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Debussy - Girl with Flaxen Hair

Discussion in 'Submission Room' started by echoyjeff222, Mar 10, 2016.

  1. echoyjeff222

    echoyjeff222 Member Piano Society Artist

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    Hi everyone,

    Here's a recent piece I've been working on ... sorry for the recent absence. Comments are welcome!
     

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    echoyjeff222, Mar 10, 2016
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  2. Rachfan

    Rachfan Active Member Piano Society Artist

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    Hi echoyjeff,

    I just listened to your rendition of "Girl with the flaxen hair" and thought it was very convincing. I've recorded this piece myself, so am quite familiar with it. You create and project a calm and lyrical mood throughout. I think that this music could have been inspired by a painting, a real life occurrence, or even a daydream. Or it might have been influenced when Debussy first encountered Javanese gamelan music at an exposition. Anyway, I believe that you put this prelude across really well.

    David
     
    Rachfan, Mar 10, 2016
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  3. echoyjeff222

    echoyjeff222 Member Piano Society Artist

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    Hi Rachfan, thanks for the kind comments! I didn't know about that much about the history. Where did you hear about it?
     
    echoyjeff222, Mar 11, 2016
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  4. Rachfan

    Rachfan Active Member Piano Society Artist

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    Hi Rachfan, thanks for the kind comments! I didn't know about that much about the history. Where did you hear about it?
     
    Rachfan, Mar 11, 2016
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  5. Rachfan

    Rachfan Active Member Piano Society Artist

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    I started piano study in 1953. It's always good if you can read about the composer. Sometimes you can get quite a bit of background. For example, for Debussy there is "The Piano Works of Claude Debussy" by E. Robert Schmitz published by Dover in 1966. A more recent one is "The Piano Music of Claude Debussy" by Paul Roberts published in Amadeus Press in 1996. But books aren't the only source. Where this music is highly impressionistic, you can also go to a museum that has paintings by the French artists, like Monet, of the era which suggests moods, customs, experiences, etc. When I was recording a lot of pieces by the little known Russian composer Georgy Catoire, other than his being a composer, he also was a long-time professor at the Moscow Conservatory. I found that as I delved into his style of composing, I could also detect his moods as I perceived them and included them in my renditions.

    David
     
    Rachfan, Mar 11, 2016
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  6. Francois de Larrard

    Francois de Larrard Administrator Staff Member Piano Society Artist Trusted Member

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    Hi Echoyjeff,
    Very nice ! Good technical control, and excellent style. I hope you will submit other preludes. Congratulations !
     
    Francois de Larrard, Mar 13, 2016
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  7. fluterific00

    fluterific00 Member

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    I loved Debussy in college. I have a book that's nearly falling out because I loved it so much. I played Jardin Sous la Pluie for my senior recital. I've currently pulled that book out again, and if you go on the Works in Progress forum, I recorded Le Petite Negre titled under "Another Sound Test" I debated about this piece and that piece and was more comfortable wit La Petite Negre. The playing is nice. I had to really listen to it since it was so quiet. Is there a way to amplify it a little without ruining the mood?
     
    fluterific00, Mar 17, 2016
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  8. pianolady

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

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    It must be Debussy Day!

    This is a nice recording, but I believe I heard two places where your counting was off, and then towards the end I think I heard a read-error. I'll have to check your playing against a score to make sure. I'll try to do that sometime soon....maybe tomorrow. Also, one thing I noticed was that you cut off some low bass notes and I think it sounds nice if you let them sound with the high notes that you jump to. Could be a subjective thing though...I'll check that against the score too.
     
    pianolady, Mar 30, 2016
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  9. musicusblau

    musicusblau Administrator Staff Member Piano Society Artist Trusted Member

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    Hi Echoyjeff,
    sorry for my late answer (the women, the women ;), but I promise to be again as reliable as usual in future). I have followed your rendition with score and yes, I agree to Monica, the recording has some nice musical moments, but the rhythm is wrong at the following places:
    bar 4: the half note is too short, bar 6 to 7: the chord is much too long, bar 10: the d flat on the second beat is also hold too long, bar 18: the third beat comes too late,bar 24: the first dotted note is too short in relation to the eigth, which follow, bar 26: it´s necessary to have an exact imagination of the new tempo (au movement=a tempo), bar 32: the dotted note is too long. I have not discovered a read error, though I have played this piece myself. (But I have to admit, I have not the elephant ears of Chris. ;))
    I personally would recommend to rerecord the piece and to work out the rhythm. (That´s what this site is for, to give advices, so that one can improve.) This piece should not be played metronomically, of course, but first it´s necessary to have a clear imagination of the rhythm and then one can take his liberties of interpretation.
    But here the rhythm simply is wrong at some places.
     
    Last edited: Mar 30, 2016
    musicusblau, Mar 30, 2016
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