I've probably listened to La Cathedrale engloutie over 200 times, and I have never got sick of it. Such a stunning masterpiece. It's amazing how Debussy creates movement and motion between sections without V - I or VII - I progressions. And this performance by Michelangeli is fantastic. Thanks for posting!
Thank you for posting the wonderful video recordings of Benedetti Michelangeli playing Debussy, "La cathedrale engloutie", etc. Do you know if these video recordings are available on a commercial dvd...? If so, what label...? Thank you. Best wishes. Valerio Tura, Bologna, Italy
Thank you for posting the wonderful video recordings of Benedetti Michelangeli playing Debussy, "La cathedrale engloutie", etc. Do you know if these video recordings are available on a commercial dvd...? If so, what label...? Thank you.
Thank you for posting all of the Preludes, Book I. ABM was, in my opinion, the greatest pianist of all time. People talk about his limited repertoire. Actually, if one goes to his website and looks up the complete discography maintained by Andrew Wilson, they will see that it is rather extensive. As far as his cancelled performances, Michelangeli suffered from ill health all of his life. He was a true genius and these performances are brilliant.
I'm in love with the way he interprets this. Debussy is my favorite composer and as such I find it difficult to listen to others' interpretations of this music that is so deeply entwined with my soul. Michelangeli is now my favorite pianist.
it is tonal because you can sing a tonic at all points in the music. However, it is not tonal in the traditional sense because it uses no leading tones and pentatonic/wholetone scales as well as constant structure. In order for something to be Atonal, you have to not be able to hear any tonic. Remember, whole tone scale can be used as a chord scale for dominant 7 with #5.
Arturo makes it so easy looking. When I first tried to play this piece i thought it wasn't that hard. But the piece starting at 1:28 is very difficult when you want to play it at a good tempo and with the right intonation. I think I did at least 2 months over this piece...
Debussy abriu as portas para a música do século XX com o mesmo bom gosto e delicadeza com que fechou as portas para a música do século XIX. Obviamente refiro-me aos estilos predominantes em cada século, o romantismo no séc. XIX e o impressionismo no início do séc. XX.
Têm razão os que afirmam que Debussy pavimentou o caminho que levou à música atonal. Debussy consegue ser atonal sem ser enfadonho. Suas dissonancias são agradáveis. Suas frases provocam efeito que conduz à compreensão do tema.
@cochicmcintosh I don't think this is atonal. Prokofiev maybe!? As though someone needed to 'pave' a 'path' to dissonance. Any two-year old hammering on a piano can show you that path.
@hymnofashes it is atonal...it uses a whole tone series. We studied this piece in my post tonal theory class....i think debussy is just very good at disguising his atonality :)
@cochicmcintosh No.....I think that was Liszt. Go back and study Liszt's later works. He paved the way for 20th century piano. Debussy knew Liszt very well.
I'll tell you what's hard though. Having to analyze this in a Form and Analysis class. The life of a music major. Hard to identify where phrases end and begin w/o tonality and scales, but what can i say? Debussy paved the way to atonality.
I believe Debussy would have loved this recording since it is quite similar to they way the composer himself played it. The notation is an enigma however, and if one takes it too literally, one misses the music...
This is a wonderful interpretation of Debussy's most beloved piano composition. Michelangelilives up to his name and sets the highest of standards. Thanks to the person who uploaded this. Very much appreciated.
He has a whiff of Qui Gon Jinn about him. Perhaps Arturo is now in communion with the Force.
Dancing with his lightsaber, executing endless leaps and dashes between the columns of the central nave, deep inside the sunken cathedral at the end of time.
Absolutely! My comment was just a reply to someone who was wondering about that belt of his - a year ago or so! Otherwise I would never comment on the clothes instead of the performance,
He really knows how to play respectfully Debussy' s music. Listen to the sequence of chords after 2:25, the harmony is clear, the rhythm and the rubato are perfectly balanced.
I'm studying this piece for my exam this semester. According to some reading I've done, you can see the "shapes" of cathedral arches in the music. Interesting, I thought. I love the image of this piece, the whole cathedral rising from the waters and sinking back in. Lovely.
What you are reading is most certainly true because I can hear the 'shapes' of the cathedral in my mind. It reminds me a little bit of Monet's Rouen Cathedral painting, how the cathedral appears in the gentle, sweet mist of morning and all you can see is this outline and the tall spires and crevices in the stone walls...
The director corrects his mistake; Debussy's great Cathedral is not an interrupted serenade. Watching the great Benedetti Michelangeli is vitamins for the soul.
