Good enough for Postgraduate Audition? (Beethoven & Liszt)

[lisztarian]

I'm applying for York, Leeds, and Newcastle for MMus Piano Performance. I still have doubts about my own recordings which I wish to send. I know both recordings are long so I really appreciate every second you spend on this post, and I will not be able to repay such great generosity from you. Here are the two recordings (Both recorded during live concert performances):


1- Beethoven Piano Sonata Op.2, No.3 (1st movement):

2- Franz Liszt - Dante Sonata

The Beethoven was recorded March of this year, while Liszt's was July 2014.

[isaacmalitz]

I listened to portions of both recordings.
I am not on a music faculty, but I am involved in music management in Los Angeles
  (on the BOD of www.MondayEveningConcerts.org)
  We know a lot of pianists!

[1] Practical feedback

   - Find out as specifically as possible what the decision-process/decision-criteria
     are at York, Leeds, Newcastle.

   - If possible, find out who the decision-makers are and whether they have
      any personal biases etc. (e.g. "Prof. Frufrumacher hates the Liszt Dante Sonata ...")

(Admissions is a bureaucracy, so is a lot of the music business.
So part of the career is to become a master of the bureaucracy.
Which can actually be enjoyable. The social aspects are excellent ...)

[2] In my personal opinion, your playing sounds excellent. You sound like someone who has had excellent training and is well-prepared for a graduate program. And also a capable performer as-is right-now. I would guess that you would be a very good ensemble player, a role for which you are probably professionally qualified right now.

[3] If you would like some artistic-level critique/comments on your playing, let me know, I would provide those in a separate post.

[4] Re Beethoven Op. 2 #3, a fun fact: The opening flourish of the Mr Rogers Theme Song ("It's a Won-der-ful Day in the Neighborhood"), is exactly the opening flourish of the last movement of the Beethoven. (The pianist in Mr Rogers' band was an accomplished musician who had been studying Op. 2 #3) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vtc7A67kZlQ