Hamelin plays Chopin/Godowsky - Etudes (Selections)
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- Опубликовано: 29 авг 2024
- For NewFranzFerencLiszt
A selection from Leopold Godowsky's extraordinary set of 54 Studies on Chopin's Études, played by Marc-André Hamelin. The etudes featured here are:
Nouvelle Etude No. 2 in A flat: 0:04
op. 10 No. 5 (1st version): 04:14
op. 10 No. 5 (2nd version): 05:58
op. 10 No. 6 (for the left hand alone): 07:47
op. 10 No. 9 (2nd version; imitation of op. 25 No. 2): 11:30
I think that with each passing day, more and more people are starting to realiize that Maestro Hamelin is one of the greatest EVER to sit on a piano bench.
Listen to Hamelin play Rubinsteins 4th piano Concerto, which he plays even better than Josef Hoffman.
@Charles-Valentin Alkan Actually there are a number of Hamelin recordings of Liszt.
@@sfsphil I think he meant recordings of Liszt himself playing
For me he is Liszt-like figure in our modern times
@@composerjalen ?
This is the guy you come to if you want to hear Godowsky's Etudes on Chopin played properly. Exquisite finger control, intonation, and touch. The polyphony is simply adorable. Bravo, Sir.
something tells me this is not the first time Mr. Hamelin has played the piano.
I agree 😂
It’s probably the millionth time Hamelin has played
Please don’t r/wooosh, I get the joke
The Nouvelle Etude No 2 is in my opinion one of the most beautiful pieces Chopin ever wrote. The Godowsky version of it is simply stunning.
I share your view of/feeling about the Chopin
Etude No. 2, but I have mixed feelings about Godowsky's 'jazzing up' of a piece whose simplicity, humility and melancholy define, for me, its musical posture and value.
no other pianist inspires me to play the piano and quit the piano at the same time
I love op. 10 No.6 for the left hand alone... There is not a word to describe the melancholic space of this study.
ehsan tamrabadi yeah, that was the piece that really impressed me, both for the composition and the pianists extreme virtuosity in being able to play it. If you were just listening to that you would never guess it was only one hand playing!
I was listening to it while reading your comment then thought: it cant be his one, go up the video and it was, I go WTF are you serious? lol
Serious about what?
yeah! it blew my mind how can that even be possible, its too damn hard
Aha. :)) yeah. when I listened that piece for the first time, I didnt notice that it was for the left hand alone. Then one day I was watching a documentary about Marc-Andre Hamelin "It's all about Music" and this recital was a part of it, I realized that this marvelous etude is for the left hand alone!
There is also an etude among Hamelin's 12 etudes in minor keys : "Etude in E-flat minor. after Tchaikovsky".
This etude that is an arrangement of one of Thaikovsky's songs : "Six Romances for Soprano & Piano, Op.16 - I. Lullaby" and this one is for the left hand alone and his own composition. That was a marvelous piece too...
The impossible appears almost to simple and relaxed here.
But, oh! The layers and voicing! The music beyond the technique.
The true art of arm weight as Godowsky himself taught it.
Non-stop coughing through world-class performances.
It's nothing compared what you get in some historic Soviet recordings, incredible performances by Gilels, Oisktrakh etc rendered pretty much unlistenable
Rusky smoker's hack
true but it is cold as balls in russia maybe they got the flu ha
The many different polyrhythms in the Nouvelle Etude are insane. MAH makes it seem effortless
this mf's technique is insane
just as his musical expression
AHAHAHAH da GREG zpotted 8-)
His technique is up there with Pollini and Cziffra.
Hoon Key lee They wouldn’t. It’s something you say to someone you don’t like but in America people say it all the time. It’s slang. You should check out urbandictionary.com. You’ll learn lots of useful English.
Hoon Key lee in this case it means he’s jealous or envious of Hamelin’s technique. It’s a compliment. Another common way of saying it is MOFO.
I saw him live in Poole expecting to marvel at his technical excellence, but found myself marvelling at his poetry. He is in that lineage of the true greats.
Listening to Hamelin play the piano is like recalling to mind the memories of every happy and heartfelt life experience. What a gift, what a blessing!
