Albeniz: Granada, from: Suite espaņola. An old recording.

[8_octaves]

Hi all,
sometimes, unromantic bookworms put away all books and play piano, too. Thus, I try to attach an old recording as mp3 in which I play the Granada of Albeniz.

To those who might be interested, here's the background of the recording:

After school leaving examination, since there were some more or less "inofficial" days at school to come, my Music-teacher had the idea to make up a final concert, participants were some of the girls and guys who had seemed to be a little interested in music in general. So I took part, too.
We didn't meet too often to "practice", since there were all in all only 3 weeks left, and since I was spotted before by my Music-teacher to be a good prima vista - and sightreader, I was allowed (and chose) to play in the recital the Granada and other pieces from the Suite from the sheets.

The concert took place in our "aula", that's how in Germany we call the big music-rooms in schools, where recitals can be held, too.
The aula was so full (I think over 300 parents, friends, interested people, teachers etc.), that people who didn't get a seat, had to stand at the walls, or sit in the window-benches. Even during playing, there were additional people coming in.
But in spite of me never having had formal training or a piano teacher (I'm autodidact), and in spite of me only having played 2-3 times in my life before a "relevant" audience, it didn't bother me, since I'm fearless, and don't get distracted easily.-
The piano is a small, in-tune brown Steinway-Grand. I liked it very much, my music-teacher knew that, and I preferred it to a bigger Steinway and a very big Blüthner Grand which were the other choices available, too.- All of the 3 instruments were property of the school.-
__________________

Since the recital took place some 25 years ago, there were only few good recording-machines available then, but my music-teacher recorded the whole recital on one of those "big-tape-machines". From there on, an adventurous story begins!

From this "big tape" of the recital, he made up small cassette-tapes later, for every participant who was interested (and I was!), which could ( and can ) be played on every walkman. So I got the small cassette... .

Few years later, when I needed (or better said: wanted) to copy this cassette (and others containing recordings, too) to CDs, I bought this "beast", for 800 DM (in former times). Which would be ca. 400 Euro today: I found a report on it in the web: 

https://www.hembrow.eu/personal/sonywmd6c.html

I still have it and it still works fine, but nowadays of course I don't need to use it very often anymore.

Now, via this machine, which I connected to my computer, I was able - via Wavelab 5.01 (this version for some reason I won't discuss was very popular amongst computer-freaks of the former times) , to digitize all cassette-tapes' content being  of interest to me. And then burn the pieces on CDs.

Which led, subsequently, to an exchange of very interesting stuff (recordings, infos etc.)  between me and an online-friend of mine, from the USA, who is a "grandchild-student" of Egon Petri and former student of Rosina Lhevinne.-

Later, I took the CD again, extracted the tracks to mp3-format, and this result, in this case: of the "Granada", is what I attached ( or: try to attach) to this posting.

Very cordially, 8_octaves!

[birba]

This proves that musicality and interpretation come through even when the recording devices are old and not digital.  The tone didn't bother me at all.  In fact, it grew on me after a while.  I just wish you could have lightened up the accompaniment.  Like LOTS.  Because you play the melody so well and follow the musical line with an incredible instinct.  You can tell you have a musical gift and aren't bothered by an audience.
It would have been really perfect if the accompaniment had been more subtle.
Bravo!

[8_octaves]

This proves that musicality and interpretation come through even when the recording devices are old and not digital.  The tone didn't bother me at all.  In fact, it grew on me after a while.  I just wish you could have lightened up the accompaniment.  Like LOTS.  Because you play the melody so well and follow the musical line with an incredible instinct.  You can tell you have a musical gift and aren't bothered by an audience.
It would have been really perfect if the accompaniment had been more subtle.
Bravo!

Hi birba,

thank you very much for your kind words!! And, yes, you got the point, referring to the accompaniment. And what, after so many years now, I noticed myself, was, additionally, that I had modified some bars, in 2 or three places not exactly fulfilling the given triplet-notes before the melody-tone comes.. . Don't know, might be that I had connected (in my brain) the popular SONG "Granadaaaa" with it, unconsciously, or, the part of the Aragon (which I also played), in which a part of the Granada is "quoted". But, nevertheless:

Thanks again, very much,

and many greetings from: 8_octaves!!