Josef Hofmann Piano Concerto in E-flat major - Emperor by Ludwig van Beethoven

[chrisczajasager]

awesome , magistral by the master.

a pity that the sound and image are not better in synch, 'tempo'

[UncleNathan]

Fantastic playing...a real master! We are very lucky to have this clip, also the Rachmaninoff Prelude from the same performance. For anyone unfamiliar with the greatness of Hofmann, I recommend the Golden Anniversary concert, still available from VAI, and the continuing series of the complete Hofmann from Marston Records.

[uhartchristian]

perfect technique the help of the bodyweight and the movement relax after effort to the inside of the piano. Its the perfect technique. Beside this a perfect vision of the structure of the work. and good phrasing. Some inspiration and spontaneity is missing to this great recording. Hear Annie Fischers livevideorecording and you ll see what I mean concerning spontaneity....

[camaysar222]

By the way, this was recorded at a period when Hofmann was, as we often hear, "in decline"! When "his equipment was not what it was"! Granted, this is not Caprice Espagnol, but still he seems to possess 100% in this performance. He was probably inconsistent around 1945, and spending more time tinkering in his workshop than practicing. But still obviously capable of his best.

[camaysar222]

Fav part: 3:28 where he changes fingering of trill! What a document of a man born to the piano! Listeners who know every recorded performance of Hofmann know what it means to see him in action like this, as his hands and body reveal secrets we couldn't otherwise imagine.

[valdengo1]

...what a blessing to see on film, this monstrous colussus of music......

[darkblueangel1956]

Santo cielo !!! Sono senza parole !!! Non sapevo che esistesse questo filmato storico !!! Una vera rarità !!! Un ringraziamento senza limiti a "bayareabert" che ci ha permesso di condividere questa meraviglia !!!!!

[JohnEBPiano]

PERFECT technique! Almost scary for me to watch.

[nearenough3]

Hofmann was INTERESTING and THRILLING for pianists (and some listeners and musicians). He graced passages with delicacy and light even accuracy, he smashed certain accents with panache and devilish intent, he had a PULSE which he delivered with informed INTENT making the presentation EXCITING, and all this was put together with uninhibited VIRTUOSITY. (Unlike many scared cookie-cutter performers today.)

ENJOY!

[CanadaPisces]

A marvelous example of piano playing at it's best! Thank you bayareabert for the posting!

[sdgpiano]

The man's technique was an art in of itself. His completely natural approach is beautiful to watch.

[orionedwin]

The GREATEST!

[marcxopoco]

Thanks a million, bayareabert.

This has to be the single most valuable video of a player playing on Youtube.

The view of Hofmann playing the upward right hand scales just after 4:00 is something I never thought I would be able to see.

[stoklund]

Yes he does not have big hands, maybe small for a pianist or just right regular hands... or maybe it's a small piano ... Who knows? Whatever... he plays great and I think he could play anything he wanted to. And if that meant he needed a smaller piano, so what?? The music is what counts! : D

[stoklund]

Stop the video at 2:04 and see hofmann take an octave with finger 1-4 without even streching the hand..... he could easily have taken an 10th!!! Not so small hands after all!!!! ;)

[llwayneio]

does anyone know how much smaller hofmann's keyboard was than standard?

[naoishe]

@llwayneio I read (though I don't remember where) that Hofmann's keyboard was the length of a regular keyboard minus a single white key.

[MrRicksStudio]

@naoishe He did have a 7/8 keyboard at home, but used a standard piano in performance.

[ReturnOfTheStienway]

I love how his hands look when he plays. Not many people have his degree of fluidness. It seems like the just float on the keys like clouds. I love the overhead view... that means a tape of just the overhead view must hopefully still exist for the whole concerto???

would be the video of the century if it still exists.

[gullivior]

thanks!!!!

[loboris1995]

Who is the condacture,klemperer?

[daveA3535]

I had no idea this existed. The only Hofmann footage I've seen before was him playing Rachmaninoff Csharpminor prelude from Bell Telephone Hour. Just as effortless. Are there any more films of him?

[RabidCh]

Nope. This session (Beethoven and Rachmaninoff) from the Bell Telephone Hour is the only known film.

[brianCIM]

thanks Rabid! this went straight to my favorites!

[ChrisWatch]

@daveA3535 I've read a few places have very rare footage of composers and pianists. But, are waiting for legal development. Also, the time and professional equipment needed to sort through the vast ocean of recordings. TO label them and such. There is one of these instances on the Sergei Prokofiev video I loaded up. Recently found and faces trial in a library at some universities. It almost seems it's not in their best interest to share this with the public but keep it in their inventory.

[ChrisWatch]

@daveA3535 Family members. Buildings that haven't been burned down or lost all their inventory due to business upscaling. being sold. Sergei prokofiev lost his work in a fire. Andrei Gavrilov lost a lot of his recordings. Some of is scattered around in some of his record companies places.

Sergei Rachmaninoff has home video recordings. It was known that the Rachmaninoff video of Josef to be the only known video. Or, Rachmaninoff on a boat only known. It's just all in do time friend....

[bachkwt]

I was hopping to listen to hofmann playing this for a very long time , and now I can watch it on youtube , thats more than great

[pianopera]

Thanks, I am glad that this fragment is available again on YouTube!