Added: 4 years ago
From: jormundgard
Views: 294,435
Sort by time | Sort by thread (beta)

Link to this comment:

Share to:
see all

All Comments (401)

Sign In or Sign Up now to post a comment!
  • das ist das beste stück auf erden

  • Just amazing and eternal!

  • That's an odd sounding harpsichord

  • Ich finde dieses Stück sehr dynamisch und die Fuge ist exzellent! :O

    Ich wünschte ich könnte so gut spielen! Der Typ hat es echt drauf!

  • Wonderful !

  • okay what make is Richter's Double Harpsichord?

    i would very much like it if someone would please answer my question. thank you

  • Of course Bach would barely have recognized such a monstrous "harpsichord" as this mid-20th century behemoth! But every generation must discover and re-interpret the great music of the past, and here is a great example of the "preservation of fire". Exciting!

  • Goodness, technically most of you are incorrect. Cembalo is about as "German" as the word "Piano." It's of Italian origin! My comment is directed to the people calling Cembalo specifically a German word.

  • My favourit part of this performance is actually in the beginning when he does the trill with his nameless and little finger. Anybody who has ever tried that knows what I'm talking about.

  • Almost superhuman! Who could top that?

  • The look at 4:35 is saying "I swear to God if you get the boom in the shot ONE MORE TIME I am going to slam your head in this harpsichord."

  • I love how on the surface he looks like he does not give a damn. I mean the look he gives at 4:35 is one of utter comfort and ease. A true master!

  • Richter's intensity is exhausting to listen to. How does he not pass out at the end of it? My absolutely favorite performer of Bach, by miles and miles.

  • Karl has always been my favourite Bach interpreter. this video proves why he is and always will be the best on Bach

  • Un grand interprète de Bach dans une pièce absolument magnifique.

  • TE AMO¡¡¡

  • genius!!

  • I love the look on his face at 4:36. It clearly says "I am not even trying".

  • gli angeli in terra esistono....questa è la prova

  • KARL RICHTER: " Magnificcent & Extraordinary "...That's all...

  • MERAVIGLIA !! MERAVIGLIA !!! Karl Richter, divinità assoluta della storia dell'interpretazione alle tastiere di Johann Sebastian Bach. Richter sapeva irradiare come una luce infinita, tutto quello che esiste dentro l'opera di Bach. Maestosità, echi misteriosi e arcani, fraseggi eleganti, esposizione delle voci e delle modulazioni, analisi della struttura da ingegnere nucleare !!!! Karl Richter è tra gli Dei dell'Olimpo della Musica !!!!!!!!

  • Carl Richter,Ton koopman,helmuth Walcha,

    Glenn Gould,..............all are J.S.BACH experts.

  • @IRAN8443 Karl Richter, Helmuth Walcha, Glenn Gould, Rosalyn Tureck, are absolute divinity. PLEASE : Ton Koopman .......... is a insignificant dwarf compared to ones !!!!!!!

  • hi, is the excellent piece....thank you

    but i have a question... know someone, what kind piano is this? with metallic sound....please (i don't have music idea)

  • @herdur This instrument it's called "Harpsichord". Search this word on Wikipedia for further information and audio samples of this instrument.

  • @mima14031985 Tanks, long is have the concern thereon.....is great instrument

  • Karl Richter=Bach's resurrection in 20th century

  • Looks like the same film the Toccata and Fugue D-Moll 565 clip came from... and this time the instrument is in modern tuning. I wonder if that means the tracker organ was actually tuned a half-step lower?

  • He's a great organplayer but has not all knowledge of a cembalo.

  • Bach was a fucking genious!

  • Is it me or this fugue sounds very much like a tarantella? (I know it's prob. more like a gigue, but still!)

  • @Ibucrthis I would venture to say it's definitely possible it's meant to be a tarantella. It's my understanding German composers were very influenced by Italian music in their day.

  • @TurtleFL I would probably guess Gigue (Giga).

  • He seems to have turned off collision detection for his fingers at 5:06. I want to find the cheat console for the keyboard!

