Beethoven op 49:2 mov 1

[bronnestam]

This file is a few months old and it is from a common practice session using Pianoteq. This application has the nice feature of recording your play even if you have not planned to do so. So this was a casual run-through which turned out to be better than normal, although I made some errors on the way nevertheless.

Now I upgraded to Pianoteq 5 and I am delighted by the sound, actually! Sorry for uploading a link instead of a file, but the file is a bit bigger than allowed maximum size.
I plan to record the whole sonata soon and see what I have improved.

https://soundcloud.com/christina-br-nnestam/practice-run-not-flawless-beethoven-op-492-mov-1

[faulty_damper]

The tempo is very unsteady.  It's also starts off much too fast.

There are many places where I feel very uncomfortable listening as it sound manic, like I'm being attacked.  It's not in any way charming, which is one way to describe the character of this movement.  Very abrupt dynamic changes.

I could only listened to half of it because there was simply no way I could continue.

[bronnestam]

You are definitely right about the tempo, which here was extreme - normally I play much, much slower on my teacher's piano because I am a bit unsecure about the touch there, so she asked me to play faster and I found this old recording to show her another side of it ... but I agree, it is too fast, too much ... presto. On the other hand, I still want it to have some "bite" as the second movement is so much softer and melodic, like a little song. Let's see what I can do with my next recording. As I said, this was just a run-through.

Well, thanks for that. As for your last sentence, though, it was a real pity you wrote it. Before that I thought "yes, yes, agree, that's a good point, thank you" and then there is this last comment which is arrogant, unnecessary, stupid and immature. Next time you try to give some constructive critizism, try at least to PRETEND you listened to more than "half of it" before giving your opinion, will you? If you want it to be taken seriously, that is.

[faulty_damper]

It really was that bad that it irritated me to no end.  I already expressed that I felt I was being attacked that I just wanted it to stop.  You don't have to be so defensive, and then offensive, because I gave my honest opinion.  It really was that bad that I couldn't continue listening.  Would you continue to eat something that tasted disgusting and made you vomit?  You probably wouldn't unless you were being forced at gunpoint.  The same holds here.

[mjames]

I liked it

[dima_76557]

I liked it

So did I, especially within the context it was meant to be listened to.

-*-*-*-*-

faulty_damper

With your insulting remarks you simply discourage people to show themselves at their most vulnerable. Please vomit whenever you like, but do it in private. There's really no need to let everybody know you did.

[mjames]

Thank god you liked it. I was like "If this is a bad performance, then I must really suck at playing piano" lol.

[pianoman53]

I'm from Sweden too, and I think I know which concert pianist gave you most inspiration

I liked it too! The tempo is on the unsteady side, and it's probably slightly too fast. But, for an amateur pianist, I liked it very much


Faulty: Stop attacking people, and then cry when they answer with the same tone.
MAYBE SHE WAS JUST BEING DIRECT AND HONEST, a-hole -.-

[pianist1976]

It really was that bad that it irritated me to no end.  I already expressed that I felt I was being attacked that I just wanted it to stop.  You don't have to be so defensive, and then offensive, because I gave my honest opinion.  It really was that bad that I couldn't continue listening.  Would you continue to eat something that tasted disgusting and made you vomit?  You probably wouldn't unless you were being forced at gunpoint.  The same holds here.

I've biting my tong during many threads but I can't stand more.

I absolutely disagree with your opinion about this recording being unworthy to listen to the end (and, of course, I repudiate your language, its totally out of place). In fact there are many things to improve in this recording but there were also many enjoyable moments, it's a good starting point and it it has the potential to be a very good rendition. Is it that you are a so exquisite musician and your ears so sensitive that you only tolerate an ideal standard of playing? (The ideal that seems to exist only into your head, because not even the great pianists convince you, nor you decide to publish a recording of your playing for us to make our jaws drop and demonstrate us the great musician/pianist /technician you are... Not likely to happen, isn't it?).

