Cocktail piano improvisation

[ronde_des_sylphes]

.. or something like that. Rather kitschy anyway. Just messing around, having fun: the themes were in my head beforehand but I had no idea what was going to come out.

[Derek]

I enjoyed it. Reminds me of Liszt stylistically. Doesn't make me think of cocktail piano, I usually associate extremely boring varieties of jazz improvisation with that style.

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Thank you. I must admit that Liszt's musical sensibilities would not have allowed him to create something quite this cheesy! When I titled the piece, I was slightly in mind of the Liszt scholar Kenneth Hamilton's 'How Sigismond Thalberg invented cocktail music: A Fantasy on Rossini’s Moses', a piece which has a similarly arpeggio-laden finale.

[49410enrique]

quite nice, thanks for sharing, maybe not so much cocktail lounge but i could see this being played on one of those steinways norstroms department stores always place by the main central escalators, usually it's a mix or jazzy, classical, love tunes, etc. this would fit nicely there, great job. i wish i could improv, i suck terribly at it...

[ted]

I like it. Cheesy ? Meaning cheaply hackneyed and sentimental ? Don't care. I'd rather that sort of stuff than sit through an interminable Beethoven slow movement or fugueing horrible Mozart. Anyway a lot of Liszt is a jolly sight more banal than that. It rather reminds me of silent film music, except it's better. No doubt the forum will think I have kinked taste but I'm long past caring. The spirit of the piece is like Chaminade's "Elevation"; all the experts say that's atrocious for much the same reasons.

Oh dear, how sad, never mind. More improvisation from you please.

[oxy60]

You can make money with this kind of playing. I can not count the number of grand pianos at restaurants begging for a performer, including the ones on cruise ships. Can you keep this up for a 45 minute set?

My minor suggestions would be to modulate into minor and to clear the mud. Also during a long set contrast the big sound by going simple.

I wish these sorts of ideas would come into my mind.

[ronde_des_sylphes]

I like it. Cheesy ? Meaning cheaply hackneyed and sentimental ? Don't care. I'd rather that sort of stuff than sit through an interminable Beethoven slow movement or fugueing horrible Mozart. Anyway a lot of Liszt is a jolly sight more banal than that. It rather reminds me of silent film music, except it's better. No doubt the forum will think I have kinked taste but I'm long past caring. The spirit of the piece is like Chaminade's "Elevation"; all the experts say that's atrocious for much the same reasons.

Oh dear, how sad, never mind. More improvisation from you please.

I'm both flattered and amused. I quite like the spirit of your comments, but then I also have a soft spot for cheesy, as long as it's done well.

You can make money with this kind of playing. I can not count the number of grand pianos at restaurants begging for a performer, including the ones on cruise ships. Can you keep this up for a 45 minute set?

My minor suggestions would be to modulate into minor and to clear the mud. Also during a long set contrast the big sound by going simple.

I've got no doubt I could do this for 45 mins, though it's not something I'd choose to do for a living. My harmonic language would be liable to become a little repetitive however and you're right about the lack of minor key modulation and contrast, but I could handle that no problem if I set out to.

[pianowolfi]

I love this so much !! I love bar piano and cocktail music. There's such a nostalgia in it! I often wish I had more consistence at practicing this kind of stuff!

You are doing really great, I could listen to your playing the whole evening, in a bar, with a drink, and, of course, I'd certainly upset my prospective date because I'd be so fascinated by the pianist...

This thread has actually inspired me to do a bar piano improv myself,  today, which I'll post now, shamelessly .

[ronde_des_sylphes]

You are doing really great, I could listen to your playing the whole evening, in a bar, with a drink, and, of course, I'd certainly upset my prospective date because I'd be so fascinated by the pianist...

Haha, the ultimate compliment! The funny thing is, that comment brought back a memory. I remember being out for a meal once and there was a smaller size grand piano, a Boston maybe, in the restaurant. I was really tempted to try it out, but while I was eating, someone went onto it and played Liszt's Waldesrauchen rather well.

[ronde_des_sylphes]

More improvisation from you please.

Not an improvisation per se, but it emanates originally from improvisation - I've put another piece in a similar style in the audition room at https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php?topic=45842.0

[lostinidlewonder]

I enjoyed your playing, it makes me think more about "silent film" piano playing which I find is a dying art form, lovely to hear it.