Colorful pieces, beautiful tune. Thanks for posting.

@ChrisBreemer

6 жыл бұрын

My pleasure. These are very nice indeed !

his piano pieces are something I always go back to. They are not too dark but have just the perfect amout of emotion.

@ChrisBreemer

7 жыл бұрын

Yes, he's written some pretty good stuff. This here set is maybe the most immediately appealing.

I note a very intimate sound "of old " in the Gaveau piano. Particularly nostalgic impression.... Well done!

I have born in Finland and I live in Finland now. I think Sibelius is more than a writer of symphonic writer. He has composed a lots of the important musics for Finns. Finlandia is the most important music piece.....I believe I understand music of Sibelius..... Most musics tells a story. And it's difficult to tell the right story.

@johannah4770

2 жыл бұрын

Yes. He has also composed some hymns too, and I appreciate them very much. They are very graceful, I think (and I also hope that's the word I'm looking for).

Beautiful pieces and performance. Thanks for uploading this unique upload. Bravo.

@ChrisBreemer

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your feedback ! These are probably his best piano pieces, certainly his most popular.

beautifully played! I have found another gem while digging through yt!

@ChrisBreemer

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you :)

I'd say Sibelius's music has always been appreciated, including his smaller pieces, but less so within the German cultural sphere. Not many appreciate fully that Sibelius also had his "radical" side which was always seeking for new artistic avenues, and being unconventional I feel is not a part of the German performing tradition. Here's a bit of something I find worthwhile to listen to regarding Sibelius piano pieces: kzread.info/dash/bejne/mGuXlsOSh9DWnNI.html kzread.info/dash/bejne/hHqe2q2oiamxnNo.html The complete recordings of all his piano works, including his less played piano adaptations (or concurrent versions) of his orchestral works, are available on the BIS label.

Nice pianoforte sound, dear colleague!

@ChrisBreemer

Ай бұрын

Thank you David ! My old Gaveau could sound quite nice sometimes - at least on those few precious days it was not out of tune. Nonetheless I am so glad I traded it for a hybrid instrument (Kawai Novus NV10S). A little less characterful perhaps, but so much better in all respects. I find my old recordings a bit constricted now.

樅の木を練習しています。 切なくて哀愁があるステキな曲だと思います😊

@ChrisBreemer

6 жыл бұрын

悲しいかな、フィンランドの竹はありません :-)

@nargajr.2214

6 жыл бұрын

Chris Breemer Thank you very much for answering.😊I'm not good at English.But I like a piano very much!!

@ChrisBreemer

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks to Google Translate we can even communicate in Japanese these days ! I'm glad you liked these recordings.

@JeroenO129

6 жыл бұрын

凄いです。

@ChrisBreemer

6 жыл бұрын

その通り ：）

Bravo!!!!! A número 5 é a mais bonita.

@ChrisBreemer

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you !

Всегда нравилась музыка шведа Яна Сибелиуса - такой тёплый привет в нашу белорусскую, по-июльски жаркую погоду из далёкой прохладной страны Суоми!..

@dohryamckin5578

4 жыл бұрын

Только он Фин, а не швед

Hi Chris! I was wandering around listening to Sibelius' rich symphonies. Next thing I know, I'm here checking out his piano music. It's not bad. Has a homely appeal to it. Sounds pretty easy to play. What do you think?

@ChrisBreemer

8 жыл бұрын

+Mosaic Classics Thanks for the feedback ! I much like these pieces, they seem to be among his most popular (or should I say, least unpopular) piano pieces. Indeed they are not hard to play, technically. To give them their musical due is another matter - I hope I succeeded on that account. Sometimes easier is harder.

@mosaicclassics

8 жыл бұрын

I'm no expert on comparing performances, but it sounded pretty good to me.

@ChrisBreemer

8 жыл бұрын

Good to hear, thanks :)

@johannah4770

3 жыл бұрын

My first time to hear these pieces except the last, Kuusi. I've also never seen the sheet music, but I probably enjoyed Koivu (The Birch) most tonight. Such bright and lovely sounds. (I just noticed that there might be a selection like this from the video titles on my search results when I wanted to hear Kuusi.)

I like "Koivu" the best! From Finland.

@ChrisBreemer

3 жыл бұрын

Me too, together with Kuusi. But this whole set is a masterpiece of piano literature.

The Solitary Pine is a bit fast and the Aspen somewhat slow, but both of them sound quite good anyhow as such. In the Spruce there is quite much rubato in the main theme, and the very last notes should be d and f sharp, not d and b. But all in all this is a very enjoyable and personal performance of the fine series.

@ChrisBreemer

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your feedback ! Sibelius did not provide metronome marks for these pieces, so the notion of a 'right' tempo comes down to personal preference (at least if you like to make up your mind about how to play pieces,like I do). But you are right about that last note. I've been playing a b for about 50 years, and it never occurred to me that it was wrong ! These days I do listen to recordings before making my own, if only just to catch silly things like this.

