Schubert: Impromptu op. 90/4

[pianovirus]

This concludes my first (but certainly not last!) attempt in studying, memorizing, and trying to record these wonderful four pieces.

As usual, I'd appreciate any feedback, impressions, constructive criticism...

Normally, I refrain from self-critique in an initial post in order not to bias potential feedback. Just let me mention that I noticed these 8 additional bars in the middle part that should not be there. I accidentally took the "wrong turn"...

[bencollisonmusic]

First off, I've performed this piece and I've also performed #2 Op, 90. You can find a video of the second one at

As you will see, it was not a perfect performance and I made mistakes so I don't mind the 8 bar mess-up thing you did (i've done the same this while practicing that piece several times, haha).

You have a good sense of tempo. I've heard quite a few recordings of some piece and I really think many play it just too fast to bring out the richness that's between the notes. You don't do that and I like your temp, perhaps you can do it just a tab faster.

Now here is what I think could improve your performance of this piece. I'm not best with words but I'll do the best to describe what I mean. I felt like there could be a more sense of breathing throughout the piece, expecially during the first section and third (repeating first section). There is a great sense of motion through the melody kind of like waves of air passing through. You could get this better but not playing every note exactly on time in relation to each other. Try to play around with that.

Now for the second part of the piece, this is (what I see) as the stormy part in the middle of the piece. I would have wanted more stormy-ness... like when your doing the chords from the bottom register up to the upper register in the right-had, you could build more during that progression and then die away at the last moment.

Yes Schubert is very romantic but we must remember that he also had many battles within himself. Unlike Beethoven, he is much more controlled in expressing his emotions. To me Schubert's anger through his works is a "cool-anger" as opposed to Beethoven who is more blunt and has more of a "hot-anger".

I don't know if what I'm saying makes much sense or if it's exactly accurate but I hope it helps all together in the end. Best of luck with your progress in this work and the other three Impromtu's your are about to take an adventure with.

Cheers

~BCM

[birba]

I liked that very much.  You have a special rapport with schubert.  It's not easy to avoid a sort of a mechanical repetition of his motifs in this impromptu.  It can definitely sound boring in the wrong hands.  Kempff was sublime in these impromptus.
You're still hung up on the mechanical side, at this point, but it's yours for the keeping, for sure.