Mephisto Waltz No1

[can]

Another piece from my recital - Mephisto Waltz. I changed and tried to correct many things since January. It is still not very mature (there are many things to do and many things to correct) but I hope you like it this time. I'd appreciate if you comment and criticise. Thank you.

[pianoman53]

it's nice and all, and for being 14 (but I don't know, I didn't even play piano when I was 14) it's good. It's just too... nice. Now, it sounds like a nice student, playing nice, on a field trip to a nice place. Sorry if it sounds sarcastic, my point will come!

This is a piece about Mephisto, seducing an innocent girl. mephisto isn't nice. Everything you do has to be more.

From the beginning. I liked your beginning. Notice how he actually writes full pedal through the whole first part. Obviously we can't really do that, cause the notes will be blurry once you come to the f#, but don't play it completely staccato. You can either think "orchestra" or the devil tuning his violin. And when you grow, to the forte, think Big forte. It's 1 note, to a full orchestra.
And the triplets after the pause, make them special. I would aim on the lower octave too, not only the higher one.

The next part (the staccato octaves) has to be way more spooky. In the orchestral version (which he wrote first, before the piano version), that part has different instrumentation. It's not just one instrument, but at least 3.

The ff in c# minor - I would take more time there, but it's not really the point. The point is that it has to me more than what you're doing. I think it would help a lot if you were more aware of what the piece is all about.

Then the repeated notes comes back, with a massive cresc. Do A LOT in the left hand. Not only because it's impossible to do a good and impressive cresc in right hand only, but also because the left hand is the subject that keeps the two parts to go so well together. Always think about how two parts are connected. Obviously this is no rhapsody, where the themes can be connected with a fast scale (if even connected at all).

The theme needs a more dancing feeling. It's probably a peasant dance. the piece is also knows as "dance in the village inn", so it's no sophisticated people you're playing. So bring out the accents, and make it really farmer-like. For me, it's also a bit too slow.

After that, again, think what connects it to the next theme. That should also be a bit more... manly. I don't know it is that you don't know it perfectly yet, but it sounded far too safe. Just figure out a way to make it sound a bit more convincing.
...

I will try to find time to comment on the rest too, but I have to go back to school, and practice

But good job!

[philfribbit]

Hey, pretty good! It's quite a nice piece of music that one.
But I would have to agree with pianoman53. I could basically quote him here.
But you seem to have a nice touch too. All in all it was a pleasure to listen to, but it did sort of sound a bit to nice.
Keep up with the good work.