First I happened to listen "some one else's playing İtalian Concerto", left hand made me think, "is it bach? really". Then I met this video and the lady's explanations put everything in its place👌
What a beautiful performance. I'm one of the very few who isn't crazy about Bach pieces in general. I get bored very quickly. Yet the Goldberg Variations and this Italian Concerto send me! I've always leaned toward Andras Schiff for Bach but this performance might now be my "go to" for listening. What a great piece of music and wonderfully played! Thanks.
Thank you!!! Now I understand WHY I never liked hearing Bach’s Italian Concerto on the piano. I had always chalked it up to the difference in how a harpsichord and piano “sounds”… which is partially true, but your technical explanation gets at the real root of it. In addition your love and appreciation for Bach is apparent in both how you talk about him and the passion in how you play. Your rendition of Bach’s Italian Concerto was brilliant.
Dr. Yui, thank you for posting this video! Very informative discussion on this piece, and certainly an interesting interpretation, especially your doublings! It certainly reminds me much of our classes together!
Thanks Dr.Yui ! I learned this piece years ago and performed, now I feel it’s a new piece to me again! And I love your alternative doublings and embellishment, it dose sounds better and justifiable!
Another thing that harpsichordists do that pianists typically don’t is play with agogic accents and time/rubato as a means of expression, even in fast movements. What pianists can do that harpsichordists cannot is make singing lines with melodically shaped contours, and I find the secret to “clarity” in contrapuntal playing on the piano is making sure every line has it’s proper shape. This is quite different to how many pianists conceive Baroque clarity as meaning everything is detached and staccato, often mercilessly. Contrasts of color and not merely volume are the key to achieving the concerto grosso effect.
Very interesting ideas for performing this work. I am currently studying it and helped so much, thank you! I loved the right h ornamentation! Do you have a video for this? I would love to watch and learn more.
00:00 Introduction: playing Bach's keyboard works on the piano 03:45 The publication of, and the meaning behind the title, "Concerto in the Italian Style" 05:03 What is a concerto grosso? 06:29 How Bach creates the effect of a concerto grosso on a double manual harpsichord 10:16 Potential problems of performing the Italian Concerto on a modern piano - and possible solutions 15:08 Performance: Bach: Italian concerto BWV 971 I. Allegro 18:55 Performance: Bach: Italian concerto BWV 971 II. Andante 23:48 Performance: Bach: Italian concerto BWV 971 III. Presto
Ornamentation in Bach seems to be fairly performer friendly; you are given a solid structure and can decorate as you'd like. This is unlike towards the end of the Mozart's #23 Concerto, second movement, where you are given one treble note per measure. At that point you have to compose rather than ornament. It's a task I only wish unto my enemies.
Very lovely playing! I love the emotion and the contrast that you are able to express. I also agree with the talking points in the video. I keep hearing the same issues with Bach, what's right and what's wrong about playing Bach on modern piano in people's opinion, etc. I keep using Andras Schiff as an example because he is one of the bigger Bach players around and he gets a lot of criticism because of his views on using pedal - A: I know if he thought that using pedal would bring a better expression and style to his interpretation of the music he'd use it and B: his interest is the same as all Bach players' interest should be - to make the music sing and speak. Like Bach himself wrote on the introduction to his two and three-part inentions, it's about establishing a cantabile sound with your legato. And the detached/staccato parts are there to bring contrast, same with ornaments. Yes, there are stylistic differences compared to say an almost ridiculous amount of pedaling in the romantic period music but surely the compositions themselves innately contain a certain style, a certain sound as well? Would Bach have wanted his music to sound dry and mechanical? Would he have wanted his music to not sing even though he explicitly tells you that it needs to? I don't know. Clearly, these things are a matter of taste but sometimes I wonder what people are on about.
Did you have a chance to read important for all pianists book by Eva Badura Skoda with translation of many important records related on Piano et forte that Bach [!] promoted enthusiastically, helped improve and definitely sold to count Branitsky, and thus had at his hiss to demonstrate it..? I’m very interested how your opinion would change after this finally revealed info.
In the Presto BWV971 where are the sections? is it in three main sections with sections within these? I am just interested. Bar 1 is repeated in 13, so where can I find out the names for all these sections?
