Chopin Nocturne 13 in C Minor

[pencilart3]

ok ok there's a ton of mistakes who cares lol it was a request from a youtube comment

[outin]

Lovely playing as usual
Time for a tuner visit though...
And please do change for the next time, I cannot stand orange 

[pencilart3]

Time for a tuner visit though...

no NO NO NO!!!!!!


I JUST GOT IT TUNED
1 WEEK AGO!
AHHHHHHHHH!H!??!H!?!H?!!


haha thank you Outi I didn't know my pants would be in the video XD thanks for listening

[chopinlover01]

Your pants make you look like you just came out from Alcatraz.
That aside, some general comments on the playing.
Seems a bit lifeless in general.. Like you're just playing the notes. The exception being those rolled chords, which you played for a very nice effect.

[outin]

no NO NO NO!!!!!!


I JUST GOT IT TUNED
1 WEEK AGO!
AHHHHHHHHH!H!??!H!?!H?!!

Oh Challenging weather conditions? Or something wrong with my ears this morning? Can ears get out of tune? 

[pencilart3]

Your pants make you look like you just came out from Alcatraz.

Thanks *ignores*

Seems a bit lifeless in general.. Like you're just playing the notes.

I played it the way I did for very specific reasons. Lifeless is exactly the way I wanted the first 4 minutes to sound. So far past despair that there is no reason to struggle to survive. Finally one last burst of struggle before the final end. That is how I interpret it. Maybe you disagree, but it is not accidental. I was hoping somebody would say that

The exception being those rolled chords, which you played for a very nice effect.

thanks haha I guess I got lucky today

Challenging weather conditions? Or something wrong with my ears this morning? Can ears get out of tune? 

Oh no I'm sure your ears hear it right, probably some screw-up from my end!! And you know, it is South Dakota, the arctic wasteland! I am sitting inside as snow flies against my window, 2 inches outside....

[outin]

Oh no I'm sure your ears hear it right, probably some screw-up from my end!! And you know, it is South Dakota, the arctic wasteland! I am sitting inside as snow flies against my window, 2 inches outside....

Oh don't I know it! I have long given up on the idea of having a piano in tune all year long. The tuner comes once or twice a year and after he leaves the piano sounds wonderful for a few days...then some weird climate change comes and that's it... The only way to maintain the tuning would be by a fully climate controlled room...an automatic humidifier helps but especially during the winter the water tank is empty in less than a day.

Last week it was all spring already and then this Monday I woke up and it was white everywhere... Now it's back to sunny and springly again. I hope the weather man has made up his mind when the tuner comes in May.

[mjames]

Last week it was all spring already and then this Monday I woke up and it was white everywhere... Now it's back to sunny and springly again. I hope the weather man has made up his mind when the tuner comes in May.

I KNOW YOUR PAIN.
IT NEVER STOPS SNOWING.
...
And then the next day the sun is shining. what?!

@OP
Chopsticklover already pointed out my thoughts. Thought you needed more UMFFFFFF, and more "LETS MAKE THIS CRAY" moments but um. you're princess interpretation is fine too.

Just jk
Anyways your tone is so freaking controlled man, and the voicing during the end was well done. Nice nice
Now I feel like learning this nocturne. Lol
*RESISTS*

[pencilart3]

I KNOW YOUR PAIN.
IT NEVER STOPS SNOWING.
...
And then the next day the sun is shining. what?!

@OP
Chopsticklover already pointed out my thoughts. Thought you needed more UMFFFFFF, and more "LETS MAKE THIS CRAY" moments but um. you're princess interpretation is fine too.

Just jk
Anyways your tone is so freaking controlled man, and the voicing during the end was well done. Nice nice
Now I feel like learning this nocturne. Lol
*RESISTS*

Haha, I laughed when I read your post. Thanks man

[ajlongspiano]

Nice work, Noah.

Best,

AJ

[chopinlover01]

While I agree with a sense of dread in the beginning, I have to say I'm a bit bored by it. There's a good sense of lifelessness, and there's just me checking the timer on the video lifeless...

