B. BARTÓK: Ostinato (No.146 from Mikrokosmos) - Enzo

[emill]

At first, I was hesitant to post this piece by Bartok again as we had posted the same about a year ago ... but, on reviewing this, Enzo seems to play this now with more vigor and energy that I felt, maybe it should be shared for further improvement.  We will be most grateful for any constructive comment .  So many thanks for listening and watching.

 

[pianisten1989]

Good job, as usual

I am not really pro moving around that much, but some people are, so that's no big deal.
Though, you should really practise to make an accent without using your neck. That will give you hell in more difficult repertoire.

In the quiet part, make sure you still got a good tone. Now, it kind of disappeared.

I don't know the piece, so there's nothing more I can say.
Good luck

[rachfan]

Hi Enzo and Emill,

I think this rendition captures the essence, energy and brilliance of Bartok nicely.  And it has further developed since the earlier rendition posted here.  You definitely put it across to the listener which is the most important point.  

I agree with pianisten's comment on moving around.  Here's the best general rule to follow:  Use economy of motion to the extent possible in playing the piano.  Less is more.  It will enable you to channel your full efforts into interpretation and its execution.  This does not mean that you must forsake all motions--only those that contribute little or nothing to performance or that are otherwise visually distracting to the audience.

As usual, I'm always impressed by your playing and progress.  

[furtwaengler]

From my perspective Enzo looks (and sounds) rather loose, but I may not be the best judge. I remember when I was first studying the Liszt B minor sonata years ago, my whole body would tense up and through itself at the big octaves towards the end...especially the neck, which was not at all a good development, and I would often times in practice move my head around in a manner Enzo is doing here with a view towards loosening up and releasing those muscles. So is that it? Are the gestures actually an attempt at releasing tension?

I will say on another point...my manner of listening has always been to "listen." I rarely "watch" either in public performance or in youtube videos. I somehow need to be freed from the distraction of the image - for a lot of people the image is an integral part of the concert experience...I'm more about sound, myself! Anyway I think Enzo's is a riveting performance of this Bartok. Congratulations!

[andhow04]

great job! i love this peice and you really did it justice!

[birba]

Personally, Enzo's movements did not bother me at all, and I HATE extraneous movements.  Come on, there are those syncopated beats that are impossible to play without a twitch of the head!
It was a wonderful performance.  And repertoire perfect for his age.
The Gershwin is another story...

[pianisten1989]

Well, my point was: Basically every accent, he do this thing with his neck. Not only can it cause damage to the neck and shoulders, but it can also be very difficult to get rid of. It's modern music, so none cares if he moves around, but if he starts playing Mozart or Haydn and do these twitches, people will notice and it will look weird..

[omar_roy]

My guess is that his motions reflect the mood of the piece and that he probably wouldn't make the same accented/jerky motions if he was playing Mozart.  I know that my body language changes depending on the type of piece I'm playing, or even in a particular section of a piece.

I certainly don't move the same way playing Bartok as when I'm playing Mozart.

[emill]

Hi everyone,
Enzo's movements in a good number of pieces he has played through the years have also drawn some pros and cons among piano teachers here. However, over the years, his teacher has generally tempered his movements while playing (ahh... I sometimes here the comment _ "don't move like Lang-lang!") .

I have asked enzo regarding this a good number of times and he says he is NOT conscious that he moves in particular ways for some pieces .... it just comes naturally with the beat of the piece. In reviewing videos of particular pieces ... he is as surprised that he moved in such and such a manner. It may just be that he is "dancing to the beat of the piece" without realizing it.  Maybe what Omar_roy said describes enzo's movements best - "that his motions reflect the mood of the piece".  THANKS!