Pianist Reacts to Her Own Chopin Competition Performances: Ballades 1 & 3 | Ep. 3 The Chopin Podcast

[@AdrianTangMusic]

Ben, on behalf of everyone, thank you so much for giving us free access to these priceless interviews with amazing artists. Absolutely loving this Chopin series!

[@Daniel_Zalman]

Sorry for flooding this comment section, but I can't resist noting that Ms. Gagliano comes off as such a sweet, charming, and down-to-earth supreme pianist!

[@roycegrubic2620]

These reaction videos are surprisingly illuminating; the Dina Yoffe one was wonderful also. It helps that Avery has such a glowing soul--not only a sharp and interesting mind but a love for music, piano, and the craft that really shine through just in that little Zoom screen in the upper corner. It is no wonder she did so well in the competition.

[@MartinDomanovac]

I just went throught every one of the episodes of this series and likes it because i dont know how to show it more apricciation. I am really greatfull of knowledge that i am getting throught this video and i love this type thank you❤

[@melefth]

Yes, this whole Chopin series has been superb, and there's still so much more to look forward to. And, my goodness, but Avery is a wonderful interpreter of Chopin. So thank you!!

[@mickizurcher]

Enjoyed Avery so much I was inspired to have a great practice the day after.

[@dad-to-be5321]

Ben, I have to say I enjoyed every single one of your videos!

[@matthewclarke5008]

Her playing has further matured in this short time, love to see the progress even within the extremely high standards already achieved.

[@jimkost2002]

Avery is a transcendental pianist, a charming soul and multi-threat creative force. She really should have won top prize at Warsaw.

[@nickk8416]

I love these videos Ben. Miss Gagliano is a wonderful pianist. The Warsaw version for me was sublime! I loved the somewhat slower tempo. It's easy to get carried away and play it too fast. This section of the G minor, that you highlighted first is so so beautiful. It's all great but that middle section sends me to the moon every time. These Ballades are as good as it gets for the piano. I've played, albeit poorly #1 and #3. I'm too afraid of the F Minor! :) Maybe one day....Yikes! What a lovely sweetheart of a gal Miss Gagliano is. I saw she went to Curtis. No wonder she plays like an angel.

[@darnfirefingers]

Hi Ben and Avery, your conversations are fascinating. Avery’s Warsaw performance is so fresh and mystical. Wishing you all the best in all that you do. Please continue to bless the world with your talent. 🎹

[@1389Chopin]

What an amazing pianist - found her on spotify - will be on the lookout for her concerts in Houston - i hope she comes dow here.

[@pattierichards7391]

What an interesting interview. Lovely to put things in such perspective. Life experiences are bound to influence performance, and lockdown was surely an experience we all endured together.

[@roycegrubic2620]

Warsaw had a much better sounding piano also....I wonder if that can affect tempo in the moment, where a pianist can't help but bask a little in the warmth and resonance of the tone. Anxiety could have understandably made the performance faster in Miami as well, but it is interesting to think of how a pianist interacts and responds to that instrument in the moment. Maybe not the first note but the first chord sends a message back to the musician. Faster tempo could then represent an aggressive desire to try to take control of a less than perfect sound...or it could mean at some subconscious level "let's get this over with."

[@benlawdy]

@@roycegrubic2620 that’s a good point. Avery may be luxuriating more in the acoustic or the Philharmonic Hall in Warsaw. Also, as we live longer with a piece, tempos often broaden because we become more interested in what’s happening on the inside.

[@Zympans]

@@benlawdy actually, the acoustics in Warsaw are embarrassingly awful from many, many seats. Ask any music lover from here. It's the worst of the "big" halls in Poland. At least if you don't know which seat you must buy. Every other big city has at least its one hall at the highest modern standards. That may be one of the reasons why the only Yunchan's concerto this season was in Wrocław in its marvelous venue, not in the capital. The thing is: on the other hand it may not be perceived as that bad by a pianist, also: the Chopin Institute has the best microphones and engineers I'd know of, and last but not least: the competitors could have chosen their preferable instrument among the four before the 1st round. There were 2 different steinways for instance.

