Alive still

I have been away from Piano Society for a very very long time. No issue with the site or any of the users, but only with myself.

We had to move late last year and for several months we thought of little else and it was only in April that I began to breathe again. Our new flat is a bit noisy and is smaller that the other one, but, contrary to what I thought, not impossible to record in.

Of course I still have the seedy mp3 voice recorder and that is an issue, as I cannot find a decent one in the shop (only one these days that I know of and that is the piano shop).

The piano, even though an upright, is not all that bad, being a largish Petrof. It is, however, very much in need of tuning and regulating. The last time I called the tuner he had just been discharged from hospital, so he was not in the mood to tune.

I was becoming increasingly frustrated, so for a couple of months or so I took some lessons, chiefly because I wanted to have the occasion to use a grand piano. The results were not all that bad, though often I was given a grand that was inferior to my upright. The last time they actually gave me a Chinese upright, the dynamic rage starting at ff and progressing. There were some issues with the teacher, which tended to contradict a lot of the things I learned, but the experience gave me better confidence and now I have hit n a very good practise method and I am managing to bring many pieces to speed and correcting errors which had been with me for years. These were not due to faulty technique, but to tension, mostly mental. Nowadays I concentrate on the passages I have problems with, playing them from memory. Considering those usually were the passages which I stumbled upon exactly because they did not seem memorised, I have managed to convince myself that, on the contrary, they were perfectly in the head but that the problem would be a wrong finger, for example, which would only play wrong when at speed. I also had a problem with a rebellious right hand fifth finger, which tended to get high and dry when the going got tough. By playing problematic passages by heart and looking hard at the culprit, I have managed to resolve that too.

I also undertook to learn some pieces which, in theory, would have been way beyond my capabilities, such as one of Bortkiewicz's Etudes op 15. At least the erstwhile piano teacher refused to help me out, mainly because she herself was out of her depth. Reading was extremely hard, practising even more, but now most is memorised and the results... Anything now seems easy and I even pick some things up that before I could not play at all and wonder what the problem was|.

If an when I do decent recordings I would like to avoid raised eyebrows and would like to post these recordings. These are by no means submissions and they are not meant to be put up. There are many issues with them: the piano is out of tune, the pedal squeaks, there is a fan and a clock in the background, there is hiss. The playing is by no means perfect and there are many things I can (and am) improving. One great thing is that now I can record without going into a panic and am starting to be able to play naturally with the recorder on. Several of these are not edited at all, except to correct imperfections caused by the recorder itself.

 

Hi Richard,

Good to see you back ! If that is what you are ... I've seen too many people joyously announcing they were back, only to disappear right away again.

The piano has a nice sympathetic sound, but yes it needs some service. The sound quality would be ok if not for the massive hiss and assorted clunking noises.
I sampled some of the tracks. Grieg and Gershwin sound like all the notes are there, and in the right order, but you still need to make music out of them.

Your Mozart is terribly rickety I'm afraid, I turned that off after a minute or so. Very inconsistent with respect to tempo, rhythm, ornamentation, and too many unnecessary slips. You really can't get away with anything in Mozart.

But if recording is no longer a torture now, you are certainly on the right way.

 

BTW Richard, We have a "Works In Progress" forum these days where you should be posting this.

 

Not for a moment did I think any of these was good and I am quite aware of the issues you mention, this is why they did not go into the "works in progress" section. I was really only wanting to show that I was still around and that I can hit the right notes now and then.

Not having access to a decent piano or to a decent recorder and there always being the risk of noises from the street, I do not know if I shall be psoting any decent recordings anytime soon.

 

Your piano is basically decent, IMO. As is the recorded sound. Those need not constrain you. It is just a matter of determination and focus. Being able to hit the right notes in from of the microphone is a big step forward.

 

It is, is it not? I am satisfied with the progress being made. Hopefully I can get the beast tuned soon enough. I really need to record without the score. That will be a great achievement.

 

Listened to the 2nd and 3rd mvmt of the Mozart through speakers.
The instrument sounds fundamentally ok, and I'm sure will record ok when it's tuned and the environment's ok.

Probably relaxation is now the key. Both movements sounded like they'd be fine if they were not so stilted - i.e., more relaxed.

Have you ever tried to record with another human in the room? Might take your mind off the mic. I've never tried it myself, because of the problem of telling him/her to get out of the room if it doesn't work out! But I probably will, one of these days.

Or your growing confidence may just solve it anyway. Good luck with the instrument, especially in the middle of the summer.

 

Thak you, Stu, those movements were better, though I still was not too relaxed when I made them. The Grieg were the last oes and I was able to do them quite calmy and without any need to edit.

Posting them is part of the "therapy". Somehow, knowing the recording is not suitable from the start helps relaxation.

I agree: the piano does have a good sound and it does allow me to use half-pedal and half-key, though the latter with a bit of difficulty. Lately I have been trying something a pianist wrote in a blog: to practise pp. Very good this, as it keeps finger movement to a minimum, allowing for better control, more speed (in a fast movement, of course) and sound which is not quite so harsh.

Lately I have tried also with the lid closed. Strangely enough the sound seems to decay a little more slowly. I can see the difference when I look at the sounwaves: there are less peaks and valleys between the notes.