  • how can 10 people say that they dislike this!!! fools! the whole lot of them!

  • As one of the strongest supporters of revival harpsichords, I must say its nice to read so many comments discouraging people from making tediously critical remarks. Instruments, recordings and performers like Karl Richter must be celebrated. Do check out my website if you have any interest in modern or revival harpsichords!

  • Those who hit the dislike button are of the common 99% of people, who are making the world less perfect. May those of us who are the 1% fight through the darkness and end the squabble of these worms!!

  • @hockeyman69369

    I totally agree, but your numbers may be off; the world may not be as hopeless as we think.

  • @hockeyman69369 You just summarized pessimism eerily well. :/ I realize you're being silly on purpose, but you're at the same time promoting a horrible mentality.

  • listen to a Ruckers harpsichord and you'll know what a real harpsichord should sound like....

  • WORKS OF J.S.BACH ARE BEST PLAYED BY GERMAN MUSICIANS, KARL RICHTER,HELMUT WALCHA,AND,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,­,,,,,,,, TWO CANADIANS ;GLENN GOLD AND ANGELA HEWIT. THEY HAVE UNDERSTOOD HIM.

  • @IRAN8443 ooh... what a clever and acute remark

  • Ok people of the "musical background" types please get off your high horses. Just because a person isn't:

    1. A musician

    2. In music school

    3. went to Julliard

    we can still appreciate music, and yes SORRY we might not appreciate fully at your level, but STFU about it.

  • meraviglioso grazie karl! handel starebbe orgoglioso di te

  • What an unusual fugue!

  • my GOD ! ***** and R.I.P Herr Karl Richter; you now play for the Angels.

  • Amazing!

  • horrible sound quality... this is a good example of art which should not be uploaded to youtube.

    anyway... if you hear the CD version, it's f*cking amazing!

    sorry for swearing.

  • @maximum2047 any download link ?

  • @ChundomanX Google 'video to mp3'

  • @maximum2047 It's live in a church. That's how it sounds. Digital versions are always remastered.

  • @LowStuff this is at the *kaisersaal* of the abbey ottobeuren (steht da doch am anfang^^)

  • I think that the Richter's interpretation is better than the Pinnock's one.

    De gustibus non est disputandum

  • @luthbaroquedabord Richter is far better thatn Pinnock.

    De gustos no se disputa.

  • I think the interpretation of Pinnock is better than this

  • merci pour ces purs chefs-d'oeuvres- thank your for this pure anthology.

  • @lmarcus461 oh so you are from austria...or is it germany...or is it you are a dumb ass american who thinks discrimination is cool as long as you do it to the group you come from...? Geneology DOES NOT EQUAL ethnicity, nationality, social class, social make-up, or psychological outlook.

    Also I want you to think hard about what you just said (now this is funny): "I am mostly German/Austrian myself so I know how they think -- like the(y) know everything but really they dont know shit..."

  • @lmarcus461 hahaha what are you takling about? You do realize even Brahms was dead and buried before WWI...how do any of the compositions from the legacy of "German Greats" (Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, and many more) factor in to NAZI Germany? You know Russia was responsible for more human deaths between WWI, the Bolshevik Revolution, and WWII than any other nation in the same period. Why aren't you talking about Rachmaninoff or Stravinsky? I don't follow your reasoning at all...

  • my god such technique!

    

  • Wow, no sheet music.

  • @Tenkai917 Interesting that people find that impressive. I play the piano a little and actually, playing from memory is easy - literally anyone can do it, just like how even a bad actor can learn their lines for a play. What's *not* easy is playing even half as well as this beast sitting at the harpsichord.

  • That is astonishing! What an energy!

    It looks, and sounds, like he is playing two times double-choir. That takes some muscle to do with that precision, at that speed.

