Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Variations sérieuses

Hallo, I'm Patrik Pietschmann, I'm 19 years old and it's my first post on this site!
I played this piece at a german music contest and recorded it at home!
It would be fine to read some statements about it!

Best regards

Patrik

Mendelssohn - Variations serieuses Op. 54

 

A very good recording. You played with confidence. However during the "presto" section, you began to slow down just a little bit (I do not know if there was a ritardando on your sheet music--there is none on mine). But that is just minor.

It is a good audition.

Tchuss

 

Wow, I bet you did well on that competition ! A very good performance of what is easily Mendelssohn's best piano work. The only critique I have have is that you drive the music a bit too hard in all the fast sections, and sometimes it gets just a little too relentless. With a little more restraint you could actually deliver more power and authority. It is a shame the piano sounds so swimmy but apart from these two minor issues this is a great submission. Congratulations ! You have certainly deserved a place on the site with this but I would very much like to hear a better sound quality. Maybe you can just remaster the original take with some other parameters ?

 

Mendelssohn

I agree with Chris' wow. Your accomplished technique is only surpassed by your interpretation. Are you a piano major at the university level? If not, you certainly could be. I especially enjoyed your artistic interpretation and singing tone in the slow variations. It's hard to believe you are only nineteen years old. Keep up the good work.

 

Mendelssohn - Variations Sérieuses - without reverb

Hey, THANK YOU for your responses! Yes, I'm only 19 years old and I won the first price at a contest playing Mendelssohn and two other pieces ... I only have piano lessons at the moment, but I'm going to study music this year at the university. It would be fine to get among the other great artists!

Sorry, that there was too much reverb in my recording. I am a fan of using a big concert hall effect! But now I have uploaded a version without adding any reverb. Hope you will like it!

Notify me if I shall send you a biography of me. And if you see my photo, you will belief, that I'm just 19 years old ...

Best regards

Patrik

 

Re: Mendelssohn - Variations Sérieuses - without reverb

Some reverb is usually needed for a home recording. Be interesting to see how it sounds with nothing added. I can't listen to it until tonight.

Yes, just post bio and picture here and we will add you to the site. Great you won that competition !

 

Can't you get somewhere between the reverb version and the no-reverb version? Like Chris said, the reverb version is swimmy, but the no-reverb version is very dry.

Regardless, the performance was quite excellent. I look forward to future submissions from you.

 

Mendelssohn - Variations Sérieuses - medium reverb

Now I used a "Medium Room" Reverb. May be it's the best of these three versions...

Sorry that I do not have much experience in editing recordings. So I'm very happy to get help from professionals in this forum!

I'm going to post a biography and a photo the next time. Shall I add my photo as an attachment?

Mendelssohn - Variations Serieuses

 

Biography + Photo (added as an attachment)

I was born on April 17, 1988 in Varnsdorf (Czech Republic) and moved to Germany in 1990.
At the age of 6 I took my first keyboard lesson. It was love at first sight between me and a Yamaha PSR-510…

Nearly 7 years later I broadened my horizon playing on a CVP-207 Digital piano, companion on my way to the international competition of electronic keyboard instruments in Interlaken (Switzerland):

2001
- Winner of the German championship
- Winner of the European championship (highest exceptional price included)

2002
- Second Price at the German championship “Tasto Solo”

2003
- Winner of the German championship “Tasto Solo”

2008
- 1. Price at “Jugend musiziert” (regional competition)…

Recognizing that “music was my first love…” I started taking professional piano lessons in one of Germany’s best Music Schools, the “Academy of Musical Arts” in Darmstadt. I feel honoured to be taught by such great musicians like pianist Oliver Kolb, composer Alois Bröder (music theory) or the clarinettist Erwin Tomczyk.

Since then I have been performing as a piano soloist and accompanist in many musical projects… Among other things I performed with musical actor Jonathan Eio (www.jonathaneio.com) and there are coming new projects with him…

When I was 17, I listened to a film score for the first time – Hans Zimmer, Gladiator.
I never had a real idol before but since that time it has been Hans Zimmer.

As a start, I began to write piano arrangements of scores like “Pearl Harbor” or “Pirates of the Caribbean”. Later on I tried to be more creative and I started to write my own music.
In order to become more professional I’m dealing with music software, the principles of orchestration and the functions of music in film. In 2006, I wrote the score to a short film - my first attempt!

After my civilian service I’m going to study music, because this is, what I ever dreamed of…
Official website: www.patrik-pietschmann.de

 

Welcome, Patrik!

I thoroughly enjoyed this debut! (I listened to the medium reverb, btw, and thought it sounded nice) Look forward to some more from you!

 

I enjoyed your playing very much! You have a really nice technique and the freshness of the youth!!!
Wow, I envy you...

 

I think we all decided that the medium reverb one (the third one) was the best.

 

3rd version is best!

Dear Pianolady
I think the third version ("Medium Room") is the best! Would be fine, if you could change it. And great thanks for adding me to the site! I'm looking forward to upload other recordings in near future!

 

I just listened to your recording - a lot of nice things already said but I'll add my two cents: absolutely superb. I really enjoyed it. Good luck with your musical studies & thanks for posting.

 

That was extremely well played and interpreted. And 19 years only! You should have a splendid career ahead.