Chopin Nocturne C Sharp minor

[can]

I'm looking forward to your comments. I hope you like it.

Today (Jan 3 2010) I played it again. Its video:

[slobone]

Very nicely done, I would only suggest playing the LH a little more softly.

[can]

thank you for the suggestion slobone. I'm trying to play LH more soft. I'm currently 11 years old (within a few months I'll be 12 and preparing for a competition on January. I study so hard and in a short time I'll post (and sometimes repost) my repertoire of the competition (a total of 6 pieces including this one) because the criticisms of the pianists in this board are so important for me.  Thank you again and I'm waiting for more comments.

[communist]

Play the beginning slower, it makes it more dramatic. I think you play the LH at a good volume, it brings out more. Decrescendo at the scale at about 1:14. Besides the intro, use more pedal and more rubato. Besides that it was quite good. Good luck with your competition!

[gyzzzmo]

your technique is getting there, but you have to start thinking with the melody and adapt the rest of the notes to that melody.
Now if you play a chord in the start its just a chord without melody, and if you play the melody after the intro, you time that melody because you play exactly whats on the sheetmusic. Instead you should play the melody alot more freely and let the other notes lead that melody

Gyzzzmo

[bc1]

That was absolutely beautiful, what a pianist!  Thankyou 

[vviola]

The right hand is too abrasive, particularly at the beginning.

[rene_ceballos]

Beautiful performance.

I happen to have it in my repertoire as well, so I picked the score and wrote down a few comments on what I heard.

Please feel free to disregard whatever is a difference in the scores we have (I’m using the urtext from Piano Street), or anything on purpose done as interpretation.

Bars 1-4
The tension in each one of the repeated intro verses reaches a maximum in the A7 chord, just before releasing in the last G#. That is the chord which needs a slight accent, and being longer. The resolution needs to be DA…..da. You are doing it the other way around.

Bar 7
There’s a missing C# in the right hand.

Bar 8
You play D# as bass note (left hand). Should be F#. This is probably the worst spot in the whole performance :-)

Bar 13
You did the final ornament not as written (at least in the urtretch). This one is used next time in same trill.

Bar 35
You repeat the right hand C#-D phrase in bars 32-33. It shouldn’t be there.

Bar 58
You don’t seem to be following the guide on where left hand notes should match right hand scale. I recognize this is greatly ad libitum, yet your left hand notes are a bit too fast, almost all in the ascending part.

Bar 60
Note the different articulation notated for the descending part of the scale.


Hope this helps. Keep in the great work.

-René

[dss62467]

BEAUTIFUL!!!!!   So expressive.  I like how you don't chop up the intro like many do.  I have a recording of Barenboim that I use as my model, and his is a bit more subdued than your interpretation.  I'm not going to say that I like his any more than yours, though.... especially seeing the age years of experience that differs between you.  I hope you keep posting.

[gligeti]

Bar 8
You play D# as bass note (left hand). Should be F#. This is probably the worst spot in the whole performance :-)
Hope this helps. Keep in the great work.

 I just read this thread... There is quite a few variations of this posthumous Nocturne floating around and this D#/F# is always heavily argued everywhere. Both variations exist in various editions, I used to hate the D# version, but now I actually prefer it now with the D#.

[musicluvr49]

Wow, really beautiful performance !  I played this piece a couple years ago, though I think my score was slightly different than yours. All I can say is try to pedal more. And when you play notes that have to stretch for a long time, like the g# at the beginning, try pressing into the key more, rather than just banging it down. My teacher gave me this advice, and I think it made the whole piece sound better! But even if you don't do that, the piece sounds great as is. Wonderful job.

[omar_roy]

Good work, but I have a few suggestions.

I understand you're trying to make the melody "sing" above the left hand accompaniment, but it's too harsh.  It seems like you're punching the notes rather than letting them play themselves.  You don't need much force to make the melody sing, just a gentle application of the weight of your arm is more than enough.

Also, I would speed up a little in general.  It feels like it's dragging.  The left hand especially, it feels like you're just playing a lot of individual notes rather than a moving phrase.

Melancholy, sadness, love, etc etc...you don't have to play slowly to convey these feelings.  You can do so at a bit of a quicker tempo, and it will preserve the melodic line a bit better and allow you to shape things more elegantly.

[can]

Thank you so much for the suggestions and comments.

[monkeydudexd]

i must agree with many of the above comments, sometimes, you add in some accents on notes when the whole thing should be like one continuous and flowing phrase. every phrase leads to the next one, and nothing should really stand out. also (just as a tip for competition), try to spread your elbows out more. if you bunch them up close to your body, it gives a bad performer's vibe and people will think you have bad posture. great musicality, though, and you're on your way to something truly great.

[fleetfingers]

It was beautiful. Great work!

[musicioso]

Very nicely played. You really have talent!

I also play this piece, but on a digital piano it doesnt sound as i wish. But you played what i want to hear. I added it to my favorites on youtube.

I wish you good luck in the future, hope to hear more from your fingers!