Chopin - Polonaise in F-Sharp Minor, Op. 44

[cherub_rocker1979]

From my MM recital.

[ranniks]

It sounds wonderful.

I never knew that Chopin wrote in this style.

[mjames]

My favorite polonaise, and you did a great job!

[awesom_o]

Bravo!

A very lengthy Polonaise that eludes many in terms of interpretive depiction of structure.

Under your hands, the work seems wonderfully concise. Reminded me in many places of Horowitz, which is a great thing with this piece (he played it so powerfully).

I like how you use rubato. You never disturb the pulse, which is where so many people go wrong.

I love how your focus remains calm and collected despite having a few minor 'mistakes'. It takes real professionalism to do that musically, and tiny slip-offs are virtually impossible to avoid in this particular piece if one chooses to play it with real gusto.

Perhaps the mega octave jump in both hands (from F#'s to A's, crossing a hellish amount of space in an instant) could have been executed with greater speed, so that the hands land accurately upon the A's before they play. It is possible to do it without sounding cautious, with enough practice.

Bah! A minor quibble in what was all in all an EXCELLENT performance.
You must post more of your playing! What else did you have on your program?

[cherub_rocker1979]

Thanks for listening and for the kind comments, everyone.  I also played Haydn's F Minor Variations, a Liebermann Nocturne, along with some Rachmaninoff, Scriabin and Bortkiewicz pieces.

[faulty_damper]

It sounds like you're struggling through it.  It lacks the necessary "pop" to bring out the music.  Poorly chosen articulation at places and excess pedal.  It also drags.  6/10