Sonata No. 6 in E op. 27 by Ysaye - Nokuthula Ngwenyama

[captainshadowdreamer]

do you have any cds out

[jdgarcia01]

Amazing. I love your playing. Ysaye is one of my all time favorites.....

[assa123assa123]

amazing musician! absolutely no hill she can't climb

[assa123assa123]

amazing musician! absolutely no hill she can't climb

[Sikangele]

Way to go girl.

[OneTesi]

If I knew how to give stars I would give you all of them. I miss you. You look beautiful.

[patriciapoop3]

your hands are huge

[banrow]

Quite good, though it gets pedantic. This video would actually be a really good instructional aid for students, who cannot play at full speed yet, want to hear it a litle more manageable.

[grdzelli]

To christianocrr:

You are generally correct; however, it is vulgar to anonymously trash people and it is also cowardly. And concerning "claims" about being a musician. I have been a working professional for more than forty years- have sold hundreds of thousands of recordings, and performed on every continent.. However, this is about Ngwenyama. She is a terrific artist. I have every right to slam someone who gratuitously hurts a sensitive colleague. Think about it while you climb your high road.

[christianocrr]

For NorwegianViolinist, grdzelli and everyone else that claim themselves as experienced musicians. Honor your hours and hours of daily practice, and your teachers, and your colleagues. Do not waste time here displaying to the world how idiot one can be. I believe I learned how to insult someone in every possible language in this page of comments, and I really don't think that this is the kind of thing music should inspire.

[DerieriSoloViolin]

sheepbird: The fact that she actually IS professional, is why I have doubts about her violin playing, this isn't good enough - she has a lot to work with, both speed and techinique.

So I have to agree with NorwegianViolinist on this one.

[yyztyke]

Indeed this performance isn't "up-to-par" with the likes of Kaler and such, (he's my favourite), but she does a great job of showing her skills. Much to work on, like speed and memorization, i feel she'll do great so as long as focusing on muscle memory and speed. Interpret this in your mind over and over, (and memorize), until you can play it as you would as you're playing it in your mind (as every one really tries to - but for real!). Last comment: a better bow and sexier violin. :)

[intelyman]

a nice discussion between you two, norwegianviolinist and grdzelli:) would be great to listen to both of you:)

[cyvue]

I agree. Actually, I wouldn't like to hear either of them because of their shady display of character. It probably amounts to shitty playing.

[NorwegianViolinist]

We will never agree I guess, so there's not much to do about that really, lol. I also wish you the best in your future life, in general and as a musician :D

PS: Funny that you have family in Norway too, hehehe. That's nice =)

[NorwegianViolinist]

You wonder why I'm nasty when discussing her performance....well, I have been a soloist with all the professional orchestras in Norway, a few in Russia, and I have attended to festivals in Switzerland, Germany Spain, Russia (Moscow and Murmansk several times) with great success. So my comments are based on the hard truth, when it comes to be a professional musician. And this performance is not good enough for me, nor the professional stages around the world, in the long run. Period.

[moniquetheviolaist]

ok you know what im 12 and i study with a vioalist Mark Hatchard who knows this violaist personally and she is a wonderfull person and is very well known in the viola community so that shows how much you know because she is brelliant fyi.

[sheepbird]

i'd agree with you except for the fact that she is a professional soloist who has toured around the world also. so i guess though its not good enough for you, it is good enough for the professional stages around the world?

[pagisubuh]

this mother fucker norwegianviolinist it so call so childish!claimed him self as a wonderful violinist which he is not even know what is art is all about.bloody fucking pathetiq.For your infomation bastard only child and utterly fool talk about music here!,. and if you do perform with those fucking ocrhestra as mentioned..no body give a shit asshole!. And now i wasting my fucking time for someone like you here!.hey children 12 year old you may fool around!

[pagisubuh]

hey idiot!wanna be pro critic go outside there!not here!.show what u have bloody asshole!. all people here are utterly stupid judge on poor quality audio and in personal taste of music.anyway wherever you may feel who give shit about it!.All fucking conversation here have no bloody depth at all!.so dont try to be smart if u dont know!!

[NorwegianViolinist]

The musical aspects is somehing that can be disfruted when someone plays in-tune, etc. So since you are a professional musician, like myself, I'm sure you won't disagree with me, when I claim this: If you are to perform a piece/work in-public, you have to know the music, and be capable to play it with ease, so that the musicality is the only concern for the listener ;D

[NorwegianViolinist]

The "nasty" way I comment this Ysaÿe, is the same reaction my professor would've had towards me, if I was the one playing something in public (seems like a pro recording), that was so unfinished like her Ysaÿe. She got the basics, but this performance is in such a state that it's NOW she has to start working, to reach a state of perfection technically, when it comes to this Sonata No.6 (which I've played several times in concert btw).

