Schumann - Sonata g minor op. 22 (2nd recording)

Here I see some improvement. I felt comfortable in this tempo (it's about 112), but I want to play a little faster. Piano in sixteens was definitely better - I practised them in light staccato and in very slow legato almost without finger movement. The second practise method can cause lacks of articulation, so careful with that.

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Issues (bar number in brackets is the corresponding number of bar in reprise):

1. Exposition:
• sixteens in second theme are slower (starting from bar 67 {259}) - it's cause that the coda was in the tempo if the beginning
• sforzatos should be more sforzato (bar 1, 36{229}, 38{231})
• don't rush octaves in bars 23 {216}
• in the section which begins in bars 24 {217} dynamics should be different - chords in left hand and upper crochets in right hand should be forte. The rest of the notes I think that the should be mezzoforte till bar 28 {221}
• don't slow down descending motives in 33-36 {225-228}
• the motive in left hand in bar 36-40 {228-232} should be more aggressive
• don't rush octaves in bars 40-43 (especially the sixteen note) - I think it's nice to build the tension here, but it should be hold.
• I don't like staccato in bars 48 {240} and 50 {242}, I have to hear some recordings to know how it should sound. Don't rush the last eight note.
• I don't know the melody in chords in section starting from 48 {240}, so I don't build this small culmination in 57 {249}.
• Second theme in bar 59 {251} is to slow - ritardando is at bar 65 (but not in reprise). In bar 67 I should go back to previous tempo.
• Left hand in 67 - 70 {259-263} is sloppy.
• In 71-74 {263-267} there are some articulation issues.
• 75 - 82 {267-276) is forte
2. Development
• Bar 118-119 is without diminuendo
• More singing in melody in section starting from 121
• Show more melody in left hand in section starting from 138
• Hold on in 146-150
• Fix bars 179-190, some memory lapses.
3. Reprise
• Fix 233 and 235 - there is octave B flat and in the corresponding bar there is B, it shouldn't cause this seizure
• The descending is in forte 267
4. Coda
• Hold on in 302 (don't rush the last note)

Chopin - Ballade f minor op. 52 (2nd recording)

So today I tried to play the Ballade. I felt better than last time, there are spots, where I'm sure what I want to say. Unfortunetely the right pedal in my piano started to squeak and it was bothering me during my performance (of course this is not an explanation of my mistakes). I was struggling with my memory also - recently I discovered that the edition I was using is a piece of junk with a lot of mistakes, for example changed rhytms, some added or removed ligaturas, etc... So my main goal in this week was to fix damage because of this. It's not easy to eradicate this kind of mistakes and I wasn't sucessful in this.

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Issues:

• Fix the bars 46-50 - chords in left hand
• Fix the bar 53 - the chord on the first beat (previous edition mistake)
• Fix the bars 61-62 - fingering in left hand (previous edition mistake)
• Fix the passages in 72-76. Solution: don't rush before, in bar 70 there is a ritenuto, in 72 a tempo, but not more. Accelerando is in the second half of bar 74, so don't play faster before. Learn the line of the upper notes in passage better with left hand.
• Fix the whole section which begins in bar 80, shape a phrase, relearn a notes (previous edition mistake)
• Fix the left hand in bars 106-107
• Fix the left hand in bar 119, just count it properly while playing. Also fix the passage in right hand - practice upper notes more.
• Fix bars 122-124 - just don't crush and don't rush.
• Fix bar 144 - there is no chords in left hand (previous edition mistake)
• Fix the start of the passage in bar 162 and 167
• Fix the lack of pulse in left hand in bars 173-174
• Figure out why I can't play the polyrhythm in 175 when playing the whole piece
• Fix the passages section starting in bar 191, there can't be any slip
• Fix chords in bar 196 and 198-201. Solution: don't rush passages before and take it easy - I think it's the mental thing. If I rush before there is nothing I can to to build a stretto
• Fix the chords in right hand in bar 219 (previous edition mistake)
• Fix the section starting from 227 in right hand - better articulation

