As a litte encore and as an interconnection between my recently uploaded Bach-piece (see Topic: Bach, prelude and fugue f-major, BWV 880, WTCII, please) and the sonata for clarinet and piano by Francis Poulenc I play this valse-improvisation about the name of our (IMHO) greatest composer: Johann Sebastian BACH. It´s a funny game to play names in music. (With twelve years or so I already have written a small piano-sonata, which contains the letters of my name, which are also note-names in music, by the way. My former teacher, Franz-Josef Streuff, had introduced me to that then. It was one of my first steps in composing.)
Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) has written this piece in 1932, if I remember correctly, and he dedicated it to Vladimir Horrowitz.

Comments are appreciated, of course, (and Chris: never fear, I have prepared our Slavonic Dances well, just didn´t want to drop off my solo playing ). I have put quite more reverb to it than to my usual recordings, do you like that?


Here is the video-link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eISfjE-0 ... ideo_title (Valse-improvisation sur le nom BACH)

The mp3-file below is the sound-track of the video above.

Poulenc - Valse-Improvisation sur le nom de BACH (1:41)

Andreas, I love it! Am I the only one who hears a bit of Prokofiev in this? One wonders what JSB would think hearing it. He would certainly recognize the soggetto cavato. This is a fine work and a very fine performance! Thanks!

Edit: Spelling

Andreaus,

That was fun to listen to. Great job. There were moments that actually reminded me of some of Stephen Sondheim's music.

I do have to credit you Germans for having the foresight to include "H" in your musical alphabet so that Bach's name could be written in music.

Scott

Hehe same here,though I am not done with the Dances yet. Luckily I'll have a little more time to prepare them than you.


I'm not sure to be honest. I was thinking while listening that you were using maybe a bit too much pedal here This is not the typical mellow Poulenc that sounds best with great washes of pedal, but a more abrasive and brittle Poulenc that would maybe sound better a little drier. But it's fine as it is. The performance is very good though I wished for a little more French 'folle' in places. It just sounds a bit too serious to me. It could well be one needs to be French to bring out that aspect.

I will put this on the site tonight.

musical_md wrote:


Thanks for your encouraging comment, Eddy! Yes, especially in that passage with the f-minor-chord-repetitions to which some dissonances are added I would hear a bit of Prokofiew. I could imagine, J.S. Bach would turn around one time in his grave and be glad, that he can sleep further in eternity, if he a would hear that piece.

RSPIII wrote:


Thanks for that, Scott!



Do you have a certain piece in mind (West-Side-Story or whatever)?



Indeed, for that it is an advantage, but if you are a guitarist (like me) it´s not, you always have to think, if you are reading the chord-symbol "B".

Techneut wrote:


Yes, you are lucky man for that reason!



We should distinguish here the use of pedal and reverb, I don´t think, it´s too much pedal, but may be a bit too much reverb.



Thanks for the praise! I thought especially in the Coda I´m "folle" enough, because I do a big accelerando here (which is not in the score, btw). But I know, I´m a quite imperfect player for that piece, because I´m not French.

This one is up on the site !

Hi Andreas,

This Poulenc piece provided a delightful listening experience, as you played it so well. You bring out the Gallic charm, wittiness, and high spirits that came so easily to Poulenc in his composing. A wonderful performance!

David

I can't really place my finger on it. I'm thinking from such things as "A Little Night Music" or later.

Scott

Thanks for having put it up to the site, Chris!

Rachfan wrote:


Thank you for your praise, which means much to me as you know. Yes, Gallic charm and wittiness is what that piece contains. So, I´m glad, that you feel me to have brought out well these typical French qualities, though I´m not French. (But I like France very much, btw.)

This is excellent! It has a nice swing, and you present it with a strongly improvisational feel. I hear hints of Prokofiev too, also a little bit of Liszt's BACH just before the end.

Thank you very much for your kind and encouraging feedback, Andrew.
Ah, yes, I also hear a bit of Liszt´s BACH at the end.

Loved it!

Hi Andreas,
I finally had some time this evening to listen to your recording here. I must say, this is one Bach piece that I do like!
And very nice playing!! I don't know this piece at all, but I'm liking Poulenc more and more. Such interesting music - thanks for some more Poulenc education.

Hope you are enjoying your summer.

Quiescen wrote:


Thank you for listening and your kind comment!

Pianlady wrote:


Thank you, Monica, I´m glad you like it.



I also have to admit, that I have come to the taste of Poulenc very much and I´m sure, that I will play more of his piano pieces. So, we seem to have something in common here.



Yes, thank you, the day before yesterday Chris and me we have recorded Dvorak, Slavonic Dances op. 72, 3, 5, 6, and 7 at his home and so we have completed our recordings of the set op. 72. When I will have done the video- and audio-editing we will post the results here, of course (but that could take still three or four weeks). It´s a pleasure to meet Chris to play piano and to do some windsurfing (yesterday we had a common surfing day here).
I wish you all the best and hope you are enjoying your summer time, too.

I've issued a board warning to this user Quiescen. IMO this only joined to promote his online piano lessons, not to post any serious comments. I am getting a bit allergic to this kind of people. He has not replied as yet.