10/12 Piano Submission
Project Details
Thank you for taking the time to listen and critique my playing! As I'm working on polishing my pieces, I would appreciate any feedback, whether it includes things to continue doing or areas to work on fixing.
The pieces performed are as follows:
1. Fantasia in C minor, BWV 906 - J.S. Bach
2. Rondo in D major, K.485 - W.A. Mozart
3. The Sea, Op. 17 No. 12 - Palmgren
4*. Impromptu in A flat major, D. 899, Op. 90 No. 4 - Schubert
5**. Maple Leaf Rag - Joplin
* performed without the repeat
** only first half performed
Judgements
Completed Judgements: 3/3
Judge: Timothy Mathew
Review Date: 2022-10-14 05:14:07
Review Status: Judgement Received
Timothy, congratulations on a very musical and personal performance of these five works! I am so impressed by your imaginative interpretations and wide ranging expression throughout your performance.
Overall, I recommend continuing to work on your articulations across this repertoire so that you both honor the stylistic intent of each composer and solidify your interpretation. Use short bursts of practice to rehearse hand position changes in virtuosic passages, and experiment with how much arm weight you use to access these advanced techniques. Keep striving to bring out dramatic moments in the musical narrative – see what sparkle you can give to these areas with stark contrast in dynamics, character, and articulation. In my video response, I elaborate further on these points and review specifics areas of each piece that would benefit from further study and practice.
It was a pleasure listening to your performance, and I wish you the best on your continued studies!
Tristan McKay
Judge: Natasha Frid Finlay
Review Date: 2022-10-14 05:14:07
Review Status: Judgement Received
Congratulations on a great performance!
Judge: Wendy Bachman
Review Date: 2022-10-14 05:14:07
Review Status: Judgement Received
Fantasia in C minor; A bright and energetic opening. Try for more definition and "bite" in your ornaments at mm. 1 and 2. You have clear terraced dynamics and a sense of punctuation at the ends of cadences. Wonderful color contrasts. From mm. 19 to 24 project the RH longer notes even more to hold through. Your ornaments on the last page improved. Well paced and placed ending! This has facility and clarity! continue to work on intense forward drive.
Rondo in D major; Your balance between melody and accompaniment is very carefully achieved! Your tempo works well. Let every note "speak" in your turns, they seem a little smudged together. This depicts the lightness and charm of Mozart! Give the rest at mm. 67 full value for suspense. I love the cello line at mm. 79-83! Perhaps avoid accenting the melody mm. 101 and have a more "silky" smooth legato. Really go down and pick up the low notes in the register mm. 121. I enjoyed the time you took at mm. 136 to set up the key/mood change! Tidy at mm. 146-148. Wonderful maintenance of your steady tempo and always going to the long notes in the phrases.
The Sea Op. 17 No. 12 by Palmgren; Your Sea is really swirling and sweeping to the heights of each phrase and wave! Try for more punctuation of the goal at mm. 13 and 15 and 16. Hear more melody mm. 21-28. You have a well planned build mm. 31-36. At mm. 36 try to start back at "p". A crescendo means "p" until 3/5 of the way into it. Then grow. This is confident and colorful!
Impromptu in A flat major Op. 90 No. 4 by Schubert; Be sure that every note in the Rh 16th notes is enunciating, it's usually the repeated notes that are affected. You really take the time to enjoy the harmonic changes! At mm. 27 - 30, keep the horizontal line by feeling one beat for each bar. The thick chords are a trap here for creating an unwanted vertical affect. At mm. 32 and alike, have a more gentle lift on the beat three phrase endings as these tend to be more "clipped" than needed. Good climbing to the top mm. 39-46 and color change at "pp". Perhaps you could use the una corda pedal here... it is the "soul" of the piano afterall. TRIO; again, the inside voices are a "trap". Take out more "insurance" that the top melody is really singing to make it easier to soften the inside voice. Keep in contact with the keys with your fingers for the inside voice and watch the demo on video. When the inside voice is too loud, you have to work to hard on everything else. A very sensitive relaxation heading back into the D.C. al Coda. Keep the rhythmic grip of the right hand here.
Maple Leaf Rag; This was my FAVORITE piece growing up and I still love to play it! You have the reach for it! It's a good start and you have the right tempo! Always feel LH beat one more; feeling like the upbeat is propelling you over the measure to beat one. in the RH octaves poke out your pinky more. Off to a good start!