Added: 5 years ago
From: marking19
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  • Un freaking believable. Man was a cyborg.

  • wow

    

  • damn, he makes it all look so easy!

  • One of the greatest cellists ever. A great example of what Alexander calls "perfect use".

  • How can you dislike this performance? Holy crap!

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  • @verlib17 -Without question-the very best.

  • Awesome.TY marking19 for posting.this absolute gem.

  • He died, when he had to die.

    Yo Yo Ma has an incredible technique, he is still alive and so what, he is doing pure shit.

    Though, I miss those great artists from the past.

  • It´s interesting and unique how he never looks at his fingers. By far the finest technique I have ever witnessed!

  • Such a clear technique and well balanced interpretation (no exaggeration)! I had no idea what Feuermann sounded like before seeing and hearing this video. Based on this he instantly became one of my favorite cellists!

  • This cellist was a genius

  • he looks stoned.

  • Imagine if he lived as long as rostro. The cello world would be completely different!!

  • que tal esa tecnica parece un robot jaja

  • I love how the first high note at 6:25 is a tad sharp-but then he fixes it. So amazing.

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  • No, THE best cellist who has ever lived.

  • Stone face:D

  • If it doesn't matter, I uploaded the audio stream with sheet (and with source-url, of course)

  • WOW!

  • Nice find getting this video, I've long been a Feuermann completeist, collecting every re-issue. Another is Kathleen Ferrier. Conductors: Charles Dutoit and Furtwangler. No accounting for taste here in the middle of Kansas...thanks again marking19

  • phenominal!

  • How wonderful actually too see him play. What a noble appearance he had.

  • wow best technique i've ever seen.

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  • Ah, another genius Catholic composer showing his great talent generations after his own death. :) What a glorious thing this music is!

  • I am astonished at all the ultra respectful comments about Feuermann and his work. I am related to him: my grandfather and Emanuel were first cousins. My mother was his second cousin and I am his third cousin. Unfortunately I have shown no musical talent.

    Thank you all for your enthusiasm and excitement at seeing this video. Now I'm going to email all my relatives and tell them where to find it.

    -daughter of a Feuerman

  • @realdrich I'm surprised that you are surprised. Emanuel Feuermann is an absolutely legendary and universally admired cellist. I don't believe I have ever read a negative comment about his playing.

  • By far the best cellist that has ever lived. There's no one around who can do the stuff that he could - even now. They'd do take after take with recordings nowadays. Boring bullshit CD recordings. Pisses me off!

  • i think not one, but the

  • Fantástico !!! Bravísimo

  • ein wirklich deutscher Cellist!

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  • magnificent!

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  • Enjoy! This is one of my favourite pieces..IMHO It cannot be played better than this!

  • one of the greatest cellist ever lived...

    i love this pieces

  • the greatest*

  • Breathtaking, I have no words ! Just never dreamed a film of this legendary artist existed at all !

  • No, actually this video, as was the case with most videos back then, was dubbed over using separate soundtrack takes.

    You could see this clearly at 0:55. He plays a B-flat that is clearly an A-string note, but in the video is a D-string note.

    Watch youtube footage of Heifetz, all of his black and white videos were dubbed over as well. He just did a better job than Feuermann here of syncopating his fingering and string placement.

  • well spotted!

  • actually at 59" there is no dubbing, hes playing it all on the d string. Its sounds like an A string, cuz its a really nice cello

  • How could a video of such magnitude have only 70k views? then someone falls off the chair and it gets 2k millions visits... How wonderful, thanks for uploading!

  • This is the most beautiful song EVER in the history of the musical arts.

  • i think this guy is better than rostropovich

  • I fully agree that Feuermann is one of the greatest. However, this video appears to be overdubbed. Watch his left hand at 59" - he plays in a very high register, however, we hear the melody in a lower one. What a pity!

  • it was 1939... they had to do special film tricks to make up for their lack of film technology. I think they made the film more artistic and interesting this way.

  • I'm speechless. Thank you.

  • damn, he made it look so easy

  • I'm a cellist and long-time Feuermann fan. Great to see video of him. I had heard people who saw him say he looked like an angel when he played and made everything look effortless. Seeing this confirms their opinion. And it is the mature Feuermann at his best, not the rushed early recordings with inferior orchestras. THese are up there with his Beethoven 3 and Arpeggione. (Wish my cello sounded like DeMonk...or that I sounded like Feuermann on any instrument!)

  • This is one of my favorite videos on YouTube! To see this shining light bring forth his burning passion is a great opportunity that all music lovers should take, in my opinion.

    We truly lost a Great Master in Feuermann - always remember that Toscanini himself lamented the poor man's death at such a young age. Remember the masters of Western art and revere humanity's imagination!

