Styx live--Video!

[pianowolfi]

Well it gives a slight clue of what this piece is meant to be, not more, the sound of the video is a bit crappy and in my book it does not give a real impression of the energies I have to deal with when I perform this one. But it was the first public performance and I'd like to share. Enjoy!

Wolfi

[liszt-essence]

This song has a special meaning to me. The first time I listened to it, it was almost too heavy for me to bear. Yesterday I listened again, and it was as if I saw an energetic nervous system in it, I could penetrate through the piece, into it's core. Therefore it wasnt as hard to bear as it was before, yet the power of the piece was similair.

Im going to watch you play it now wolfi, I'm looking forward to it

Cu on msn.

[pianowolfi]

This song has a special meaning to me. The first time I listened to it, it was almost too heavy for me to bear. Yesterday I listened again, and it was as if I saw an energetic nervous system in it, I could penetrate through the piece, into it's core. Therefore it wasnt as hard to bear as it was before, yet the power of the piece was similair.

Im going to watch you play it now wolfi, I'm looking forward to it

Cu on msn.

Thank you, this is very meaningful to me The way you reacted to this piece is exactly how I reacted myself, the first time I played it .  I actually left my piano bench abruptly, and shaking


Wolfi

[pianovirus]

This is really good stuff!! Congratulations!
But tell the guy at the camera not to film the audience for half of the piece. We want to see the guy at the piano!

[pianowolfi]

This is really good stuff!! Congratulations!
But tell the guy at the camera not to film the audience for half of the piece. We want to see the guy at the piano!

Thanks Yeah I know, in this one it's a bit too much of the audience, but that was very interesting to me too watch afterwards as you can imagine I plan to do a special video rendition of this particular piece, I am looking for an experienced cameraman

[debussy symbolism]

Greetings

I really enjoyed it Wolfi! And in my book it does capture the essense of the "Styx" no less than the opening bars of Griffes' "Kubla Khan" does. I don't think in particular the audience enjoyed it a bit, but that is of no importance.

[rachfan]

Hi wolfi,

I think you not only had to contend with the quality of sound recording, but also the upright piano, which can never do justice to music as well as a fine grand.  Despite those dual impediments, you gave a fine performance!  I certainly saw/heard all of the energy that you imparted to your work, "Styx".  Congratulations!  I surmise this to be about the mythical River Styx where the robed and hooded skeleton boatman Charon ferried the dead across to Hades--thus the dark, eeire mood, yes?  Your musical representation was most evocative--even very chilling. 

As well as performing your own pieces in recital, I would guess that you've also presented standard repertoire in the past.  How do you find audience response to "modern" music (including your own compositions) versus well-established repertoire?  Obviously, contemporary music is not always tonal, might be very dissonant, may be somewhat or totally unfamiliar, and it might take awhile for an audience to grasp the form and flow, even requiring repeated hearings.  A Chopin nocturne, even a lesser played one, is probably immediately accessible for most casual auditors.  It would seem to be not an easy task to both perform for, and also educate, concert goers, given just the few factors I mentioned above. 

Having said that, peoples' ears do "stretch".  Although Prokofiev, Messiaen, or Bartok once sounded completely alien (or perhaps even from Hades) in their early days, now they are considered to be the Brahms's and Mendelssohn's so to speak.  So in venues such as the one seen in your video, do you give a short verbal introduction to the work (such as in a lecture recital), or are there brief program notes on the programs if any?  I ask these questions because, to me at least, presenting new contemporary works is not without a challenge, maybe even a tall challenge, depending on the piece.  The venue in the video looked fairly informal--did that enable you to get direct audience feedback and in similar situations?

I must admit, (please don't laugh  )my own musical horizon ranges from about 1820 to 1960 (but for others the horizon might be 1680 to 1770, for example), so that's why I'm curious as to how you cope with artfully presenting new music to audiences who might lack musical education, appreciation, or an understanding of the sound of contemporary styles.  It cannot be easy!   

 
     

[pianowolfi]

Thank you very much Debussy and rachfan   I appreciate your comments

Well it was fun to play there. The first half of the program was a theater play together with an actor which was very interesting to me, too, since it was my first live improv together with a theater play , and since that was not long enough I played a selection of my program. As for "modern music"...I actually care less and less about categories, I just do what I want, more and more.

I do give an introduction to the program, in this case my actor friend read a short intro which I have written and I have made short poems and descriptions to the pieces that he reads before almost every piece. So it will be also at the concert next month when I play the whole program. Some people said  to me that these intros and poems helped them very much to get more into the music I found that very encouraging

[rachfan]

Introductory poems!  What an interesting approach, and it sounds as though it works well for you.  You're doing some very innovative improvisations, and you're never at a loss for new ideas and subjects.  You've already built an audience here within the forum and outside the forum as well.  I say, wolfi, persist.  Persevere.  More good things will happen for you and your composing.

[pianowolfi]

Introductory poems!  What an interesting approach, and it sounds as though it works well for you.  You're doing some very innovative improvisations, and you're never at a loss for new ideas and subjects.  You've already built an audience here within the forum and outside the forum as well.  I say, wolfi, persist.  Persevere.  More good things will happen for you and your composing.

