VIDEO : Chopin 10/1

[ajspiano]

So, i'm still not happy..  (will I ever be??  )

However, in the name of on going progress I'm posting a recent take of this beast for comment.

Since recording this a few days ago I fixed a couple of the ever remaining technical niggles, most specifically, the transition into the "hard bars", and a couple of spots in the ending..  So you can ignore the obvious flaws there

Comments re interpretation most welcome, as there is obviously still work to do (i'm still implementing some of the bits and pieces j_menz and enrique have given me privately).. Technique I'm no longer fussed about, am certain I will resolve the remaining concerns and bump the tempo that tiny bit more very soon.

..guesses as to why my youtube videos are out of sync on my PC, but not on my phone also welcome :/

[j_menz]

Coming along nicely. 

And the fake tan looks fine. 

[liszt85]

Very nice.. its obvious that you have the technique to play this extremely difficult etude. It is only a matter of time before you play this EXTREMELY well. It is quite good as it is. I see people attempt this etude at amateur competitions and they don't play this as well as you do here in this video.

[ajspiano]

Coming along nicely. 

Thats good, I wasn't sure it was any better than the one I sent you (though I didnt re-watch it to see).

And the fake tan looks fine. 

I've been trying to tone it down.. so the students don't think i'm quite so creepy.


....

Thanks for the comments liszt85 - its certainly come up much nicer over the last couple of months. I'm quite determined to nail a "worth recording" version of this - however long that takes.

.....

Musically speaking, just watching myself now..  I feel like i got some of the ending right interpretively in this take despite fluffing the AbDFC arp, there's a lot of drama on the diminished arps, just need to fix some of the chromatic motion between them, bigger accents. Need to replicate the interest this creates in the rest of the piece. Bars 17-20 could do with a similar feel  there I think. I need to give the LH a slight rush to it, make it feel more dramatised, then the suspense of 21-24 before it blows wide open in 25-36.

I don't think the RH melody in bars 37-40 came out right - i need to spend some time there, not only just to get the accents right but also I want to be able to create these kind of "washing over" cresc. there, rather than overly articulated notes, which is pretty challenging to get right consistently. Its the same effect I want in bar 7 too..  I seem to be able to achieve it by loosening up the fingers, but they are so used to more precise articulation throughout that it demands a bit of focus at the moment.

I think I'm getting the RH accented beats on the ascent better, this was evident in the opening, but it kind of dissipated as it went on.. 

etc. etc. 

[starstruck5]

Please promise me AJ hat you will never ever play this like Ohlsson -I had the misfortune to listen to his rendition yesterday -it is so fast and effortless sounding, mechanical and ultimately souless -

I liked your Etude much much more -you play with such meaning -sometimes people don't accent the first note of the descent -and the timing goes wishy washy -but never with you -

You already know where you would like to make improvements -but you already have the music -very good indeed and enjoyable -

[49410enrique]

Right on man! Even in just the short while since I last saw/heard you go at this, there's traction in your efforts express this musically!

I other super long comments right now other than continue to think about what we discussed privately. You know the super packed week Ihave ahead of me but I am able to sit down w socre and listen more closely again I will definately get back to you (maybe next week?).

Thanks for sharing and inspiring and motivating us to pursue such excellence!

[chopin2015]

It is very nice but it seems too loud! Play sweeter. Play with more push/pull and I don't mean in your left hand. I do not play this etude and I am still working on my etude choices, so I hope that you take this as completely loving criticism. I never did care about how fast someone could play unless it was me! lol

[costicina]

Wow!!!! One can measure your astounding progresses comparing this performance with your previous attempts.
What strikes me most is how you are tryng (succesfully) to tranform a basically 'show off' etude in a joyfy, sparkling, vibrating piece of MUSIC...
Congratulations, and thank you so much for sharing yor inspiring interpretation!!!

[ajspiano]

Thanks for the comments everyone..

Please promise me AJ hat you will never ever play this like Ohlsson..

I liked your Etude much much more -you play with such meaning - .... you already have the music

I listened to his just now.. certainly technically pretty well done but he really races through it and it does come off a bit "show off" rather than "music". I find it difficult to play it like that, not technically, it just feels wrong. I can't "hear" it like that inside me so I can't translate it to the keys..  probably a good thing. Each to their own though.

I'm glad you think mine comes across musically already. I know I'm overly judemental of myself but i still think its severely lacking in some respects. Its not even always that I can put my finger on what exactly is wrong but the last section in this take, ..  it kind of grabs me, I want to listen to it and its pretty engaging.. but there are patches in the middle where it loses me and its just a string of arpeggios.

It is very nice but it seems too loud!

J_menz said the same thing about one of my earlier takes..   I think its partly because its being recorded with a phone, so the audio is compressed and the loud and soft is kind of normalised, but you are right.

