Godowsky - Studies on Chopin's Etudes (Hamelin) [1/3]

[12liljil]

What time does the third étude start

[fredericfranc]

...Chopin DID deserve a better Godowsky...but...Chopin-Godows­ky do NOT need a better Hamelin...the one they got plenty good enough...

[UnchainedPiano]

As if playing Chopin's first etude normally wasn't hard enough...

[Eztoez]

I think I would literally tie my fingers in knots trying to play Godowsky. The original chopin etudes are hard enough! Credit to Hamelin. He's an amazing pianist.

[robertslistening]

Why even put up a recording like this. The quality is so bad, it doesn't do anything for him. There is one on Op 10 no 1 that is good, elsewhere.

[dogluverdanny]

he's really good, but i find it really dry for some reason, i dont think it really has... a personality like a lot of other pieces

[deathbymunkey]

I came when I heard this. Honestly.

[aardvaark069]

OMG! He missed one at 1:49! What a bum:).

[dogluverdanny]

@aardvaark069

nothing anyone else would notice i guess..

[lottoformulier]

@aardvaark069 show us your godowsky playing skills then :p

[aardvaark069]

@lottoformulier I suppose that instead of :) I shoulda put ;).

[lottoformulier]

@aardvaark069 would make the irony much clearer indeed :p

[anonymousQ45]

this was an extraodinary recital. liszt hungarian rhapsodies, alkan concerto symphonies and etudes AND godowsky etudes? i dont see where the stamina comes from

[BMX90]

@anonymousQ45 At his level, you don't need it. The fingers move by themselves, no effort whatsoever ;P

[gillcorskey]

beautiful music.

godlike pianist.

also shame about the childish comments here.

[neiltassoni]

To Senor Schamschi:

Another example: "Unlike you, who...needs to refer to..." 'You...needs to....' is crappy English. Again, SHAPE UP. You are not as shrewd as you would like others to believe, but I shouldn't be so demanding of the mentally enfeebled. Forgive me o--]

[Schamschi]

You cannot make sense out of my grammatically infantile ramblings? Does that mean that you don't understand that "the pieces itself" is supposed to mean "the pieces themselves" or that "you, who needs to" should actually be "you, who need to"? Well, if that's the case, I'm very sorry for you. If you cannot make out a meaning behind those grammatically slightly incorrect sentences, it must be really hard for you to communicate with people who are even less capable of speaking English then I am.

[anonymousQ45]

its better than brezovsky even with poor sound quality

[Egide0]

Ah crap.... and he makes it look so freakin' easy!

[omnicakes]

OMG, who the fuck just coughed over this performance???? WTF!! Waste the motherfucker!!

[JOHNNYWADTON]

@omnicakes: Well said man.

@ The asshole who coughed: Fucking brainless retarded cunt!! If I was there and saw you do that I would probably kill you.

[ElEsquisProductions]

This thing is just maddness, a beautiful madeness though.

And also, when I saw the score, I went wandering who the hell could be playing this.

[JOHNNYWADTON]

@ElEsquisProductions>

Madness? THIS.... IS.. SPARTAAAAAAA!!!!!

[vincecharus]

For those of you who criticized, you probably have no idea what you're talking about. Have you played any of the Chopin etudes? I have played a few, and for me they are hard. When I look at the Godowsky score, my only reaction was: WTF?!

Hamelin, as a virtuoso, is probably the GOAT, i.e. greatest of all time.

[aardvaark069]

I think they are all absolutely FABULOUS piano music. Written entirely as complete exploitaion of all the instruments possibilities. As Schoenberg says, "piano music for the sake of the piano itself."

[Schamschi]

Regarding the comparison of the Godowsky versions with the originals, all I can say is: Less is sometimes more...

[Elicgt]

I absolutely agree.

[petethepianist]

i admit i like the original etude op10 no. 9 better than godowsky's interpretation

[JOHNNYWADTON]

@Schamschi: Oh yes? So why dont you upload a video of yourself playing better than Hamelin? If you were to actually see and hear him performing live you would shit yourself inwards! Damn illiterate fuck

[Schamschi]

Wow, you call me an illiterate fuck when you yourself are too fucking illiterate to understand my comment, apart from being fucking illiterate in general, because: First, it's not Hamelin I was commenting about, but the pieces (i.e. the Godowsky transcriptions) itself. I used the proverb "less is more" to say that I prefer the originals to the more difficult and "notey" transcriptions. Apparently, you were too fucking illiterate to understand that. And second: (continued...)

