(NEW) Claude Debussy - Feux d'artifice (Fireworks) - Enzo

[emill]

"What a difference a week makes" .... Well this seems to be a much better performance than the one we posted earlier (see video below) .... the musical contrasts seem better and the energy more palpable. Hope you agree and many THANKS for listening and watching.

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As described in All Music Guide, by Rovi,  this is the last of Debussy's preludes which is a musical portrait of a fireworks display over Paris. Brilliant arpeggios, trills, and rapid chord passages characterize this, the most technically challenging of the préludes. The work comes to an effective close with a distant quote of "La Marseillaise" sounded over a hushed tremolo.  

Started hearing this piece being practiced by Enzo sometime early August and it seems to have come along fine together with other pieces.  We will be grateful for any observations, comments or suggestions?

So many thanks for listening and watching ! ! !

[tbta]

I love it! This piece constantly changes in rhythm and melody, and I've heard performances which lack a certain necessary cohesiveness because it's so easy to separate the phrases by placing pauses in-between. However, you obviously know the piece very well and you played it with great fluidity and efficiency. Congratulations!

[danhuyle]

Tossed aside like it's child's play.

[emill]

Our profound thanks goes to tbta and danhuyle for their kind words of encouragement.

Please allow me to "bump" this as I have just posted a BETTER rendition of Clause Debussy's
FIREWORKS!!! 

[rachfan]

Hi Enzo and emill,

Bravo!  This is both a brilliant and sensitive performance of this virtuosic prelude.  Dazzling!

David

[ramseytheii]

What I feel overall is that the touch is not refined enough.  For instance, in the very beginning, the dynamics and sound quality of the triplets should not change at all, no matter what the outer parts are doing.  They have to sound exactly the same no matter what.

After the first glissando (I think there is a chord missing immediately after), the tremolandi should really be pianissimo.  At the forte arpeggios, every note should be distinct and brilliant, it sounds now too much like a wash, not really audible, and the same goes for the left hand at the double forte, with the hairpin.  I just cannot distinguish the notes.

When the arpeggio moves to the left hand, it really needs more shaping, it just sounds like a wash of notes more so than the right hand.  Even though the music is impressionist, it still has to have a shape.

In the bars before the scherzando I feel the arpeggios are too loud, and don't really offer anything distinct to the right hand - there needs to be more layers of sound.

I like it at "plus de l'aise."  It shows that you can employ a more refined touch, and you should work to tone down the other passages and create more clarity and sensualism.

At "Incisif," every note has an accent.  They are meant to be much clearer and distinct - in fact that motive is always played too fast, all the way through, you can't distinguish the shape.

The final double glissando: should have a huge decrescendo.  For an amazing experience listen to the Richter recording, which has an incredible decrescendo in a very short moment.

It's very hard to be critical of a young person.  Sorry to do so.  But the best passages show what you can do with the passages still not mastered.  I hope you find it useful.  Thank you for posting this repertoire and for your serious projects.

Walter Ramsey

[emill]

Many thanks and best wishes to rachfan for his very encouraging comments
on many of Enzo's videos. THANKS! David

Hello Walter ....
It is always a joy reading specific comments as it will surely broaden one's
perspective and overview of the piece.  As usual EnZo does not say much to
me but I know he discusses the points raised with his teacher as he often does
from posted comments in the past.  Thanks for taking the time and the effort to
formulate a specific response which is sorely lacking these days. There are a good
number very knowledgeable pianists here in PS and I always wish more active sharing
from them ...... oh well .... one guy we miss is Birba!!

Many THANKS!!