Paraphrases on operatic themes. Both of these originated as improvisations, but I tidied them up compositionally to make the result more coherent.

The first one was my first attempt at serious (or, arguably, frivolous ) composition - it is mainly constructed round a theme from Donizetti's Don Pasquale and was inspired by the wonderful Earl Wild recording of Thalberg's paraphrase on that opera (hence my naming of it.)

The second is on famous themes from Bellini's La Sonnambula; I was going to learn the Thalberg paraphrase but got sidetracked. Pianistically, both pieces are very much in a Liszt/Thalberg vein.

To pianolady: if you listen to these, I'll be interested to hear what you think about the sound quality as compared to my previous submission. The first piece is from the same concert, but I've kept the 48kHz rate in place and not changed it. The second piece is from an older recording and has been taken from the professionally recorded cd. I should perhaps mention that the first piece is on a Weinbach grand whereas the second is on a Steinway Model D.


Bellini-Thalberg - A te, o cara (I Puritani)

Bellini-Wright - Fantasy on La Sonnambula

Wagner-Liszt - Isolde's Liebestod

Wright - Thalbergiana

Hello again, Andrew. Well, there certainly is a huge difference between the studio-recorded piece and your other recital recordings. Keeping with the 48khz seemed to help a little (the ipuritani is especially fuzzy-sounding). You said you used an Edirol recorder - I use one too. Maybe it was the post-processing that made things fuzzy? That's happened with me before like when I tried adding reverb or boosting the bass.

Anyway, I have not listened all the way through these two pieces here, but what I did hear sounds very nice. (Wow to that Thallberg - sounds like you have three hands! ) If you'd like to become a member, please post your bio and photo and we'll add you to our roster.

p.s. you may call me Monica .

Yes, I had wondered if the post-processing had affected the quality. I have incidentally located the memory chip with the original WAV files. My memory is that a superior mike was used with the Sonnambula fantasy recording.

If my Thalberg pastiche sounds like I have three hands, then I must be doing my job properly I would be delighted to become a member - my one query is: where do I post bio and picture?

You may post your bio and photo right here, or you can email it to Chris or me. Also, I'm not totally sure how to classify these two recordings - are they your transcriptions? How do I title them?

Entertaining stuff, if you like the idiom (which I don't particularly, but that is my loss).
Not unlike what our local Dutch star virtuoso Wibi Soerjadi does in his transcriptions.
Impressively played. The Somnambula has more interesting moments than the Thalbergiana
which seems a bit empty to me. Im an not convinced by the endings, both pieces seem to
lack an apotheosis and a grand guignol coda. But well done all the same.

I've sent bio and photos by pm. They are indeed my transcriptions; the official titles should be "Wright Thalbergiana" and "Bellini-Wright Fantasy on La Sonnambula".

I've seen Soerjadi's left hand only paraphrase on Pirates of the Caribbean on youtube: most amusing! I think the thematic material is innately better in the Sonnambula; certainly I felt "Ah, non credea mirarti" had great potential for pianistic transformation the first time I heard it.

Yes his choices of material are sometimes questionable. A pity that such obvious facility and talent is not coupled to a better musical taste.

Ok, Andrew. Your page and recordings are now up on the site. Welcome again - you are now a member a Piano Society, and as such we encourage you to participate on our forum by not only uploading newly-recorded pieces (not too many at once, though ), but also regularly commenting on other members recordings too. It's a two-way street here.

btw - all four links are at the top of this thread.