[Schamschi]

(...continued) Even if I had been commenting about Hamelin and had said something negative about him, that would have been my opinion which I am entitled to, because I don't have to be able to play better that Hamelin in order to criticize him. This is quite old-hat, but evidently there are still people who are too fucking illiterate to understand that.

Btw, I don't like Hamelin very much...

[omnicakes]

Schamschi, chilax, you just got owned, admit it.

[Schamschi]

Have you actually read JOHNNYWADTON's or my comments? Because if so, you clearly haven't understood them. And you shouldn't talk about things you don't understand as if you did.

[neiltassoni]

"...the pieces...itself..." is very poor English, Loser. Shape up.

[Schamschi]

Well observed, sucker. I noticed this mistake myself after I posted the comment, however, I didn't deem it necessary to repost the comment just because of this mistake. Unlike you, who obviously needs to refer to minor grammatical flaws to insult other people because he (or she) is too dumb to actually say something about the topic, I don't judge somebody on their grammar. Thus, it is only a matter of form that I remind you that "loser" is a noun and is therefore written uncapitalised.

[Alphonzen]

Wow, neiltassoni. Always rely on ad hominen when your arguments go south, eh?

I would just like to kindly say; please get the fuck off my Internets you piece of shit.

[mukubella]

These Godowsky studies frighten me.

[petethepianist]

lol, look at the sheet music...

[Talokaaa]

Horowitz had commended the godowsky-studies that they must use totally 4 hands to play. However, Horowitz didn't play Godowsky at all.

[Pianisteny2k]

Imo, Horowitz is overrated...

[dalecampbl5]

i don't like Godowsky's versions

[debussy84]

Godowsky's versions are easier than the originals, especially the first one in c.

[rihyun]

Please tell me you're kidding. That's like saying Liszt's original 1837 Transcendental Etudes which Schumann called "playable by at most 10 people" are easier than the revised ones (the exception being Mazeppa). The Godowsky etudes are among the most difficult pieces ever written for the piano. Why do you think there's thousands of videos of the originals but less than a dozen of the Godowsky versions?

[debussy84]

Liszt's trancendentals were actually the the second verision, he redid the originals after chopin released his to outdo him, made them literally physically impossible so that only someone with basketball player hands could reach the chods, came to terms with the fact that they was stupid, and then redid them a third time.

[debussy84]

some people take "offense" to the revised versions. And people would rather hear the originals performed. Most people would agree the originals sound better. And its very difficult finding godowsky sheet music as opposed to chopin. But I did, and you're right, most are harder. The one in c is easier though. The original is hard because the is no breaks and variation in the right hand making it physically exhausting. Godowsky's one in c is not as strenuous

[debussy84]

again, artists don't record them cause they're not "cool" and a waste of their time. Why hasn't Cziffra or Lasista played them. Do you honestly think they're too hard for them? Obviously such artists have the skill and recorded the originals, they choose not to bother with these shitty versions.

[redrothko]

there is truth in what debussy says. godowsky's 2-hand transcriptions are notey and noisy. so they tend to sound harder than the originals. but just because they've been rachmaninov-ified doesn't mean they're harder than the originals. IMAO it is much harder (and interesting) to make a gem out of any of the originals, than to play the transcribed beasts for the sheer entertainment of being able to play all those notes. but BTW those LH transcriptions are wonderful.

[cleomagoolando]

If the Godowsky versions of these etudes are harder to perform and harder to listen to, wouldn't his works be the ones that are harder to "make gems" out of. I'd say it's loads easier to make an ear-friendly gem out of a work by Chopin than something by any later romantic like Godowsky, Rachmaninov, or Alkan, whose works are way easier to fuck up.

