Poeme

[rachfan]

Hi Everyone,

Most of you have probably heard me playing the standard repertoire before, but never an improvisation.  Reason is, I'm afraid I'm not much of an improviser (good reason! ).  But to help launch and celebrate the new Improvisations Forum, instead of practicing today (ay!, how could I skip practicing?!?), I decided to dare myself to create an improvisation (my first recorded ever).  So here it is, "Poeme".  Wishing all you improvisers the very best in your new domain here!

Rachfan

[pianowolfi]

I enjoy very much listening to this! You are a very good improviser! If you had posted this as a prelude from an unknown composer of the late romantic period, I would probably not have been able to make a difference. It has a touch of nostalgic salon music, in the best sense. A sort of "fin de siècle" feeling which I can very much relate to.

[rachfan]

Hi wolfi,

I'm glad you enjoyed listening to this.  And I appreciate your nice compliment!  It's nothing I worked out in concept beforehand, wrote down, or polished.  I justed turned on the recorder and captured the music such as it is.  Where I'm so immersed in the Late Romantic period, it's not surprising that my improvisation would be influenced by that sound and surely was.  Thanks for listening!

   

[goldentone]

Wonderful music, Rachfan!  I agree with Wolfi--I don't know if I could tell if it were an improv without knowing.  I hope this isn't the last we hear from you in the improvisation room.  

[rachfan]

Hi goldentone,

Thanks very much for your praise and encouragement.  Where I have so limited practice time, I usually like to devote every minute of it to new repertoire .  But, if I get another inspiration for an improvisation, I'll definitely record and post it here.  Thanks again! 

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Good stuff! Very convincing, particularly for a first improvisation. Your musical influences and likes come across clearly. I often think improvisations tell the listener more about a pianist than their playing of composed pieces. Definitely post more in the future!

[rachfan]

Hi ronde,

I'm so glad you liked this improvisation!  In just this one experience, I discovered a great deal in the moment about improvising.  Unlike a repertoire piece where you get to practice and rehearse it, the improvisation is impromptu and must freely unfold from the inspiration.  You kind of go with the flow yet cannot get too far afield from the thematic imperative.  I tried to execute subtle variations on the spur of a mere second or two to keep the piece interesting but to have it be cohesive as well.  Although the improvisation is tonally in C, I tried to feature F# whenever possible right through to the coda. 

There is no score in a situation like this, and I'm sure if I were to play it 16 times, it would be 16 different pieces!  And klinkers have to be cleaned up in the playing as well as can be, a challenge unto itself!  I guess there are pianists (mostly younger than I) who through aural or tactile memory, or visually watching sequential patterns on the keyboard could memorize their improvisations.  But not me.  For me, it would be all but a blank slate every time.   Maybe that's a good thing though.   

I completely agree with you that you get to know a pianist more deeply by hearing one of his or her own "works" as opposed to repertoire pieces.  When I play the late romantic repertoire, it has to meet my own standard of extraordinary aesthetic beauty--or I don't choose the piece.  I leave tone rows, minimalism, extreme dissonance, etc. to other more capable pianists--not that I'm opposed to it, but it's just not me.  So in doing this improvisation, I inwardly wanted to be true to myself, so tried to adhere to that same aesthetic standard.

Thanks again for your kind words!

[quantum]

Could have fooled me.  You may not feel as though you are fluent with improvising, but the language you speak makes perfect sense.  You definitely possess the vocabulary to improvise very well.  I'd hope to hear much more of your improvisations. 

[rachfan]

Hi quantum,

Thanks for listening!  It was fun doing this improvisation, although I had to give up a pretty good slice of a practice session to accomplish it.  As you know I've been busy with my recording projects of the music of Bortkiewicz and Catoire, which continues.  This improvisation of mine might have been just "beginner's luck", I don't know.  But, if another idea comes into my head that could generate another improvisation, I'll do it.  I much appreciated your very kind comments!

[Petter]

I liked it, very fluent  . Do you give many performances with repertoire music? You should really put in a improvisation in the program if so. I´d love to see pianist who are fluent in repertoire incorporate improvisations in their performances.

