Pedaling advice

[pianoise]

Hello,
I'm seeking advice on how to correctly pedal the bars shown in the attached image.

In bar 15, I keep the damper pedal depressed to sustain the middle C#, holding it until the second A in bar 16.

However, using only the damper pedal creates another issue: the C# F# A chord would be lost when releasing the damper pedal. It seems I might need to use the sostenuto pedal on that chord, as indicated in the image.

I've never used the sostenuto pedal before, and I understand it's rarely employed. Am I overcomplicating things here?

Thank you for any insights 🙂

[brogers70]

Maybe you are indeed over complicating things. I don't think you need the damper pedal at all. Holding it down as you have indicated will mean you have a G#/Anatural dissonance sounding throughout what looks like a simple F# minor chord. So instead of using the pedal I would just hold down the notes of the F# minor chord in the left hand (restriking them when they occur in the written arpeggios). So for example, in measure 15 in the left hand you play F#-G#-A-C#, as written, but you release the G# immediately after you play it and hold down the F#-A-C# until the music tells you to strike them again. That will also sustain the C# whole note in the right hand. You could use the damper pedal just briefly to smooth out the transitions between the three RH chords that are shown legato from measure 15 to measure 16. I wouldn't mess with the sostenuto pedal for this.

[bryfarr]

Hello,
I'm seeking advice on how to correctly pedal the bars shown in the attached image.

In bar 15, I keep the damper pedal depressed to sustain the middle C#, holding it until the second A in bar 16.

However, using only the damper pedal creates another issue: the C# F# A chord would be lost when releasing the damper pedal. It seems I might need to use the sostenuto pedal on that chord, as indicated in the image.

I've never used the sostenuto pedal before, and I understand it's rarely employed. Am I overcomplicating things here?

Thank you for any insights 🙂

What piece is this?  Debussy?

I wouldn't hold the pedal down throughout - very muddy effect - it's perfectly possible to hold the c# with 2 of the LH, replaying them as written.  It might take some practice, but I'm quite sure it's what the composer had in mind.

[pianoise]

Thank you all for your suggestions. This piece is contemporary, but it's possible the composer was influenced by Debussy - who knows? 🙂

From what I understand, you're both recommending that I hold the C# with my left hand and use the damper pedal as sparingly as possible.
To compare approaches, I've recorded two versions on my Yamaha P515 digital piano:

• Using both damper and sostenuto pedals;
• Using the damper pedal only for the right-hand chord transitions and to sustain the final chord at the end of measure 16 (which seems unavoidable)

I've noticed that my right hand sounds quite harsh in the recording. It's worth mentioning that the piece is marked 'adagio cantabile', so I'll definitely need to work on a softer touch.

I'd appreciate your thoughts on these recordings and any further advice if you have any.

Thanks again for your help! 🙂

[brogers70]

Well, I've changed my mind. I think the blur from the pedal is in character for the piece, so I liked version 1 better.

[bryfarr]

Ravel and Debussy especially tend to write with held notes like that...

Didn't know the tempo - I was thinking it was allegretto.  TBH I think it would sound better a little faster than your recordings .. those are 16th notes, you're playing sounds more like Adagio or Largo.  With your digital piano, you're not getting a lot of overtones, I was imaging how it would sound on my 7 foot grand, so where it should be pedaled, it should be changed frequently.

This just goes to show how the piano, the room, and the tempo are all contributing factors in deciding how to PEDAL ...

[pianoise]

My recordings are indeed slower than intended for now. Generally speaking, the piece averages around 65 BPM, but there's room for interpretation, it's not super-strict.

At this stage, I'm primarily focused on mastering the pedaling technique. There's still much to refine in terms of touch, dynamics, and overall interpretation.

Thank you all for your insights and guidance.  🙂