the complete Liszt Competition 2011 Quarter-Final performance (VIDEO)

[furiouzpianist]

Rhapsody No. 11
Der Nachtliche Zug
Mephisto Waltz no. 1
Schumann-Liszt Widmung

There are quite a few wrong notes here, I am definitely not in top form. But this is the first video I have of my playing.

[emill]

Hi!!! 

CONGRATULATIONS on your entry into the competition... that in itself is a feat
many will just dream of.  Although I am not a pianist, which can also be an
advantage by not being so encumbered by the technical requirements of a piece
which often detracts pianists from enjoying of the whole piece, let me just
say that I feel you project the melodic lines very well and I am sure piano aficionados
in the audience did enjoy your performance as I did.  Thank you!!!

[birba]

Such expressive playing.  You really pulled off an impressive quarter final.  How did it go after that.  I hope this at least got you to the semi-finals.  Competitions are a shot in the dark, as you well know, probably.  But I'm sure you are also aware of your great talent and you just need to "make the rounds" as they say, as long as you have the required age.
You talk about missed notes!  Come on, they really don't matter.  The way you molded the phrasing and the  melodic line were superb!  I can tell you really listen to what you're producing and it creates one narrative thread throughout. Der nachtliche zug was just one haunting story.  Incredible.
And of course your virtuosity is spellbinding.  Those octaves at the end of the Mephisto.  Those leaps!  Tell me the truth:  were you disappointed by those few last "missed notes" and played the following episode with despite?    I'm only teasing, of course.  But it did lack the grandiose sweep.  I think you should have ended with the mephisto.  The widmung is a nice intermidiary piece to break the spell of the nachtliche zug and introduce the mephisto.  Isn't it disconcerting when they don't applaud after a piece?! 
At any rate, you are a complete pianist-musician and I enjoyed hearing and watching you.  I think you dispell all those misconceptions about a standard relaxed curved hand.  It looks like your hand is constantly tensed up - but, apparently, you are in complete control of that tension and use it to your advantage.
Bravo bravo bravo!!!!

[furiouzpianist]

the hand may be tense (eg: Horowitz, Pletnev), but the upper body must be relaxed. The power comes from the upper body. Low wrists keep you in contact with the instrument.

This is not my best playing, I hope to play better in future competitions. I was eliminated after the first round here. 9 people (out of 21) made it to the semi-final, and 3 people made it to the finals. From now on I will go to bigger competitions - the chances of making it here were very slim.

I was disappointed with those leaps, yes. Also, I was pretty pissed off with the ending of the Liszt Rhapsody.