[@benlawdy]

@@Zympans interesting, thank you for the info! The sound engineers sure make it sound warm in there!

[@pottedrodenttube]

I played the Showpan drinking game...I lost. Thanks, Ben!

[@markhedman1884]

I agree that this an interesting format for an interview. Avery was a really good sport to participate on KZbin in an analysis and comparison of her performances. I don't find many (any?) other pianists doing it. The performances at Warsaw were well recorded and played. I remember that you liked her performance of the Db Nocturne - maybe you could bring her back to talk about her performance of that piece. Polished.

[@Daniel_Zalman]

Btw, the king of finding inner voices where they belong...and maybe don't...is the legendary Cyprien Katsaris!

[@benlawdy]

@@Daniel_Zalman I play Katsaris’s C# minor waltz for Garrick in the waltzes episode…

[@Daniel_Zalman]

@@benlawdy Oh boy. I wonder what he had to say. Will check it out. I really love Katsaris. Not as model of how everyone should play, but as a very creative performer with superhuman technical abilities. He can be incredibly tender and sensitive in lyrical works. Speaking of weirdos (in his case, for good and unspeakable reasons), Pletnev does something really fun, rhythmically, in the opening phrase of 34/1 in his DG recording.

[@nickk8416]

@@Daniel_Zalman I agree on Katsaris. I love some things and others not so much but he always has something interesting to say. Pletnev just gets better and better. He always had infallible fingers but now his playing is so sublime. Those Russians Gilels, Sokolov and Pletnev to name a few are all at the top of the heap for me.

[@Daniel_Zalman]

@@nickk8416 Oh, I thought that Pletnev focused mostly on conducting after the scandal in Pattaya, Thailand. Glad he's found something to keep his hands busy.

[@Daniel_Zalman]

Ben, can you point to a recording that doesn't feature the inner voice that Ms. Gagliano "invents" in the 3rd Ballade? I immediately went to a few recordings: Hough, Katsaris, Arrau...and I couldn't pick up on the difference in voicing. Granted, I don't have your trained ear for these things. P.S. I got a fever. And the only prescription is more Chopin Podcast!

[@benlawdy]

@@Daniel_Zalman for example, kissin doesn’t do it the first time (2:32) but he does the second time (5:32): kzbin.info/www/bejne/rnyqd5l_obF7l6csi=IWbK_VRF4XqJXhLW

[@benlawdy]

Just to give an example of what it sounds like without it (time codes are for kissin).

[@Daniel_Zalman]

@@benlawdy I see. Just listened. Oh, I think I get it. Incorporating the G from the right hand, as you mentioned. I have like 31 different recordings of the 3rd (i'm a bit of an obsessive collector). So, I tried Nikolai Petrov, and indeed, he doesn't do that.Thanks, very much, Ben!

[@jisyang8781]

Same here. I don't know who doesn't do that. I also checked the score that I used to learn the piece from because I remember there were markings. And indeed there are tenuto markings on those notes when the theme repeats still in C maj. btw G on right hand didn't have it but I myself apparently wrote an accent mark. And later when it repeats again in Ab major, the score has tenutos that I wrote in myself maybe because I thought it should be there.

[@jisyang8781]

Btw when this theme first appears the notes don't lend themselves to bring out the 'hidden voice'. When the theme repeats, it doesn't repeat exactly - the slight variation on left hand makes this possible.

[@bifeldman]

If it’s worth hearing, it’s worth taking the time to say everything.

[@militaryandemergencyservic3286]

Like Neuhaus after Richter played - I have nothing to say.

[@Daniel_Zalman]

la-sol-fa? Don't you mean A-G-F? We're in 'Murica. Get it right!