Here are my two last pieces by Fernandez (ok ok... I intend to play Batuque, but I don't know when I'll be able to... ).

Noturno Op. 3
and
Pirilampos, the fifth piece from Prelúdios do Crepúsculo Op. 15
('pirilampos' means 'fireflies')


The Nocturne is a award-winning piece. But very strange to my taste...
It's difficult for the development not to sound labored. I thought I was playing Sorabji! hehe
(ok... it's a huge exaggeration...)


PS: I know the admins are very busy... but there was a bio for Fernandez in my last topic...

That Nocturne won a prize ? It's a rambling piece of work if ever I heard one.... Clearly, larger forms were not Fernandez' forte. This thing has its moments but it goes on and on without much aim and direction (yeah, could have been Sorabji allright ). I have to say your performance sounds dutiful rather than committed.

The fireflies is a better piece (because shorter). But your playing sounds rather slipshod here. I can hear this is tricky writing but it sounds under-prepared and insufficiently volatile to me. I once more argue that in not-so-good music, the performer needs to give that little (or big) bit extra to make it convincing. The music can't do it on its own. I feel that you are churning out too much minor stuff without giving it enough attention.

I must confess I was surprised too...
It is written in my score: First Prize in Musical Culture Society Competition (1922).
Maybe 1922 was a year with almost no musical production in Brazil. hehehe
Even with Oswald's Il Neige I would not imagine it won an international competition. It's cute, nice, not much more than this.

The Nocturne was the first Fernandez's piece which I listened to. I remember that what first caught me was the introduction... but ONLY THAT. hehehe

If you find the performance below standards, feel free to reject my uploads. I really do not intend to fulfill Piano Society with junk. hehe
But I think the bio should be considered anyway. hehehe

PS: I forgot to say... Fireflies is dedicated to his teacher Henrique Oswald.

I would not go that far, there's nothing horrible about them. I just feel that you are not giving these pieces your best effort - which doesn't surprise me at the rate you are submitting. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt
Now what's your opinion about these performances ?

In my opinion, these recordings, far from being perfect (and I don't think I'm able to do any 'perfect' performance), have their shy moments. At least I tried something like this...


In the Pirilampos, I tried to take special care in three parts:

1) the introduction. It's easy to make it sound mechanical or uninteresting, and I wasn't satisfied with it. After some tries, I found out that it sounds better if I played the long notes a little longer (like a tenuto).

2) the middle forte section, finding a way not to slowdown too much, since I'd say it's nearly impossible to keep the 176 MM tempo while playing those chords and jumps, keeping the phrasing and emphasizing the theme in the bassline.

3) the final section, at 1'12. It sounded very strange when I first read this score. After thinking, I realized it should sound as an hesitation, so I tried to play this way.
(And I would say that I liked the contrast of dynamics I did in this passage, without using soft pedal. hehe)

4) the last notes. If not precisely played in tempo, it does not sound as a convincing end.

About the "volatility", you mean it should be faster and smoother?
not really... in fact, most of the time the dynamic marking is within mf and f.


The Nocturne is harder to bring off, musically speaking.
As it is too extended, I tried not to play so slow. But even so, I tried to make the phrases expressive (sorry if I'm not a very expressive pianist.... )
What bothers me is that middle section, but there is a consolation: the two recordings of this piece which I know, done by two professional pianists, have problems with this passage also.
In that passage, it's written CON FUOCO, and STREPITOSO in the octaves... Both recordings slowdown in the CON FUOCO (as I do also, since that's a small-scale Sorabji passage, hehe), and one of them plays the STREPITOSO too light and slow...

EXTRA EXTRA: I usually listen to my last recordings in the computer several times while working. Today, my domestic worker has spontaneously said that she likes a lot my last recording. I asked her which one? Then I showed the Nocturne... and she said: "yes, that's it! I like it a lot"

Or maybe she simply wants an salary raise...


PS: other piece she likes I lot when I play is the last mvt of Beethoven's 7th symphony.