Rudolf Serkin - Schubert, Piano Sonata in B flat

[XxXanimeXworldXxX]

I like piano sounds though I am learning how to play violin.... I also wanted to learn piano but my hands is small. T_T and they are used to playing violin

[ThEKeLLuKe123]

my last name is serkin

[OrangeSodaKing]

Amazing!! Is the entire performance available somewhere?

[Icerues]

i love how this man plays the piano

[juliantoha]

This is ridiculous...textbook rip. :)

[supertonicman]

Just to keep it short and to the point, Serkin is THE master of this type of music. And look at him go for it on the ending of this beautiful and dramatic sonata! To be able to perform like that with such accuracy at the age he is in this video is such a wonderful thing to hear and see.

[briandonohue100]

I saw him once, at Carnegie Hall. Unforgettable, both for the artist and the moment. It was 1986, last day or Jan. or first of Feb. Almost 25 years ago; days after the Challenger distaster. He played two Beethoven sonatas, I think, before intermission. After, he came out and walked to the front of the stage, away from the piano, and said: "This is for the astronauts." Then he played a Mozart fantasy, K397, I think. If there were any dry eyes in the house by the end of it, they weren't mine.

[juanluengo]

Siempre me han gustado sus interpretaciones al piano y esta no es menos.

Que Dios le tenga en la Gloria.

[driemaaldrommels]

call me childish but he reminds me of a muppet!.....great playing still! :-)

[sprylittlething]

There's something eerie about watching a man who is now in Heaven play the piano.

But man, did he do it justice.

[Withybedgreen]

Love Serkin in all the late Schubert Sonatas for his power and directness with soul. Closest is Schnabel for the same reasons

[2010springfield]

oh my God, special, great big artist

[nikresflodur]

Rudi Serkin was my favourite musician/pianist. Went to every recital that was within a 500 mile radius of my home. First time was in Nov. of '51, and he played the Beethoven, Sonata #21. The last time I saw him in recital was, same place, Toronto Ont. Canada, at old Massey Hall. He played the last three Sonatas of Beethoven. The last time I saw the dear man, was at Marlboro Music Festival in Vermont, in '90. He was ill, and passed away the next May. He made the piano, "sing".

[cynic150]

I think I prefer him to Brendel...He is more straight forward, direct.

[mees04101993]

woot he's awesome

[MrDesperateArtist]

simply divine,

simply Serkin.

R.I.P. to the master.

[michelledvorsky]

thank you so much. I love serkin.

[PhilPhilUSA]

the gold standard for integrity - what intensity!

[goldberg72]

UN GRA SIGNORE

[TheChai23]

Rudolf Serkin was best known for his brilliant interpretations of the Classical / Romantic Austro-German repertoire and passed on this affinity to his students such as Eugene Istomin, Seymour Lipkin, Ruth Laredo and the popular-flamboyant Cecile Licad.

[CanadaPisces]

I had the privilege of attending a performance at New yok with Serkin at the piano and Eugene Ormandy conducting....it was a wonderful performance which I will never forget!

[Reem8620]

This is so great!!!! omg! I wish I could play like this!

[clash44]

the melody is s full. it sounds like there're to pianos playing. genius

[musicdivinemusic]

Fantastic expression. Any chance of posting the whole piece?

[mkeysou812]

wow, look at his mouth go

[INTERNETVID]

fantastic performance, thank you fo posting...

[HwangMyungShin]

He certainly has Central European poise and refinement. I mean, its not suprising that he's such a brilliant interpreter of Schubert, considering he's Austro-Bohemian.

[charismacage]

He died when i was born 5/8/91.

[cjmitz]

:O maybe you are the next him

[Portogallo3008]

maravilhoso! 10*

Thank Isis

[ForeverIsis]

Bellisimo!!

[klausknulp]

i love rudolfo serkin!!!

[Labienus]

What year is this from? Was the entire sonata filmed?

I heard him play this work at Carnegie, many years ago, and it remains one of the great experiences for me. (the sonata is also an amazing piece)

Serkin playing Schubert and Beethoven, in particular, is in the highest circle of those who interpret these works.

[rogerhfisher]

Excuse me for being irreverent, but I think poor Serkin's playing lacks poetry. Every note, loud or soft, is a power blow, bam! bam! bam! The piano is percussive enough on its own. The art of playing it involves learning to make it sing. This Serkin never accomplishes.

[libetta]

sorry to interfere, but i do believe Rudolf Serkin's playing divides opinion between his forte and piano. personally i think he has one of the prettiest piano (soft) sounds i've ever heard, in as much as his tendency to hit brash on the forte part. and no, i don't think there's no poetry whatsover in his playing, you're overriden by his forte sound

[poweriserpro]

i'm not being rude here...but y the hell does he say "ba da ba ba ba ba bada ba ba ba" when playing! lol it's very nice playing but y does he do that?

[pleasantblue]

It's just his habit of playing, all of us have special ways in playing. Maybe if he doesn't perform like that, the performance won't be that good. Like Glenn Gould, he sings the melody when playing. It seems strange, but he claims that it makes him feel comfortable when doing so.

[quintos34]

If it helps him to play the way he does, it's fine with me.

[cehussey]

My dad recalled shaking hands with Serkin, whose grip was powerful.

[hannaremnant]

I don't know what it is but I just 'feel' it

[audiophile71]

Serkin has a lot of "it." "It" is not something I can explain but something that exists between the performer and the listener. Words can not explain it, but I feel such passion when "it" happens. "It" is the reason for Audiophiledom.

[mecsings]

Agreed.

[Sinf0nia]

What is the catalog number of this sonata?

[audiophile71]

This is Piano Sonata in Bb, D.960 (No.21). This is the fourth movement, Allegro ma non troppo.

[afertyus1000]

nearly had heart attack:)

[johnnydavis23]

What a magnificent ending.

[otterhouse]

Pity it's such a short fragment...

-----------------------------

Rolf, Netherlands.

I am a collector of classical 78's and lp's

Click "otterhouse" above to see (and hear!)

some of my collection.

[bourbakis]

Please post more, there are too few clips by this master. What unique sound he produces here!