Mozart Fantasia in D minor

[ranjit]

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

[lelle]

I think you are doing pretty good! Nice work with the fast passagework in particular

My main points of feedback would be:

- Intro: I recall you have some interest in theory, so consider the harmonic progression that is underlying these triplet patterns. What is happening? Where does he start, where is he going, when does he arrive? What function in the overall harmonic progression does each individual chord have? Do you show this with the way you are currently shaping things?

- Overall, I think the tempo could be a hair faster during the main parts of the fantasia, alternatively that you need a bit more forward drive during many of your phrases. Make sure there is always a direction when there needs to be; a point of departure and a point of arrival that you are consciously aiming for and showing with your playing, even if you do so subtly.

- Overall: be careful with the pedal in Mozart. Listen carefully so you don't mush melody notes together. In general, a good rule of thumb is to reduce the amount of pedal, or being extra careful, when you are pedalling a melody that is descending, especially when it's in a stepwise/scale-like motion. Ascending step-wise melodies are a bit more forgiving.

- The final part in major: It looked like you struggled a bit more with some of the things going on in this part. Whenever you struggle, it looks like you lose a lot of the elegantly relaxed approach you have in the fast cadenza like passages that you are doing quite well in the earlier parts. See if you can transfer over some of the technique you are using for the cadenzas to the more complex patterns in the major part.

[ranjit]

Thank you for your detailed observations! I agree with pretty much everything you've said and have been trying to work on them.