Bach Little Prelude: A Little Gem

[josh93248]

Hey everyone! Another Bach Little prelude but this one is quite different to the last.

I was actually trying to record another one and ended up trying other preludes in frustration and even though this one is meant to be quite a bit harder than the one I was working on it came out far better. Please let me know what you think, as is typical with me I take some liberties not everyone may approve of but I hope you can find some qualities you like.

Cheers

Josh

[dcstudio]

I thoroughly enjoy your Bach performances Josh...  very much so.  I like the liberties you take...and I just generally like hearing you play. 

[josh93248]

I thoroughly enjoy your Bach performances Josh...  very much so.  I like the liberties you take...and I just generally like hearing you play. 

Thanks a ton DC that's wonderful to hear I noticed some of your conversation with AJ too, our boy's gonna go far eh? Me and him Skype from time to time and it's really good finding friendly musicians online to hang out with.

[pencilart3]

Great job. It feels very solid. What's the name of the cat?

[dcstudio]

friendly musicians can be hard to find... a lot of trolls and wanna be's around the internet.  I try to always be "nice" but even I fail miserably at times...lol.

you are a great player Josh...  and you are only a few years in yourself are you not?  You are far beyond what the "norm" is.  Some people NEVER learn how to make music...they can play...but it's not music... if that makes any sense.

and you play Bach... who has always been tough for me...  so I am always impressed by those who really play it well.  My brain just thinks too vertically when it comes to music-- all that jazz I play.

[josh93248]

@ Pencilart Oh Of course! I should've mentioned Patch! Thanks for reminding me, he just had to be part of this little performance haha

And thanks for your positive comment Noah

Oh and how are things going with you? I read somewhere you were doing new repertoire but you're not over the moon about it, what's the story?

@ DC Yeah you're one of the friendly ones, even if we disagree on my fingering approach

I have been only playing for a little while compared to many and it has also been somewhat patchy and will soon be moving up to meatier works like Shostakovich Preludes and Fugues, Chopin Etudes and Schubert Impromptus, I'm already starting on some and progress is good.

Bach and I didn't always get along but, and you may disagree with me again, but the total fingering is particularly helpful with his contrapuntal works. Anyway thanks again for the kind words

[ajlongspiano]

Wow amazing playing Josh. My favorite thing about you is that you're so detail oriented. You have very beautiful and subtle ideas. Next time we skype lets discuss nuances in piano playing!

[dcstudio]

Bach and I didn't always get along but, and you may disagree with me again, but the total fingering is particularly helpful with his contrapuntal works. Anyway thanks again for the kind words

no...actually  I would agree with your total fingering approach there. Whatever it takes to make counterpoint work... I am all for.

[josh93248]

no...actually  I would agree with your total fingering approach there. Whatever it takes to make counterpoint work... I am all for.

Well that's a nice surprise I think it's also worth noting that we are very different pianists with very different goals, I respect what you do and could never really see myself doing it your way as it doesn't fit my personality. Perhaps we should return to our fingering debate one of these days but for now I'll let it rest until I have some more to show for myself.

Wow amazing playing Josh. My favorite thing about you is that you're so detail oriented. You have very beautiful and subtle ideas. Next time we skype lets discuss nuances in piano playing!

Geez thanks a lot AJ for putting a big grin on my face

I guess when you're working with such miniscule pieces it's hard to wring much more out of them than a few well chosen details, I always used to think of myself as a "Big Picture" player too, but that's probably changed or rather, broadened.

We shall discuss it then! I look forward to the weekend when we can Skype!

[dcstudio]

Well that's a nice surprise I think it's also worth noting that we are very different pianists with very different goals, I respect what you do and could never really see myself doing it your way as it doesn't fit my personality. Perhaps we should return to our fingering debate one of these days but for now I'll let it rest until I have some more to show for myself.

yes... I really don't belong here but there is no place for pianists like me online.  I have enough classical training, skills, knowledge and rep to be useful here... but I am a jazzer at heart.   I have earned far more money playing jazz than classical.  I respect those who devote themselves to that discipline... it's just not for me..    I am way too lively of a player... and very focused on audience involvement... not good for classical piano playing.  I do however have an enormous amount of performance experience... far more than most folks here--not all, of course...but most...which is why I feel useful around here.   There is more to the business of music than learning to play your instrument... WAY MORE...  and nobody tells you about it ahead of time.  I try to help in that area when I can.

the fingering thing... whatever---if it works...use it. It's about the music after all...not what you write on your score.

[pencilart3]

dc you're at 999 posts, what will your 1000th post be? Can it include a quote from me?