  • @metteholm75 you do realise this is a harpsichord and has the same dynamic regardless of how hard you press the keys? It's more than likely because he's playing so many notes at a time. Do you notice how he moves his hands from top keyboard to bottom when he wants it louder, this is because the bottom keyboard makes a doubling effect on the top keyboard. There only two dynamics! The didn't call the classical keyboard the fortepiano for nothing you know!

  • Wow! Brilliant! Now I know how Wanda Landowska would probably have sounded if she were to have been recorded using modern state of the art equipment. In fact, as soon as Karl (RIP) started playing, I thought "Landowska! Pleyel harpsichord!" We are fortunate that Karl Richter left a legacy of fine recordings and videos.

  • @dunholy

    Why post something so hateful and vulgar on the comment board for so elevated and beautiful a performance? Are you a complete prole?

  • I endorse banning comments from music postings after looking at some of the most recent.

    That was the best thing about listening to records. Just the music, no comments from morons.

  • @cnmmnc8852 So don't read comments, simple.

  • Can anyone say what VHS/DVD this is from?

  • Karl Richter is awesome !

  • I've always thought it's amazing how Bach knew what the human hands were capable of.

  • Oh wtf, i hate these "elder"-Pianos. They sound quite Awefull

  • the fuga! sic. I have to bow in awe and admiration to the amount of precision and "will". It is like a form of life.

  • Very exciting performance!

  • Esta obra dicta el gran ejemplo profundo de los acordes pregunta ,respuesta en polifonia otra invención de Bach es capaz de metamoforsear con el tema realizando algo triste ,perpetuo a la vez alegre rapido y bello......si bien creo que debe de ser muy complicado poder interpretar esta obra es un reto para un musico...yo no lo soy pero admiro este trabajo de Karl Ritchter.....me impresiona.

  • @dmiteislepovitch you are correct about everything however you sound like a pompous douche bag, just sayin

  • @TheIrishHammer6969 alrighty, next time I will sound (for your $100) like a 16-yo hipster. Deal?

  • @dmitrislepovitch oh god thats even worse, just tone it down a bit lol, btw your kind of slightly a year late

  • 1. Terminology-wise: clavecin (French) = harpsichord (English) = cembalo/ clavicembalo (Italian) = Klavier (German).

    2. It's funny to read so many comments like "nice performance". Do you realize that Richter, may he rest in peace, doesn't need your compliments? You may love or hate an artist of Richter's scale of genius, and that's basically it.

    3. It's quite strange to read comments about "phony harpsichord." Why? It was Karl Richter's conscious choice as an artist and a historian of music.

  • @dmitrislepovitch  have you considered that they are expressing their opinion, likely realizing that he wouldn't give a fuck? I don't think they were attempting to speak directly to the man. Rather like applauding at a concert, which I'm sure even someone of your high stature would do. It's appreciation, doucherocket. You might want to learn about it.

  • @dmitrislepovitch Ok, then let's don't write anything below Youtube's videos. Is that fine by you now?

  • @komancz90 When the YouTube administration decides I should not comment, they will ban me. Dunno how about you, but personally I live in a free country,

  • @dmitrislepovitch And of course we all know Karl Richter was truly a great musician, maestro! R.I.P. Karl.

  • @dmitrislepovitch Harpsichord is Cembalo in German ;-)

  • @patoa94 That's not entirely correct. It is a loanword from Italian. I feel the significance does lie in Italian being the 'musical language' and often being used in place of the composer's native language. I'm sure you realize this; but to state 'Cembalo is German' seems misleading to the ignorant. Perhaps a silly thing to argue about; but so long as everyone is correcting one another, I don't feel it hurts to join the fray.

  • @dmitrislepovitch actually harpsichord in German is Cemballo, Kalvier literally means keyboard (as in a manual). This also means upright piano to Germans.

  • @dmitrislepovitch I agree, he was a genius, IMO the best conductor of Bach cantatas.

  • @dmitrislepovitch INCORRECT!  A harpsichord in german is a Cembalo. KLAVIER means keyboard, the keyboard of any instrument be it a spinet, virginal or harpsichord.

