Valery Gergiev conducts Vienna Phil Prokofiev Sym1 Classique

[Yelanahaya]

What was fast? 1:59?

This isn't very fast!

[mrotwist]

Felix Mendelssohn was 16 when he wrote the Overture to A Midsummer Night's Dream - a masterpiece!

[smay96]

they play gavotte better than i can hope to in my middle school years lol

[pointreyes6]

he could perform this with a couple of toasters

[brandonscherrer]

I think Prokofiev composed this at the age of 13 or 11, cant rememebr

[JupiterAdept]

@brandonscherrer Nah, he was about 26.

[brandonscherrer]

@JupiterAdept hmmm, Wikipedia is wrong..

[debrucey]

@brandonscherrer About 27 actually

[Sviolinist]

@brandonscherrer You're a fool. Prokofiev was 26 years old when he completed this symphony. What kind of idiot would attribute this symphony to an 11 year old, let alone a 13 year old? If you want to hear a great symphony, listen to Schubert's 1st. I think he was 15 or 16 when he wrote it.

[brandonscherrer]

@Sviolinist Schubert?? Please! Beethoven is the best!

[Sviolinist]

@brandonscherrer Read the conversation that you replied to before you make assumptions. Beethoven was 30 years old when he completed his first symphony, and Schubert was like 16. I was saying - if you want to hear a great full-scale symphony composed by a teenager, listen to Schubert. This other fool was claiming that Prokofiev wrote his first symphony when he was pre-teenage. A laughable assumption at best.

[Walzerfan]

nana - clarinet solo !!! don´t run ... should not happen at the Vienna Phil ...

Flutes are not together either ... tsts ...

but who can play with gergiev´s soft hand ... ,-)))

[xxdLLxx]

@Walzerfan Besides, they actually are together. It's a flute duet, it's not a unison. It's supposed to sound that way. 

[ThePlutino]

@Walzerfan it's too fast. how could they play right with such a fast tempo? gergiev is insane...

[Violetatorelli]

Extraordinary performance! BRAVO, MAESTRO!!!

The great and unique spirit of Russian music can be felt in every instrument. Superb! Thank you!!!

[phrasewale1]

is that 5 o'clock shadow or is the conductor really dirty.

[billyposter]

@phrasewale1 dunno but he married a 20 yr old chick around this time (at 47) so he aint doing to bad

[TrandomnesstwO]

There is that guy on the flute..or...the percussion instrument..oh I dont know shit about this type of music.

[madacus2]

trandomnesstw0 stick with it and trust.

[TrandomnesstwO]

Lol,yes,I do not know how so many people seem to enjoy listening to rap and heavy metal. And it is the flute*.  ?

[Signifer82]

@TrandomnesstwO I have a theory: If you listen to rap music with one neurone (all that is needed), all the other neurones complain. That's when you don't like rap.

[gortiz1989]

Gergiev is so BA

[FungoBoy]

does anybody think that gergiev was cuing every eighth note in the flute with his fingers =D

[Kalen1457]

Lol at the conductor...

[lucianocraveiro]

Great music

[abstento]

3:40 he doesn't look like Alec Baldwin that much... :(

[crotchet66]

Do you have the first movement?

[Theodorakis4]

FAAAAAAAAASTER !!!!!!!!!!

[osetian111]

Gergiev IS 10000000 % O S E T I A N

and we osetians proud of him and love him for he was in ZHIVALL to express hattress all osetian people for barbarian american agression against osetian people

WE OSETIANS WANNA MAKE SUIT IN AMERICAN COURTE FOR ILLIGAL USING OSETIAN NAME-CACAISAN IN EACH AMERICAN FORMS!

WE CONSIDER THAT THAT -"COCAISAN RACE" MEANS - OSETIAN DESCEND PEOPLES!

[leonorcitafp]

isn't this also in romeo and juliet...? Which one did he write first? the symphonie or the ballet?

[NeRienII]

I'm pretty sure that the symphony is first. I'm now reading his diaries, and his symphony 1 is amongst his earliest works. He was still about 18 or so when he wrote and had this premiered. He hadn't yet even considered ballet music.

[Tuffnel]

3.40.alec baldwin

[friedaflute]

totally!...that's so weird!

[OSSETIANgorgoch]

VALERY GERGIEV is OSSETIAN...so we feel proud of HIM... IRAETTAE RAZMAE!!!

[ceebass]

anyone notice the violinist who looks exactly like Alec Baldwin?

[ceebass]

Woah!

[SrJohnThird2]

Mi mel nobenkrat pustiti vi padec, svoj sobrat v Ossetia^ ^ ^ RSA

[powellpicc1985]

Someone drank his espresso this morning!

[talladale]

Before I even saw this comment, I watched the video and thought, Wow, this guy must have drunk a lot of coffee! For me, this is played way too fast. I've also heard some versions that are way too slow, but I found the Montreal Symphony version, conducted by Charles Dutoit (spelling probably wrong) to be spirited and lively, without being a race.

