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Franz Schubert, Winterreise, D911, no. 12-15

Discussion in 'Submission Room' started by musicusblau, Feb 9, 2016.

  1. musicusblau

    musicusblau Administrator Staff Member Piano Society Artist Trusted Member

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    Phew, the stress of school certifications is over! I´m back and we proudly can present you our continuation of the Winterreise by Franz Schubert. Until now we have done 14 of the 24 Lieder.
    We have much pleasure with our work of practising and recording and we hope, you will like it, too.

    Comments are very appreciated!

    Here are the links to our videos (sound-track is the same as in the mp3-files below):
    (Franz Schubert, Winterreise, D911, no. 12, Einsamkeit)
    (Franz Schubert, Winterreise, D911, no. 13, Die Post)
    (Franz Schubert, Winterreise, D911, no. 14, Der greise Kopf)
    (Franz Schubert, Winterreise, D911, no. 15, Die Krähe)

    Here are the mp3-files:
    Schubert-D911-12-Einsamkeit-Pfaul-Schönfelder.mp3
    Schubert-D911-13-Pfaul-Schönfelder.mp3
    Schubert-D911-14-Pfaul-Schönfelder.mp3
    Schubert-D911-15-Pfaul-Schönfelder.mp3
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Feb 10, 2016
    musicusblau, Feb 9, 2016
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  2. musicusblau

    musicusblau Administrator Staff Member Piano Society Artist Trusted Member

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    Since no one has commented within a week - alas!-, I have put them up.
     
    musicusblau, Feb 15, 2016
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    Rachfan likes this.
  3. Rachfan

    Rachfan Active Member Piano Society Artist

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    Rachfan, Feb 17, 2016
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  4. Rachfan

    Rachfan Active Member Piano Society Artist

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    Hi Andreas,

    I've listened to all the lieder presented to date. I believe that you and your partner, the baritone Herr Shonfelder, are doing excellent work together.
    My hat is off to you as you pr0ceed through ALL the lieder from Winterreise. It's ambitious indeed! Do you use the Edition Peters? I think that raising the piano lid on the short "singer stick" was the right decision.

    In my youth I accompanied a few singers. One fundamental was that I could never "drown out" the singer. There are a few places in these last four lieder where your friend can barely be heard at the crescendo's peak. It's not that his voice is soft. It's the piano overpowering the singer. Also a most important rule, I believe, is that the pianist should never sound a tone earlier than the singer, unless the score allows it. That is to say, the pianist plays at a barely perceptible part of a second following the singer's articulation. It does appear that you observe the singer at the necessary breathing places in the scores. I'm sure he appreciates that. (The pianist, of course, has liberty whenever the piano has its own solo passages.) Those are my thoughts for whatever benefit or none. It's Old School of course.

    Overall, you're doing great work! Keep it up!

    David
     
    Last edited: Feb 17, 2016
    Rachfan, Feb 17, 2016
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  5. musicusblau

    musicusblau Administrator Staff Member Piano Society Artist Trusted Member

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    Dear David,
    thank you very much for your careful listening. I do appreciate that very much! I will listen to your recording as soon as possible, too, of course, and I'm glad I could help you with the uploading description.
    You are absolutely right with all your advices! And of course, for me the "old school" is the true and the best. I think it's mainly in no. 13 (Die Post) the piano is too loud in the forte passages, right? That's because I have done a quite bad mixing of the piano track and the singer track. I will redo it and upload my new mixture as soon as possible. In our next recordings I will have attention not to be a small moment before the singer, but more a millisecond behind him respective just right together with him. Like this it should be, of course. I think that was mainly in one or two accelerandi, isn't it?
    With best regards
    Andreas
     
    musicusblau, Feb 18, 2016
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  6. Didier

    Didier Member Piano Society Artist Trusted Member

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    Hi Andreas,

    I agree that the piano is too loud, especially in Die Post, but not only: at some place your dynamics may be too large ? For instance, the balance is right at the beginning of Einsamkeit (so beautiful...) but the forte of the piano at 2' sounds too loud with respect to the voice.
    Less reverberation on the voice might help to make it more present, more forefront with respect to the piano.
    You are playing the original version for tenor, don't you ?
    Cheers,
    Didier
     
    Didier, Feb 18, 2016
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  7. pianolady

    pianolady Monica Hart, Administrator Staff Member Piano Society Artist Trusted Member

