Bach - Labèque Sisters

The Labèque sisters play Bach with Il Giardino Armonico

Elise Visually

Beethoven - Für Elise (fur Elise, piano solo)

Elise From Scratch

For your practice (if you need it:), here are only the first five notes from Beethoven's Für Elise, played by Detlef Kraus (BTW, my piano teacher's teacher): either for download e.g. into iTunes here, or to listen to in the web browser in a separate tab or window (just click on the link).

E, D#, E, D#, E

Here are four more bars a bit further down, again either for iTunes or to listen to directly in the browser.



Further more, love this improvised version by Yoke Wong:

Fur Elise Piano Demo By Yoke Wong -Watch Beethoven Fur Elise



This is also a wonderful visualisation and way to learn music, IMHO this application alone is worth getting an iPad!

Magic Piano for iPad [Fur Elise]



Last, not least, Artur Schnabel, Ivo Pogorelich, and also Detlef Kraus:

Beethoven - Fur Elise - Schnabel


Beethoven - Fur elise


Ludwig van Beethoven: Für Elise

Mozart / Haskil

Mozart: 12 Variations "Ah, vous dirai-je, maman" KV 265 (Clara Haskil)


With music score - very convenient for memorizing and studying (best interpretation by Clara Haskil anyway)!

Another very nice interpretation by Walter Gieseking:

GIESEKING - Mozart 12 Variations on Ah, vous dirais-je, Maman K.265


Update 2010-08-07

Here is a free music sheet of KV 262 from free-scores.com.

Hiromi Uehara

Hiromi Uehara - I've got Rhythm


Yes, she got.

Joe Hisaishi: Summer

Not so long ago (2009-02-27) heard this piece played live by Kamura Kizilboga in the Storchen Bar in Zurich and it was fantastic!

Here the composer Joe Hisaishi plays it himself:

Joe Hisaishi Live - Summer ( from Kikujiro )


Here is the sheet music, if you like to play and practice it yourself.

Very sweet:
Ethel Poh (6-year-old) - "Summer" composed by Joe Hisaishi


Thanks to Xin.

Grigori Sokolov

He (Sokolov on the right side) won the Tschaikovski competition at age 16 in 1966 with Gilels heading the jurors.
Then he only was allowed to play in the west since the late 80s, a whopping 25 years later.
Yet, he mainly tours through Europe and does only sparely record live CDs that do hardly any justice to his music.

Have a look at this Couperin Tic -Toc -Choc! It is fantastic, yet the sound just gives a glimpse at what it is to hear him live!


He will play the Mozart sonatas soon on 2008-10-06 in Zurich. Here is a report in the New York Times of someone who has heard the program before.

The Web, on which he can be found on YouTube, giving astonishing performances, clearly doesn’t substitute for hearing him live. Neither do discs, which, as a perfectionist, he stopped issuing in 1995 (this partly explains his American situation), although years ago Mr. Sokolov’s recordings sent me hunting for a chance to hear him in person.

Fully agree, just, that I myself never listen to his recordings and would have missed his live performances had I not been pointed to his concerts.

He tackled two Mozart sonatas before the Chopin preludes Tuesday night. In his case an imposing, muscular, distinctly Russian technique combines with large, church-bell sonority. Even small preludes occasionally invoked Mussorgsky. A tendentious, soulful interpreter by inclination, he avoids any hint of routine. One imagines he never allows himself to play anything the same way twice. Sometimes, as in the Mozart, this leads toward mannerism. Humorous he is certainly not. Purists might balk, but never is he just perverse or uninteresting. At heart he’s a colorist, an intimist, melancholic, with astonishing tonal nuances and an endless, much-trafficked variety of touches.

The slow movements of the sonatas acquired moments of gravity that seemed almost to have physical weight. But the preludes were the true revelation: profoundly original, magisterial, heartfelt. The audience sat through them in complete, rapt silence. Long lines breathed to an elastic rhythm. Preludes like the one in B flat minor galloped and raced. Those in F sharp and D flat produced moments of faraway, unearthly beauty. I can’t at the moment recall anything like them.

