Chopin - Ballade #4

[david456103]

Enjoy! Please provide constructive criticism/feedback if you can.

[mjames]

I hate you so much for being able to play this. I'm no expert so all I can say is; good job man, I enjoyed it.

[theholygideons]

Nice bedroom! you have way too many chairs. You like rubato don't you?

[david456103]

@mjames: thanks!
@theholygideons: lol thats not my bedroom, its my teacher's studio

[awesom_o]

Good job, David! I can tell that you have worked hard to polish this piece to a high performance standard, and you have achieved a high level of technical accuracy.

Overall, the rhythmic structure could be expressed with greater clarity. I think it should have more intensity, and less vagueness. Or in other words, don't interrupt the story for the sake of taking the audience into a dream, no matter how pretty the dream world can seem.

Your coda, in my opinion, was over-pedaled. Greater clarity of touch would have made the ending more exciting.

Be careful that your lovely, expansive style of rubato doesn't stray into the realm of self-indulgence by obscuring the musical structure of the work!

[pianoguy711]

I enjoyed it greatly! You have a lot of technical and artistic facilities at your disposal.

I think it should have more intensity, and less vagueness. Or in other words, don't interrupt the story for the sake of taking the audience into a dream, no matter how pretty the dream world can seem.

I felt this way too.   I wanted more drama in some parts especially the variations of the F minor theme.  Since this piece is so long it's easy to lose the "story".  You brought back the intensity towards the end though.  

I noticed you like to take the intro at a quicker tempo.  Gah, this kills me because I think we take for granted how beautiful the introduction to this piece is.  It's simple yet so luminous and pure; a complete parallel to the dark malaise of the F minor theme.  Let the intro breathe a little more, give it space.

Oh, one more thing.  After the intro at the fromata where you play C-Db-B, pay careful note (no pun intended) to how you "attack" the key.  The way you strike those three notes will greatly effect the program of the story.  For me this moment is deceptively hard.  If you play them too loud and with a sharp touch you risk giving the next section an angry tone.  Too soft and aloof and this meaningful turn of phrase is lost.

[amytsuda]

Wow, if I can ever play this piece like you do, I may sell my soul to Faust! I even wouldn't try.

Quick question: I noticed that you sort of go weak at 13th and 27th measure after the mezza voce theme, on my score I have mf on themes start from those measures. So that means you'd want to increase the intensity (doesn't have to be the volume). I wonder why you decide to go less intense there. A vocalist often does that, less volume and more intensity would create very shimmering effects, but it's difficult with piano....