ALFRED BRENDEL - Moonlight Sonata (1st mvt)

[GinoS1977]

Es una delicia!!!!

[Finarphin]

This is an intensely spiritual rendition.

[sidesplitter07]

An excellent version, but, after listening to dozens of gifted performers playing this piece my preference is still Wilhelm Kempff. Magical, dreamy, inspiring and six and a half minutes of lost time. Treat yourself and listen to Wilhelm Kempff play this piece on youtube - beautiful.

[paradoxicus]

En el arte la perfección,posiblemente no exista.Aquí no solo lo roza,lo hace suyo.¿¡Perfecto?!

[simmo303]

A fine version. How cruel of nature to wreck his hands with arthritis.

[Videogamerfan1441]

The first time I heard Alfred Brendel he was playing Beethoven's Choral Fantasy at Carnagie Hall doing the 100th anniversary of the building. With the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. He said he didn't have time to rehearse. And he nailed it, a flawless performance. I wish I could find that performance.

[Angepianiste]

@Videogamerfan1441

Thank you very much for telling this fine anecdote ! =)

Best wishes,

Olivia

[sfkeating]

When one watches Brendel play, he often does so with closed eyes. He does this as he goes elsewhere, to commune with God. Only in this way does he so deeply touch the soul with mere notes on a written page.

Perhaps, it is God's gift to us that Beethoven and Brendel did what they have done. W, witness that our souls, and God, must surely exist by reason of such perfected sound.

Some day, when my time has come, I wish that it would be Brendel I hear as the last sounds of this world.

[behywelzebub]

@sfkeating Hitler was another of God's great gifts and not just one but two hundred forms of cancer. I wish God would stick his gifts where the sun don't shineth.

[ugle99]

The best version i have heard so far, it's almost to perfect :)

[1mariamariamaria]

Perfection... I am in awe! ! ! Will go read some of Mr Brendel's writing as well... So elegant, so eloquent, so perceptive... Especially where he says that a performer's first duty is to the composer and to the piece -- and that is why this sounds so sublime, so much better than anyone else's (even the somewhat overmuted William Kempff, who is also playing a less sonorous instrument, or overdamping the sound...)

[TheLaluna1]

I just love this piece, thank you for posting it!

[LivaTryon615]

Dnload the audio from this tune at tubepull doht cohm.

[Varese13]

@paullubliner "Yeah you can simulate it real good with a Midi Computer."

I suppose certain older pianos may sound a bit like that, but certainly not all. Believe me, it really is instructive to hear this and other music from this period on first-rate reconstructions of instruments the composer would have known. It sometimes helps one make sense of the markings that can no longer be executed on the modern instrument, i.e. why he wanted the sustain pedal down throughout this movement.

[justintrumpet21]

This is the way it should be played: as the composer would have played it himself.

Bravo Mr. Brendel!

[pisces247]

Moving...No...Haunting

[idevoted]

moved,thank you for posting such a fantastic performing.

and thank ALFRED BRENDEL.

[Varese13]

@mikrokormaki

Beethoven's piano was indeed not the piano we have become used to, and it is also true that he appears to have imagined an instrument closer to ours than not. But there are also qualities on some of the old instruments that are no longer available to us, i.e. the ghostly una corda pedal they had, which completely veiled the sound. There were other effects, as well, that would add more nuance than we can on modern instruments. Hear Jörg Demus play on older pianos. Fascinating!

[paullubliner]

@Varese13 Yeah you can simulate it real good with a Midi Computer.

[onelife271]

Alfred Brendenl is a amazing pianist.i like so much the way how he play that sonata.

[gerardbedecarter]

Beautiful in tonal nuance - of course. As a matter of my personal preference - could be slower and with more tempo rubato.

[TheBastard97]

Awesome

For those who like Moonlight Sonata, check out the games that have this song. Like the Adventures of Dr. Frankens theme song and Earthworm Jims Villi People theme. Its just awesome :D

[paullubliner]

@TheBastard97 Yeah. Awesome.

[mikrokormaki]

if Beethoven played this on his very limited piano....would anyone  like it?

[rtega]

Sure. But you would have to adapt to it.

[iluvjsjsjs]

Always breathtaking - The most beautiful melody only a genius could create.

[passacaglia28]

I really love this piece.

[purpleoscar]

This is good but I like Annie Fischer's more. Her version sounds like the moon after someone died.

[EuroInvicta]

This is much better when Rubinstein played it, but I must say I loooove Brendel's 3rd movement way better than Rubinstein, go figure.

[passerabianca]

Who are the morons that can decide whose is a better way of seeing the world, who has a better meter in feelings? Kempff, Brendel or Rubinstein? I'm very curious what they would answer if you asked them. You people can just give opinions and enlight the one whose sensitivity touch yours in a deeper way. For really sensitive people such three great interpretation are of the same quality: God speaks through a different soul.

[paullubliner]

Passerabianca: I don't agree with you but you are absolutely correct!

[etmax1]

While morons is perhaps too strong a word, I would have to agree with you, in the end it mostly boils down to a matter of taste.

[geolila1]

@etmax1 i believe Beethoven speaks through Brendel.............

[idlyen]

@geolila1

Totally agree!!!

[wayneredhart]

What a masterful pianissimo! The way he keeps those triplet notes so light is remarkable indeed...