Hummm are you being ironic or did you know that the title of each prelude always appears AT THE END of the score (in the case of Debussy's preludes), preceded by "..."?
Mi pieza favorita de Debussy!!! Casi todo lo que sé de composición lo aprendí analizando a Debussy. Definitivamente esta pieza es mi inspiración. Y apoyo a cga2000: Después de esto, el silencio es lo único que queda.
it's not identifying the piece as "The interrupted Serenade". Debussy used to put the names at the end of the score, that way, performers made their own impressions of the piece. In the recording, they made this as a rendition to debussy's idea
Debussy intentionally placed the titles at the end of each prelude, allowing the performer to discover impressions for himself, without being guided by the composer's own thoughts.
I'm guessing the edition you're talking about is different from the Dover reprint that I have. It's normal on that one...though I do remember seeing a score with just the numeral before the music. I guess that's what that was about.
Everything about this performance is magnificent - the setting, the interpretation and the voice of the piano. Thank you for this important video performance. God bless you!
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Very nice piece. The performer took some liberties with tempo and dynamics that I'm sure Mr. Debussy would not have been impressed with, but the performance itself was very technically correct other than that and it sounded good.
"performance itself was very technically correct"...dude, this is Michelangeli, not a student going for an audition. Michelangeli himself wouldn't really care whether Debussy would be impressed or not...He was a master, he made choices as far as how to approach the pieces, choices that didn't arrive to his brain merely by chance. Choices, NOT liberties.
I just resently started liking piano music when i saw twilight and heard bellas lullaby, i searched debussy and i accualy liked his music! im surprised because im so used to listenig to like britney spears and lady gaga and who ever is "on top" but most of this music is relaxing and i like it! the only thing is, is that i cant tell the diffrence beetween like diffrent people and i cant even tell the diffrence beetween songs. but i still love it!!! thanks for putting this on!
sorry its 2 years after you posted but im soo glad more people like you are being turned on to this music. its people like you that give me hope for the human race.
Benedetti Michelangeli is brilliant in Scarlatti, Mozart, Beethoven...
But his Debussy, and Ravel too, is mechanical, pale nuances and poor atmospheres. Everything is too much clear and precise, colours are grey and he totally lacks of imagination; tempos are also too fast and he doesn't put some ritardando or rubato, giving poetry to this music! Dynamics are also extremely poor: not a single "ppp" is heard here!
Rubenstein was only ever half decent in Chopin. Even then, its debatable. In everything else, he was, at best, seond rate. Zimmerman is outstanding in pretty much everything he does - aside from conducting.
another question--does anyone know why he plays two low c's in the big c-major chordal section, rather than just the lowest one? just the bottom c is what i've got in my score, and i've never heard anyone else (including debussy) do this...
it says ...LA SERENADE INTEROMPUE because at the end of each prelude, there is a "..." followed by the programatic title of that prelude. The editors did this in the video since they were played in order, so the title was cut from the previous prelude.
a me come mi sentivo prima di salire per la prima volta sul palco.. per mostrare il mio culo a 200 persone durante uno spettacolo di cabaret. Evidentemente 'sto pezzo non mi rilassa, anzi..
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everyone raves about his debussy. there's so much space between p and ppp to be explored in this music, and for some reason i never hear that with his playing. every note is so present, i might even say forced. the last two bars, for example: he plays the chords accented, even in the mf - f range. they're supposed to be quiet. fading into the distance. look at how high his attacks are, particularly in the middle range chord.. plus doucement s'il vous plait!
yes, :( i don't think it's productive to try to understand his music through "his technique" especially if you have already decided that the music "has no soul"
Hi miniraush.I am not only a ABM fan I am also his lifelong student.I believe it is very important to understand that what YOU hear is what YOU hear.I,f.e. hear all the nuances in dynamics,and so do many,many other people.This is not to suggest something might be wrong with your hearing but to illustrate there are different levels of hearing,listening and perceiving.Please listen to the CD recording on a good Hifi.I heard him live in concerts and private..it was truly MAGIC..mistycal even.Bye.
I agree with you about the "directness", but it's also the way the recording was done, it sounds very bright, and there is an acustic compressor severely limiting the dynamic range to fit it into the television format.
All of these take away the patina that for example the Gieseking recording produces so masterfully.
i assume it's cut from a bigger movie, where La Serenade Interompue was performed by Michelangelli before the "Cathedral". Debussy himself wrote the title in the end of the score, just as a suggestion of the image he liked to create
C'est super, j'ai la partition, je vais essayer d'en faire autant, les notes ne sont pas difficiles à exécuter mais l'esprit de profondeur est difficile à effectuer.
