François Couperin: Les petits moulins à vent (The little windmills)

[gyenming]

Lovely.

[PSearPianist]

@gyenming Thank you!

[TheK0909]

It's so easy!



[PSearPianist]

@TheK0909 Thank you. Do you mean the piece is easy, or I play it in a way that makes it look easy?

[TheK0909]

@PSearPianist no it's so easy my teacher made me just sightread this and i got it right until the repeat in the first page

[PSearPianist]

@TheK0909 That's good sightreading! I wish you luck with your continued study of the piece!

[TheK0909]

@PSearPianist this reminds me of J.S. Bach-it sounded as if Bach made it.

[01orhun]

perfect :) without any mistake =)

[PSearPianist]

@01orhun Thank you. Sorry for the delay in responding to your kind comment!

[aninon46]

felicidades!!!!!!!!!!! es una magistral interpretacion del maestro cuperin, me encantó la interpretación, siento no poder expresarlo en ingles.

[PSearPianist]

@aninon46 Gracias por tu comentario muy amable. Yo no hablo el idioma español, pero sí sé cómo utilizar Google Translate!

[EmmaLovesScooby]

Very nicely done! Taking this for grade 6 in a few weeks time, good to hear someone play it that nicely! Something to aim for :) xxxx

[PSearPianist]

@EmmaLovesScooby Thank you. Of course I can't guarantee you good marks if you copy me - so listen to lots of performances, take the best features of each and add something of your own, and then maybe you will get a distinction. Good luck!

[rainbowheydrich]

Excellent! Thank you very much for playing for us. It was a delight to listen to you. =)

[PSearPianist]

@rainbowheydrich Thank you - that's really kind.

[xtwitwi]

OMG , YOU ARE SOOOOO PROFFESIONALL ! You do not need to stare at the keyboard for a long time but you can predict where the notes are ! (y) !

[PSearPianist]

@xtwitwi Well, after playing for many years, and doing a lot of accompanying I should be able to do that. I am not totally infallible though!

[30inventionman]

U did it

[PSearPianist]

@30inventionman I hope so!

[mrHardc0re]

Very well performed, it was a joy to listen to it . Cheers from Hungary

[PSearPianist]

@mrHardc0re Thank you - and best wishes from the UK!

[teddybearcloud]

Anyway what I wanted to say to Phillip was, you don’t only play LIKE a professional. You ARE a professional :D

[PSearPianist]

@teddybearcloud Thanks! I did not remove any of your comments, which I very much appreciate!

[teddybearcloud]

What the...? My comment removed? 

[teddybearcloud]

I'm grade 8 but i love this song. i heard it last week at a gathering whereby all of my piano teacher's students all come together to gain confidence for their exam hahahaha. i love it , the way you play it, like a professional. :D

[PSearPianist]

@teddybearcloud Thank you!

[cheerry21322]

perfect you are my idom.....

[PSearPianist]

@cheerry21322 Do you mean 'idol' - if so that is very kind indeed!

[codeworddope66]

woww im playing that its nowhere near as fast. crap.

[PSearPianist]

@codeworddope66 Well, I think this is the speed it should go - but who am I to say?

[nemoandco]

which grade exam is this from?

[PSearPianist]

I think it is grade 6 (UK gradings).

[Navyseals3]

Right. It is.

[4jjhtc]

grade 7 in US

[4jjhtc]

@nemoandco grade 7 in US

[AngelDani23]

@nemoandco ABRSM..

[gangdawg2222]

Thanks soooo much, one of the best performances...

I'm trying to decide which piece to play from the "A" list. Your video was (and still is) grat help :-) :-)

[PSearPianist]

Thank you, You and all other people taking exams are very lucky to have lots of performances of the pieces available to hear on YouTube and elsewhere. When I was studying in the 1960s, the only way I could get to hear the pieces was if my teacher played them!

[RobinScott93]

Brilliant playing. I have a question regarding ornaments though. I'm having difficulty in playing the first two mordents as I've heard them played differently. In the second mordent you play at 0:12 it sounds like you incorporate the D# from the previous bar into the lower mordent. To me, it sounds good like this; the flow of the melody remains broken. However, according to the music, the mordent starts on the E. You actually play it like that for the first mordent but the second is different.

[PSearPianist]

Both mordents should start on the E - I can't remember exactly what I did. In my edition, all the mordents start on the upper note and dip down one semitone, and they should all start on the beat. If I did something different in the video it was a slip! Still, I hope the overall effect was OK!