Details:

• Do a ritenuto in bar 6, shape the melody more from the beginning
• Less bass in the not-a-"waltz" section, shape the chords
• More legato in octave section which begins in bar 38
• Add proper dynamics to bars 53-56, more time for tenuto
• Section which begins in bar 58 - more singing in melody, melody more like a phrase, less left hand, show some nuances of the second voice
• Ritenuto in bar 70
• Shape melody more in 102-103 and 106-107
• More majesty in bar 125
• In theme starting from bar 129 more calm in left hand, adjust the tempo to the beginning of the piece
• Leggiero section starting from 112 should be lighter, show trill more, let the sixths fly.
• Bars 137, 141, 144 - the repeated notes should mean something
• Motives in section beginning in bar 152 should correspond more with each other
• Shape more the culmination and the final, think more about the pedal

Schumann - Sonata g minor op. 22 mvt 1

Today I decided to record for the first time my Schumann Sonata. I play this piece for a month now, so it's memorized and I worked a little on a details. It's the begininng of the real work at this piece.

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 Issues:

1.  Wrong balance between left and right hand. Some of it may be because my mic is situated on the left side of the piano, but definitely it's my fault too. 
2. There is too much noise in sixteens, not every phrase in middle voices is shown. 
3. I can't hear the difference between piano and forte. 
4. I don't play phrases melodically, there are articulation issues in them.
5. There are too many mistakes. 
6. My fifth finger in right hand is too loud in the sixteen's section before the start of development.

What is good?

1. The pulse is almost good, the tempo changes at the end too. 
2. I've a good clarity and good articulation in sixteens - I would like to have the same articulation, but in piano. 
3. I think it's the right tempo for me now and I don't see any problems in playing it faster in a month (I want to achieve the Kempf's tempo).

What to do?

1. Work on phrases more, without sixteens
2. Practice sixteens in piano - I still don't know how to achieve that. Any ideas?
3. Work on dynamics in phrases, build a dynamic's structure of the piece.
4. Play in middle tempo - no fast practicing.
5.  Fix the fifth finger issue (change of the techniques)

My repertoire

At September I perceived that I devote almost all my practice time to maintaining pieces. I just maintained them, there was no progress both in my playing and in these pieces. So, I decided to drop them. There is no point in playing one repertoire for the whole life...

I decided to start fresh and have a deadline till I have to do the work. The PianoWorld forum helped me a lot in setting up the term. So here is the list of pieces I'm working now and deadlines:

1. R. Schumann - Sonata g minor op. 22: needs to be recorded till 15-th March (for PW Schumann recital), so my own deadline is 1-st March
2. F. Chopin - Ballade f minor op. 52: needs to be recorded till February (for PW recital), so my own deadline is 15-th January.
3. S. Rachmaninoff - Sonata b flat minor op. 36: my own deadline is 1-st May.
4. S. Rachmaninoff - Prelude b minor op. 32 no 10: this one I'll play for PW ABF recital, so needs to be recorded till 1-st February.

Of course it's not the whole list of pieces I play, there are some only for practice purposes: usually Etudes by Chopin and Scriabin.

Chopin - Ballade f minor

At this weekend I decided to record my progress in Ballade f minor by Chopin, because it needs to be ready till February. I started playing it at September, so it's still fresh piece.

At this point I don't feel it ever be ready. When performing I was nervous, instead of creating music. It's very difficult to build the form of it. I think the Ballade as the whole piece is in right tempo, but I don't use rubato as much as I should.

 My critique:

1. Memory lapses...
2. There are some spots, when I have a problem to start in tempo - I think it's beacause of too much slow practicing.
3. There is no form of this piece in my playing.
4. I don't have considered climax in Db major - I didn't build it and I couldn't stop myself. I didn't count it, I think it's the cause.
5. I started the final with wrong articulation and I was tired mentally. I have a blind spot there. It means that I didn't practice it wisely. 
6. The final should be lighter.

