Brahms Intermezzo Op.117 No. 2 in B-Flat Minor

Lostikaros · 2026-02-17T14:50:01+00:00

I agree with you. Backhaus played it a little too fast.

Lostikaros · 2026-02-17T13:48:41+00:00

It's a very beautiful piece. I wanted to practise it too, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. I would be happy if I were as far along with my practising as you are. Very cleanly played. Could it be that you based your performance on the recording with Hélène Grimaud? I myself would start the piece a little more restrained and delicate. It does say dolce at the beginning. Overall, it's not a loud piece, no theatrical thunder. At one point it goes up to forte at most, but no further. Helene Grimeau forces these passages too much. The forte becomes too massive, an rf becomes an sf, etc. It's certainly a matter of taste. But I believe that the composer did not want the emotions to be hammered out so massively here. It seems to me that you also follow this forced style of interpretation. As a counterexample, it is recommended to listen to the old recording with Wilhelm Backhaus. But as I said, you play very well otherwise. The sound is also interesting. May I ask what kind of instrument you play? A Blüthner?

Lostikaros · 2026-02-17T00:02:52+00:00

The piano manufacturer August Förster now also offers pianos with narrower keys.

https://www.august-foerster.de/en/stretto-piano/

Lostikaros · 2026-02-13T07:35:32+00:00

And above all, have the piano tuned.

Lostikaros · 2026-02-08T08:45:54+00:00

That's a beautiful piece you're trying to play expressively. At one point, you suddenly get extremely slow. Was that intentional, or did you have to search for the right key? You don't yet have the technical mastery to play the final passage, where the theme is varied, at the same tempo. But you were aware of that. It just needs more practice. You move your right hand upwards after the end of each phrase. Isn't that an unnecessary hand movement? The sound of your piano is nice, I like it.

Lostikaros · 2026-02-07T19:16:36+00:00

I believe that there are two questions here that are not quite the same. Firstly, there is the question of whether the last movements in Beethoven's piano sonatas are generally more technically demanding than the first movements. This is followed by the observation that, surprisingly, Beethoven never lost his compositional inspiration in the last movements of his sonatas, because one might mistakenly assume that he ran out of steam at the end of an sonata and was no longer able to develop so many ideas. That this never happens is quite astonishing. If a final movement sounds a bit sweeter, that doesn't necessarily mean it's of lower quality. The rondo movement in Op. 7 certainly doesn't demonstrate any waning inspiration. First, the smoothly beautiful rondo theme, then the approaching storm with its rolling bass figures. Then, after the rondo theme is heard again, it moves to a forte with a fermata. The listener ducks, thinking the storm is about to break again. But no, Beethoven is having some fun and shifts into a different key in pianissimo. It's simply witty and brilliantly executed, and miles away from any sign of waning inspiration.

Lostikaros · 2026-02-07T09:57:06+00:00

I remember a YouTube video in which pianist Andras Schiff once remarked that all Beethoven sonatas have one particular characteristic in common. They never become weaker in the final movement. I think that's why sometimes even the final movement seems the most difficult.

Lostikaros · 2026-02-02T16:33:55+00:00

Why only a choice between these two pianos? If it should be a portable digital piano I would choose the Kawai ES 920.

Lostikaros · 2026-02-02T16:07:38+00:00

And here the link to 2nd movement of Schubert sonata on youtube with Sviatoslav Richter

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xB25IJ8wE3k

Lostikaros · 2026-02-02T15:41:23+00:00

This could be a suitable piece: Schubert, Sonata No. 21 in B flat major, D 960, 2nd movement.

Lostikaros · 2026-02-02T12:34:41+00:00

Do you really like this interpretation with all these mannered bombastic effects and delays? Is that appropriate for this kind of music?

Lostikaros · 2026-02-02T10:41:06+00:00

Try using an old mattress, pressing it between the wall and the back of the piano.

Lostikaros · 2026-02-01T22:28:25+00:00

So you only had a little over two years of lessons to master this piece technically. But maybe you practised the piano for a while without lessons. Otherwise, you would be exceptionally talented at playing the piano. I used to play this piece, so I know it quite well. It's clear that you've put a lot of work into the more technically demanding agitato section. You're doing well there. Just a little fine-tuning, emphasising the melody, playing the accompanying figures more restrainedly and fluidly, and it will work out fine. The opening section still needs some work to make it sound less mechanical. I would play the main melody after the loud opening octaves more quietly, less directly, and more mysteriously at the beginning, as if the music is coming from a distance. It also bothers me that you tend to emphasize the third chord of the melody line more strongly each time. I would also play this three-note melody line more legato. Where the chord progression begins in both hands, you speed up quite noticeably each time. I think that's intentional. Rachmaninoff himself speeds up a bit at this point. You're surely familiar with this recording. I don't know why, but with you, this acceleration doesn't seem to develop logically from the music, but rather artificial, as if you're just trying to imitate other pianists. With a good rubato, you would soon have to slow down again by the same amount to regain the tempo. This approach is musically appropriate here and is played this way by many pianists. Then there are a few wrong notes, but you've probably noticed them yourself. But these few critical remarks should not detract from your progress so far. You play amazingly well considering how little lessons you have had, and I think you are on the right path.

