It's not too fast, he is able to achieve all the right colours and moods while bringing out the different voices, so for him, it is the right tempo. I was there live, and it was stunning.
In my opinion is too fast (for my taste) but it clearly wasn't too fast for him😂😅 I mean, he is expressive and doesn't sound rushed but, I always get the impression that this piece is better when done in 6 minutes (minimum)
@@tomhardy5147 but eventually is more about taste and different sensitivities (I'm not native speaker, perhaps doesnt make sense?) One thing is technical display, I consider this, Horowitz's and specially Pollini's version perfect technically, but musically I prefer others, like the one of a young pianist called Jean Luc Therrien.
I think that in keeping to strict time, it appears too fast. There is no ebb and flow, which I would prefer. Debussy himself when being recorded, tended to be somewhat frenetic, but I don:t believe his original intention was to create that effect. It's a bit too clockwork for my taste, bearing in mind the subject matter.
Tears welling up that somewhere in life this sequence exists as this deep assembly of ideas that itself is an astounding level of human expression, and yet even further that Marc can play it so well and interpret it with such craft and finally... is even capable.
Wow. What a great performance. You can tell he really understands the complex phrasing and voicing in this piece, regardless of his slightly controversial tempo (I think the piece speaks well in this performance tempo in this particular performance). Bravo.
"L'isle joyeuse" is a reference to Cythera, the island on which Venus/Aphrodite first stepped when she emerged from the foam. The island is since a metonym for love. I once read that ol' Claude composed this to capture the feelings - HIS feelings of being really in love for the first time. As a matter of interest, "Cytherean" is the commonly accepted adjective for describing anything to do with Venus (goddess or planet) as the true adjective, venereal, is, well...need I say more?
Not just any kind of love, but, plainly sexual love. The day on the Isle of Cythera included numerous sensual pleasure but ended with an orgy, which the music can be said to reflect.
I really don't get these posters. Some say it is too fast, others say too slow, should be more "nervous". Where, pray tell does Debussy write that? Another says his tone is due to the Steinway. This is a great performance, guys! Get over it! Stop whining! Some pianists play it as fast but very few as convincing as he does. He conveys the poetry though the tempo while others obliterate it. I know this piece intimately because I have played it, also in concert. It is tremendously difficult
I don't know but in my opinion it's a squishy composition.What I mean by that is the music is cacophonous and chaotic which adds to the technical difficulty.The mind is just unable to conceive it immediately since it lacks repetition or a solid recognizable structure. As such the training process becomes even more demanding because you're learning something new a each musical interval.
he totally gets it. He understands the arc of this piece like no one else I've ever heard. and that includes Horowitz, Gieseking, etc. And I enjoy Horowitz's performances, especially when he was younger, but to me, the phrasing and the slight ritard before the climactic theme just is totally the way it leaps from the paper.
There's so much madness in this piece! I love it ❤️ Listen at 3:32 how Debussy just kind of inhales the whole piece, chews it up and spits it right out again in extremely dense and compact form before moving on to the big Climax 🙏 So brilliant and mad 🤪🥰
To me, Hamelin is the best pianist alive. His genius turns every piece into a work of art, taking you in a journey through time and space into another dimension, and back to earth.
There are many great pianists, all possessing their own strengths. But I believe Hamelin is the most complete pianist I’ve ever had the pleasure of hearing.
Very very good. My previous favorites of this piece are performances by Walter Gieseking and Jean Philipe Collard... This is up there with anyone's. Bravo!
Wow, incredible! The tempo is a bit faster than I'm used to, but it works very well & certainly in keeping with the piece. Puts the 'Joyeuse' in there to no small extent.
L’isle joyeuse is my favorite piece of music of all time. I have so many favorite versions of this piece which don’t include this one but this video is the one I introduce to people when they ask me what’s my favorite song of all time.
Hamelin is so refreshing to come across after having been so absorbed in Gryaznov’s performances for years. I posted Gryaznov’s rendition of this on my channel synced with sheet music. Hearing the differences from his and Hamelin’s is a treat. Gryaznov’s timing, touch, and voicing remain, I think, most compelling. But Hamelin’s shaping of phrases was equally effective and a nice contrast.
I think this is one of the best recordings of one of the best compositions ever written. I have never heard anyone play it with that much clarity. I dont think he should have played it slower nessicarily but with more dynamics, like sped up and slowed down along with volume changes at different moments.
