Debussy estampes Granade

[kos91]

Hi there,
I'm Kos and I'm  new here (not really actually, always reading and never posting, though  )
Here's my registration of Debussy's second estampe. I hope the quality is ok because I've tried new filters.
Any constructive critics are welcome 
Cheers

[rachfan]

Hi kos,

Your Grenade is beautifully played overall.  Your approach to interpretation is similar to my own in many ways, so no criticisms.  You had no wrong notes in the coda (which is often misread by pianists).  If you'd like to hear my rendition here in Audition Room, just go to the top of the play list here to Index to Audition Room, then scroll down alphabetically to Debussy, and alphabetically to Rachfan, and the piece is in my listings there.

The piano you used for the recording is a bit on the clangy side which detracts.  For future you might want to see if you can find a better piano to use for recording.  Or, if it's your own instrument, your tuner/technician might be able to to do some voicing to improve the sound to get it more even.

Good work!

David

[pianoman53]

Kos,

Well played in general!

My interpretation of this piece, unlike Rach, is very different from yours.

I'd like it much more mysterious than what it is now. The opening notes are far too realistic for my taste, both in a tonal and rhythmical sense. Not that you should be completely free, but you need to listen to the first note much more. If you listen enough, it will "tell" you both when the next note should come, and how loud it should be. Now, for me, it comes at the wrong time, and it doesn't fit tonally.

The theme is also too active for me.
It's not a completely personal oppinion, but I think there is a small sense of right and wrong here.
All other themes are moving in some way - either rhythmically or dynamically - so to be very active in the only theme that isn't, seems, to me, a bit not right. It might be beautiful in the moment, but will feel a bit disappointing the further you go.

the rest is, unlike the beginning, too free. Eventually, one wants to have a feeling of a whole, which get disrupted with this constant rubato. Try to do more with colors than with rubato.
You should find spots where you can take time, and where your should be free. Otherwise, it will all be a little bit sea sick.

I would also suggest you to put instruments to everything, and to listen to other music than piano music. It will give you a much clearer idea about what it might sound like.
The reason I say this, is because I feel a lack of colors. The melody is always very clear, but then the rest is a million steps down, which gives a rather one-dimentional effect


This is the difficult part of this piece. To get the right notes is not very difficult, but it's very difficult to not make it fragmented, and a little rhapsodic, and it's one of those things that will come, once you get a bit more at ease with it.


But ya, nice playing in general!

[diomedes]

Really good. I'd say experiment with tone quality and quieter areas. Listen to pianists who produce imaginative and slight of hand effects with sound. This is the type of music that demands it the most, i believe.
The "leger and lointain" area is way too loud, respite technically sounding very good. Might be the recording conditions/piano. I find that to be the most obvious problem.
Rhythmically I think it works. it's a question of preference, the flexibility.
Bar 77 the rhythm or distributions sounded unusual.

[kos91]

Absolutely!  Thank you for the comments.
By now, the leger and lointain is my hardest part. Also, on my piano is more difficult to do such things. I'd say that tone quality is lowered by the registration, because  it sounds completely different in reality.. so I'll  try to set up correctly the mics and the filters for the next time.
Anyway, I agree with pianoman53 about the rhythm and the whole structure. I think that the inner rhythmical line (from the beginning), I mean, keeping it trough out all the piece, should help, but form me it's non that simple. When you try to create with colours, sometimes I forget to stick to one rhythm.
Kos