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  • Sensational! I had never before heard him as a soloist,but only in trio with Heifetz and Rubinstein. All that I can say is-WOW!

  • do you mean Piatigorsky ? I don't think that Feuermann played in trio with them.

  • warwurm21-He most certainly did. He was there before Piatigorsky. Heifetz called him the best cellist ever.

  • I did not know, thank you. Where can we hear him in this trio ?

  • warwurm21-Unfortunateky not on you tube. I like him even better than the legendary Pablo Casals. Rubinstein and Heifeiz thought him to be the best ever. I fully agree!!

  • listened to it again after two years.

    stunning, outraging,

    i adore the way the way he plays!

  • What control!! Thank you for posting this!

  • Jaw droppingly fabulous. Thank you.

    Saw this performance on Classic Arts

    Showcase. Can't get enough of his

    playing.

  • Such a shame we don't have more records of his playing.

  • is he the greatest cellist of all time? that seems to be the conventional wisdom.

  • davecotuit-And where would you place Casals and Rostropovich. Surely they were at the same level.

  • well, as you know, comparisons of this type are almost always contentious--however, speaking for myself (and i am not a professional musician) i believe casals and rostropovich belong on the same pinnacle with feuerman

  • davecotuit- Glad that you agree. They must surely be the top 3 of the twentieth century.

  • what about dupre

  • davecotuit-Absolutely true. They three were easily the very best in the 20Th.century!

  • just. WAO!! beautiful.

  • gorgeous video too

  • Where could I get the actual clip (whole) of this wonderful performance? and what is the name of it? I have looked up Feuermann on Amazon (DVD), I could not find any.

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  • The greatest cellist of XX° century. Comparing to him, Casals seems ridiculous.. not to mention actual young "jet set performers".........

  • Spinning Song is amazing!!

  • Another flawless performance- he is a true master.

    My cello teacher -the late Sela Trau was a student of Emanuel Feuermann. I can see a lot of her teaching in his playing.

  • it's sad not to hear and see this type of playing in today's cellists. It's a show on stage these days, without the shaking of the head or the excess physical movements, the audience might think you are not worth the ticket price. Again, sad......

  • This is really good

  • Many seem to find his stare strange. To me it shows his concentration on sound and inner preparation for movements, like an inner cello. With our eyes we can correct, but not predict. His example is the most perfect form of inner concentration I have ever seen.

  • One of the greatest cellists in the world ever, along with Rostropovich! Spinning Song seems so easy for him, and Dvorak too!

  • Indeed THE GREATEST!! THE MAESTRO!!! How can someone play so beautifully? That tone and the infallible fingers!! Maybe if Yo Yo Ma stopped shaking his head emoting to the world, he might stop scratching and actually start "playing" the cello to his potential.

  • I read somewhere that the reason his stare is so blank is because the man handling the camera asked him to remove his glasses due to the glare. And he had poor eyesight (in addition to being colorblind).

    Though, I cannot say where I read this so don't take my word for it.

  • Che nobiltà!!!!

    non esiste più nessuno così.

    ah! i musicisti di allora...

    tristesse!!!

  • how wonderful! What a revelation for all musicians.

  • inhuman ... this is amazing

  • Thanks for posting this excellent video. I've been reading a biography of Feuermann by Morreau. One amusing tidbit is that his unbelievable ease in the highest positions had its origins when as a very young child, he tried to imitate the show pieces played by his older brother Sigmund, who was also a child prodigy, but on the violin. Sibling rivalry put to good use, I guess. Later on, the book quotes cellists such as Starker and Greenhouse on the distinguishing aspects of his playing.

  • smaga haljava

  • Perfect technique

  • Amazing video

  • What a great recording! I just wonder about the Dvorak, not because it isn't genius, but because in some places it's different from my Henle score. Does anyone know more about these differences and which way of playing is the 'original'? Like at bar 198 he skips an entire section and bar 308-314 he plays 2 octaves higher...

  • I think the version which is in your score is the original; I played that piece too and I never heard this Feuermann-Version.... Maybe he did it to get more sound in comparation to the piano; I don't know.

  • One thing of interest is that he was compelled by the producer of the film to play without his glasses - something he never did during his normal concert performances. This is the cause of what some people have referred to as his "mechanical" look.

    Its not hard to imagine how uncomfortable it must have been for EF - nearsighted - to play ON CAMERA & without his customary visual aids!

  • INCREDIBLE

  • brilliant.  they are right, Feuermann was certainly one of the best cellists that ever lived. Such a tragedy he died so young. and w/ only one video :(

  • is it the strad cello?

    what's the date of this video?

  • read the info

  • Feuermann played a 1727 "De Monk" Stradivari.

