( ) for piano solo

Yes the title is parenthesis. It intends to present something unspeakable and speechless. I had other intentions at first but do not dare to speak it out.

The piece is composed 10 years ago when I was a naive teen. The structure is simpler in a ternary structure. 

The recording is also recorded 2012 by myself in my school’s music room. You can hear the school alarm sound at the near end!! It’s also full of slips and wrong notes. But I cannot find or produce a better recording. This recording is so honest and pure. Even now I can play it much better in terms of technique, I can never produce that honesty anymore, so I will just retain it here.

Without @Omicronrg9’s encouragement, I would not post the piece, thank you Daniel!

Hope you enjoy the piece, and I welcome commentaries and comments on it. Thank you and have a nice day!

P.S. I have provided the YT link here in case some one loves to visit my channel!

Hi Henry

First of all, I love this recording. If you were to someday release your music professionally, yes I would re-record it. But I love how you captured a moment in time that'll never be forgotten. I love the imperfections, the mistakes don't mean a thing. It's like when someone is giving a great speech, and they stutter a little; does it really matter? Or when actors purposely stutter and fumble their words a bit. They do it on purpose because it's more real, and that's how your recording felt to me. I love the bell at the end too, it was perfect timing haha.

You do a really good job at developing your material. All of it makes sense since it stems from previously introduced themes. And speaking of themes, they're fantastic. I especially like the end of the A theme (bars 19-23). Sometimes I hear certain parts of a theme or a piece in general and wish the composer did more with it, but I think you gave us listeners just enough of it. Your piece made me think of Beethoven, sort of in texture, but also the way he treated material and saved moments of the theme to savor until the end (I'm thinking Appassionata mvt.1). 

The B theme is very well done too. Your music is drenched with emotion, something not everyone can achieve. I really like the parts where you added the trills in it too; you're quite the player, and this was 10 years ago!

I really like the transition into bar 56, but I wouldn't have written that section that way. Half note = 176? I would have used quarter = 176 and halved all the note values, but that may just be a preference. Bringing back the B theme was nice with the triplets underneath, and then the dramatic section at bar 84 was very cool too. Very "symphonic" use of the piano there. 

All the development leading back to the introduction at bar 151 was great too, I like all your compositional technique. There were a few moments where you use low whole or half notes to transition to something, I'm not quite sure I'm a huge fan of it. It definitely works, but something just felt missing. For instance at bar 212, I would have done a slow rising figure with an accelerando or perhaps feathered beaming to mimic the left hand in bar 213 to get to that spot. I just think it would have been smoother, but like I said, what you did works (I'm just being nitpicky :P). 

My only real gripe with the piece is the coda section at bar 221. Yes I know you developed the chordal section you had previously, but to me it just came out of left field. I will say that this was my FAVORITE section though. Your melody is extraordinarily beautiful here, but to me we had several minutes of a Beethoven style, then all of a sudden we were getting Chopin. I loved the musicality of it, but I felt like it was tacked on instead of making sense as to where you were taking us. The ending is quite nice as well, and you should be proud of this one!

Overall, very well done, Henry! You've got great composing chops, as well as piano skill. I'm glad you posted a live recording, even with it's faults. I'd rather hear you play it with a few minor mistakes then listen to a robotic midi rendition, we just don't get enough of that around here. I've posted a few older pieces here as well, but I'm very interested in what you're working on currently! It was nice to hear this, and it would be great when you post something recent so I can hear how you've developed as a composer. Wonderful job, and thanks so much for sharing!

Dear Vince, 

I'm so glad you enjoy the piece as well as the recording! It's an old piece of me and it definitely shows some immaturity, but I think I have given the best as a teen then!

4 hours ago, Thatguy v2.0 said:

First of all, I love this recording. If you were to someday release your music professionally, yes I would re-record it. But I love how you captured a moment in time that'll never be forgotten. I love the imperfections, the mistakes don't mean a thing. It's like when someone is giving a great speech, and they stutter a little; does it really matter? Or when actors purposely stutter and fumble their words a bit. They do it on purpose because it's more real, and that's how your recording felt to me. I love the bell at the end too, it was perfect timing haha.

