Rian De Waal plays Godowsky-Strauss' Kunsterleben

[horatiodreamt]

This is a fine performance. Godowsky's son-in-law David Saperton recorded this piece in the 1950s.

[akkadian4]

why is the picture quality of this youtube bad? Pixilated, slow moving and jumpy frame-by-frame picture that doesn't match the audio very well.

[wietboy]

he's my oncle he has a house in bilthoven utrecht friesland he has a dochter and a wife wife has cancer =P enough information i think

[kasyapa]

this is one of the youtubes i return to again and again. i look forward to experiencing more of this artist's work. pure pleasure.

[martello79]

dear daeviydt, Rian de Waal is still in a very good condition and lives in Utrecht in Holland. He recently bought an old farmers house and turned it into a recording studio. Hopefully there is more to come up soon!

[Pianowrestler]

Did he sell his studio in Amsterdam? I was there a couple of years for a rehearsal with a violinist, his Steinway grand played very heavy...

[martello79]

I guess he did. Since he and his wife moved to Hilversum and later Utrecht their focus has moved somewhat away from Amsterdam. His studio is now in a concert farm in the rustique village of Valthermond

[Pianowrestler]

A "concert farm", a good idea! The first thing an artist needs is silence...

[mcmilld1]

This is a top-notch performance of an overlooked masterpiece. It is unfortunate, though, that de Waal gutted the ending by omitting the most crucial part of the piece not only here, but in BOTH of his recordings.

That being said, the quality of the upload is horrendous. My copy doesn't look anything like this. I am going to try and reupload it and see if it runs more smoothly.

[kasyapa]

did you ever reupload it? i'd love to see it!

[erpooh]

I suggest that you remove it immediately, it's a waste of my time.

[kasyapa]

that would be because you have no ears.

[popololopopolo]

oh my the video quality is sooooo sucky oh no i need to do something

[daeviydt]

I only have ONE disc by de Waal, the Godowsky disc on Hyperion... where's he gone, what's he doing? Despite the video imperfections, this SURE is an exciting performance!

[martello79]

dear daeviydt, Rian de Waal is still in a very good condition and lives in Utrecht in Holland. He recently bought an old farmers house and turned it into a recording studio. Hopefully there is more to come up soon!