Chopin - Lento con gran espressione

Thank you very much for Monica and Chris for you reviews.

Oh yes, Monica! I always welcome your comments even when they are negative, because they help me for playing better.

You both commented about the lack of finition of my trills. I acknowledge that it is my greatest concern now in this piece. In the bars 5, 18 and 47 specifically pointed out by Monica, I have changed my fingering after having read a recent interview from Maurizio Pollini where he acknowledged the teaching from Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, especially a mixing of 1-3 and 2-3 for the trill, which is what I do now instead of 2-3 before. I think that my progress margin is larger with this new fingering than with my previous one.

This is a particularity of the autograph version kept in Valldemossa museum: there are ten notes in the second half of bar 53 instead of eleven in other versions, the last but one of which, a E5, is not in the autograph. I remarked this only one year go, and indeed encountered some difficulty to remove this E5 that was 'very ingrained' in my fingers. I feel more emotive strength in this run with ten notes than with eleven.

Despite I think that it is a bit better in this new recording, I acknowledge that I am not yet at the point where my rhythm variations can be considered as an artistic license. I loook forward to get this point. :wink:

 

Thank you Andreas for your kind words! Actually I was not gone. But I am not able to provide excellent recordings with prodigality like you do.

 

Oh yes you're right, a low note did not sound! Is'nt it the second D# rather than the F#? That's not me. That's the piano!

 

Oh, no... Just continue to discuss.

I performed a spectral analysis on each half-bar of bar 53 of my score. There are peaks at 104 Hz, 156 Hz, 185 Hz and 277 Hz in the first one, corresponding to G#1, D#2, C#1 and F#2. This confirms that the audible G#-D#-C#-F# arpegio at left hand is well present.
In the second half bar, the autograph score LH is G#-D#-B#-F# while it is G#-D#-B#-G# in other versions as you said. The spectrum of this second half-bar have peaks at 105 Hz, 156 Hz, 185 Hz and 262 Hz that are the frequencies of G#1, D#2, F#2 and B#2=C3. But I cannot hear the D#. So indeed, this second half-bar sounds strange...

I may have make a mistake because I'm tired. I attach the two clips.

 

Hi Monica,

I'm sure that you heard what you said. I don't know why we don't hear the same. The most important is that we agree that my bar 53 sounds bad. Moreover you was right saying that it is ingrained in my fingers because I hear the same on my previous recording. I am much indebted to you for having detected this recurrent fault that I'm going to correct.
Sincerely yours,
Didier

PS Your bear 53 is perfect according to a score different from mine where the last LH eigth is G# instead of F# and there are 11 RH sixteenth notes instead of 10.

 

I recorded the first bars of the re-exposition of the first theme up to bar 53, which sounds better now. Monica, if you have time for replacing putting up this modified recording, I would be pleased. But if you prefer to wait for my next version, not before 6 months, I would understand you wery well. Anyway thank you for your kind assistance.
Didier


Chopin - Nocturne in C-sharp minor, Op. post. No. 20

 

Thank you Monica. I selected 256 kbps because it is the maximum rate in the Recording guideline, while the minimum is 160 kbps. I will select 192 kbps for my next submission . :wink:

 

Ah yes, I did not remember these figures in the guidelines. I'll change the minimum and maximun values to 128 (adequate) and 192 (more than good enough).

 

Hello,

here my last recording. I think that it is better than my previous one.

Didier

 

Oh dear, that sounds so sad ! You going to quit ?

 

Chris, it's not as good as a last of that kind. At least, it's my intent to survive my current cold and to make this last recording becoming a last but one in some time. :roll:

 

Hi Andreas,

thank you for your listening and your comments. I acknowledge that I'm still too far from the right rhythm at the bars that you indicate. I would add also bar 5 (according to the numbering of the Henle edition of the autograph where the introduction in counted as bars 1-4 while in you numbering the repetition is not taken into account) on the first trill. Either the first or the third quaver at LH in a four quaver arpeggio is too short. Nonetheless I consider this new recording better than my previous one. I commit to make theses bars right in my next one.

Yes I listened to your live performance in Caux when you told us about it on last summer. You may have missed my comment: http://server3.pianosociety.com/new/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3605. :wink:

All the best,

Didier

 

Yes this sounds lovely as usual, and there are many beautiful things. I concur with Andreas though in that rhythm is still a major issue. Rubato is such a dangerous thing in beginner;s hands.... I believe one should only allowed to use it after first being able to play in strict tempo. Not sure if I ever recommended playing Bach

But even in a piece like this, maybe the best thing you could do is practice and play it metronomically, even with the metronome. Yes it is artistical murder, I know, and it will reduce the piece to rubble. But from that, you can build it up again, and it will be stronger. You really must learn the knack of playing in tempo, without involuntary rubato getting the better of you. It is you who must be in control, freedom without discipline is useless. Do you have a teacher ? If not, I say get one. Internet advice will only get you so far.

Sorry, bit of a rant here, hope it does not sound too pedantic... I mean well. I admire the way you keep working on your goals.