Subtle Scriabin Prelude (Op 11 No 4)

[josh93248]

Another lovely Scriabin prelude. This one is very subtle and delicate and I think maybe my best recording yet.

Please, tell me what you think

[ajlongspiano]

Great playing, Josh! Very beautiful and well shaped. I personally like to play this one a little bit faster to keep the " flow " of the long lines that Scriabin writes. However, this is a matter of taste. Keep up the good work!

[josh93248]

Thanks AJ! You probably have a point about the tempo, it's my tendency to play slow pieces fairly slow, but as you say it's a matter of taste and I'd say mine is still within the realms of acceptability.

[outin]

I agree, this one is really lovely. I would try to give even more weight to the melody. Tempo doesn't matter if you manage to get the melody more solid and bring more continuity to it.

BTW. I did listen to your Bach also. But it's difficult to really comment because you feel the music very differently than I do. When it comes to Baroque music I am dull and rigid when it comes to tempo and you would probably find my playing boring and metronomic 

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Nice expressive playing. Tempo-wise I think it's fine - a feeling of languid stillness seems appropriate and there's no need to push forward at all.

Some suggestions:

I would be wary of introducing even the slightest hint of harshness into the sound eg 0.45.

You could separate out the melody and accompaniment better. The most effective way to do this is generally, and here is no exception, by playing accompanimental figures more quietly, and not by playing the melody more loudly. You could try experimenting with the soft pedal.

I would avoid breaks in the sonic texture within phrases, eg 1.17-1.20, Here the discontinuity is upsetting to the ear, or my ear at least! Portato doesn't equate to staccato; it means "carried" and ir's also a non-legato instruction. Here I would suggest playing the notes, separated/detached from each other with a not fully staccato touch whilst using the pedal to maintain the sonority until the end of the phrase (avoid blurs though). Disclaimer - I am not a teacher, other opinions may be useful to you!

[josh93248]

Damn, I almost feel like having another go now 

When you say "bring out the melody are you referring more to the left hand melody or the top right hand melody or both?

I actually like your approach to portato better, I'll keep it in mind. Sometimes though I like to turn portato into full stacatto as in a Beethoven sonata, for effect. Anyway thanks all for the advice.

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Oh, absolutely don't be disheartened. It's already good. More of both lh and rh melodies - it's a balance issue and your accompaniment isn't as ethereal as it might be.