Exactly! Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett are just two such artists that spring to mind (and let's not leave out Miles and Coltrane, of course). I rejoice that we have the music of Debussy and those he has influenced.
Roberto Elias Cristián Vargas Reveco Great comment, I say this everyday when I'm listening to Debussy. I read somewhere that he didn't want to accept such a title about his music
qu'il touche la piano au fin... ca demontre l'esprit mysticale de m Hamelin, peut-etre. Debussy a pu nomme ca "L'Horizon Perdu du Shangri-La", quant a moi! Good ol' CBC!
This piece is amazing.... I'm kinda curious to know if this is Debussy's Middle Period ? Like close to 1894 when he wrote Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun ?
Quite good - especially the middle sections where the color palette has to thin to nearly nothing. Unfortunately he just doesn't produce a good big sound near the end, mostly due to his hammer-like arm motions. It comes across as rather harsh and not full.
I like this interpretation of the piece very much, but . . . I wish he'd taken it a bit more slowly. When it's played this fast, something of the joy of it is lost because it's very hard to make all the notes sound in a way that we can actually hear them. I think Horowitz plays this the way I prefer it. (That said, I'm sure many listeners will agree with Hamelin that his approach is the best.)
I agree. He’s a phenomenal pianist, but the principal tempo is Modere (sorry, can’t find the accents,) and he starts right away with an allegro molto. Leaves no room for the buildup to the climax. Wish I had his chops, though!
I have a question. the intro to this piece with the 32nd notes I always play with only one hand, but here he plays it with two. I see how that would make it faster and easier, but I have gotten so accustomed to just using one, should I use two?
I experience a peculiar phenomenon when I hear Marc Andre Hamelin play - am I alone in this? - He has 10 fingers that can play any bunch of notes one cares to mention; AND YET...why do I always find his playing so dull, colourless and devoid of excitement. I've heard him play so much of the virtuosic pianists' repertoire and in his hands it leaves me cold. Anyone else find this?
To me he plays the way he dresses - sloppy. I’ve never been impressed with his technique or his sound; it’s mushy. I’ve seen him live too. To me, he’s not in the same league as Pollini, Perahia, Zimerman, Kissin, to name a few. But he has a very successful career so kudos to him. It’s not easy to do.
He barrels through the build up to the big reveal in the climax and totally misses it. Shocking to me. Furthermore there are several important l.h motives throughout the piece that are a blob of sound. It’s difficult to make them project and he doesn’t even try, again barrels through with pedal. I don’t hear any spectacular precision. Having said that, this is probably Debussy’s greatest piano masterpiece, so the genius of the writing still manages to come through, but not because of Hamelin. A lot of you are easily pleased; must not be pianists, probably non-musicians.
definitely agree with you... too fast in many sections....loses in my opinion the underlying mythological references to Cythera and love and doesn't quite get to a "state of mind" of joyous emergence and transcendence which is more mysterious and magical than just display of virtuosity.
Hamelin approaches this piece through his technical superiority. While I am stunned by his rendition of 'Reflets Dans L'eau', this one is maybe a little bit too relaxed and thus not nervous enough. It has to sound nervous, febrile, irritating. Still amazing, though.
We're really spoilt by the internet. Just sat here procrastinating and stumbled upon this exquisite performance.
Accessing the name of the song, would then require searching through record shops, or recording it on the radio. Thank Christ I wasn't born back then.
Luke Falkner! Hi!
It's not "the internet". It's RUclips, the only place where you can watch this wonderful content.
Right? I don't feel like I deserve this.
@@CaptJackAubreyOfTheRoyalNavy we don’t! But luckily here we are. What a piece!!
I may not know anything about classical music, but I know goose bumps when I get them.
KEEP GOING!!
It's not too fast, he is able to achieve all the right colours and moods while bringing out the different voices, so for him, it is the right tempo. I was there live, and it was stunning.
In my opinion is too fast (for my taste) but it clearly wasn't too fast for him😂😅
I mean, he is expressive and doesn't sound rushed but, I always get the impression that this piece is better when done in 6 minutes (minimum)
This is the kind of performance Impressionism demands- clean, expressive, untrammeled by over-thinking. Bravo!
@@tomhardy5147 but eventually is more about taste and different sensitivities (I'm not native speaker, perhaps doesnt make sense?)
