Stephen Hough plays Rachmaninov's Paganini Rhapsody (1)

[ajsfarm]

8:15 ..... love it

[1Thompsonmusic]

English classical pianists usually play this with the most intelligence and wit.

[musicninja4]

Amazing.. This is what inspires young musicians such as myself. Made my day :)

[FernieCanto]

I don't get it: apparently, labelling yourself as a "metal head" gives yourself authority to decide what is talent and what is not? I guess you should open your mind a little more to let all that metal spill out -- it's doing you harm.

[lazyboi38]

@FernieCanto I think he's just trying to show that even though there is a contrast between the two, he likes them both. Since metal is considered by society rough, unrefined etc... and Classical mature, elegant, highest level of music etc... As for the authority to decide what is talented and what is not, he probably did not mean it that way. It's very likely that it was just an opinion of his. As for listening to metal I really don't see any harm in it besides the possibility of tinnitus.

[FernieCanto]

@lazyboi38 There's a difference between enjoying something and feeling the need to say that it is "the most talented form of music". PEOPLE are talented, not styles of music -- or you would say some random loser metal head is necessarily more talented than Bob Marley? Also, I am aware of what society considers about metal, but society "considers" a lot of crap. Being snobbish won't change society, at least not in a positive way.

[utubuser10]

a master craftsman, a master artisan, stephen hough is among the elite, one of the truly gifted and imaginative players.

[bleger814]

Love this, absolutely. First time I've ever heard his playing. Crystal clear!

[jiggsuhhh]

I love his black, silk, Chinese pyjamas!! That takes intestinal fortitude!

[mp4yne]

This music has a lot of story behind it!

[AngaratoC]

Perfect.

[fierydog]

At around 6:05 it sounds so much like Totentanz!

[ClockworkRockStar]

Such an amazing piece ^_^

[TheSwordsweeper]

My, what a performance.

[georgerannie]

Stephen is so wonderful.

[meredith218461]

I venture to say that Hough is the finest British pianist since Solomon and that's not overlooking Paul Lewis of course.

[Bruce88keys]

he plays like Cliburn-lots of originality in that big tone

[dus8580]

I just saw his playing of Listz tonight. I didn't even knew him well when I got his autograph but now I feel wonderful that I got his autograph and saw his perform.

[guyralstin]

@dus8580 wow - I wish I could have seen him last night! Stephens' a true master. Good going with getting his autograph! Cheers!

[nfsmwrox]

I've noticed that he prefers the mandarin collared attires. I've been to his concert this year and it was fantastic. Mendelssohn's Piano Concerto No.1 in G-minor, Op.25. Brilliant, explosive and nothing short of exhilarating. Hope he comes back with Rach 3!

[Mgglawrence]

@nfsmwrox

Where did you see him play? Did you get his autograph?!

[nfsmwrox]

@Mgglawrence It was in the Esplanade Concert Hall in Singapore. And unfortunately no i didn't get his autograph, it was too packed!

[nfsmwrox]

@Mgglawrence My wish came true he's coming back with Rach 3 in Dec!

[txdiversity]

He is playing very well. It is very happy to see a pianist Martina. He looks very nice, handsome somehow. His hand is so somoth when he is playing his pianon.

[Sparky1002]

Where are all the pratt falls...where is the slamming down of the piano lid on his fingers, where is the laughter....you mean this is supposed to be serious!?!?

[ElvenElfofMetal]

Trivium, RATM?!! How's about Yngwie Malmsteen, Nightwish, Epica, Symphony X or Stratovarius even, that's probably a better comparison if your mentioning metal!

[Mgglawrence]

Do these 9 and a half minutes include all of the 24 variations or just the 1st variation?

[Mgglawrence]

@Mgglawrence

Ok, I have just worked it out!

[mdeonx16]

Stephen Hough is one of the bests pianists of today.

[tzeleustremlennost]

I love this pianist for his surprising verses on a rose, at it he has a soul of the true poet.

