Piano Forum

Piano Street Magazine:
Watch the Chopin Competition 2025 with us!

Great news for anyone who loves Chopin’s music! Piano Street’s Chopin Competition tool now includes all 1,848 recorded performances from the Preliminary Round to Stage 3. Dive in and listen now! Read more

Topic: Ballade for left hand only  (Read 2282 times)

Offline ronde_des_sylphes

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 2980
Ballade for left hand only
on: May 18, 2017, 01:41:27 AM
Experimental piece of improvisation. Fairly standard genre but presenting myself with the challenge of trying to maintain a decent sonic and expressive result using only the left hand. Sorry about the phone going off in the background near the end!)

Edit: video now added -

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 ted

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 4029
Re: Ballade for left hand only
Reply #1 on: May 18, 2017, 05:51:26 AM
You have succeeded in getting a musical result with one hand, which is the hard part. I expect we all do a fair bit of difficult, one-handed physical practice, but I imagine inventing playing forms which produce interesting music is an art in itself, especially with respect to rhythm. I seem to recall a thread of one-handed improvisations some years ago which produced one or two interesting ideas.

Found it:

https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php?topic=39198.0
"Mistakes are the portals of discovery." - James Joyce

Offline ronde_des_sylphes

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 2980
Re: Ballade for left hand only
Reply #2 on: May 18, 2017, 12:13:29 PM
Thanks.. and I'll try to take a look at the posted link, sounds interesting!
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 furtwaengler

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 1357
Re: Ballade for left hand only
Reply #3 on: May 23, 2017, 05:33:41 AM
Very smooth technique, and a nicely thought out improv with a structure.
Don't let anyone know where you tie your goat.

Offline ronde_des_sylphes

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 2980
Re: Ballade for left hand only
Reply #4 on: May 24, 2017, 02:02:33 PM
Thanks... firstly I think it helps that I've done work on a few lh only transcriptions, and secondly if it holds up structurally that's a fortuitous accident! The only things I remember consciously deciding to do were the modulations into the relative major for variety, and bringing back the opening statement to mark the beginning of the coda. Other than that, it was pretty much on impulse.
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 visitor

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 5294
Re: Ballade for left hand only
Reply #5 on: October 24, 2025, 01:36:32 AM
Luv this

Offline ronde_des_sylphes

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 2980
Re: Ballade for left hand only
Reply #6 on: October 24, 2025, 11:10:48 AM
Thanks!  :)
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
For more information about this topic, click search below!

Piano Street Magazine:
Boris Giltburg’s Big Season in Germany

Boris Giltburg is set for a remarkable season across Germany, performing with top orchestras in Essen, Dresden, Frankfurt, and Leipzig. In this wide-ranging interview with Eric Schoones, the pianist reflects on his deep connection to Rachmaninoff, the emotional depths of Beethoven, and his upcoming exploration of Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier—a new “final frontier” in his artistic journey. Read more
 

Logo light pianostreet.com - the website for classical pianists, piano teachers, students and piano music enthusiasts.

Subscribe for unlimited access

Sign up

Follow us

Piano Street Digicert