Chopin nocturne

[chopin2015]

So...yeah! A little messy here and there, but I try to get things over with ASAP. I like everything I do at 3'11 Ok, except the ascending part where I think I hit wrong white key...

https://youtu.be/x3pPCUgiZeI

[johnmar78]

ok, Chopin2015,  here in my 2 cents. Right at begining, first note-D---strench that notes a big longer-rubato style. First 1m 30 need to work on your articulation and control. ATM, it sounds rushing thru and RH does not sing as it meant to. Lacking in phrasing indeed.

This is what I would do  :

Listen to each notes especially your LH, play it slowly-say 30% slower than your current speed, or even 50%. Delibertae, and your mind hear every single notes.
Do the same with RH.

2) play HT at 1/2 speed and increase gradually till you start to lose control and cut back a bit.

I hope this helps and looking forward to yur next recording- 3 months.

[chopin2015]

Thanks! I did play this to a metronome a lot, and did finish learning it just a few weeks prior to now. I will do more metronome work, but it does take a way from the instinct based feel for tempo. I focused on the evenness of the left hand so much that yes, i do play it rather fast.

Thanks again.

[dima_76557]

Chopin nocturne

Dear Julia,

You've got potential, but you do not give us enough time to look into your beautiful soul. Honestly, you almost got me into a bout of hyperventilation.
In all, please give your listeners the opportunity to process what you want to say. Throw that metronome out of the window right now! Slow practice and touch. That's all you need to work on to get it right.

[gyzzzmo]

Please think less about metronomes and notes, and start thinking -with- the melody with your right hand in a freely way.

[awesom_o]

Dear Julia,

You've got potential, but you do not give us enough time to look into your beautiful soul. Honestly, you almost got me into a bout of hyperventilation.
In all, please give your listeners the opportunity to process what you want to say. Throw that metronome out of the window right now! Slow practice and touch. That's all you need to work on to get it right.

I agree with dima 100%

[dima_76557]

I agree with dima 100%

Thank you for being here. I wish you would help me against the "scientists" in the "talent" thread.

@ Julia:

Not to show you how exactly you "should" play, but just how slowly you CAN go if you want to, and still make it breathtaking:

[chopin2015]

Thank you all so much for listening! I haven't posted much in the past, but I will be posting a lot after a few weeks of review. The month of August is when I will be recording everything I worked on this school year, and then start a new year.

 It's strange, I know the melody of this piece so well and can sing it, because I've listened to this piece a million times. I really do feel like my recording lacks emotion in some places, but maybe it is a lack of understanding of the composer's motives not over all, but in each phrase! But this was the second take. The first one started amazing but ended a disaster!

 I won't try to re-record anything too soon, because I am not ready to record a final product nor do I have the energy to!

@Dima
Horosho.

I have a huge emotional attachment to this piece, and hope some day I am able to play slower with more sophistication without feeling the anxiety or pressure to play everything fast and forget to breathe. I really appreciate you sharing this recording with me, I will reference it. I really think his interpretation is much more dimensional because he took the time to spell each phrase out...wonderful reference. That's exactly the sound I am going for, though. Spot on.
 

[quantum]

Chopin2015, its a difficult piece so don't beat yourself up too much about it. 

Two points that stood out to me are:
1) Don't be afraid of bass notes.  In such texture of melody-dominated homophony, the bass really serves as the foundation of the activity on top of it.  Think of a bronze statue and how it needs a foundation to sit on in order to remain securely in place.  What would happen to the statue if you were to remove its foundation?  How would removing the foundation change the overall dimensions of the structure? 

Many of your bass notes disappear.  Maybe you are intending to play delicately?  It would probably be less objectionable to hear a couple bass notes plopped too loud then to hear a string of inaudible ones.  The bass is also giving the strong down beats in this piece, so one does desire to hear a decisive beat where they occur.

2) Try to not rush the tune, especially the ornamented passages.  There is so much detail in the melody.  Even though many of the ornamentations are really variations and repeats of previous material, each one is written differently.  There are very few literal repeats of material in this piece: when Chopin wants to repeat something he communicates in a slightly different manner.  You would do well to communicate this to the listener. 

In vocal music there is a school of thought where longer note values move faster, and shorter note values move slower.  Maybe try to incorporate some of this.  As you probably know Chopin was fond of the voice, and he was probably thinking of the voice when he wrote the ornamentation in this piece. 

***

In all, please give your listeners the opportunity to process what you want to say. Throw that metronome out of the window right now!

+1

[chopin2015]

Chopin2015, its a difficult piece so don't beat yourself up too much about it. 

Two points that stood out to me are:
1) Don't be afraid of bass notes.  In such texture of melody-dominated homophony, the bass really serves as the foundation of the activity on top of it.  Think of a bronze statue and how it needs a foundation to sit on in order to remain securely in place.  What would happen to the statue if you were to remove its foundation?  How would removing the foundation change the overall dimensions of the structure? 

Many of your bass notes disappear.  Maybe you are intending to play delicately?  It would probably be less objectionable to hear a couple bass notes plopped too loud then to hear a string of inaudible ones.  The bass is also giving the strong down beats in this piece, so one does desire to hear a decisive beat where they occur.

2) Try to not rush the tune, especially the ornamented passages.  There is so much detail in the melody.  Even though many of the ornamentations are really variations and repeats of previous material, each one is written differently.  There are very few literal repeats of material in this piece: when Chopin wants to repeat something he communicates in a slightly different manner.  You would do well to communicate this to the listener. 

In vocal music there is a school of thought where longer note values move faster, and shorter note values move slower.  Maybe try to incorporate some of this.  As you probably know Chopin was fond of the voice, and he was probably thinking of the voice when he wrote the ornamentation in this piece. 

***

+1

Sweet!! Thank you for the info. I performed it again today at my recital. I went much slower, and it was a very tender moment for me. Not sure what it sounded like, but the experience was not too horrific. lol