Test upload. Will be taken down after some time in favor of an acoustic piano recording (see below). Comments are welcome.

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My acoustic piano is busted for the moment. I broke some 6 strings and am waiting for it to be tuned again since the new strings have stretched after 1 month (went out of tune). This is a recording using a low quality digital piano... Yamaha mm8.

I remember saying something about posting a vid of me playing this particular piece a while ago. The play is not perfect and there are passages that are not quite good.

I'm wondering how the community will receive this. If it is ok then I may go with the arduous task of setting up recording from the acoustic piano. Another thing, I'm quite paranoid in recording a live vid "showing me" so I'm opting for just the hands.



Now, will I be getting that comment? No vid of hands really doing it... didn't happen?

Also a question for the community. I'm kinda freaked out with my head when I saw this old pic of me. I though I had hydrocephalus or something... well, I'll know if it's abnormal if most people who see it think it's abnormally large.

Thanks for sharing this. I am very familiar with this piece as a listener, the core of the piece experience is captured in your playing IMO. Very nice work.

If I may ask, what kind of practice time is involved with getting to where you are in this piece?

One comment on the recording. It sounds as though the recording levels have been "clipped" during the loudest passages. Lowering the recording level will prevent this, and serve to capture your playing dynamics better too.

Oh BTW... The photo looks normal IMO.

Thanks. The practice/effort behind it is somehow blurred. I started learning it Jan 2009 but it was on and off for the next 9 months since I was in intense psychological(not mental/academic) pressure finishing the defense for my graduate degree in mathematics.

But, the serious practice began Dec 2009 up to now (I'm quite free for the moment). At least 3 hours of CORRECT practice everyday. I'm taking piano lessons again from my former teacher, it's been years since I had a piano lesson... probably decades?

BTW, to do my instructor some justice, the method of play I did here isn't to her liking. This interpretation is just me. When I do the acoustic recording, I would probably play it the way she taught me to.

Thanks also for the advice on recording, I'll keep that in mind as I set up recording from the acoustic piano.

Very nice JESC.

That was awesome, JESC. Takes a big set to share things like this. I can understand the trepidation in posting a performance and leaving it for potential critisism, but you had nothing to worry about. I can play "Frere a Jaqua" on piano. No I won't post it.


And you were cute as a kid.

That is awesome. I wish I had a talent like that. I've always envied people that could hop on a piano in any location and just start playing beautiful music. That is a really special talent.

Thanks for sharing.

Thanks JESC, I really enjoyed that. I used to play the piano quite a bit, but slacked off in recent years and we actually gave our piano (Kawai) to my daughter because she'll use it more than me. I still miss it though

Sounds good to me and who cares whether your instructor likes your interpretation?? After all, that is what it's about isn't it, bringing yourself into the art?!

Exactly. I bet Chopin didn't play everything the way his instructor thought was the "correct" way. Then you have instances like this, referring to Keith Emerson.



I couldn't think of a better compliment!

That was quite amazing Dr. JESC (I assume your defense went well).

Kinda makes sense now: you're a math puke, chess master, and classic pianist.
They all go hand-in-hand.