Improvisation quasi-Rachmaninov

[ronde_des_sylphes]

At least I think the op 23/4 prelude was in the back of my mind early on... continued from there, trying to be completely free, but I think all that meant was instinct took over!

On an upright piano, but the sound is quite rich nonetheless.

https://soundcloud.com/andrew-wright-35/improvisation-26-08-14

[ted]

I haven't the foggiest idea how good a Rachmaninov imitation this is because I haven't heard a lot of his music. So my response is on first principles, as with anything I hear.

It is a very enjoyable improvisation, and I listened to it several times through my hi-fi. You have a striking way of producing an impassioned phrase, with a brief pause followed by some sort of diminished harmony. It occurs in that other improvisation you posted months ago too, and is very effective. I don't know if this is yours or is a standard romantic trick, but either way it sounds good and I intend to borrow it.

The two main textures you use, heavyish chordal phrases and the more florid part, are juxtaposed well to form a pleasing whole. Certain other features, such as the almost ornamental triplet phrase at 3:41, and the interesting double notes at 4:05, I found myself desiring more of, and could easily have been augmented into contrasting textural sections of their own. But then I suppose that might not have been as close to Rachmaninov - I don't really know.

Where you unquestionably succeed is getting a certain underlying mood across. It registers with me as a sort of intense yearning or nostalgia for another time or place, similar to much of John Ireland, but using different means. The subjective psychic state imparted by improvisation, or by any music, is a much deeper property than observations concerning technical means, and its absence is what characterises much improvisation I hear. Some players have huge keyboard vocabularies and techniques but say very little. You are not in that group.

Anyway, I hope you find time between concert schedules to allow your improvisation to grow because it will reward you immensely when you are much older. I certainly look forward to hearing more.    

[ronde_des_sylphes]

I heard little bits of Rachmaninov in the opening; there's less as it goes on but a few motley influences seem to pop up here and there!

I think I have certain consistently identifiable characteristics which, in truth, I probably overuse - diminished chords resolving to V7c (often with bass movement of a semitone), agogic pauses at moments of harmonic or structure significance, and harmonies/modulations via the mediant. I've used them over time, they generate trusted effects, and what comes naturally.. Still, what you said a few improvisations ago about expanding my vocabulary probably holds true. My improvisations gravitate towards a concern with harmony and sonority/texture - I should try doing one where rhythm is the preeminent factor.

I improvise most days but don't record many of them, largely because I often use improvisation as a means to practice figurations and not as an end in itself - consequently such improvisations are often somewhat run-of-the-mill. It was nice to sit down and clear my mind (though clearly I had influences sitting in the background) and improvise purely for the sake of improvisation.

[michael_sayers]

Hi ronde_des_sylphes,

Again, very well done!


Mvh,
Michael

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Thanks again. In retrospect, I've grown rather fond of this improvisation, which is less gratuitously note-y than many of mine.