[grdzelli]

And I won't post any of my work on YouTube because anonymous criticism puts me in a rage. And I won't anonymously criticize anyone on YouTube, even if I hate their work,because a lot of these people work very,very hard and don't deserve to be hurt by people who might have underlying motives for their comments.

[NorwegianViolinist]

Suddenly you sound more mature. I like that. Now, what they really deserve when they post videos like this on YouTube, is to hear what people have to say, and that includes both the positive and negative comments. Thank you for your concerns when it comes to my future as a violinist, but I'm already a professional, just like yourself, and I have practised hour after hour, day after day for many, many years.

[grdzelli]

I have been at this game for many years,given hundreds of concerts and a lot of recordings. I  have been very lucky; yet after all these years, I remember the handful of mean things that were said or written about me. Think about that. By the way, I love Norway and have family there. Good luck to you. Perhaps if you continue to pursue music,you will understand more about what I'm saying. And I am not a violinist nor violist. Also, I cannot stand most of Ysaye's music.

[grdzelli]

To Norwegian Violinist: I just realized,after looking at your moniker, that you are a young and probably aspiring artist. Perhaps in the future you will realize that comments like yours are extremely hurtful. Perhaps you have experienced such criticism, perhaps not. When I was your age,I was highly critical of other artists,especially on my own instrument. I still am; however,I generally keep my comments private. And I do not anonymously hurt others who work very hard at their art form.

[NorwegianViolinist]

And in case you did'nt notice: this video is posted on YouTube, so we are infact meant to comment it, if we wish :D Hahaha! So if my nasty-down-to-earth-reality-ba­sed-comment is too hard to swallow, for you grdzelli, you should consider yourself a low-experienced person with a bad taste, when it comes to solo-works for the violin. I'm convinced that you know alot of things, but Ysaÿe is surely not your territory.

[NorwegianViolinist]

This sonata requires enormous technique, in order to make it worth listening to. To make it a professional performance (which it seems to be...), the technique (bow/intonation etc.) has to be present - and in this case flawless since it's the grand Ysaÿë we're talking about, so the listener can enjoy the musicality brought by the artist (If there is any, ofc).

[grdzelli]

In plain English, then, you're an idiot Norwegian violinist...and nasty, too.

[NorwegianViolinist]

:D Let's be for real...this is'nt the best performance we've stumbled upon. Why should I lie, and tell her she plays lovely? It's better to tell the truth, at least as I have experienced her playing.

[NorwegianViolinist]

C'mon grdzelli, rofl! I already do eat sh*t, when I watch this lousy show.

Carl Flesch is the man! No way around his wonderful scale-system :D

PS: check your "norwegian" grammar next time. I understood your scary message, but if you want to be naggy in norwegian, you ought to be correct in the way you formulate your sentences.

[grdzelli]

SPISE LORT Norwegian Violinist!

[NorwegianViolinist]

LOL!

Ehm....is this video/performace a joke?

Have you ever practiced any scale-systems, like Carl Flesch for example? Your are far from capable to play such a masterpiece. Your lack of technique is immense....

Hahaha, stop releasing shitty videos.

Start practicing - please!

[grdzelli]

Para Pragot:

Andate a la mierda. I also doubt if you're Spanish or if you're even at a level to carry this woman's case. It's easy to say shit anonymously, inchapelotas...

[pragot]

Definitely this piece is beyond her technical level yet. There are many passages where she is struggling.

[xmrbigglesworthx]

ive heard your violin playing doctorlexus.....

i wouldnt brag about that...

[DoctorLexus]

You're really grasping at straws, biggles. The fact is that you could care less about how I play the violin...you just don't like ME. Another fact is that you are naive, shallow, and not particularly bright (yet trying like heck to appear to be ever so cultured). This is an accurate assessment. Please go right ahead and dislike me, as being disliked by phony, low-achieving people is more vindicating than insulting.

[dkurgano]

it's pretty bad

[grdzelli]

The venom,anger,sarcasm,and neurotic outpourings vomited out by some of these cretins is maddening enough, but blatant racism, no matter how one obfuscates it, is bullshit. So stick it up your ass!

[grdzelli]

To Ker331:

Andate a la mierda, celosa y racista. No tienes los huevos de usar su nombre. Pero Amir conoce su nombre y el quire hablar contiga entre su boca sucia y su vulgaridad. Necesita ayuda del medico, conchuda. Sin verguenza completamente. Chula vividor!!! Zona v tipshah!!!

[ker331]

oh yea, if the violinist playing reads this, whatever i say here isn't a personal attack against you

[ker331]

and now probably some of you are going to say im racist. but i'm not even caucasian or a 'majority' so maybe that will change your opinion. it just upsets me that i see so many people that work so hard and play extremely well but don't get the recognition they would have gotten if they were from africa or central america, for example. just base everything on the quality of playing and that's it!

