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Topic: Boastfulness in piano-playing  (Read 1956 times)

Offline octave_revolutionary

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Boastfulness in piano-playing
on: October 09, 2016, 08:00:36 PM
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Offline dogperson

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Subjectively, I think your project of getting live performances and selling enough tickets is prematurely timed.  I have looked at your YouTube channel, and if you exclude the 'outrageously fast' submissions, there are only a small number posted.

You might consider adding a large number of submissions to your YouTube site and building up a following prior to looking at doing live concerts.  IMHO.

Offline octave_revolutionary

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@dogperson Thanks for the suggestion; in the meantime, I have added my Soundcloud account to my original post in this thread, where as of the date of this post you can hear me play Schumann's Kreisleriana (complete, although the piano in that recording is not great). I hope that garners some sympathy- and it's FREE!  :)

Meanwhile, more constructive suggestions are always welcome.

Offline davidjosepha

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The problem is that you have no fans

Offline octave_revolutionary

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The problem is that you have no fans

???  :o???!! :o

Offline octave_revolutionary

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The problem is that you have no fans

Can't wait to see how many you have  ::) ;D ;D

Offline yewtree

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I thought this was going to be interesting. 

 :-\

Offline toughbo

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Offline perfect_pitch

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Can't wait to see how many you have  ::) ;D ;D

I'm going to try and be impartial... possibly.

When you start a thread entitled: One of the most baffling conundrums in the history of the piano - that implies a type of egotism that is usually only reserved for people like Trump... or Mussolini.

That's already off-putting, and then considering that most of your YouTube channel videos have either half of the people down-voting your videos, or more than half down-voted. Obviously what you are posting is not garnering you fans.

And then your boastfulness is a little extreme (much like your piano channel), when you see comments like:

Hehe, even the hammer shanks on many grands might not withstand this kind of playing..... especially on antique grands with very dry wood...... but I don't recommend trying to emulate this style of playing, on any piano at all; it's painful for the fingers, and worse- it's really very risky for them too.........

Or when someone mentioned that Argerich could play them faster:

I compared her recording (the really fast one, with Dutoit) in my DAW with my own, and there's no doubt about it: if I would have played the triplets in the sixth and seventh bars of this cadenza in the same tempo that she played them, then I would have finished at EXACTLY the same time as she does. I'm not implying that she plays it wrong; but that's not the way Tchaikovsky wrote it. ;-)

If you're not implying that she plays it wrong, but you're saying that she is playing it differently from the score...

YOU'RE IMPLYING THAT SHE'S WRONG!!!

And this is a world class pianist we're talking about (Argerich).

Offline georgey

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I will also try to be impartial.  I have not seen Octave’s you tube channel but I have heard some of his recordings posted on Pianostreet.  In regard to the prior post:

“…. That's already off-putting”

My thoughts: Perhaps you are correct. EDIT "One of the most baffling conundrums in the history of the piano" Could also be just to get attention.  I think it might be fine.

“and then considering that most of your YouTube channel videos have either half of the people down-voting your videos, or more than half down-voted. Obviously what you are posting is not garnering you fans. “  

My thoughts: Some or many or most of the other half that up-voted are most likely fans.  And so he most likely does have fans.  So I disagree with this statement.

“Or when someone mentioned that Argerich could play them faster: I compared her recording (the really fast one, with Dutoit) in my DAW with my own, and there's no doubt about it: if I would have played the triplets in the sixth and seventh bars of this cadenza in the same tempo that she played them, then I would have finished at EXACTLY the same time as she does. I'm not implying that she plays it wrong; but that's not the way Tchaikovsky wrote it.”

My thoughts: Music is not a speed contest.

“If you're not implying that she plays it wrong, but you're saying that she is playing it differently from the score...YOU'RE IMPLYING THAT SHE'S WRONG!!! And this is a world class pianist we're talking about (Argerich).”

My thoughts: Perhaps you are correct here.  Better might be:  "I don't intend to imply that she plays it wrong; but that's not the way Tchaikovsky wrote it IMO."  Also, I believe Argerich is at minimum a world class pianist.

Offline octave_revolutionary

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Re: Boastfulness in piano-playing
Reply #10 on: April 20, 2017, 12:04:28 PM
Allright, let me clarify here....

I'm going to try and be impartial... possibly.

When you start a thread entitled: One of the most baffling conundrums in the history of the piano - that implies a type of egotism that is usually only reserved for people like Trump... or Mussolini.