In the Urtext edition, it is written that "Debussy played meas. 7-12 and 22-83 in double speed". Though this is untold in many other editions. That would mean the effects are way more important than the tempi ...
I'm sure he was touched by the spirit of every composer he played. He was so beyond all else - everything was so exquisite and elegant - what he did at the piano transcended the physical self to reach unearthly and wider,divine realms. What a blessing to hear this....
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Is it just me, or would this preformance be a lot more impressive if the pianist looked like it was taking more effort? I mean, this is a diploma (RCM) level piece, and difficult, and he's playing it brilliantly...but it doesn't seem as impressive to me as it could be if he didn't look so "cool" playing it. Haha.
At 2:25, at the church bell chords, he adds an extra c in the bass for more sonority; the pedal is a bit of a problem there (to hold the bass), he chooses for a blurred sound. One can also use the middle (sostenuto) pedal to hold the bass, and change r. pedal more often, but of course it isn't indicated by Debussy, maybe because he composed it while playing on an upright piano.
True that! I'm learning this peice and my teacher and I have decided to use the sostenuto pedal. Even though Debussy didn't use it, I'm sure he would have if he could! :)
me too. I still need to smooth it out, though. I tried to play this all the way through, and I clocked in somewhere between 10 and 12 minutes. So yeah, I still have a lot of work to do...
Great interpretation of the piece. I like the way he uses the pedal, making some bass harmonies reverberate in different shades. I can't stop marvelling at the way he produces such beautiful sounds, so round and pearly, and shifts in dynamics without any physical strain. His body is perfectly in balance and all power comes from his fingers, subtle wrist movements and his chest. Brilliant.
Michelangeli is my favourite pianist... however I find that, to my taste, this performance of this prelude maybe is not atmospheric enough. 5* anyway...
The names come after each piece, as they do in the sheet music. If you view other videos in the series, you'll see that they also start with the title of the previous piece. Whoever cut this video up probably didn't realize that.
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beginning is too fast and 0:40 should be double speed
jengatechnobird 2 months ago
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jengatechnobird 2 months ago
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jengatechnobird 2 months ago
j adorais l interpretation CORTOT mais
aujourd hui Quelque résonnance supplémentaire ? je ne sais
mais cette interprétation ci est bouleversante d'expressionisme !
CHENNEVENCE1 2 months ago
Nice playing but actually i can't see any Cathedral. Listen to the beginning chord, please..
New4785689 4 months ago
Such a powerful piece
briarius27 5 months ago
not only is he a master of piano...he's also a jedi master
lunaboomboom 7 months ago 2
I've probably listened to La Cathedrale engloutie over 200 times, and I have never got sick of it. Such a stunning masterpiece. It's amazing how Debussy creates movement and motion between sections without V - I or VII - I progressions. And this performance by Michelangeli is fantastic. Thanks for posting!
mushroomagical 7 months ago
at 1:58 I expected a church cadence...Debussy tricked me! :)
CriticaLxThoughX 7 months ago in playlist _C.Debussy Preludes Livre I - B.Michelangeli
ARRRG the video stopped loading at 2:24!!! such an anticlimax :( Great energy behind this though. Bravo.
LilDrummerBoy74 7 months ago
Thank you for posting the wonderful video recordings of Benedetti Michelangeli playing Debussy, "La cathedrale engloutie", etc. Do you know if these video recordings are available on a commercial dvd...? If so, what label...? Thank you. Best wishes. Valerio Tura, Bologna, Italy
aviale01 7 months ago
Thank you for posting the wonderful video recordings of Benedetti Michelangeli playing Debussy, "La cathedrale engloutie", etc. Do you know if these video recordings are available on a commercial dvd...? If so, what label...? Thank you.
aviale01 7 months ago
Thank you for posting all of the Preludes, Book I. ABM was, in my opinion, the greatest pianist of all time. People talk about his limited repertoire. Actually, if one goes to his website and looks up the complete discography maintained by Andrew Wilson, they will see that it is rather extensive. As far as his cancelled performances, Michelangeli suffered from ill health all of his life. He was a true genius and these performances are brilliant.
cookie2000ify 7 months ago
I'm in love with the way he interprets this. Debussy is my favorite composer and as such I find it difficult to listen to others' interpretations of this music that is so deeply entwined with my soul. Michelangeli is now my favorite pianist.
SerenaTaliEllis 7 months ago 3
it is tonal because you can sing a tonic at all points in the music. However, it is not tonal in the traditional sense because it uses no leading tones and pentatonic/wholetone scales as well as constant structure. In order for something to be Atonal, you have to not be able to hear any tonic. Remember, whole tone scale can be used as a chord scale for dominant 7 with #5.