@martinwest2538

2 жыл бұрын

@@ChrisBreemer You're absolutely right about the tempos, one has to try to "feel" the right amount of speed for each and individual piece and even part of them. There may of course be a trend also with the more famous pieces, as for example the Etude in A minor (Op. 76 No. 2), usually played quite fast (and almost completely without pedal), even if it sounds good in a slower tempo also, but has a quite different feel (especially with the added pedal as marked by Sibelius). As for these particular pieces, the Fir is perhaps even more impressive and majestic when played slower, but your quite fast version makes in fact the melody line clearer and it carries itself very pleasantly. The Aspen in this slower rendition is now suddenly eerily mystique with lovely clear details (the tremolo effects especially). The same goes by the way for the Birch also. The more I listen, the more I like :-)

@martinwest2538

2 жыл бұрын

@@ChrisBreemer The aspect of tempo is very interesting, so you'll excuse I take the opportunity to speculate some more on the issue. I do think every musical idea has an optimal tempo, in which it flows naturally and effortless. The character of the melodic material, together with the overall texture indicates a starting point for the choosing of the tempo. If way too slow, the natural movement of the part is lost and doesn't "carry" itself, and if too fast, it may feel "sped up" and ridiculous, and even become technically awkward. The "right" tempo is always somewhere in the middle of these extremes. A given metronome mark may take away the responsibility of choice from the performer, but in the end these markings may be only indicative and even at best should be considered as a kind of average suggestion, as they in a worst case scenario may be quite misleading. I have tried to put "the right" metronome marking on my own compositions, too, and found it surprisingly difficult. Choosing a tempo for a midi performance might be as awkward, too. The choosing of a tempo seems to a high grade to be dependable of personal factors like the state of mind and the environment. It would be interesting to experiment with establishing a tempo for a piece in a stressful city environment contra doing it on a calm lake shore or something like that. With this in mind, would it be possible the common tendency to play Sibelius quite fast is related to our modern stressful environment and should be reconsidered in the relaxed milieu of the Finnish country side of the early 1900's? Anyhow I think having a piece playing in our mind for a time gives us the feel of the music suitable for us, and should be used as a starting point finally actualizing it on the instrument. In most cases I do think the piece itself gives away the "right" tempo, if only listening to it with a relaxed and open mind. In conclusion one could claim the "right" tempo shouldn't perhaps be dependent on the preference of the player firstly, but more on the true essence and spirit of the piece in question?

@ChrisBreemer

2 жыл бұрын

@@martinwest2538 Thanks for your thoughts ! I only noticed them today, as KZread had put them in the 'Held for Review' section, being 'Likely spam'. Makes you wonder how these "smart" algorithms work, eh ? I have a very intuitive approach to tempo, always quickly feeling the (for me) right tempo for any piece, which I will not likely depart from, regardless of my mood or environment. I do take metronome marks in consideration but don't feel obliged to follow them religiously (except in videos of an educational nature, such as Bartók's Mikrokosmos and For Children). Any piece of music I know (not just piano music) has a preferred tempo for me, and any performance which is significantly slower or faster usually irritates me. The tendency of many young pianists to play everything at breakneck speed, just because they can, disgusts me.

These pieces are (sorry) a 'grower'... Just like the trees themselves. On first hearing, not so special (but interesting), but over time, they develop a great significance. Here Sibelius has tried to capture tall aspens swaying in a wind (successfully), the solidity and gravitas of a giant pine (successfully), and the light and mystery of birch trees (successfully), amongst other moments. it is not necessarily impressionism in the sense of Debussy, but more a poetic impressionism. With moments of jazz (particularly in the last piece). This set of pieces seems to be increasing in popularity (poplarality?) and with good reason. No trees means.... soil erosion, no CO2 capture, no oxygen, no home for insects, birds and small mammals, no shade in blazing heat, no absorption of heavy rains, and no green beauty to a landscape.... Norse mythology placed Yggdrasil at the centre, the 'World Tree' (the whole world).

@ChrisBreemer

2 жыл бұрын

Well said ! They do grow on you, indeed.

2:15

can you suggest more like The Spruce?

@ChrisBreemer

Жыл бұрын

Try his Valse Triste. It's quite a bit more difficult though.

Ever been in Finland?

@ChrisBreemer

9 жыл бұрын

Martin Albers Thaks for the feedback ! No, I have not been there. But it seems I can relate to it somehow, and these pieces have always been close to my heart.

@WMAlbers1

9 жыл бұрын

These pieces are very popular in Finland. Sibelius was a very versatile composer, not only of symphonies (which were like his children), but also of quite effective symphonic poems, stage music, and particularly chamber music... He wrote quite a lot of choir music and songs as well. His best work, for me, are his Humoresques and Serenades for violin and orchestra. ... ... ...

@ChrisBreemer

9 жыл бұрын

Martin Albers I could not say what my favorite Sibelius pieces are. He was indeed very versatile, and prolific, and his large output is full of unexpected gems. His piano music is at last getting the recognition it deserves.

@cookiemonster3239

7 жыл бұрын

Martin Albers I live in Finland :3

Funny that there is this piece called "Haapa" (Aspen) and you have pictures of birches.

@ChrisBreemer

5 жыл бұрын

I believe those *are* aspen, not birches. Or else Google image search has hugely misled me. I admit not being a tree expert I can hardly tell them apart.

@PaulVinonaama

5 жыл бұрын

They are clearly birch trunks at 4:28 (white with some black bark). Here a nice picture of haapa/aspen, with grey trunk and characteristic yellow lichen: vihreatsylit.fi/haapa/

@PaulVinonaama

4 жыл бұрын

@Satu Lehto To my eye, the third picture (5:52) has birches at the foreground and probably aspens at the background.

@johannah4770

3 жыл бұрын

It's also funny that for the first piece you've got rowen trees indeed, but none of them are blossoming like the name of the piece says. In fact, they are all bearing fruit already. The appearance is very different and the season should be spring, not fall.

ביצוע גס

@ChrisBreemer

2 жыл бұрын

בְּוַדַאִי

Why so loud? The marking at the beginning is p and there isn't a louder one until the middle section, which here is in fact no louder! Bizarre.

@ChrisBreemer

6 жыл бұрын

Indeed the dynamics could have been better. It's not bizarre, rather a common trait of amateur performances, recorded with basic equipment on less than optimal instruments. If you are very sensitive to this, better listen to professional recordings only.