But what I find most intolerable is your lack of empathy nor even the most basic behavior and good manners rules. In society one must not say everything one thinks because our thoughts may hurt another person unnecessarily. Yes, other persons' feelings are important.

You are offensive and dogmatic. You intend to look like a great master but instead you look like an ignorant noob who instead of trying to be humble, shut up and listen, tries to convince the world about he knows more than what he really knows.

I really dislike your comments here at audition room. No positive comments, no constructive criticism, most arguments are based on what you think it should sound (that is, subjective opinions), or subjective tempi (you think that your tempi are the only valid, that coming from any person looks as wrong as stupid), vague technical references, stiff and strict academic rules... all of them passed as if they were absolute truths.

Enjoy the pleasure of listening to an interpretation that is different to your idea, enjoy diversity!

BTW, Audition Room was a better place before you started the habit of commenting everything.

[faulty_damper]

In the world of pop, you have 2-3 seconds to make an impression.  Failure to do so results in the listener quickly changing the station or skipping over that recording for something else.  This is not a secret and has been known for many decades. It is no different here, except for the fact that classical music often has introductions which last far longer than a couple of seconds.  (Pop music, too, had long introductions which were dropped decades ago.) Many listeners of classical music have learned to be complacent and politely sit through even though they'd rather get up and leave.  I, however, have gotten up and left on more than one occasion.  As well, most listeners of classical music aren't musicians so they don't know what they are listening to, only that it sounds nice.  Sounding nice and communicating are two different things.

It's arrogant to assume that just because people will sit through a performance that they genuinely want to be there.  That's just manners when it comes to classical music, why it's stuffy and out of fashion to the masses (as recent threads on this issue have come up.)  It's also arrogant to think people have to sit through all of the performance when it's clearly lacking.

And for those of you who praised it, you clearly are not hearing what even the OP heard.  You make nice platitudes because that is what you, yourself, expect to hear.  In your minds, everything is great and you'd never want that ivory tower to collapse.  Real artists crave genuine feedback, not, "I liked it", "Great!", blah blah.  That's just digging for compliments.

If you wanted genuine feedback, that's the only thing I give.  I won't tell you that you're "great" when you suck.  That's what the American Idol is for.

[mjames]

It's arrogant to assume that just because people will sit through a performance that they genuinely want to be there.  That's just manners when it comes to classical music, why it's stuffy and out of fashion to the masses (as recent threads on this issue have come up.)  It's also arrogant to think people have to sit through all of the performance when it's clearly lacking.

And for those of you who praised it, you clearly are not hearing what even the OP heard.  You make nice platitudes because that is what you, yourself, expect to hear.  In your minds, everything is great and you'd never want that ivory tower to collapse.  Real artists crave genuine feedback, not, "I liked it", "Great!", blah blah.  That's just digging for compliments.

If you wanted genuine feedback, that's the only thing I give.  I won't tell you that you're "great" when you suck.  That's what the American Idol is for.

lol what are you talking about, I said i liked it because I did. Didn't you make a thread about people harassing you? For fck sakes, you're an annoying sap and your refusal to post videos online says a lot about you.

[keybykey]

It really was that bad that it irritated me to no end.  I already expressed that I felt I was being attacked that I just wanted it to stop.  You don't have to be so defensive, and then offensive, because I gave my honest opinion.  It really was that bad that I couldn't continue listening.  Would you continue to eat something that tasted disgusting and made you vomit?  You probably wouldn't unless you were being forced at gunpoint.  The same holds here.

I really didn't want my first post to start like this, but man you got serious issues if you really feel that you need to hurt another person for no reason at all.

Yes you can give your honest opinion, if it is constructive and helps another person progress! But tell me what did ANYBODY including you gain by knowing that you "found it so disgusting that you had to stop listening" The only thing that only thing you achieved is that i will think twice before coming to this forum for constructive critzism when users like you roam here without being warned or banned.

[faulty_damper]

I really didn't want my first post to start like this, but man you got serious issues if you really feel that you need to hurt another person for no reason at all.