I have the same feeling. I can record it much better now, but find that the recording itself is so precious that I cannot give it up. It presents the mind "at that moment", instead of a reinterpertation from now.

4 hours ago, Thatguy v2.0 said:

You do a really good job at developing your material. All of it makes sense since it stems from previously introduced themes. And speaking of themes, they're fantastic. I especially like the end of the A theme (bars 19-23). Sometimes I hear certain parts of a theme or a piece in general and wish the composer did more with it, but I think you gave us listeners just enough of it. Your piece made me think of Beethoven, sort of in texture, but also the way he treated material and saved moments of the theme to savor until the end (I'm thinking Appassionata mvt.1). 

You really have a good catch! Beethoven was then my sole idol (now there's many more but Beethoven is still my favourite), and I definitely use his motivic approach to compose. I myself find bar 19-23 quite a cliche now, but it has some emotion in it. I myself agree that the materials have to be developed more especially theme A, but that shows my immaturity then, and also since the piece has to fulfill the time requiremenet of the public exam, so I had to stay with it then.

5 hours ago, Thatguy v2.0 said:

The B theme is very well done too. Your music is drenched with emotion, something not everyone can achieve. I really like the parts where you added the trills in it too; you're quite the player, and this was 10 years ago!

Yeah I love that too! Maybe then I was learning Chopin's Nocturne in B major, op. 62 no.1 so I incorporated his technique to the piece.

5 hours ago, Thatguy v2.0 said:

I really like the transition into bar 56, but I wouldn't have written that section that way. Half note = 176? I would have used quarter = 176 and halved all the note values, but that may just be a preference.

That transition is quite a good touch, and I still prefer it in half note=176 now, but that's just my personal preference.

5 hours ago, Thatguy v2.0 said:

All the development leading back to the introduction at bar 151 was great too, I like all your compositional technique

I really love that part and enjoy its technique even now. But composing then I just followed my instinct and had no planning at all. I did have an impulse at that time.

5 hours ago, Thatguy v2.0 said:

There were a few moments where you use low whole or half notes to transition to something, I'm not quite sure I'm a huge fan of it. It definitely works, but something just felt missing. For instance at bar 212, I would have done a slow rising figure with an accelerando or perhaps feathered beaming to mimic the left hand in bar 213 to get to that spot. I just think it would have been smoother, but like I said, what you did works (I'm just being nitpicky :P). 

I don't like it now except that use in bar 150 since it's quite poetic. But other place I am not satisfied. It seems work because there is emotion pushing it forward, but it is not smooth enough. I may not use the figure from bar 213 but I will just let it retain now.

5 hours ago, Thatguy v2.0 said:

My only real gripe with the piece is the coda section at bar 221. Yes I know you developed the chordal section you had previously, but to me it just came out of left field. I will say that this was my FAVORITE section though. Your melody is extraordinarily beautiful here, but to me we had several minutes of a Beethoven style, then all of a sudden we were getting Chopin. I loved the musicality of it, but I felt like it was tacked on instead of making sense as to where you were taking us. The ending is quite nice as well, and you should be proud of this one!

I agree that's quite an abrupt change of style. I was thinking then I wanted to present the beauty of that pure dream, but it's quite a sudden change. I would probably retain it but add some preparations to it if I composed it now, but these kind of imaturity are so precious for me so I will retain it.

5 hours ago, Thatguy v2.0 said:

but I'm very interested in what you're working on currently! It was nice to hear this, and it would be great when you post something recent so I can hear how you've developed as a composer.

Currently I am composing a string sextet working on my views on religion and culture. I am also practicing my old piano works and hope to record it and post it here and on Youtube!

Thank you so much for your detailed commentary!

Henry

6 hours ago, Thatguy v2.0 said:

You do a really good job at developing your material. All of it makes sense since it stems from previously introduced themes. And speaking of themes, they're fantastic. I especially like the end of the A theme (bars 19-23)

I have forgotten to say, the theme A probably comes from Tchaikovsy's Dumka. I heard it in a concert not long before composing this piece and loved the theme so much for its simplicity!