  You are very nice rachfan . I actually don't know what to say  

[opus57]

Then say nothing 

For me it is very calming, that I am not the only one who couldn't get the right "oscillation" at the first time. I have to admit that I was a bit shocked too when I heard it the first time, but I think that I am going to understand it more and more. And I'm still working on it...

Good luck to pianowolfi

[pianowolfi]

Then say nothing 

For me it is very calming, that I am not the only one who couldn't get the right "oscillation" at the first time. I have to admit that I was a bit shocked too when I heard it the first time, but I think that I am going to understand it more and more. And I'm still working on it...

Good luck to pianowolfi

Hmm interesting Would you mind to explain more about what exactly was shocking and in which way? Just curious

Thank you for commenting

[opus57]

At first you should know, that I'm listen and play classical and romantic music and I'm accustomed to deal with the very melodic music of Beethoven and SChubert. So I was a bit overwhelmed when I heard your "Styx" and I was quiete not sure, if I am able to deal with this kind of music. Some people say I'm too sensitive to new things... But how I mentioned: I am working on it and I'm in good hope. For me and also for you.

So I'll listen further to your creations and I wish, I' could see you sometime "live in concert"... I've seen that you're from Switzerland too

Was this answering enough or shall I try to specify my feelings?
 

[pianogeek_cz]

Ohhh-kay...
That was pretty impressive. Some (hopefully constructive) criticism:

- the beginning: the buildup in the lowest register is great, it is coherent in timbre and touch for a very long time, but it keeps developing at the very difficult-to-capture pace that is dancing on the refined line of focus. If it was any more prolonged, I'd be inclined to lose focus. (This is NOT commenting on the tempo, but on the ideas)
- the transfer starting at 2:24, octaves at 2:37: mmmm, meh likes that However, at 2:47-2:51, to me, it is a tiny bit too stretched. More movement in the bass at around 2:59-3:01? Dunno. This part (to cca 3:45) sounds very improvisationary to me.
- 4:11: awesome entry of the bass! 
- consonances at 4:55-5:11: Whew. Finally a pool of harmonical serenity. The way it dissolves into the transfer at 5:38... another highlight, I think.
- However, 5:42-5:44 suggests a scherzando character to come - but it doesn't. These three seconds somehow sound out of line. Same thing with around 5:58.
- cca 6:00-6:30: sounds very improvisationary to me, again. Could use a reserve in dynamics in the bass, possibly - make those crescendos beneath the triplet motives a bit wider... (or, that's how I'd do it).
- the whole buildup from somewhere around 6:40 is quite awesome, and the best moment thereof is at 7:32 - 7:42. That had me sit back and gape.
- arpeggio at 8:11: cooooool
- the very ending chords: they -could- use a bit more variety, but then again, it might be that the desired effect is "when does the tormenting end" Nah, seriously, a slight rhythmical delay of one of the last four could, I think, be an improvement.

As far as the general effect on the listener goes - I'm not quite sure how to make Styx out of it, but that's probably just me. It's quite a ride, especially the looooong final buildup (the last what, two minutes?) packs a punch. At times, it feels more like a well-designed improvisation than a composition.

Overall... hands down. Quite worthy of publication, as far as I can tell. Inspiring, too. I'm looking forward to more. 

[pianowolfi]

pianogeek_cz Thank you very much for your very detailed and attentive comment! 

Okay I'll start from the end: does "ride" and "packs a punch" mean it's a sort of hell ride? Then it's exactly what it's meant to be. And yes, the final chords are supposed to sound like "When will the tormenting end?" I play as many of them as I dare, until I feel a certain discomfort among the listeners

Cool that you noticed the arpeggio at 8.11 

I'll think about 6.00 -6.30, good observation

As for the scherzando: I can't. I mean it's a sort of tarantella. A hopeless tarantella. A try of scherzando... and failing...but I will think about the interpretation of this part.

Also very good observations at 2:47- 2:51 That's probably a bit of nervosity and rushing.


And okay, it's a written down improv with an option of changes during the performance. So it actually may sound in parts like improvised. I like this option of being open and flexible, more and more.

Anyway I will work on this piece during the next days and hopefully I am able to make another video by next week friday or so, with a better piano.


Thank you very much!

[pianowolfi]

At first you should know, that I'm listen and play classical and romantic music and I'm accustomed to deal with the very melodic music of Beethoven and SChubert. So I was a bit overwhelmed when I heard your "Styx" and I was quiete not sure, if I am able to deal with this kind of music. Some people say I'm too sensitive to new things... But how I mentioned: I am working on it and I'm in good hope. For me and also for you.

So I'll listen further to your creations and I wish, I' could see you sometime "live in concert"... I've seen that you're from Switzerland too
 

okay of course you are welcome to join the concert on October 18th There might be two other pianostreetler from Switzerland showing up, too

[opus57]

Hmmm... I just listened it again and I am very astonished how clear it was now to me. Maybe my understanding of music has changed since I heard it last time... however: A very great work, without any doubt.

I'm very anxious to hear you in concert!

PS: the Arpeggio at 8:11 is really cool, man!

[pianowolfi]

Here is a new, better video of "Styx". Somehow the piano survived  And me too Thanks to Opus 57 for filming

[opus57]

Okay, it isn't that bad as I thought it will be... I'm trembling too much but your playing is really nice! Despite you say you weren't able to grab the tone of the piano...

But I think you can be proud of this piece and of your work with and for it!