Here ya go.

For what it's worth, this one took three takes.

Chopin Etude Op. 10, No5

Sheesh... no stopping you now is there !
You have these etudes pretty well pat down it seems. Almost flawless, this one, and that in 3 takes !
If I could niggle a bit, it almost sounds too easy and too casual ... it needs a bit more, what, oompah or something ? Perhaps some reverb, I guess you did not add any ?
The octave run at the end is a bit of an anticlimax, more could be made of that.

One request: can you set recording mode on your Edirol to something lower than 320 Kbps ? That is a ridiculously weak compression which serves no purpose but to make your mp3's unnecessarily big.
A compression rate of 160 kbps is more than adequate for piano recordings (I've been using 192 recently but that is over the top already, I should set it back to 160).

Wow, Pete (or should I call you Pierre?) That was great. Your right hand is so clear, one can hear every single note. I think you are the new Etude King.
(Any chance you can do the 10/3 soon? That one does something to me, and I'm sure I would swoon hearing you do your magic.)

Thanks a whole bunch, Chris and Monica! I had the edirol's reverb on but it apparantly is not enough. Can you recommend an audio editing program? That octave run at the end could be more climactic, I'll have to work on it, I tend to be severely reserved with the Chopin etudes, once I nearly developed tendonitis from playing them too strongly. About the bit-rate, I'll fix that right away.

Monica, if you thought the r.h. was clear, wait until I'm in proper form (Believe it or not, I'm a bit out of practice. I can play this etude a whole lot better when I'm in top shape.) About the 10/3 I'm not quite secure with the cadenza. I need about six weeks, I think. In the meantime, I'll post some things you may enjoy.

Please, call me Pete.

Incredible good and it sounds like you play it with ease and without any tension. I guess that is not really true but it sounds like that.

For effects, consider download Audacty and then install the GVerb effect and an equalizer plugin. That is everything I have ever needed.

Thanks for the feedback Robert. It actually does feel easy, once I got the hang of it. Like Chris said, put some oompah in it and perhaps more drama at the run of octaves, that's what I'll fix today, oompah and octave drama!:lol: BTW, don't put the g-flat etude and the c-sharp minor nocturne up to the site yet, there's a few things I need to fix, including the bit rate, I was using 320kbps (d'oh!), now I will use 160.

About my bio, you'll have it by the week's end.

Where do I go to download Audacity?


Many thanks,
Pete

Very good! I am very impressed how you can maintain the musical expression for that difficult piece at that speed.

Chris said, it sounds too easy? Take it as compliment, because if something difficult sounds like beeing easy, than the piece is nailed. What is really the case here!

Wow, thank you very much! I very nearly did nail it (not quite). It's a paradox, at first the etudes seem impossible but if given enough patience and practice, their extreme technical simplicity can be seen. All that's needed is time, practice and PATIENCE. This etude I've known for a few years, (though I don't really practice it any more) so it's matured in me to the point I can just let it rip. This recording has a three year history. What I'm working towards is, within about three years or so, to have all the etudes to that point. I'm not 100% sure I can pull it off, but from what I've already done, I'm cautiously optimistic.

About maintaining expression at high speed, I never approach a "fast" piece as a piece to be played fast. That would guarantee failure. In early stages of learning new music, (after I have it memorized) I find a certain tempo that fits me, the tempo that best allows me to feel the beat and to be as calm and attentive as possible. I refer to that as "body resonance tempo"---the tempo that best facilitates maximum leverage and minimum friction of the playing mechanism, as a function of the biomechanics of the performer, the piano and environment. Of course, once all the coordinations are in place, the tempo can be increased. If a piece ever gets rusty or sluggish, I revert back to the body resonance tempo, e.g, my recent 10/1 submission was at that tempo.

So, the trick is to choose a practice speed that's not too slow nor too fast. Write that tempo down, it's very easy to forget it.

Well, that's enough out of my yapper!

Thanks again!

Pete

Pete, I got it. The playing like a flowing warm water. Its beautiful..I really mean it. Its not too hard or too fast its just right. You are a new etude king...haaaaaaa. You are setting a good role for everyone here if not , for the rest of the world.

Thank you.

Thank you, JM, glad to hear that! I'm not trying to set roles or standards for anyone but me! I do advocate use of the metronome in finding "body resonance tempo" (see above post), however. I'll try my best to give my best. Unless I'm posting nocturnes for Monica. Then who cares about notes! (kidding)

Pete

Pete, i have spoken to few people(outside the piano society) about the tempo settings in Chopins music(or others); its the fashion of the past, these days, people wants to make money and play as much as the audience wants--as once an australis singer "melb" said, just play "mucks", that means just play rubbish and make the audience happy"....

Play with delicacy of touch is much better play with speed. in this era. just look at op10/3, tempo marked (200-croctchet), thas too fast for my personal taste), I would play it a much slower and more tasteful, not simply the technical ability, but rather the musicality.

Whats your say?

Chris put it best. "Musicality over pyrotechnocs, please..."