Joshua Hillmann plays Bach English Suite No. 2 (1 of 2)

[GoldisMoney84]

Hmm, I'm not too fond about those crescendi dynamics. It's too much of that. I like the Gould version more, because it's cleaner and more mathematically played.

[InnocentParadis]

Splendid. (Your other rendition seems me a little less good.)

[MarcusOhrealyis]

I have never heard Bach played more beautifully Joshua. Never mind the critics. You play beautifully, and articulately. This performance stands with any of the masters.

[jhpianist]

@MarcusOhrealyis Thanks! :)

[respekt200]

czerny

[flutiste94]

great job especially for an opening piece in the competition as you said! :)

[lauraannetsch]

I'm considering playing this for my sophomore state competition and i really like how you play it. I was questioning it's difficulty level and now that I hear it up to tempo it sounds much more appealing and impressive than what it seems when you're in the sight reading stage... haha

[MarcusOhrealyis]

I really admire your dynamic contrasts and color. Excellent Bach! Glenn who??

[THEPIANO91]

fast song .. beautiful song

[xbeq69]

I see in you the next Gould.... BRAVO!

[kendoscot]

too quick?

[pianofan2010]

Lovely! This is very tender, but clear and still lively. I never tire of this performance. Thank You!

[danielbream]

nice play...

[nocturn9999]

nice play.

[blievernic]

Awesome job of keeping the Bach vertical style but playing very expressively. I've heard this prelude a lot but I had to stop and listen to the whole thing-caught my ear the way you did it.

[stefanobevacqua]

very good,I like it a lot..!

[natoush123]

1: 14 mistake :S but nice!

[MissPianist]

Hi Jhpianist,

I love your interpretation of this piece and the Rachmaninoff. This competition looks very interesting! I was wondering if you have any more videos of the competition. Did you win by the way? What were other pieces you played? And you were dress to kill! You look and sound like a winner! Bravo!

[sissichopin91]

Probably 120?

[sissichopin91]

what speed did you play this prelude?

[Chopin1986]

gteat... I love the endind!!!!

[7milord7]

bravo. W bottoncino.

[jhpianist]

Thanks! Yes, that arpez I don't think would be in ANY edition. It was my decision based on my knowledge of period performance practice. Awesome for you noticing that!

[Rugdump]

Listening to this again today, you play it so beautifully and with such nobility. The sound you create is what I am after. Good job man.

[blinkfbi]

how long did it take for you to learn that piece?

[jhpianist]

What on earth are you talking about??

[youcantbesirius]

this is just excellent, jh. i was just listening to an old interview with Gould and he said he re-played his recordings with less bass to make them bright. that's what comes to mind here: bright and sparkling. gorgeous piano sound top rate recording too, of course.

[natoush777]

mistake at the bottm of pge 2 but rlly good!!

[jhpianist]

Well, technically you can find more than 1 mistake in this performance if you listen closely... but consider this was my opening piece at my first major international competition and there ya go. Thanks for listening! Josh

[AtobeKeichan]

AWESOME... Now this is what I call with expression=) hehe... I think this was a very good piece and the voices were singing and it wasn't as rigid as others which had been played but I think he slowed down at places... but i think it was really good looking over the slight notes that he played wrongly and THERE ARE DYNAMICS for once+)

[PianistaMetallaro]

I love Bach and English Suites... I know very well this suite (as piano player) and all I can say is "very good execution"

[augustleroy]

this performance should have more of a comanding, stronger sound. not loud, stronger, and a steady tempo. bach doesn't change tempo, and there should be no pedal. there are exceptions of course, but in this suite there is no need for pedal. the opening theme expecially should be strong and sure, not timid.

[Rugdump]

my teacher said the same thing, but i still really REALLY like this performance

[jhpianist]

I appreciate the comments! I have a natural strong sound, so usually I am trying not to sound so strong. In the opening section, my aim is to try and give the theme some shape, which is lacking in many recordings and performances. I think I succeeded with that. For the most part it it exactly on the beat, with occasional intentional deviations. I always strive to create an authentic performance, and having a standard that is "bach doesn't change tempos" is a bit one-dimensional.

[jhpianist]

@augustleroy I disagree there is no need for pedal in this suite. Keep in mind if you were to make a purely authentic performance you wouldn't be playing on a piano at all. Playing Bach on a piano is to play a transcription, and as such some concessions are admissible as long as performance practice permits. For instance, where would you draw the line as far as dynamics are concerned? Would you say, since it was composed for an instrument of limited dynamics, that such gradients are bad?

[dwightmorrow53]

Inspiring !!! You are WAY out of my league, but I can dream !!!!! Thanks for the shot in the arm...

[redmary1991]

great! its a hard prelude. actually i am playing this too and i often do the same mistakes like you ;)

[WENCHINGTON]

That is because you cannot even grasp the most basic principles of piano playing.

[dinosgreece]

(To JonathanLizcano):

NOONE sounds like Glenn Gould. Period.

[indigoblue555]

To dinosgreece-

Agree if you say that his way in unique,but disagree if you state that his way is the only one=

On my pers.op.Gould's rendering of this piece is the best ever among several recordings I own - no one equals his performance but it's my point,not an abs.statement -

[fabio99999999]

Too fast; most of the melodies are lost. Listen to Joao Carlos Martins on this piece for a much better permormance.

[Liedliebhaber]

yeah, it sounded like the right hand was always superior, and this should be more of a chamber music piece in that they are equal and complimentary. I'd say that he should consider where the spotlight changes, and this could be really great!

[pianofolle]

too fast??? have u heard pogorelich?

Which "melodies"?? It is a PRELUDE, there's no contrapunctum. This performance is very good: clean, tasteful, and with a various dynamic. Comparing this guy with the stars is a quite different matter.

[lesmizzle]

hmm.. some very good bits. There are two major distractions for me, however.

The first being that I feel like your right hand is obscuring some very important melodies in the left hand. The dynamic balance between the two is not to my taste. The second, is the lack of precision on what I feel is the strongest part of the piece- the section with the diminished/dominant climax and the run down Am back to the first theme. That cadence needs to be spot on.

[sethchau]

Beautiful.

Great piano too.

[SPYKEjj]

it is terrible!!!!!

[ColinMeloy91]

Amazing i give you a 100. this person rocked.

[JonathanLizcano]

i think it sounds like gould's actually, but that doesn't matter. I think it was great. Inspirational. My god, sounds exhausting.

[mxedrioni]

he is good but metronome is needed

[jhpianist]

I should really get and listen to Pogorelich's recording... apparently it sounds a lot like how I play it. :)

[rallykarate]

sounds like you copied pogorelich's version.....

[WENCHINGTON]

You know, when two people play the exact same song, they tend to sound like the same song.

[reedmorkant]

Well not trill. Whatever it was.

[reedmorkant]

I wasn't a fan of the little trill thing at the end...

[godaisan79]

it sounds a little bit as the Pogorelich version!!!it's really very well played but i prefer a completaly different approach... i know, probably, it's me that's wrong but, like that, i've the sensation listing 'romantic' music and bach one it's not...anyway thanks posting this video!!!

[OntZ]

super phrases!