I shiver every single time I listen to this delicacy. The intensity never goes down; the strength of his playing is both deep and soft, even if it seems an oxymoron. An ecstatic catarsis of The Lost Genius' mind. May he rest in peace, but his ability may remain forever.
Numerous observers testify to a tremendous technique when young. He still had elements of it when old - listen to his improvisations on popular tunes or his Dohnanyi g minor etude - staggering.
This is the first recording ive heard when he wasn't a old man....well he was a great talent and pianist,the technique is heroic as well as the temperment...
@@marksmith3947 You raise a good point, the sadness. His later interpretation is shocking, full of missed notes, and also full of sorrow, passion, and romantic spirit. As you know, he had an interesting life story to boot. It takes the listener on a deeply personal emotional journey. IMHO that’s why people ooh and ah over his later recording. Yeah.. I love his later recording more than this.
Dont wanna be a spoilsport but in piano rolls many pianists especially of the golden era sound superhuman. Maybe the speed in reproduction isnt that faithful.
Impressive indeed, but how reliable a document of his actual performance can it be? There's plenty of convincing rubato, yes, but also some crazy mechanical sounding prestissimo tempi. Hard to know. Certainly more persuasive than so many of his late-in-life tortured elongations.
I shiver every single time I listen to this delicacy. The intensity never goes down; the strength of his playing is both deep and soft, even if it seems an oxymoron. An ecstatic catarsis of The Lost Genius' mind. May he rest in peace, but his ability may remain forever.
Here he was 19 years old.
This performance is better than anyone else's, including Michael Ponti's excellent version.
Numerous observers testify to a tremendous technique when young. He still had elements of it when old - listen to his improvisations on popular tunes or his Dohnanyi g minor etude - staggering.
my god.... his piano rolls sound sooo GOOD!!!!
This is the first recording ive heard when he wasn't a old man....well he was a great talent and pianist,the technique is heroic as well as the temperment...
Amazing,truly amazing. Bravo!
There's something about an out-of-tune piano that just sounds lush :)
@aardvaark069 I love Grainger a lot, but here Erwin really gives a unique interpretation... sounds almost new!
This was recorded in 1922.
So at least we know he already couldn't properly play the piano back then. Not that it'd be a surprise...
WOW!!! there was a time when he sounded like this.. unbelievable..
And yet people ooh and ah over later recordings where his playing was embarrassing and sad
@@marksmith3947 You raise a good point, the sadness.
His later interpretation is shocking, full of missed notes, and also full of sorrow, passion, and romantic spirit.
As you know, he had an interesting life story to boot. It takes the listener on a deeply personal emotional journey.
IMHO that’s why people ooh and ah over his later recording.
Yeah.. I love his later recording more than this.
Dont wanna be a spoilsport but in piano rolls many pianists especially of the golden era sound superhuman. Maybe the speed in reproduction isnt that faithful.
@@nickcy27given what he could do when he was a wreck of a person this is entirely believable.
Impressive indeed, but how reliable a document of his actual performance can it be? There's plenty of convincing rubato, yes, but also some crazy mechanical sounding prestissimo tempi. Hard to know. Certainly more persuasive than so many of his late-in-life tortured elongations.
the only recording (roll) I've liked by this eccentric pianist (so far) and it is pretty good
Try listening to his recording of La Plus Que Lente by Debussy, its great
I now know why this is so short
02:57 04:01 06:05