Here was a great artist. If his case proves anything, it’s that Europe and America remain separated by more than an ocean. After he had been called back for encore after encore — a half-dozen by the end — the crowd still stood and roared. Mr. Sokolov finally retreated, as he had arrived, expressionless, with a brusque nod, bent slightly at the waist, one hand fastened behind his back like a captain on the deck of his ship, facing into a nasty head wind.

BTW, to my surprise he is a totally different personality back stage. While on stage he and his music is as serious and grave as it can get (well, somewhere in the Arrau and Richter ball park), afterwards with the visitors he was totally relaxed, friendly, smiling, and talkative.

Beethoven Parody

This is so funny, haha:

Dudley Moore Beethoven Sonata Parody

Gavrilov's Hiatus

This article gives a hint why Andrei Gavrilov hasn't been very visible lately.

Hope he is fine, and no matter what will follow - already now he is destined to leave a fantastic legacy.

The pianist who fell to earth

Friedrich Gulda

My number one pianist (well, never heard Mozart:).

FRIEDRICH GULDA -So What!?- Pt.1/7

Gerhard Fleischmann

In Memory

Clang Clang

Today got a tip from Tom that on YouTube there is a piano lession that Daniel Barenboim gives to Lang Lang. I would have loved to see that. Unfortunately it has been pulled down:-/. Well, I guess we will have to wait a bit longer till broadcasters move with the times and put their treasures online.

For now here is some related info from an interview on culturekiosque (INTERVIEW: LANG LANG):

"and one of my great idols is Daniel Barenboim* who has been like a second father to me since we met several years ago. He's not only my mentor, but my great friend. He's got a rare combination of emotion and intellectualism, and his acuteness and intelligence is beyond words. His playing is an inspiration to me. He's so incredibly clear, and working with him was an amazing experience."

But watch this, Jackie Lang playing Kong Fu Prokofiev. I like it: Lang Lang Gone Mad.

But seriously, just as Russian pianists have given a new dimension of passion and temper to German and French/Polish music, it is playful- and lightness that China is going to blend into Western music.

For Balakirev's Islamey there is Gavrilov, but this is also a contender, maybe my favorite Lang Lang interpretation so far: Lang Lang - "Islamey"
Or put in googooeugene's words:

although i'm not a clang clang fan, either, his interpretation of islamey is better than most of his other recordings.

Lang Lang meets Oliver Kahn

Lang Lang ("weltbester pianist--haha!!!") meets "mit mir wären wir Weltmeister geworden" Oliver Kahn: same hand size, same ego size?

Lang Lang on TV talk-show, September 2006

Moderated by Thomas Gottschalk at the biggest Saturday evening show in Germany.

Lang Lang ad for Rolex on the back of the Swiss Stocks magazin:


And Mr. Kahn: Oliver Kahn - World Cup 2006 Ad

Finally here you can see Oliver Kahn at work (having fun with Okocha):

Mieczyslaw Horszowski

Mieczyslaw Horszowski is an insider's tip for piano connoisseurs. He was famous as a Wunderkind and then again when he approached 100 years of age. According to Wikipedia he "had the longest career in the history of the performing arts".

From this short biography, which also includes some photos:

In 1981, at age 89, Mieczyslaw Horszowski married for the first time; his wife was Italian pianist Beatrice Costa.

I think he got to know her, as she studied with him.

Mieczyslaw Horszowski documentary part 1
Mieczyslaw Horszowski documentary part 2
Mieczyslaw Horszowski documentary part 3
Mieczyslaw Horszowski documentary part 4 - heaven light Mozart sonata KV 332 (starting at 00:46)
Mieczyslaw Horszowski documentary part 5
Mieczyslaw Horszowski documentary part 6

Bach: English Suite No. 5 BWV 810

Mieczyslaw Horszowski documentary part 7 - at the Carnegie Hall
Mieczyslaw Horszowski documentary part 8
Mieczyslaw Horszowski documentary part 9 - some shootage in Lucerne and you see his wife playing some Schumann
Mieczyslaw Horszowski documentary part 10

Lang Lang & Karin Zhou

Lang Lang Panasonic Commercial

Hahaha
Lang Lang (da DONGAH) DEFINITIVE performance of Pimp Rappah2

Wow
Solfeggio C.P.E. Bach, played by Karin Zhou (6)

Bach Prelude with Karin Zhou (7)

Czerny Etude - Karin Zhou (6)

Hmmm
Mozart Sonata facile Satz 2 mit Karin Zhou (6)

And she plays even violin!
Chinese Dance - Karin Zhou (viol) & Hee-Jin Han (piano)

Richter Rocked

The title and "richter eats only pianos. He was the Chuck Norris of his time." are two quotes I like from this YouTube video: Richter - Brahms 2nd concerto


Here is a link to search for more Richter Stuff at YouTube.