[ker331]

to all of you who don't agree with my original comment:

unless the recording equipment gravely distorted her sound and intonation, then she does not sound like a professional. it sounds like a student that has a pressed sound and can't play double-stops in tune. i think i have a good answer to my question of how she can get so much recognition. it's that many times,someone's race is more important than the quality of their playing.

[DoctorLexus]

ker331... Everything that you wrote was 100% accurate. Impressive. Brave, even. Yes, let's be technical. Let's examine intonation and double-stops. These technical details are not really all that subjective. They can be easily observed.

And mindlessly fluffy, happy-happy (duhhhhh) "it's WRONG to be critical" type attitudes are for people who only wish to hide the fact that their wits and perceptivity fall somewhere between 3rd-rate and outright defective.

Honesty above phoniness.

[pviola314]

Solid counter argument to Kerr: Even if you say this one is unclean in intonation, her Bach, Hindemith on viola and violin in the other videos is very strong sounding. And no you can't argue they don't sound professional because they do. I sure don't care about race or whether you are calling her horrible. But solid facts are nice. I've heard pretty bland recordings of recognized musicians here and there but there is always another one that shows their stuff better. CaseinpointCasals, Menuhin

[xmrbigglesworthx]

doctorlexus you are a pompous ass.

and you missed my point.

Obviously, you have a right to say anything you want here. What I'm saying is that it's pretty foolish to judge someone on something you can't accomplish yourself.

[DoctorLexus]

Crude name calling. But it's not my fault that U R naive.

You wrote that "it's pretty foolish to judge someone on something you can't accomplish yourself."

A) That happens all the time, and rightly so. You surely do it. You JUDGED "Thula" to be a "really great person and musician." ("Greatness" as a PERSON?! Excuse me, but this is about music.)

And B) Go ahead and LISTEN to my violin playing. Self-taught...2.5 years. My myspace URL is listed in my youtube profile info.

U R naive.

[grdzelli]

To Ker 331: Of course you did! Chamor v tipesh.

[ker331]

mah? ata choshev she ani lo mevina otcha ya chatichat chara? ve im ata chosev she hi menagenet tov, az ata lo yodea clum al hakinor. az stom et ha pe

[ker331]

this is really not good. so scratchy. sounds lke a student trying to play a hard piece. how can she get so much recognition for this kind playing? i played better after probably just three years of playing..

[DoctorLexus]

"How can she get so much recognition for this kind playing?" VERY GOOD question. The answer is that, these days, our society is being so dummied-down that factors BESIDES actual talent are what lead to "recognition," or conventional success in general. Looks, money, connections, nepotism-in-denial, race...are determining factors. Just OBSERVE the hordes of naive, dummied-down and unperceptive people who go CRAZY over things that are...not really all that good. So EZ 2 see. Sad.

[xmrbigglesworthx]

guys be nice.

if you don't like someone's playing, dont be rude about it. and until we hear your recording of ysaye 6 on here, you have no right to say anything. Thula is a really great person and musician.

[DoctorLexus]

Writing that people have no "right to say anything" on a public forum is absurd and anti-intellectual on many levels. Possibly even not very bright. The degree to which, these days, critical observations are considered to be impolite or inappropriate is a laughably obvious symptom of how dummied-down most of us are becoming.

[pviola314]

Public forum doesn't mean, "free to say whatever outlandish thing one pleases". Freedom of speech also carries the important responsibility of courtesy and professionalism. I think to overlook this really deters from the integrety of the concept. Just like there are laws of obscenity in public, there are unwritten laws of courtesy in public dialogue and therefore forums... especially ones that aim to seriously discuss a matter like art.

[DoctorLexus]

U R naive and laughably inaccurate. Actually, in a public forum, one is most definitely free to say anything. What the F*** do you think a public forum is? "Free expression" is a universal right -- not some kind of mere "responsibility" that is to be vagely defined by unperceptive dummies.

And, by the way, stating that this young woman DOES INDEED sound more like an advanced student than a true musical artist is far, far, FAR from an "outlandish" observation. It is easy to observe. Why lie?

[pviola314]

ok I won't argue this further. I'll say my last piece and let it be. In civilized discussion and if you want to be a performer this kind of wreckless criticism in public forums is not something taken well by peer musicians. It is in the best interest of one-self to make good, well-thought out criticisms of things one does not like. If you try talking like this with any respected musician they cannot take you seriously. Please think and give a good criticism of this player.

[DoctorLexus]

"...best interest of one-self (sic)..." SURE, the IMPORTANT thing is to worry about one's "peers"! You've got one pathetic argument. No lie.

Of course industry "pseudo-pros" have low standards...while passionately pretending that they're not, in fact, low standards. Most of them surely REQUIRE low standards. The truth is unpleasant: Emperors and empresses with no clothing are IN CHARGE. Talent no longer matters as much as money, looks and connections. Laughably EZ to observe. See ya!