[whikless]

Beutiful. Very well played, imagine what it would've sounded like on a harsichord.

[PSearPianist]

Thank you! I have heard it on a harpsichord, and there is at least one harpsichord version available on CD.

[xBLOVESYOU]

Which would you suggest playing out of the first 3 A pieces? I've chosen my others but i'm not sure about the first one.

Thanks.

[PSearPianist]

Well, I'm not a teacher so I can't really advise (it would depend on your own strengths and weaknesses). If I were taking the exam, I would certainly have a look at the Clementi sonatina movement that is on the list - I always enjoyed playing the sonatinas.

[dmitrinsmirnov]

charming!

[PSearPianist]

Thanks very much!

[MarissaTheGooner]

I'm taking music A-level and i have to play 2 piece's i'm playing Haydn's hob 39 (1st movement) but i can't think of a 2nd piece. Any idea's of a grade 6 or a slightly harder grade 5 piece from ABSM that with repeats would be around 5 minutes? I'd be grateful for any suggestions.

[PSearPianist]

I suggest that (whatever board your school uses) that you look at the Excel difficulty guide which gives gradings to loads of pieces. I will send you the link!

[nexosen]

Am playing this in my exam in a few days. So nervous!

I like your suggestion of playing a bit rubato, and that's what my teacher suggested at first (because it helps imitate the movement of windmills), but she changed it and I'm doing it in strict time now.

Oh well I hope I do okay.

[PSearPianist]

Sometimes you have to play a little safe for exams. I wish you the very best of luck!

[Welfareofhorizon]

must the notes of this piece be like clear? each and every one of them as individuals?

[PSearPianist]

They should be quite clear, but on a modern piano I think it is acceptable to use the odd touch of pedal.

[gamezoneqwe]

I love the way your play this piece! I'm also taking the ABRSM exam in December. Thanks! Your video was a humongous help :)

[PSearPianist]

Thanks for your kind comment - and the very best of luck with your exam. Of course, I offer no guarantee that my performance would get full marks from every (or any) ABRSM examiner, so make sure you improve on it, rather than copy it!

[79siggy]

IMO this is the best performance on youtube of this piece.

[PSearPianist]

That's very kind of you to say that!

[peridotgreen88]

Wow you play this peice so much better than me. Im taking the ABRSM test next week! AHHHH!!! your video is sooo good. Any tips? Thanks for the video!

[PSearPianist]

Thanks for your kind comment. I am sure you play the piece very well yourself if you have been practising it and following your teacher's suggestions. The only tips I would give, not having heard you play, are - dont rush it, and do nice crisp ornaments! Imiagine the windmills turning as you play.

[CeciliaHo51]

Exellent!

i'm doing the ARBSM exam next month.

my teacher always says i'm too fast,

she wants me to play "c.82".

Any tips?

[PSearPianist]

Thank you for your kind comment. My advice would be - do it at the speed your teacher suggests, as she knows what will suit your playing. Focus on the expression and phrasing, and make the ornaments nice and crisp. Good luck with the exam!

[sonicheroin]

great job!! thank you so much now i know how i should play this piece

[PSearPianist]

Thanks! I'm glad my video was useful. However, if you can, do listen to or watch some other performances and build the best features of each into your own.

[girl8wanye]

Excellent. As light as feather.

[PSearPianist]

I like that. Thank you!

[xAustraliaPrincessx]

oh my gosh!! i did solfeggieto but now i wish i did this one! great job!

[PSearPianist]

Thank you! There is nothing to stop you learning both pieces, even if you can only do one for an exam!

[kyokat]

WOW! I wish I could play this as well as you do. This is probably my favourite out of the Grade 6 selection. None were that good in my opinion this time. I find the start of the second time section a big problem. Once I am a few bars in I am fine but I am just having trouble with those pesky few bars. The speed seemed fine to me personally. If it was much faster it would lose it's character. Hopefully I will get to playing it that well soon. Must practice more! XD

[PSearPianist]

Thanks for your kind comment. I haven't heard the ABRSM CD but doubt if it would be much faster than my performance. This would be a good speed for an exam (or maybe a little slower if needed to get it right). Good luck with your study of the piece!

[PSearPianist]

谢谢您的评论。我无法理解这一切。你认为我的表现，速度过快？

[EmperorCQX]

Well... he meant that you can played at an impressive speed even withouy the score. Anyway, i find your performance very charming.