  • @hatstalker Auch nicht ganz richtig. Unter Klavier versteht man im Deutschen im allgemeinen das moderne Klavier (Pianino). Seine größere, meist orchestrale Ausführung wird als Flügel bezeichnet. Es übrigens erst Ende des 17. Jahrhunderts erfunden worden. Die Anordnung der Tasten wird beim Pianino und beim Flügel (engl. Grand Piano) korrekterweise als Klaviatur bezeichnet. Bei der Orgel hingegen als "Manuale".

  • Not quite right either. (here the english version). In German "Klavier" mentions a Pianino (engl. Upright Piano) or a Grand Piano (germ. Flügel). The "Klavier" only was invented in the late 17th century. The keys of a piano are called "Klaviatur" (Keyboard), while the keys of an organ are called "Manuale".

  • @hatstalker INCORRECT! "Klavier" means piano. I'm German so I should know...

  • @DaFish1337 In the times of Bach (before the pianoforte) Klavier meant keyboard. I am aware of it's meaning in modern day German which is and upright piano.

  • @DaFish1337 Error! I'm not German, but I do know that at least at the times of Bach "Klavier" meant any keyboard instrument, and especially the organ and the harpsichord. Only later, when the piano prevailed, the word "Klavier" took the prevailing meaning of "piano".

  • @StylusFantasticus71 You're correct in Bach's time, any music not specifically written for let's say the organ, was defined as "Klavier". It was meant to be played on ANY keyboard instrument. Just for the record "Klavier" does not mean piano! It mean KEYBOARD (and yes, I do know German). The proper name for the piano in ANY language is Piano, or Pianoforte to be exact...

  • @dmitrislepovitch The pun was appreciated.

  • @dmitrislepovitch

    Of course Richter does not need the compliments of anybody. But do you realize how arrogant your answer sounds?

  • @augusto975 Yes, please, punish me hard, Oh no, I will better kill myself.. right after my concert tonight. And you will be happy that there's one less arrogant / disagreeing/ self-conscious sounding person on YouTube.

  • Comment removed

  • I love that piece. I always wanted to play the harpsichord and organ.

  • I think I've listened to this more than two hundred times

  • @kknots me too...

  • 4:33 Oh, right. You play something extremely hard and keep different rhythms in both hands, and just look into nothing. Wow

  • @kknots I don't think the rythmic aspect is particularly hard, but I have to agree about that moment. I've never seen anyone looked so relaxed playing a Bach fugue

  • What kind of harpsichord is this?

  • magnifico!!!

  • Karl Richter: Triosonate Nr.2 C-moll, BWV 526 (Bach) - 1965 Recording, DG

    watch?v=JIbdoBF3tww

    thanks and regards

  • Amazing melody... I love to listen Bach with my eyes closed... Just immerse into music...

  • Ecoutez conjointement cette toccata, jouée au piano par Glenn Gould et Angela Hewitt, puis cette version inoubliable de Karl Richter, trois versions splendides et combien différentes qui démontrent tout le génie de Jean-Sébastien Bach et son universalité dans le domaine musical, finalement peu pouvait lui importer l'instrument à partir du moment où vous possédiez comme lui, le génie musical.

  • @soulechene How right you are! Bach's music allows for more variety of interpretation than any other composer; this breadth is "built into" the music, rich with possibility.

  • @soulechene Commentaire du traduction: Let's listen together to this toccata, played on piano by Glenn Gould and Angela Hewitt, then to this unforgettable version of Karl Richter, three versions are splendid and are somewhat different, which show all the genius of Johann Sebastian Bach and his universality in the music, though an instrument is not very able to create the moment in which you become like he, the genius of music.

    *I may be wrong*

  • Karl è un fottuto padreterno!!!

  • Fürchterlich, diese Lederkielcembali von Wittmayer! :P

  • Richter is the greatest Harpsichordist and Organist of the 20th century.

    It's too bad he never recorded any Mahler, I'd kill for that!

  • @mahler151 If you think Richter is greatest Harpsichordist and Organist of the 20th century I recommend you stick to Mahler.