[daytonmlivingston]

I know, I just got to see him yesterday in concert playing Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto at the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. It was gorgeous, all of his emotion was in his face!! I got his autograph too!!

[kbcm]

@daytonmlivingston if you don't mind me asking, how big was the orchestra? i need to see hough some time, and would love to do so, if you recommend it.

[hotty198]

@daytonmlivingston hopefully some of the emotion leaked into his playing lol

[VanessaMaeFan18]

just love this piece!! not a major piano fan, but this piece is well done! based on Caprice 24 by the great paganini, this variation takes us on a journey provided by the orchestra. i love how they keep the melody =)

[zanteson]

Exquisite technique!!!

[juhyun518]

amazing. cant stop listening to it!

[tokio]

LoL !!! I love that song... i feel like a devil

[VanessaMaeFan18]

took paganini's 24 caprice and created a masterpiece

[InvisibleSecrets1]

Absolutely Stupendously great playing!

[TheBluePianist]

well, im sure in future everyone will remember what a song is....using the correct term is always a good thing, for example some people are spelling rit. as "retard" on youtube, writing retard on a piece may cause a slight distraction.

[crossfollower07]

LOL!!!

[carldudesons]

@TheBluePianist LOL~~~~~

[streetpictures]

fantastic!!!!!!!!!

[CKmakifuji]

very very nice,I love that confidence in his performance.He has quite unique personality, you can tell by his facial expression.....(well I suppose)

[Cirujanopet]

ejecución espectacular!!!

[goobleglob]

lol i love his hair

[stevey226]

He's missing a quarter :P

[4lchimist4]

lol!

[pstastny45]

you know...I am a complete metal head...and I fukin love this shit! I believe metal and classical music are the two most talented styles of music! Great stuff!

[thedirtydeltas]

I think you mean it takes talent to play metal or classical,I agree.

[amidunet]

yeah, and classical was first ...

[kbcm]

@pstastny45 exactly. i'll take slayer and rachmaninov over that high school musical crap any day. it takes a true musician to appreciate the true music written with love than that crap written by morons looking to make a quick buck. i myself can play guitar, bass, drums saxophone, piano, violin, harmonica, and trumput. playing so many instruments helps you come to love and appreciate good music. keep headbanging!

[beyongthepale]

@pstastny45 couldn't agree more my friend, equal parts mozart and metallica, tchaikovsky and trivium, rachmaninoff and rage against the machine

[pstastny45]

@beyongthepale I could not agree more!

[carldudesons]

@pstastny45 hey i really2 agree with you, man~~~~~~

[Bruce88keys]

@pstastny45 chalk it up to evolution-

[vanchunyin]

@pstastny45 Metal + Classical Music = Neo-classical Metal and Symphonic Metal ^^

[aspergershawn]

@pstastny45 Do you know the symphonic metal music sung and performed by Sir Christopher Lee (the actor best known as Dracula, and from the Lord of the Rings)? He sings with Rhapsody, the Magic of the Wizard's Dream - clips available on Youtube. Very interesting music. This is in reply to your post on Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, which I like too.

[andruchina]

@pstastny45 You are soooo right about that!

[MDY4utube]

@pstastny45 I hope you meant you have something metal in your head. And not comparing this piece with some lolmusic.

[MDY4utube]

@pstastny45

sometimes dogs like watching movies, too

[shenkeey]

@MDY4utube Fucking ridiculous, I listen to deathmetal etc too; but that is because I evolved from classical to metal in a lot of years, your ears need to comprehend every note before you can appreciate it: that's intellectual music for you.

[MDY4utube]

@shenkeey I'll just pretend you might be right... Lots Of Love...

[shenkeey]

@MDY4utube Yeah, let's agree to disagree :)

[georgexxx83]

a fine pianist and a DREADFUL American conductor.