[brianCIM]

i heard him play this as an encore at a recital in NYC a few years back. it was the first time i went to a concert where the audience stood up to see how the hell he does this. he played a rather boring schubert b-flat sonata but it was worth the 35 bucks just to see him do this. i had to pick my jaw up off the floor. it was so effortless i felt like giving up the piano. awesome post rcaterina! TY!

[mdeonx16]

If you can write it, HE [Hamelin] can play it:

NO EXCEPTIONS

(except for some f*cked up midi files)

[TysonMS]

Like the circus gallop.

[HandyTheXxxX]

Ironically Hamilin made Circus Galop

:D

But you're right.

[zakkum67]

I have these CD's but never thought I'd see a live performance so to speak. Thanks for posting these.

[GothicGroucho]

Duh. You don't measure how good a pianist is by how fast he or she plays; rather, you measure how good a pianist is by how loud he or she plays. I am probably the loudest pianist I know; therefore, I am the best.

[rideagiraffe]

dude! me too. i play as hard as i can, and people always congratulate me on how loud i can play. i was preforming the moonlight sonata and i just fucking slammed that shit out and the audience was just appauled. probably cuz of how good it sounded. i broke three fingers that night just practicing

[bluesclues526]

Oh that's nothin'! I once played a concert with nothin' but smacking the hell out of the piano with an umbrella. Loud as can be; brought the house down! :-P

[rideagiraffe]

one time during a concert i pulled out the largest and thickest piano wire and covered myself with gasoline and lit myself on fire and tied the piano wire around my neck and tried to cut off my fucking head while a powerpoint of child abuse videos is playing in the backround with and audience "applause sign" that actually blinks "throw up" and the crowd has to throw up when they see it

[bluesclues526]

Wow, you win. Too bad I missed that on the news.

[00range]

I once made love to a giraffe while playing all of the Godowsky studies simultaneously.

[rideagiraffe]

i once played Beethoven's The Tempest in front of a small audience. I performed it very well. then i threw up all over the keys and pulled a pair of scissors from my pocket and i cut off all my fucking hair and stared at everyone in the audience but they looked like window panes... then i blacked out and woke up here in this hospital bed.

[00range]

You ate the whole wheel of cheese?

[rideagiraffe]

i ate the whole wheel of cheeeeee

[trevjr]

Who cares about the speed? Is that how you judge music? I pity you then. These are not versions or transcriptions, they are studies of studies, vastly more difficult. They are also very musical, which is what makes them special. This was Godowsky's tribute to Chopin Etudes, if fact he thought they would make people appreciate the originals more.

Hamelin plays them wonderfully with much musicality. Too bad if you cannot appreciate them, your loss.

[Fedidovisk]

I love this etude by Godowsky! É tão atual!

[hkl7048]

He is perfect and so easily played this difficult etude.

[Tyr8888]

he plays slow and not the way chopin wrote

[FredilYupigo]

These are variations on Chopin's Etudes. Do some research.

[ivorybanger88]

hahah

hes not even playing it right!

lol

this arrangement is amazing

[kasyapa]

this is godowsky's study on the chopin etude.

[rvn10rvn17]

i can't imagine if the transcription of this etude uses the same speed as the Chopin's original.. that'll be interesting

[Marcomedina]

When you think about it, he plays the Godowsky arrangement in around 2 mins. An average performance of op10 no 1 lasts around 2 mins. He effectively plays twice as many notes in the same amount of time!

[rvn10rvn17]

yes..

He plays this etude in 2 mins 5 secs..

in his studio version, he plays this in 2 mins 1 sec..

the fastest original Chopin etude i've ever heard is played by Aregerich is 1 min 47 secs..

typically, proffesionals play around 1 min 50 secs..

so, Hamelin didn't play this slower.. the 'extra' 10 secs are very much tolerable due to the difficult nature of the etude...

[Razaak]

Interesting.

Also, I think one of the reasons for his studio recording being a little faster than this particular live one is that the RH octaves between 1:15 and 1:30 are by my recollection, only single notes in the studio performance, though I could be wrong. I'm uncertain as to what the score indicates, perhaps the octaves are an ossia, or are from a different edition?

[KeithWhalen11]

Can you please explain how you set time markers in comments?