This is a very delightful piece. I love some of your harmonic choices. Aside from some minor score appearance issues (the trill notations, for instance), I really don't have much else to say about it -particularly since you played this YOURSELF!?!?!!?

Good work!

1 hour ago, jawoodruff said:

This is a very delightful piece. I love some of your harmonic choices. Aside from some minor score appearance issues (the trill notations, for instance), I really don't have much else to say about it -particularly since you played this YOURSELF!?!?!!?

Good work!

Dear Jason, 

Thank you so much for your compliments! Compliments from a professional composer is particularly precious!

It's weird but I didn't choose the harmony. It just popped up in my mind and I just followed it. It's quite capricous of me to go through some of the keys like the emphasis on E flat minor in the middle section, but it works!

Yeah the trill notation is so ugly, particularly bar 46. It's actually much better than the original score made 10 years ago!

Yeah I played it myself 10 years ago. It's not particularly good, but it's so honest and I love it. I decided to play it myself since there's so many change of tempi, and a MIDI cannot achieve the effect.

Thank you!

Henry

Hi again Henry, let's begin:

• Quiet, melancholic introduction that announces that this piece is not gonna be a peaceful walk in the park during a sunny day at spring. The recording has obviously room for improvement, but as @Thatguy v2.0said it captures the moment and you defend it very nicely anyways. A digital interpretation wouldn't have told me what you do when playing this, so thank you for that.

• The trills section near 2:35 must have been quite tricky, good job!  

• The "Presto molto agitato" section coming after —which in turn precedes the allegro— is captivating. My only criticism: almost all ff and fffs with the exception of the one in M115 lack strength, kind of. However, I'd say this is not your fault after all but of the recording itself.

• You come back to your first motive after those sections. From that section and so on, I feel the emotional charge this piece has slowly increase towards the end.

• Regarding precisely the end: you did build a successful ending near ~6:20 but you chose to keep composing hmmm, let's see where it goes. For now, to a very beautiful passage that seems to precede an even better final... 

• And that's it, you did it, you made a better final. You risked it and managed to do a marvellous final section that fits with everything played before and concludes your interpretation solidly.

In summary a very emotional and inspiring piano solo with captivating sections and a neat final. Congratulations, Henry!

Kind regards ^^!

Dear Daniel,

Thank you so much for your reply! I'm really happy to knwo that you enjoy the piece!

22 hours ago, Omicronrg9 said:

In summary a very emotional and inspiring piano solo with captivating sections and a neat final. Congratulations, Henry!

This is a huge compliment for me!

Ten years ago I was then an emotional teenager. i composed this piece only because of the agitation and sadness I felt during that time in. I seems like an optimistic person but inwardly I am an utterly pessimistic and gloomy one, so many of my works are not quite positive!

Concerning the recording, I remembered that's a sudden call. We had to submit the score for our public exam, and I suddenly wanted to play it myself because I thought then the MIDI recording would not present the piece correctly. So the result is an unpracticed recording! But it did capture the emotional status I was in then, so I put it here!

22 hours ago, Omicronrg9 said:

The trills section near 2:35 must have been quite tricky, good job!

Actually I don't find that really difficult to play, since I had played Chopin's op.62 no.1 before. At least it's much easier than a double trill as in Beethoven's third piano concerto, op.111 or Chopin's etude and barcarolle and many other pieces. I won't write something I cannot play.

22 hours ago, Omicronrg9 said:

The "Presto molto agitato" section coming after —which in turn precedes the allegro— is captivating. My only criticism: almost all ff and fffs with the exception of the one in M115 lack strength, kind of. However, I'd say this is not your fault after all but of the recording itself.

Thank you! The volume of the recording is quite low. I cannot listen to the pp sections without having the largest volume possible! So definitely the ff and fffs are not enough for its strength!

22 hours ago, Omicronrg9 said:

You come back to your first motive after those sections. From that section and so on, I feel the emotional charge this piece has slowly increase towards the end.

Yes at the beginning there's maybe mere sadness and melancholy, but after the middle sections it becomes more and more agitated, just like myself! I like its emotional development though, at least it's quite honest and not fake.

