Carmen Habanera improvisation

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Intentionally frivolous, and the piano's a bit worn-out, but here we go.. (ultimately I'll edit it and try to make a arrangement out of it).. https://soundcloud.com/andrew-wright-35/improvisation-on-the-habanera-from-bizets-carmen

[ted]

I hesitate to say a lot because you are such a good player compared to me, but nobody else has commented so why not, I suppose, no harm done. From experience, I find that improvising on a really powerful theme is very difficult for a number of reasons. What do you do to have your improvisation say something of its own when the motif is universally overwhelming and constantly drawing attention to itself ? At a piano party a while back I improvised on Elgar's Salut D'Amour, a tune I deeply love, and which even played in single notes moves me. I found I simply had to create a contrasting section of my own material for reasons of balance and to provide a forceful final return to the theme. Maybe you could take small fragments of the melody and expand them rhythmically, change the key, plop in peculiar harmonies, things like that ?

I do like your use of asynchronous, broken chromatic torrents following about 1:30. They are easy and effective aren't they, and so appropriate to this tune. One thing we soon realise when improvising in any style is that effect is not proportional to complexity or physical exertion, although this fact is counter-intuitive to the heat of the moment, and usually takes years to accept. I still fall into that trap every time I sit down to play, I'm hopeless.

In short, I like it Andrew, keep working on it, don't hurry the process and be yourself, not Liszt and the rest; they've had their turn, they're dead, it's your turn now. Keep returning to it. You are very good at transcriptions and paraphrases, it seems to be your natural mode, in the same way as our friend quantum is so good at impressionism. Bit less pedal perhaps ? I hate looking for blemishes, it's not in my nature, but the tune itself is very crisp, sensually flirtatious, is it not ? Or am I merely remembering the Hollywood version with Dorothy Dandridge ?

Pardon my prating on, I've had a couple of drinks, but I am surprised other members have not commented on this promising recording.

[ronde_des_sylphes]

From experience, I find that improvising on a really powerful theme is very difficult for a number of reasons. What do you do to have your improvisation say something of its own when the motif is universally overwhelming and constantly drawing attention to itself ?
...
Maybe you could take small fragments of the melody and expand them rhythmically, change the key, plop in peculiar harmonies, things like that ?

Yes, that is a pertinent observation and also a reasonable suggestion. However my intention is to create a new version which stands, as a different entity, but within a parallel structure to the original: so the idea of taking cells and playing around within them doesn't fit my intentions. I would do that if I was trying to create a larger-scale composition.

In short, I like it Andrew, keep working on it, don't hurry the process and be yourself, not Liszt and the rest; they've had their turn, they're dead, it's your turn now. Keep returning to it. You are very good at transcriptions and paraphrases, it seems to be your natural mode, in the same way as our friend quantum is so good at impressionism. Bit less pedal perhaps ? I hate looking for blemishes, it's not in my nature, but the tune itself is very crisp, sensually flirtatious, is it not ? Or am I merely remembering the Hollywood version with Dorothy Dandridge ?

I agree with the pedal aspect. It also needs to be rhythmically tighter, I think - there are a few overly rhetorical pauses which don't do it any favours. Coquettish is the word I have in mind; I also want to make something of a contrast between the minor and major key sections and the first major entry I have internalised as a delicate scherzando. I appreciate these comments, the observation about the crispness is useful and focusses me on one of my quibbles with it as it stands.

[ronde_des_sylphes]

updated version, proper piano and with video.

Whether it is still strictly an improvisation is open to debate! A few unplanned things happened nonetheless - I've changed it in a few respects and the details of those sections were left somewhat open to spur-of-the-moment chance.