David Fung - Ravel Sonatine

[RyanMacMcC]

Very classy, Doivid!

[bartzdim]

1.05-1.06 does he hit the right notes?

[TheLocalcat]

i'm so excited to play this piece! just started learning it today :)

[ytq5c]

Even with a goog ear, I can't play this wonderful music. For me, it's the best classic music in the univers.

[1862Debussy]

@ytq5c Ravel music reveled the most soft secret of love! 

[daniellsmart]

Isn´t It a false note in 7:41

[ThePetpeter]

And now imagine how beautiful this piece would sound on a Blüthner (on which it was composed) or on a Bechstein, instead of a Steinway with it's 'hard' sound...

[waterflute]

amazing. such control and artistry

[mmmgalaxychoc]

wooweeeee!!!!



[cristossamos]

This is amazing, both the music and David Fung. Must be some very jealous people who disliked this video.

[MrJeruelorillaza]

@prontotati

i can tell that u cant play music. maybe its good to give it a try. choose an instrument and check it out

[hausmeister64]

@prontotati XD i was just bitching for fun....

[philsnk]

Reminds me a lot of Claude Debussy.

[1862Debussy]

@philsnk Je suis pas très d'accord avec votre propos car, oui il est bien vrai que debussy et ravel on vecu dans la même époque mais la sonatine de ravel est une des pièces qui représente le mieux les avancées raveliennes ce qui la différencie totalement du style debussyste, beaucoup plus de majeur 7, de grosse dissonances dans le mineur ect...

[1862Debussy]

@philsnk mais c normal qui il y ai une ressemblance, il ont vecu la même époque et le même pays, les modes musicaux mais Ravel était bien plus différent....un peu plus un ''puriste'' (accords agréables prolongés pour leur beauté) Debussy un ''génie'' (intelligent comme jamais dans les modes et polytonalités utlisées)

[MusikalischesHaus]

He brings out both melody lines so clearly. Wonderfull!

[MusikalischesHaus]

He brings out both melody lines so clearly. Wonderful!

[archcorenth]

I don't think he quite has the feeling of the first movement, but I'm glad I stayed listening because the third is as good as it could be. :-)

[syusei225]

いかついけど、やさしい音ｗ

[orangeandhoney]

this guy's expressions and his hand movement looks exactly like yundi's. how funny. he sways just like him too

[debussyman88]

captures the spirit of Ravels Sonatine sublimely....

[MusikalischesHaus]

Yes-you are so right @debussyman88. No other performer on YouTube did it as well as him!

[raddemelker]

@MauriceRavel900 For me it still is too fast. I'm playing the first movement at the moment, and I love it when it is slow enough to hear every single tone. That doesn't mean I want degrade Fung, he is definitely a great pianist and miles and hundred of miles better than me...

[brianallancobb]

This was in heavy rotation on my CD player when my first born was conceived. It is ineffably poignant.

As is Pavane pour un Infante defunte and the solo piano version of the Mother Goose Suite.

Thank you for the post. (I've lost the CD, and it was getting worn out, in any case.)

[mmmgalaxychoc]

nice facial expressions

[blazzor80]

Very good interpretation.

[johnnybgood12345]

I don't care if he's a snob, look at how much he's enjoying himself!

[arcturian627]

11 months after my first comment... I can play the piece pretty much off the top of my head now. But my interpretation is still not nearly as good as his. The more I practice and the more I come back, the more I appreciate all the color and nuances he put into this performance. As extraordinary as the first time I heard it, and maybe a step more. :D Amazing piece played by an amazing performer.

[PBBro1997]

Unlucky for the 13 a**holes who didn't like this.

You suck.

[mmmgalaxychoc]

DAVID IS A LEGEND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[883plum]

can anyone detect a short melody line adapted and expanded by George Gershwin in Porgy and Bess? clue: comes in at 0:55.

[sychokillin]

wonderfull enterpretation but i have never heard richter play sonatine....

[poilsemar]

super interprétation very good interpretation bravo congratulation !!!!

[angela1894]

He's hamming it up a bit too much, pretending to be "feeling" way too much. It just looks so fake. He's trying to hide his lack of feeling by overdoing it.