I've never really taken to the music of Bach, Handel, Scarlatti, Couperin and Rameau being played on the modern piano. It's never a good fit, to my ears. Even the music of C. P. E. Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert sound better on fortepianos these days. I guess there is a feeling amongst many modern pianists and music lovers that the modern piano is the last word on playing any music from the past - especially keyboard music from the past. The modern piano is no more suited to Baroque harpsichord music than the modern classical guitar is for playing Japanese koto music. I recently heard some of the Goldberg Variations of Bach played on the piano. It sort of sounded like classy piano-bar music to me. I love keyboard music and I have a lot of CDs of piano music of Scriabin, Schoenberg, Webern, Messiaen, Bartok, Shostakovich, etc. I even like some Jazz - Hiromi is a goddess!
Enjoyed both your lecture and your performance. Brava! I want to share with you my favorite recording of the second movement of the Italian Concerto by Maria Yudina made in 1954: ruclips.net/video/_8erisJkbDQ/видео.html It would be interesting to find out your opinion of it. Thank you again for the video. Sergei
Thank you for your kind words, Sergei. This Yudina recording is amazing. As most of her performances are of Bach, they are honest, unadorned, and profound, even on this crappy piano. She takes you to a deep, quiet place in your soul, it's a meditation. It sounds like she is playing the basses as octaves, nice. Thank you for sharing this with me.
First I happened to listen "some one else's playing İtalian Concerto", left hand made me think, "is it bach? really". Then I met this video and the lady's explanations put everything in its place👌
What a beautiful performance. I'm one of the very few who isn't crazy about Bach pieces in general. I get bored very quickly. Yet the Goldberg Variations and this Italian Concerto send me! I've always leaned toward Andras Schiff for Bach but this performance might now be my "go to" for listening. What a great piece of music and wonderfully played! Thanks.
Thank you!!! Now I understand WHY I never liked hearing Bach’s Italian Concerto on the piano. I had always chalked it up to the difference in how a harpsichord and piano “sounds”… which is partially true, but your technical explanation gets at the real root of it. In addition your love and appreciation for Bach is apparent in both how you talk about him and the passion in how you play. Your rendition of Bach’s Italian Concerto was brilliant.
Such a reasonable and intelligent approach ❤. It is an absolute delight to listen to this version!
One of the most innovative and brilliant works of Bach no doubt and a pure delight to listen to.
I learn a lot from this video. Thanks very much Dr. Yui.
Beautiful! Thank you for sharing!
Wonderful I too am an Anthony Newman fan - his Bradenburgs are the best
Outstanding interpretation! Thank you for this brilliant vision over the piece. And I really enjoyed the ornamentation with amazing technique ✨✨✨
Many thanks!
Dr. Yui, thank you for posting this video! Very informative discussion on this piece, and certainly an interesting interpretation, especially your doublings!
It certainly reminds me much of our classes together!
Some harpsichords had stops on them as well, hence variations in volume by varying stop groups.
Thanks Dr.Yui ! I learned this piece years ago and performed, now I feel it’s a new piece to me again! And I love your alternative doublings and embellishment, it dose sounds better and justifiable!
Great to hear from you, Jentao! So glad you found the video interesting.
I learned a ton today! thank you!
Another thing that harpsichordists do that pianists typically don’t is play with agogic accents and time/rubato as a means of expression, even in fast movements. What pianists can do that harpsichordists cannot is make singing lines with melodically shaped contours, and I find the secret to “clarity” in contrapuntal playing on the piano is making sure every line has it’s proper shape. This is quite different to how many pianists conceive Baroque clarity as meaning everything is detached and staccato, often mercilessly. Contrasts of color and not merely volume are the key to achieving the concerto grosso effect.
Very interesting way of interpreting/replaying! And also the sound is great! Thanks for this piece of wonder! :)
Fabulous!!!
Very interesting ideas for performing this work. I am currently studying it and helped so much, thank you! I loved the right h ornamentation! Do you have a video for this? I would love to watch and learn more.