 

What to do?

1. Practice the piece as the whole in middle tempo.
2. Practice in tempo spots, which I couldn't start.
3. Consider a tempo in climax, count it.
4. Practice slowly the final.
5. Practice the begininng of the final with the chords before.

Rachmaninoff - Prelude b minor op. 32 no 10

This month I spontaneously worked on Prelude b minor op. 32 no 10 by Rachmaninoff.

What are the main issues?

1. Lack of controlling emotions, which caused lacks in control in octaves and "trills" (one of them was in different tempo, I don't know why).
2. Too little singing in melody, no real phrase, especially in this "stormy" section.
3. Too little control over dynamics in "stormy" section - I played too much ff in the beginning, so I couldn't show climax. It also caused that the sound was rough.
4. Not planned dynamics for the section after "stormy" section.
5. There are some issues with time - I can use it more in climaxes.

I recommend myself practicing slowly with exaggerated dynamics and no emotions.

Ballade f minor op. 52 by Chopin - the final

The final of Ballade f minor op. 52 by Chopin is very peculiar. There is no obvious melody in it, and I believe that it's the hardest part of this piece to interpret properly. At the beginning there is a storm of notes without any direction. In this cascade of sounds there appear seeds of melody and then there is more and more of it. Is the climax in the passages which are going up?

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I think in my playing there is no phrase and too less dynamics. Of course the final is too slow, but I achieved a sufficient tempo to not be ashamed of myself. I should show more melody in it. I can here some manner in the last beats of bars. The ascending passages should have more crescendo - I should start all ascending passages with less dynamics (even piano). The last three chords are not acceptable. I should show more notes in the bass when they matters, it'll give me more color. The thirds should be lighter.

I recommend myself:

1. Practicing slowly with attitude on melody
2. Practice thirds with light finger staccato without tension and in rhythms.
3. Work on dynamics more.
4. Play the bass notes with melody.
5. Think of the phrases.

Sonata by Rachmaninoff - the third movement

I never considered myself as technical skilled pianist, so playing the Sonata op. 36 b flat minor by Rachmaninoff is a big challenge for me. I wanted to play this piece since I heard a recording of Horowitz's performance. It's the reason I choose to play "his" version of it, if I recall correctly, Rachmaninoff heard Horowitz's version and liked it.

I play this Sonata for a half of a year now and I have mostly problems with the third movement. This movement doesn't fit me, but I still want to play it to convince myself that I can do it. This part of Sonata I play for two months, so it's far from what it supposed to be.

I have to be my own teacher, so here are my comments to my recording from today.

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I didn't breath - I think it's my major problem in this piece.  There are obvious mistakes, which were caused by mental fatigue - it started in the second part of it and killed the coda. The tiredness was caused by not breathing enough - when the phrase doesn't breath, the pianist also doesn't. I kneaded some phrases, because I couldn't stop myself.

I can't hear the difference between piano and forte in my recording, it may be caused by quality of camera, but I should pay attention to it in future.

I think the tempo I had chosen was too fast for my knowledge of this piece. I couldn't manage pulse properly in this tempo, because I couldn't count it. It may be even the final tempo for me, I think it's fast enough. But now is not the time for such tempo.

Rubato sections should be more rubato, but with counting, the will be more natural. I should sing more in these spots.

There is no interpretation in my playing, I just played the notes - I think it's my second major mistake. Maybe when I interpret this the phrases will become more understandable and it will be easier to breathe. Nothing had any meaning, which makes this recording not acceptable.

 

I recommend myself:

1. Practice slowly.
2. Practice with counting.
3. Play in a medium tempo a whole movement, don't make mistakes - it's an "exercise" for my mental problems with it.
4. Pay more attention to dynamic marks.
5. Create an interpretation of it, listen to some recordings more.

What's going on here?

It's my piano practice blog. Since I haven't got a piano teacher I have to be my own teacher. So I'll record myself and critique my playing.