SpaceDudeTaco 8 months ago
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11 people can't stretch more than an octave
mrpolaroid123 9 months ago
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mrpolaroid123 9 months ago
Arturo makes it so easy looking. When I first tried to play this piece i thought it wasn't that hard. But the piece starting at 1:28 is very difficult when you want to play it at a good tempo and with the right intonation. I think I did at least 2 months over this piece...
cldbsy 10 months ago
Debussy abriu as portas para a música do século XX com o mesmo bom gosto e delicadeza com que fechou as portas para a música do século XIX. Obviamente refiro-me aos estilos predominantes em cada século, o romantismo no séc. XIX e o impressionismo no início do séc. XX.
Têm razão os que afirmam que Debussy pavimentou o caminho que levou à música atonal. Debussy consegue ser atonal sem ser enfadonho. Suas dissonancias são agradáveis. Suas frases provocam efeito que conduz à compreensão do tema.
tucupinotacacah 11 months ago
:)
mariacris91 11 months ago
Debussy paved the way to atonality.
BS
cochicmcintosh 11 months ago
@cochicmcintosh I don't think this is atonal. Prokofiev maybe!? As though someone needed to 'pave' a 'path' to dissonance. Any two-year old hammering on a piano can show you that path.
hymnofashes 11 months ago
@hymnofashes it is atonal...it uses a whole tone series. We studied this piece in my post tonal theory class....i think debussy is just very good at disguising his atonality :)
Biggerthansound 11 months ago
@cochicmcintosh No.....I think that was Liszt. Go back and study Liszt's later works. He paved the way for 20th century piano. Debussy knew Liszt very well.
FaithIsAnnoyed 10 months ago
I'll tell you what's hard though. Having to analyze this in a Form and Analysis class. The life of a music major. Hard to identify where phrases end and begin w/o tonality and scales, but what can i say? Debussy paved the way to atonality.
Lickthecloth 1 year ago 3
The death of tonality and the Classical Era.
Lickthecloth 1 year ago 2
Astonishing. Just.... wow...
SuperSolaris 1 year ago
So beautiful and powerful!
JosephineCamille 1 year ago
piano dream
Alchiriel 1 year ago
Carl Sagan playing piano, nice
saintsaens21 1 year ago
@saintsaens21 I found that comment very amusing.
gtorranojacobs 8 months ago
music isn't about perfection, it's about feeling
this is beautiful
jmlives27 1 year ago 3
so profound.......
SuperAaron895 1 year ago
I believe Debussy would have loved this recording since it is quite similar to they way the composer himself played it. The notation is an enigma however, and if one takes it too literally, one misses the music...
drwaynejohnson 1 year ago 2
His hand movement is truly divinity in motion... even if you have mixed opinions about his portrayal of Debussy's work you've to give that to him...
p14y2w1n 1 year ago
He looks like Franz Liszt.
meirelles94 1 year ago 3
Beautiful, delightful, enchanting... Words are hardly enough. Thank you all for bringing us this wonderful music.
goldieken 1 year ago
beautiful... =')
FirstRayleigh 1 year ago
he does look like a jedi...
iansquared3 1 year ago 2
This is a wonderful interpretation of Debussy's most beloved piano composition. Michelangelilives up to his name and sets the highest of standards. Thanks to the person who uploaded this. Very much appreciated.
teramike11 1 year ago
Did anyone ever hear Muriel Albert's rendition?
883plum 1 year ago
Fantastico... Non concepisco come si possa cliccare "non mi piace" su questo video. Divino il compositore, divino l'esecutore. E' tutto.
frablu3s 1 year ago 2
He has a whiff of Qui Gon Jinn about him. Perhaps Arturo is now in communion with the Force.
Dancing with his lightsaber, executing endless leaps and dashes between the columns of the central nave, deep inside the sunken cathedral at the end of time.
SpottyDorsord 1 year ago 3
amazing
XVLaHireXV 1 year ago
Big nice!!!
Meternych 1 year ago
hmmm I wonder if you'd spam me if i said "This is shit!"....I would never say it f course...but...I just wonder.....hmmm.....xD
richclayderman 1 year ago
Fantástico.
icg11 1 year ago
Bellissimo
frablu3s 1 year ago
HERMOSO TEMA
jorgealbertobaron 1 year ago
why is he wearing a belt over the shirt?
wamadeus 2 years ago 7
Early 70s fashion.
