Beethoven Op. 109, Chopin Ballade No. 4, Polonaise Op. 53

Here it all is...re-did the Bach....I think I'll get some sleep now...

 

Wow, you seem to get better by the month :!: Takes us less talented sods many years to make that kind of progress....

The Bach is better soundwise. Nothing to bitch about except I find the fugue a bit too fast, and in one or two places you get a bit strenuous because you try too hard to bring the theme out. In such cases I prefer to preserve the flow and leave the theme fend for itself. It's a sorry compromise but here you go.

The Beethoven first 2 movements seem a bit too nonchalant to me. Authoritative playing but not the required depth and weight. The 3rd movement you do beautyfully though. This is IMO one of the most beautiful things in all Beethoven, possibly in all piano literature. The fast variation is very impressive (when do you start on the Diabelli's ? ). What a shame the piano is not tuned better.

The Ballade is much more poised than the previous and no longer feels impatient, at least not in the opening section. Many impressive moments, you have technique to burn but what you need most now is restraint. Climax and tension are best created by taking the tempo back rather than surging forward. There's still some horrible distorted noise somewhere halfway (forgot to time it).

Your Polonaise is the stuff of virtuosos. Full marks on your stamina in the coffee grinder section - damn I always get so tired near the end that it just collapses. I would want a little more relaxed performance (one can be powerful and relaxed at the same time). The closing bars just are just rushed off too fast - like everybody seems to do but that does not make it better. The opening bars are a bit stiff and don't grab you by the throat as they should. It felt like going through the notes but that feeling quickly disappeared once you got going.

Well then, despite the niggles (I always seem to have some...) there are great performances which I will put up the site during this weekend.

 

Been listening to them all and I am indeed very impressed! What I liked most to listen to is the Beethoven Sonata and the Chopin Polonaise which both are works that I some day would like to be able to play well (terrible far from that now). There are still some strange noises in the Chopin Ballade but nothing alarming.

Overall, a splendid performance!

 

Listened so far to the Bach P&F and the Polonaise. Both sounded very profound to me, especially the Polonaise - boy, what a sound you get out of the piano! Maybe the beginning of the polonaise sounds a little bit cumbersome, but you play the polonaise in a breathtaking dynamic range, you whisper and you cry loud. Great!

The Bach P&F sounded well too, no surprise, all what you play sounds good. I don't think that the fugue is too fast played, and I strongly disagree that one should long for "leave the theme fend for itself". No, it is worth the effort to bring out the meaning of the notes, not only the notes itself. That means, making use of the dynamic possibilites a piano has also for Bach pieces, otherwise one should better take a cembalo or whatever. No, rightly done that you shaped the fugue theme and let it shine whereever it appears.

Thanks for sharing!

 

These are now all up the site. I have taken the liberty of glueing the Bach P+F into one track as is our preference for the WTC.

 

Thank you all for your comments, and Chris for your time putting them up.

 

Yeah if only I had uploaded them to the new server... I don't think the links work right now. Will sort that out asap.