Chopin - Waltz in a minor (posth.)

[deandeblock]

Hello everyone,

I just made a recording of this Chopin waltz on my new YAMAHA U1 piano

https://soundcloud.com/deandeblock/chopin-waltz-in-a-minor-posth


I would very much appreciate some comments as I am a beginner and could use some guidance!


Thank you!

[deandeblock]

Ok, so after hearing my recording a couple of times i must say there are a few things which are obvious:

- left hand is too strong (though my piano tends to have a loud mid range i guess)

- timing error after the A major part
- melody must be more pronounced (probably because of the left hand is too loud now)

- ?

[stefo78]

Hello,
OK for your comments.
For left hand, you could in addition keep in mind that the three times do not have to be played the same (think about a waltz)
You will also have to leave your metronomical rythm and try some rubato. But OK, it's not easy when we begin. But beginning with Chopin is not the easiest way.

Your trills after 1:25 sound clear, thing I didn't manage myself for what I remember ; you may have better fingerings...

[deandeblock]

thank you for your comments stefo78

and you are right, now i see i kept playing the left hand staccato with pedal so i have to get that fixed

i will  let my teacher hear this  (hope she will not shoot me )

and after that i will make another recording

[deandeblock]

oh yea and the trill fingerings are always 2-4-3 on my score

[faulty_damper]

The melody is very percussive.  Sounds like your fingers are doing all the work when the entire hand should be incorporated to smooth the tone.

Tempo is too strict, unnatural.  It should modulate with the phrasing.  It's also too slow and should be increased significantly.

[deandeblock]

hey faulty_damper,

thank you for your comment

one version i particularly love is the following:

i think this one definately has that singing tone with the rubato


but the more i play this Chopin, the harder it seems


greetz

[faulty_damper]

What mood do you think this piece expresses?
(Hint: it's not sadness.)

What can you do to express that mood?

[deandeblock]

good question.

I find the whole waltz to be kind of danceable but on the other hand i think it is quite melancholic too. Very dualistic actually...


What i could do is trying to get in this mindset i guess...

What is your answer to the question?

[faulty_damper]

I'm going to withhold my thoughts on the mood.  This is something that you have to really listen for and I don't want to spoil it for you.  You'll go through phases of what the moods are but eventually, you'll get a better sense and will become more decisive about it.  The more specific you can be about the mood, the better your ability to discern moods across other pieces.  You'll be listening for them, not just the sounds the notes make.

In what sense do you think it's danceable?  I can imagine that if performed very strictly and unmelodically that the waltz rhythm will come through, but that's not the point of this piece.

[deandeblock]

I've been playing the piano for about a year now, and this is the first piece i come across that is somewhat more complex in terms of mood and emotion

I am not gonna lie, setting that mood or even interpreting it is very difficult for me...

With danceable i actually meant a sense of joy and happiness

[faulty_damper]

I think anyone who plays this with joy and happiness is missing the point.  If I were to make an analogy, it's like a man telling his wife that he loves her while using his fists to give gifts of black and blue and the occasional red.  These appear to be inherent contradictions.

[richardb]

Deandeblock, thank you for posting. I like this piece and I enjoyed your performance - but I do think it could be improved based on the suggestions/advice already given.

I hope it's okay if I take a shot at answering faulty_damper's question.  I'm trying to learn to play more expressively and with more emotion by playing Chopin.  I'd been playing lots of Bach and Baroque music which I love - but want to balance that with some expressive Chopin pieces.

What mood do you think this piece expresses?
(Hint: it's not sadness.)

What can you do to express that mood?

To me it expresses hopefulness, wanting, longing, maybe even desire.  I hear a sigh in that first phrase.  Resignation maybe.

[swagmaster420x]

Yeah, if you are playing Chopin, 50/50 you can automatically start from a place of nostalgia and lament.
I liked your performance, tbh I think it comes down to personal taste. I like the separation between the individual notes. Maybe at 1:20 when you play louder, go for richer sound instead of a bigger thud.

[deandeblock]

thanks guys, working on a second recording!

[deandeblock]

youtube recording:

[pianist202]

I would work on giving the piece a more lilting feel. Unlike the other a minor waltz, which is a lot more depressing, I find this one to be slightly melancholic, almost bitter. Of course, it is your opinion, not mine, but try to pick an emotion, and try to let that transfer directly into the music. This makes the whole performance sound a lot more refined. BTW your piano is out of tune

[deandeblock]

Thank you for your opinion pianist202,

I think I know what you mean by giving it a more lilting feel

Still, I find this very hard to translate into playing, what feel does it have now?

thx