Stevenson - Peter Grimes Fantasy

[cbreemer]

The culmination of a project that has occupied me for the last year, last sunday I recorded Ronald Stevenson's fantasy on themes from Benjamin Britten's opera Peter Grimes. This was recorded in an informal concert venue on a real concert grand. Some cut and paste from alternative tracks was needed alas. Comments welcome.

[awesom_o]

Nice job!

Although I never played this piece, I've enjoyed it immensely ever since I first heard it, played by an old teacher of mine who was a great pianist. A good friend of mine also played it frequently, and my partner studied it for a while without performing it.

I do not have the score, but my instinct tells me that you could find a bit more space in general throughout the piece. You interpretation had a quality of 'crowdedness' (almost panicky) that I thought lessened the drama. Smooth, calm, confident delivery, and more consideration of pacing is about all I can suggest.

For example, more time after the opening chords before the fugetta, and more time near the end before the plucked-string ghost arrives.

Very nice playing! I enjoyed it.

[cbreemer]

Thank you ! I mostly agree about the playing being too hectic in places. Especially in the opening bars, and, indeed, in the calm coda. It was getting late in the day and I was getting rather frustrated and desperate to produce a passable recording. I don't think calm and smooth
particularly characterize this stormy piece, a certain frenzy seems appropriate, but I went too far.
I think I may have to redo this piece without the added hassle of shooting video (over which I'm still sweating, trying to sync the video with the edited audio and being driven crazy by the quirks and bugs in Windows Movie Maker).

It's a great piece though isn't it ! An ideal combination, Britten's unsettling opera and Stevenson's
wild and whacky pianism.