Sviatoslav Richter plays Bach


I love the following Mozart piano concerto. It was his homework (to make a concerto out of someone else's piano sonata) when he was 11 or 12 years old.

Richter plays Mozart Piano Concerto No.1 1st mov.
Richter plays Mozart Piano Concerto No.1 2nd mov.
Richter plays Mozart Piano Concerto No.1 3rd mov.

And two more Mozart piano concertos (also with Rudolf Barshai and the Japan Shinsei Symphony Orchestra in 1994)....
Richter plays Mozart Piano Concerto No.5 1st mov.
Richter plays Mozart Piano Concerto No.5 2nd mov.
Richter plays Mozart Piano Concerto No.5 3rd mov.

Richter plays Mozart Piano Concerto No.18 1st mov. Pt.1 of 2
Richter plays Mozart Piano Concerto No.18 1st mov. Pt.2 of 2
Richter plays Mozart Piano Concerto No.18 2nd mov.
Richter plays Mozart Piano Concerto No.18 3rd mov. (at the end he even smiles - it seems)

Yundi Li

Recently I missed this years Chopin competition winner Rafal Blechacz playing the first Chopin piano concerto in Zurich. I heard the concert was excelent.
Last week I had a chance to hear Yundi Li also playing the first Chopin piano concerto with the Zurich Kammer Orchestra. I could not really get warm to his music, but I liked the encore of a Chinese composition. You might (or might not) be able to listen to the encore here.

Yundi Li giving autographs:


I did not know he lives currently in Hannover (a city I have been to quite often and like a lot, but is not really a world city, despite CBIT and a very beautiful downtown - and in some interview he mentioned no one recognizes him there at all) and also that he was born in Shengzhen (nearby Hong Kong), which I had just skipped traveling through a week before. Too bad - there was enough opportunity for a small chat, but I wasn't to excited about his play and except Lang Lang nothing else came to my mind:o).

Here is an interview with Yundi Li in German at klassik.com:

classix: Gibt es Dinge im Wesen der Europäer, die Sie gar nicht verstehen?
Li: Manchmal eine Form von Gefühlskälte und Reserviertheit, mit der ich auch in Deutschland Probleme habe. Deshalb telefoniere ich so viel mit meinen Verwandten und Freunden in China. Die Menschen in Europa wirken immer sehr beschäftigt, manche dabei aber auch verschlossen. Ich will nicht zu sehr verallgemeinern, doch wirkliche Freunde habe ich noch nicht in Deutschland - außer vielleicht meinem Steinway-Flügel!

For comparison, Lang Lang early last year also in the Tonhalle after a solo recital:

Never before have I seen so many people crowded around an artist. BTW, he will be in Zurich again on 28th of November with a nice solo program (Mozart KV 333, Schuman op. 17, Granados).

Chinese Piano Pop Stars

Yundi Li - La Campanella
I thought Yundi Li has already lost in the marketing battle to Lang Lang, but this video is unbelievable (but not because of the music).

Nevertheless, looking forward to hear him soon. Actually I think he deserves more recognition than Lang Lang.

Both might be among the best living pianist now, but to me they are nowhere near the Richter etc. level (with Lang Lang some have a different opinion). Question is, will Asia and especially China be able to produce new piano geniuses, and if so, when?

Russian Giants

THE ART OF PIANO 10 Emil Gilels & Sviatoslav Richter
This is wonderful and crazy, Gilels playing in front of soldiers in 1943, very surreal. Best I ever heard from him. Also, playing Tschaikovsky with sweat running down its cheek is priceless (and so is the music).

Extra points for hair and lip movement:
Gilels plays Rachmaninoff Prelude Op. 23 No. 5

Richter - Brahms 2nd concerto
Sviatoslav Richter plays Ravel
Ravel - Jeux d'eau
Ravel's Jeux D'eau played by Martha Argerich - just for comparison
Brahms - Intermezzo in E minor
Schumann Toccata

The date of the performance is December 12, 1985. This was actually Richter's first public performance of the Toccata in roughly 25 years.

