Floods of spring - Rachmaninoff, arr. Earl Wild

[virtuoso691]

This is copyrighted material. Please remove it immediately. Frank Bell

[starrgazer1000]

I think this man is a great Master to arrrange this work in the style of Rachmaninov.It is not an easy task but requires a great insight into the man himself.I admire them both and sad they are no longer here to give us pleasure.

Earl Wild will be sadly missed and God bless his soul.I hope he is with the rest of the pianistic saints above and of the Universe.He is playing well for a man of 80 years of age.This great man reminds me just a little of Fred Flintstone.

(Tongue in cheek of course)

[kingsfort1]

I had the most amazing lessons from this wonderful creative, funny, gigantic character. His desire to bring out the beauty in any 'line' drove his own practice and still lives with me now. He is sadly missed.

[JayIvory87]

so many colors

[kKpeaceKk]

A genius! A god!

Thank you Earl Wild!

[aardvaark069]

Earl Wild was such a fine pianist. He was matched perfectly with the Baldwin piano and one of the very few who could get a finely cultured sound fron these often crass sounding instruments.

[lipsbach]

Really one of the greatest ever. He squeezed the music out of the keys. Somehow it was never percussive. Amazing.

[Piacevole]

I never get tired of this. And I was THIS *shows with fingers* close to meeting him... I moved to Palm Springs right after he passed over. Amazing pianist. And I hope I can do my share of keeping this tradition alive.

[2JackSparrow]

I followed Mr. Wild since I was 14; for 45 years. Truly the pinnacle of greatness, a spectacular performer AND a wonderful person. No one can replace him.

[piano345]

Horowitz, Cziffra, Cherkassky, Bolet and finally Earl Wild - all the great romantic pianists who themselves were inspired by the greats from the past - Hofmann, Rachmaninov, Rosenthal, Godowsky and Lhevinne - have departed this world forever. Fortunately, we have their many recordings to enjoy so lets not be too sad.

[MrRicksStudio]

@piano345 Ruth Slenczynska is very much alive - and performing still.

[ReturnOfTheStienway]

Goodbye, my friend. I will continue to listen to all that you have left behind. Eric Nguyen

[18111886liszt]

I remember discovering Earl Wild at one of his many recitals in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London. A few years later I was there again to hear Shura Cherkassky. The firend with me dragged me backstage to meet Shura and who should also walk in but Earl Wild! I shook one of those marvellous hands and probably muttered some of that typical stuff one does when coming face to face with a hero! We shall not see his like again

[alvinkuo777]

Thank you Earl Wild for your brilliant transcriptions of Rachmaninov and Gershwin, as well as your wonderful performances of Liszt and other Romantics.  Farewell maestro.

[nohpiano]

Farewell, dear friend and teacher. What a great long run of it!

[Piacevole]

What a pianist. Incredible.

[thphaca]

Who cares what country someone's from. This is a world of individuals, not groups of clones. We need to get out the mindset of seperating people by nationality/race/gender, especially with music. Music is a universal language.

[mattandtrissy]

He has a point. Wild did not play in Europe until he was 60 years of age and completely blew them away.

His only sin was playing with the Boston Pops too often which got him a rep as a "pops pianist" which he is clearly not.

[Pischnaholic]

As great or great than anything Horowitz ever did in this genre -- and Wild's technique was always more secure, although he lacked the tongue-in-cheek humor, and extreme finesse for which VH was justifiably famous.

I suspect Wild's only sin was being an AMERICAN at a time when it was widely believed that only Europeans could "really" play the piano.

"What fools [we] mortals be!"

[demosj]

The floods totally swept me away in the exultation. I'm shocked Wild could still pull off those figurations at his age. A virtuoso till the end.

[demosj]

Earl Wild and William Kappell were the best American pianists ever.

[mattandtrissy]

Your are correct! Horowitz believed that his mantle would fall to Kappell. Too bad Kappell smacked a mountain.

[libetta]

@demosj

you do not like Cliburn and Perahia?

[demosj]

@libetta i admire Cliburn very much, though his technique deteriorated too rapidly. . Perahia's sound is very homogeneous, I've not heard instance of impressive creativity in the recordings I've listened of him.

[libetta]

@demosj

maybe in the 90's? i wonder what led to the downfall of his sensational start. could it be his being a night owl have contributed to his deteriorated health? then there's Katchen! he could very well be what Friedman was to mazurka as he is to Hungarian Dances

[dak91424]

@demosj you need to hear Perahia in concert where he is a wondeful pianist and at his best

[stephenjoeagi]

Thank you for reposting one of the treasures unjustly deleted by YT. I had millions of viewers when my account was suddenly suspended because of a minor copyrighted video!!!

[ReturnOfTheStienway]

I have tried playing this several times... It has gotten easier as I try it more, but I think it still remains one of the most difficult of his Rachmaninoff arrangements. There are some parts where, after watching this video, I was amazed at how easily and relaxed he played this piece, even at his old age. I guess he's still rather young now... I hope he breaks 100 in age. He is truly one of the last greats in my book.

[akkadian4eyes]

The fella in the audience at 3:50-3:52 looks like Ray Liotta.

[daptekar]

Bravo! Wonderful!

[rollcol]

The original by Rachmaninoff is better but shorter. This is still very good.

[9marbles]

Heard this guy was good,but he's not good at all.He is absolutely amazing!Thankyou for posting.

[Paggot]

Rachmaninoff at his most cliched and formulaic. There is so much better music by this composer.

[cynic150]

I like this transcription very much. It has haunted me ever since I heard it on You tube some time ago. Earl Wild is at his best in this, and congratulations to him. This is perhaps my favourite song by Rachmaninoff; it is so open and passionate. But Mr. Wild is a bit of an old softy, and I agree that in some other postings here he over does the rubato. In Spring Waters he is also a bit too free; I would prefer he keep to the form of the original, or at least give it more formal shape. Fantastic

[stienwayz]

AMAZING! Thank you for reuploading =)

[jamiemanners]

Thank you so much for reposting this wonderful piece!

[hiloboy3450]

How often do you come across such a talented

musician as Earl Wild? This is my first encounter with his extraordinary musician and I am so enthralled with his performance. Thanks for posting this video. Aloha.

[ric55]

I've just discovered this and many thanks for it. I have set myself to learn this piece and it's up there in the Busoni Toccata level of difficulty. Maestro Wild makes it look like a walk in the park!

[Freewheal]

Thank you very much too.

This is a favourite of mine: and it's simply marvellous to hear the originator of this variation play it.

[peterpetrof]

Thank you very much for putting this back up! It was sorely missed, by many. Any chance you have any of the others, for instance Zdec' Horosho / Where Beauty Dwells? Somehow the two recordings of each on the CD just lack the spontenaity of these...