Well, it certainly worked, with regard to getting views......... anyway, I kind of suspected people would find it boastful, but what would YOU do to attract attention to people on this forum, if you had already posted an announcement to the effect that you were planning on giving concerts in the near future and few, if anybody responded? (Presuming you had my technique, of course)



And then your boastfulness is a little extreme (much like your piano channel), when you see comments like:

Hehe, even the hammer shanks on many grands might not withstand this kind of playing..... especially on antique grands with very dry wood...... but I don't recommend trying to emulate this style of playing, on any piano at all; it's painful for the fingers, and worse- it's really very risky for them too.........


As I have already specified, and I will say it again, these stunts should NOT be emulated by other pianists, as they CAN very easily injure the performer: I set out to perform that stuff in that manner of my own free will, but DO NOT encourage imitating it;


YOU'RE IMPLYING THAT SHE'S WRONG!!!

And this is a world class pianist we're talking about (Argerich).

If I would have played it the way she plays it, at least one self-appointed critic would have probably  peppered the corresponding Youtube page with caustic and derisive comments about how wrongly I played it.... but since she's Argerich, she can get away with it (actually I like the way she plays it better than the way it's written in the score anyway).........

I think I know what I'll do- I'll just make another recording of those octaves applying Argerich's speed to the triplets as well as the semiquavers, and just let the two recordings co-exist......  now why didn't I think of that earlier?!! (TALK ABOUT "esprit d'escalier"!!!!) :o :o :D ;D

Oh, and by the way, I changed the title of this topic, as you can see now. I hope that makes everybody happy.  ;)

Offline ronde_des_sylphes

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Re: Boastfulness in piano-playing
Reply #11 on: April 21, 2017, 08:47:23 PM
I don't see the problem in a little bit of hype. Sure it may irritate some, but that's the chance you take. Tiempo is pretty fast as well in the Tchaikovsky octaves, iirc. I went back and watched the Prokofiev afresh and quite enjoyed the sheer percussive brutality of it. How are your interlocking octaves btw?
My website - www.andrewwrightpianist.com
Info and samples from my first commercial album - https://youtu.be/IlRtSyPAVNU
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Offline octave_revolutionary

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Re: Boastfulness in piano-playing
Reply #12 on: April 21, 2017, 08:57:42 PM
@ronde_des_sylphes I'll definitely post a video of my interlocking octaves someday, they're pretty good!

Anyone want to accuse me of boastfulness for this last statement?  ::) ;D ;D

Offline ronde_des_sylphes

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Re: Boastfulness in piano-playing
Reply #13 on: April 21, 2017, 09:05:28 PM
Good. I look forward to that! Here are mine ;) audio but I could find video if necessary. I think they are quite fast but maybe you will win.  ;D
My website - www.andrewwrightpianist.com
Info and samples from my first commercial album - https://youtu.be/IlRtSyPAVNU
My SoundCloud - https://soundcloud.com/andrew-wright-35

Offline octave_revolutionary

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Re: Boastfulness in piano-playing
Reply #14 on: April 21, 2017, 09:16:15 PM
@ronde_des_sylphes Good double octaves! But double octaves are relatively easy to play, and stunningly effective........ I believe they're one of Liszt's innovations

Offline ronde_des_sylphes

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Re: Boastfulness in piano-playing
Reply #15 on: April 21, 2017, 09:26:13 PM
:) yeah, they are a great idea. First seen in the fantasy on Halevy's La Juive.
My website - www.andrewwrightpianist.com
Info and samples from my first commercial album - https://youtu.be/IlRtSyPAVNU
My SoundCloud - https://soundcloud.com/andrew-wright-35

Offline abel2

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Or when someone mentioned that Argerich could play them faster

Offline rachmaninoff_forever

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Re: Boastfulness in piano-playing
Reply #17 on: April 25, 2017, 05:52:40 PM
whos worse revolutionary octaves or the89thkey?  ???
Live large, die large.  Leave a giant coffin.

Offline octave_revolutionary

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Re: Boastfulness in piano-playing
Reply #18 on: April 25, 2017, 11:08:28 PM
whos worse revolutionary octaves or the89thkey?  ???

I have started a poll in Miscellaneous in order to find that out. 

Offline abel2

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Or when someone mentioned that Argerich could play them faster:
Hey, that was me....
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