A couple other abstract thoughts:
Ornamentation- you can play around with the timing of these a bit more than you have. I know this is freshly learned, so I don't blame ya. But the ornaments felt like they were just written out notes rather than embellishments.
Harmony changes- don't get too quiet too soon. For instance, at around 1:10, you subito'd on a melody note, rather than with the harmonic change in the bass.
This also is even more important at the modulation to F minor. (1:24) The C7 goes quite, and thus, your transition to F minor has much less of an impact, as opposed to if you had stayed forte (which you barely reached to begin with) and then gone quiet with the harmonic change.

Let the chorale move a little more, and really let it sing. This is my favorite part of the piece, personally, it brings back a very nostalgic summer night spent with a close female friend of mine, lol.
Very nice harmonic change at 2:52.
On the octaves; I'd push ahead with those, to give some contrast, and then give the time back with your chords, making sure to let them sing.
At the final transition, to the doppio movimento, really get big. It might just be your audio settings, but my general impressions are a lack of loud moments. In the words of Garrick Ohlson, "Many people seem to think that when Chopin writes forte, being the sick weakling he was, that he couldn't have really meant it, and they play him as such. I get very cross with them when they do this!" (roughly paraphrased, lol)
THANK YOU for not rushing the doppio movimento. Nice work here, though I think you still work on the balance a little more.

All that aside, you still played it decently, especially for how quickly you've learned it! Keep it up, and keep refining it!

[pencilart3]

@AJ thanks buddy!

@Chopinlover wow thank you so, so much for that long insightful post. I know it's not fun to make those but I REALLY appreciate it. I will say that I played the C7 to F minor section extremely intentionally and will have a tough time being persuaded to play it loudly, but I will of course consider carefully what you suggested. Thank you so much, I love the chorale section also

[kawai_cs]

Noah, fine playing! I like that nocturne very much. Loved your arpeggios and sound control.
If I were to pick at something than I would say that some places, e.g around 0.42 or 1.39 it sounds like you are pressing the last note of the phrase down, instead of pulling it out so to make a round ending of a phrase, but I am really being picky;-) You played the ornaments very well. They sound a little nervous but they will settle down as you spend more time playing the piece. Great job!
 

[briansaddleback]

Noah, fine playing! I like that nocturne very much. Loved your arpeggios and sound control.
If I were to pick at something than I would say that some places, e.g around 0.42 or 1.39 it sounds like you are pressing the last note of the phrase down, instead of pulling it out so to make a round ending of a phrase, but I am really being picky;-) You played the ornaments very well. They sound a little nervous but they will settle down as you spend more time playing the piece. Great job!
 

Hey kawai you got time for this forum??

[kawai_cs]

Hey kawai you got time for this forum??

Why?

[briansaddleback]

Why?

fine. see you later.

[swagmaster420x]

wow ,nice performance. sounds unique in a good way.

[pencilart3]

Noah, fine playing! I like that nocturne very much. Loved your arpeggios and sound control.
If I were to pick at something than I would say that some places, e.g around 0.42 or 1.39 it sounds like you are pressing the last note of the phrase down, instead of pulling it out so to make a round ending of a phrase, but I am really being picky;-) You played the ornaments very well. They sound a little nervous but they will settle down as you spend more time playing the piece. Great job!
 

Hey thanks! I definitely need to work on that pulling instead of pushing thing. Haha I don't know why I sounded nervous because I wasn't at all, sitting at my house alone with my piano!

wow ,nice performance. sounds unique in a good way.

Thanks a bunch swagmaster! I really try to make my recordings unique, even if they are incorrect. I want to try to offer something new to the musical community, even if it is simply rejected, but to put it up for consideration rather then just have another spin off of what has already been done

[kawai_cs]

Haha I don't know why I sounded nervous because I wasn't at all, sitting at my house alone with my piano!

I found your playing relaxed and very fine! It is only some of the ornaments that sounded a little nervous, though they were still played very well. I noticed it bc I experience the same thing when I prepare a piece to perform over a short period of time. Anyways, beautiful nocturne and beautiful playing!

[pencilart3]

I found your playing relaxed and very fine! It is only some of the ornaments that sounded a little nervous, though they were still played very well. I noticed it bc I experience the same thing when I prepare a piece to perform over a short period of time. Anyways, beautiful nocturne and beautiful playing!

That makes sense. Thanks Kawai!