[Razaak]

Other speed merchants of the original include Gavrilov (1:47) Cziffra (1:43), Berezovsky (1:42) and Dino Ciani (1:37), though the latter is a bit of a scramble! And before anyone interjects, yes, I know it's not all about speed, I just having a bit of fun!

[leonengard]

the pianist who plays in this video IS NOT GODOWSKY, is Hamelin playing a translation from Chopin's études made by Godowsky, OK? In fact, this études are more Godowsky than Chopin. If you want the original version of Chopin's études you are in the wrong place.

By the other side, this études are really difficult.

[rvn10rvn17]

godowsky is dead.. haha.. can't play..

[leonengard]

My last comment and this one too are for you, Tyr8888: Believe me, Hamelin is not playing slowly!!!

[robbiethemann]

LOL!

[aidelfoaidelfo]

hey come on shut up and enjoy the video xD

[chicasparkies]

Cuantos años tuvo que encerrarse para tocar eso asi.....

[SJM1977]

znato needs to refer to the source material regarding Godowsky's Studies on Chopin's Etudes. It was never Godowsky's intention to 'improve' upon the originals' and he was at pains to point this out. His aim in writing these Studies was to raise the level of technique applied to the left hand to something approachng the right hand. Anyone who has played a reasonable amount of piano music knows of this imbalance and these works successfully address this.

[godsloved3]

Woah! What an interesting argument going on down there. They're freaking out over each other's opinion of the music. What they should know is that MUSIC is MUSIC. No matter who plays it, how they do it, or why. It is, what it is. If you happen to not like a certain piece, go right ahead. But if someone else does, you can't just go and attack them for having that opinion. They have just a right of liking it, as you do for not liking it.

[JOHNNYWADTON]

Thanks, I lost interest already on this argument. Keep practicing and maybe in some 20 years you will probably be 10% as good as Hamelin and Godoswky, so you can film yourself playing and you can write your own arrangements or original musical scores. Then maybe you will upload your video here and have a retarded youtube-armchair-know-it-all "omniscient" piano critic who can then discredit your knowledge and effort because it was all an "intention" and didn't actually bring something new. Bye

[znanto]

you have again mentioned the reasons Godowsky had in mind while writing the piece, which leads to me to believe you didn't even attempt to read anything I have responded with, I don't see any enrichment here, and I care not for intention more than results... for what it's worth you can consider yourself a winner here, I haven't time to discuss anything with someone who does not bother to listen to what I have to say, you can carry on the discussion with yourself

[znanto]

you'd have to quote me where I have insulted or belittled Hamelin's playing or implied that I could do a better job than him playing anything, I need not post any video since it isn't the performance I have an issue with, once again, you've missed the point, and sure surely for sure typed and entire passage being pretty sure of your surely sure grand wit, had Einstein's theories been works of art I would agree with you there, alas I have failed to see them as such

[znanto]

Johnny thinks Chopin's legacy needs enrichment, good luck...

[JOHNNYWADTON]

Did u invent fire??? did you invent the wheel?? everything that is an improvement and takes a solid base as a departure point deserves merit, no critic ever got erected a statue, so keep trying to put down Hamelin or Godowsky, I am sure they don't give a damn and I am sure you surely must posses a better piano technique than Hamelin and better musical literature knowledge than Godowsky, you think you're good? so why don't you post a video of yourself "at least" playing Chopin's original etudes?

[jorgepoveda]

Toda interpretación de una pieza(instrumental, coral o vocal)son "reinterpretaciones" no patentadas de la versión original pensada por el compositor.Satanizar los estudios de Godowsky sobre Chopin es no entender la música.Las distintas variaciones,paráfrasis y reinterpretaciones son las que le dan a la música su riqueza mayor.Igual lo hacen las "versiones" de todo otro quehacer humano no "aherrojado".Aquí reside ,justamente, la libertad como la entendemos en Occidente.

[znanto]

Hamelin is without a doubt unparalleled, but what's the point of playing Godowsky's etudes? seriously, I despise them, their spirit(or lack thereof), and pretentiousness. burn those sheets I say, woe unto Chopin.

[veryangrystorks]

Oh, shut up.