  • @Terrdemarzielle And if not Richter then just who do you think is the greatest? I've listened to organists from Koopman to E. Power Biggs and none of them have ever delivered the same satisfying performance that I can always expect from Richter.

    And if you're one of those anti-romantics then don't even waste your argument on me.

  • @mahler151 don't worry, I'm not an anti-romantic. Richter is indeed very great and certainly must come near the top of the list. However, generally I find Richter is very poor at creating exciting performances, and on the occasions that he tries to make up for this by playing fast (in this video for example.) his playing becomes messy and he makes mistakes (I'm thinking of the fugue here.) His very controlled performances - such as the main toccata section of this piece - can be very beautiful.

  • @Terrdemarzielle (continued) I imagine there are many organists (and definitely harpsichordists) who cannot be found on youtube, but are far better players than Richter, though they may be less unique.

  • @Terrdemarzielle I can understand where you're coming from, and I do agree to an extent that sometimes he can deliver a rather 'cold' performance, but looking at his abilities as a whole I can't help but think he's the best.

  • @mahler151 Well, it's clear you know what you like, and I respect that :) for the record my favourite organist is Helmut Walcha... perhaps not the greatest of the 20th century, but one of the greatest interpreters of Bach in my opinion. His incredible clarity in handling counterpoint is really something. I also recommend baroque specialists like Hans Fagius.

  • @Terrdemarzielle Hmmmm, Helmut Walcha is one I have not listened much to (if at all), although I have heard very many positive things about him.

    Any performance of his in particular you'd recomend?

  • @mahler151 Yes, I'd recommend Walcha's recordings of the Art of Fugue, but pretty much any famous organ work by Bach would do. With various pieces I might prefer another organist, but I feel he puts in a great deal of care into everything (possibly because he had to learn it by ear) that he plays, as well as playing it fantastically. If Richter has well and truly captured your heart though, I think that's wonderful :)

  • @Terrdemarzielle Whoa, back up a second.

    He played by ear? Was he blind?

  • @mahler151 - Helmut Walcha did, yes, he was blind.

  • @Terrdemarzielle Yes i also recommend Walcha's recordings for the Art of Fugue, can be found on YT ;-)

  • Harpsichords and organs went through a 'renewal' in the middle of the twentieth century, which amounted to a rejection of the dark sounds of Romantic instruments. As a result, a whole generation of organs and harpsichords were built with the lightest brittle sound possible. To our ears they are tinny or squeaky, but at the time they pointed the way 'back' (forward) to the modern era of full-sounding early instruments.

    And...phenomenal playing on the fugue! Wow!!

  • @advisorC101 Indeed, I also think the harpsichord sound wierd. Is ti the tuning or the quality of the recording?

    Sincerly,

    Tobias

  • @HerrWarja, It's not the quality or the tuning either. Karl favored these modern styled harpsichords. They have 'improved' mechanics for a pianist's technique, but the only problem is that there is a sacrifice in the actual sound which is more metalic than a genuine Baroque Styled harpsichord, like those built by Willem Kroesbergen. The playing is still excellent though.

  • @advisorC101 Indeed. I couldn't agree with you more. His playing is exellent. The fugue is so good an virrtuoso!

  • @HerrWarja, You can also find many recordings on Baroque style harpsichords by typing in the search bar "Willem Kroesbergen". He has made some of the best ones today.

  • @advisorC101 Oh thank you! :-)

  • What is this musical instrument?

  • @yunomie Harpsichord, see wikipedia for details

  • this is amazing.

  • @ingalls20 that's because of the harpsichord sound and Karl Richter is german, I think...

  • @ingalls20 This is the best comment (I'm from Italy)!

  • the aspect of the harpsichord is rude... but the sound... jeez. And Richter really know how to play this difficult music

  • Good stuff

  • Karl Ricter is a genius!

  • exelent

  • Che brutta...

  • Yes that is correct!

  • I love the tone colour of this amazing harpsichord

    great performance by richter

  • Nice, what kind of harpsichord is this? And how old is it?