Isayiwill 2 years ago
early 2010's fashion too.
fujimooney 1 year ago 3
@Isayiwill Early 70's fashion, true. But timeless music !
dmcII 1 year ago
@dmcII
Absolutely! My comment was just a reply to someone who was wondering about that belt of his - a year ago or so! Otherwise I would never comment on the clothes instead of the performance,
Isayiwill 1 year ago
@Isayiwill NP.. I saw the original comment & knew where you were coming from....:)
dmcII 1 year ago
part-time Jedi outfit
TheKedrum 1 year ago 31
@TheKedrum asshole, im trying to study this song your making me laugh
dp100 1 year ago
@TheKedrum LMAO
shizzlebiskit3rd 1 year ago
@TheKedrum Oh! I LOVE that comment! And the music, certo.
EscargoTouChaud 1 year ago
Semplicemente fantastico..sebbene abbia inciso poco, quello che ci resta (specialmente debussy / chopin è fantastico..
FilomelaMelisande 2 years ago 3
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to fast, listen the interpretation of Claudio Arrau, perfect tempo...
dietriechfiskau 2 years ago
He really knows how to play respectfully Debussy' s music. Listen to the sequence of chords after 2:25, the harmony is clear, the rhythm and the rubato are perfectly balanced.
minasgekos 2 years ago 9
this an inspiring place to play the piano
minasgekos 2 years ago 5
Perfect
EdwardWhelanPiano 2 years ago 9
i had to write a class test about it :D
blackvonne 2 years ago
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This piece is sooooo easy :D
Upum12 2 years ago
this is beautiful like a mother nature
scratchzilla001 2 years ago 2
I'm studying this piece for my exam this semester. According to some reading I've done, you can see the "shapes" of cathedral arches in the music. Interesting, I thought. I love the image of this piece, the whole cathedral rising from the waters and sinking back in. Lovely.
squiddycat 2 years ago 2
What you are reading is most certainly true because I can hear the 'shapes' of the cathedral in my mind. It reminds me a little bit of Monet's Rouen Cathedral painting, how the cathedral appears in the gentle, sweet mist of morning and all you can see is this outline and the tall spires and crevices in the stone walls...
Physdelicdreaming 2 years ago 4
«La musique doit humblement chercher à faire plaisir, l'extrême complication est le contraire de l'art.»
Claude Debussy
piannelly 2 years ago 13
The director corrects his mistake; Debussy's great Cathedral is not an interrupted serenade. Watching the great Benedetti Michelangeli is vitamins for the soul.
Italonino 2 years ago
Vitamins for the soul? This piece is stirring and wonderful. But seriously wtf?
uraniumgrenade 2 years ago 4
Hummm are you being ironic or did you know that the title of each prelude always appears AT THE END of the score (in the case of Debussy's preludes), preceded by "..."?
bontempo01 2 years ago 2
Mi pieza favorita de Debussy!!! Casi todo lo que sé de composición lo aprendí analizando a Debussy. Definitivamente esta pieza es mi inspiración. Y apoyo a cga2000: Después de esto, el silencio es lo único que queda.
gnrtacos 2 years ago
it's not identifying the piece as "The interrupted Serenade". Debussy used to put the names at the end of the score, that way, performers made their own impressions of the piece. In the recording, they made this as a rendition to debussy's idea
gnrtacos 2 years ago 5
This is correct. I second this. It's like in the music sheets.
NickyRamone77 2 years ago 3
After this, the only thing you can listen to is silence.
cga2000 2 years ago 92
@cga2000 No, you can listen to Coltrane's 'wise one' if you want.
hymnofashes 1 year ago
I would love to listen this piece at night than morning
nanzan 2 years ago
Such a stunning performance. Without a doubt my favourite rendition of this piece.
Barqu3ntine 2 years ago
Great ^.O
milenyj666 2 years ago 4
es preciosa..♥
me relaja mucho
era y es un maestro de la musica
laaandrea 2 years ago
its the name of the piece before this.
in this tv recording the names are shown after the piece was played.
panoramaniac 2 years ago 4
...just like in the score of the preludes.
Debussy intentionally placed the titles at the end of each prelude, allowing the performer to discover impressions for himself, without being guided by the composer's own thoughts.
bsdkflh 2 years ago 5
Yeah, I think he actually named them after he wrote them too
nwshane 2 years ago
I'm guessing the edition you're talking about is different from the Dover reprint that I have. It's normal on that one...though I do remember seeing a score with just the numeral before the music. I guess that's what that was about.
sanctusignis 2 years ago 2
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intro way too fast. i can't feel the huge grand cathedral rising from the water!
cnandrewwy 2 years ago
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cnandrewwy 2 years ago
Love the outfit. O, the 70's...