One thing is technical display, I consider this, Horowitz's and specially Pollini's version perfect technically, but musically I prefer others, like the one of a young pianist called Jean Luc Therrien.
I think that in keeping
to strict time, it appears too fast. There is no ebb and flow, which I would prefer. Debussy himself when being recorded, tended to be somewhat frenetic, but I don:t believe his original intention was to create that effect.
It's a bit too clockwork for my taste, bearing in mind the subject matter.
It passes the goosebump test at the end. Tremendous.
Repeatedly. And every time. How does he do that?!
4:58 OMG. This part to the end is so perfect. ❤🔥
in his immaculate precision, he gracefully (and effortlessly) dances with all the hemiolas!!! Hamelin at best is here in my opinion!👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
I totally agree! :-)
Tears welling up that somewhere in life this sequence exists as this deep assembly of ideas that itself is an astounding level of human expression, and yet even further that Marc can play it so well and interpret it with such craft and finally... is even capable.
You don't need to thank us for watching such amazing videos of such amazing performers. Thank YOU for recording them.
Fancy seeing you here! And seven years ago as well!
marc
Wow. What a great performance. You can tell he really understands the complex phrasing and voicing in this piece, regardless of his slightly controversial tempo (I think the piece speaks well in this performance tempo in this particular performance). Bravo.
Erik C 'Piano Man'
Indeed one of if not my favourite performance of the piece !
Just incredible in every way. :-)
Hamlein is just too classy for this world.
"L'isle joyeuse" is a reference to Cythera, the island on which Venus/Aphrodite first stepped when she emerged from the foam. The island is since a metonym for love. I once read that ol' Claude composed this to capture the feelings - HIS feelings of being really in love for the first time.
As a matter of interest, "Cytherean" is the commonly accepted adjective for describing anything to do with Venus (goddess or planet) as the true adjective, venereal, is, well...need I say more?
so, cyprus?
but which side?
Not just any kind of love, but, plainly sexual love. The day on the Isle of Cythera included numerous sensual pleasure but ended with an orgy, which the music can be said to reflect.
I really don't get these posters. Some say it is too fast, others say too slow, should be more "nervous". Where, pray tell does Debussy write that? Another says his tone is due to the Steinway. This is a great performance, guys! Get over it! Stop whining!
Some pianists play it as fast but very few as convincing as he does. He conveys the poetry though the tempo while others obliterate it. I know this piece intimately because I have played it, also in concert. It is tremendously difficult
I don't know but in my opinion it's a squishy composition.What I mean by that is the music is cacophonous and chaotic which adds to the technical difficulty.The mind is just unable to conceive it immediately since it lacks repetition or a solid recognizable structure. As such the training process becomes even more demanding because you're learning something new a each musical interval.
Hamelin is always on an inner flight from emotional engagement. Borderline psychotic playing. He has need psychological help his ENTIRE life.
wanna know why the tone is due to the steinway(I seldom got the chance to play their piano)
What makes this piece difficult in your opinion? Because I cannot see anything that is obviously insane, so enlighten me!
Yes, tempo seems quite fast, but as you say, he maintains the dynamics and nuance, so a very impressive performance!
he totally gets it. He understands the arc of this piece like no one else I've ever heard. and that includes Horowitz, Gieseking, etc. And I enjoy Horowitz's performances, especially when he was younger, but to me, the phrasing and the slight ritard before the climactic theme just is totally the way it leaps from the paper.
I also like Maurizio Pollini's version. Did you hear it?
+Gabriel Gallardo yes I did! but hamelin is sexy lol haha haha. popping vagaims
Kocsis
I also like very much Rouvier for this.
Hamelin's take on the dynamics at the end is awe-inspiring.
An absolutely wonderful performance!
There's so much madness in this piece! I love it ❤️ Listen at 3:32 how Debussy just kind of inhales the whole piece, chews it up and spits it right out again in extremely dense and compact form before moving on to the big Climax 🙏 So brilliant and mad 🤪🥰
True
To me, Hamelin is the best pianist alive. His genius turns every piece into a work of art, taking you in a journey through time and space into another dimension, and back to earth.
There are many great pianists, all possessing their own strengths. But I believe Hamelin is the most complete pianist I’ve ever had the pleasure of hearing.
Beauty. My favorite piece of Debussy
Yes, his tempo is fast ! But, he can do it and it gives me chills. I think Debussy would have approved of Hamelin's interpretation.
