simon barer plays blumenfeld etude for the left hand alone

[newFranzFerencLiszt]

great pianist!

[Bluetooth6483]

Unfortunately, Barere makes too many flaws in this recording. I've played the piece myself - not with much better result, it's difficult - but it is very good music.

[marcxopoco]

No one who lived into the time of recording can compete with Barere.

Both Barere and Horowitz studied with Blumenfeld.

Horowitz dropped this piece from his repertoire after hearing Barere play it.

[MTabla]

As an amateur classical pianist and stay-at-home dad who enjoys the Simon Barere anthology on CD every so often, I got the sheet music to this and started practicing it while I was holding my newborn son on my right arm. Two years later, I have discovered that this melody lulls my infant daughter to sleep despite the fact that I can only play at a fraction of this speed (and fairly choppily at. that!)

BTW, it's in a Schirmer anthology, "Piano Music for One Hand" - ed. by Raymond Lewenthal

[sugarve]

Tuttora insuperato in questa interpretazione!

[aardvaark069]

and what a perfectly gorgeous piano he's playing on.

[ewoutkramer]

You should have seen and heard Severin von Eckardstein's version of this piece played yesterday at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam...... the roof went off..... and that was after he had just played Ornstein's Suicide on an airplane, Messiaen's Regards and Skriabin's 7th sonata...

[kiasmus]

Quelle élégance! Quelle merveilleuse souplesse!

[Bognarfan]

Amazing...for one hand?!!!

[Quuee7n]

@Bognarfan

That's right. Many pianists couldn't play this even by two hands :-))

[GaryPansey]

Is there a story to this piece, similar to Ravel's Concerto written for the pianist who lost the rt. arm in WW I? Very inspired composition and performance.

[davidjb100]

No, it's just a showpiece. Blumenfeld wrote quite a few of them, actually!

[Quuee7n]

@GaryPansey

No, this etude wasn't connected with Paul Witgenstein. It is dedicated to Leopold Godowsky.

[omgtkseth]

@Quuee7n Well, he didnt ask if this was related to Paul Wittgenstein (who's brother inspired so much). He did ask though if there was a similar motive like a dedication, rather than pure boredom and exuberance as an instrumentalist.

[Mfkxia927]

Verry imprssive!

[pianopera]

If the eye had not seen the right hand resting on the trouser-leg the ear would have declared that it was not possible to range over the whole compass of the keyboard with such consummate ease and unspoiled musical effect with the left hand alone. This was the measure of M. Barers technical accomplishment, which was at the service of a mature musical judgement.

The Times, 1934

[marcxopoco]

Thank you for that, @pianopera .

[whatsmylogin]

Horowitz said that Barere played this piece 'like a dream' and Leon Fleischer said he must have used 3 hands. I play this piece (sort of) and can say that Barere solves the real challenge of this piece, which is not the speed but being able to phrase the piece and make it sing, which is a hard task at any speed. That said, I think Hamelin's recording of this piece is slightly better musically and technically.

[micheldvorsky]

Hamelin's isn't even close to this.

[wilbur1960]

A live performance from one of the immortals! Even with a few mistakes, to prove he was human, the velocity of the piece is astounding without sacrificing the lyricism of the piece. Another age and time.

[marionetanyc]

One afternoon last year, I noticed an elderly neighbor clutching a Schirmer Schumann Album-Leaves in the elevator. I ask him if he is taking up piano. The question is not absurd. I know an actor, 92 years old, who began serious piano study when over 80, very sucessfully. I was curious. He laughs. It turns out Boris is a pianist. He is teaching his great grand-daughter, just as his father, Simon Barere, taught him. I was stunned.

[Schnabel87]

WONDERFUL story! Thanks so much for sharing that. :)

[schunkeone]

This IS a wonderful story. It's great to hear that Boris is still alive and well, and teaching, on W. 79th Street.

[chopin114]

Unbelievable!

[kasyapa]

marionetanyc - incredible story! how is he doing?