Chopin Prelude in E minor (Op.28 No.4)

[lettersquash]

After endless attempts over about a year, this is probably the first time I've got through this piece with little more error than a couple of hesitations (put it down to artistic rubato!). It feels like qute a milestone, although I know it's just the beginning of playing it confidently. Sorry about the distortion (input to a laptop on top of the upright, with Audacity, obviously with the gain too high), also mono ('combined stereo'), and, to me worst of all, the artificial boosting of volume during the quiet parts, which I always thought was due to electret mics and suchlike, but it doesn't do this in Audacity, so it's on the export. If anyone can advise how to export the audio without this, I'd be very grateful (it does it when I export as WAV too. Of course, any advice re piano technique gratefully received.

[faa2010]

Hey, how did you loaded your mp3 file? I have tried to do it, but the forum doesn't give me that option.  Sorry if I am asking in your post.

[lettersquash]

Hey, how did you loaded your mp3 file? I have tried to do it, but the forum doesn't give me that option.  Sorry if I am asking in your post.

There should be a link under the edit area, "Attachments and other options," and that should allow you to browse for the file to upload. Underneath the other options, there's "Attach:" and the Browse... button. Check the restrictions, it could be that.

The other thing is, it doesn't tell you it's uploaded, which makes it look like it's not done anything - until you post it. (It doesn't show up in Preview either.) Here's another test I'm doing to check. No problem asking here.

[lettersquash]

That worked.

[lelle]

Hey, good work with that prelude! I think you've reached your milestone indeed. I'd need a video to be able to give you technical advice beyond extremely generic, general comments. You seem to already be aware of some of the musical things, such as some hesitations sometimes impeding the flow of the piece. I can hear that you have some good ideas regarding the sound you are going for. I think you sometimes need to balance it a bit more, so that the melody is slightly more audible and the chords are slightly softer. Good work!

[lettersquash]

Thanks, lelle, those are indeed issues I'll work on, and I might get round to videoing at some point too.

[faa2010]

Thanks,

Sorry if I am replying right now, but these days I had a terrible headache.

I saw that I need to configure that option in my account.

BTW, I like the way the prelude sounds, bravo. Now the only thing left is watching how you are playing, your sitting position, your hands, the way you move, etc.

[swede1]

Nice, try forte in melody and pianissimo on chords, and vary dynamics more, let melody notes stand out and almost not hear chords somtimes and forte sometimes. My amateurish points. Its pretty good, musical, Go a step further and put in your deepest sorrow and regret in it. Put your soul in the music, play it when you are in a blue mood. Breathe more, more rubato, stop after inhale and then go on. Chopin knew how to express sorrow and pain.

Heres my amateurish try, not very sublime... full moon. Hard to keep the left hand soft, just want to bang on now and then. Too good mood for this now.

[lettersquash]

Thanks everyone,
@swede1, that's an interesting and soulful interpretation, thanks for posting.

I've been listening to mine again and feel the balance isn't too far off, but it's all personal taste - probably the treble sounded more in the room too, but certainly I lose the melody notes here and there to the chords.

Regarding my question about why the recording had lower volumes boosted more and more as notes faded, I found the answer and it's not that at all. I discovered my default audio player (PotPlayer) had somehow got Audio > Audio Effects > Normalizer switched on, so it was on the playback it was boosting the quieter parts. I wondered why I was struggling to find a recording device that didn't do it, which I know is a thing. Then I was playing with some individual piano note samples the other day and it was really obvious!