Bartok Studies op.18 (performed traditional)

[Steffen Fahl]

I just post this old a bit orgiastic and not at all elegant recording since some seem to be curious, if I were ever able to play some reasonable notes together at a real wodden piano.
I recorded it in the 80th when I studied in Austria with a pupil of Edwin Fisher who was an incredible inspiring Piano-Prof.
This recording will proof at least that I had the penchant to play vastly to difficult and provocating ugly sounding but intellectual awfully pretentious unknown pieces to become as much hatet as ever possible. (I was a Punk when I started at the Musikhochschule after School).
But at least even this monstrous piece is still not part of your collection. ;-)
best
fahl5

[pianist1976]

Bravo!!!!! I love these etudes... and I think that your interpretation is just fantastic. 

[Steffen Fahl]

Bravo!!!!! I love these etudes... and I think that your interpretation is just fantastic. 

thank you for your kind reaction. I myself am today not so happy about several parts of this recording, but I posted it since someone asked me for a comparison of my realpianoplaying to my midirecordings. But nevertheless I consent with you that the piece is in its composition extraordinary and I still appreciate that.
best
fahl5

[birba]

Great work!  I'm unfamiliar with this fiendeshly difficult work.  I followed it along in the score as I listened to it.  I can see your obsession with getting the exact colors and nuances that the composer demands.  The mp that goes to p, the pp that goes to ppp over two bars, the minute cresc. and dim., etc.  So maybe we didn't hear that aspect of Bartok's music - but the driving rhythm and "provacatively ugly sound", as you put it, came across loud and clear.  I don't know, I find this whole discussion of midi-files or whatever vs. traditional piano playing as sort of a dead end discussion.  One has nothing to do with the other, and one doesn't pretend to substitute the other.  I, for one, would be curious to hear these etudes done over with your computer art!

[rachfan]

Hi fahl,

Thank you for providing this fine recording of these difficult Bartok etudes very well performed.  An exciting rendition indeed, and I certainly respect that.  I agree with birba that traditional and midi recordings are really mutually exclusive to a great extent.  I realize you do not have a comparable midi recording of these same etudes.  However, if you did, my guess is that most of the pianists here would much prefer the colorful, vibrant, and artistically rendered piano version. Personally, I believe that no computerized process can ever fully emulate or replace it.  In a way, given your proficiency at the instrument, it makes me sad to think that you left the piano behind to concentrate only on midi performances.  But... to each his own!

[Steffen Fahl]

Hi fahl,

Thank you for providing this fine recording of these difficult Bartok etudes very well performed.  An exciting rendition indeed, and I certainly respect that.  I agree with birba that traditional and midi recordings are really mutually exclusive to a great extent.  I realize you do not have a comparable midi recording of these same etudes.  However, if you did, my guess is that most of the pianists here would much prefer the colorful, vibrant, and artistically rendered piano version. Personally, I believe that no computerized process can ever fully emulate or replace it.  In a way, given your proficiency at the instrument, it makes me sad to think that you left the piano behind to concentrate only on midi performances.  But... to each his own!

Oh no! I constantly go on with my daily practis as I did all the years since the 80th. I dont think that much about my playing to make recordings out of it. But I still like to play. As you perhaps might have learned are the Bach, Haydn, Liszt midirecordings based on edited Versions of real played performances on my midipiano. I took those Project to learn as midiprogrammer from my intentional way to play Haydn for instance.

As I said I prefer to play now mostly more common repertoire like the Goldberg Variations, Brahms Paganini, Beethoven Diabelli in the moment. But those pieces are all well known. There are such wonderful Interpretations out there, that I must not add another mediocre one.

But I am really interested in the project to reflect pianoplaying by programming it as musically reasonable as possible, as I am really interested to explore the hidden gardens of unknown compositions and all this perfectly fits to what I am doing right now.
By the way I still have a time consuming real world job I really love (prep-highschool teacher in Biology and Litrature where I actually tend to become likewise the most hated computerizer ;-) ) so never mind about my own - 

In short nothing is lost, but more likly everything on his certain place and nothing is trying to "replace" anything at all.
best
fahl5

[pianowolfi]

Now that's what I really *love* to hear from you
Passionate, live, real! So much better than any of your sample midis!

Perhaps you are afraid of playing? I could relate to that. The pressure can be killing. Especially in Germany.

But I think you don't need to be afraid of it

[Steffen Fahl]

Now that's what I really *love* to hear from you
Passionate, live, real! So much better than any of your sample midis!

Perhaps you are afraid of playing? I could relate to that. The pressure can be killing. Especially in Germany.