Amazing, PBS just played a show about Godowsky and I have always admired his arrangements of the Etudes. It takes a special kind of genius to do what he did with them, think about it, combining 2 etudes or making one in the style of another, just amazing. His own music is quite fascinating too. I will researching Godowsky more after this. I think that Godowsky's transcriptions show much respect for Chopin. Of course they are different pieces. Rachmaninoff did transcriptions of Bach's music and I don't hear any complaints about it. Just be happy you are able to know the real works and appreciate the special genius it takes to make music like this.
Chopin was the genius. It's easy to make it sound 'ok' if it was marvelous in the first place. Godowsky is a sham and produced crap
Shonna Hicks lol you’re an uneducated moron.
What should a great musician look like? What should be the shape of his nose. What should be the set of his eyes? What hair style should he wear? And music is in the ear of the listener. Everyone is different and perceives music in a different way. Thank God for Chopin, thank God for Godowsky and most assuredly thank God for the genius of Marc-Andre Hamelin.
Personally, I thank Chopin for Chopin, Godowsky for Godowsky, and Hamelin for Hamelin. Still, credit where it's due: I _do_ thank god for... public holidays, and... on the slim chance s/h/it's feeling especially compassionate and willing to risk coming across as overpolite, sparing these three wonders of the world from perpetual, eternal, and unimaginable torture.
I think the 10/9 is very underrated, given that most people don't record it and it is, admittedly, extremely difficult to get it perfect, musically. I just love when Hamelin starts hitting those low F's at 13:15. It's one of the few times you'll hear a note get played on the piano and it gradually gets louder. It's so perfect.
F‘s there??
@@SujkhgfrwqqnvfThank you for pointing out my typo. I meant at 13:15, not at 3:15.
I can't wait to see you live in September, you are the most " esquisite" and in my opinion " best " pianist of our whole history.
I've been listening to your all Godowsky studies, and Albeniz's Iberia, from Hyperion.,the 'simplicity' you play them, hidden behind the most majestic expressions ever, make your art a true msgnificent and unique one 🙏
Fantastic musician. Inspirational to a music student like myself. Thank you for posting; I need to spend many many more hours in a practise room to realise but a tenth of this beauty!
To me, Godowsky gave Chopin's etudes something more.........I love them. If you love them as much as I do or don't. I recommend you go watch the Chopin Godowsky Chapter 1 - 12 series on youtube. You will not regret it.
Spencian Neutralist can you link to it?
ruclips.net/p/PLjD-XXk1L2wPU98qxAuMioMtkuW7-Vup-
its baffling; you can hear so much going on, dense textures, complex bubbling phrases, and its all so... clear. i think hamelin is able to play to such an exceptionally talented degree that his technique makes up for the piano's innate shortcomings (percussiveness, instant decay in pitch). his coloring and tone make the piano sound like something orchestral.
It is a great comfort listening to MAH. Thank you so much sharing this beautiful music with us. I know how difficult these pieces are.
To all you miserable anti-Godovsky critics: I suppose you would also criticise Liszt for his transcriptions of Bellini, Verdi, etc.? In the hands of this towering genius all the Godovsky studies make perfect sense and perfectly wonderful music! Remember: they are "Studies ON Chopin's études", not versions OF them!
no he ruined them and made them sound absolutely horrible
I think some Godowsky versions actually sound better than some of the originals.
The fact that anyone could be "anti-Godowski" is, to me, stunningly shocking and perverse. He was, in my opinion, twice the genius Busoni ever was, which is like saying someone is twice the astrophysics genius Neil D. Tyson is.
Liszt made enjoyable transcriptions, now these Godowsky ones are really hit or miss but mostly miss for me. perfectly fair to say that. They may be genius, but that doesn't mean they are pleasant to listen to
@@shonnahicks9637 I don't agree at all. For me, the question is this: if you didn't know that these were based on Chopin pieces, would you enjoy them? I forgot all about the Chopin and just listened - and liked most of them.
Just the ones I remember from your CD, the ones I love the most, Hamelin. Great Upload!
Otherworldly! His left hand is possessed! (No. 6). Just wonderful. Thank you Marc-Andre!
these etudes and insanely difficult ......he makes them look so easy.....amazing
That's the goal. Like the Études d'execution transcendantes. The work is about making it easy.
Most people commenting bad about Godowsky's stuff, but I would laugh at their shaking laughs in daring trying to touch these "canon" works and not "disturb their true nature". There is no such thing, this is a whole socio-historico-cultural construct of many years. Get your heads off.