[assindiastignani]

Leonard Slatkin is a dreadful conductor? My goodness, it certainly takes chutzpah to write something like that.. We have a saying, "Come è intrepida l'ignoranza."

[georgexxx83]

molto grazie

[assindiastignani]

Prego!

[virtuoso1873]

Hough and Slatkin are both amazing here, a perfect collaborative match!

[donkikim]

오늘 이 분 연주를 들으러 간답니다. 정말 기대대는 군요! 기대 만땅!

[Engloti]

You mean intelligent people...

[glendasa101]

Not everyone grows up in a cardboard box like you

[SuperBitCube64]

I didn't know 18 constituted old these days.

[Raffzeee]

19 years of life...my time is nearly up. I must give the world back unto you young ones.

[addictedtomusic0]

ah, 15 and i'm already old??

[spikeelduro]

Hough is an incredible pianist. Saw him live with the Florida orchestra and he didn't miss a note. Fabulous performer.

[martezj]

saw stephen hough play solo last night and watched a masterclass with him today, incredble pianist. he has a huge tone and a flawless technique. Amazing!

[iorixs]

rachmaninoff was of tartar descent,the tartars were once muslim, the word "rachman" is arabic for "the most mercifull" - the primary attribute of God as revealed in the quran. the quran is singulary concerned with judgement day, is this why rachmaninoff's leitmotiv is the "dies irae" theme?

[LazyBastard69]

i doubt it

[twooffour]

@iorixs

Or maybe because it's a popular tune that was used and arranged in countless classical works? How about Liszt, he wrote an entire set of variations based SOLELY on dies irae - does his name remind you of something int he quran, as well?

Well, it does me: "Liszt", pronounced in German as "List", coincides with the German word for "guile". Satan is guile, and he'll be the main antagonist of the Judgment Day!

Then, there's a "list"... of the righteous... in the Book of Life!

[twooffour]

My guess is that Franz didn't expect ending up in it, since his whole name basically stands for stealth and cruelty, and the devil worked through him by corrupting the hearts of young hot women coming to his recitals - so hence "irae"... God will by MAD at him!!

[goodridgewinners]

hehe...this is my cordless phone's ringtone. lol its funny.

I love how by the time it reaches the 22nd variation, its completely been morphed.

I lvoe stephen Hough...and wish he would teach a masterclass in australia lol.

[lennyabbot1]

saw and heard Hough as guest soloist at NEW WORLD SYMPHONY in Miami Beach Florida thsi past weekend.

OUTSTANDING ARTIST

[lennyabbot1]

outstanding!!

saw him in person a few nights ago as guest soloist for NEW WORLD SYMPHONY in Miami Beach Fl

[kkloca]

muy lindo...

[randomperson130]

incredible stuff! brilliantly energetic

[kkloca]

rachamaninov i love you... ^-^

[Zebeldarebel]

Its amazing how many composers choose to write their own variations off of this Paganinian theme. Maybe I should too:)

[verapianist71491]

not if you call it a song.

[LazyBastard69]

arrogant people like you ruin the classical music community. just let him call it a song and take the stick outta your ass.

[oabrahamsson]

But the thing is, it's not a song since nobody's singing... If he only had call it a 'tune' or something, of course that doesn't matter. But it's not a song...

[pel323]

Seeing as he's from Albania, I wouldn't be surprised if he is a non-native English speaker.

[pchk1]

Come on, dude, a SONG??

[ptrefftz]

What's the big deal if a person calls it a song? I think the appreciation of the music is what matters most

[NZtegmen]

thanks for posting. impossible to see this kind of stuff were it not for you tube! Stephen Hough is very impressive, although I did find the famous "romance" theme a little rushed in its delivery.

Very well directed too, plently of Piano shots, often director's seem obsessed with capturing every facial expression of the conductor.

[inand04]

Rachmaninov is just pure genius! I never get sick of it.

[Masterbeing]

just to impressive no offense i like pletnev. but this guy is so way more impressive!