Liszt - Un Sospiro

[erak]

I was very tired when recorded this, enjoy.

[rob47]

I liked it.  you play it like a *sigh* should sound.

Perhaps you could sing the melody out even more for a greater effect. i.e. make each note of the melody lead to the next, sometimes it is uneven. But hey that is the challenge in this piece!

[ted]

Well done Erik, I liked that very much. There are ten thousand valid ways of playing that piece and I heard a lot in yours that I haven't heard before. A Russian pianist once told me he thought of it as being like a crystal. He liked to make the important notes shine like coloured highlights in the transparent glass of figuration. I think the analogy is a good one. I play it differently to you, possibly with even less pedal and I usually take the last variation quite slowly because it's my favourite part of the piece and I linger on it (no doubt the wrong reason - but who cares ?)

If you do post more recordings, I think it might pay to set the recording level a little lower than necessary. That way there is minimal distortion - we can always turn the volume up.

[erak]

I recorded this on WAY too high volume, and cut a lot of dB's to make it listenable. This made a lot of soft notes just dissapear and some minor diminuendo's and crescendo's as well (like in the beginning melody). Makes the recording more flat and dry than I actually played it. I have no good recording experience whatsoever, and just used the free mic you get with any computer. So I this is the best I can do .

But thanks, glad you liked it.

[rafant]

!CLAP CLAP CLAP BRAVO CLAP CLAP CLAP!

[g_flat]

Okay, what Rob said about the melody singing out. That. Do that. This is coming from someone who probably couldn't play this piece, and even if he could, likely not as well as you. But even so, melody singing out and not being static = good musicianship. That's all i have...

[Nana_Ama]

The melody needs to sing out because I can hear it but it's not clear.  It's not focused and it doesn't have to be loud in order to be focused but I noticed that when you played louder the balance between the melody and the accompanyment (Sp??) was better.  During the softer, quiet parts make sure the melody stands out because sometimes it gets lost.  Good Job though!   

[ako]

Very nice indeed. I enjoyed listening to it very much. I played it a little differently and  I have a few suggestions as alternatives you might want to consider (or not;))

Rubato- At times I feel there's a little bit too much. For example in M10-11 I feel the phrase really need to go on to M11 and a little rubato can be taken at the very end of the phrase. The reason I say this is because this is the first time the listener gets to hear this phrase and I want them to hear it "as written" . When the phrase comes along again, I can do more with it.

Voicing- have you thought about which of the 2 RH notes you want to voice in M13-20?

M21- I wonder why you held back on the accents and the fermata note on the appasionato. Try it, you might like the passion. It also provides a contrast to the a tempo p dolce following.

M31-32 and M33-34 again, I feel the phrase should go across the bar line. If you must take some time to get to the first notes of the next measure, make sure the listener don't feel the phrase is broken.

I loved your languendo section. I also wondered why you chose to slow down in the accelerando section. Try accelerating, you might like the excitement.

In the section Un poco piu mosso- I like the LH melody. If you can bring the same type of phrasing from the beginning of the piece to this section, it'll be great.

I loved your RH basso marcato...very nice indeed.

Very last line- very nice tone control. Question: have you tried counting out your rit. in the last 3 measures? As a listener, I am constantly counting with the music so I am doing the rit. in my mind as I listen. It might be easier to prep. the listener for those last notes if the performer also count out the rit..

Great job! I don't think I can play this piece now after leaving it behind for 15 years. I envy your great technique.

[goansongo]

Very nice.  You play the runs really well. 

[Barbosa-piano]

 GREAT! You captured the spirit of it. I really like the way that the melodic line stood out, and the Forte on the low bass notes. Very captivating. Great job.
 

Sincerely,
Mario Barbosa

[exigence]

Nicely, nicely done, from yet another that probably could not play that piece well at the moment.

On the split octaves on the meloody's second appearance, and thereafter, I also think one of the two could be emphasized a bit more than it was in the recording.

As far as giving the piece life and making that piano sing, it was quite beautifully done - right at 4:20, I had to check to see the time so that I could refer to it, I don't know why it just kind of struck me - and elsewhere, I don't think I would have done much differently.

Re: the issue of rubato, I don't really think you overdid it, but that's just my opinion.  I personally probably would have shortened a couple of pauses just a little bit, but that's (a) preference, (b) needless nitpicking.  At that point, if you think you played it well and are happier with that as opposed to taking anyone's suggestion, you played it perfectly.

I'm sure I could better critique that .mp3 if I went to get the piece on paper in front of me, which I may do in a little while, but that's just what's off the top of my head.