[mfas555]

I love it when you can see how conductors feel the music.

Excellent piece!

Thank you for sending me the link Matthias!

[cykill1000]

I'm floored by how he fast he gets them to play. The flutes are even keeping up(for the most part)with this tempo but the orchestra sounds amazing as always. Here's something you mite not have noticed look at Werner Hink(the concertmaster) at 2:32.There having so much fun it's awesome to watch

[bachelbel]

yeah, when i first heard the recording i was so impressed of the speed because the first version i heard was karajan's and he was conducting like the tempo is allegro. gergiev followed exactly what prokofiev wrote on the score, the last movement it's molto vivace, and it should be played as fast as possible!

[cykill1000]

Agreed, I don't think that to many orchestras could pull this off. Probably Berlin, Chamber of Europe for sure. The Abbado recording is closing in on this speed and its quite good as well. Gergiev has a great energy for russian music of course and it flows through every part of his music making. He really gives this performance a great read.

[flutemaniac]

one word describes this performance: fantastic

[ThaSchwab]

One word describes this piece: fantastic.

[musiplusi]

'fantastic' is by berlioz -

this is more 'classique' :)

[foomark]

I've listen to these two pieces for the better part of 45 years now. They were on the "B" side of a Peter and the Wolf album my parents purchased when I was a child. These have always been my favorite. This performance is nothing short of astounding; I really shouldn't listen at work because I feel silly when I start crying here music of this quality played with such intensity.

[q6drum]

Stravinsky7: Gergiev is a fantastic conductor of Prokofiev, and has studied his works extensively. He is a much more credible authority than you. Also, Prokofiev's music is demanding, and the musicians are simply workin' hard - it doesn't look unnatural. Any real musician knows that when you get completely inside the music, you can feel it in every inch of your body. It's a clean, emotive performance. Put away your score, take off your lab coat, and listen. Maybe you'll learn something.

[Kolnikov]

I think you should LISTEN, instead of watching facial expressions of musiciens.

the point here is that maintaining the concentration in follow the tempo , make irrelevant how musicians do it with his face or with his body.

[egoakl]

if they play it faster its better than playing slower

[Iriecarver]

It would be nice if every now and then there are listeners who actually look at the scores to see if the tempos commented upon are corrct. This score is known for being technically vicious to the point of being virtually impossible.

[Kolnikov]

Only Bernstein could be better:-)

[chiotik]

That's the tempo Prokofiev would be fond of- Bravo Gergiev

[stravinsky7]

I'm sure it could be played this fast and I never said that it couldn't, but the movement of the players is just not natural...watch the actual people.

I know my literature...I actually have the Dover score for this work. It says the fourth movement is to be played at half-note equals 152 and this is between 172-174. Check a metronome.

[tiredarms]

The unnatural movement of the players is I believe due to the physical demands of playing that tempo, and playing it well. What I mean is that this orchestra never lets their comfort level dictate the music. They do what needs to be done to articulate properly and have a good sound. If you play that many notes, that fast, and want to use the right amount of bow... you bet you're gonna be shaking.

[tiffanynicolega]

yep thats how fast it goes.. if you dont know your literature dont comment!!!!!!

[johnaxelrod]

Its not sped up, its just played fast. and it is possible. Have faith in what the musicians can play.

[stravinsky7]

This was tampered with. I love this song, but it is pretty clear that it was sped up...

Loot at 2:45 (the string player-viola?-on the right is shaking violently), 3:25 (the conductor's bouncing is unnatural), 3:41 (the violinist on the left is shaking too fast), 4:25 (both of the third row violinists are vibrating unnatural), and these are just a few.

[Clarimans]

For me it's the hands! Gergiev shimmers! I don't believe it was tampered with. VSO is one of the worlds best. I'm sure they've played this one hundreds of times. Ah, one day...

[FancyPantsProducers]

Alec Baldwin at 3:44???

And...Amazingly fast. Pretty cool. Conductor has a light, but powerful control.

[SatinWorship]

Moron-like comment under mine. No one would bother doing such tricks. This is called mastery, not speed-up.

[graham915]

clearly this was speed up, watch it again, it seems like its on fast forward!

[Gilgalad09]

Gergiev is one of my favorite modern conductors-- he feels the music more than really conducts the rhythm. Vienna Philharmonic doesn't need to be shown the exact rhythm to play the piece correct, so he shows them how he wants the piece to be felt. <3 He's a very passionate guy.

[sisterfister55]

How odd that I heard this same performance (different poster) a couple of weeks ago and hated it, yet now find the tempo impressive and entertaining.

[sisterfister55]

Wow, that is SO FAST! What's crazier is that the orchestra can just do it like it's nothing.

This conductor makes me laugh...he's barely got a pattern; just enough to keep a tempo. This is pretty much awesome.