Fantastic.Best pianist ever walking this earth.
True :) And that's a beautiful piece he wrote! It's on his Études CD.
he is my HERO!
9:28 monstrous passage, followed by some very haunting counterpoint
My favourite part is where he gently rests his fingers on the keys for a second after the Gordowsky. Watch from 11:00, and the moment is at 11:21. It's like he's acknowledging a familiar friend.
[cont.] and to explore the certain kind of rich texture at the keyboard he really really had no equal", in Hamelin's words. Listen to the studies in this videos or the ones I mentioned in a previous comments, all of them are gorgeous. Godowsky did want to develop and dig out hidden potential - advanced technique was just a means to achieve that.
I love the sound of this, and a lot of Godowsky's work.
I can appreciate what Godowsky is doing and love these as a student of the era and a pianist. But yes, I prefer the original Chopin etudes. But Godowsky's heart is in the right place IMHO.
absolute piano masterpieces
Incredible. Even the left hand piece sounds like two people playing at once and the others sound as if three people are playing together.
Such an underrated virtuoso. He lakes a bit of visual flare but every pianist knows how difficult this is to do
Extraordinary talent, to say the least. Hamelin once said that Liszt was one of the most genuine musicians who ever lived; he himself is undoubtedly also in that category, although he is far too modest to admit such. I think that what really makes his playing great is that he truly understands the potential of music, and how to convey it as a high form of art. There are many great techniques in the world, but few are reinforced by such an incredible amount of musical insight. Well-played.
The world is surely full of uncomprehending people. Faced with a miracle of musical creation and of supreme piano performance, they complain? Don't read the comments just listen to the miracles.
Again, please listen to the first Etude in this video, or the 3rd Study on op. 25 No. 1. (Or, in case you don't enjoy such "slower" music, listen to the two handed studies on op. 10 No. 8 and op. 25 No. 11, as well as the 3rd version ("Tarantella") of the Black Key Etude, among others.) Chopin's original was beautiful, obvious, but Godowsky's version is richer and thus is even more beautiful. This is not difficulty for difficulty's sake, it is tasteful embellishment and paraphrasing.
This is an incredibly unfair thing to say, but... I don't think there has ever been such a great artist who looked so much like an accountant whose most creative achievement was once putting a little mustard in his ham sandwich (which he then found a little too strong for his taste).
I kid, I kid :P
+Buffoon1980 That was incredibly unfair. Also spot-on hilarious.
+Buffoon1980
It could be worst. He could look like a Russian hitman like Berezovsky.
Harold Schonberg in the "Great Pianists" (a marvelous book) said the Rachmaninoff looked like a convict. He called Vladimir de Pachmann, the "Chopinzee".
When I arrived to "too strong for his taste" I honestly thought you were talking about Godowsky. Then I read the comments.
haha he DOES look like an accountant :)
My God, his hands do everything so easy. Love this compositions after Chopin
He would shred the Chopin competition! This is unbelievable. I think we can all agree that he has probably some of the best piano technique the world has ever seen
Yes he has! I agree!!
In addition, Virtuosity tends to be associated with lack of musicality and lyricism. I'd hardly say his first performance in this video is lacking in either category. Yes, I believe his transcriptions are to show virtuosity, but I wouldn't say they are JUST to show it. Take them as they are and not as a comparison to the originals.
These are Godowsky's compositions - not Hamelins. And they are complete re-workings of the Chopin originals - not mere "transcriptions".
Dziękuję ❤
Хочется отметить фортепианного мастера, подготовившего этот Рояль к записи- прекрасная работа!!! Рояль звучит достойно Мастера, который за ним сидит!!!
At his concert last night, he told us he wrote a piece for his fiance (and played it), so there is hope for humanity!
I love this man!! I mean seriously, shouldn't someone be carrying his progeny ... we can't let his genes die out! C'mon girls ... take one for the team! lol
That's a weird fucking comment man....
@LeMarin Musical talent doesn't pass through genetics...
@LeMarin No it doesn't!
@LeMarin Ah ok!
@@PiotrBarcz why not?
I don't want to repeat myself, so please just read the comments I've left. As for the existance of hidden potential, that is staunchly represented by the fact of the existance of the Chopin/Godowsky Études and their very, enriched form. Chopin's originals are masterpieces, but no piece can be perfect. Nothing can be perfect, only perfecting.
