Rzewski's 'The People United Will Never Be Defeated' Part 1: Theme - Var. 8 Audio + Sheet Music

[nzmklc]

one of the best things I've ever listened to

[cedricrlongreen]

He is so cool for this one

[emopz13]

@Trollscience1 But some of them are really ingenius!

[XVIIIProductions]

Vive la Révolution, camarades! A bas la finance internationale et l'ultralibéralisme qui met notre économie dans la main des marchés.

Vive la République. Le peuple uni ne sera jamais vaincu.

[gretchenlowe126]

I think it is great! I really like the optional slamming of the piano lid. It does not go much further out there atonally than other modern symphones. I am still finding this very pleasant. I will keep in mind to stress the key melodies even within the atonal sections. Thanks!

[emopz13]

From the whole set of variations my favourite remained the theme. In some of the variations you hardly hear melody with all those atonal passages, glissandoes, hammered clusters and very much use of pedal, which makes the music horrible. Of course, that is my own opinion. I don't want to mock someone.

[wolfkire]

muy bueno de verdad, es un maravilloso tema y que bueno que no se pierda, saludos desde chile

[FusionSummit]

I LOVE POINTILISM SO FREAKING MUCH!!!

[realtiempo]

Excelente interpretación de este tema, que de ser una canción chilena paso a ser un himno mundial por la libertad. Saludos desde Chile.

[gretchenlowe126]

@realtiempo Si es un razon que aprender por supuesto! Saludos y tu!

[ChibiRaikou]

splitting the YT videos into sections of six variations each would've been better for this (keeping in mind the piece's overall structure)

great upload though :D

[tomekkobialka]

@ChibiRaikou I had to keep under the 10 minute video limit :(

[gretchenlowe126]

@tomekkobialka Yes, I was waiting for the end. Oh well. I just started playing the piano again and for some reason, this composition seemed like a good place to start up again. I really am enjoying the variations. 

[stochasticactus]

@listenwhatisayoh, I will keep an open mind. Have you heard the interpretation by Ursula Oppens (to whom Rzewski dedicated the piece) that is also available here on YT? I think the contrasts are stronger and it has more vitality.

[stochasticactus]

I don't agree the performance is that grand. The contrasts are too weak. Look at Rzewski's directions in the score. Hamelin is a fantastic technician who lacks heart and vision, absolutely the problem with contemporary highly trained musicians. Each of the highly distinct sections of this piece has pretty much the same feeling and dynamic range. That is not how I hear Rzewski's score.

[listenwhatisayoh]

@stochasticactus You obviously have not listened to one of his Chopin interpretations yet. You should hear his recording of the Sonata No. 2, and if it's just the first movement.

However, in my opinion, this performance is emotionally and dynamically very deep.

I like Hamelin better than other pianists, who disregard timing and technique or composure for the sake of emotion, and those who disregard feeling and emotion for the sake of technique/timing. I think Hamelin is the perfect compromise.

[ZioJafar]

@listenwhatisayoh There is no compromise with Hamelin, just pure perfection, since he has better technique than any cold "robot" and a deeper musical understanding and feeling than lots of "fake-emotive" pianists as lang lang.

[2hyeok]

@ZioJafar yeah lang land does not have the emotion to trulyt appreciate a work like this

[musoderelict]

This is fantastic.

[newFranzFerencLiszt]

this man plays everything

[gerbss1]

Thanks for posting this entire set! I just heard this live in Manchester played by Benjamin Powell, an excellent young English pianist, and this gave me a chance to cement my grasp of the structure while the performance was still fresh in my mind (and of course Hamelin is amazing).

[kandinskaya]

@XAttaHabibX ......well........go and listen only the theme by Inti Illimani......

[lukeydargons]

@XAttaHabibX u don't like variations?

[pmarq32]

I do love this recording, but I heard Stephen Drury play this piece live and it was the most stunning live performance I've ever seen or heard. I highly recommend his recording, too, for anyone who's interested.

[brozors]

Hamelin has such a marvelous, sonorous golden tone. His sound reminds me of Artur Rubinstein and Dinu Lipatti, but with Horowitz' technique.

[boomchuckaboom]

Amazing, thanks for sharing.

[playingmusiconmars]

Variation 5 is incredible

[MarcheseCadmio88]

I love Inti Illimani and Rzewski!

[notsure002]

This piece resounds with greater relevance and impact now - in light of the Chilean miners being freed after all those days underground.

People United ... Will Never Be Defeated

[lovesGenet]

where is Ursula Oppens when u need her! Webern,Berg who is that before 7th var. not Rach? Must find out who Rz studied with. This is rally one of the great variations. Up there with Diabelli!

[lovesGenet]

 where is Ursula Oppens when u need her!

[Kegrath]

Var. 7 for president!

[JbugueS]

Is Chilean :D

[junobostock]

after hearing this i think carl vine should go and play with his first piano sonata in the sand pit

[patricioapaez]

absolutely THE best recording of the piece out there!

[huzzzzzzahh]

@patricioapaez no one does anything better than hamelin, except horowitz sometimes

[AcePro]

Variation 7 rocks

[masterpuma]

Im happy to be a Pole, and im happy that there such talented peoples like Rzweski :)

[123coolmik]

@LopezDeLoyola Saint-Saens was a bad conductor, too, and he knew it so much that he sometimes told his musicians before starting "lead me well, gentlemen" (conduisez-moi bien, messieurs)!

[Daftpunkfan123]

I'm usually not into the modern style of composing, but I really like this song. Variation 7 is amazing.

[cybertooth49]

@Daftpunkfan123 Daft Punk is modern.

[JupiterIV]

@cybertooth49 Ain't that the truth?

[pelodelperro]

Amazing! Thanks for sharing.

[80aless]

the first variation is clearly 'taken' from Webern's piano variations, but not all variations sound familiar to me. does anybody has a list of the compositions to which each variation refer?

[hanspellegrims]

There's a part of this piece online with Rzweski playing it himself, and and i think it's better than this recording, but that's only to be expected.

[John11inch]

Really? I like this one more than Rzewski's own recordings that I've heard, although I like Takahashi and Drury more than Hamelin or Rzewski.

[EuriskoLontano]

A wonderful work. My preference in recording in U. Oppens, The composer makes his personal mark on his HatART recording (accurate, yet a tad rough). and Hamelin - what can I say, he seems to "make a very nice pudding out of a pie recipe". The Pudding may taste great, yet eating the Pie might be the most rewarding way to go.

[madmodpo]

Hamelin does a giant job on this.

[FliegendeHollaender]

@madmodpo

where does he not?