Frictional Games Forum (read-only)

ITT: Criticize and judge me. Especially Bridge.

So I recorded myself playing some of my favourite pieces by Chopin on the piano and uploaded them onto youtube. I'm no studio recorder so the audio quality isn't best. But anyone who has experience with piano music is welcome to critique my playing.

Etude Op. 10 no 3 in E Major

Probably my favourite piece to play. The dominant emotion is nostalgic melancholy, which I find very touching. There is a climax of unbridled rage at 3:00 - 3:28 (preceded, from 2:33, by an ingenious series of dissonant diminished fifths), but I enjoy most dearly playing the wistful section from 4:40 - end.





Nocturne Op. 27 no 2 in D Flat Major

This is a very sweet piece with a dreamy melody. Highlights include the massive technical challenge from 4:14 - 4:22 as well as the arpeggio at 5:01 leading up to the heartwarming cadence at 5:14. I consider this kind of music to be "fluffy".





Nocturne Op. 15 no 2 in F Sharp Major

Much easier nocturne. I don't like it as much as the previous one, but it is still quite fun to play. There are some obvious technical challenges, most notably that an entire section of the piece (starting from 1:29) is devoted to 5-against-2 (right hand five, left two) rhythm.

oh shit when i hear Chopin i think about 'The Pianist'

y u no play blink-182

if anyone is interested in any cover i play bass lol

The piano is really out of tune (and I can't really account for the echo effect - any idea what that is?) but the playing is good. I think you could use the pedal more efficiently but any complaints I have are with the specific interpretation, not any inherent flaws.

By the way, do you know Nocturne no. 16?

Only played the third one so that's more nostalgic than the first one. The first one, I notice on the sheet music the separate ties in each measure but that pause/discontinuation in every bar or so bugs me. I'd prolong the tie or only use pedals instead of lifting my hands that often. Other than that, not bad.

Why don't you play some Liszt? I think I found my books.

(07-05-2013, 06:35 PM)Bridge Wrote: [ -> ]The piano is really out of tune (and I can't really account for the echo effect - any idea what that is?) but the playing is good. I think you could use the pedal more efficiently but any complaints I have are with the specific interpretation, not any inherent flaws.



By the way, do you know Nocturne no. 16?

I'd like to hear about your specific interpretations, regardless. That's because my own playing style is beginning to bore me and I want to know how other people could interpret the pieces.

Is no. 16 the op. 55 no 2 in E flat? I'm familiar with that nocturne but haven't tried playing it before.

(07-05-2013, 06:50 PM)Shimeji Wrote: [ -> ]The first one, I notice on the sheet music the separate ties in each measure but that pause/discontinuation in every bar or so bugs me. I'd prolong the tie or only use pedals instead of lifting my hands that often.

You're probably right. Lifting the pedal very often is actually a bad habit of mine. I didn't even notice the problem with lifting the pedal after every bar until after I made my recording and re-listened to it.

(07-05-2013, 06:50 PM)Shimeji Wrote: [ -> ]Why don't you play some Liszt? I think I found my books.

The only Liszt piece I can play is La Campanella, and it was a bit too difficult for me to perform accurately. Liszt is too difficult.

(07-05-2013, 07:27 PM)Chronofluff Wrote: [ -> ]I'd like to hear about your specific interpretations, regardless. That's because my own playing style is beginning to bore me and I want to know how other people could interpret the pieces.

Is no. 16 the op. 55 no 2 in E flat? I'm familiar with that nocturne but haven't tried playing it before.

Yeah, that's right. And I'll give you some more detailed thoughts later for sure.

I presume ye be learning that nocturne right now?

(07-05-2013, 07:37 PM)Chronofluff Wrote: [ -> ]I presume ye be learning that nocturne right now?

Nope. Right now I'm very slowly learning the 2nd movement of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata but I know how to play most of op 55 no 1.