[pviola314]

Ok you win. You sound pretty good especially for being self-taught. You might want to clean your intonation whenever you can... but i do like your twists on Bach and improvs. Gavotte in C is most definately Bach's Prelude in G major transposed up a perfect 12th though.

[DoctorLexus]

"...pretty good, especially for being self-taught." Golly, you think I'm "pretty good"? Gee wiz, mister, you really know your stuff! Intonation? What a perceptive point! Gee, if only I could "clean" my intonation. Dang, but my intonation is so darned dirty!

But seriously, you artless, low standard embracing, excuse-ridden, musical zero, your sensitivity to intonation cannot possibly be as good as you would like to pretend. No way.

And you knew that it wasn't a Gavotte? Wow, you're SMART!

[grdzelli]

Simply put, a superb performance. This piece is diabolically difficult, and, frankly, not great music. But Ngwenyama makes it seem easy and musical. I have been a professional musician for more than four decades, and have had the honor of knowing and working with some of the greats. She is in that category.

[zeinert]

You can't please everyone :-/ You have beautiful technique and lovely tuning, two things I wish I could exercise as well as you. Keep up the good work, you're an inspiration to violists such as myself (I saw your Hindemith from earlier)!

[ankohan]

where is music? sounds like a student.

[DoctorLexus]

True. Note the voice of REASON. Also note that the voice of reason is becoming very RARE. Reason is going extinct. The least we can do is to document its demise.

Goodbye reason, hello "Oh WOW, that's excellent...I mean (duh!) I surely can't do that myself!!! So, since I can't do it...it must be EXCELLENT! And (duh!) she's really HOT, too!!!"

The "profession" of music has become UTTERLY irrelevant. Graphic art, too. Our standards are indeed crashing and burning. Denying it means nothing.

[HuangKaiVun]

I love it.

Classical music lovers come up to me all the time in real life. They tell me that they enjoy seeing a violinist having fun and trying to reach out to them emotionally, not getting an A on a report card. They buy my CDs and attend my concerts, so I'm happy and so are they.

I'm all for people criticizing the "demise" of classical violin. The more they spit out their bile, the more people go to guys like me for RELIEF!

[DoctorLexus]

Accuracy = "bile"

Talk about painfully transparent conflicts of interests and no reason whatsoever to deal with reality accurately and perceptively...one of the main reasons for why so many people's standards have become so measurably shabby.

Sure, the popularity that you manage to dredge-up isn't a function of how you look, your ethnicity, or the degree to which you have been thoroughly hyper-facilitated and promoted. lol

What's it like being an empress wearing no clothing?

[HuangKaiVun]

It's GREAT.

Thanks to you, I have sat around long enough to enjoy Nokuthula's fine performance yet again. And I suspect your ensuing criticism will cause me to return this thread to further my enjoyment. It is through your generosity that I got to enjoy her wonderfully clean and undistorted performance.

I wouldn't necessarily play this piece this way myself, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate it for what it is.

[Hachechulo]

Labored, academic, not very well thought through.

[Thulamusic]

Thanks for your comment. Everyone has a different point of view.

[Hachechulo]

True. But not "everyone" is putting her "point of view" in public, asking it to listen.

[HuangKaiVun]

I'm a professional violinist who plays for a living, and I completely disagree with the "labored academic not well thought out" comment.

This is as good a rendition as there is, well recorded without artificial reverb or compression.

I'd rather hear this clean easygoing performance than a scratchy hacky version that I typically hear on studio recordings of this work.

[DoctorLexus]

Incorrect. The PROOF is self-evident. Let's listen YOU (unaccompanied), "professional violinist."

Classical and pop music has become a pseudo-profession for well-meaning but NOT necessarily particularly talented people who have had the dubious luxury of securing enough money, leisure time and connections to become "professional." And the vast majority of them simply do not sound very good. Our standards are collapsing under the weight of our increasingly dummied-down citizenry. Why lie?

[jesemus33]

thank's the most important thing is your love for music, if you feel it , you are make it, BEST

[cromulentinnoc3nce]

No, I have to agree with Hachechulo's initial assessment. Both this and the Paganiniana sound as if she is an advanced student. Her technique is not polished enough to allow for uninhibited musical expression, rather, it dictates her phrasing in places. She's good, but not on the same playing as the greats of today, much less yesterday. For Ysaye, try Kremer, Kavakos, Kaler, Glitis, Zimmerman, Vengerov, Yaron.. there are so many, I can't even list, and all bring something unique to the field.

[cromulentinnoc3nce]

Violinists in international competitions often are better than this. Look for videos from Tchaikovsky, Queen Elisabeth, Paganini, Sibelius, Indianapolis Competitions.