The fade in the video at 3:54 is creepy; looks like a pair of ghostly hands creeping up behind him.
He seems to ignore the 'sans nuances' directions, but it sounds nice natheless........
Jammerz62 2 years ago
Everything about this performance is magnificent - the setting, the interpretation and the voice of the piano. Thank you for this important video performance. God bless you!
philclarkz 2 years ago 7
no hay palabras pa describir esta maravilla.
there are no words for desbribe this. It´s awesome
sergayxd 2 years ago
could anyone tell me where i can get this performance on dvd?
esadlersmith 2 years ago
no, but i know you can
joznick1 2 years ago
awesome... fantastic... beautiful...
leeyoung1991 2 years ago 2
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Very nice piece. The performer took some liberties with tempo and dynamics that I'm sure Mr. Debussy would not have been impressed with, but the performance itself was very technically correct other than that and it sounded good.
poojaloobaCow 3 years ago
"performance itself was very technically correct"...dude, this is Michelangeli, not a student going for an audition. Michelangeli himself wouldn't really care whether Debussy would be impressed or not...He was a master, he made choices as far as how to approach the pieces, choices that didn't arrive to his brain merely by chance. Choices, NOT liberties.
Justino111 2 years ago 58
Meraviglioso
miliona1re 3 years ago 2
Michelangeli = absolute dream..:*******
Ellinidara 3 years ago
pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa poker face
lol
takoto99 3 years ago
Cela est tout à fait étonnante. Un des meilleurs.
tfordddiaz 3 years ago
Hi, can anyone tell me when and where this was recorded, i really need to know, thanks for any help!
queenown 3 years ago
I assume this is the video take of the studio recording from 1978, Deutsche Grammophon. Not sure about the location, maybe in Hamburg?
AdmiralSnider 3 years ago
I just resently started liking piano music when i saw twilight and heard bellas lullaby, i searched debussy and i accualy liked his music! im surprised because im so used to listenig to like britney spears and lady gaga and who ever is "on top" but most of this music is relaxing and i like it! the only thing is, is that i cant tell the diffrence beetween like diffrent people and i cant even tell the diffrence beetween songs. but i still love it!!! thanks for putting this on!
nicoledelaplante 3 years ago
@nicoledelaplante
sorry its 2 years after you posted but im soo glad more people like you are being turned on to this music. its people like you that give me hope for the human race.
looney1023 1 year ago
Benedetti Michelangeli is brilliant in Scarlatti, Mozart, Beethoven...
But his Debussy, and Ravel too, is mechanical, pale nuances and poor atmospheres. Everything is too much clear and precise, colours are grey and he totally lacks of imagination; tempos are also too fast and he doesn't put some ritardando or rubato, giving poetry to this music! Dynamics are also extremely poor: not a single "ppp" is heard here!
Zimerman is the best in Debussy!
DesAbends 3 years ago
Since when was Zimerman "best" in ANYTHING?... go listen to Rubinstein's rendition of this.
sab3156 3 years ago
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Rubenstein was only ever half decent in Chopin. Even then, its debatable. In everything else, he was, at best, seond rate. Zimmerman is outstanding in pretty much everything he does - aside from conducting.
SJM1977 3 years ago
... lol. How ignorant of SJM.
tuz345 3 years ago 3
Did you all forget about Zorn's rendition on this piece? That boy done tore it up. Innovative bastard.
buzzkaner 3 years ago
intriguingly paced, just this side of driving forward, as if the cathedral were engulfing itself.
kasyapa 3 years ago
another question--does anyone know why he plays two low c's in the big c-major chordal section, rather than just the lowest one? just the bottom c is what i've got in my score, and i've never heard anyone else (including debussy) do this...
minirausch 3 years ago
it says ...LA SERENADE INTEROMPUE because at the end of each prelude, there is a "..." followed by the programatic title of that prelude. The editors did this in the video since they were played in order, so the title was cut from the previous prelude.
littledivo11 3 years ago
mi ricorda l'oceano...
Gaarhel 3 years ago 2
a me come mi sentivo prima di salire per la prima volta sul palco.. per mostrare il mio culo a 200 persone durante uno spettacolo di cabaret. Evidentemente 'sto pezzo non mi rilassa, anzi..