Very very good. My previous favorites of this piece are performances by Walter Gieseking and Jean Philipe Collard... This is up there with anyone's. Bravo!
Debussy achieved the exact triumph of joy, of overjoy, of superjoy - without pompous apotheosis.
This is a brilliant and insanely fast piece of music, he makes it look easy.
That buildup until.... 4:40 ... chair de poule... goosebumps. Solo beautiful !!!!
I heard this 20 years ago and I found it!
Wow, incredible! The tempo is a bit faster than I'm used to, but it works very well & certainly in keeping with the piece. Puts the 'Joyeuse' in there to no small extent.
THIS IS SO INCREDIBLE
I'll skip the word salad and simply say this was inspiring and enjoyable!
L’isle joyeuse is my favorite piece of music of all time. I have so many favorite versions of this piece which don’t include this one but this video is the one I introduce to people when they ask me what’s my favorite song of all time.
Sublime. Simplemente espectacular. Bravo!!! 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Just--
Wow. Cannot think of anything I'd rather listen to
Happy you like it! Marc-Andre Hamelin is incredible on the keys. Do you listen to his work often?
extremely well played. hard to top!
Very clear, very 'French', very post-Schumannesque, surpasses my favorite-until-now!
Hamelin is so refreshing to come across after having been so absorbed in Gryaznov’s performances for years. I posted Gryaznov’s rendition of this on my channel synced with sheet music. Hearing the differences from his and Hamelin’s is a treat. Gryaznov’s timing, touch, and voicing remain, I think, most compelling. But Hamelin’s shaping of phrases was equally effective and a nice contrast.
Great artist performs music of great composer on great instrument in great hall, what could be possibly better?
His impeccable performance will transcend the times and human races .
This is a difficult piece to hold together, but here it does- and the ending- wow...
MARK, JUST GREAT TABLEAU OF FRENCH LAND AND SEA SCAPES. THE TEMPI REFLECT THE PERFECT IMAGES YOU DREAM UP. YOU GOTTA LOVE THIS GUY.
So this is the Piece Lucky is gonna play ?!?!
Siii. Vengo del manga a oírla!
This is amazing I cn clearly picture the ship and d waves at sea at 4:11
such a pleasure to listen to this
I think this is one of the best recordings of one of the best compositions ever written. I have never heard anyone play it with that much clarity. I dont think he should have played it slower nessicarily but with more dynamics, like sped up and slowed down along with volume changes at different moments.
His exquisite performance is an order of magnitude more awesome
when you listen to Debussy you understand how jazz was influenced by him
Exactly! Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett are just two such artists that spring to mind (and let's not leave out Miles and Coltrane, of course). I rejoice that we have the music of Debussy and those he has influenced.
+Roberto Elias Cristián Vargas Reveco as well as Bartok did quite the influence on some as well, especially on Herbie!
+LinkBulletBill Chick Corea loves the music of Bartok.
Roberto Elias Cristián Vargas Reveco Great comment, I say this everyday when I'm listening to Debussy. I read somewhere that he didn't want to accept such a title about his music
Something about this just invokes such… horror and I love it
Awesome! :D
Phenomenal playing!!!
Wonderful!!!
There is no question but that Hamelin plays superbly, his sound is always beautiful.
That ending sends a shive down my spine... that fantastic tremolo!
His sound is that of a Steinway piano, nothing more, nothing less.
... and I thought only Horowitz could do it justice! This is astounding!
he put so much force on that last note his bench moved! haha very strong ending!
The hands of this pianist ....
Splendid interpretation, very evocative, very poetical, among the finest with such as Bavouzet's.
so good
Great!!
qu'il touche la piano au fin... ca demontre l'esprit mysticale de m Hamelin, peut-etre. Debussy a pu nomme ca "L'Horizon Perdu du Shangri-La", quant a moi!
Good ol' CBC!
Fantastisch!
Thanks for watching!
"Una versión DEFINITIVA". Monumental. Juan Miguel.
This totally fucking rocks! I wish it had been on the new recording tho
For me it is just from the heaven
Amazing ... I wonder how many hours he practised this for
This piece is amazing....
I'm kinda curious to know if this is Debussy's Middle Period ? Like close to 1894 when he wrote Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun ?