Funny, someone took Richter's glasses off during the performance:).

Oistrakh plays Sonata 4 - Brahms - great duo (Menuhin/Gould and Fournier/Gulda are other great combinations)

From Russia's Great Modern Pianists by Mark Zilberquit:

I am an omnivorous creature and I want a lot of things. It is not because I am ambitious or try to do a great many things simultaneously. I simply love very many things and the desire to bring to the listeners all that I love never leaves me.

Gavrilov on Richter:

Richter is capable of learning one bar for an hour, or two, or three hours; more than once I witnessed him while practicing playing one page at least seventy times. Sitting in the next room listening to him, I was literally losing my senses. But he himself, whose patience in this sense has no limits, repeated the same passage again and again . . .

Andrei Gavrilov

Next to Gulda, Gavrilov is my favorite pianist (on a par with Richter). BTW, at home the linux machines are named gulda, gavrilov, and gould (gilels is standing in line).

Prokofiev - Suggestion Diabolique, Op.4 - Andre Gavrilov

I had the pleasure to hear him play above piece live in Bonn, on two occasions even. He must have played that piece a million times. To hear him perform this piece was breath taking, playing like a maniac with full energie and temperament. And the live performance was just as perfect as this recording from 1980 (the link might or might not work, right now the piece is not available on CD).

From Russia's Great Modern Pianists by Mark Zilberquit:

"These are the pictures painted by my deceased father," says Andrei Gavrilov. "Some of his works are exhibited in the Tretiakov Gallery and other museums. He was a very serious and original painter. I was fond of watching him work and of course I also dreamt of becoming a painter. I was supposed to be taught painting and my mother planned for my elder brother (he is three years my senior) to study music. She was a pianist who had had a Conservatory education. She had been tutoring him quite zealously for three years and he was to enter the Central Music School with a rather complicated program for his age, when out of the blue I came up to the piano and . . . played his entire program by ear. Since that moment there was a reorientation in our family. As a result my brother has become a painter and I, as you know, a musician . . ."

...

I was made to practice a great deal indeed. It is enough to say that for at least an hour and a half I used to play scales, exercises, Hanon including. As a result, by the time I left school, technical hurdles of any kind practically ceased to exist for me. For instance, I developed such deftness of fingers that now it makes absolutely no difference to me with what fingers to play the trills: 1-3, 2-3 or 3-4 and 4-5.
Did you do this work willingly?
Of course not. I especially disliked the Czerny etudes. But what could I, poor thing, do about it? I was gripped in an "iron vise."

Somewhere else I red he was sometimes watching through the window with tears in his eyes the other kids outside playing.

It is difficult for me to answer this question. For instance, Sviatoslav Richter began studying music later than is customary. But never in his studies had there been any forcing. As a result he had certain technical hurdles that he had to deal with later. But on the other hand, he studied playfully, and hence his attitude towards practicing. That important quality has been preserved by him up to the present. But times have changed. It is difficult to judge what attitude is the correct one.

...

All my life, literally, since the age of three, my idol has been Sviatoslav Richter. In my childhood I even had a game with my mother: when I played well, in order to encourage me, she would say that I played just like Sviatoslav Richter. And then I was in seventh heaven. At that time, of course, I could not even suspect that Fate would grant me such happiness as to have close contact with that outstanding musician.

I always felt Gavrilov did not have the public success he deserved, but it probably does not matter so much - having been able to gain Richter's respect. Reminds me of Gulda saying Jarrett is more important as a pianist than Horowitz.

I love literature, theatre, cinema very much, not to speak of painting. I love whatever is nice, whatever is beautiful, whatever is talented. All the rest does not exist for me. No matter what serious faults a person has, if he is truly talented the shortcomings move to the background and in the foreground there remains only the Talent.

...

You may be right. Our art of performance wields a special power. It is the most communicable means of intercourse, however ephemeral. The concert is over and only memories remain. But that is not insignificant either.

There are many reasons why I don't envy musicians, but there is one thing I have envy for, it is their job to create emotions. But then, software has a feel to it too.