Ma bello, davvero.
smoppi 3 years ago
Nice!
gallowswood 3 years ago
capprottiMusic, Merci beaucoup! -Penny
Je t'adore Debussy et Grazi.
pennymusicMAma 3 years ago
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everyone raves about his debussy. there's so much space between p and ppp to be explored in this music, and for some reason i never hear that with his playing. every note is so present, i might even say forced. the last two bars, for example: he plays the chords accented, even in the mf - f range. they're supposed to be quiet. fading into the distance. look at how high his attacks are, particularly in the middle range chord.. plus doucement s'il vous plait!
i don't get any magic. just notes.
minirausch 3 years ago
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thanks everyone for voting down my criticism rather than responding to it. i would have liked a michelangeli fan's reply, but who needs discussion...
minirausch 3 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
I agree with you - this performance really lacks soul
mirandasummers 3 years ago
minirausch -- i hear heaven's music, u don't. music is to be heard foremost, not "discussed"
and it's best "discussed" among those who are capable of hearing it... if you don't "hear" it, it's your loss.
a chacun son goût ~!
"thanks everyone for voting down my criticism rather than responding to it. i would have liked a michelangeli fan's reply, but who needs discussion.."
earthypig 3 years ago
It's been 13 years since Michelangeli died and we're still squabbling over the petty details of his playing technique...
dwp4c 3 years ago
yes, :( i don't think it's productive to try to understand his music through "his technique" especially if you have already decided that the music "has no soul"
earthypig 3 years ago 2
Hi miniraush.I am not only a ABM fan I am also his lifelong student.I believe it is very important to understand that what YOU hear is what YOU hear.I,f.e. hear all the nuances in dynamics,and so do many,many other people.This is not to suggest something might be wrong with your hearing but to illustrate there are different levels of hearing,listening and perceiving.Please listen to the CD recording on a good Hifi.I heard him live in concerts and private..it was truly MAGIC..mistycal even.Bye.
abmsghost 3 years ago 2
I agree with you about the "directness", but it's also the way the recording was done, it sounds very bright, and there is an acustic compressor severely limiting the dynamic range to fit it into the television format.
All of these take away the patina that for example the Gieseking recording produces so masterfully.
progress2007 3 years ago
I agree with you, totally! People don't listen and think... just hear Zimerman, his Debussy is sublime, not Michelangeli's!
Michelangeli's tempi are also too fast: this IS NOT "Profondément calme"!
DesAbends 3 years ago
certains passages sont trop rapides à mon goût ......
eoncues 3 years ago
è un genio.
arredifestivi 3 years ago 3
debussy does an exemplary job of depicting a cathedral under water....
derob7 3 years ago 2
Why does the title say LA SERENADE INTEROMPUE?
billyguns2 3 years ago
i assume it's cut from a bigger movie, where La Serenade Interompue was performed by Michelangelli before the "Cathedral". Debussy himself wrote the title in the end of the score, just as a suggestion of the image he liked to create
TheGrooves 3 years ago
or to see if you could guess :)
tothemax91 3 years ago
Es que a mi se me hace un poco larga....
misaelmusic 3 years ago
bellissima ed immaginifica "la cattedrale sommersa".l'esecuzione di michelangeli è eccelsa...anke se la preferisco suonata più lentamente
positivemilk 3 years ago 3
C'est super, j'ai la partition, je vais essayer d'en faire autant, les notes ne sont pas difficiles à exécuter mais l'esprit de profondeur est difficile à effectuer.
AngaratoCelebrindal 3 years ago 4
This is magnifique! Could You please post:
Images I & especially Images II? & Estampes.
Love Debussy, my forte, enjoy the 3 staffs!
Merci Beaucoup, Penny,Pianist-M.A.Performance
pennymusicMAma 3 years ago
é assolutamente il massimo, non si può andare oltre ! Suggerisco di sentire e risentire più volte per apprezzarne il livello.
sandrogst 3 years ago 2
What's with the hum?
ffurgy 3 years ago
Ich würde gerne von Ihnen einige Beobachtungen von meiner eigenen Aufführung kriegen! - bitte mein Deutsch entschüldigen!
dominicpierssmith 3 years ago
Questo performence era assolutamente magnifico! Progetto di giocare questo come il mio prossimo pezzo!
shmalex888 3 years ago
GRAN OBRA DE DEBUSSY
jorgealbertobaron 3 years ago
yo la estoy aprendiendo!
que bonita! :)
albita300 3 years ago 4
Incredibile, grazie per aver postato questo video.
dfrancescod 3 years ago 3
WHY HAVE YOU CUT THE VIDEO BEFORE THE ENDING OF THE SOUND!!!!!!!!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARG!
Anyway, thank you very very much for posting this amazing videos!
goggogoggago 3 years ago
q bonito
thanks for this video
Presuntoserrano 3 years ago
Even through this shitty mono youtube interface it sounds really big. He's a master. I agree that he doesn't look like he is taking a lot of effort.