  • great to see my favorite cellist!

    Does anyone have any videos of channing robbins?

  • The only video we have from Emmanuel Feuermann. As skilled as Yoyo Ma, as straightforward as Pierre Fournier or Starker. Simply obvious

  • When Feuermann left his home town for his career, one of his close relatives(or friends?) said, "Become the next Casals."

    He replied, "No, I want to be the next Feuermann."

  • Yes, he was a conceited prat.

  • If Feuermann was the same age as Yo Yo Ma, he would have DEFINITELY be more skilled technically as well as musically. He probably still was at this age. Also I think that he plays with greater emotion than Starker and Fournier. But that's just my opinion.

  • how does one "play with greater emotion?" Is emotion quantifiable, like the mass of an object? In any case, technique and musical expression are one in the same, if a player separates them from each other, that player's playing will be out of balance.

  • @histerics3 Just shutup and listen mate. You'll learn more that way.

  • @Batman6564 Why are you making an aggressive comment? Did what I write have anything to do with the video? I wrote it two years ago and it was probably regarding the comments people were writing, not the video itself. I happen to spend most of my time "shut up" and listening. How rude, "mate."

  • @histerics3 if it had nothing to do with the video why write it? and if what you say is true, maybe you should do that now, and listen to Fuermann.

  • @Batman6564 Why write it? I was probably interested in something someone said in a comment. Looks like they probably wrote something to the effect of "he doesn't play with enough emotion." My thinking was probably "Feuermann played this piece in a very charming and tasteful way" so I wrote a reaction basically saying "I think that's a silly thing to say, here's why." And notice that I didn't make any personal attacks. Why are you trying to pick a fight about a cello video?

  • @histerics3 haha.

  • @histerics3 couldnt agree more....the emotion should be in the notes, not the face

  • och... funny.. easy... xDD

    awesome!!!!!!! why there are only 4 stars??? oO

  • I first saw this video back in 86(?) when Starker hosted the world cello congress in Bloomington Indiana. Thanks for posting the memories!

  • More Feuermann, please!

  • Unvergleichbar und einzigartig mit beglückendem orientalisch süßem Wohllaut. Welcher der heutigen großen Cellisten kann hier mithalten ?

  • OMG this recording is over 60 years old, but Feuermann has great, novadays brilliante technique!

  • I love that piece!

  • One of the greatest cellists to ever record. These are great performances I never knew existed. Died young at 39 years old. Left amgnificent version of Dob Quixote by Richard Strauss conducted by Toscanini.

  • Why does this only have four stars?! Some people wouldn't know greatness if it hit them in the face.

  • The Popper is amazing, but although I'll probably be abused for saying this, I much prefer Yo-Yo Ma's version of the Dvorak...more romantic...this seems a bit bloodless...

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  • OMG THAT WAS AMAZING. LIKE>>>>SUUPPPERR AMAZING. man. i wish i can play that.

  • i cry each time i hear this

  • being a fellow cellist i find that incredible

  • This is INCREDIBLE! That Popper is out of this world!

    By the way, I think British cellist Steven Isserlis has the Feuermann Strad now. I don't know about Jan Vogler.

  • true this performance is amazing, but i have heard from reliable sources that this video is dubbed, he is "lip-syncing" to his own recording.and as such is not a truly accurate representation of his performance

  • Does anybody know Jan Vogler?

    He is a famous german Cello player! And the remarkable thing about Vogler is his Cello! It was Feuermann's Cello!

    Thanks for this great video!

  • yeah who r u

  • zomg, that popper was mouth dropping... holy shiz.

  • Where can I get the actual video or film. Is it out on dvd?

  • Wonderful,as ever,maestro Feuermann!!

    ankhsnammon(Nina)

  • I don't like playing Dvorak or Popper music (except for his etudes) because Dvorak regretted writing his cello concerto because he thought the cello was a terrible solo instrument and I don't like Popper's virtuoso pieces because they're just...silly, though I do like the Gavotte.

  • Although I am not crazy about Dvorak's opinions about the cello I will always play the music. Do I really care what Dvorak thought about the cello? Not really. Popper really did write some nice cello music.

  • Dvorak was a greater composer than a critic. I love his Cello Concerto and his use of the cello in his 2nd Piano Quintet is magnificent.

  • someone please tell me when and where was this incredible piece recorded?

  • it was recorded 1939.

  • The Greatest of all time!

    Emanuel(Monya)Feuermann took the cello playing to unimaginable heights. He made the most difficult passages sound easy. As if they weren't challenging enough. And he possesed the unique tone quality. We shouldn't forget that he died at the age 39.

    Imagine his recordings with modern technology. Thank you for posting this video.

