Improvisation quasi notturno

[ronde_des_sylphes]

I was doing a test recording of some new pieces, a little bit of spontaneous improvisation happened at the end of the session..

https://soundcloud.com/andrew-wright-35/improvisation-quasi-notturno

or

[ted]

Quite a transporting little piece, Andrew, with pleasant contrasts using a variety of figuration. This one illustrates perfectly the dilemma we were talking about in the other thread. Writing the pitches is easy but the romantic, asychronous rhythm is a nightmare to even approximate in notation. I wonder if the old masters improvised to fit notation or if their written work is a mere rhythmic shadow of their playing. One or the other must be true, and somehow I doubt the former. Anyway, keep it coming.

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Thanks - and agreed again about the aspects of notation. I perceive much of the ornamental figuration as gestural, and not yielding to simplistic, grouped, notation. I just cannot believe that similar figuration in, for example, Chopin or Liszt was envisaged as a scholastic exercise in "correctness" and thoroughly dislike it when I hear dogmatic, metronomic interpretations.

[lostinidlewonder]

Really good ronde. Very Chopin/Liszt like, you really channeled them here, I'm sure you could use this as a framework for a proper piece.

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Thanks. Yes, I've considered writing it out and discreetly altering it in a few places. Writing out improvisations (particularly ones with filigree passages) is such hard work though.

[lostinidlewonder]

Yes you are right it is labor intensive to get it written down. I used to connect to MIDI and record the notes, it wasn't perfect but at least it gave me the notes and I could order it easier without having to find them myself.

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Yeah, midi-notation would certainly help but I didn't have this option as it was recorded on a fairly elderly German grand! The one plus about notating your own improvisations is that at least you know what sort of ornamental figurations are characteristically used and it's usually quite easy to recreate them when the time comes.