Chopin - Prelude, op. 28, no. 15 (Raindrop)

[pjjslp]

This is my first audition room posting, so please be gentle! Although I used to love performing in any capacity, it turns out that even recording myself on my iPad makes me nervous these days. I have no opportunities to perform, so recording and posting is my only chance to start getting over this unfamiliar anxiety.

Apologies for the poor recording quality and the couple of wrong notes. Otherwise, enjoy! Helpful comments much appreciated  

[109natsu]

Hi pjjslp,

First of all congratulations on your great performance!

I loved how you brought out not just the top melody, but also the middle and the bass, making a full, rich color in the A section.
I also loved your voicing of the counter melody of the right hand, in the B section.

Here are some advices I can give you. I played the piece three years ago.
- Try playing with out looking at the score (memorizing). This how we do it in performances, and it is more professional that way.
- Try to drop into the piano, especially on the repeated notes. Imagine your fingers are the raindrop soaking into the sand (keyboard). Pushing the keys is not the correct way to play the piano. Piano playing generally consists of dropping into the keys, the bouncing back from the keys (Newton's law of motion, for every force, there is an opposite and equal reaction).
- In Measures 40 to 43, and Measures 56 to 59, imagine that you are dropping through the keyboard. Don't tension your arms.
- In Measure 76, have a different feeling than what you started with. For example, feel the relief of arriving back home from a storm.
- From Measure 84 to the end, enjoy the different colors, and bring out more of the moving voices.

I hope this helps improve your playing furthermore. I am just a student, so you don't have to take my words seriously

Again, I loved your playing, and happy practicing.

*-*

Natsu Ozawa
Bloomington, IN

[pjjslp]

Thanks very much for your thoughtful feedback! Yes, I've become very reliant on the score these days. Memorizing used to come easily to me (back in my own student days!), but it doesn't anymore. Luckily, I don't need to worry about looking professional, since I am related to everyone who hears me play.  Thank you again!

[kawai_cs]

Hi pjjslp, I have tried to listen to your recording several times but each time the video freezes right in the beginning and a message about interruptions is displayed.

[pjjslp]

Hi pjjslp, I have tried to listen to your recording several times but each time the video freezes right in the beginning and a message about interruptions is displayed.

That is odd. I wonder why? It works fine for me but maybe that's because I uploaded it. I had it set to "unlisted" but have now changed the setting to "public," so maybe the link will work now? Thank you for trying, anyway! I can't figure out how to embed the video in my post.

[georgey]

Hi pjjslp.   I love this piece.  Very well played! 

[chopinlover01]

Nice playing!
Just a couple general things.
1st is mic placement; your playing sounds like it's balanced, and you've got great tone, but I think the mic placement isn't doing you any favors. As such, the A flat/G sharp repeated notes come out a little heavy.
Other than that, great job! If you'd like to play for each other and give tips, you're more than welcome to PM me (as is anyone else, haha!).
If you'd like some examples of my playing, you can find my most recent recordings in the audition room; Chopin, mostly. Op 10 #9 and 17 # 4, but enough self promotion.
You play very expressively and very well. Nicely done!

[pjjslp]

Hi pjjslp.   I love this piece.  Very well played! 

Thank you! I have fallen in love with this piece and am trying to pick out my next Chopin to tackle. Probably a nocturne, but which one? So many beautiful ones to choose from.

[pjjslp]

Nice playing!
Just a couple general things.
1st is mic placement; your playing sounds like it's balanced, and you've got great tone, but I think the mic placement isn't doing you any favors. As such, the A flat/G sharp repeated notes come out a little heavy.
Other than that, great job! If you'd like to play for each other and give tips, you're more than welcome to PM me (as is anyone else, haha!).
If you'd like some examples of my playing, you can find my most recent recordings in the audition room; Chopin, mostly. Op 10 #9 and 17 # 4, but enough self promotion.
You play very expressively and very well. Nicely done!

Thank you for the feedback! Recording is a challenge, for sure. My piano is a digital, and I have been unable to find a way to record from the external speakers that sounds quite how I played it! I probably need to learn more about how to use some of the more technical functions on it, but I just want to play 

I greatly enjoyed your Chopin op. 17 no. 4!

[deandeblock]

Very well executed, musical and expressive! Great job

[pjjslp]

Very well executed, musical and expressive! Great job

Thanks! I appreciate it!

[kawai_cs]

Very nice pjjslp! I enjoyed it a lot. Nice dynamic control and good pedaling.