[diblawak]

@angela1894 dear angela, you seem to be a little jealous ... if you could play ravel as it does, you could speak about is interpretation. he's not fake here... he feels each note...

[Xnihpsel]

@diblawak he fails* each note

[jcracker]

@angela1894 classical music snobs need to die in a fire

[mozart20dlubos]

@jcracker I agree with you, David Fung is such a snob

[maddorox]

@angela1894 you dont understand music at all :) ... his playing is extremely musical ... so stfu :)

[GingerJoberton]

Fantastic. 'Liked'. 'Favourited'.

[newhands9b]

ah ravel...

[dmaranan]

9:01 - 9:10 was beautifully done!

[iansquared3]

@dmaranan very beutiful indeed, but i want to strangle the guy who was coughing during that part!!!

[poofypeach]

my piano teacher does not stop talking about David Fung

and i can see why =]

[Mezzotenor]

This is the interpretation I wish I could have given the piece when I studied it. The tempos neither dawdle nor run away (the stringendo at the very end IS correct), and I like the occasional highlighting of inner lines. Also, many of Ravel's curious harmonies, e.g., simultaneous lowered and raised 7ths, are subtly rendered. Thank you, Mr. Fung, and I look forward to hearing more of your work.

[iamthebirdman888]

@Mezzotenor i always love that thing he does with two 7ths...he seems to have liked using that

[horses1]

I think the tempo works here.

[bassethound1]

Delicious!

[maddorox]

@TheSecretPhantom ye and dont tell me your not human and you dont make mistakes.... i would rather hear david play this with musicality and warmth and make a few mistakes, than to hear YOU play this dry and unmusically and with every note correct , that would be like dumping a bucket of ice cold water over my head... oh wait why am i trying to defend david? his playing says it all..... NOOB

[Chaney547]

His really good. I heard him play chopin's ballade number 3

[vikahills]

Great job! But I would like to hear more dynamic contrasts and slow it down just a little.

[dalethomasdewitt]

It was to get in all on one youtube video. What's wrong with you logic. Obviously.

[jungmans90]

unbelievable.

[spazcyn]

Lovely.....just lovely.

[demosj]

Lovely playing, how did Mr. Fung do at this competition?

[shieldmaiden4x]

He was laureate, won for best classical concerto and best performance of piano music.

[philaufan6]

9:30 rocks!

[MrFireonice]

I love it!

[AscaliusXIII]

sublime

excepcionalmente bonita a la vez que compleja

de las mejores obras, desde mi punto de vista, para piano

intentare tocarla ^^

[iansquared3]

the key change at the end of the first movement is supppper hard

[simnos1]

All music is based on repetition. There's lots of it in classical music.

[matthew1722]

Not compared to pop and rap music, which deosn't really compare to classical however.

[simnos1]

True. Classical music tends to 'develop' rather than simply 'repeat.'

[arcturian627]

I'm learning how to play the third movement, and listening to his interpretation is both an inspiration and an "OMAIGAWD DAYUM I CAN NEVER PLAY LIKE HIM!!!" Amazing playing.

[sarabella]

Best rendition I have heard on Youtube - very crisp and clean, but still lovely. Favorited...

[lecochonbleu]

It's wonderful to hear this. It's amazing to hear such very fine technique in such a musically and spiritually full performance.

[lazyypigg]

Nicely played...even though i heard a few mistakes. Well done~!

[ganana0tube]

5.17 --- FROTH

[jannokas85]

Besides his excellent technique I can hear what he has understood of this piece in the way he uses the dynamics and it takes me so high...I'm mesmerized.

[Seithr10]

His tempo is perfect. Good voicing and very fluid. Lovely feel.

[otheoendo]

He American of Japanese ? or Chinese ?

[iansquared3]

hes born in hong kong, but lives in australia

[scandenavius]

australian

[maddorox]

chinese :)

[maddorox]

honky - aussie :)

[ThePianoMaster]

David Fung is one of the most artistic and natural musicians of our time. What a pianist! Thank you for posting.

