Piano Forum

Made in Spain! The seat experience reinvented through unique designs
In the world of piano playing the seat is often taken for granted and we rarely read about manufacturers focusing on the design of piano stools and benches. Piano Street has talked to Zayda Jiménez, founder of Kaunus, a manufacturer who takes both the visual and functional aspects of piano bench design to a new height. Read more >>

Pages: [1] Go Down

Topic: [youtube] Chopin Impromptu no.3 op.51 in G flat major - welcome all comments (Read 11824 times)

classical pianist

PS Silver Member
Jr. Member
Posts: 29

[youtube] Chopin Impromptu no.3 op.51 in G flat major - welcome all comments

on: January 30, 2008, 06:22:34 PM

This is one of my beloved pieces by Chopin

welcome all comments and critics here..

Logged

lostinidlewonder

PS Silver Member
Sr. Member
Posts: 7206

Re: [youtube] Chopin Impromptu no.3 op.51 in G flat major - welcome all comments

Reply #1 on: February 01, 2008, 02:42:25 AM

I couldn't help but think, this melody is too harsh. It is like a banging sound to the melody. There also seems to be no pedal. The stingy rubato makes the playing seem mechanical too.

Logged

"The biggest risk in life is to take no risk at all."
www.facebook.com/groups/348933611793249/

gerry

PS Silver Member
Sr. Member
Posts: 658

Re: [youtube] Chopin Impromptu no.3 op.51 in G flat major - welcome all comments

Reply #2 on: February 01, 2008, 05:02:04 AM

I'm always amazed when I hear a performance like this--so many things he does really superbly, so close to a really interesting interpretation, but then just seems to lack that "je ne sais quoi" so necessary to really sell the piece. By that, I mean while his phrasing, his sense of melodic line, and SOME of his affectations are interesting and well done, he seems to impatiently run some of the sections together and repeats, verbatim, each identical section with no sense as to how it lies in the overall piece. The punching of left hand notes (ala Horowitz) gets tiresome and predictable (not to mention a bit pretentious and imitative when not in the hands of a master.)

This is also the second time in as many days I've experienced a Youtube by a young student who has displayed annoying affectations after a final note. In the first instance a pre-teen pianist played the Poulenc Toccata and after a somewhat botched performance (due to it's being a bit too advanced and his trying to take it up to speed) just had to punch that last low A and immediately jump up from the piano for his bow--a real turn-off. In the case of the Chopin Impromptu, the performer seemed to put more emphasis on placing his hand thoughtfully on the piano while the piano unfortunately sustained his over-pedaled botched final chord.

My criticism is based on my personal feeling that too many young artists are getting overexposed to recordings and videos and trying to put those showy bits into their playing too soon--often at the expense of much more important aspects. Many of these affectations have to grow over time out of a total understanding of the piece.

Logged

Durch alle Töne tönet
Im bunten Erdentraum
Ein leiser Ton gezogen
Für den, der heimlich lauschet.

classical pianist

PS Silver Member
Jr. Member
Posts: 29

Re: [youtube] Chopin Impromptu no.3 op.51 in G flat major - welcome all comments

Reply #3 on: February 01, 2008, 06:18:28 AM

Quote from: lostinidlewonder on February 01, 2008, 02:42:25 AM

I couldn't help but think, this melody is too harsh. It is like a banging sound to the melody. There also seems to be no pedal. The stingy rubato makes the playing seem mechanical too.

The harsh sound is because of the badly placed microphone... i'm sad when i hear it as well. Thanks for listening though,

thanks also to "garry" for the deep and psycological comment.. this is really uesful...

Logged

gerry

PS Silver Member
Sr. Member
Posts: 658

Re: [youtube] Chopin Impromptu no.3 op.51 in G flat major - welcome all comments

Reply #4 on: February 01, 2008, 07:40:49 AM

Dear Classical Pianist:
Please forgive me for my rather direct and harsh (and somewhat bitchy-sounding) statements. I had been listening to so many 3rd party YouTubes that I just wigged out and didn't realize you were the one who had posted your own work. Although I would have tried to convey the same concepts, I would have worded it a bit differently (not to mention in the first rather than third person). I want to emphasize my first paragraph where I say that you are really a fine pianist and in hopes of redeeming myself, I'm going ould haveto offer the following:

The rubato you are taking in the opening theme (and later when it doubles in 3rds & 6ths) has the effect of killing the playful quality that it would otherwise have if played evenly and lightly.
Regarding the RH pattern in meas 9-10 (later repeated) suffers from your ritard (none indicated in my score) and your slight hesitation between the last note of 9 and the Aflat in 10 - it should drive more to that note and taper off beyond to the end of meas 10 to complete the phrase (same goes for all other instances).
Meas 23/24- what's with the rolled RH chord? - not in my score and not necessarily called for--Chopin knew what he was doing.
Meas 36 et al, the punched D is not necessary - sounds gimmicky - Chopin doubles this in the right hand which gives it enough emphasis. (this was the Horowitz thing I referred to)
Meas 38 - you might consider not punching the high G flat 8va at the end and think just the opposite - that this phrase trails off with just a touch on this 8va in preparation for the following chord patterns. Meas 44 is marked diminuendo with no forte in meas 45. Your chords in meas 44 should not be ff - save that for the end. This is just a rather melodic transition into the Sostenuto section.
Meas 47 and following is marked P tranquillo - you are playing it almost ff which is leaving you nowhere to go with this section - by the time you reach the real forte in meas 61 you are almost playing ff. Observe Chopin's markings and introduce this section gently and build to mf, f, then ff as marked. I have an indication that it seemed rushed a bit at meas 68-70 - don't remember exactly what that was about.

All of the above is really a plea for you to pay more attention to Chopin's markings and dynamics. Observe the overall structure and transitions between sections. Oh and careful on the pedaling of that final chord. Again, I apologize for the tone of my earlier post. I get worked up when I hear someone who has the technique and talent to play a piece as well as you can but seems to get a bit carried away in the interpretive and loses sight of the written page. Keep up the good work and thanks for sharing your work.
Gerry

Logged

Durch alle Töne tönet
Im bunten Erdentraum
Ein leiser Ton gezogen
Für den, der heimlich lauschet.

cygnusdei

PS Silver Member
Sr. Member
Posts: 616

Re: [youtube] Chopin Impromptu no.3 op.51 in G flat major - welcome all comments

Reply #5 on: February 04, 2008, 05:40:24 AM

Quote from: gerry on February 01, 2008, 05:02:04 AM

My criticism is based on my personal feeling that too many young artists are getting overexposed to recordings and videos and trying to put those showy bits into their playing too soon--often at the expense of much more important aspects. Many of these affectations have to grow over time out of a total understanding of the piece.

Considering how these are young artists, I bet that the teachers are as responsible as, if not more, than the students.

BTW gerry, you put yourself in an unenviable position there .... I'm not sure if you entirely redeemed yourself

Logged

Post reply

Pages: [1] Go Up