[sam0xin]

thanks for audio. And I found error in my comment, must be: even Kempff was NOT "much enough..

[sam0xin]

Arthur Rubinstein number 1 so far.. for 1st movement of Moonlight...It's done with Less emotions, in perfect mystique mood & wisdom...even Kempff was "much enough serious..."

[paullubliner]

@sam0xin Arthur Who?

[lyralary]

Ah ! Alfred Brendel... A L F R ED B R E N D E L...

Perfect. Simple.

Only him can play this like this.

I love you... Ever more...

[Alanpini]

Too fast for me....if well played, this piece should make you cry...try Rubinsteis version which to me is the ultimate reference for this piece.

[sam0xin]

Alanpini you are the one of the RARE listeners...who can SEE the difference between diamond & glass...(check my comments...) You've got plus ! BRAVO !

[mossyburger]

this is my favourite version.

[peephole2008]

please do not dare to compare Brendel with Barenboim, they are separated by light years!

[weirdogirl303]

definantly

[Brunildilla]

Maestro Alfred Brende, you are a genius...

[Brunildilla]

Sooooo beautiful, so profound is amazing , exquisite.

[ramirodespagne]

merci monsieur brendel beethoven aurais voulu entendre cette sonate interpreté comme ca

[words2112]

d accord, le 3ieme mouvement encore plus, c est la vie en sens propre, je pense

[piwanabongo]

This composition is a profound expression of music that completely connects us to our emotions.

The human race is blessed to have the likes of Alfred Brendel and Daniel Barenboim.

[Nightfighter74]

In my humble opinion, this piece played by Alfred Brendel is the reference, all other interpretations could be compared with ...

[zxcvb249]

Exquisite.....

[neurosis12]

Don't know if I should be ashamed of myself or not, but as a (merely) grown man I cannot seem to hold back my emotiotions when I hear this masterpiece. In a way, the sonata makes me depressed and thorougly happy at the same time, in a way that confuses me. In conclusion, this is probably the most wonderful musical piece ever created, coming straight out of a, usually, emotionally stable person. If I could play this myself I would probably keep on doing it until I fall asleep on the piano. :)

[peterszilagyi]

Very well put into words, I couldn't agree more. I did learn this piece for the sole purpose of playing it to myself over and over again. Brendel's interpretation is my favourite one.

[oregonskateok]

I find myself trying to to cry when I play this all of the time. Its ok =)

[nevertheless123]

@neurosis12 dont be ashamed. You are feeling that way because that is the desired effect of this music. Try learning it on the piano. Its fun and feels even better.

[paullubliner]

@neurosis12; Yeah this kinda does that stuff to yah.

[looterish]

@neurosis12 Yes, you echo my sentiments exactly towards this and a few other great Romantic pieces. I'm glad to see that someone else shares my intense emotional interaction with Beethoven.

[adolfhitler7]

wondelful video.

wonderful words.you do understand the prinsipels of life

[lyralary]

merveilleux...

Brendel is a Supreme God...

[Angepianiste]

Thank you so much for your lovely comment !

[hellomate639]

He's merely a very talented human being.

He has no supernatural powers. His brain is designed in a way to subjectively understand the psychology of how the human brain reacts to pitch, and timing in pitch, which is merely pressure waves moving through the air.

The universe would be so barren to oneself if one were to give up the idea of God.

I gotta say, Alfred Brendel is to the piano as Usain Bolt is to sprinting. That includes how well their names just match up with their talents...

[Trixtah]

Why do you need an idea of God when mortals can compose and play music as wonderful as this?

[hellomate639]

More of spirituality, because then all of this beautiful music is merely the culmination of randomness.

However, I've found other things out since I posted this comment. My world veiw has changed a lot since then, as it always is.

My ideas now are very unique, and are ones I've never heard from anyone anywhere. It would take far to long to explain.

[michaelpiano1]

man i'm sorry i marked you ass spam by mistake... i wanted to comment..

In any way i wanted to say that if there was no idea of God many of this music would be never written...

But you can look at it in another way:

A religion is something that gives you an answer, so maybe this music is actually another religion, because it gives us an answer to?

[weirdogirl303]

your acting like your god ... which you are not

[weirdogirl303]

like your special ?

[hellomate639]

I'm atheist now, unlike then, but strangely enough the idea I had, which relates to consciousness, still holds up. Though, now that I am less arrogant, I know that I am not the first to think of it...

[simcha181818]

@lyralary No person is possibly Gd, nor is any person supreme. You can say about Alfred Brendel that is very gifted, which he certainly is, that he is very profound, etc. but he still is a most vulnerable and mortal creature like you and me.

[idlyen]

@simcha181818

I simply wanted to say to you: don't take the comment lyralary gave too seriously.

[moghedien13]

@simcha181818 lyralary can say whatever he/she wants. get off your high horse and enjoy the piece.

[semibreve99]

My absolute favourite rendition. After listening to many, this is perfection. I hope Mr. Brendel hears this. Thank-you.

[leanmv]

I completely agree with you! and playing particulary Mozart and Beethoven is superb. My favorite pianist

[Darkholme1]

Great piece and great performance!

[paleryder2]

Thank you so much for posting this...made my day!

[Angepianiste]

You welcome ! I would rather say : thank you for watching it !

Kisses !