Today I had a nice recording afternoon with my good friend David Dekker, a gifted and enthusiastic amateur pianist. We did not set our aim too high, and only recorded Debussy's ever-popular Petite Suite. It came out pretty well, I think. David plays secondo in 1 and 3, and primo in 2 and 4. Comments welcome.

Debussy - Petite Suite - 1: En Bateau (3:51)
Debussy - Petite Suite - 2: Cortege (3:26)
Debussy - Petite Suite - 3: Menuet (3:04)
Debussy - Petite Suite - 4: Ballet (3:25)

Bravo to you both! That was very enjoyable!!

Lovely! I just added them to my play list, leaned back on my bed and enjoyed.

You two seem really synchronised so I bet you had quite some sessions together before? It was since elementary school I played four hand (with a cute girl of course) but I remember it a bit tricky. Someone has to run the sustain pedal, and you have to agree on tempo and kind of nod with your head if there is a pause. You did this very good!

And also, it is a beautiful piece of music!

Thanks for that ! There are some things that could have been better, but nothing really wrong, and much that is just right.


Thanks ! No we did not have any sessions before, and while we both had practiced our part, neither of us had done that very intensively. But this suite is mostly technically easy so after 2-3 hours of rehearsing together, and agreeing on all the interpretative and technical details, we were ready for recording which took about an hour or so. Some cuts as usual. The secondo player always handles the pedal, and I instructed David not to use too much. In the end, I probably used more than he did

Hi Chris,

I had a listen to your duet pieces. Both you and David played remarkably well for only practicing for only rehearsing for 2 to 3 hours. I haven't heard these pieces before, the music is very much in the style of Debussy. About cuts, I didn't really notice them, I assume the page turns weren't in the middle of a section calling for lots pedal and long runs I imagine there are a lot of page turns if there is two sheets of music on the music stand for just one page of a duet piece.

Enjoyed listening to these,

Riley

Thanks Riley
The page turns are not particularly inconvenient here. Some we managed without a cut, when one player has some rests.

Hi Chris,
nice, that you also have another (I suppose Dutch) friend for playing four hands, who may be a bit nearer to you than me! But it seems to be the first time you have recorded something together for PS, isn´t it?

I have listened to the Petite Suite with interest, since I have played these piece already several time with different four hands partners (also with Franz, f.ex.).

To En bateau: that´s a nice performance, congratulations. I have missed the little wave in bar 11 and some more dymanics here and there, but that´s a matter of taste, of course. I still remember that in bar24 and 26 the secondo-player has to take off his last b natural in those bars and you have managed that very well. Some of the staccati are nice.

To Cortège: Very well played, also with very nice musical moments in it. The tempo scherzando we usually took a bit faster, so that there is a clear difference to Tempo I (moderato). Here the dynamic is better IMO, except in bar 47 f. the pp really is very hard to realize.

To Menuett: really very beautiful! The light and dancing character comes out very well. The end has to be much more pppp. Here in bar 64 the a is such a point of steping each other on the feet, isn´t it? (And in bar 62 the f.) But you seem not have problems with that.

To Ballet: Bravo, a thoroughly nice performance. Especially the valse has a lot of charm.

Thanks Andreas ! I did not know you had played this endearing suite too. We can always try it when we meet again.

David and I don't play together too often, I think this was the first time in a year or so, and the first time we played four-hand. Previously, we only played the second Rachmaninov concerto on two pianos, me doing the orchestral part. That is a project we need to pick up again, but we plan to do some more 4-hand pieces as well, starting with Poulenc's 4-hand Sonata. Here, we had pretty well worked out the details of interpretation and coordination before I switched on the recording. As always, dynamics could be better, and ppp and pppp do not come out as they should. The Gaveau is not an easy instrument if you've never played it, as you know, but David did remarkably well although the En Bateau is indeed a bit stiff. We should have done another take of it after properlty warming up with the Ballet.

Techneut wrote:


Yes,willingly, it´s a also a good warming-up-piece IMO. On the other hand, we always have not too much time for all the pieces we want to record, so may be we better warm up with those piece we want to record.



So, do you have a possibility to play on two pianos in your closer environment? When you will come again to Germany, we can play on two pianos in Franz´ house (I´m sure, Sibylle would like to hear us.) And eventually we also could do it in my school (since there are vacancies, when you will come). There we have two upright pianos, which can be put in one room.



That´s an interesting and demanding project.

You really have produced a very enjoyable recording of the "Petite Suite"!

Indeed so ! I can't remember what it was we wanted to do at your place now. Or did we not decide that yet ?

We play at a big piano shop in the Nieuwegein industrial area. They ahave a sound-proofed second floor full of grands, usually there two Yamahas next to each other, and they don't mind us bashing away at Rach II all monday afternoon. Occasionally someone comes in and disturbs us, but not often, monday afternoon is always very quiet. Yes we could go see Sybille and play something together there, if she would like that.

Luckily I can play secondo. David likes playing Primo, he's a bit of a prima donna

Thanks, good to hear ! I think there are many nice things in it.

Techneut wrote:


In summer we wanted to complete the Slavonic Dances in every case, I think. For Easter-time we thought about several things: Kunst der Fuge on two pianos (I will ask Sibylle, if we may come, but I´m quite sure, she will like that.), Another movement of "My Vlast" or a symphony-movement by Mozart, Hadyn or Beethoven. I think, we decided Kunst der Fuge, but not yet about "My Vlast" or another symphony. (I still have to think about that, though we should decide that soon, so that we have some time to prepare.)
In every case I´m looking forward to our next meeting!

Yes, decision time. I'll PM you about it. Unless you PM me first


Me too ! I do hope it will be good weather like last year.