[josh93248]

yes... I really don't belong here but there is no place for pianists like me online.  I have enough classical training, skills, knowledge and rep to be useful here... but I am a jazzer at heart.   I have earned far more money playing jazz than classical.  I respect those who devote themselves to that discipline... it's just not for me..    I am way too lively of a player... and very focused on audience involvement... not good for classical piano playing.  I do however have an enormous amount of performance experience... far more than most folks here--not all, of course...but most...which is why I feel useful around here.   There is more to the business of music than learning to play your instrument... WAY MORE...  and nobody tells you about it ahead of time.  I try to help in that area when I can.

the fingering thing... whatever---if it works...use it. It's about the music after all...not what you write on your score.

You belong here DC and I'm glad we have you

dc you're at 999 posts, what will your 1000th post be? Can it include a quote from me?

Fishing for a quote are we Noah? Will you ask the same thing of me? Haha.

[pencilart3]

Fishing for a quote are we Noah? Will you ask the same thing of me? Haha.

When you're at 999...

[dcstudio]

You belong here DC and I'm glad we have you

Fishing for a quote are we Noah? Will you ask the same thing of me? Haha.

THAT is worthy of my 1000nth post... only took me 10 years of being a member here to do that..


wasn't much of a comment person until a couple of years back.

yeah!

[pencilart3]

rats

[josh93248]

rats

Oh Noah, If we both remember I'll give you my 1000th, which at my rate may not be far off...

THAT is worthy of my 1000nth post... only took me 10 years of being a member here to do that..


wasn't much of a comment person until a couple of years back.

yeah!

Glad to give you a boost DC

[pencilart3]

rats

lol just kidding I second josh's comment, you are really encouraging and you definitely contribute to the forum!

[glennross]

I am way too lively of a player... and very focused on audience involvement... not good for classical piano playing.

Can I ask you a question dcstudio? Why exactly don't you think audience involvement is not good for classical piano music?

[dcstudio]

Can I ask you a question dcstudio? Why exactly don't you think audience involvement is not good for classical piano music?

maybe I said that wrong...  it's just not widely practiced wouldn't you agree?   Maybe audience involvement would be awesome for classical music... but I don't know..  I tell jokes and take requests... never been to a concert where they did that.  Actually I have been known to slip in some Beethoven or Rach--it's usually an attention getter or a response to someone who asks...but I am just a lowly cocktail pianist.. a blue collar player as we are known.
My skills seem to be of little worth here...  though I would challenge any to walk into a room and entertain a crowd with their own requests for 3 hours with nothing more than an out of tune grand piano...and no sheet music (or ipad).  It's no easy task...but it's a lot of fun.

 If I were a classical first and foremost pianist as I was trained to be...I would want to be like Victor Borge... in that respect I would be good for classical piano playing.

that's the best answer I could think of to your very valid question. 

[glennross]

that's the best answer I could think of to your very valid question. 

I think it is a very fine answer indeed. My opinion even goes a little further.

'The Great Musical Disaster', as I would like to call it, found place around the second half of the 18th century, when the audience and performer became seperated. Concert halls being build for the purpose of concert giving. A place were people fool themselves by thinking it is in any way a culturally enriching event. It is not at all. People who go to concerts, and those who admit that they do, are doing a terribly fearsome admission about themselves I think.

When one enters a concert hall and goes to an event, (s)he enters a certain atmosphere of bloodlust in which the audience is just waiting and preying upon the performer to make a mistake.

This, of course, obviously causes that the performer will only limit himself to a not so broad horizon of repertoire. (S)he will only play the pieces (s)he really is familiar with and can play with the utmost confidence. And because in the concert hall, you simply have to project the piece to the guy up on the second balcony, so to speak, you will add all sorts of tricks and little nice ornaments, which will be ingrained into the pianist's hand memory.

In my opinion, we should involve the audience much more, in a time of technological revolution, in the experience of performing the music. Also, I think we should maybe slowly accept the fact that concert-giving was a nice experiment, although maybe not so nice in my opinion, for about two centuries, but we now should abandon it.

Just my opinion. I might start a topic on this one. Hope I won't get expelled from the forums!

BW,
Glenn

[dcstudio]

it's so refreshing to hear someone say that.

that bloodlust...that's why I went into jazz.. which is every bit as cutthroat but at least I feel comfortable there...  and I am good at it.   I am a music school dropout... on my last jury the chair of the piano dept got up and watered his plants during my performance...lol...I figured that was his way of telling me to go over to the jazz dept and see if I couldn't make my self useful there.