Chopin etude op 25 no 1 Harp *on a Steinway!!*

[tom1205]

Finally got to book the steinway practice room....

Let me know what improvements I should work on, because my audition is coming very soon in September!!!!!!!!!! THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!

[austinarg]

Beautiful!! But it could be even better if you played the harmony a little bit softer. And try not to bang on the lowest bass note.

[j_menz]

The tempo is good. I think you are getting pretty much all the notes right, though it is so muddy you could almost be doing anything. Lift the pedal. In fact sepnd a bit of time now without it - you can add it back later.

There are two musical elements going on here. The "tune" and those arpeggios. Whilst you do play the tune louder than the arpeggios, it doesn't stand out enough. Achieve that by softening the arpeggios. A LOT!

You also need to shape the dynamics of the arpeggios so they don't all sound the same. Think of where you might make them go up or down in volume, though still in the pp-p range.

You also need to spend some time just on the tune. You are so busy making it audible, you haven't actually done much to make it beautiful or tuneful. Chopin advised a pupil to picture a shepherd boy refuging in a grotto to avoid a storm playing the melody on his flute.  The notes need to sound connected, and it needs to have something going on with it. 

Listen to some recordings on YT. Pollini is OK, Lang Lang is, um, interesting but well worth a listen. Just don't copy what he does in an audition.

It looks like you have some very good foundations to play this piece well, but now the fun really starts!

[ajspiano]

I would suggest doing some work playing this a bit "bare" - as in rip out the arpeggios and play a structural skeleton of the bass notes and melody.

Then once that's sounding good on its own put in the arpeggios, so quietly that they don't even sound at first.

[perfect_pitch]

I think the only horrific thing about that performance was that you sat a water bottle on a STEINWAY!!!!

IT'S WRONG!!!   

[barnardo]

You achieve a good tempo (and realise it can be more expressive to settle beneath Chopin's mm) and have well practised articulation. This video's audio is unlikely to be a good indicator of your best dynamic balance and pedalling, the microphone lies! ... but finding the lightest even touch you can achieve on a particular instrument and acoustic (for example a Steinway in a small room!) will also guide the chosen tempo. The etude is a good demonstration of how interpretation mustn't be dominated by technical concerns. i.e. at the climaxes and widest stretches are you choosing to lift and hesitate slightly because of the musical effect or partly to achieve accuracy? Practicing those parts many times at various tempi for even smoother facility and afterwards deciding how and when to use rubato helped me find my own way with this piece. well done!

[tom1205]

Ever since I've seen Valentina Lisista on youtube, my playing has been heavily influenced by her. I really like how her playing stands out in that it is so articulate, clean, and even, and her fingers so adamant and resolute -- very few pianists are able to achieve this level of clarity. Although some people say her playing sounds "robotic with no emotions or musicality", I totally disagree. I think her "robotic playing" actually made her selective use of rubatos and occasional emotional outbursts even more precious and cherishable, as opposed to some pianists who prefer the "exaggerated rubatos and emotional expressions".
Listen to her play the harp etude, and see how her calmness and mastery takes our breath away. She is expressing something beautiful, portraying something in nature -- the rhythm of flowing water perhaps.

As opposed to Lang Lang, on the other hand, see how his exaggerated rubatos kind of just ruined the piece (Lang Lang fans don't kill me).

His exaggerated musical expressions stopped the "flow of the music" --  you can't really picture a scene of green grass and flowing water in your head. Whereas in Valentina's playing, her purpose and theme is strong and evident to the audience. You can easily picture green grass, flowing water, clouds, and perhaps angels flying everywhere. She is "telling a story" and "giving a meaning" to the piece, and connects to our human emotions. This is true art in my opinion.

So, Valentina is my favorite pianist and I've been following her footsteps (technique/interpretation wise). But I know, I still have a long way before I can even achieve 1% of that level of clarity and articulation. Each of her fingers is just so isolated and independent  and strong to the point that it seems humanly impossible to achieve.

[tom1205]

I think the only horrific thing about that performance was that you sat a water bottle on a STEINWAY!!!!

IT'S WRONG!!!   

but i get thirsty..............

[perfect_pitch]

but i get thirsty..............

Then put it on the floor...