22 hours ago, Omicronrg9 said:

• Regarding precisely the end: you did build a successful ending near ~6:20 but you chose to keep composing hmmm, let's see where it goes. For now, to a very beautiful passage that seems to precede an even better final... 

• And that's it, you did it, you made a better final. You risked it and managed to do a marvellous final section that fits with everything played before and concludes your interpretation solidly

For me it isn't a risk at all! I will not allow my piece to end in utter despair! (LOL, as in my clarinet quintet... Also that random 2/4 bars...) I agree with @Thatguy v2.0 that the ending is quite abrupt, but I am so happy to hear from you that it is very beautiful and marvellous! For me the abruptness may signify a transfigured sublimation from the previous sections? Or only a dream? I don't really know what my muse was doing at that time. I just followed my instinct then. But I definitely use some of Chopin's technique from his nocturnes to my piece!

Thank you so much for your review! I hope I can practice more and post more my old piano pieces here and on youtube!

Kind Regards

Henry

Nice work, man! I am always envious of pianists, since I lack the coordination to play Mary Had A Little Lamb with accompaniment in the left hand.

I'd say my only complaint, would be that around the section from bar 13 I believe it is on the score, I felt the accompaniment could've been "unfolded" more as the dynamics increased. Strictly block chords feels like it would be much more suited/idiomatic to strings than a piano in the section, and would be a nice way around the fumbling or dropped notes that even the best pianists are likely to miss in such a passage, IMO.

Dear @AngelCityOutlaw,

Thank you for your compliments! It's really hard to balance and coordinate between between the two hands, but I guess it will be much better if your are capable of playing Bach's polyphonic pieces! They are quite in hell sometimes, having to play five parts with two hands in my favourite fugue in the Well-Tempered Clavier Book I, that monumental C sharp minor fugue.

22 hours ago, AngelCityOutlaw said:

I'd say my only complaint, would be that around the section from bar 13 I believe it is on the score, I felt the accompaniment could've been "unfolded" more as the dynamics increased. Strictly block chords feels like it would be much more suited/idiomatic to strings than a piano in the section, and would be a nice way around the fumbling or dropped notes that even the best pianists are likely to miss in such a passage, IMO.

I was thinking then I wanted to have a pesante sound, so I used the thick chords to push the dynamics instead of using other figurations. At least I didn't miss the notes!

Henry

Wow, this is piece is so unique and evocative. Bar 217 to the end took my breath away! I'm so glad you have this recording, there is nothing better than hearing a performance by the composer himself! I definitely hear the honesty and purity of it. 

I love how it ends in a remote key compared to where it began; that gives it an epic feel to me, even if it's an 8-minute piano piece. I agree with @Thatguy v2.0, the conclusion is achingly beautiful but it does sound like a collage of different styles. I would have loved to hear your Beethoven-esque rhythmic thematic idea from the beginning return at the end to give more of a sense of familiarity. I noticed you did that somewhat with the rising left-hand figures at bar 213, but I still found myself wanting more of a tie to the beginning. Also, personally, the quarter rest at bar 8 threw off my sense of rhythm a bit, most likely because that rhythmic discontinuity comes so early in the piece.

On the other hand, your unexpected choices at the beginning and end give the piece a wonderful spontaneity and sense of freedom right out of the gate. I imagine you apply some of the ideas regarding continuity that I and some other users mentioned in plenty of other compositions, but none of them will have the exact impact that this one does. It would be a shame to lose the spontaneity of this recording!

The harmonies are gorgeous and emotional, and I hope to hear more creative harmonic choices from you. I look forward to exploring more of your work. 😊

Thank you so much for sharing! 

 

Dear @MissCello,

Thank you so much for your review!! I am glad that you love it!

1 hour ago, MissCello said:

The harmonies are gorgeous and emotional, and I hope to hear more creative harmonic choices from you. I look forward to exploring more of your work.

Yeah this work was composed by an emotional teen 10 years ago. No wonder it's emotional and the harmonic choices are more limited. My approach towards composition is primarily on structure and form, but this piece is just an emotional outburst, and I really didn't think much on harmonies then! I was really just fleeing and following my instinct then. I really hope my harmonic language now will be more advanced but it is still more functional and traditional.

