Francesco Libetta : Chopin Godowsky Revolutionary Etude

[gapoc459]

This (and medici in general) is the best camera editing for classical music I have ever seen; love stuff like 0:09 and 2:52!!!! And, of course, the performance is amazing.

[colourfulwithaU]

Musical purism is stupid. Grow up, guys. This is not only an incredibly useful exercise for the left hand, and a very impressive stunt, it's also quite beautiful. Yes, someone thinks it's beautiful.

[EripmavRaye]

@lidcrish how is this disgraceful? There are plenty of variations of pieces. Plus, props to Libetta. marc andre Hamelin and some other guy were the only two to even record Godowsky's studies on chopin's etudes. And Libetta is the only guy to play the whole set memorized. Definitely not disgraceful. Instead, I would like to call this "biwinning". By playing this, first off, AMAZINGLY & as a performance. And two, by being the first to even do this. Show some respect my friend. Libetta is awesome.

[katelizabeth21]

with one hand!!!!!!!!! in my dreams I couldn't do that with two! like if you agree!

[lidcrish]

The first best comment is just retarded... Bloody hell, if you want go beyond Chopin's Revolutionary Etude, play something more difficult, e.g. Etude in C-minor op.10 no.4. This is just disgraceful though...

[trfinck]

If he was drinking a tea in his right hand, I'd say he was pretty bad ass!

[JoeTownley]

Not brave enough to get within twenty feet of a publication these transcriptions. I'd rather keep my sanity.

Oh, by the way, please stop by my YT page and have a listen to my Second Piano Concerto. Much appreciated.

[LePatay]

Godowsky was a wanker.

[cowzilla8]

Hmmmm, I'm taking a shot that Godowsky is left-handed.

[difluorethane]

lovely performance!!!! 12 stars!!!

[MrMetallicMentality]

Try that with Moonlight Sonata...

[ugnegunar]

it would be great if his right hand is doing another thing, like juggling, by the way is he left handed?

[RelapseGuitarer]

@ugnegunar at that point does it even matter if he's left handed. I'm left handed and I definitely think that is any easier. He could probably play it with his right as well. There is just more musical movement on the lower end of the keyboard

[ugnegunar]

@RelapseGuitarer I am playing this etude, so just got curious about it. never thought of playing it by just a single left hand with melody on it. It would be more difficult to play it on right hand, that I promised you. The arrangement is built for left hand to play.

[perinp]

Godowsky make this study even much more revolutionary - fantastic

Francesco Libetta interpretation is outstanding and so expressive - I remain without any breath, just enough to say Bravissimo (pictures are splendid also) - THANKS

[TheFrightenersDeath]

GEEZUS !!

He Would definitively win against Robo Satan

i play the piano since i am 7 .. and this is awesome! 

[Laudan08]

I love this Libetta's performance. And i HATE when a piece that's played excellent ends with such a poor and weak applause. SHAME ON THAT AUDIENCE.

[skimask777]

Wow

[Erikk91]

zero music in this: a midi could play better. but it isnt libetta, it is the composition itself that is boring

[dayandnightmassaging]

these etudes.

The only people who were mad at Godowsky were hard nosed critics who thought that touching these sacred pieces was a travesty. They almost managed to erase Godowsky from history, but the music eventually spoke for itself. It is a shame that a man who taught so many great pianists, and created an output that rivals Rachmaninoff in technique and beauty is tossed aside so easily.

But, of course, it is okay for Rachmaninoff to rewrite Flight of the Bumblebee and Chopin pieces. yes?

[dayandnightmassaging]

People who think this is vandalism don't understand piano or music history in the slightest. Rachmaninoff, Ravel, Hoffman, and just about every pianist during his day thought that Godowsky was a god.

Does Hoffman get crap for modifying Chopin's 1st concerto? I doubt it, but if you have the music in front of you, you would see how Hoffman adds and takes away notes at liberty. Godowsky was the master of Legato touch, and even Hoffman himself, in his book on piano playing, suggests learning...

[roy72chi]

Mostruoso !!!

[MegaVEGA7k]

Wow...break boundaries

[xtfcr7]

Let's see Lang Lang play that... I doubt he can. ☺

[MarcheseCadmio88]

Bwaaargh! I need 4 hands to play this!

Libetta forever

[belialah]

i saw him live playing this as a bis, amazing.....

[pietromestu]

his and the berezowsky performance are the best ones!! here is all about making it sound like the hands used are two! technique, musical taste and pedalling! it is great also to have an italian virtuoso of such talent!