[sdsowen]

I agree - he is an incredible pianist, and plays with such color and imagination.

[binna42]

i love love love love love love the clarity of this interpretation, but sometimes when he reaches a particularly important/poignant note it looks like he's smelling something raunchy. just thought i'd point that out.

[ZyggyStarrlust]

the repeated phrase at 40 seconds is the most amazing thing

[Ckorn123]

C'est pas trop top shape ca la.

[jazzkeyboardman]

Essaies donc de faire la meme chose toi-la.

[werq34ac]

hahhaha, for once, no one is coughing...

[Medsas]

1st movement: 0:00

2nd movement: 4:03

3rd movement: 7:17

(for easy reference)

[lecochonbleu]

Lovely. I've seldom heard mvt. 1 so lovely fast. "Fast?", many would ask, "it's not fast." I happen to think most people play this too fast.This blasted movement, one of my favourites ever written, often has me worked up so much beause I can't find and keep a satisfactory speed. It's so, so, so beautiful much slower than usually played. But at the end of day the peice is in 2/4, duple time (and certainly not 4/8). It is just possible to play it sounding in a clear but really slow 2/4. Very hard.

[exaltedsky]

pretty sick, i played this song when i was younger and never really appreciated it

very chilly/ethereal feel to his play

[realscruffy]

I think is the best interpretation in web!

music is a line, not a wave! I think this guy understood this..

[kikiubovilla]

a line ...though not lineal

[OrangeSodaKing]

A pianist named Gregory Partain recorded this on his first CD it is superb. But this is an amazing interpretation too. It's slightly faster than the other, but it's still great.

[DennisChoy1]

cool and beautiful sound. but I wanna listen just music not video sorry.

[theodorevoelkel]

just wanna listen? then simply close your liddies!

[maddorox]

or scroll down and view comments xD ...whats so bad about the video o.o'' it shows davids techniques and expressive quality :D

[OrangeSodaKing]

You could open a new window/tab and resume your internet browsing.

[insertoriginaluser]

Gosh, this inspires me to keep working hard at my piano xD I love this interpretation!

[superhao69]

this is very hard to play.

David Fung really has talent.

Fluid, perfect and amazing moves!

[lilly763]

I really like this interpretation. The clarity (which some people may not like) makes it much more interesting for me.

[GilbertLamMusic]

I really like this piece - heard it quite a few times. I think I would have preferred it with more pedal at the beginning.

[jackyriko]

very good!!! lovely piece~~

[cowkillerX16]

very nice, im about to start this piece and ur playing has set a very good foundation and inspiration for me :)

[Sliwaaa]

Well, having heard the Prelude of "Pour le Piano" and this Sonatine, I can say that the Prelude is more dissonant in some parts (like the chords which come before the Glissando), but still good, if well-played.

I think that there's a bit of Debussy in this Sonatina as well (compared to Bruyères, La Fille aux cheveux de Lin, or maybe to the Toccata). That would still pretty normal since the two french compositors belong to the same epoch, and that Debussy had an impact on Ravel's music.

[LuffyBalls]

damn, u went to james ruse too

lol, u a former student of minte too?

[maddorox]

which teacher are u :D

[chermainepianofreak]

this interpretation of ravel's sonatine is AWESOME !

[foreveringreen]

that last final chord is breathtaking

[gothicelmo]

lovely!

[chermainepianofreak]

enjoyable performance !!

[ninsanjin]

very sincere

[yongsarah]

david~~~~~~haha

so beautiful

[somedudeplayingpiano]

this is al long sonatina :P

[nycfemale2008]

very nice.

[jannokas85]

Beautiful!

[N8Shokr]

maybe i'm missing something, but this is pretty much verbatim Debussy's pour le piano suite. was it some sort of tribute to him?

[maddorox]

lol.. give a -6 rating for a wrong name that is right? -__-'

[DontBlameThePianist]

I can't tell if I like this interpretation or not...it's played very crisp, maybe a little too crisp. Either way, it was a joy to watch. I'm preparing this peice for a concert this fall. It always helps to watch a pro.

[giliukas]

perfect

[bocata008]

bastante precipitado jejej