Anatol Ugorski Brahms Chaconne for left hand 1/2

[MrStrav81]

This version of it on the piano deserves more performance. It has been completely overshadowed by the Busoni.

[Zobachko]

@MrStrav81

I think that the more versions there are of Bach's Chaconne, the better.

Then again, what if a pack of Hélène Grimaud's wolves’ devour your right hand: no more Chaconne??? Brahms’ version would be the remedy!

[zorbeypiano]

"On one stave, for a small instrument, the man writes a whole world of the deepest thoughts and most powerful feelings. If I imagined that I could have created, even conceived the piece, I am quite certain that the excess of excitement and earth-shattering experience would have driven me out of my mind." -Brahms on the Chaconne...how true, this brings me to tears every time I hear it 

[GermanC1000]

Of course Bach took dance tempos of his time (Passepieds, Gigues and Chaconnes) and transformed them. Mr. Ugorski's tempo for a Chaconne is way too slow and the original dance tempo –present in Bach’s score- becomes unrecognizable. In minute 8 or so of this video Mr. Ugorski plays the easy version of bars 104 – 116; the original version renders a much better version of the difficulties in the original score. I prefer Michel Beroff's rendering of this powerful, timeless piece.

[mrianah]

he is so cute and tiny!

and he is moves!!! so so cute

[mrianah]

he is so cute and tiny!

[helenlinpiano]

so expressive!!

[nico22059]

@wagnerfilmart I´ll do what you say! Peace

[applenpuddleable]

I think that above all this consideration we should just listen to Ugorski esecution, i play the violin and i have szering and milstein version of the chaconne in my mind. I have the score also, but still, Brahms transcription played by Ugorski made me creepy.

[wagerfilmART]

this is a very relaxing piece to play for a pianist, alone. And this interpretation is lovely.

[priyamstarr]

@wagerfilmART are you joking!? this is an extremely difficult piece to play, and i'm sure even a master pianist would say that playing it is not relaxing. perhaps i am wrong and you are right. have you played this piece? do you find it relaxing to play? i would be interested to know.

however it is very relaxing to listen to.

i believe that brahmas transcribed it for the solo left had so that the standard of difficulty would match that of the violin that bach wrote if for.

[nico22059]

@wagerfilmART I´m studying it and is very demanding! Not something I would call relaxing!! :P

[wagerfilmART]

@nico22059 Well, at first, no: it is not relaxing. But after you have known it for years, it is a work that you will want to play when you want the world to disappear. If you can hear it played on many different instruments, you might find interesting ways to interpret it: and perhaps, make it a little easier. Your teacher might not appreciate your insights, though! Good luck in your study. Peace.

[nico22059]

@wagerfilmART I´ll follow your advice!

[sugersalt08]

これはすごい演奏だ。

ウゴルスキーは観客ではなく、バッハかあるいは見えない深淵と向­きあって祈っているかのよう。

[GrafWolkonski]

A piece like this can be sublime (agree) but also anemic. Are we listening to Bach or to Brahms? I have Brahms' score in front of my eyes - it is full of 'sempre forte e ben marc.' & 'sempre forte' marks. This is not what I hear in this video. I'm inclined to play BRAHMS, because he composed it for the piano. I'm expecting Brahms from the performer. Bach composed the chaconne for the violin, not for the piano of Brahms' time nor for the mighty grand piano of our time.

[Chopinco]

@GrafWolkonski that is what makes music so great an universal. Wouldnt it be boring to ALWAYS listen to what you "Expect"? It may not be the best way to play Brahms, but try to just listen to the music, and enjoy it, as if it was written by Anatol Ugorsky by himself. I think it is a marvelous interpretation

[Chopinco]

@Chopinco soz for the second "by" :P

[jfw120]

@GrafWolkonski relax a little and enjoy the fine performance.

[zongracz]

@jfw120 When a Sturm und Drang person wants to relax, he'll listen to Mozart's Serenata Notturna. When he wants to feel sublime, he'll listen to Schubert's String Quintet. For lifting one's spirit when down and out, he'll get Beethoven's Cello & Piano Sonatas played by M. Perényi and A. Schiff , but this kind of hotchpotch of different styles is meaningless. Bach meant one thing when writing his Partitas for violin. Brahms had other things in mind - HIS dynamics should be respected. Best wishes

[mreverbel]

@GrafWolkonski Is the music sheet you have an Urtext edition? I ask this because I got Brahms's transcription from imlsp (also not Urtext), and it doesn't have that many 'sempre forte e ben marc.' & 'sempre forte' marks. Actually, there are quite a lot o "p" and "mp" on the score and much of it is left for the interpreter to decide. So maybe your edition is not good, or maybe Ugorski's edition wasn't good, or maybe there is no Urtext edition for this piece, and thus, Ugorski took some liberties.

[mreverbel]

@GrafWolkonski On hearing the interpretation without the score in hands, I already had found this rendition very convincing. It is not simply a matter of being beautiful... it just fits. After following it with the score I have in possession, I again came to the same conclusion. He makes great choices, as far as I can see! Aside from all that, Ugorski's musicality is simply phenomenal: His expression, subtleties, phrasing, and loyalty towards the score are breathtaking. Just my opinion.

[MacApp1966]

Questa interpretazione della CIACCONA è sublime.

[malibumusic]

Check out the ROBERT HILL transcription for Harpsichord.

It is one of the most amazing performances and transcriptions

of BACH that I have ever herd. Truly GREAT!

[chaosfive55]

For all you classic movie buffs, this was the signature melody for the 1946 Peter Lorre horror/suspense film, The Beast With Five Fingers! I highly recommend it; when the ghostly hand plays this piece, it is truly chilling...