[rachfan]

Hi Petter,

I'm delighted you liked my improvisation.  No, I don't do any public performances, just recording projects for posting here and at other piano websites.  Currently I've been posting the music of the Russian late romanticist Georgy Catoire. 

Regarding including an improvisation in a recital of standard repertoire pieces, I've never heard that done (although maybe others have).  But I once attended a recital by the late Leonard Pennario.  He didn't do an improvisation, but did something equally interesting.  Earlier he had written part of the soundtrack for the film "Julia", specifically a piano concerto titled "Midnight on the Cliffs".  For public recitals he later wrote a piano solo arrangement (unpublished at that time) that was extremely effective.  For me that was actually the highlight of the recital.

Again, thanks for your favorable review!     

[javacisnotrecognized]

I get a very French vibe from this, especially that scale at the end. (And a few other vibes as well )For a first improvisation, you certainly could've fooled me, but I also see the adherence to a formal structure. Overall impression: Good stuff

[rachfan]

Hi java,

In standard repertoire I play mostly late romantic Russian music now--Rachmaninoff, Bortkiewicz, Scriabin, and Catoire.  Most recently in Audition Room I've been posting my recordings of Catoire.  In previous years I've also posted a lot of French music--Faure, Debussy, Ravel, and a bit of Poulenc.  So yes, I suppose there could be those subliminal influences present, although they didn't come consciously to mind while I was playing.  I was corresponding with another member today who thought the style of this improvisation hinted at John Ireland in a way.  So I guess the parallels drawn might vary by listener.  My own intent was to create an improvisation that would exude beauty and render a lush, ultra-romantic sound--my kind of music.  The key was in C, but as I went along, I found opportunities to feature the F# sound.  The more I did it, the more I liked it.

Regarding structure, I wasn't thinking formal structure per se during the recording session.  In improvising, I believe that where it's totally impromptu, to start with structure might kill it.  From just this one experience improvising, I conclude that you have to start by playing, going with the flow, listening to its direction, and adding some structure as it progesses.  I was definitely intent on not meandering too far and too long from the principal theme.  It would be easy to go far afield unless you keep that danger in the back of your mind.  I also decided as things unfolded to inject subtle variations into the reiterations of the main theme to keep it interesting.  To do that I had to make decisions within about a one-second time span!  That's something I learned about improvising, you have to think quickly in the moment.  Then the challenge is for the reflexes to execute the intent.  Sometimes it can lead to a klinker, which has to be skillfully and quickly cleaned up. Also, insofar as structure is concerned, I just now, listening to the recording, noticed that the short introduction and the end of the coda are both different ascending scalar figures--bookends so to speak, and a happy coincidence at that.  I had a notion I wanted to start the piece that way, and the ending was decided in a second without recalling the beginning of the piece.  So I can't take credit for that neat piece of structure--it just happened.

I'm glad you enjoyed listening to my improvisation.  Today there is so much emphasis on minimalism, extreme dissonance, polytonal music and the like, that I didn't quite know how a traditional neo-romantic piece like this might be received.  So far, a lot of people have liked it.   If I were to do another improvisation, it would be neo-romantic too, as that's my sense of the ideal musical aesthetic.  And, if I were to be the only one who enjoyed it, that is, The Last Romantic, I'd still improvise that way!

[chopinatic]

i loved it, played it 3x now!!! good job 

[go12_3]

Hello,  Nice work with melodic chords, passages that flows together.  Hope to hear more from you.   = )   go12_3

[rachfan]

Hi go,

I appreciate your comments.  I think for an on-the-spot improv, it turned out fairly well.  If I were ever inclined to make a real piece out of it, there is definitely some refining that I could do in terms of variation, addition of new material, etc.  But as an impromptu musical utterance, it seems to have gone over well.  I did this improv as a lark really; but if I get another idea for an improv, maybe I'll do another sometime. Thanks for listening!

[rachfan]

Hi chopinatic,

If you listened to the improv three times, I'm really grateful for that.  I'm glad you enjoyed it so much!  

[Derek]

Hi Rachfan, this is very good! I loved it. I think the poster of Scriabin above my piano smiled when I put it on. 

[rachfan]

Hi Derek,

   Scriabin might have been making a grimace actually.  More importantly, I'm delighted  that you enjoyed it so much!  Thanks for listening.