Rachmaninov Elegie op 3 n 1

[costicina]

It still needs a lot of work, I know, but to go on I need a break, and of course any critiques/advices/suggestions will be a precious help

[starstruck5]

I had never heard this piece before -totally passed me by -So you are the first pianist to communicate this music to me -

You say it still needs lots of work -I don't agree with the word lots!  You know this piece much better of course than I do -and are probably more sensitive to nuances wrt dynamics and voicing and so on -but if I had gone to see a concert and this Rach had been played in a hall -I would have been impressed and moved -even the difficult middle section didn't come across as a technical struggle - you seemed to enjoy it immensley and take it in your stride -you are developing superbly -

Enjoyed!

[rachfan]

Hi Marg,

You made wonderful progress with the elegy.  Super!  I think you're at the stage now of ironing out some difficulties that will yield with more practicing.  There is a lot of cohabitation of the hands in this piece.  You do a good job of choreographing the wrists and hands to accommodate that.  If I had to make a suggestion, it would be to  better differentiate foreground from background.  There is a ternary piece (A-B-A structure).  In the A sections you'll want the RH melody to soar with clarity over the LH accompaniment.  But in the B section, there are times when the LH owns the melody--just the opposite--so the RH has to defer to the LH.  

Typical of Rachmaninoff, he sometimes has thick textures in his scores.  All the more reason for distinguishing foreground from background.  This is often not easy in the Late Romantic piano literature.  We all struggle with it.  I'll be resubmitting a new recording soon of the Rachmaninoff Prelude in G flat.  There are times when the textures compete with the melodic line, so I think I can do better there.  I believe you can too.  

Finally, listen carefully and judiciously to your pedaling in the big climax and also in the unfolding of the coda.  Rachmaninoff very rarely wrote in pedal markings, leaving it all up to the artistry of the pianist.  I didn't have the score out but in those two places I'd recommend more pedal changes given the nature of the passage work.  You can also spill out some thick overtones by using half-pedal releases.

I really enjoyed listening!  Keep up the good work!

David

[costicina]

Thank you, Starstruck, you're always so kind and encouraging!

And thank you soo much, David, for your insightful advices! You are of course right: especially in the middle (B) part the foregroung/bacground interplay is not clear enough, and at the end I use too much pedal to cover wrong notes,...

Thank you again for listening and commenting, you always helped me immensely....

[49410enrique]

sir kitty approves.

i agree w all of the above. nicely done and shows much promise of shining even more. keep refining and repost soon!

[candlelightpiano]

That was a lovely performance, Marg.  Never heard it before but the mournful tones in treble and bass moved me.  I only have one question about the last phrase.  Were you in a hurry to end it or was it supposed to end suddenly (the last two notes) and with force? 

Thanks for posting it.  I enjoyed it very much and I wish you and your family the very best in the new year.

[emill]

Hi Marg!!

Sounds and feels good to me!!  The recording is excellently done!!!

Buon Natale e felice anno nuovo !!

[costicina]

Thank you for listening and commenting, Choo and Emill!!!
I whish you, too, a wonderful 2013 

[hakki]

Congratulations ! Really good progress with this piece.

I think David has given some excellent advice. Not much more to add other than saying that you might work a little more on the grupettos.

Thanks for sharing.