It´s written around 1903/1904, parallel with Estampes. High Impressionism
Thollier and Hamelin so far as i HEARD , when it comes to interpreting Debussy
Glorious!
That was pretty legendary
wonderful perf in every way....reminds me of geiseking's 50s recording
Wow! 🎉
i'm a big walter gieseking fan but this has something i can't ignore
Perfect!!
Quite good - especially the middle sections where the color palette has to thin to nearly nothing. Unfortunately he just doesn't produce a good big sound near the end, mostly due to his hammer-like arm motions. It comes across as rather harsh and not full.
Amazing
Ned Rorem mentioned this in his earliest memoir.
qué mago el hamelin
Great.
just imagine how lang lang would play this masterpiece
+Florin Matasaru ya it would be a great shit
+Florin Matasaru He played it for the Japanese drama series Nodame Cantabile.
I'd rather not imagine, since it would be much worse than Hamelin :)
I'd rather not
I would love to hear you play the piece on an AMERICAN Steinway.
bravo
Wow ! He barrelled through that pretty fast. About 5:12. I don't think I've heard anyone play it as fast. Maybe he had to go to the bathroom.
I think I heard Horowitz playing at that speed to, I can't chose one, they are both really awesome...
Walter Gieseking played it quite a bit faster!
I like this interpretation of the piece very much, but . . . I wish he'd taken it a bit more slowly. When it's played this fast, something of the joy of it is lost because it's very hard to make all the notes sound in a way that we can actually hear them. I think Horowitz plays this the way I prefer it. (That said, I'm sure many listeners will agree with Hamelin that his approach is the best.)
I agree. He’s a phenomenal pianist, but the principal tempo is Modere (sorry, can’t find the accents,) and he starts right away with an allegro molto. Leaves no room for the buildup to the climax. Wish I had his chops, though!
hamelin
He played the Joyful Island
... but i felt so distressed
❤
I have a question. the intro to this piece with the 32nd notes I always play with only one hand, but here he plays it with two. I see how that would make it faster and easier, but I have gotten so accustomed to just using one, should I use two?
Go for it! It seems to have worked out well for Marc-André.
I experience a peculiar phenomenon when I hear Marc Andre Hamelin play - am I alone in this? - He has 10 fingers that can play any bunch of notes one cares to mention; AND YET...why do I always find his playing so dull, colourless and devoid of excitement. I've heard him play so much of the virtuosic pianists' repertoire and in his hands it leaves me cold. Anyone else find this?
To me he plays the way he dresses - sloppy. I’ve never been impressed with his technique or his sound; it’s mushy. I’ve seen him live too. To me, he’s not in the same league as Pollini, Perahia, Zimerman, Kissin, to name a few. But he has a very successful career so kudos to him. It’s not easy to do.
i'm playing this on my next competition, but i don't know if i can play
it well.....
Wow
Che freddezza questo pianista. Gelido ! Suggerisco l'ascoto di Samson Francois, ad esempio.
He plays it like Copland’s El Salon Mexico meets a Czerny etude
He barrels through the build up to the big reveal in the climax and totally misses it. Shocking to me. Furthermore there are several important l.h motives throughout the piece that are a blob of sound. It’s difficult to make them project and he doesn’t even try, again barrels through with pedal. I don’t hear any spectacular precision. Having said that, this is probably Debussy’s greatest piano masterpiece, so the genius of the writing still manages to come through, but not because of Hamelin. A lot of you are easily pleased; must not be pianists, probably non-musicians.
Vengo por el manga pppppp
SO ANNOYING when they put up ads for the next youtube before the one you're watching is fully completed. Argh.
I heard he uses 3 different scales in the intro.. just wanna check how it goes.... 🎅
Hes got such a good sense of structure (and technique) he just about pulls it off..but I think it's ultimately too fast and a bit crude
great performance, but too fast in some sections.
definitely agree with you... too fast in many sections....loses in my opinion the underlying mythological references to Cythera and love and doesn't quite get to a "state of mind"
of joyous emergence and transcendence which is more mysterious and magical than just display of virtuosity.
@@michaelviensmusic1416 Exactly, some missed keys as well but good nevertheless
驚異的な演奏
Hamelin approaches this piece through his technical superiority. While I am stunned by his rendition of 'Reflets Dans L'eau', this one is maybe a little bit too relaxed and thus not nervous enough. It has to sound nervous, febrile, irritating. Still amazing, though.