Going to see him in San Francisco next month. Excited.
Фантастика!!!
Godowsky was an amazing composer. His left hand writing is some of the hardest ever written for the piano. But it's not just huge octave jumps or crazy rolling chord inversions. His harmonic work is incredibly developed. He was also a master of counterpoint. And while not as prolific as someone like Liszt or Chopin, his works are easily equal in quality. I suggest you check out his Java Suite or his Passacaglia & Fugue. Oh and by the way, Godowsky was self-taught! That's right. Other than some initial lessons as a child, he taught himself. Incredible.
All of the pianists with original technique were self taught. Żywny said he basically only guided Chopin and didn't interfere when he broke pianistic principles.
@@javascriptkiddie2718 What are you talking about? Chopin in his teens spent 3 years at one of Poland's top schools with a music department. Then he spent 3 years at the Warsaw Conservatory.
Виртуоз запредельный и шикарнейший исполнитель импровизатор)))
He... he makes them sound easy...
and like crap compared to Chopin's pieces
How can be this played with only one piano? Incredible!
Well, the Etude on op. 10 No. 6 does sound quite musically enriched to me, and the left hand alone version of op. 25 No. 12 is just out of this world, however in general I agree that the left hand alone studies serve Godowsky's purpose of educating the under-educated left hand more than compositional developing per se. However they are very instructive to composers who can now see how one hand can do the work of 2, and are thus enabled to compose pieces of twofold complexity in a rational way.
I think I've become Mark'o'Holic after listening to both of Godowsky study CD's... 😁Just sounds so different than any other artists out there
Especially the LH solo etude is just absurdly good. How is a human being capable of that?
incredibly musical and technically in galaxy Nr 10.
Che meraviglia
I agree, you can't compare them, everytime I hear a Godowsky transcription of Chopin it doesn't feel like a Chopin piece, you get very different feelings and emotions from both versions.
Very nice. thanks.
Hacia mucho tiempo 🤣 que no sabia de Godwki.
I may point it out that the whole concert has already been uploaded, few days ago, alongside the documentary movie. But why do you re-upload these videos, anyway? I think this one is in pretty decent quality, not to mention the Paganini Variations which is originally in gorgeous full-HD. You really should give credits to my friend f1f1s (Andrew) there, by the way, as he was the courageous one who made that video and shared it with the world (certainly not to get stolen, I daresay)!
How to improve Chopin Etudes in Godowsky's style:
1)Take the hand which is difficult and swap it with the other hand so we will have to spend 10 more years in our life learning the same thing but in the other hand.
2)Remove the chord patterns of the other hand and add extra chords with the hard part in the other hand too, so that we will have to spend days on the coordination in our hands.
3)Assuming you are not dead by now, go perform your transcription for others and since classical music is not appreciated these days nobody will care about your performance and you will die an unsuccessful life
You are welcome ;)
No one asked
@@ValkyRiver I said welcome for being the motivator to your day by reading my message👍
@@pastichemusic3568 I summon TheExarion.
Hamelin's technique is extraterrestrial
Bálint, please, I appreciate your every action concerning the support of the uploaders community. We have already settled that one-we did it a couple of days ago. Mutual understanding was almost instant (credit to monsieur jrgliebermann216). No need to bring up that issue again...
Hamelín Is the Best pianist in the history
Better than you?
Il ne craint personne techniquement 👏
7:15 always makes me smile warmly. What his right pinky does there, a descending C major triad.
sublime veramente
They say to play Chopin-Godowsky you need to have 3 hands... bravo! Not a common, rare interpretation, rare people attempt that..👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
7:34 what the heck
Chopin did not have the opportunity to write in this way. A critic once wrote: "if Monsieur Chopin believes that pianists will break their fingers to master his Études, he makes a great mistake." Apparently, Monsieur Critic was wrong, but his opinion illustrates the period borders well. Even if Chopin had something this rich in mind, he didn't have a chance to do it. Godowsky, half a century later, though, was "an absolute craftsmen as far as contrapuntal writing and polyphonic writing, [cont.]
MR hamlin. Bravo
Godowsky question - did he purposely compose these variations to be very difficult to play or did he compose them at the level of his ability? And were they composed or improvised or both? Sorry if these are 'silly' questions.
