Mozart Sonata in A KV 331 (1st mvt, variations 1-4)

[jehangircama]

Hi
Another piece from the 17th sept. programme. A couple of smudges but otherwise i think its a decent recording. The question here is how to interpret mozart, sometimes i tend to be too romantic as i find some recordings of mozart too dry. is the speed too quick (especially alla turca)? i've tried to balance the styles here, would be grateful for any inputs.

about the divisions of the mp3s- i was disturbed while playing in the middle of the 1st mvt., hence the mp3 below has only the 1st 4 variations of the 1st mvt. I am posting the other mp3 (which has the rest of the sonata together) in another post (again, the 20MB limit on a post has been exceeded slightly, hence 2 posts).

i would really appreciate comments.

thanks
jc

[jehangircama]

oh, btw, the rec. was done on my yamaha upright, using my laptop's mike and audacity (just reread audition room rules..)

[julkamiller]

Hi,
I am also working on that piece at the moment and find it also hard to play it classically or romantically or the mix of the two;)
If I could suggest something, watch out for all the endings. The notes on the weak parts of the bar seem to be abrupt and too short/jumpy for me, too accented. I would also make more dynamic changes, more piano but maybe it's just the recording.
Anyway, good luck!

[iratior]

K. 331, eh?  I was supposed to learn that piece when I was 13 and in 8th grade, but I never nailed it down, so to speak.  I think in the opening theme, you need to achieve a more flowing quality.  I don't see any staccato marks over the chords, but you play it as though there were.  I hope that isn't something your teacher is putting you up to.  On the minor variation, I'm going to get after you just the same way my piano teacher got after me -- not enough legato in your octaves!  I thought to myself, "as if playing octaves with one hand and when they're connected by sixteenth-note flags weren't hard enough, she wants me to do it legato?".  But despite these suggestions, I think your work on this piece is coming along nicely, and I hope you end up doing it all the way through, and with the commendable degree of accuracy you've shown so far.

[andhow04]

its hard to talk about these things on line, but your phrasing in the theme needs work i think. the way you play the eighth notes staccato doesnt capture to style, in my opinion, i think rather they should be played softer than the quarters, as if a violin played a dynamic swell on the quarter, and the eighth was a light release.
also the sixteenth notes are a little heavy and dont capture the lilt of the theme i think. it can be more graceful.

in the first variation don't play end of phrases louder than beginnings (the phrase when it becomes  forte you do both times that way)

the octaves in the minor variation arent very legato! isnt there a slur over them? i have to check the score.