Rachmaninoff op.39 no.5 & no.1

[hakki]

I recorded these back to back. I can't record multiple takes. My ears and arms won't let me.
So, here they are with all the imperfection.
Hope you enjoy.

[essence]

Very nice. I understand what you mean about arms (and wrists) dropping off. I've played both these at master classes and amateur recitals.

Maybe a bit more dynamic range? It's hard playing softly when so many notes.

[hakki]

Thank you for the comment.

It turns out the export plug-in applied some sort of normalization.

Here are links to better quality audio.

op.39 no.5
https://app.box.com/s/3mqmkietin1orb5mcmddubidn3t4epir

op.39 no.1
https://app.box.com/s/53uwt5bb04u0vcljs7tkvcq25kp3rirl

[essence]

Yes, better dynamic range. Are those new performances? I think so.

Did you get all the demi semi quavers in bar 4 of no 5?

[hakki]

Yes I recorded them 5 days ago.

I think of them more like a trill. So I am not playing exactly as written probably.

[essence]

All performers I have heard play them as written.

Probably not as important as getting the overall structure and dynamics. Keep the quiet passages quiet and relaxed, and analyse the long buildups to ff. Make the fff louder than the ff !

Where is the overall climax?

Ashkenazy, which I grew up with, has quite a lot of tempo variations too, particularly in live performance. So does Lugansky, in the youtube I just found.

i=iw48IDVXB2GHBv6f

[hakki]

Thank you for the suggestion and the videos.
I will try to improve the dynamics.