talib aswad

Hmm, I measure my "span" from tip of thumb to tip of 4th finger. This gives me more reach than my 5th. I got webby frog like fingers :whistling:

It is GREAT but I cannot in good conscience claim it is the BEST

Fur Elise, Pachelbel's Canon, any of Vivaldi's 4 Seasons, ... just about anything reduced to a ringtone ...

it's wonderful really, but is it really you or are you trying to follow Beethoven? assuming you're going to follow the same style throughout, you may end up modulating (very likely to a minor key) seconds before the end of the mp3 (don't have the score to give an exact position but there's a potential cadence in there somewhere) what are your plans for the piece anyway? what direction are you taking it in? BTW it does not sound horribly muddy

i liked 2nd one, should've played through, forget camera, let it fall

I felt like sharing this video clip. Really interesting ideas here concerning artistry/blasphemy I think. YouTube - Gould plays Mozart

there's been a rumor for years that he committed suicide after recording "Don't worry, be happy"

just got done listening to it. pretty heavy stuff. loved the last 5-6 minutes. I'm going to listen again later before I say much else.

I dislike Fur Elise even more now. I listened to the C minor symphony (Hess 298) on that site. The completed orchestration is Beethoven-like at least. Maybe it's just me but I want some more proof before I'm convinced it's all legit. A project of this scope should have more than just midis. Why aren't there any live recordings up? There's no scores, facsimiles, photos of the originals. I demand to see the messy ink dammit! :P

How did the suicide rumor start?

While I was watching this video I got the feeling that perhaps the demand for technical perfection in standard repertoire is pushing performers to be perfect machines. Are musicians approaching the limits of standard performance pieces or is there much room to grow? Where is the improvisation? the musicianship required in rebounding from mistakes with style? is it even acceptable to not play what was written? or am I just ranting again?;):P YouTube - Suzuki 10-Piano Concert 2003 - Polonaise in A-flat major

I'm sure I can make it that low but I don't sound very full or resonant. Should I stick to being a tenor or work on bass also?

I normally speak in a light (not necessarily high) voice and I've known for years that I am capable of singing easily anything from C below middle C to the A above middle C. Just recently I've noticed that I can go even lower to B-flat 2 octaves under mid C. I'm not uncomfortable in my lower register and I think with training I could develop it. However, there's a slight mental hurdle to get over in moving UPWARD into my higher register. Would I be considered a tenor or baritone and should I work on developing my lower range or not risk it?

woohoo! :angry:

wow, I've been using the trial version of Harmony and it's so much more manageable and intuitive than Finale. I'm considering paying the full $70 for the registration but now I'm not so sure :) I really hope you were not scammed.

Here's a Gould interpretation (I like how he seemed to get into Bach's works)

Harmony Assistant

oh, I see... my "simple" = your "easy" I never expect to be perfect anyway. Memorable is better ( as long as it's a good memorable)

I think you may have misunderstood me. What I meant was not that the pieces themselves aren't expressive but it's BECAUSE they are also simple that a lot of students don't pay too much attention to them and so don't bring out the full beauty but instead giving technically perfect performances without "soul". Also, I'm sorry but even though I thoroughly enjoy Mozart, his works are pretty much standard in competitions and to be original with Mozart as well as please the crowd may be daunting for a first timer.

I truly love the Suggestion Diabolique. I felt like this interpretation was too cut and dry, emotionless. Anyway, who am I to judge, couldn't even begin to play the darned thing to save my life.

It would amuse me to watch a class of 4th graders try to circular breathe the Twinkle, twinkle variations using recorders :P

Terry Ewell's videos on youtube. He's a bassoonist. Watch his Flight of the Bumblebee performance first because he is restricted by the television company. He explains this in his other videos and demonstrates his technique. Terry Ewell's user profile: http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=tewelltube :blink:

Everyone knows of Alessandro and Domenico Scarlatti but is anyone familiar with Pietro Filippo Scarlatti?

I'm thinking of entering my school's Concerto/Aria competition which is set for next Spring. The requirements are either a movement from a concerto or an aria. This would be the first time I've ever attempted something major so I don't want to go in over my head. This pretty much rules out Romantic and later pieces and a lot of the very popular pieces. I'm thinking about either studying the Haydn Dmajor concerto for piano or the Bach BWV 1052. I decided against Mozart because his works would be far too familiar to the audience and they may be biased to certain interpretations. I want to try the earlier works because a lot of students stick to the "tougher" Rachmaninoff, Bartok and the like. The Classical and Baroque are deceptively simple and so they give poor expression during recitals. Am I going about this the right way or not? Which should I work on? Any suggestions? Ideas? Alternatives?

I like the theme; now if you stacked it up and laid it out you'd have a full piece :P