Chopin op. 54 and op. 61

[furtwaengler]

That's the 4th Scherzo (is there really no other recording on pianostreet?!) and the Polonaise-Fantasie. 

I don't have good recordings of these...only the old voice recorder captures of my presenting them to a (hilarious) high school general music class back in February (and an earlier private run of op. 61). It was Prongated's excellent recording of op. 61 which prompted me to go back and listen to mine, which though feeble and filled with brain hiccups, show the general direction I was going. And there is also the comic relief of the crazy teacher's BRAVO's and hilarious commentary from this one kid in particular. "That was hype," and "Do you like practice every day?" etc. For this reason I'll tack on the end of the 3rd scherzo - it was too horrible a performance to include as a whole...but the end is HYPE.

BTW, a word on the instrument...I've not encountered anything like it. It's an old Chickering baby grand which is a WARHORSE, and the stiffest action I've ever encountered. It's so hard to play, but I've always enjoyed messing with it because of the power you can get in a chord (especially for improvisations). It's one of a kind! I wish they would just give it to me.

(Furt not liking the 20 mb limit)

[furtwaengler]

Same bad time; same bad place. Polonaise-Fantasie.

[furtwaengler]

Private run on the practice Baldwin (misaligned hammers, ugh) in the loud room.

[prongated]

Listened to the one done on the Baldwin. Wonderful op. 61! I enjoyed the passion and intensity that you imbue into this piece! And I couldn't believe how clean it is! I mean, it seems that all the slips happened at the soft/slow sections! I should be out of my place to critically comment on it, really. The Scherzo I'll listen to another day. (heh I actually have a recording from a recital, but it was 2 months old then, and am working on it again now...but I'll listen to yours first and then I'll see how I feel )

[pianowolfi]

What I like about these recordings: they have an incredible energy and creativity!! And your really exceptional talent is more than obvious! That lyrical part of the op. 61!! WOWWW!!

Other things seem to me like a rough diamond, especially in the Scherzo. I know you will live with this piece and you will be able to polish this rough diamond without ruining it, make it sound more subtle and smooth without drifting off into overpolishing and boredom.

The energy of a Michelangelo.

But sometimes it's difficult to decide whether a rough diamond or a polished one is more beautiful.
For instance I love Michelangelo's famous Pietà but there is another Pietà by him in the Cathedral of Florence that is unfinished and I like that one actually more....

[furtwaengler]

Listened to the one done on the Baldwin. Wonderful op. 61! I enjoyed the passion and intensity that you imbue into this piece! And I couldn't believe how clean it is! I mean, it seems that all the slips happened at the soft/slow sections! I should be out of my place to critically comment on it, really. The Scherzo I'll listen to another day. (heh I actually have a recording from a recital, but it was 2 months old then, and am working on it again now...but I'll listen to yours first and then I'll see how I feel )

Thanks man. I think it's not as clean as yours across the board! Especially the Chickering one, though, has mistakes all over the place. The Baldwin sometimes, believe it or not, gets its soft pedal action stuck, moving a single hammer to strike strings for too different notes...It should know I don't need help making mistakes!

What I like about these recordings: they have an incredible energy and creativity!! And your really exceptional talent is more than obvious! That lyrical part of the op. 61!! WOWWW!!

Other things seem to me like a rough diamond, especially in the Scherzo. I know you will live with this piece and you will be able to polish this rough diamond without ruining it, make it sound more subtle and smooth without drifting off into overpolishing and boredom.

The energy of a Michelangelo.

But sometimes it's difficult to decide whether a rough diamond or a polished one is more beautiful.
For instance I love Michelangelo's famous Pietà but there is another Pietà by him in the Cathedral of Florence that is unfinished and I like that one actually more....

I am not worthy of your encouragement pianowolfi! You are way to kind, I think.  

I actually have a history with the 4th Scherzo. I played it back in 2002 and again in 2003, and then left it until this year. I am really annoyed by the middle section of this performance on the Chickering - too slow, missed ornaments, etc. I found another practice run I made on the Yamaha I played the actually concert on...it is from the first month of the piece's resurrection and has many, many problems, but I think just for the instrument itself, though it is the same bad recorder, the picture is a little better. I'll upload it at the bottom.

The actual performance of the Scherzi went very well. I have a video of it with no sound... But funny thing, is I can still remember many of the mistakes...no. 1 was basically flawless, and was a menacing, once in a lifetime performance as far as I'm concerned. No. 2 would have been so, but I had some pedaling or finger sustaining mixups in the middle section...but the end was off the charts as far as I'm concerned. 3 was way, way, way to fast...I had decided to go all out, and it was very good up until the coda which I bombed, crash and burn...a risk that blew up in my face! And 4 was okay, but with (in the chord) wrong notes in the middle section, and losing my fingers in at one point in the recap. I don't mind these memories. Risks are fun.  

[birba]

That's the 4th Scherzo (is there really no other recording on pianostreet?!) and the Polonaise-Fantasie. 

I don't have good recordings of these...only the old voice recorder captures of my presenting them to a (hilarious) high school general music class back in February (and an earlier private run of op. 61). It was Prongated's excellent recording of op. 61 which prompted me to go back and listen to mine, which though feeble and filled with brain hiccups, show the general direction I was going. And there is also the comic relief of the crazy teacher's BRAVO's and hilarious commentary from this one kid in particular. "That was hype," and "Do you like practice every day?" etc. For this reason I'll tack on the end of the 3rd scherzo - it was too horrible a performance to include as a whole...but the end is HYPE.

BTW, a word on the instrument...I've not encountered anything like it. It's an old Chickering baby grand which is a WARHORSE, and the stiffest action I've ever encountered. It's so hard to play, but I've always enjoyed messing with it because of the power you can get in a chord (especially for improvisations). It's one of a kind! I wish they would just give it to me.

(Furt not liking the 20 mb limit)

It sounds like a WARHORSE that lost the battle...   Actually, though, it was interesting to listen to.  You performed some sort of miracle and actually got it to sing at times.  There were other times you sounded like you wanted to get more out of it then he could possibly muster up.  I think everyone should play on these pianos at times.  It's really a challenge to bring out all your talent.  The tone isn't ready-made, the action is uneven, and you've got to adapt your technique, accordingly. 
Bravo.

[birba]

Same bad time; same bad place. Polonaise-Fantasie.

That was superb.  Much more successful then the scherzo.  From the slow middle section to the end there was exceptional playing.  I just wish that f-flat suspension in the last few measures could have been heard.  It is SO important.  And those trills!!!  They couldn't have been conveyed more convincingly. 
Here, again, it shows we don't need a Steinway concert Hamburg grand to bring out the music and art in a piece.  Bravo bravo bravo!

[furtwaengler]

Thanks Birba...I think it goes both ways. I often practice on bad pianos, and the downside is the failure to properly no how to use the infinitely greater range of expression on a good piano. I don't often have an opportunity to become acquainted with the better instruments with the greater range. Ah well..

I shifted things around in this thread and put a practice run from about 5 weeks earlier at the top. It's not as secure, but it is also better, blah, blah, blah.