I do notice a lot of the dynamics are lost on the recording. My recorder obviously tends to normalise, being primarly a voice recorder.

PS Sorry, Stu: I seem to have sent this as a PM to you. I wanted to edit, but clicken left instead of right.

 

Hi Richard,

Good to see you back here at PianoSociety although I must admit I have not been here very much either. I've been tied up with a Kosenko etude which is still not quite ready for recording.

I generally liked the sound of your Petroff. Once you have it tuned and regulated, I think you'll have a very good instrument there. The pedals on grands are adjusted up underneath the soundboard and easily accessible. Upright piano pedals are concealed in the "trap works". Just that term is forbidding. :lol: Hopefully the technician will be able to quiet them down for you.

I envy your ability to memorize. At my age I have to be glued to the score.

You posted quite a few pieces here in one swoop. I especially liked the Mozart Sonata in C, K 545. I had time to hear both Grieg lyric pieces which were well played. Permit me to share a few observations.

I believe that you play with good attention to accuracy--notes, rhythm, time values, etc. So as to avoid a monotone sound level, be sure to take advantage of all dynamic markings which are a part of expression. I like to mark some of them in my scores as reminders. However, I also realize that sometimes the input sound level setting on recording equipment, not the pianist, can be the culprit.

You produce a good tone quality (impossible on the former piano), and plenty of vitality too as demonstrated well in the Mozart pieces. In Mozart be sure to start trills on the upper note. In the Grieg pieces, Romantic era, go for the legato touch and singing tone wherever needed in the score. The damper pedal can contribute to that, but "finger legato"--connecting one key to the next--is likewise important in bringing out lyrical music.

I believe you're much improved in your phrasing. Phrasing, as you know, goes hand in hand with touch and tone. Sometimes phrasing is at the heart of "rise and fall" in a melodic line. Sometimes these are called dynamic contours. Your pedaling was quite good in avoiding most blurs. Once the pedals are adjusted, it'll be even better.

One of the things I especially liked in your playing is clarity of line, which is very important.

All of this enables continuity which is much improved too. You have far fewer hesitations or stops/restarts.

That's all due to good work in your practicing regimen.

David

 

Hello, David,

Thank you for your kind words. For a non-submission I have received some good reviews!

Some days after these recordings I redid the Mozart. It was much much better, though still not perfect and it might even pacify Chris! I admit the first movement I submitted was the weakest and that was the one that improved.

I have also come to another conclusion: there is not future in only slow practice. Before that is what I always did and never got too far. I have found out that going up to speed helps a lot, because it is only at speed that problems come out. The fingers might all be prim and proper at slow speeds but run amok when asked to go faster. So then, I put a considerable effort in bringing this one up to speed, resolving any issues and only then practising slowly. This new recording I shall keep to myself as the piano still needs to see its doctor and it is too hot even to contemplate turning the fan off. There is also the problem with noise from the street, which cropped up in the second movement.

 

Thank you, Andrew,

Thank you for your positive comments!

I believe more dynamics can be obtained. So far I have been using the left pedal to keep the volume down (uprights cannot do "una corda") but even so it tends to get as loud as the recorder can handle without cropping. I am however, aware that in the Lullaby there is a wider dynamic ragnge called for.

 

Hi Richard,

I fully agree with you on not giving slow practice a "monopoly" during practicing. I've come to the conclusion that it's important to get up to speed as soon as reasonable. In so doing, one might uncover some figurations which were played well during slow practice, but which are awkward played up to speed. And sometimes it even causes a very logical fingering to be questioned and modified, or even redistributed between the hands if practical. The way that I like to increase speed is to do it through methodic metronome drills where I increase the tempo one or two notches every time playing the piece through. This system also reveals trouble spots which can be a bit ragged at higher speed. Those spots merit "intensive therapy". The resetting of tempo each time stops once I reach a point where the playing becomes sloppy. One rule I follow in all of this: I learn to play the piece at a faster tempo than I will actually use for recording. That enables me to keep some extra speed in reserve.

David

 

Hi Richard,

Chris had a really good idea regarding posting at the Works in Progress section.

My suggestion for you is to have the melody sing more in each of the Griegs,
even though they are very different in character.

The Gershwin melody sings more. My suggestion with the Gershwin is to pick up the tempo.

Your piano sounds like a very fine instrument to me.
Good luck with your new flat.

Kaila

 

Hello, Kaila,

As I mentioned, I did not post in the "work in progress" section because my main point was to say "pianist here!" rather than invite comments. Considering I went off and never comment on anything these days (a lot of the times I feel I cannot even attempt to do so when the recording is Liszt, for example), I am touched that so many people have come forth giving me ideas.

The piano has actually improved since I closed the lid, but i wish to believe some of the good sounds coming from it have something to do with my improved playing.

I hope soon to post something really good. I certainly have the encouragement.

Let us sing!

 

That is all right, Monica. You know my activities too these days.

I am happy you like the sound of the piano. Did you hear any hiss this time?

 

Well, if and when I make a good one, I will see how I manage to eliminate it.

 

But Richard, what *causes* it ? Is it your recorder on very low input gain, or is there a fan, airco, fridge, etc nearby ? Strange sounds must if possible be prevented rather than filtered out afterwards. In my experience (and that of Monica, IIRC) noise reduction can really be detrimental to the sound quality, making it worse than it was.