Julia Florida - Barcarola By Agustin Barrios

[n64321]

waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much rubato that it turns a beautiful piece into boring

[galo643]

esta desafinadaa

[rusty132435]

yeah man. interpretation is a good thing. but you also need to try and stay fairly consistent through out the song. it makes it tough for the listener to hear where you're at and really get into the song if it's all over the place. i'm currently playing this song. if you listen to any of the greats really play any song that has a common tempo through out, it doesn't fluctuate much.

[macmanue]

Because it appears throughout the whole piece. That underlying, pushing movement, with the chromatic resolutions.

Anyway, that's just one example. There are so many things to consider when performing this piece.

I really like some of the things you are doing though :)

It has some nice moments

[macmanue]

Obviously the top voicing (A note) in the A7 chord in bar one is still important. But I think it is secondary to the pushing motion created by the lower voice.

Imagine the boat pushing away from where it is docked to begin it's journey.

We also have that sweet melody (A...A-B-A- A...A-B-C#-D in bars 3 and 4 etc...

But when you are playing this sweet melody don't forget about the melody I mentioned at the start.

(Continued...)

[macmanue]

You can play it...

But it doesn't capture the feeling of a barcarole.

You have some nice things, and I think with a bit of work you can really make something of this!

For example...At the beginning, try and bring out the first few notes: D, A, F#, G. Because that is a melody.

And try to bring out the chromatic movement by playing the F# louder than the G which it resolves to.

(Continued...)

[cheeky2monkey]

you actually have quite a good fingering which produces a good tone at times. But the tempo variation is just too extreme! Notes have length values which should be somewhat adhered to! Choose a tempo and stick to it, get a metronome. By all means accent and push your phrases but you don't need to speed up and slow down quite as you do.

[highscoremusic]

check out the real version by Ricardo Havenstein on iTunes...

[pgypg]

너무하는군요. 실수 그 자체도 연주의 아름다움입니다. 편집을 보여주기 위해서 올렸다면 이해가 가지만 당신은 거짓연주를 했어요. 난 속았고요.

[pgypg]

저음 발전기를 돌리고 있나요? 57hz 저음이 귀가 아프다.

[gengoro1]

no music

[HarrisKTelemacher]

Yes there is. You may not like it, but there is music there.

[gengoro1]

sorry,thats right.

[Nogorardna]

bit on the fast side, mate. Relax, slow it right down, don't be afraid to linger. Every note is crucial.

[ClassenGuitars]

nice sarcasm.

[paulcroft1944]

By the way Harris I estimate there's about a 500% variation in tempo throughout your performance. It's hard to be certain as there's no discernible pulse for the opening but it's certainly unusually wide. You come over as a sensitive player; why not try it closer to +/- 5% of about 40 mm and see if that can work for you? I don't agree with BlueJazz at all - music is not open to ANY interpretation IF we wish to be taken seriously, and you seem to be both serious and thoughtful. Cheers.

[HarrisKTelemacher]

There is a huge variation in tempo. I'd tone it down in the 1st section (& repeat), though it would still be greater than 5%. But I don't think I'll change the rest of it.

I don't think that music is open to absolutely any interpretation either (I think BlueJazz meant a "genuine" interpretation - i.e. not done for the sake of being different), but I do think that so long as you are aware of what the composer intended and that you have made an active choice to play differently, then it's ok.

[HarrisKTelemacher]

p.s. don't worry about Percey - he was calling me "the joke". If you read futher down on the comments, you'll see why. (He was taking a dig at how I've spliced this together from multiple takes.. He must think that performance is about demonstrating technical ability)

[paulcroft1944]

The tempo rarely allows for any sense of phrase or the lyrical, singing quality of the melody. Just sounds self-indulgent to me, but I guess it's not illegal. By the way to suggest that if someone doesn't approve of your extraordinarily slow opening and dramatic changes of tempo they are therefore recommending playing the notes "rightly" with no emotion seems to be stretching things a bit far. There are parameters of tempo within which any piece works best: I think yours is well outside.

[HarrisKTelemacher]

Aside from the first ~7 bars, I honestly cant see how youd think that the lyrical, singing melody is not present - well just have to disagree. By the way, my response was more of a reaction to Hermx0s rudeness. I know I havent recorded any masterpieces yet, but I am an experienced player and I have a fair amount of knowledge about music of the guitar. I do not deserve to have my statement patronisingly dismissed as nonsense... especially not by someone who has made no offering of his own.

[HarrisKTelemacher]

(Dunno what's going on there - youtube seems to have deleted my apostrophes and quotation marks)

[paulcroft1944]

I'd say the 1st 7 bars are quite important!!! Play how you want, but if you choose to put the result in to the public domain don't be surprised if it attracts negative comments. I'm a singer and flautist as well as very experienced classical guitarist. Set the piece to words and try to get a good vocalist to sing at your tempo - I don't see it working. Also your variation in tempo is unmarked, arbitrary and extreme. Hope that wasn't patronising or rude and - obviously - please yourself. Paul.

[jamiethomsonssongs]

wonderful playing.. the slower passages are just heartbreaking.. beautiful

[HarrisKTelemacher]

Thanks!

I love this piece. I recently had a lesson with a very good teacher on this. I may try re-recording it with a slightly different interpretation...

