VIDEO: Ravel - Une barque sur l'océan

[ahoffmann]

It was high time for another video and something other than a Chopin etude. I love Ravel and have been wanting to learn this piece for a long time:

[kalospiano]

oh my oh my oh my I love this piece so effin much and you play just beautifully, wow, just wow!
I also liked the choice of background, with the overlapping music score and the view on your hands going at the speed of light. Pleasant to the ears and to the eyes.

May I humbly dare to ask you the following questions?
- how long have you been playing?
- how long have you studied this piece?
- how difficult did you find this piece? Also like in comparison with other important works, like the Chopin etudes for instance.
- did I say wow already?

[ahoffmann]

Thanks kalospiano, that's great feedback

I've been playing piano for more than 20 years now though not always intensively.
This is a pretty new piece. I've been meaning to learn it for a long time and really needed a break from Chopin etudes. I started properly end of January and recorded it end of March.

It's extremely difficult. I find Ravel one of the hardest composers. The main reason is that the pianistic challenges (which are many) I'd like to be not even noticeable. Chopin etudes are at least allowed to look and sound difficult. Hell, they're supposed to be a technical challenge. But something like this, ideally, I'd like for example the opening arpeggios to sound like they're nothing - as if I didn't spend countless hours practicing them.
That's also why I think Gaspard de la nuit is the most difficult piece. One thing about this piece though is that it's so well written that you never feel like you have to search for what Ravel meant. A very rewarding piece and fun to play once you get it under your fingers. Unlike Ondine which always feels like hard work from beginning to end.

thx again for your kind words.

[indianajo]

It's extremely difficult. I find Ravel one of the hardest composers. The main reason is that the pianistic challenges (which are many) I'd like to be not even noticeable.

Amazing. 
Sounds effortless, which shows the great effort.  I'm not even going to try. 
Great recording too. 
Thanks for contributing.

[ahoffmann]

Thx indianajo.
I'm very happy it looks effortless. It's a case of looks departing greatly from reality