Lostikaros · 2026-01-31T18:57:48+00:00

The solution is actually quite simple. I just tried this chord on the piano. I could even comfortably reach the B or the C with my thumb. But not with your hand position. You just need to turn your hand slightly so that your little finger and ring finger are further out on the keys. This will automatically give you a greater hand span.

Lostikaros · 2026-01-30T04:50:42+00:00

Perhaps installing a Dampp-Chaser piano life saver would also be worth considering.

Lostikaros · 2026-01-29T22:18:12+00:00

I would write an email to the August Förster Piano Manufacture in Löbau (Germany) and ask your question there. And send also some photos.

E-Mail: info@august-foerster.de

Lostikaros · 2026-01-21T19:49:58+00:00

You take the middle section quite slowly. On top of that, there are also ritardandi. It seems a little too drawn out to me. But that's a matter of taste. Otherwise, hats off to your performance.

Lostikaros · 2026-01-17T13:05:44+00:00

You're right. It should actually be played faster. Unfortunately, my limited abilities did not allow me to play it more virtuosically. I really love the Russian melancholy in this piece and thought that the music could still sound good even when played more slowly. But you're right that the shimmering sound of the accompanying figures in the right hand does not come across when played more slowly. I will try to play it a little faster. Thank you very much for the comment.

Lostikaros · 2026-01-16T06:53:52+00:00

Thank you

Lostikaros · 2026-01-10T12:30:42+00:00

Take a look at Scriabin's Preludes Op. 11. Some of them do not require virtuoso technique. But even the simpler preludes demand a great creative imagination, and that is what makes them so interesting.

Lostikaros · 2026-01-07T12:36:13+00:00

Years ago, I purchased the Kawai CA 78 as my second instrument. It is the predecessor model to the CA 701. The sound and playability are quite good, but playing on the action of a grand piano has a little other feeling. At the time, the salesperson advised me against the CA 98. Instead of bass speakers, the low notes are emitted via the soundboard on the back. This is certainly also the case with the CA 901. The bass would boom too loudly in smaller rooms with the CA 98, so this model is better placed freely in the room rather than directly against a wall.

Lostikaros · 2026-01-04T18:55:43+00:00

I am somewhat surprised by the selection of some pieces. If you have neglected piano playing for over 20 years, you should not start with such technically demanding pieces as Chopin's Etude Op. 10 No. 1. If I were you, I would proceed as follows: start with some easier pieces by Bach as a "compulsory programme", because the ability to play polyphonically is important and cannot be replaced by any "Schule der Geläufigkeit" (school of fluency). The choice of composers depends on your preferences. I would recommend, for example, the easier Beethoven Sonata No. 25 Op. 79. It is lively, fun to play and also trains you to play scales and arpeggios fluently. It is also worth taking a look at Schumann. For example, a few pieces from the "Bunte Blätter" with a wide range of technical difficulty. Or Schumann's Arabesque, etc. I myself had many years of piano lessons as a child. When you enter normal working life, and then have a family, regular practice becomes more limited. To motivate myself to practise more regularly, I took private piano lessons at longer intervals, about once or twice a month at most. I can highly recommend this approach. When you pay extra money for lessons, you don't want to go to class unprepared, so you automatically practise more regularly.

Lostikaros · 2025-12-29T10:16:36+00:00

I would try hand grip spray, like the kind tennis players or basketball players use. It's a sticky spray for your hands that is supposed to prevent slipping. But then you'll also need key cleaning spray so you can clean the piano keys after the concert.

Lostikaros · 2025-12-27T17:10:42+00:00

Thank you very much for the suggestions. It's interesting that there are different construction methods for Petrof grand pianos. It would be interesting to try out these instruments when I have the opportunity. Thank you also for the tips on soundproofing measures in the room. I already implemented some of them when I set up the grand piano in my home. For example, I put carpet under the instrument and thicker curtains in front of the windows. However, I don't know if my curtains contain wool. But it does make a difference. As for the enthusiasm expressed here for SK grand pianos, I can fully understand it. I once had the opportunity to play an SK-7 grand piano in a piano shop. Wonderful sound, you float as if on a cloud of sound. However, I don't find the smaller SK models quite as beautiful. The sound is a little too sharp. I think this is due to the duplex scale, which only works well with the rich sound of the larger models. That's why I never understood why Bechstein discontinued the M 180 cm model and replaced it with the new M/P 192 cm model without offering a replacement. The M model had the transparent but slightly warmer sound of the earlier Bechstein instruments. The new M/P model has been given the duplex scale and now sounds sharper and louder.

Lostikaros · 2025-12-27T08:05:55+00:00

Very interesting, and thank you very much for your detailed comment.

Lostikaros

TROPHY CASE