[percey]

do it in one take

[BlueJazzyClassic]

I read below some discussion regarding your interpretation and I humbly opined that when a composition left the hand of composers it starts tour across the interpretator as long as it belong to MUSIC. And it is open to any interpretation INTERNATIONALLY. WITHOUT IT it is math rather than music. So regardless whether or not a composition is Latin French Japanese English if it shud be played eaxctly such way That may not Classico International yet will be limited Folksong for their country only

[HarrisKTelemacher]

Thanks for that - I agree completely.

And thanks for your comment below too!

[BlueJazzyClassic]

Hello Friend

Wow That is very delicate interpretation.

I love it because never heard such extreame dlicacy. I guess you will be famous pro. 6 strs

My best BlueJazzyClassic

[cvillalobos]

you say, there is no tempo on the score, but I find that you made what you want and not what Barrios thought, Do you know Latin America Folklore? do you Know what is a Barcarole?, do you know what is global tempo in Music? I see, you do not accept critics, and I am total disappointed because of you interpretation.

[HarrisKTelemacher]

Hi, I can assure you that I can take criticism, but not when it is a rudely delivered two word statement that isn't even true. However, the legitimate criticism put forward by hermx0 and you, is that this does not feel like a Barcarole. Yes, I have taken artistic licence to an extreme, but that is what I have chosen to do. So please listen to it with no preconceptions of how it "should be" and judge it on how it makes you feel -- like the first five commenters who were not at all disappointed.

[HarrisKTelemacher]

p.s. I'm not trying to take a dig at you here, I'm just curious - maybe you know something I don't... I do know some of Nitsuga's history and how important his personal identity was, but how does Latin American Folklore manifest itself in this Venetian Gondolier's song?

[percey]

nice splice at 2:55. what's the matter? can't play in one take?

[HarrisKTelemacher]

Erm... You must be joking, right? This is not a study or even a milestone of technique. It is a beautiful, expressive piece -- it is to be performed as music, not as a demonstration of technical ability. I've spliced it together from multiple takes for the sake of attaining my ideal interpretation -- an advantage of recording that is utilised by many professional musicians.

[percey]

you are the joke

[paulcroft1944]

Who, why?

[aljohnallen]

Too slow

[HarrisKTelemacher]

Hi, thanks for taking the time to comment. My defence... First of all, just a trivial point: if you're going by the total recorded time, you have to take into account that many people, including at least one professional (David Russell), have chosen not to play all the repeats. Secondly, there's no recording of Barrios himself playing this one and my copy of the music (ed. Stover) doesn't have an absolute tempo marking, so defining a tempo is down to the interpretation of the performer.

[HarrisKTelemacher]

Thirdly, compared to John Williams (From the Jungles of Paraguay), Carlos Bonnell (The Private Collection) and David Russell (Youtube), apart from the intro & da capo, I'm not playing so slowly. Having timed the recordings by section, I'm actually playing between the same tempo up to quite a few notches faster than both JW and CB (except the intro & da capo). And when comparing to DR's recording, the same is true, except for the coda which he gets through quite a bit faster than JW, CB and me.

[HarrisKTelemacher]

Finally, and most importantly, the way I have performed it is the way I "feel" it. To me, the way I feel when playing the intro is not quite the calm peaceful relaxed mood that is conveyed by many other performers (very well in some cases), but more of a sighing sadness or a longing for something, tension and subdued anger contrasted with hope and happy memories etc.

[HarrisKTelemacher]

I'd also like to point out that although my intro is much slower than other performers', I do play it considerably faster in the da capo compared to my first time around, albeit still slower than most people. And just one more thing -- performances do vary, not only between different performers, but also from the same performer; I've had a listen to a recording of me from ~10yrs ago which is of a much more similar tempo to other people's recordings... I'll put it up soon (no video though)...

[aljohnallen]

Guess I hit a nerve lol,but didn't mean too..It was just an observation of mine..You made a lot of good points..Its true that a tune has many interpretations as can be found on u tube by all different performers..check out adilzahrani version.

[hermx0]

Much too slow, also this "defense" here is nonsense. You can play well, technically, so why not play it "right"? (i.e. so it sounds well and right.) The point is, that this is a barcarole, that is a song of a gondoliere! The way you play it, it's simply not a song in any way! That is simply a question of the meaning of this music. YOu tried to do something "interesting" - that in itself is fine - but you have to follow the meaning (which is a flowing song)!

[HarrisKTelemacher]

Actually, at least one point in my defence is fact and therefore it is not "nonsense". Anyway, the "meaning" of this piece is not on the same level as e.g. ironic symbolism of forced cheers in a Shostakovich symphony. There is much more room for artistic licence. But I have not abused this for the sake of doing something interesting. I played as I felt it. To merely play a sequence of notes "rightly" requires no more emotion than that of a silicon chip. In which case, why on earth would I play?

[Zupanssi]

I know that this song is slow, but not so slow.

[Angelik07]

Wonderful theme and good playing

Thank you for posting

Best wishes

Angela

[jacquillo]

one of the nicest pieces by barrios, great interprettation, great dynamics; beautiful !

[Fabjan2007]

Very beautiful calm music... 5 *****

[KidaReborn]

Wow really enjoyed it!

Thanks and compliments for your beautiful playing.

[MelodiousThunk]

Nice work Harris, or should that be Dr Patel?