Insightful and wonderfully done Lisa! Justin
00:00 Introduction: playing Bach's keyboard works on the piano
03:45 The publication of, and the meaning behind the title, "Concerto in the Italian Style"
05:03 What is a concerto grosso?
06:29 How Bach creates the effect of a concerto grosso on a double manual harpsichord
10:16 Potential problems of performing the Italian Concerto on a modern piano - and possible solutions
15:08 Performance: Bach: Italian concerto BWV 971 I. Allegro
18:55 Performance: Bach: Italian concerto BWV 971 II. Andante
23:48 Performance: Bach: Italian concerto BWV 971 III. Presto
🤯 WOW!
Good! 😍🎹👏👏
Ornamentation in Bach seems to be fairly performer friendly; you are given a solid structure and can decorate as you'd like. This is unlike towards the end of the Mozart's #23 Concerto, second movement, where you are given one treble note per measure. At that point you have to compose rather than ornament. It's a task I only wish unto my enemies.
Very lovely playing! I love the emotion and the contrast that you are able to express.
I also agree with the talking points in the video. I keep hearing the same issues with Bach, what's right and what's wrong about playing Bach on modern piano in people's opinion, etc. I keep using Andras Schiff as an example because he is one of the bigger Bach players around and he gets a lot of criticism because of his views on using pedal - A: I know if he thought that using pedal would bring a better expression and style to his interpretation of the music he'd use it and B: his interest is the same as all Bach players' interest should be - to make the music sing and speak. Like Bach himself wrote on the introduction to his two and three-part inentions, it's about establishing a cantabile sound with your legato. And the detached/staccato parts are there to bring contrast, same with ornaments.
Yes, there are stylistic differences compared to say an almost ridiculous amount of pedaling in the romantic period music but surely the compositions themselves innately contain a certain style, a certain sound as well? Would Bach have wanted his music to sound dry and mechanical? Would he have wanted his music to not sing even though he explicitly tells you that it needs to?
I don't know. Clearly, these things are a matter of taste but sometimes I wonder what people are on about.
Great phrasing.
Did you have a chance to read important for all pianists book by Eva Badura Skoda with translation of many important records related on Piano et forte that Bach [!] promoted enthusiastically, helped improve and definitely sold to count Branitsky, and thus had at his hiss to demonstrate it..? I’m very interested how your opinion would change after this finally revealed info.
ruclips.net/video/jQsFAmLq9V0/видео.html ; ruclips.net/video/GEe0c_17fN0/видео.html; ruclips.net/video/Vp9L-AsZMFk/видео.html
In the Presto BWV971 where are the sections? is it in three main sections with sections within these? I am just interested. Bar 1 is repeated in 13, so where can I find out the names for all these sections?
I've never really taken to the music of Bach, Handel, Scarlatti, Couperin and Rameau being played on the modern piano. It's never a good fit, to my ears. Even the music of C. P. E. Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert sound better on fortepianos these days.
I guess there is a feeling amongst many modern pianists and music lovers that the modern piano is the last word on playing any music from the past - especially keyboard music from the past. The modern piano is no more suited to Baroque harpsichord music than the modern classical guitar is for playing Japanese koto music.
I recently heard some of the Goldberg Variations of Bach played on the piano. It sort of sounded like classy piano-bar music to me. I love keyboard music and I have a lot of CDs of piano music of Scriabin, Schoenberg, Webern, Messiaen, Bartok, Shostakovich, etc. I even like some Jazz - Hiromi is a goddess!
a beautiful asian girl discussing a beautiful piece of music
Enjoyed both your lecture and your performance. Brava!
I want to share with you my favorite recording of the second movement of the Italian Concerto by Maria Yudina made in 1954:
ruclips.net/video/_8erisJkbDQ/видео.html
It would be interesting to find out your opinion of it.
Thank you again for the video. Sergei
Thank you for your kind words, Sergei. This Yudina recording is amazing. As most of her performances are of Bach, they are honest, unadorned, and profound, even on this crappy piano. She takes you to a deep, quiet place in your soul, it's a meditation. It sounds like she is playing the basses as octaves, nice. Thank you for sharing this with me.
It's unbelievable that that video has only 354 views.
@@LivesOfThePiano: " it's a meditation" - you can say a prayer - she was deeply religious.