Richard Yongjae O'Neill - Biber Passacaglia in G minor

[onemcos]

haha i love how the few people at the end wondered whether of not to clap...

[imhotyournotdaym]

anyone know where can i get a music for this? I WOULD LOVE TO PLAY FOR MY SENIOR RECITAL <3

[violinjosiah]

i TOTALY agree with @Vtxpeter95, its very much NOT in a true baroqu fashion. If one is to play on a SEMI-period instrument, they should at least Semi-take into consideration Baroque Ideas/Aesthetics.......Althoug­h he does have alot fo technical facility on the viola. a lovely player

[fire9132]

Oh it's played on viola...



[cantata202]

5 stars!

[bincesu]

is the tuning of that viola "scordatura"?

the strings look like crossed, close to the peg...

i couldn't understand from the sound, sorry.......

[phaydeezy]

@bincesu it's standard tuning.

[bincesu]

@phaydeezy thanks :)

[phaydeezy]

@bincesu and scordatura usually has the strings crossed between the bridge and tailpiece =) which i'm always scared to do because.. well it's a different tuning xD

[bincesu]

@phaydeezy ha ha :)) i missed the tailpiece, you're right; the strings should also be crossed at the tailpiece.

it's definitely standard tuning :) i've always wanted to try scordatura tuning but could never find an easy enough piece of music. Recently exercising on Pachelbel's suites though, tunings are BEBE and CFCF instead of GDAE. Tough pieces but exercising itself is fun enough :))

[phaydeezy]

@bincesu It's just really uncomfortable tuning strings up a third or 4th. Especially since sets are like 65 dollars -_-

[bincesu]

@phaydeezy lol :)) you're definitely right :) i've trashed a set like that, it wasn't my best day :(

[phaydeezy]

@bincesu That would be kinda sad if that was your best day lol

[bincesu]

@phaydeezy yeah, it would be really sad, luckily it wasn't :)

[lagiostra1]

O'Neill makes interesting musical choices, and does well in each medium. Nice, slimmed-down rendition - the thickness of sound surrendered, except for a very small number of accentuated passages. Good.

[sifakis123]

it's really a pleasure to see and listen to Mr.Richard Yongjae O'Neill play...i like of all his perfomances..thanks to youtube we can all admire his great tone and inspiration.thanks for posting.

[leitfie3579]

He's technically very good, but this wonderful piece, based on only 4 notes and almost ten minutes long, runs the risk of monotony if it is so aggressively treated. Why does he have to hit the chords so hard so often? His approach is very stern (and there is some lack of clarity in theunnecessarily fast passagework, and some odd pauses and silences). Listen to Andrew Manze's recording and I think you get a much truer idea of the greatness of this astonishing Passacaglia.

[ovisnigra]

It may sound odd because we are used to the original violin version of the piece and he is playing viola. Still I think it is an interesting interpretation. My favourite version is the one of Riccardo Minasi.

[leitfie3579]

Thanks for your comment. I know the viola version (I sometimes play that transcription)so that's not it. I do like some of what O'Neill does, but in the 66 repetitions of the 4-note germinal scale he really hammers the start of these notes/chords, as if there were sforzandi (which there aren't). I think this may be a byproduct of a deeply-felt interpretation, but I believe he overdoes it and diminishes the lyrical and plaintive side of the piece thereby.I must seek out Minasi, though ......

[dlwjstn]

Just awesome! I like his playing...

[bchlolo]

he is phenonmenal...

[blueangel8034]

Thank you for posting this video. I've heard this on the CD, but it's even better to SEE him play it!