IV. Ballet (Petite Suite by Claude Debussy)

[gzalogg]

You both guys are great. Yours is definitely my favorite version of the whole Suite I´ve listened to so far. Great and exquisite musical taste, great sound quality, great imagination and musical interpretation,outstanding, just delicious. I always recommend my students to listen to your version on youtube when they play this pieces. Thanks for posting.

[randompurple35]

does anyone notice from 3:39-:42 the middle guys hair seem to shift across his face? Too cool!

[RenaiTsuboku]

My orchesta is playing this song :) I'm acellist, so our part is only moderately hard. Just tricky in tempo XD

[beldonroy]

i don't remember ever seeing a specific mm tempo indicated on any score I have read. I think that the tempo was well chosen. And I was very satisfied with the way you two dealt with fluctuations of tempo. I especially liked the way you went into the waltz. You two connect very nicely and the outcome was wonderful. I don't know if I have enjoyed a recording of debussy as much since I first heard Arturo Michelangeli play the Children's Corner. But don't let it swell your heads. Thanks.

[makonawa]

Fantastic playing! I know you both have not only very trained and natural flowing technique but also have musical senses, I think this music require a lot of sense for sounds and very difficult to play.

I admire your spiritual atitude to music. Sorry for my bad english....

[VCHAGZ]

i really enjoyed this

[sarumokikaraotiru73]

You are handsome guys!!

I played this tune at colleage student with my senior.

[pakstar097]

do u know where i can find orchestra playing this piece?

[MissPerfettina]

Hey Sean! I was looking for Petite Suite and came across you! Hope you're doing well! (We met at MusicFest Perugia.)

~ Francesca

[STFUJenko]

Im doing a clarinet choir to this. Oh, the humanity!! x3

[macapo]

These two bosom buddies are good !!

[countermelody]

i love your version. we played this as well, I being the secondo part. did not give enough justice though. :D

[ReignOfPraine]

Tempo needs to be faster. At least 200 bpm.

[nicolekatrine1]

I just listened to an orchestra playing the Petite Suite, and they took the Ballet much slower than this. I don't know where you get your impression it should be faster.

[ReignOfPraine]

Really, huh? I'm wondering which orchestrated version you heard, because I have the Debussy/Ravel 8CD set conducted by Jean Martinon and it's played at about 200bpm. You should listen to it and you would see how perfect this piece is with a quicker tempo.

[pianistafj]

You know, the tempo doesn't need to be anything. I agree different performances and interpretations are needed, especially if you ever want people to enjoy live music. But, that was a performance five years ago that is what it is. If you think it should be otherwise, than record it and upload it yourself.

I'd be happy to compare performances, but I'm also glad people enjoy this one without demanding it be different. Just listen and enjoy, if not, go on to something else.

[WiWarhawk]

@pianistafj Amen for this reply! I teach band and orchestra at a high school and I put up many recordings of our performances. You'd be amazed at how many perfect musicians are out there with nothing more to do than criticize others. Who knows? Maybe the hall is too live so a slower tempo allows the technique to be heard. They don't know! Ugh...it drives me batty! Regardless, excellent performance and congrats!

[FriggenLoco]

@pianistafj exactly the good tempo. Otherwise it wouldn't even be nice to listen to. Nice job!

[maxi297]

I think you wanted to say 100 bpm! XD

[ReignOfPraine]

Yeah, you're right. 100 to the quarter note.

[Poppy903]

No...the sheet music says to play it at Quarter=88...which is pretty much exactly what these two played it at, and what I played it at when I played this for a competition. Any faster and it sounds extremely muddy and forced...especially the waltz section.

[juliajones92]

@ReignOfPraine I disagree. I think the tempo was fine, and in my opinion whether it's a bit faster or slower wouldn't matter, because I think they have the mood and the energy just right.

[krnguardianangel012]

thats good :)

lol.. our percussions playing this...

it always reminds me of

the colors pink and purple....

big floaty things... and alice in wonderland.

[pianistafj]

Wow! I like your imagination. You should make sure you're not suffering from synesthesia, though, haha!

Post that if you get a recording, I would love to hear it.

...Alice in Wonderland...that's rich ;)

[krnguardianangel012]

ha... i hope im not suffering. :)

well.. you play really good! i bet...

i would have to practice ALOT to play like that.... u show lots of emotion and all while playing. its cool :)

keep it up!!!

[AgnesRegina]

Hey, I wouldn't say anyone suffers from synesthesia... I actually rather envy my synesthetic friends. It must be cool to see a wave of color in every piece of music.

[ohakkila]

wait, how old was sean in this? haha, he wants me to play it with him for fun but - i had to remind him that i'm not as great at piano as y'all are! i love debussy!

[Chchch234]

OUiii HEIN tweetiti ces NOTRE pièce de piano!!! :P

[tweetititi]

C'est notre toune de pianooooooo:D

[krysis84]

Mi stavo addormentando.. ragazzi, osate! Che lagna|||

[NeverToBeSeenAgain]

Bravo!

Sounds beautiful :]

I'm performing this duet in a few days time, so I can appreciate how much practice needs to be put in to get it spot-on.

I doubt I'll be anything near to how great you guys are!

I thoroughly enjoyed your interpretation, you are both wonderful performers with class and emotion. =)

[blueyoyi]

wow ! I wish I could play this someday.

[meshuganah1]

excellent recording!

i love this piece of music - i'm playing it for my GCSE recording...

[rainbowbird123]

Magnificent!!! maybe better than the orchestral version. Maybe not...

[eselsohr1]

hey that sounds quite good =)

my friend and I also played that piece some years ago... we loved it so much ^^

[gwendolenw]

Liked this very much - not an easy piece at all, with rapid mood changes, difficult to know how to get it right somehow,(and anyone who's played it will know that at times Debussy makes it really awkward to position four hands satisfactorily)- but you played it beautifully, despite your page turner - very sensitive and thoughtful, and it sounds as if a lot of work has gone into it to get it to sound so effortless. Thanks again, listened to it several times and found it increasingly enjoyable.

[chenluluck]

cute!hehe

[Dutchynik]

Leaves me wanting more. Ah, magnifique, both of you.

[ankhmyth]

i am doing this piece too at school...nice:)

[RavelEtudiant]

Beautiful, but almost understated, I thought. It certainly is filled with emotion and color, but I always interpreted this piece as being more joyful, really bringing out the Fortes in the recapitulation of the opening phrase in the 1st and 3rd sections

[pianistafj]

I agree entirely.  The low end of the piano was incredibly dead, and this mov't suffered the most I think. I remember playing it and feeling slightly unsatisfied with this last mov't. Let's hope we get to play this again some time.

[Dutchynik]

Better understated than overstated. Or worse, mechanical and lifeless like so many interpret Debussy. Pros included.

[PrinsTan]

D# before the 2nd Mouvement; Re# avant le second mouvement.

[pianistafj]

Could you be more specific? Thank you

[ga199337]

Can you give me the sheet music of piece, all 4 part?

[Clujn]

Il'st zimpliert vanderfier! Kongratulatzie Di même!!! Y vra pleiè ce pis ner yab rezitatifiy ner finiy der anniy! Vanderfier!!!

[countermelody]

this was our piece too. they played it so well!

[Chrisb626]

very nice