1 hour ago, MissCello said:

Wow, this is piece is so unique and evocative. Bar 217 to the end took my breath away! I'm so glad you have this recording, there is nothing better than hearing a performance by the composer himself! I definitely hear the honesty and purity of it. 

Thank you for your compliments! I really think honestly the prerequisite of a good composition. You will never move your audiences to laugh and tears if you yourself don't. What I am proud of is that despite the piece is youthful and lacked of mature compositional technique, it is honest. I really feel what's inside the music and express it. That really makes me happy, even though I know there's much more room for improvement!

I love bar 217 onward too!

1 hour ago, MissCello said:

I love how it ends in a remote key compared to where it began; that gives it an epic feel to me, even if it's an 8-minute piano piece.

Thank you! I think emotionally it's quite deep. I didn't choose to end in E major then, my instinct told me so and I just followed it. Later I found E major the hexatonic pole of C minor which does reflect how faraway they are. This connects to the next point:

1 hour ago, MissCello said:

I agree with @Thatguy v2.0, the conclusion is achingly beautiful but it does sound like a collage of different styles. I would have loved to hear your Beethoven-esque rhythmic thematic idea from the beginning return at the end to give more of a sense of familiarity. I noticed you did that somewhat with the rising left-hand figures at bar 213, but I still found myself wanting more of a tie to the beginning

I agree with you and @Thatguy v2.0 that the conclusion is somewhat too apart from the previous ideas and sections. What I was thinking then it's I want to end in a dreamy way without any materials, energy and sadness from the previous Beethovanian sections. That rising left-hand figures do comes from the opening theme and b. 217-220 is from b.43-55. I find it now that it's too beautiful to be true to the context of the piece, but I still wish to retain it, even though it's quite unrelated to the previous sections except maybe the chordal section of theme B in b.23.

1 hour ago, MissCello said:

Also, personally, the quarter rest at bar 8 threw off my sense of rhythm a bit, most likely because that rhythmic discontinuity comes so early in the piece.

Oh really? I think the flow is OK there 😜.

1 hour ago, MissCello said:

On the other hand, your unexpected choices at the beginning and end give the piece a wonderful spontaneity and sense of freedom right out of the gate. I imagine you apply some of the ideas regarding continuity that I and some other users mentioned in plenty of other compositions, but none of them will have the exact impact that this one does. It would be a shame to lose the spontaneity of this recording!

The continuity in this piece is quite bad though. As @Thatguy v2.0 noted, the sections are almost all linked by long notes, which is quite unsatisfactory. Probably the emotions in my playing save the structural problem, making it more connected. This aspect is also the one I want to improve badly, and hopefully my recent pieces can have more continuity in it, as shown in my clarinet quintet.

Thank you for your detailed review! Really appreciate your honest comments and I love that! It's always interesting to look at your pieces in different angles!!

Henry

49 minutes ago, Henry Ng said:

Dear @MissCello,

Thank you so much for your review!! I am glad that you love it!

Yeah this work was composed by an emotional teen 10 years ago. No wonder it's emotional and the harmonic choices are more limited. My approach towards composition is primarily on structure and form, but this piece is just an emotional outburst, and I really didn't think much on harmonies then! I was really just fleeing and following my instinct then. I really hope my harmonic language now will be more advanced but it is still more functional and traditional.

 

Oh, when I said "I hope to hear more creative harmonic choices from you," I meant that I found your harmonies in this piece very creative and personal and I want more of it -- I hope to find a similar spirit in other or future works of yours, maybe. 🙂 And, I may be the only one with this opinion on bar 8. I appreciate the diversity of taste and viewpoint in this forum.

At any rate, I'm so glad I stopped by and listened to your piece today!

1 hour ago, MissCello said:

Oh, when I said "I hope to hear more creative harmonic choices from you," I meant that I found your harmonies in this piece very creative and personal and I want more of it -- I hope to find a similar spirit in other or future works of yours, maybe. 🙂 And, I may be the only one with this opinion on bar 8. I appreciate the diversity of taste and viewpoint in this forum.

