David Fray - Largo & Presto from Bach's Concerto No 5 in F Minor (BWV 1056)

[termiz6]

This sort of people do justice to the old masterpieces!

[moddanis]

If i t w e r e n 'T these; F a c e Movements; I had to have a " absulut " hearing i n my e a r; b u t thank GOD; I h a v e M y E y e s a n d DAViD FRAY has H i s EYES to MAKE Himself REAL HOW H E FEELS;- o r assumed to have BACH has FELT::- MY L O V E L y... A R T can be eXpressed; only in same feelings,, - to b e geniune- who has written i t.. SO S H O Wyour feelings to my eyes, instead telling them ONLY to my EAR:: ( "U FUC...KABLeé" creatures..from th E A

[u2bMonkey]

People are always going to compare Fray to Gould. I like Fray's interepretations best. It's clean. It's pure. It's artistic. I think I'm gay for David Fray. Is he gay?

[taytoy]

@u2bMonkey sadly no, he's married.

[saudadedefados]

sublime,je ne me lasse pas de l'écouter,c'est jouer avec une grande subtilité,grâce et émotion

[monsieurppp]

sexy!!!



[Darkboy2525]

David Fray .. such a beatufill creature ! his expressions are great on the piano .. LOVE his preformens of the Bach piano concertos .. wonderfull just WONDERFULL

[songczar]

Wonderfully executed performance! Bach lives! Thanks!

[MuyFeliszt]

No mantiene la tensión.

[janvandoedelpuk]

a charismatic musician with natural authority plays the role of another charismatic musican with natural authority.

I am confused...

[Catslovedogs2007]

he is beautiful

[romulo560]

I have an uncontrollable chin when I play the piano... It juts out when I concentrate on my playing and I don't even know I'm doing it. So then I consciously try not to do it, and succeed only for as long as I'm concentrating on not doing it, and then the very second I forget to not do it, it juts out again.

[mugge62]

@romulo560 Hi Orlando

Thanks for your support about some people not being able to control various mucles when playing.

I can add, that when I as a 12-13 year old boy should learn to play the mandolin, I found myself sitting with wide open mouth... yes... as you... when concentrating.

I sometimes still do it when I play the piano. As you can see on David Fray there are even some special notes that triggers his mouth --- MORE TO FOLLOW ---

[mugge62]

@romulo560

CONTINUE: -as if he has to 'eat' the music or make his mouth the resonance-room for special notes.

I am sure that if his body does'nt do it by itself, then he feels that he hasn't done it right.

You can see it at 2:09, but if you watch closly also a lot of times up to this point

Do you have a name to put on the strange behaviour ? I don't.

[akiaki9jade]

is the piano specially tuned to sound like the piano in bach's era?

[pelumli]

Lo más hermoso que he escuchado.

[rosepiano1]

claire clarté !!! j'aime beaucoup, bravo David !

[struppi309]

his music makes me so happy

amazing

[saudadedefados]

mon Dieu quelle beauté!!!une interpretation magistrale toute en délicatesse et émotion....un moment magique

[schokolade975]

I came across him today - on German TV... I'm a bit shocked to see him doing this exaggerated grimaces... He could do it without - no doubt. Has he got back problems - leaning back in his weird chair... Well, he will get some when he goes on like this. And the sound of the piano isn't bright... I don't know - he can't convince me... It's not enough to be just young...

[patrickpruefer]

Perfect Interpretation!

[EllectroHD]

Absolutely wonderful , Thank you

[laertes160]

I don't think Glenn Gould is about to be dethroned any time soon. Gould's 3rd movement is not so damn fast, and he allows the piece to breathe and fully release the richness of its harmonies like exquisite perfume.  Fray is very flashy and technically superb, but the subject is not the performer, it's BWV1056. Due to modern recording technology Fray sounds more brilliant, and I wish we could have recorded Gould with digital equipment, but that was not to be. Fray will mature and get better.

[laertes160]

As I listen to it anew, I again compare it to Gould's recording. I get the feeling Fray and the orchestra had a plane to catch as they raced through the 3rd movement.

