VIDEO: Mazurka in A minor Nr.51 "À Émile Gaillard" By Chopin

[gazdesnake]

Hi!
This is the first time I post something in this forum.
I signed up because I wanted to ask something about recording a digital piano but then I noticed all the posts with the members performances and since I just posted the first video of me playing on youtube I would like to ask your opinion about it too.
But first let me just congratulate all of you for creating such an impressive list of recordings!
Ok soo ... here it goes xD There arent many recordings of this piece but I love it.

Mazurka in A minor Nr.5 Op.Posth. "À Émile Gaillard" By Chopin
Piano: Roland LX-10

I know messed up twice but still ...

I also have a few beginner questions questions, if you dont mind. ( I only started playing piano less then 2 years ago)

I have relativly small hands soo I can only reach a nineth, some chords of this piece are impossible to play for me soo I reversed the notes in a way I could play them and that it would still sound almost the same... I actualy like the metode but it feels a bit like chaeting XD are there other ways to get pass this problem?

Also, in the octaves part I dont use pedal and the sheet also has no pedal in that part but some recording I have heard have pedal do you think I should try ading some so it sounds more legato?

Finally (this is not a question XD) sorry for my bad inglish.

Hope you like it

(I will post some questions on the recording thing and when I finish it Fantasy K.397 (Mozart) and some other stuff.)

[pianowolfi]

Hi
congratulations on your first recording here! If you really play for only 2 years you must be very talented
Plus I think you have a good feeling for this music and good fingers!

However, though you seem to capture the spirit of a Chopin mazurka quite well, there are many rhythmical errors in this rendition, way too many to point it out online. I would recommend you to get lessons from an experienced instructor/teacher, at least every once in a while.

 And of course the octaves are to be played more legato, with a very subtle use of pedal. As it is now it sounds too much like a ragtime, for my taste.

As for the chords you can't reach: just roll them, don't rearrange (I guess you are referring to measures 101-103-105)

[gazdesnake]

Thanks for your opinion!
I do have lessons twice a week with a piano teacher but they are "lite" wich is in fact what I want.
Also I will try to play use a metronome to improve it

[pianowolfi]

Thanks for your opinion!
I do have lessons twice a week with a piano teacher but they are "lite" wich is in fact what I want.
Also I will try to play use a metronome to improve it

What do you mean with "lite"? Lite speed, light speed, lite? No clue...

You have got the metrum. What you need is the specifical way to play a mazurka, prolonging the second count of a measure. And play the triplets correctly! And the grace notes! and keep the rests correctly!! And so on....

[gazdesnake]

Sorry for the realy bad inglish 
What I meant to say was that the leassons I take are not so focused on theory more on practice.
I know that if I want to realy master the piano I need both but I dont have the time rigth now soo thats the best I can do

[pianowolfi]

Sorry for the realy bad inglish  
What I meant to say was that the leassons I take are not so focused on theory more on practice.
I know that if I want to realy master the piano I need both but I dont have the time rigth now soo thats the best I can do

That would not be theoretical, it's a very practical way to work out the rhythm, the specific rhythm of this particular piece. Including correct triplets, rests, grace notes and all that.

[gazdesnake]

Give me ... 3 weeks I will edit this post with a new and better performance

[pianowolfi]

Give me ... 3 weeks I will edit this post with a new and better performance

Good luck! and keep the spirit!
You know, I really enjoyed your performance!

[stevebob]

I don't have anything to add to pianowolfi's comments, but I did want to point out an error in the identification of this mazurka.  It's generally known as No. 51, and is actually not a posthumous piece (though it's frequently mistaken for one).  A small number of compositions were published during Chopin's lifetime without opus numbers, and this is one of them.

[rubanetti]

Well played, if you only have been study for two years, i want to see your next video of this piece, with the annotations that give you the friends of the forum

Regards

[gazdesnake]

Thank you very mush for your opinions!
As I said I will try re-record this piece ( hopefully an improved version XD ) but first I realy to get the recording part right since in most of them the sound quality is realy bad ... this one was a miracle and I dont even know why it came out right.
But thats a computer and softwere problem so its not to be discussed here.

I don't have anything to add to pianowolfi's comments, but I did want to point out an error in the identification of this mazurka.  It's generally known as No. 51, and is actually not a posthumous piece (though it's frequently mistaken for one).  A small number of compositions were published during Chopin's lifetime without opus numbers, and this is one of them.

About that ... I just copied the name from a recording I have of this piece but yes I went looking for it and your right.

Thank you all