At any rate, I'm so glad I stopped by and listened to your piece today!

I am happy to hear that! I usually look at my pieces with more lowly lens and I am happy you love the harmonies in it! That makes my day as well to have your compliments! 

@Henry Ng Tsz Kiu I'm going to be featuring this piece in my next longform video, where I will be talking about "nuancing your works". I will keep you informed when the video is produced and uploaded. I love this piece and your playing.

8 hours ago, chopin said:

I'm going to be featuring this piece in my next longform video, where I will be talking about "nuancing your works". I will keep you informed when the video is produced and uploaded. I love this piece and your playing

Thanks Mike! For sure the piece and the playing has many things to be nuanced as the work is composed by an immature teen then! I can't wait for the video and feel free to criticize (or compliment) it when it's needed! The scoring particularly needs improvement!

Henry

Well!  Impressive!  Intensely emotional and proto-Romantic-to-Romantic.  

This piece reminds me of Hummel in many places.  Have you studied him at all?  Some of the styling and virtuosic demands are reminiscent of him to me.  

In my opinion, titling this piece (  ) does it a disservice.  This is a Fantasia.  Might you consider renaming it?  

Again in my opinion, the final section in E doesn't quite fit.  It might have been better to leave it in C minor or move to C major and end it similarly in that key.  

But these are minor quibbles.  Whatever you do, or call the piece, it's a wonderful expression.  My compliments!  

Hi @J. Lee Graham,

Thanks for listening and your lovely review!

11 hours ago, J. Lee Graham said:

This piece reminds me of Hummel in many places.  Have you studied him at all?  Some of the styling and virtuosic demands are reminiscent of him to me.  

Unfortunately I've never studied his pieces. T know his is a real famous pianist and composer at his time but I never listen to his pieces at all. Do you have some suggestions of his works?

I'm basically a Beethovanaian by the time I composed this piece which was 10 years ago (!). I only compose what I can play for piano haha.

11 hours ago, J. Lee Graham said:

In my opinion, titling this piece (  ) does it a disservice.  This is a Fantasia.  Might you consider renaming it?  

This piece has a real special meaning for me as it's the first ever work completed by myself with some artistic value. I had composed music before it but they could not be called a "work". The "( )' denotes something unspeakable for me, both literally and figuratively. In fact it was first called "( ) ballad" but later I found the word ballad redundant so I just deleted it:

11 hours ago, J. Lee Graham said:

Again in my opinion, the final section in E doesn't quite fit.  It might have been better to leave it in C minor or move to C major and end it similarly in that key.  

Yup the coda is considered unfit by many comments here. I agree on that but I will say I deliberately had it unfit to the general mood of the piece when composing since I wanted a heaven floated above the material world. Even the E major is chosen for that since it's the hexatonic pole of c minor, even though i didn't know the theory of hexatonic keys then. It's also hinted in b.16 but only to be stopped by c minor and had it fully realized in the coda.

11 hours ago, J. Lee Graham said:

But these are minor quibbles.  Whatever you do, or call the piece, it's a wonderful expression.  My compliments! 

Thank you! I'm happy you love it!

Henry

7 hours ago, Henry Ng Tsz Kiu said:

Do you have some suggestions of his works?

If you listen to nothing else of Hummel, please listen to his Piano Concerto in B minor, Opus 89 (1819).  Here are links to a fine performance by my friend and colleague Andrew Brownell.  You won't believe some of what goes on in this piece.  Andrew said it was a real finger-buster!  Apparently Hummel was one hell of a pianist, and a master composer - his teacher Mozart's star pupil, indeed!  In my opinion, this is the greatest piano concerto ever written, greater even than Beethoven.  

yis, gib handwriting manuscripts, luv

I can see why you wanted to name it ballad though, it does have that sort of narrative

I don't think I am nearly anywhere at that level of music and piano technique in 2012 (not that I have that either now, but I got to explore more pieces with time in my own time)

Maybe it's because I feel busy all the time (keyword: feel), but I think this is a piece you can't enjoy unless you set aside other things in your life. Might come back to listen for real when I'm ready.

