Steinway Piano Improvisations (video)

[nickc]

I love this particular Steinway Model B... a beautiful instrument.

This is a musical followup to some ideas I wanted to further develop musically and emotionally. Take it easy


1) Sapphire Red 0:00
2) Ballade in B+ 16:44
3) Alone 27:16
4) Little Star 32:40

Nicholas

[ted]

This is very good indeed, and I shall listen to it again. I see no reason to list specific sections of it, it is all very vital, but rather reason to ponder the general effect of your spontaneous creation, and why it has the effect on me it does, why it compels me to carry on listening until the end. The distinguishing quality of your playing is the sensation that I am listening to much more than a piano. Some people call it orchestral playing, but it is not, strictly speaking, an imitation of an orchestra. Nonetheless, that is not an inappropriate metaphor by any means. Many famous pianists, past and present, improvisers and otherwise, have astonishingly accurate, error free mechanisms, but their effect is just that of a piano and nothing more, albeit amazingly well played.

How exactly does this happen ? Why does some playing transcend the limits of the instrument while most playing does not ? I can think of at least two causes, but there must be more to it. Firstly, there is its essentially asynchronous nature. By this I mean not just the aural fact that many notes are not played perfectly simultaneously, as the tyranny of written notation prescribes, but also that distinct, parallel streams of musical thought are going on. Secondly, there is what some people call layering, although that too, is an inadequate term. There is rather a constant shifting of note importance, achieved not simply by playing some notes louder than others or with more pedal, but also by the aforementioned technique of shifting salient sounds off the internally perceived metre and beat, if such exist (in a good improvisation they often don't).

Actually, discussing this beyond a certain point can be counter productive to flow so please don't bother in your case because you already have the quality in spades, and it should be left well alone to develop at your unconscious level. I liked your declamatory opening in particular, you have one over me there. I seem unable to play a decent opening myself. It takes me about ten minutes before things start to happen, and my endings are always dicey at the best of times. My improvisations are like urine tests, best kept to mid-stream !

Oh yes, you have a very, very good feeling for stride playing. Not many have. It reminds me of Eubie Blake and Luckey Roberts, but without their mechanical patches and belting.

     

[nickc]

Ted, my music is best when life isn't. Thank you for your encouragement... I have no idea where my music will go and as you say, "it should be left well alone to develop at your unconscious level".

I hope the second listening will reveal more musical and emotional treasures for you to ponder. Take care,

Nicholas

[furtwaengler]

I just listened to the entire recording, agreeing with Ted that it holds the attention and keeps us listening. To his thoughtful thoughts, I add my appreciation. It is a true development. Your ideas are maturing and coming out with great force and depth. i can sense the emotion and the escape that this is, how in these moments you can get in the space. I'm sorry that times may be tough, but I pray looking back the bad times will be the good times because of all the growth and character which can only be built in such times. 

[Derek]

Good stuff! Sorry I don't have more to say about it; Try as I have since I began playing, I never can seem to formulate anything amounting to a consciously verbal response to music, I just like it or I don't.