Compare measures 30 - 37 in the 3rd movement, how Gould confidently and assertively advances the left hand, while Fray is weak and seems to want to rush through the passage at all costs. This is one of the consequences of the high tempo that Fray chose. Slow down, Dave, and let the richness sink in.

[gtimny]

@laertes160 Well, you can argue the tempo choice from a taste point of view, but after all, it IS marked Presto - together with a 3/8 time signature and the basic movement of notes in 8ths, this would indicate a fast tempo. In any case, like it or don't like it, but there is no 'rushing' here. Everything is under absolute - and in my opinion very effective - control. One of the great things about Fray's playing is that he never throws notes away - that is, nothing is merely decorative.

[mce75]

Excellent performance! The best I`ve listened to yet.

[narwagner]

vortexville -- He is copying Glenn Gould, right down to the low chair with a back and his slumped position. Also, his self-conducting and singing are just like Gould. Oh why couldn't he have chosen a dignified pianist to emulate?

[narwagner]

How is it possible to have such exquisite control of every single muscle in his arms and hands and have what appears to be virtually no control over his body movements and facial grimaces? Like it or not, in concert and video it is very distracting. Some of the world's greatest and most passionate pianists hardly moved at all. I can't help thinking it's for attention. I fear for Fray's concert career.

[supersarahmarah]

<3

[NSLOnlyM]

young and beautiful .. genius ...

[metteholm75]

....and I´m absolutely sure, he wouldn´t care a hoot about what we are writing in here;)

[metteholm75]

Anyway, - as he hasn´t got his hands free to conduct the orchestra, he has to emphasize his bodylanguage, which luckily is very clear.

[harmonypianist]

Ah yes, the best pianist, the excellent string orcherst! Incredible beauty!

Erika.

[stlivermore]

The poor man's Glenn Gould perhaps but not any less beautiful for being music of Bach. Thanx for the offering.

[quitanilam]

He ist gorgeous !

and the way he is playing is simply genious , i love him !

[17bnard]

I agree with you

the C D is a little disappointed, I prefer the film especially for the largo (from Bach's Concerto N° 5). The interpretation of the largo in the film is sublime.

But listen to his intertepration of Schubert's impromptus... (in CD)

He is really a great pianist...

[wolfiesown]

I just can't get enough of listening to this Largo. Who cares about the grimaces? If you're that much concentrated on and in control of your fingers and ears, I cannot imagine that you even know what's going on in your face. Just enjoy the perfect timing and phrasing, folks. Brings tears to my eyes over and over again.

[17bnard]

Magnifique...

Je ne me lasse pas d'écouter et de réécouter ce largo et ce presto

Je ne sais pas pourquoi ces deux morceaux de ce concerto sont plus beaux ici (ou encore plus beaux ici) que sur l'enregistrement sur c d vendu dans le commerce

[wolfiesown]

@17bnard I agree, I've been wondering about this myself! I own the CD too but it doesn't touch me as much as this film.....

[Danielferdinandyman]

What kind of piano does he play on ??

It sounds more crisp and barok than a normal piano/grand piano...

[KAPNIZW]

Incredible beauty .....!!!!!



[csabika1371]

Fantasztikus ahogy játszik,teljesen megnyugtat.Egy rossz napom után ezt szoktam hallgatni.

[saudadedefados]

sublimissime

[vortexville]

The posicition in th chair is very weird, my teacher say I have to sit very straight :S

[sweetnessglyc]

my teacher would kill me if she saw me slope and grimace the half of how he does.

But I guess it's alright for a famous and renowned pianist to do what he likes and nobody will think it weird.

Or maybe I guess it's because he has to conduct at the same time.

Anyway, I'd rather just listen and not watch him. Beautiful playing!!!

[mugge62]

@sweetnessglyc !

My guess is that your teacher already is familiar with grimaces from performers like Fray as it is a well known fact that MANY soloists more or less can not control the smaller muscles around their head when they play their instument so intense as he does. 

Their body seems like being part of their playing and I guess that Fray is one of this kind of performers.

So do not blame him ... Just (as you yourself write) enjoy the beautiful playing.

