Scraibin: Etude op 8 no 12... feedback appreciated :)

[lelle]

Hi, Pianostreet community!
I am a guy who is fifteen years old, and who has recently discovered a new composer: Scriabin. My teacher saw my interest and we got started on this piece...

This morning I did a quick recording of how I play it at the moment. I know that it is not very good quality, a few misses, and I didn't think the build-up to the climax was good enough either, among other things. But tell me what you think! Both positive and negative comments are wellcome, as long as they are constructive

Thanks for any replies

[dana_minmin]

ok, here's the first reply. I've tried this piece before but haven't learn it yet, so I know how hard it is.
 
The first half is better than the second half, so I guess you learnt it chronologically. About the second half, the RH lower voice is not quite even, and you tend to slow things down when there're a lot happening or were you trying to express?

I hope I can play this piece in the future.

[thierry13]

A bit slow maybe, work on your sound, it's harsh. I don't think this performance is mature enough for more constructive criticism that you couldn't be told by anobody. You should work on phrasing, get it a bit faster, and see how you can make it flow. The most important part is to work on your sound. It's harsh.

[gspt]

For somebody 15 years old, you are phenomenal at playing this piece. Keep it up and keep practicing it.

[antichrist]

For somebody 15 years old, you are phenomenal at playing this piece. Keep it up and keep practicing it.

well true,but Reply #2 on: April 03, 2008, 07:07:45 PM »

[quantum]

I think this is a very good start to the piece.  You kept a steady pace throughout, which is far more beneficial than speed at this stage of learning. 

Next you could work on shaping your interpretation of the piece.  Dynamics, phrasing, accentuation of certain key figures, etc.  Also work on tone as others have mentioned.  I feel some of the harshness is actually coming from the tone of the piano. 

Try practicing the entire piece as degrees of p.  So ppp, pp, p, but nothing louder than p. 

[lostinidlewonder]

The piano should be used as fire wood. This piece just cannot be played on such a poor instrument. Now start practicing it on a better piano and you will play a lot better.

[thierry13]

The piano should be used as fire wood. This piece just cannot be played on such a poor instrument. Now start practicing it on a better piano and you will play a lot better.

Let's burn people who have less intelligence or weaker physical abilities. Let's burn untalented people. Let's burn stupid people. Let's burn uneducated people. Let's burn inferior races. Let's burn feminists. Let's burn fat people. Let's burn you.

[lostinidlewonder]

To me, playing such an advanced piece on a poor piano is like someone doing fancy BMX or motorbike tricks on a tricycle (maybe that is an over exaggeration but you get the drift). The instrument itself does not reflect anything to do with a person personally. Playing on poor instruments just chokes the life out of what you would be able to and want to express and this recording is a good example of this in action. The piano is more suited for Honky Tonk style music

[thierry13]

To me, playing such an advanced piece on a poor piano is like someone doing fancy BMX or motorbike tricks on a tricycle (maybe that is an over exaggeration but you get the drift). The instrument itself does not reflect anything to do with a person personally. Playing on poor instruments just chokes the life out of what you would be able to and want to express and this recording is a good example of this in action. The piano is more suited for Honky Tonk style music

Actually, my post wasn't ironic either. 

[richard black]

The piano is more suited for Honky Tonk style music

It's certainly out of tune but I don't think one can tell much about it beyond that.

Didn't listen all the way through but it's not a bad start at all. Yes, the speed's tame, but  doubt I could have done any better at 15. Probably not nearly as well.

[jbmorel78]

Dear Lelle,

I would like to suggest two things that will improve what already is a very good performance:

1) Consider carefully which of the notes in the left hand are most important, emphasizing them by giving them more time and compressing the others.

2) Each time when comes the triplet followed by four sixteenths (last two dotted & 32nd), consider the first note of the triplet the beginning, with the six following tones accelerated toward the downbeat. 

Mostly, this performance could benefit from some lightness, and building on a good rhythmic foundation, a bit of freedom/rubato!  Congratulations on laying some very good groundwork :-)

Best wishes,
Jean-Baptiste Morel