Liszt, Un Sospiro (video)

[lateromantic]

Here in the Audition Room I'm known solely as a composer; in my almost three years here, I have only posted my performances of my own compositions.  But once upon a time, I could play the piano.

I played a lot of public concerts in the 1980s and early 1990s.  This recording is from a recital I did in Atlanta on September 5, 1986.  In addition to several of my own pieces, I played general repertory works:  Beethoven "Waldstein" sonata, Chopin's G Minor Ballade, Prokofieff's Suggestion Diabolique.  And since that year was the centennial of Liszt's death, I presented two works in his memory:  Un Sospiro and La Campanella.

I still have a reasonable-quality cassette recording of that recital, and I have recently digitized it and applied noise reduction to eliminate most of the tape hiss.  The eventual plan is to put all of the general-repertory performances on Soundcloud and also make them into videos for my YouTube channel.  I just completed this video for Un Sospiro this morning.

From about 2000 to 2013, I hardly touched the piano, so my technique is far inferior to what it was then (although I'm practicing a lot now).  Fortunately, I'm mostly playing my own compositions these days, and technically my music is much less demanding than these Liszt works.

[adodd81802]

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[lateromantic]

Why did you stop playing the piano? I hope it was a damn good reason!

Not sure I could live with myself to be able to perform such beautiful music and give it all up!

It was from a combination of disillusionment/depression, the necessity to earn a living in another field, and the pursuit of other interests.  The important thing is:  I've been back to it in the last 2-3 years!

[kalospiano]

hard to believe that anyone at that level of piano playing would need to earn a living in other fields. The world is indeed unfair. Glad you're back to playing now! I'll definitely watch your other videos.

[lateromantic]

Thanks, kalospiano, I really appreciate that.

[mjames]

ggwp

[lateromantic]

ggwp

Thanks, I had to look up the acronym!

[abielikesu]

Really nice.

[lateromantic]

Thanks, abielikesu. 

[lamadoo]

  bravo, we eagerly await your la campanella video 

[ronde_des_sylphes]

A committed performance. Good tonal range and colour, despite the limitations of the cassette recording.

[lateromantic]

bravo, we eagerly await your la campanella video 

All in due time.   I have so many other musical projects going on right now.  I'm suddenly finding opportunities to get some of my non-piano-solo compositions played and recorded.  Plus I'm getting married in a week and a half.  So I'm somewhat busy at the moment.

In the meanwhile, my La Campanella can be heard on my Soundcloud site, lateromantic.

[lamadoo]

All in due time.   I have so many other musical projects going on right now.  I'm suddenly finding opportunities to get some of my non-piano-solo compositions played and recorded.  Plus I'm getting married in a week and a half.  So I'm somewhat busy at the moment.

In the meanwhile, my La Campanella can be heard on my Soundcloud site, lateromantic.

Congratulations on your marriage lateromantic! Sounds great and exciting, i am now a fan of your work 

[lateromantic]

Thanks, Lamadoo!  I just finished enjoying your rendition of the Nocturne op. 9/2, a work that has been constantly in my own repertoire for some fifty years (i. e., ever since high school).  Your interpretation is very beautiful, and your approach to the cadenza is both original and effective.