Piano Forum

Well, I've certainly got a response from this!

Can I just say I do truly appreciate you all taking the time to listen and make such thoughtful comments. I don't know if interest has already waned in discussing this further but if anyone would like to talk further, here or elsewhere, I'd be happy to.

Allow to address some more of what has been said.

@j_tour I profoundly appreciate what you've said. I suspect, like me, you don't mind your interpretations loose, passionate and vivid which is what I hope I achieved. The video is actually rather bad (the camera kept going in and out of focus) so it's fine to take the audio alone, it's the point. When you say "up there with anyone" that's precisely what I'm aiming at and I don't feel I should apologise. I don't see any point in creating a subtle variation on the same thing someone else has recorded, in a reality often ignored by pianistic connoisseurs the simple fact we are playing from the same sheet music is enough, we should be as different and creative as possible so that we contribute something original to the body of interpretations that exist. There's no need or point for pianists to be the equivalent of record players anymore, we should be artists.

Anyway, I'd absolutely be more than happy to talk about how I go about interpreting this piece, I don't know if it'll make it easier to play though and I don't know if that's exactly what you meant but just let me know if you want to talk, here or by PM and I'll respond.

@Vanii

I have to disagree I'm afraid. There is subtlety, it simply exists alongside radical choices that could be called unsubtle and that can be disputed of course but that doesn't change the fact that there is subtlety in this recording though I understand why you say what you say.

My tempo choices seem to have convinced some, perhaps it's just not to your taste, I don't like to play tempos I don't believe in. To be honest, the composer and period only has a mild to moderate influence on me in this regard, sometimes basically none. What you call erratic I personally find the most thrilling way to play. It could be a little better perhaps, I'm not 100% satisfied with this recording but it is how I want to play it, at least for now.

At 4:46 I'm indulging my grunge roots

I don't deny that a gentler, finer interpretation is possible, I sometimes play that way when I want to for pieces I want to, I just like this particular vision best for this piece.

But please Vanii, don't feel I'm offended or dismissive of your comments, I'll think about them and I appreciate them. I also do love that you are curious to see where it might lead, thank you.

@quantum

Thanks very much for the first paragraph, I can definitely understand my interpetation is not for everyone but you still say it has merit so thank you.

Perhaps there are some slight inconsistencies. Perhaps there are a few impediments to the vision I'm going for but it took a while to get this take and I was tired Haha! But I may break future recordings into smaller takes and be fussier about details and such. Thanks again quantum.


Finally, I just want to say to everyone, while I seem to have some degree of attention, I will be recording more and more substantial pieces, of course I still have small ones in the pipeline but if you're only interested in the bigger works (which still won't be that huge) that's fine. I think they'll still be controversial but perhaps I'm not the only one who needs to rethink things a bit. Let's face it, if the piano and classical music is going to reverse its decline... it must change...