[quantum]

I think this was well done.  Good sense of pacing along with dynamic contrasts.  There were a few spots where a few notes tended to stick out, but that may be the recording or the digital piano. 

With regards to a previous comment, there is nothing wrong or unprofessional about playing with a score.  Professionals and skilled amateurs do it all the time.  It tends to be concert practice to memorize for pianists, but there is no reason you have to do this.  It makes you no less of a musician to play with music.  If you mainly play at home for enjoyment, then do what is most suited to you.

[georgey]

Thank you! I have fallen in love with this piece and am trying to pick out my next Chopin to tackle. Probably a nocturne, but which one? So many beautiful ones to choose from.

There are so many beautiful ones.  Op.9 No.1 and Op. 15 No.1 are 2 of my favorites.  If you haven’t played for a while, it might not be a bad idea to play one that you used to play.

[pjjslp]

Very nice pjjslp! I enjoyed it a lot. Nice dynamic control and good pedaling.

Thank you very much!

[pjjslp]

With regards to a previous comment, there is nothing wrong or unprofessional about playing with a score.  Professionals and skilled amateurs do it all the time.  It tends to be concert practice to memorize for pianists, but there is no reason you have to do this.  It makes you no less of a musician to play with music.  If you mainly play at home for enjoyment, then do what is most suited to you.

Thank you x1000 for saying this! I know I'm in a very different place with piano than many posters here, but part of my reluctance to post my playing was that I simply cannot memorize pieces right now. Well, I suppose I could, but at my age and with the demands of work, family, and home, my time and mental resources are limited. I've never been one to play by memory unless required (for a competition, recital, etc.). I prefer to spend my time playing, not memorizing. At this point, the only benefit for me would be getting away from page turns 

Anyway, thank you for this and for your kind comments!

[109natsu]

With regards to a previous comment, there is nothing wrong or unprofessional about playing with a score.  Professionals and skilled amateurs do it all the time.  It tends to be concert practice to memorize for pianists, but there is no reason you have to do this.  It makes you no less of a musician to play with music.  If you mainly play at home for enjoyment, then do what is most suited to you.

First of all, I meant this as just one suggestion. I memorize the music because it comes natural to me. I am sorry!!! I agree that you don't need to memorize for family performances. However, just saying, the only type of music where you are officially "allowed" to play from the music is chamber music.

There are so many beautiful ones.  Op.9 No.1 and Op. 15 No.1 are 2 of my favorites.  If you haven’t played for a while, it might not be a bad idea to play one that you used to play.

What? Where is Op.48-1? That's the beautiful nocturne. Also, I think the Fantasie Impromptu will be a good piece for you.

*-*

Natsu Ozawa
Bloomington, IN

[chris2014]

Hello, Really good attempt, I am quite a fan of this prelude myself.

I have a few pieces of advice,

- Rubato, despite Chopin's dedication to tempo, the romantic era was quite known for tempo rubato. some areas need to be slowed, like the end of sections A, B, A before the coda, while you do seem to play in tempo as the repeating Ab and G# notes, however, you should play it a tad slower all together to give a more dreamy feeling like a gentle patter of rain.

The climax in section B should be played slower, and with greater dynamics - for it was the romantic period where the piano got softer and the forte got louder.

I also noticed that you don't play some of the full chords in the piece, try rippling them like an arpeggio, gives contrast to the constant chords.

Section B, also try to make the right hand soft during the left hand voicing, it makes it more dark, and leads up to the booming climax of emotion that the piece holds.

I hope this advice can help you master the piece 
- Chris

[pjjslp]

Hello, Really good attempt, I am quite a fan of this prelude myself.

I have a few pieces of advice,

- Rubato, despite Chopin's dedication to tempo, the romantic era was quite known for tempo rubato. some areas need to be slowed, like the end of sections A, B, A before the coda, while you do seem to play in tempo as the repeating Ab and G# notes, however, you should play it a tad slower all together to give a more dreamy feeling like a gentle patter of rain.

The climax in section B should be played slower, and with greater dynamics - for it was the romantic period where the piano got softer and the forte got louder.

I also noticed that you don't play some of the full chords in the piece, try rippling them like an arpeggio, gives contrast to the constant chords.

Section B, also try to make the right hand soft during the left hand voicing, it makes it more dark, and leads up to the booming climax of emotion that the piece holds.

I hope this advice can help you master the piece 
- Chris

Thank you for your thoughtful comments! I am wondering which chords you thought I didn't play fully? I play it as written, however I'm wondering whether there are different editions or whether there were just notes that didn't come out well due to my poor recording setup. Thanks again!