[thenamesfrancisco]

haha chopin would be proud

[angelfuree]

1:53-2:00 is absolutely orgasmic.

[ilcavalierriccardo]

bravo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­!

[laiuewgv]

2:05 where did they put the camera??

[gingervirtuoso]

@laiuewgv good question o.o either its one of big brother's secret nanoscopic HD cameras and the agents watching it in a white van just HAD to go out and show the world... or more likely, they had a camera over his shoulder shoot the reflection of his hand on the piano ?? maybe ??

[laiuewgv]

@gingervirtuoso if it is the reflection we see, it should look mirrored. I don't know, really...

[chrisellekate]

he's playing it all with one hand! now that's skill:)

[TMusic5]

Plain and simple: Brilliant. 

[xxDressedInBlackxx]

i wonder whether godowsky had the idea to transcribe this etude for the left hand only from wittgenstein...

[leopianotuner]

I wonder why Godowsky made so many left -hand only versions of Chopin's etudes.

[MrRicksStudio]

@leopianotuner Godowsky did a good bit of writing and arranging for the left hand alone. Solving technical problems was something of a fetish for him. He may have been steered in this direction by Paul Wittgenstein, but I am not sure. Wittgenstein to my knowledge did not commission any left hand works from Godowsky, but perhaps G. had written so many already, he didn't have to.

[mariekedz]

kickass!!!!!!

[carlsjoseph13]

TOO SLOW! Chopin is better

[Aul1kki]

It's funny how well made even the front lid is since you can make so clear video from it's reflection like in 1:33. Wonderful piece and wonderfully played! People like me who like this sort of "circus acts" in front of piano, this is full enjoy!

[chutdigadut]

wow....Godowsky took the whole etude for the left hand thing WAAY too far lol this just isn't even far

[jacopotore1]

cazzo...

[MrMrMikayel]

Bravissimo MAESTRO!!!

[msh1348]

I agree with yall points but seems two handed is played faster.

[mistybollox]

BRILLIANT!

[DreamsAreEssential]

:| How can you play that with one hand? Great ;)

[Brackhmmarr]

insane

[jacoman1234567]

Bravo!

[vocality44]

haha His right hand looks very bored. Time for the left hand to shine!

[superjam18]

at least he wont be totally down if he ever loses one of his hands

[xYEAHxKYLEx]

wow i find this song hard enough with 2 hands now i go and find some guy that can play it with one. =]

[keepthemusicplaying0]

What an amazing performance!!!!

[MusicalFeelings]

Stupendo!!

[PianoTHIS]

cool

[gtimny]

To those who say this is "pointless" "vandalism" or "Chopin's original is better" I say - take a pill. For God's sake the original is still there, supreme and unsullied, for anyone who wants to play it. Chopin's IS better music - that's not the point. The point of Godowsky's studies is to go BEYOND - in some cases WAY beyond, the technical skills of Chopin's day. This is a stunt, and a pretty good one. Should we stop trying to advance piano technique?

[jebsievers]

@gtimny Yes that's very well said. God I wish there was a good piano educator here in Nebraska so I can advance to this level (or even half this level).

[MrStrav81]

@gtimny

I agree. I don't think what you say is true of all arrangements though. Godowsky's are very interesting. And playing a piece for the left hand alone is ALWAYS a good stunt.

[y1g1tcn]

it looks very tiring for the hand. good performance.

[K43TOC]

awesome

[lhc89]

this guy deserved far more applause from the audience, and this is godowsky's arrangement of chopin's revolutionary etude for the left hand alone, this performance does perfect justice to the original, while it may not be as groudnbreaking, it in no way ruins it, this was a very musical performance indeed.

[mdeonx16]

Libetta and Hamelin are gods.

[wborgstro]

Line up 100 of the top pianists in the world and I will bet you couldn't find two that could do this with one hand.

This man is so far advanced mentally and physically, that he defies conventional understanding, What a wonderful talent.

[tommy9882]

Hamelin,Berezovsky,Libetta,tha­ts 3

but I agree with you

[ljoekelsoey4]

@wborgstro rubbish, berezovsky has recorded the entire set of the left hand etudes in ONE concert, and he played the 12th considerably better than signore libretta.

[cy5026]

that is THE HAND from ADAM'S FAMILY!!!!!!!

[TheBenjerman]

this is freakiin amazing!