  • 4:31-4:48 actually gives credence to movies showing characters "playing" pianos without emotion or looking at the keyboard.

  • I wouldn't mock such a heartfelt performance. But how could a musician play like this, and on such a bad instrument, after Gustav Leonhardt had shown, on his excellent Martin Skowroneck harpsichord, how it should be done? Leonhardt was born less than two years after Richter.

  • @mathsmusicandchess: Because Gustav Leonhardt and you should suck dick.

  • you are so right! i totally agree, even if my own harpsichord is the same richter played (neupert konzert-cembalo model "bach" with leather quills and composite jacks in wood & plastic from 1960)

  • Son of his time, the foremost son...At that time this was the only harpsichord one had in disposition and this was the only way (the best awailable for that time) to play early music....

    Let us judge all in their own context...

  • The second half is so... transcendent. ;)

  • como siempre: extraordinario

  • 4:08 godlike

  • In addition to this, he plays with a pianists technique, which never works well on the harpsichord, the instrument will sound dry and crass! Subtlety is missing and I, unhappily have to say, I find this an uninspiring performance.

  • I suppose one should respect Richter for what he did, i.e. playing Bach on an 'historic instrument'. I use this term with hesitation, however, this 'harpsichord' isn't very historic at all, it's one of those hideous hybrids made in the early part of last century - it really doesn't sound like a real harpsichord at all (i.e. an historic replica).

  • Professor Karl 'Bach' Richter - super talented musician. Amazing performance!!

  • Tomato is a fruit.

  • ...grande, grande, grande...

    non si puo' dire di piu'....

    soli Deo gloria!!!

  • Put Bach's name first in the title.

  • Do you want to listen to Bach or to Karl Richter?

  • The music is prior to the player. If no Bach, no Richter playing Bach. Bach deserves pride of place. I'm sorry you don't see this.

  • Comment removed

  • No, wait. This piece is titled Karl Richter playing Bach, because in prior there goes a famous player. If it's not a big matter who is playing, then why Glenn Gould didn't get more views than Karl Richter? Because Richter maybe could play pop-music on harpsichord. Even then his name would stay in the first place.

  • That it's not a historic harpsichord does not make it not a harpsichord at all--surely the consequences of playing Classical forte-piano music on the modern piano are acoustically more disastrous and yet one hears little complaint of them. Besides, we are not here to listen to the harpsichord, but to Richter. And yet I wonder if those pointing out the inauthenticity of this instrument know much more about harpsichords at all--such as those who mention the tomato a fruit know little of botany.

  • here here!

  • Consider pulling that stick out. It's up there real tight.

  • @dolofonos I agree, no one ever complains about the piano. Even if the play harpsichord music on the piano. Which I personally can't stand. All they do nowadays is fuss and complain about the historical accuracy of the harpsichord and demonize people like Richter for preferring the revival instruments.

  • Comment removed

  • @italianboi1234 its actually a harpsichord

  • One of the most astonishing performances I've heard :D

  • A perfect eample of what the harpscichod is not. Let's make violins out of plastic, and declare the Amati didn't know what they were doing.

  • I think you'll find that that instrument is still a harpsichord, just not be as intricately designed as the ones you build. ;-)

  • I heard a whisper of a compliment in there, and I am grateful. No one builds pseudo-plucked pianos like that any more, and you can't sell one for a dog's breakfast. PLEASE go play a good harpsichord, and you'll be thrilled. It's like hearing Shakespeare after ad-speak.

    P.S. I love the piano, but prefer piano music on it.

  • Great performance! Many thanks for this spendid performance!!! BRAVO, herr Richter!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Esta peça mais uma vez mostra a genialidade do grande mestre bach. Bach além de ser o rei da polifonia é um dos poucos músicos que conseguem transmitir somente mensagens positivas em suas obras.

    Parabens Karl Richter, V. Sas. é excelente!!!

  • Karl Richter <3

  • anyone know what this instrument is called?