Another recording for your evaluation

This one is a lot longer, more complicated and even more problematic than that little Szymanowski Etude. As such, it is probably a better indicator of my progress. It is the Sarabande from Bach's French Suite No. 1 in D minor. This disillusioned, pained little slow movement a real outlier for me, equalling the E-flat minor Prelude from WTK I for its soul-searching beauty.

Whether this performance brings those elements off, of course, is another matter. I don't hear any technical problems aside from a gradual speeding up; if there are others that I'm not picking up, I would like to know. Like the Szymanowski, this was recorded on my Kurzweil Mark 8 digital, copied onto a CD-R, and uploaded in WMA format. An MP3 should be available by the time you read this at the same place.

The G major Suite. The Sarabande and the Bouree #2 are great. Jeff, when you repeat baroque sections, you should add the additional ornaments.The repeats should be super-ornamented. A Sarabande is still a dance form. Make it dance!! Sarabandes are 2 step dances. Galliardes, Courantes and Gigues are 3 step dances.

Technically it sounds secure, in that you get all the notes in all the right places without any of the stumbling that would suggest mis-fingering. But it sounds too careful, as if you're trying to keep it all in a very steady rhythm and tempo, with minimal dynamic change, and it needs more inflection to bring out the more striking harmonic and melodic elements. For example, in the second part, first time through especially, the shift from the G minor chord to the C7 in 4/2 inversion feels too abrupt; you could fall behind the downbeat to let that chord change 'register' more. Don't distort the rhythm, but phrase as if you're singing. This may be also what M. Slater is feeling when he says it needs to dance more, even if it's a slow dance.

Bourree 2? You must have one of the editions that lists the Loure as Bourree 2.

I added a few ornaments in the repeat of the second half, I could certainly add more (I performed that same Sarabande today and came up with some good ones on the spot), but I've had a really rough time trying to get Sarabandes to sound like dances. Recordings haven't helped, either, they usually just don't sound like dances to me.

Whenever I try to 'phrase' it, it backfires and flows far less than if I just play it straight.

I'm certain what I'm suggesting can be done, and I believe you can do it. But this is where a live teacher such as you'll be getting in a few weeks can do much more good than any of us posting mini-reviews on the Internet.

No doubt. I've heard it done countless times.

Experience would suggest otherwise.

Time will tell, I guess.