How many times will we have to hear the original études? We're lucky for two things: first, Godowsky breathed new life into the studies; second, there are pianists out there who are brave enough to play them.

[znanto]

I'll never stop hearing them, Chopin was a genius, Godowsky was a leach. you can clearly read I had no objections to the pianist

[veryangrystorks]

Yes, Chopin was a genius, but how was Godowsky a "leach"?

I know you did not object to the pianist; that's obvious. What I'm curious about is why you despise Godowsky's transformations so. In what ways do they "lack spirit," and how are they "pretentious"?

[znanto]

Chopin's etudes are not just difficult technically, they are captivating melodic and expressive musical pieces transforming the whole genre of etudes, Godowsky's defy that spirit of producing technically demanding pieces that are still appreciated by anyone who isn't a pianist to recognise the rigour they require of a performer, they are pretentious in that Godowsky believes Chopin couldn't have added a whole bunch of unnecessary notes just to make a pianists life harder.

[JOHNNYWADTON]

you shouldn't state your particular opinion as a fact. first off, read the available text about godowsky's reasons to write the studies on chopin etudes. I am sure even fryderyk chopin would have loved godowskys' work. He didn't write the studies to rip off chopin, but to circumvent certain mechanical difficulties inherent to the original etudes. it is all abut enrichment. this is just the same foolish thing as saying a Bic lighter is a "rip off" of the original fire invention. Retarded maggot

[znanto]

anything I say is recognised as my own opinion from the fact that it came out from my blowhole, nowhere in my reply have I claimed they were a "rip off" so I have no idea whom you're quoting, it seems you're unable to read the text here, much less employ external sources to back your shameful 'retarded maggot' argument, unless you've actually met Chopin, whether you think he would like these pieces is of no value to anyone. Johnny seems to be interested in intentions more than results.

[JOHNNYWADTON]

Didn't you say Godowsky was a leach? u should take the time to read the reasons Godowsky had to actually write his studies on chopin's etudes, he didn't do it to "add unnecesary notes to increase the intricacy or make it ridiculously difficult for no reason" as you seem to imply. And yeah I believe a genius can actually improve on another genius' legacy without neccesarily meaning he is better than the first. So now we must stay with Einsten's theories forever? cause it's a legacy? come on

[zkool5]

It's amazing how he always looks so poised, while delivering hell on the keys.

[fdaltrey]

His tone is so even, meticulous, and warm. What a master!

[Bungalimeister]

Hamelin is really good, but I like Berezovsky's version of this better. I could be wrong, but doesn't Hamelin begin on the wrong note at 01.50 and then corrects it?

[lhc89]

yup watching it again i think he did, but still i didn't notice it until you pointed it out, indicating he does hide his mistakes very well

[dcoppen]

Hamelin always uses too much sustaining pedal.

[shadecross]

that is sick

[MuzioClementi]

HOLY SHIT MOFO!!!

[olwmaster]

this is so amazing!! just a handfull people in the world can play this...

[eddopianist]

of course not ...

[radurak]

certainly not true. And many can play it to this level. But not everybody is a concert pianist and known to the public.

[SevenCircles]

Is it a bootleg?

Great technique but too much pedal in the wrong places

[tdavis2797]

it could be the acoustics or just low-quality audio support from the camera

[athenatis]

Of course hamelin is a supervirtuoso, but I don't know, hamelin doesn't touch me while playing

[junglejim66]

He touches me! Probably has the best technical ability of any pianist today. And a pianistic master in every way.

[Bulacanos]

Brill. Montreal pride!

[AvtpeasK]

Godowsky does have the word GOD in his name O_o`

[cowheadcow]

this is amazing! Thanks :-)

[KeithWhalen11]

No contest, he's the greatest living pianist and he's from Montreal :).

[datruzepp]

hahaha pozzibly

but in deze sheeyatz he iz harzhly owned by da LIB n mo recently, da WHALE

[guillaumepilote]

HAAH da zepp. dis iz da plastix by da way

[simonwong101]

wah da u talka rightz manz uz gotz problemz

[damildlyshreddah]

wtf?! iz u high?! da doctah delieverz da godz perfectly

[seanrcollins]

Truly the best technique of any living pianist