Chopin Gm Ballade, Opus 23, #1

[jimroof]

Recorded back in 1980 when a Junior at Georgia State University. 

A little back story.  The GSU recital hall was made available to performance majors for 2 hours of rehearsal time per quarter.  I caught wind that there would be a Bosendorfer Imperial in the hall for about 2 weeks for some kind of Bosendorfer promotion.  I signed up for 16 hours of rehearsal time and GOT it.  Myself and a few other performance majors took a cheap Radio Shack stereo microphone and a Panasonic cassette deck into the hall and recorded various pieces.

The Gm Ballade was my strongest piece in performance shape so I think I did about 4 or 5 takes and this was the best one.

Looking back, after 35 years have passed, I hear things that I wished I had heard back then.  Little ares where I really needed to hold the tempo in check and such, but overall I was very pleased with the energy I brought to this, one of my favorite works of all time in the major piano repertoire. 

Oh, just one more thing.  The tuner had not gotten to this piano yet.  Everything was in excellent tune except for one note in the upper registers - I think it was a Bb.

[pencilart3]

It's really, really, really good. All three entrances of the lyrical theme were very well done. Wow! This is my favorite piece of music ever. By far. And I think you capture the spirit of the piece very well. I think you also understand it.

And it makes me miss AJ!!

[iamazombie911]

It's well played! But the fact that the key is off is really bugging me :/

[jimroof]

I promise you... it bugs me more than it bugs you. 

When I was in school there were two pianos, both 9 foot Steinways.  One had all the sweetness of a crabapple and the sustain of a pair of dirt gym socks.  The other was OK, but not great.  I was fortunate to have enough program material in my second year to perform a full recital (the recording was not very good but there is no version of the Ginastera Sonata 1 here so I may post it).  Since my sophomore recital was NOT a requirement, the university would not pay to have the piano tuned.  There was one note, again up in the higher area, that was just a out of tune as the one in the Ballade recording.  No joke, I chewed up a wad of bubble gum and stuck it on the string to dampen it. 

As for this recording, I have tried everything I know to do with software.  I can notch that note out but it affects the rest of the overtones too much.  Auto-tune is useless too since a piano's tuning is stretched.  If you have any ideas let me know.  I have a second recording of the Ballade in my junior recital but I like this one much better.  And, my senior recital is in a landfill somewhere...

Let me know if you have any ideas...

[ajlongspiano]

Very convincing. Well done!

- AJ

[pencilart3]

Very convincing. Well done!

- AJ

AJ! Well it's great to see you, if only for a moment. Thanks for the PM btw. And Jimroof, this is a real compliment coming from AJ. He plays this piece really, really, really, REALLY well

[shostglass]

You need to post more of these kinds of recordings, this performance was solid and was really entertaining.

-Shost

[jimroof]

Sadly, all I have are recordings from my student days more than 35 years ago.  But, I do have a few things I might post:

Back Italian Concerto from my Junior program
Chopin Scherzo #3 from my Sophomore program
Ginastera Piano Sonata 1 from Sophomore program

My teacher sort of pushed me to perform when I had enough material, hence the three full length recitals done in my final three years.  Once I graduated I tried to get the tapes of my Senior Program, but I was too late the the tape had already been recycled.  I did the Mephisto Waltz #1, Prokofiev Piano Sonata 2, Brahms Bm Rhapsody, Mozart K 570 (Bb - I think it was 570).  Frankly, I was really burned out at that point due to having mononucleosis, so the performance was likely pretty lackluster. 

I might also post a Beethoven Sonata Opus 31, #3.  I rushed the heck out of it, but there are parts that came out pretty well...

Maybe I will do the Ginastera next since I see no example of it here...

[pencilart3]

Dude I'm playing Bach, Ginastera, and Chopin for a competition in 2 weeks!

[jimroof]

Which pieces exactly?

[pencilart3]

Bach Italian Concerto, Ginastera Argentine Rondo, Chopin Preludes 1, 16 and 17.

[emill]

Beautiful ... "it stirred my heart", but
the recorded sound really was thin/sharp in many areas,
like a "cheap Radio Shack stereo microphone" .
THANKS for posting though!

[birba]

I liked that very much.  An exuberant straight from the heart performance.  That middle-top register, though.  Very tinny sound.  You should have gotten out your bubblegum. 
Very exciting coda.

[jimroof]

Here's a different EQ on the file...

[rubinsteinmad]

Bruh at MTNA Finals someone played:

(a) Beethoven Sonata Op. 2 #3, I
(b) Chopin Scherzo #3
(c) Ginastera Sonata #1 (I dunnno which mvoement)

[chopinlover01]

Bach Italian Concerto, Ginastera Argentine Rondo, Chopin Preludes 1, 16 and 17.

Excellent choices, especially the Ginastera; I played that for a competition a couple years back, great piece.

[pencilart3]

Bruh at MTNA Finals someone played:

(a) Beethoven Sonata Op. 2 #3, I
(b) Chopin Scherzo #3
(c) Ginastera Sonata #1 (I dunnno which mvoement)

So?

Excellent choices, especially the Ginastera; I played that for a competition a couple years back, great piece.

Thanks! The Ginastera isn't my favorite, but I'm glad I'm playing it. Those last two measures are so fun

[rubinsteinmad]

So?

It's in jimroof's repetoire list. (except the  eethoven)

[jimroof]

This is a shameless bump because I think serious Chopin works should float to the top.

Moderators will know where to find me...

[lateromantic]

Bravo!

A little different than the way I interpreted it, but convincing nonetheless.  Back when I first learned this piece (I think I'm a little older than you), those little asynchronicities between LH and RH were considered sloppy and were avoided, but nowadays we recognize them as authentic performance practice for Chopin's time, and you do them well.

In the appearances of the E-flat major theme, I emphasized those luscious C-flats more, drawing them out a little with rubato.  It seemed almost as if you were trying to hide the C-flat.

But that's a quibble.  Nicely done.  When I hear you (or AJ) play this work, it makes me really want to get it back under my fingers!