Beethoven sonata Op. 13 No. 8

[rachmaninoff_forever]

I'm keeping the Rachmaninoff to myself.

Constructive or destructive criticism welcome.

Just the first movement.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Oh my god noo the Beethoven freaking sucks!

[outin]

The forte parts sounded pretty terrible on the small laptop speakers, so I couldn't listen to the whole thing. I might try later if I can handle that much B. But your finger work in the more brilliant sections and runs is wonderful. You really should play some Hummel, it would suit you.

Oh, wait, those fingers will soon be engaged elsewhere 

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Oh, wait, those fingers will soon be engaged elsewhere 

Soon I will have my hour with Valentina Lisitsa!!!

[perprocrastinate]

Hey r_4, this is kinda off-topic and won't help you much, but is Rachmaninoff's second sonata in (or planned to be in) your repertoire?

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Hey r_4, this is kinda off-topic and won't help you much, but is Rachmaninoff's second sonata in (or planned to be in) your repertoire?

The first one comes first though.

[perprocrastinate]

The first one comes first though.

But the first sonata is so boring compared to the second!

Then again, I only listened to the whole thing once ever.

[j_menz]

This is the hardest one for me to comment on. It's the piece I know best of the four for starters, and I don't like how anyone plays it.

I don't like the grave sections. That is more to do with the fact you clearly have a different conception opf what is going on here than I do. The playing is fine.

We're closer in the Allegro sections, but that I think causes me greater difficulties.  Couple of wrong notes, I believe, but otherwise sound.  Technically very good, we're just in different places on what the piece means.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

But the first sonata is so boring compared to the second!

]What?!?!?!!

[j_menz]

Then again, I only listened to the whole thing once ever.

Oh good. So you're an expert. 

[rachmaninoff_forever]

This is the hardest one for me to comment on. It's the piece I know best of the four for starters, and I don't like how anyone plays it.

I don't like the grave sections. That is more to do with the fact you clearly have a different conception opf what is going on here than I do. The playing is fine.

We're closer in the Allegro sections, but that I think causes me greater difficulties.  Couple of wrong notes, I believe, but otherwise sound.  Technically very good, we're just in different places on what the piece means.

Look dude, just say our interpretations are different.  No need to waste that many pixels.

[j_menz]

What?!?!?!!

Dear Oh dear! Someone got their tags confused.

[j_menz]

No need to waste that many pixels.

But they were just hanging around idly anyway. Thought it best to put them to work.

Never use one word when you can charge for ten, I was always taught.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Anyways, overall how good are all of these for pre-screenings?

I felt kinda disappointed because my teacher laid down the law for me today.

I'm saving the Rachmaninoff for something else later.

[outin]

My opinion:
I think these show very well how good you are technically and how much you have worked. That should be enough for any audition. After all that work it's no wonder you feel a bit disappointed,but that always happens I guess when one is as obsessive as you are 

But remember that these are not recordings for DG, just auditions to show what you have got now and the promise of future glory. And I hear a lot of promise   

[j_menz]

Anyways, overall how good are all of these for pre-screenings?

You'll be fine.

All you can hear at the moment are the bits you would do better/different if you did it again. Same thing happens to professional recording artists and movie actors.

There's plenty of very good stuff there and any school that doesn't at least audition you doesn't know what's good for them.

[quantum]

On the whole it is very good.  One thing you could do to make it better is to control your pedal let offs.  On this recording many of them are quick and snappy. It's fine when you want that sound, but varying the time you allow your pedal to go from fully depressed to fully off can give a whole different dimension to the music, as well as an additional expressive tool.  A lot of the color in pedaling lies not at the extremes but in the middle shades-of-grey area.  There is also the possibility of cross-fading a pedal let off with the onset of the next harmony. 

Another similar thing can be done with note let offs: make them part of the phrase structure and place their timing intentionally.  It will help to keep you from rushing into the next phrase. 

Anyways, overall how good are all of these for pre-screenings?

These recordings are fine.  They don't expect perfect recordings.  You will be learning the finer details of expression and musicianship in college, they just need to know you have the ability to start learning those things.  You should be getting offers of admission with what you have posted here.

[starstruck5]

Oh my god noo the Beethoven freaking sucks!

No it doesn't -it is in the territory of Masterclass standard -I enjoyed it.

[chopin2015]

I think it is very musical, who cares about few wrong notes(I expect you to say the same thing to me in the future)
 But I actually mean it. I do however think that you use a ridiculously small amount of pedal in all your pieces, except the Liszt where you went crazy with it in some parts. No problem though, possibly you use very little pedal(or a little all the time where I cannot hear it as much) I know Valentina Igoshina does the same freaking thing but her music is very very good. You should check her out. I think she is sooo foxy!

[fleetfingers]

you use a ridiculously small amount of pedal in all your pieces

Little pedal is something I enjoy about your playing. Very nice job, rach. I could be wrong, because it's fast, but it sometimes sounds like the LH tremolos are not matching up properly with the downbeats in the RH. And maybe they are not supposed to, but to me it sounds untidy.

You do not mention in your audition posts what piano you use nor the recording equipment. What are you using here? It sounds good.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Little pedal is something I enjoy about your playing. Very nice job, rach. I could be wrong, because it's fast, but it sometimes sounds like the LH tremolos are not matching up properly with the downbeats in the RH. And maybe they are not supposed to, but to me it sounds untidy.

You do not mention in your audition posts what piano you use nor the recording equipment. What are you using here? It sounds good.

Yeah, I noticed that the left and right hand weren't always together.

Anyways, my top school is New England Conservatory.
Do I have a chance of getting in?  Or at least getting past the pre-screening?

[rachmaninoff_forever]

I think it is very musical, who cares about few wrong notes(I expect you to say the same thing to me in the future)
 But I actually mean it. I do however think that you use a ridiculously small amount of pedal in all your pieces, except the Liszt where you went crazy with it in some parts. No problem though,

I actually used a lot of pedal, it's just the piano.

The Liszt was on a different piano though.

[chopin2015]

it sounded nice, check out valentina igoshina though. her playing is fantastic and she uses little pedal.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

it sounded nice, check out valentina igoshina though. her playing is fantastic and she uses little pedal.

I don't like her.  Wanna know why?

Because she has the same first name as Valentina Lisitsa.   


ANYWAYS, I'm performing the Beethoven in some private musical festival tomorrow.  I listened to some of you guys advice and everyone else who I sent it to, and I think I made a relatively decent improvement. 

I finally managed to muster up the money for Oberlin, NEC, and San Francisco conservatory. 
I'm not sleeping until like March.