[flic71]

... a parte che hai delle mani bellissime (in tutti i sensi)...

[NormanicusDiabolicus]

Very difficult but what's the point! This is a terrible vandalisation of poor Chopin. Unlike Chopin there really is no music value to this stuff!

[debussy84]

I agree, this sucks. And he looks like an idiot playing with one hand.

[neidarac]

hands burning?

[Liptonater]

this is ridiculous. pointless. showing off

[Fraga1ma]

wow, one hand...

[kubanskamac]

Funny, insightful, yet so pointless...

[bones1343]

as difficult as liszt's pieces are, i wonder what he'd say to godowsky's transcriptions lol

[bogidis]

crap...it would be intresting to play also with his penis ...then i would say bravo

[XDarKMogX]

haha

[xxtuxxx]

THIS IS RIDICULOUS.

[purpstheturtle]

holy shit.

[i1l]

Great rendition.

I'm somewhat amazed at people who are making comments that this is nothing compared to Chopin's original. Its a Left Hand study, etude. It's meant to be a study in technique, dexterity, and agility of the left hand, the fact that this pianist is able to add something to the study is downright amazing. Hats off to anyone who can make it through the godowsky left hand studies.

[sergeflousier]

Consider this etude as an ETUDE, a fun and moving work to exercise your hands, and you will realise the beauty of the piece....

[kimhyunjoongfan23]

dumb

[debypianist]

Eccezionale....

[mrchopin89]

btw where can I got this score? I love this song especially this version. it would be a big challange for me to study. I seems impossible..haha

[reddoghud]

You can find the sheet music for this and the rest of the Godowsky versions of Chopin's études on IMSLP (search google for it, first choice).

[xaxvuna]

ohhh no! his isn's the level of chopins genial music. original version is th greatest piece in msical history

[mrchopin89]

It's C sharp minor!

[tweriovnzxclb]

Alright, seems like a decent bassline... now improvise with right hand. ^__^

[tritus67]

Just wonderful! great, GREAT, great!!!!

[MetalNicola]

o mio dio.

Sono scioccato.

[PrestoTenebroso]

Too many jump cuts!

[TheLovelyPiano]

Omg! What a genius! HOW in the WORLD can he do this? I'm having trouble with TWO hands, let alone ONE??? Omg!

BRAVO!!!! Wonderfully done!

A 10 star performance, but can only give 5.

Favored too!

[Pianista061292]

Oh my god...! This is so confusing and hard.....when I saw him playing the Godowsky version with only one hand...I felt myself inexpert.........=(

[crkkos]

incredible.... and a great tempo... how can anybody do this

[FranzofL]

That was very amazing.

[ZSBong]

OMG!!!!!!!!! This is awesome

[vKyleValentineV]

May the higher powers help anyone working on this piece. Wow.

[miiicklyn]

awesome O:

im trying this piece myself and im trying to learn it in a month=p anybody thinks its possible?HAHA

[Imahaxxor]

I couldn't have done that even if I had 8 hands... :P

[VFBandi89]

is the right hand broken?

[libetta]

ironically, either only right or left hand attempting to play this by any unskilled player will have his hands broken

[virtualetude]

come on...why you just can't play it like Chopin wrote it

[larayang1]

It's a left-hand transcription by Leopold Godowsky.

[babak240sx]

Take your right hand out of your pants and use it...dont sh**t on a dead guys piece.....

[pianotc]

Yeah, I would say he can play :)

[gianpaga11]

Impressionante virtuosismo!

Incredibile!

[lalityatya]

How nice!

left hand???

awesome!

[AvidHobbyist]

why mess with a good thing??????

[flightnings]

nice! one hand! even left! beautifully played...^^

[FelicisFeline]

How did they get some of those camera angles? It looks like there was a camera inside the piano!

[better0001]

jeje ni con 2 me la puedo, awesome

[volodya2]

He plays better whit one and that many other pianist whit both.

[goodmanmusica]

eccezionale!

[olgabenitoharp]

Incredible!

[luigi1098]

1 hand!!! =D

[scriabin007]

i like it!

[TysonMS]

Gotta love that view.

[Aul1kki]

Agree. Finally camera shows player's hands. It's annoying when there is hard part you can only see audience or player's face.

[trigalg693]

LOL yes I completely agree, that happens so many times, when the hard part happens to be when they decide to go to a different angle.

[callenishss]

lolll!!

[BrentAudi]

Awesome!

Brent