Chyle69 4 years ago 2
I like his mustache, it's pretty sexy
blahshka 4 years ago 8
What???????
segattacicova 3 years ago
In the Urtext edition, it is written that "Debussy played meas. 7-12 and 22-83 in double speed". Though this is untold in many other editions. That would mean the effects are way more important than the tempi ...
vos2k 4 years ago
EDIT: Actually it's not that extreme but you see what I mean.
vos2k 4 years ago
I'm sure he was touched by the spirit of every composer he played. He was so beyond all else - everything was so exquisite and elegant - what he did at the piano transcended the physical self to reach unearthly and wider,divine realms. What a blessing to hear this....
Phillip Wilcher (composer)
PhillipLWilcher 4 years ago 10
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Is it just me, or would this preformance be a lot more impressive if the pianist looked like it was taking more effort? I mean, this is a diploma (RCM) level piece, and difficult, and he's playing it brilliantly...but it doesn't seem as impressive to me as it could be if he didn't look so "cool" playing it. Haha.
EGordon17 4 years ago
E Gordon17 Love ABM. Like other greats,e.g. Heifetz, Flagstad, ABM made it seem easy.
What a tone and technique.
63Attila 4 years ago 2
Michelangeli was an absolutely mind-boggling pianist.
JasonJabber 4 years ago 3
Amen. Combine a mind-boggling performer with a mind-boggling composer, and we are blessed with this musical magic.
geosochi 4 years ago 5
Couldn't have put it better. Debussy's amazing music performed by an amazing pianist, a real joy to hear.
batlin 4 years ago 3
This piece is so great...you feel as if you were in another world when listening to it.
It's really illustrative...so so so amazing
divinefaghag 4 years ago 3
At 2:25, at the church bell chords, he adds an extra c in the bass for more sonority; the pedal is a bit of a problem there (to hold the bass), he chooses for a blurred sound. One can also use the middle (sostenuto) pedal to hold the bass, and change r. pedal more often, but of course it isn't indicated by Debussy, maybe because he composed it while playing on an upright piano.
pianopera 4 years ago 4
True that! I'm learning this peice and my teacher and I have decided to use the sostenuto pedal. Even though Debussy didn't use it, I'm sure he would have if he could! :)
EGordon17 4 years ago
I love this piece! I just finished learning it!
KatyB34 4 years ago
me too. I still need to smooth it out, though. I tried to play this all the way through, and I clocked in somewhere between 10 and 12 minutes. So yeah, I still have a lot of work to do...
tkaik13 4 years ago
It'd be great to get your comments on my own performance, if you wouldn't mind
dominicpierssmith 3 years ago
Great interpretation of the piece. I like the way he uses the pedal, making some bass harmonies reverberate in different shades. I can't stop marvelling at the way he produces such beautiful sounds, so round and pearly, and shifts in dynamics without any physical strain. His body is perfectly in balance and all power comes from his fingers, subtle wrist movements and his chest. Brilliant.
vemonds 4 years ago 6
THIS IS GREAT. speed is soooooooooooooo enjoyable. i love this song
a1dukester 4 years ago 6
Mis pianistas favoritos en Debussy: Gieseking, Cortot y Benedetti-Michelangeli (en ese orden). Son tres dioses.
rolandonavarro 4 years ago 5
Michelangeli is my favourite pianist... however I find that, to my taste, this performance of this prelude maybe is not atmospheric enough. 5* anyway...
crotchet66 4 years ago 3
excelente..amo a michell....
bambito81 4 years ago 4
A very wonderful performance...a bit too quick for my taste, but as was mentioned before, this piece varies greatly between professional performers.
Brennen000 4 years ago
'Quick'? My Naxos version clocks in at 5:46.
Polygor 4 years ago
What do you mean Naxos?
Brennen000 4 years ago
The record label.
Polygor 4 years ago
The interpretation of this piece is so varied with each performer.
ilikeike87 4 years ago
Why does the video misname the piece?
danpincus 4 years ago
The names come after each piece, as they do in the sheet music. If you view other videos in the series, you'll see that they also start with the title of the previous piece. Whoever cut this video up probably didn't realize that.
reddoghud 4 years ago
I realized, of course, but the video-splitter program left a small amount of the previous Prelude for each splitting ...
caprottimusic 4 years ago
Brillante
ustednosabenada 4 years ago 2
HobokenXVI asks: Where was the soul in this performance??
In a small box in the piano seat. Ask me something harder.
LoudCitizen 4 years ago
I had to roll my fingers for this piece... cause my hands were too small~k