GRIEG Lyric Pieces: "ARIETTA"

[matterintospirit]

https://soundcloud.com/classical-soul-pianist/1-arietta

[pianoman53]

A little bit romance would be nice. Now it sounds just like anything else... Different sound in right and left hand, more use of colors and timing....

[matterintospirit]

I think in this case. simple and straight forward is best for this minute long piece.. I tire from listening to performers. "stretching out phrases", "lingering over notes', playing with "exaggerated rubato" etc. I think much more is made out of this simple fresh  piece of music, than what is was meant to be. I played it much more the way you are describing in my 2010 album, but my interpretation of it has changed, and it is how I like it. I can tell you one thing--if you listen to the piano rolls and early recordings of Grieg playing his music, it is quite simple and direct, and devoid of affectation. When I listen to it, I hear a different "kind" of romance.

[pianoman53]

I'm also not such a fan of the over stretched rubatos, but right now it's a bit too much. But if you want no rubato, you need something else... But then at least some colors. The melody is not singing, and the left hand is not very even. But okay, if you don't want..!

[matterintospirit]

For me it sings, and has colors--they are just very subtle, which is intentional and which as I stated is how I think it should be played at this point in time. As musicians we usually have strong opinions, which is appropriate. Thanks for your feedback.

[adodd81802]

Nice piece, I understand Pianomans point on rubato, I would agree but I think that seems to be a personal taste rather than a comment on the performance.

Sounded good, I am not familiar with the piece but there's a clash a couple of times between the right hand and the chord in the left for example at 25 seconds it was really a nice, but there are some more at 32 seconds and 1 minute, i didn't feel it as much. Without looking at the score I can't tell if it's intentional but I would have enjoyed just a little more emphasis.

Overall it's very nice you have the dynamics, clarity, I liked it.

[matterintospirit]

well thanks-- glad you enjoyed the piece ---the places you mentioned, in my first recording of it in 2010, I made the usual poco rit. with a diminuendo, which I still like, but this time I just went with the line and emphasized the dissonant chord with a very slight rit.-- it was sort of spontaneous and I liked it--that could change LOL.

[ronde_des_sylphes]

I agree with you about

I think in this case. simple and straight forward is best for this minute long piece.. I tire from listening to performers. "stretching out phrases", "lingering over notes', playing with "exaggerated rubato" etc. I think much more is made out of this simple fresh  piece of music, than what is was meant to be.

- for a miniature such as this such in your face emoting is just poor taste (to be fair, pianoman53 didn't actually suggest any of the above). My complaint would be that the right hand sound isn't very refined. It should be more delicately luminous imo. If you've recorded this on a digital (which it sounds like you may have) it's understandable that it's the way it is. There isn't enough dynamic variation within phrases - if you had continued the way you began with the first phrase - which fades nicely - I probably wouldn't have noticed the (comparative) lack of refinement in the rh. It doesn't need to be anything dramatic, subtle variation is enough. You do have some variation, I grant that, but it's very minimal in places. Anyway, far from me saying it's terrible, it's meant constructively and in the context also that the individual artist has to exercise their own personal taste in such matters.

[matterintospirit]

Yes, thank you--point well taken. Quite honestly I was conflicted about playing it so "minimalist" but it seemed refreshing to me at the time to hear it played differently than what I'm used to hearing or how I've played it in the past which is definitely with more nuance in the melody... I certainly don't claim to have "the last word' on how something should be played--but I generally play it to my own personal taste, which changes all the time. Truthfully, some of questions that are being brought up are things that I am still somewhat conflicted about. I may have very well gone too far in the other direction. I still can't decide. I'm glad to see anyway that it brought about such a lively conversation.