[moddanis]

@mugge62 I am someone who is especially interested in face when playing for genuine THING.This is the proof for me to listen , "the music".I can s e e composer's FACE, when making this music.. Do not run away from strong feelings that can even reach to the FACE.i f U are an artist U should know your face occurs " the same " when making ART GENUINE.

[mugge62]

@moddanis Do not address me, I am one of the defenders of soloists NOT being able to control their faces while playing!

Furthermore: This video was uploaded by me and I love it.

[moddanis]

@mugge62 U in my writing, is a " general " Y o u.U who do think so ..(I mean)..

Thank you 4 the video..

I try to i m a g i n e , what d o e s David fray s e e, ;what is H e looking at; while playing..

because I think, i f U do not see " a thing " with your own eyes, your F A CE, shouldn't

" behave " l i k e this..

I am a Painter, and I even want to see what B a c h has s e e n, to write such a m u s i c..

G r e a t ART WORKS; even in the form of music; h a s a " vision " that they tell.

[metteholm75]

@mugge62 Yep! Musical involvement is very physical, and David Fray is almost dancing :)

One fabulous guitarist, Segovia, would wave an eyebrow at the most, whereas Julian Bream scooted about on the chair, making fantastic grimaces, - and played like firework.

[bandarnld]

@sweetnessglyc tell your teacher to go back to school and advice him to read a few books about neurology or even better find yourself another teaher

[bandarnld]

@sweetnessglyc find youself another teacher..it is bullshit he/she tells you

[bandarnld]

@sweetnessglyc find youself another teacher..it is bullshit he/she tells you

[xXAnnieWestinXx]

He definitely plays with his heart. Lovely!

[xXAnnieWestinXx]

He definitely plays with his heart. Lovely!

[AcronyMarx]

3:22 to 3:24 : This pianist is fascinating !

And plays Bach with such a sense of his music…

[josefk64]

what a great pianist and great concerto

[wolfiesown]

This is a fantastic and very rare pianist. I can listen to this over and over again. Pity the boy is so arrogant.

[betrosaura]

@wolfiesown In fact he is not... My husband and some friends of mine had the opportunity to share some moments with him after his concert in Germany and were totally pleased by his easy way...

Have you had the chance to get near to him? he is lovely :D

[wolfiesown]

No I haven't. However, we attended a concert in Cologne; he was so uninterested and so obviously not in the mood to play; very arrogant towards his audience. A real turn off! this was a real shame cuz his pay, especially the slow sections of the Bach concertos are heavenly.

[ElinaMagdaIena]

@wolfiesown That isn't right at all. I heard and saw him in Cologne too, he was concentrated, yes, and the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen loved him obviously. After the concert he was really friendly to the audience. He isn't arrogant at all!

[wolfiesown]

@ElinaMagdaIena you have the right 2 your opinion; I have mine. perhaps we saw different concerts, perhaps we just felt different vibes......

[Erik83474]

Why always these silly comparisons to Glenn Gould? David Fray is David Fray, a very very sensible musician who grasps the absolute essence of music as the deepest possible form of communication. I never had this feeling with Gould, who didn't have the courage to communicate with the public...

[quinto34]

@Erik83474 Your absolutely right, so why do so yourself..

[narwagner]

@Erik83474 It's not possible for two pianists to have that many identical quirky behaviors: the chair, the posture, the self-conducting, the singing.

[opus98999]

@narwagner j'ai vu david fray pour la 1ère fois sur ARTE. L'imitation de glenn gould m'a aussitôt frappée.

Il a du talent mais quel manque de simplicité !!

[opus98999]

@Erik83474 ces comparaisons "stupides" sont dues au fait que david fray prend toutes les postures de

glenn gould. C'est frappant. Mais cela n'enlève rien à son talent.

[pguitar13]

@Erik83474 You're an idiot.

[8888sam]

he his very talented and has a great sound but dosent come close to glenn gould ...but then again no one can play like gould so i cant hold that against him -gould could play with emotion without being "over the top" - he his the only pianist who was able to do that and with no doubt the greatest performer ever

but fry does a nice job

[anjestidily]

BJW it is very welcome to hear more of David Fray and listen to his wonderful performance