[PSearPianist]

Thank you very much!

[dct0227]

好厉害!!不用看谱也能弹得那么快呢~~

[bandnerd111]

Very good only suggestion is play faster and DON'T USE SO MUCH PEDAL!

[PSearPianist]

Thank you. I have to play in a way that suits my piano, and I am not sure that I would like the result of playing it in any other way. However, if I were playing on a harpsichord I would certainly take your advice re speed.

[weldon29]

Great playing!

I can play the piece fine, but when I speed it up I start to have trouble with it :(

[PSearPianist]

Thank you. It need not go any faster than I play it, and you could play it a bit slower than I do and still give the impression of 'windmills'.

[rifleshooterdude]

wow you play better than my piano teacher!!!!!!! im gonna have her watch this!!!!!

[PSearPianist]

Thanks for your comment. I am sure your teacher may be able to better my performance though!

[Kaaotix]

Amazing performance. I'm playing this for my Grade 6 and I somehow doubt that I'll be able to play it as effortlessly or as fast as you have, but I'll give it a go! Any tips?

[PSearPianist]

Thanks for your kind comment.  I think the only tips I can offer are: don't rush it (it is not a fast piece - windmillls do not go round that quickly) and put plenty of nuance and expression into it. Even though harpsichords could not do dynamics, some had multiple keyboards and stops that enabled echo effects etc.

[Stephanieg5]

wow I'm playing this for my grade six, I wasnt that enthusiastic about it but after hearing you play im feel completely different thanx

[PSearPianist]

If my performance helps you in your study for grade six I shall be delighted! I did the piece for an exam myself many years ago!

[annekwan]

Oh MY GOD! YOu are like, the proffesional of all pros.

[PSearPianist]

Thanks for your most kind comment - I'm glad you liked the video!

[Mustela13]

This is such a fabulous performance. Really, you play this piece so effortlessly. Fantastic, 5 stars!

[PSearPianist]

That's very kind - I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[dddin12345ddddd]

wow! i like ur piano! Mind telling me what brand it is?

[PSearPianist]

It is a Kawai KG2D 5' 10" boudoir grand (1985 model).

[keyblademonkey12]

i love the way you played the piece. i'm playing it today for a festival. i cant do the trills very well, any tips?

[PSearPianist]

Thank you! Good luck with the festival. Keep relaxed when you play the trills and do the work with the wrist rather than the fingers - but above all follow any advice that your own teacher has given you!

[andantino96]

Thanks! I really enjoyed your performance.

[PSearPianist]

Thanks for your kind comment!

[zrshwe]

Thanks. If I have one criticism, it is that the baroque music is not well represented in your channel. I hope to hear Rameau, Couperin, Scarletti and Bach in the future. I love baroque music , and you play baroque music very well as well.

[PSearPianist]

Thank you. I am not a baroque specialist, but will bear your comment in mind.

[jannarta]

I was a few years before you and I will look up the pieces I played, which were similiar tests of aptitude. I remember that the Central Hall in the winter of 41 was extreemly cold as was the wooden piano stool that I sat upon. I liked the performance and the music.Jannarta.

[PSearPianist]

Thank you for the comment. When I got the piece out to play for this video, I had almost forgotten that I had ever learned it before!

[cholapat]

These parallel scales motives remind me of Rameau's La Joyeuse (Suite no.2 in e minor from Piece de Clavecin Book2).

[PSearPianist]

Thank you. I've not played any Rameau, but will have to try some!

[meklanie]

wow, your so good.

im trying to playt his, and failing badly for my grade 6.

[PSearPianist]

I hope you will find it helpful to see me (and other people) play this piece. When I did the exam (40 years ago!) I had to play this and three other pieces - we did four pieces in those days!

[c3dric25]

Nice performance!

[PSearPianist]

Thank you!

[LutzKranenborg]

A work thusfar unknown to me. Incidentally, this goes for most of your entries. Thank you for your efforts. I am learning all the time.

[PSearPianist]

Thanks for your comment. It is certainly quite well known to a lot of people doing piano exams with the UI-based ABRSM, but maybe not to the public at large.

[Babejuda]

I admire your courage to perform this special piece (which is intended for the harpsichord) on a grand-piano, and admire your success in performing it. Bravo!

[PSearPianist]

Thank you!