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.