  • Notice that he never looked at the fingerboard at all. All by sheer hearing and "lovers leap" to high positions....

  • unglaublich, wie locker!!!

  • [] Great Cellist

    [] Greatest Cellist

  • The true cello master--phrasing always in good taste, never corny, incredible intonation, and the best bow technique. We have to remember all his recordings were done at a time before you could tweak a few knobs and fix something, so I feel that makes it all the more incredible. The Popper is so fast...sigh. And he plays it at the end spiccato! Unbelievable but a sheer delight.

  • I think PEARL label has a collection of his recordings.

  • Stepford cellist!

  • Wonderful performance! The Popper is simply amazing.

  • rock n roll!!!

  • I never ever thought I would have an opportunity to see Feuermann! My teacher (Kurt Reher) was his protege. Thank you so much for this!

  • amazing performance by fuermann. great performance by teddy as well. makes me proud to be a saidenberg.

  • I think if Feuermann ever looked at the finger board, he would have done so in this video. Perhaps someone out there knows if this was always the case.(or having a relative who saw him play live)I had the pleasure of seeing Piatigorsky many times and he NEVER looked down. Always out towards the audience. He communicated volumes with his eyes towards the audience--especially in chamber music performances.

  • "It is also interesting to keep in mind Eva Feuermann Lehnsen's remark that, since her husband was made to remove his glasses during the filming and discouraged from his habit of sucking in his cheeks when he played, that he looks almost like 'a stranger' to her in the video." (taken from Brinton Smith's thesis) Maybe that will answer some questions. :)

  • Very astute comment kabaltanbautista. Two of the greatest cellists of the 20th century; I wonder if they ever met. I'm so glad there is this one tiny, but invaluable, visual of Feuermann. One might think he was blind with his quasi expressionless looking into space. Nothing expressionless about his playing! What wonderful, varied fingerings in the Dvorak.

  • flawless.... smooth and sophisticated, but musical..... this man is a genius.

  • the piano player is my great grandfather

  • Incredible! Congratlations!

  • History has a way of robbing the world of musicians of this calibre before their time. His ability to make second rate music like Popper etc. sparkle is amazing.

  • i consider popper an amazing cellist and composer. i think his etudes are great for teaching, and his songs sound great. i also think that his songs are very fun to play

  • i agree have you ever seen the second cello part for his suite for two cellos, the last movement of that song was actually dubbed impossible and popper was forced to rearrange it for piano

  • un ejemplo a seguir para todos los cellistas, toca perfecto y su postura con respecto al cello es ideal!!

  • his spining song is around 1:30 while Starkers is 2:26

  • it's the fastest i've heard... but regarding starkers recording... feurmann DID cut out the middle section that repeats. maybe that's why it's almost a minute shorter

  • Feuermann's still is a lot faster, but who cares about speed! Feuermann's intonation, fludity of fingers, and incredible, one-of-a-kind spiccato are out of this world.

  • Does anyone know if Piatigorsky and Feurmann had intertwined backgrounds? They are the only two cellists whom I've noticed NEVER look down at the fingerboard.

  • actually in a not so related world. Heifetz supposedly one of the greater violinists teamed up with Feuermann. however a year later Feuermann died and was replaced by an equally deserving Piatigorsky.

  • are u sure? I don't really pay attention to that usually, but you don't really need to look do you? I mean it's not like you can "see" the notes on the finger board. there's no frets, I mean unless you mark a really high note w/ pencil lead near the end of the finger board (which I've seen done) like the high g octave jump in shostakovich concerto mvt 1 (right before the big french horn cello duet part.

  • fastest version of spinning song i have ever seen!!! amazing

  • Feuermann not only set the standard for virtuoso cello playing but also for his impeccable musicianship. His premature passing left a great void in the musicial world. This video is a testament to his artistry.

  • amazing

  • a very good performance, though his right arm is very stiff at the beginning of the video

  • he sounds so smooth!!

    he's awesome!

  • amazing..

  • Feuermann was THE cellist in the 20th Century...PERFECT cellist!

  • That cello belonged to Aldo Parisot for 40 years, and now is played by Steven Isserlis. It's called the Swan because it was the last cello Stradivarius made. Small size. You can chek it out if you type Isserlis's name.

  • thats intresting, thanks : )

  • It's interesting how he is very decidedly not looking at his cello.

  • The cameramen made him take off his glasses and look straight-forward the whole time. Additionaly, the audio was recrded beforehand; that explains the differences of hand position in the Dvorak.

    What a virtuoso!

  • How do you know this? It looks pretty synchronized to me.

  • Thanks a lot for this video!!!

  • ...no words to describe...maybe incomparable

    thanks for the video.