color, tone etc.)
When playing more notes, everything changes. Not because there are more notes, but because we must connect them somehow, regardless the articulation, rhythm etc.. So, I always take as a example playing C-D-E-F-G-F-E-D-C, with fingering 1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1.
Immediately after pressing the first C (as described above), you must release all of the energy. All your muscles must relax. This gives you time to listen to your sound, what is actually the most important aspect of it. Be aware that you truly relax, i.e. the fingers should naturally stay always in contact with the keys, especially the one that is going to take the next key. So your index-finger should be in contact with D. This is also very important.
Now, there are several ways of listening. In any case, you must not listen only to the C, but hear the
connection between C and D. So when the C sounds, you must make a choice how to play the D in relation to the C. This connection has to be very fluid and round. Only then, you are able to create a singing quality of tone on the piano, there is no other way.
So when you're hear this connection in the most cantabile way, that means that your motions must be very similar to that. So, speaking about the hands action from C to D, you can't go straight to the next note. So in order to sound cantabile, you must make a kind of circle motion to go to the D (even if the interval is so small, that you can play it only with your fingers). The best way to do it, in this case, is to slant your hand slightly to the right. But be carefull, it is not just a movement from left to the right, the movement has to be a kind of an arch. When you play the whole passage like this (from C back to C), if you do it right, you are making a complete circle or ellips kind of movement with your hand. Then you will notice that your movement is continuous and it will never stop. In other words, there will be no tension.
Moreover, this way (I think it's very hard to completely understand it form writing, maybe somebody else can explain?) you will have the complete control about how you want to sound and it your technique will not only be complete but it also will never sound empty, since your are using a lot of your imagination.
I think every true virtuoso (past, today, future) must be aware in one or another way of at least a few things written above. It's the 'secret', in any case, of some of the most virtuoso pianists.
At least, a lot of -if not all- passages should be playable this way, if one does it rightly.
Of course, someone has to show and explain this to you and correct you when doing wrong, and even then it will not be sure that you understand it completely (it took me more than a year), so patience is also very important.
Having said this, I don't feel like fitting in the category '
piano maffia' who,
when you want to know what the actual "rules" are that they are talking about (so as not to break them too prematurely ), they will then disappear as quickly as they came (having told you some magical story to further confuse you, and having given you no answer whatsoever) in order to teach you a lesson in thinking for yourself ... not "intellectualizing" mind you, just thinking for yourself (but don't worry, you will do this wrong, too -- and that will be pointed out as well). Still frustrated?
But maybe this is only a kind of weird/schizophrenic thought of me
