Don't worry, no mp3-spam intended
But in this and the next post I'll add some more recordings with which I'm happy at my current level (this here, again, recorded digitally).

Bach - BWV 816, I. Allemande
Bach - BWV 816, II. Courante. Allemande
Bach - BWV 816, III. Sarabande
Bach - BWV 816, IV. Gavotte
Bach - BWV 816, V. Bourrée
Bach - BWV 816, VI. Loure
Bach - BWV 816, VII. Gugue

Very well played all the way through and I have nothing to niggle about at all. I just enjoyed listening .

I assume that you wish to become a pianist (pretty sure from earlier email conversation) on the site and I found some information about you on your home site under "Piano Music" (along with a lot recordings and I know I have listened to your Chopin 9/2 before). Not sure if that could be used as a pianist biography but that is up to you to decide.

I have put these recordings up on the site and the standard procedure is that we replace the original submissions with links to the recordings in the initial post.

Thanks, Robert, and glad you liked it! Yes, I'd be happy to join as a pianist
I'll send you a very brief bio sketch.

Great!

An impressive debut !
One can always argue, especially in Bach, about details of tempo, ornamenting, etc... But by all standards this is very good and technically on a high level. You have a great empathy with Bach.

Your slow movements are a bit Gouldian (i.e. veeery slow) but that is a matter of taste. I think the Loure could dance a bit more elegantly instead of dragging along. I particularly enjoyed your sprightly rendition of the Courante and especially of the Bourree, a movement that can easily sound a bit insignificant but not so in this performance. Some minor slips in the Gigue, but this one is real tricky and you did very well in the second movement which I think is horribly difficult in the middle section.

Great job, and welcome to the club.

Thanks, Chris, for the warm welcome! Your comments reflect exactly how I feel about it: the Bourree is my favourite (next to the Sarabande), while I don't really know what to do with the Loure -- it doesn't even speak to myself, so I'm not surprised it didn't speak to you! I'll have to listen to some other people playing it. But I need a break from the piece now, as I've been working on it for long enough

Actually I think that Loure is one of Bach's most wonderful and original creations. But it is hard to bring off. Needs a bit of rhythm, I guess.

Wow, that makes me want to reconsider my first impression of the movement! I think I _really_ have to listen to how other folks play it.

Did you ever send the bio? (and perhaps a picture)

I enjoyed the performance. I enjoy the piece. I also play this piece and have a few questions.

I found the opening ornamentations in the allemande to be a bit weak. Especially the first one (which I suspect is an important one.)

I find in order to play it I need to use a bit of my arm weight (not muscle, just the gravity.) I am curious how other people approach the opening ornamentation?

Also the piano is a bit unusal? Are you using the soft pedal or is it a keyboard? I perosnally prefer a "deeper" sound. It sounds a bit like you are not playing into the piano (just hitting the surface of the keys.) As a whole I liked it. b.t.w. I don't consider myself an expert by any means. Just curious what other people think about how to perform this peice as I play it myself...

Stan

I enjoyed the performance. I enjoy the piece. I also play this piece and have a few questions.

I found the opening ornamentations in the allemande to be a bit weak. Especially the first one (which I suspect is an important one.)

I find in order to play it I need to use a bit of my arm weight (not muscle, just the gravity.) I am curious how other people approach the opening ornamentation?

Also the piano is a bit unusal? Are you using the soft pedal or is it a keyboard? I perosnally prefer a "deeper" sound. It sounds a bit like you are not playing into the piano (just hitting the surface of the keys.) As a whole I liked it. b.t.w. I don't consider myself an expert by any means. Just curious what other people think about how to perform this peice as I play it myself...

Stan

Stan, thanks for commenting. About the ornamentations: I don't know the baroque conventions of playing them, but I'd be really interested if somebody knows or can point to a document. I tried to make them as "flowing" as possible, i.e. not disturbing the melodic lines (because I used to produce "hick-ups" quite often), and in the process of trying they might indeed have come a bit too weak. Maybe it is a bit too weak overall, I don't know. Have a listen at the Allemande that leonald posted, I guess you'll like that one a lot (as did I).
Yes, and the piano is a digital (that's what I meant in the original post with digital recording, but that's a bit ambiguous as I now realize). It'll never have the healthy sound of a real acoustic!!