But I think you don't need to be afraid of it

Thank you first for your very friendly comment on this recoding.
It is a pity, that you cant see, that there are likewise musically quite interesting aspects, in the work I do with samples. I would never pretend that one might or should replace the other, but that doesn't mean, there would be no reasonable musical intention, just because I chose other means to express it.

I know thats just my humble opinion, and of course I can imagine that one who doesn't work likewise as I do might not see what I am talking about, since he is used a certain way to create and perform music that has a long and venerable tradition.

But in my eyes this tradition does not stop in front of the means of our time. (thats just my opinion) And I hope at least some of the things I do with midisequencing might be recognized by some guys as likewise interesting and exciting as some of you like this recording, since in my eyes it should be the Idea and intention which excites not so much the technic no matter if it is fingertechnic or the pc.
best
fahl5

[rachfan]

Hi fahl,

I'm relieved that you still play the piano.  You obviously have talent and artistry which I'm very glad is not going to waste.  I well understand your aversion to adding recordings of the much overplayed standard repertoire.  I share that feeling.  So over the last couple of years I've been recording the music of Sergei Bortkiewicz and Georgy Catoire (they appear in the Index of Audition Room here).  This exquisite late romantic music has been so neglected that it has become quite obscure if not forgotten. It's been an honor to champion this music of these great composers.  

[pianowolfi]

Thank you first for your very friendly comment on this recoding.
It is a pity, that you cant see, that there are likewise musically quite interesting aspects, in the work I do with samples. I would never pretend that one might or should replace the other, but that doesn't mean, there would be no reasonable musical intention, just because I chose other means to express it.

I know thats just my humble opinion, and of course I can imagine that one who doesn't work likewise as I do might not see what I am talking about, since he is used a certain way to create and perform music that has a long and venerable tradition.

But in my eyes this tradition does not stop in front of the means of our time. (thats just my opinion) And I hope at least some of the things I do with midisequencing might be recognized by some guys as likewise interesting and exciting as some of you like this recording, since in my eyes it should be the Idea and intention which excites not so much the technic no matter if it is fingertechnic or the pc.
best
fahl5

Well I'm beginning to understand that you are coming from a very idealistic standpoint. I think that we Germans and Swiss (I am half German, half Swiss) often tend to perfectionism with all it's advantages and disadvantages....
 

[Steffen Fahl]

Hi fahl,

I'm relieved that you still play the piano.  You obviously have talent and artistry which I'm very glad is not going to waste.  I well understand your aversion to adding recordings of the much overplayed standard repertoire.  I share that feeling.  So over the last couple of years I've been recording the music of Sergei Bortkiewicz and Georgy Catoire (they appear in the Index of Audition Room here).  This exquisite late romantic music has been so neglected that it has become quite obscure if not forgotten. It's been an honor to champion this music of these great composers.  

Hey Great!
I see we share some funamental points of interest!
@ pianowolfi
"you are coming from a very idealistic standpoint"
Yes you've got it, thats ever been kind of my problem.
I still hope I didnt get to blind from it.
best
fahl5

[pianowolfi]

Hey Great!
I see we share some funamental points of interest!
@ pianowolfi
"you are coming from a very idealistic standpoint"
Yes you've got it, thats ever been kind of my problem.
I still hope I didnt get to blind from it.
best
fahl5

I hope so too!

I am not fond of that kind of idealism that perverts into perfectionism.

I am interested in life and I am interested in the persons.

Your precious, irreplaceable individual as a musician is what counts after all. And there I see a huge potential
I know that our system here tends to put the individual down, simply for economical reasons. "There are so many musicians out there. Lets make a numerus clausus. Let's put some people down..We have no place for everybody" and so on...

 


 

[tds]

-

[Steffen Fahl]

I hope so too!

I know that our system here tends to put the individual down, simply for economical reasons.
 

No, no, no!
I have no "economic" intentions with music at all, and I confess they realy never in my life got beyond giving pianolessons what I realy loved to do, as I love to work with pupils today (just because "economic" reasons are as far away as they ever might be and the humans are as near as they might be.)

In respect to music, I just want to play this is true for the piano as it is for the sequencer. Its a game and this one is new and quite uncommon in the way I practise  - of course far from being fully develloped in its potential - but for me exciting enough to share with others what I do.
and of course I am interested in all your reactions the more it relates to the music the more it might help me to make this "playing" become more and more serious, and more and more musically telling and if onetime some says "hey that midisequenced recording must be the one of fahl5 -  it is so crazy and exaggerated, just fahl5 tends to understand this composition this way", we might be at the point someone realizses that there is still a human behind the machine trying to express what the music seems to him is about.
But I think I do understand your point so I will try hard to meet it once...
...(with my means;-)
best
fahl5