Hey @PCC,

29 minutes ago, PCC said:

yis, gib handwriting manuscripts, luv

Haha it's kind of messy though. I do occasionally use handwriting manuscripts now but only for jotting down ideas ans inspirations rather than writing full piece of music like this one! I am definitely not like Peter who is a paper composer!

31 minutes ago, PCC said:

I don't think I am nearly anywhere at that level of music and piano technique in 2012 (not that I have that either now, but I got to explore more pieces with time in my own time)

At least I'm happy that I don't stay in this level now and see my progress. You can too! I was way too Beethovanian then which is not a bad thing (actually a good thing).

33 minutes ago, PCC said:

Maybe it's because I feel busy all the time (keyword: feel), but I think this is a piece you can't enjoy unless you set aside other things in your life. Might come back to listen for real when I'm ready.

Yup I can say most of my music is quite emotional and they are not to be taken as delightful pleasure. When I composed I have much to say and emotion to express, and I never compose for the sake of composing only. Art for art's sake for me is irrelevant sinceI remember Tolstoy said, "Beauty without truth is disgusting." At least they should be sublime if they are pure sublimity rather than beauty.

Take your time and listen to it if you want! Thanks for noticing the post!

Henry

Hi @J. Lee Graham,

16 hours ago, J. Lee Graham said:

If you listen to nothing else of Hummel, please listen to his Piano Concerto in B minor, Opus 89 (1819).  Here are links to a fine performance by my friend and colleague Andrew Brownell.  You won't believe some of what goes on in this piece.  Andrew said it was a real finger-buster!  Apparently Hummel was one hell of a pianist, and a master composer - his teacher Mozart's star pupil, indeed!  In my opinion, this is the greatest piano concerto ever written, greater even than Beethoven. 

I'm in doubt whether this concerto will be greater than Beethoven's 4th or 5th Concerto (since I'm a frenzy fan of Beethoven) , but I will listen to this tonight! Thanks for your suggestion!

Henry

Bravo, as I just wrote on your Youtube page. I am very sensitive to the poetry of this recording, its human imperfections.

We oscillate between Chopin, Beethoven, and the ineffable and immense Schubert. (a little Rachma too...) (or even a zest of Liszt).

There is an immense sincerity in your speech and we want to say to the young guy who suffers in this way: "don't worry, it will only get better"..."tout ira bien tu sais"... Finally, console a little the teenager you were and who obviously needed it, word of (old) father!

Hey Jean,

18 hours ago, Krisp said:

Bravo, as I just wrote on your Youtube page. I am very sensitive to the poetry of this recording, its human imperfections.

Thanks so much for your warm reply here and on YT. I am deeply grateful for that!!💋

18 hours ago, Krisp said:

We oscillate between Chopin, Beethoven, and the ineffable and immense Schubert. (a little Rachma too...) (or even a zest of Liszt).

I was then a Beethovanian as the force is quite great there! And there were some influence of Chopin as well with those pianistic passages particularly for the ending. I think I'm a quite a sensitive person and that maybe similar to Schubert. For Rach and Liszt, I had no clue for that!!!

18 hours ago, Krisp said:

There is an immense sincerity in your speech and we want to say to the young guy who suffers in this way: "don't worry, it will only get better"..."tout ira bien tu sais"... Finally, console a little the teenager you were and who obviously needed it, word of (old) father!

Thank you Papa Jean!!! Unfortunately I don't think things get better now if not for the worse. The world is becoming more and more disastrous. I composed then partly to reflect what I feel towards the world but now the world is even worse. But fortunately I may be maturer now and possibily can cope with my emotion even though there's will be small volcanic erputions of it.

Thanks so much for your encouragement!!!!

Henry

Hi Henry,

I just wanted to say that I loved your piano solo and you play it beautifully (even with the odd bum note)!

I was reminded of Schubert quite a bit, not necessarily harmonically as some of your harmonic choices are not of that idiom but the piece as a whole gave me quite romantic impressions and it is certainly an emotional piece of writing.

Your developments are very organic and natural, there is nothing forced about any of the work.  I really enjoyed it.