Catedral Barrios
I.Prelude
Hello to all! These past few weeks I have been doing some retouch in Barrios' Catedral. It is already a piece I've worked in the past and I would like to try to record it. I'm practising it again with that goal in mind.
In the beggining of the video I'm including the way I approach the first movement as I practise it and in the end I'm playing the whole prelude. You will notice I put some words in Barrios music in some cases. Pardon me for that, it's not that I've done some research or have actual data that would really support my decision, it is just helpful for me, in an effort to have a clearer path while playing. Otherwise my fingers tend to do whatever they like, more or less...
I would really love to hear your ideas and suggestions!
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What a beautiful piece! and you played it very well!
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I agree with Wai a great piece and you play it soo well. The melody is singing and the accompanying are smooth and even. Maybe the a finger could be even a tiny bit deeper (warmer), although it’s sounding so great already. Just trying to give you food for thinking. Looking forward to hearing you again. You’re doing beautiful things here…
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joosje Thank you joosje! I really appreciate it! I will upload another video with the prelude again and the rest of the piece!
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Took some more care of the upper voice in the first movement.
Trying to maintain good quality sound as much as I can through the piece, but that makes me a bit slow at places. Especially in the third part... Needs more practise to clear the third movement and become more confident in the difficult spots.-
Manolis That's impressive and it's coming along really well. You're motivating me to work up some of the larger works I've dabbled with but put off.
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Manolis that was very beautiful. Intense tone and very secure. Great performance! You have some alternative passages in the andante. Religiosa. Maybe there are more versions. Which one are you playing?
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Manolis hi Manolis, I heard the whole chapter I and III of your playing (I did not hear II yet). I really like how you play chapter III: good articulation, clear notes, etc. However, in chapter I (Preludio), I could hear that sometime there was a rubato among the accompaniment notes them selv. It means, after playing the high note (the melody notes), the successive accompaniment notes are sometimes played with an uneven time spacing from each other. I hear some time two-three first accompaniment notes come off rythm. This was example of 0:14 to 0:23. This is my constructive comment to act as a food of thought for you. I do not play as good as you, but I can talk from a listener point of view, and hope it can be somehow helpful as a contructive criticism. :)
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Steve Price Thank you Steve! It is such a great compliment for me that my work motivates you to dedicate more of your effort and time. It works as an actual motivation for me to be honest.
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joosje Thank you joosje! Yes there are various versions indeed, I think I mainly used Stover's edition when I began working on this piece almost 4 years ago, but I have studied also Delcamp's edition and Alirio Diaz's.
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Khiem Nguyen Thank you Khiem for your thoughts and constructive criticism indeed! Very interesting that it captured your attention! I listened the first part again and again to try to understand in what degree this rubato happens intentionally or unintentionally. In general inside the prelude I try to keep the accompaniment steady and use rubato for the upper voice alone... When I would isolate a specific bar, after a while of listening it again and again, I could hear the unsteadiness bothering me indeed. Then I would listen to it in a wider context and it would not appear as bothersome as before and at places I would really like the effect. I came in the conclusion that the moments that bother me are the parts when the "acomp. rubato" happens without good control, meaning, it is not really well counted, also when I use rubato in the acomp and in the singing line right after. That feels too much. But when it is well counted and comes with the upper voice in balance, it feels very satisfactory and beautiful in my ears, as long as it arrives convincingly enough as a break in the overall steady pattern. But while listening, more noise would be brought to light, having to do with uneven notes in the volume axis and other dirt from the left hand... Thanks to your comment :)
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Manolis you are welcome Manolis. I agree with your analysis above. Please keep sharing with us and thanks for sharing your work, it has been a good inspiration for me to practice this piece! :)
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Manolis That was excellent, Manolis. It is a very challenging piece (or, rather, it looks like it - I have never played it). You have a very impressive command of the music.
As a very humble (and reluctant) critique - you play this wonderfully, I think I would like to hear a greater dynamic range in the final section. This is such a 'Moto perpetuo' that I feel it needs greater articulation and dynamics to give a it more shape. I also think the cadenza-like section leading back to the opening section could be much more free in phrasing and rubato. I feel that would really heighten the return of the opening music.
I feel I rarely get my music to the level of being able to fine tune it, but you are certainly there. Thanks for presenting this.
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Jack Stewart Thanks a lot Jack for your ideas! I will work on them and update the post. I had to be away these last few days, hopefully I will manage my time to be more active the coming period!
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End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