He composed them at his level of ability.There are several reliable accounts from virtuoso pianists who heard and watched him play often. Given Godowsky's interest in counterpoint I would guess that they arose as ideas from impro maybe, but were worked out very carefully on paper. These are by no means silly questions. This set of studies and the music of Liszt (1837 Grandes Etudes), Busoni, Sorabji and Medtner are the highway to the future of piano music. Sadly the caravan has left the road to some considerable extent!
Ric55 Thx much for your precise answers!
songanddanceman100 No problem. This is of course only my take based on what I have read, heard, and played from the scores. Others may know more than me.
It sounds valid, so I will go with that until I ever know better. Thanks again
Ric55 is correct. As I understand it, Godowsky was not known for large public performances; he tended toward more intimate, salon-style gigs. According to several witnesses his technique was sublime and, similar to Hamelin, any physical interface between human and piano was all but undetectable.
Fantastic playing. Also, would've been nice had the person coughing in the background excused themselves.
5:46 that's more like it!!
@palpitamento Well, to tell the truth, I don't have much more of those! Most of his left hand alone performances have been posted onto youtube. I have a video of him playing the left hand alone transcription of Nouvelle Etude No. 1, though, from the same concert where these selections come from; I can upload that one if you're interested.
Do you mean all of the Chopin/Godowsky Études? Oh God no, he would always perform selections of 9-10 Études, tops, or just encore a single one (usually either op. 10 No. 1 or No. 6). There are couple of them he's never played in public, even - the left hand alone versions of op. 10 No. 11 and op. 25 No. 5, for instance.
@newFranzFerencLiszt You're welcome my dear :P
As far as I know, Howard Na, an american pianist also performed all of them, I am not sure though if he performed all of them in one sitting.
For what it's worth amongst this whole Chopin vs. Godowsky discussion, I find the original Op. 10 No. 6 bland and Godowsky's version a true gem. I'll happily put up with the garbage (albeit very interesting garbage in their own right) of the other studies just for that one remarkable work. It's stunning, especially Hamelin's performance.
@newFranzFerencLiszt haha lol those vids are bootlegs, there is no higher quality copy of them, unless at some Japanese piano geeks (the supervirtuoso documentary featured a part from that concert in higher quality, after all). I'd love to see him playing that badass winterwind stuff, too, he shakes the foundations of Earth with his left hand there xD
Crazy
Agreed! Chopin is better. No one understood the piano like he did. However, I believe that there is room for both compositions.
Maybe every morning in his practice room (plus Rach 2nd sonata)
agree
Who cares? The original compositions aren't going anywhere. You can still find sheet music, play them, and still watch videos on youtube of them. I don't understand why people like you are so critical of stuff like this. Godowsky did well with his compositions. They are STUDIES after all.
Seriously though, Godowsky studies frustrate me... because at moments they sound like confused/cluttered versions of the Chopin etudes, and then there are these moments of genius like 2:45-3:09, almost jazzy, chromatic like Rachmaninoff. But seriously, does anyone find the black key etude opening attractive with both hands playing the busy parts at 5:59? Or find the Etude op 25. no 12 more attractive in the left hand? I acknowledge that I like these only because I'm a piano dork.
These days he plays ragtime. For fun possibly. It would be understandable for him to take brake after this kind of performances.
He coulda been one of the world's greatest surgeons. No matter.
I think his hands larger than my head
He has indeed an unusual big hand. That helps also for those pieces.
Hey, this guy's pretty good
10:15 - "Yeah, that's right, motherfucker... ONE HAND."
Con mano. izquierda. El anterior ,El famoso con la mano izquierda.
You know, Francesco Libetta did this...
Please leave the genius Leopold alone. If you only know his transcriptions of the chopin's etudes. You should really study the scores of Godowsky (everything) doesn't matter if you are going to perform them or not and you shall find a true beauty in polyphonic works in his writing.
Great. People should post videos like this more often. It
Bereft of musical value? Get your ears tested and listen to the first piece again. Feel free to compare it with Chopin's original; Godowsky, using more advanced techniques than those at Chopin's disposal in the 1830's, enriched the Études harmonically, melodically, texturally and contrapunctually. Chopin was truly splendid, but Godowsky managed to dig out the hidden potential of his works.
He recorded them all, so of course he had them all since some 20 years. He won't perform them all in one sitting, trust me, I already asked him in person.