Yes you can give your honest opinion, if it is constructive and helps another person progress! But tell me what did ANYBODY including you gain by knowing that you "found it so disgusting that you had to stop listening" The only thing that only thing you achieved is that i will think twice before coming to this forum for constructive critzism when users like you roam here without being warned or banned.

I only mentioned I listened to half of it so that my comments would be taken within that context.  However, since i was further pressed on the issue, I further elaborated on why only half of it was tolerable.  It wasn't an intentional insult, just straight commentary.  Although it's important to note that I was actually being derided by the OP.

As well, if you're here to get kudos for bad performances, this is not the place for you.

[keybykey]

There are lots of ways to voice you opinions without being rude, how about "you made mistakes here and here that makes the listener feel like this, so i suggest you do that, and that would make your performance so much more entertaining"

The essence is the same but it gives an entirely differnt vibe, and most people would react like the OP did and he even reacted rather well by admiting where he lacked and responding toxic to a toxic post is just normal.

I already said I came for CONSTRUCTIVE criticism and not to be bashed.

[anima55]

Hi Bronnestam

I thought there were some really good moments in your performance of this piece and some very smooth triplets going on there.  I'm not sure if Pianoteq may be causing some unevenness in your tone - just a thought there because I have noticed a similar problem when I tried pianoteq.

One thought I had while listening is that certain notes which require a subtle leaning on a note tended to come across as accents, which tended to add little spikes in the overall flow of the piece.  The other thought I had was that you just occasionally tend to lean a little too heavily on weaker beats 2 and 4 or perhaps I should say on the last half of beats 2 and 4, which tends again to take away the natural flow of the piece.

It's a pity you have had to endure some rather harsh criticism of your playing which is perhaps a little unwarranted.  At the end of the day, the most important thing for any pianist, from my own point of view, is to enjoy the pleasure of producing music to the best of our ability.  The better we can produce it, the more pleasure gained.  I didn't have any problems at all listening right to the end of the piece, but do feel that a more even tone would improve your performance. 

Keep at it, you're doing great!

[faulty_damper]

I already said I came for CONSTRUCTIVE criticism and not to be bashed.

Do you know what's required for "constructive" criticism?  It requires extensive knowledge in the area.  However, for most people, they don't have such knowledge and can only answer either in the positive or negative, hence the 'like' or 'dislike' buttons on YT.  You can't expect a non-musician/instrumentalist to give constructive feedback since they don't have this knowledge on how to improve. In this case, I chose to provide feedback not from knowledge but based only on my ears.

[j_menz]

based only on my ears.

You got the "e" at the beginning in error. It clearly belongs at the end.

[keybykey]

Do you know what's required for "constructive" criticism?  It requires extensive knowledge in the area.  However, for most people, they don't have such knowledge and can only answer either in the positive or negative, hence the 'like' or 'dislike' buttons on YT.  You can't expect a non-musician/instrumentalist to give constructive feedback since they don't have this knowledge on how to improve. In this case, I chose to provide feedback not from knowledge but based only on my ears.

That is all fine and dandy, you can still share your opinion, thoughts, experience, knowledge without being a dirtbag.

[faulty_damper]

That is all fine and dandy, you can still share your opinion, thoughts, experience, knowledge without being a dirtbag.

You can call me a dirtbag, but I don't suck up to anyone to gain their favor.

[cometear]

I enjoyed it, all the way through. So what if it wasn't a first class performance. It had wonderful interpretive qualities especially the contrasting sections. I agree the tempo could be more steady especially on the minor (small) transitions. I think it has room to improve technically. I have to say it is very musical now though. May I ask how old you were at the time of this recording?

[soitainly]

I don't care what anyone else said. I enjoyed this a lot. The tone and articulation rally drew me in. I could listen to your sound all day. Maybe some people are listening for a "perfect" performance, but I think that would be boring. I wonder if some people here can even enjoy listening to music at all if they expect perfection. If I ever got to where I couldn't enjoy listening to music, I would be very sad.