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    Hi Andreas,
    As I told Francois, I’m sorry for not being very active here lately. I just haven’t felt like playing or listening to piano, but I’m trying to remedy that. I am hoping that if I start listening to piano music again, it will spark my enthusiasm and I will want to play again. Anyway, I listened to parts of all these songs. I think you and your partner do a wonderful job. I have nothing to criticize….well done!!
     
    pianolady, Feb 19, 2016
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  8. Rachfan

    Rachfan Active Member Piano Society Artist

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    Hi Andreas,

    Yes, the piano is too loud in No. 13 Die Post at .14 and 1.13. I agree with Didier that you should check back on No. 12, Einsamkeit at 1.27, 1.47, and 2.04 as examples. The piano volume should probably be lessened there. I think that piano volume is fine in Nos. 14 and 15. I hope that helps.

    David
     
    Rachfan, Feb 20, 2016
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  9. musicusblau

    musicusblau Administrator Staff Member Piano Society Artist Trusted Member

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    Thank you very much for your useful advices, Didier.:) I think, I will do a remix of the Post and no. 12 the next days. (I hope, I still have the raw file.) I personally like Schubert to play with more or less extreme dynamic nuances, because I think, that was his intention. But I think, I should bring out more the singers voice next time and give it a bit less reverberation.
    Yes, we took the original tenor version from Edition Peters.
    Cheers
    Andreas
     
    Last edited: Feb 20, 2016
    musicusblau, Feb 20, 2016
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  10. musicusblau

    musicusblau Administrator Staff Member Piano Society Artist Trusted Member

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    Thank you very much, Monica, for listening and and your praise! :)
    I'm sorry to read that you don't feel motivated playing piano the last time and I hope we cangive yousome new inspiration here on PS with our recordings.
     
    musicusblau, Feb 20, 2016
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  11. musicusblau

    musicusblau Administrator Staff Member Piano Society Artist Trusted Member

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    O.k, thank you very much for your useful and detailed tips, David. I appreciate that very much! I will try a remix of no. 12 and 13 the next days, if I haven't already deleted the original "raw files".
     
    musicusblau, Feb 20, 2016
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  12. Francois de Larrard

    Francois de Larrard Administrator Staff Member Piano Society Artist Trusted Member

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    Hello Andreas,
    Even if I haven't the score with me, I will finally comment based on my knowledge of this music, as I performed some years ago the Wintereise with my wife. As a general impression, I like your piano playing and also your sound which is beautiful. The singer is OK, sometimes very expressive, sometimes lacking of vibrato with a too flat voice (to my taste, but I am not a singer). Some specific comments:

    - Einsamkeit
    Beautiful, apart some notes of the singer, which are caught by the note below (at the beginning).

    - Die Post
    Nice motion. However, I find your main rythmic motive (dotted eighth note-sixteenth note - eighth note) not precise enough (the sixteenth notes are too long). Also, the singer is under-mixed, although the equilibrium is fine in the other lieders. Maybe this one could be re-recorded ?

    - Der greise Kopf
    Beautiful, nice expression !

    - Die Krähe
    Beautiful too. I just find your final ritenutto coming too soon (around 1:25/1:30).

    Otherwise, my congratulations to both of you ! I am looking forward to listening the rest of the cycle !
     
    Francois de Larrard, Feb 21, 2016
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  13. musicusblau

    musicusblau Administrator Staff Member Piano Society Artist Trusted Member

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    Hi Francois,
    thank you very much for your detailed comments on our pieces, also on YouTube. :) I will at least remix number 13 (Die Post) for PS, because the equilibrium is not optimal here. I have relistened and I tried to count the sixteenth and I don´t find the sixteenth note too unprecise (may be my elephant ears have become too old?! o_O), but I will discuss that with Michael and see what he says (his ears are younger than my ones:D). Principally a rerecording would be possible in our next recording session.
     
    musicusblau, Feb 22, 2016
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  14. musicusblau

    musicusblau Administrator Staff Member Piano Society Artist Trusted Member

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    @Francois de Larrard
    I have discussed the question of the dotted rhythm in Die Post and he also said, that he couldn't discover unpreciseness. So if no other members are of the opinion that our rhythm is too unprecise, we will not re-record it. But thank you very much for your feedback. It's always useful to check details.
     
    musicusblau, Feb 24, 2016
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