There are definately some places that I can tone it down, - provide a greater dynamic range.

a joyfy, sparkling, vibrating piece of MUSIC...

I suspect you are being too generous marg but thankyou

.........

I think I'll want to post again soon, might have to revive the project thread though.. I can feel it improving every day still, even though certainly in very little chunks at a time.

[chopin2015]

here's another positive, since you responded to my earlier comment. very good right hand technique! It seems so much fun to play!!
 

[candlelightpiano]

I'm a bit late but better late than never!  Fine performance, AJ!  You make it seem easy and effortless but I know how difficult this etude is. Love it!

[danhuyle]

It's up to speed. Clearly you have the technique to play this etude.

It's all about interpretation.

Look forward to another updated recording and it's coming along very well.

[ajspiano]

Thanks for the further comments (choo, dan, chopin)


I've been thinking a bit..

...Technique I'm no longer fussed about..

.......

very good right hand technique!!

It's up to speed. Clearly you have the technique to play this etude.

its obvious that you have the technique to play this extremely difficult etude.

..So I'm going to have to totally eat my words, and everyone elses..  since I've adjusted the whole damn thing "technically" to service interpretive control. And that's the whole issue isnt it. Technique as being inseparable from musical intention - Its baby steps though, I feel like I've played it so many times that the positive differences between takes is like an invisible blur.

Visually, one thing I have noticed is that progressively over time, my RH fingers, mostly 2 and 3, are being lifted less and less. This seems to be evident if you actually go back and observe previous runs from the polishing project thread.

This version is from yesterday, it has quite a few note fluffs. It's also longer as there is more frequent rubato, mostly as this is something I've been working on - smoother slowed down transitions between bars - so they are all over the place instead of used sparingly and at musically appropriate times. It needs the drive between the slower and faster transitions to keep it moving i think.

I'm hoping that its got a few lighter patches, it definitely does in person but it seems to disappear on the phone recording..  To me it seems more dynamically controlled and even than the last one, but at times a bit less driving and exciting.

Anyway, this isn't really intended as an "i'm proud of this" update, just some small progress perhaps - if anyone is interested to see..  I will probably withhold any further versions until I can come in and say "LOOK! This is how I think it should go! "

[davidjosepha]

I'm hoping that its got a few lighter patches, it definitely does in person but it seems to disappear on the phone recording..  To me it seems more dynamically controlled and even than the last one, but at times a bit less driving and exciting.

I definitely agree with this. I don't know how this would work out from a technical standpoint, but I think it might end up more driving if you didn't just rubato in the slower direction. Like, in this video, it seemed like the same speed as the other one in general, and then you slowed down in various spots. The effect ended up with the video being slower on average, making it a longer video. Perhaps, if you are able, you could try speeding up the default tempo, and then balance it out with the places you are slowing down, so that it averages out to the same speed as the first video? Again, I'm not sure how difficult that would be for you, obviously the piece is already very difficult, you probably don't wanna make it too much harder on yourself

[ajspiano]

Perhaps, if you are able, you could try speeding up the default tempo, and then balance it out with the places you are slowing down, so that it averages out to the same speed as the first video?

Possibly, that wouldn't be a problem technically - but I don't actually think that would solve the problem.

For one, the overall video time isn't the real concern so much as the feel of the music, if the piece is longer but keeps the listener engaged that's fine. I feel like the problem is in that for this run many bars were slowed down a fair bit at the transition (no surprises, I practiced this on every bar to experiment with it as an option) which kind of creates a predictable drag in the feel of the piece. As opposed to a few specific bars, contrasted against some other bars almost being rushed into.

..so the listener would experience a tension and release, as spots slow down.. and a rush of added drama, where transitions are a touch quicker than anticipated. This would have some effect of balancing the rubato out rather than just slowing the piece down.

[chopin2015]

Yeah, a push pull type effect keeps things more interesting than keeping both hands strict to a metronome. It is less robotic and more engaging. I would still use the metronome for your left hand though, just good practice. Your right hand will naturally be more free.

[philfribbit]

Gosh, that's one of my fav pieces ever! You play it really well too.

[j_menz]

LH has improved enormously and finally sounds convinced, like you really mean it, and I like what you intend.

RH generally good, but you lose focus on the accented notes from time to time. Keep them at the front of your mind as they are the guides to your interpretation.

Interpretation wise, a great job in the making.

[gleeok]

Woah! This piece is really cool, and I really like the way you played it!

[krajcher]

Please promise me AJ hat you will never ever play this like Ohlsson -I had the misfortune to listen to his rendition yesterday -it is so fast and effortless sounding, mechanical and ultimately souless

I liked very much interpretation of Mr. Ohlsson. I wouldn't say that it was "ultimately souless".


To Ajspiano: I wish I played piano as well as you.


Best wishes