[ysChopin]

Clara's right hand has muscle convulsions. and Brahms composed for her with only left hand.

[SUMINism]

his my statue ;-)

[SlumzOvShaolin]

It's for the left hand in that most notes in the piece, if one looks at the sheet music, are on the second line (the one usually indicated by a bass clef and therefore played with the right hand). However, this does not mean anyone is making you play these with your left hand. In fact, many pianists put some right hand into those measures (for one or two supporting notes) to make the piece mostly a two-handed one, although still FOCUSED on the left hand.

[manofuker]

Great!!! Brilliant!!! I love this piece

[shaermy]

yes, it would be easier, but this piece is composed only for the left hand ;-)

[PercivalDumbledore]

i'm a guitarist so i'm sorry beacuase i might ask a stupid question, but...despite the fact that this is indeed a wonderful interpretation, the first thought occurring to me was,

why left hand?

wouldn't it be easier to play with the right

hand?

can somebody tell me please

thanks

[ReturnOfTheStienway]

It is pianistickly easier to write for the left hand.

[ReturnOfTheStienway]

The thumb can play melodies and the other fingers chords. It is not impossible to do this with the right hand, but takes more clever writing since the thumb is in a backwards position.

[benopus111]

Brahms wanted to mimic the movement of the left hand on the violin. I love Busoni's transcription as a work for the piano, but this one attempts to capture the spirit of the original. There are transcriptions of this for guitar, too, and you should be able to find recordings quite easily. All the best!

[abricio]

It's a pianistic tradition to write pieces for the left hand alone.

The story goes that Brahms wrote this transcription along with other pieces (I can remember now only the presto from Bach's first violin sonata) for his platonic love, Clara Schumann, after she hurt her right hand.

[morvensky]

Brahms arranged it for the left hand because it is in a set of etudes he composed and this one is for left hand strength I guess .

[jaroussky1]

have you ever heard pianist with more gentle touch of the keyboard than Ugorski ?

[soltisviolin]

I'm learning this to strengthen my left hand, I'm also working on the Hanon books and Czerny 160 exercises Books too.

[purplelephants99]

I'm playing this right now, after looking for music only for left hand because I broke two fingers in my right hand. This song is a bitch to play. Especially the beginning and end.

[etude12]

Hmmm... and the middle!- I find that hardest beacause my hand is rather frustratingly small!  That is horrible that you broke two fingers; I'd rather lose a leg, pesonally!-but I have odd priorities, admittedly!

[purplelephants99]

Yeah, I could understand not liking the middle, but I have an eleven key range. But I just got the cast off today, which is good. Actually the middle is my favorite part. It's the simplest rhythmically, at least.

[etude12]

I was practicing that section just now! I love the drive it has, too, so I am not that devastated that I have to play it over and over! My wrist is faily tired from it, though...

Hope your hand makes a good recovery!

[purplelephants99]

well thanks. I was finally able to return to a Mozart Fantasie that I had to stop, so that's been fun.

[etude12]

is that the Fantasie no 14a?

[purplelephants99]

nope. K. 397

[paulcroft1944]

I like the tempo and emotion but much of this is played with a triplet feel [as if in a 9/8] in the opening section rather than dotted as is notated. I assume it's interpretative and certainly makes it feel very unhurried and expressive but I'm not sure it's right. Still, it's a free world [well, some bits are.]

[lsheen87]

only glenn gould had recorded this piece!!

[Apollomusagete]

Mit Herz und Verstand zusammenarbeitete.

[bouhet22]

thank you for this wonderful video THE VISUAL QUALITY IS GREAT

[Eristhenes]

Asbsolutely beautiful!

[trinimusician]

Ugorski's interpretation was the first I heard this on piano.... absolutely thrilling. Very good indeed.

[Robertv1968]

I think Anatol Ugorski is one of those rare artists that tells a unique musical story that is just a little bit different then what you already know but in such a convincing way....i think Anatol Ugorski is a wonderful pianist and a great musician.

[Pogouldiwitz]

I think ugorski is one of the more underappreciated pianists out there. He really is a wizard at the keyboard.

[scherzo2001]

schhh...y con la otra te comis un completito

[scherzo2001]

schhh...y con la otra te comis un completito

[lovesGenet]

Busoni is amazing with what he does. the brahms sounds like it is missing the woodsy violin sounds .the busoni vn concerto and sec sonata as well as sonayinas such imaginative work. Liszt also n his notebooks had this idea. Maybe pianist needs to approximate the heavy bowings and doublestops cuz this just doesn't do it . Casella 's orchestral version I ve never heard. Bassoons andflutes, Brass in the cordo sections d maj .I must find!

[vioexcelsior]

Brahms arranged the Bach for the left hand so he could imitate the limitations of the violin. But in any case, it sounds best on the violin, and is probably a lot more woodsy on the violin than on the piano :)

[mcnaire2004]

During Piano fest at Lee University I saw a amazing performance of this piece. I was impressed that he played the chords the way a violinist does.

[zongracz]

A convincing performance.

[plasticPlaystation]

Convincing? Are you nuts?

This is amazing!

[zongracz]

My 50-year-old experience in playing the piano & listening to recordings tells me this account of the Chaconne is only 'convincing' and quite 'anemic' so. Just try listening to Cuban pianist Santiago Rodriguez's interpretation. YOU'll be amazed!

Please don't forget to get back to me then and report who's being nuts. :)

[EilisErina]

indeed very good

[jsphotos]

Brilliant!