Kinderszenen

No introduction needed here. Some music is famous for a reason.

Comments welcome, also on the sound. This recording is unprocessed, should I add reverb? More bass?

I post as a single file because it will be easier to download and listen to, it is intended as a whole. If admins want I'll chop it up. In any case I'll adjust tags.



Schumann - Von fremden Ländern und Menschen
Schumann - Kuriose Geschichte
Schumann - Hasche-Mann
Schumann - Bittendes Kind
Schumann - Glückes genug
Schumann - Wichtige Begebenheit
Schumann - Träumerei
Schumann - Am Kamin
Schumann - Ritter vom Steckenpferd
Schumann - Fast zu ernst
Schumann - Fürchtenmachen
Schumann - Kind im Einschlummern
Schumann - Der Dichter spricht

 

You have a point about posting a single file. It would be great if people could listen to a complete set with just one click. However, we have discussed this before, and decided to stick to separate tracks. So, please re-submit accordingly. Please look at the existing sets on the site (mine, specifically) for how to name and tag them.

Back then I briefly looked into using indexed mp3's, which IMO is the way to go. But I could not get it to work and gave up soon

 

Well, I have hurried up and dowloaded it while it is still one file. Downloading 13 files or whatever is a nuisance and I am glad I am not alone here.

 

Will do - your site, your rules. It will be some days before I have time though, hope that is OK.

Joachim

 

I spent half an hour downloading this, it got to 86% then it lost connection and I had to start all over! ....that is one reason for smaller files.

 

It's not my site, I jut work here
These rules have evolved and been agreed upon.

 

Interestimg that. I did it in under 10 seconds in the evening, when the connection is particularly slow (I also dowloaded your Schumann at the same time, which I hope to listen to anon) and I use a flash card or whatever it is is called to access the Internet, so if anuthing I have a narrowband!

 

Joachim, please hold off on reformatting FTTB. Let's review these first. It seems to me that at least one item needs a re-recording. I'll be back with more detail about them later (hopefully some others will chip in too).

Soundwise these are ok but a bit boxy restricted. They could certainly do (IMO) with some discreet reverb. Performancewise you seem rather hurried and vehement at times. No need to molly-cuddle these pieces but they should always remain gentle.

 

OK, some people find it easier to access these piecemeal so I put them up one by one. (Not as difficult as I thought, using "export selection" in audacity). I'll fix names and tags in case it comes to that.

This is the same takes as in the OP, with one exception. No 3 I intend to be far from gentle and even conveying a sense of out-of control (perhaps I had a troubled childhood) but listening to it again I find it a bit too far out of control, so the take included here is toned down a bit.

 

I'll need to listen top these again. There was at least one I thought needed re-recording, probably the one you redid already.

 

Hi Joachim,

Thank you for recording and submitting these. "Kinderszenen" is one of my favourite compositions for the piano by Schumann and, in fact, it is quite demanding music.

I have listened to the single file recording, btw.

Generally, this is in my opinion a solid performance. Well done.

As I don't have much time at the moment, I can't make any detailed comments. Just three quick remarks.

On the whole I would agree with Chris, though, that it all sounds a bit hurried. Some pieces even sound quite aggressive to me, which doesn't really reflect the notion of childhood in the romatic age.

I think there is maybe a bit too much rubato in "Von fremden Ländern und Menschen" and the bass should be given more weight in the second part of it.

Regarding "Am Kamin", I have to say that to me the atmosphere of this piece doesn't really come across. The melody should me more 'cantabile' and gentle IMO.

Anyway, thanks again for sharing this.

Daniel

 

Ok, I guess it was no.3 that I had gripes about and seems like you have redone it and it's now ok (or else Monica would have complained). That some items sound rather (too) brisk and business-like is personal taste.

 

Thanks all! Yes, I wanted to bring a bit of personal interpretation into this. Schumann states in his letters that these are remembrances of his childhood and not the standard cosy depiction of children. So I draw on mine, to make the games at the fireside a bit more energetic, and the hobby-horse ride to have some element of danger of falling off.

I'll redo tags etc and see if I can improve the sound with some small reverb (any hints appreciated!) in a few days.

Joachim

 

Here are the files hopefully correctly named and tagged. In the end I added no reverb. I agree the sound is a bit boxy but at least it is reasonably clear, and however I add reverb it becomes muddied with a kind of swimming sound, in particular after the mp3 conversion. Unless it is a kind of trade secret it would be great if those more accomplished than me would share the audacity settings or other tricks in this respect.

Joachim

Schumann - Von fremden Ländern und Menschen
Schumann - Kuriose Geschichte
Schumann - Hasche-Mann
Schumann - Bittendes Kind
Schumann - Glückes genug
Schumann - Wichtige Begebenheit
Schumann - Träumerei
Schumann - Am Kamin
Schumann - Ritter vom Steckenpferd
Schumann - Fast zu ernst
Schumann - Fürchtenmachen
Schumann - Kind im Einschlummern
Schumann - Der Dichter spricht

 

I use CoolEdit (a very old copy but it still works fine for me) with Concert Hall Light reverb. I've always liked this and used it consistently without changing the parameters. The params are shown in attached screenshot. Hope it's useful.

 

Thanks Chris for your last post. I use Audacity myself, and as of the last release, they changed the reverb feature. I did not have time for much experimentation before my last set of recordings, so I used it sparingly.
Anyway, when I saw your graphic, I was envious of the presets. Then I looked at Audacity again and saw their preset button! I don't know how I missed it before, except that I was flustered when I updated the software and found myself having to learn a new feature.

Also, just a reminder to Joachim and other Audacity users, that version 2.0.4 has a new reverb engine which has some presets. Pre-2.0.4 is a third-party and finding some settings is a little more difficult, although there are suggestions on these message boards somewhere.

Joachim, I thought the recordings are fine, but probably the slower pieces (Traumerei, for instance) could use a little reverb. With most engines, the most subtle settings are usually those beginning with "Small Room" or "Medium Room".

 

I've tried out all of the presets shown here but there's only one I really like. Occasionally I have used Large Occupied Hall for some organ recordings of big pieces. Would be interesting if using the same(ish) parameters in Audacity would yield the same result.