Michelangeli - Debussy - Voiles

[alextadeo97]

ev

[alextadeo97]

valla mierda

[MaestroTJS]

It's pieces like this that remind me how much of a genius Debussy was. On the whole, his music has too many moments of sentimental, turn-of-the-century Parisian salon music for my liking or sounds aimless, but then he blows my mind with other pieces like this one which I believe will sound modern even in 1000 years.

[NewComposer01]

@MaestroTJS

That's because Clair De Lune has been turned into that because of it's popularity unfortunately. if it hadn't then it would seem as ethereal and dreamlike as the rest of them

[MaestroTJS]

@NewComposer01 Actually, I still like Clair de lune despite its popularity--I do think it's that good. But I find many other pieces by him just a little too sugary, like he's selling out, or, in other cases, lacking in identifiable forms, though the latter point is probably more just that I prefer forms and patterns to dream-like effusions, usually.

[TheShredworthy]

Many interpretations of this piece are too fast in my opinion., but Michelangeli is the best interpreter of Debussy's music. Some of the best music I have ever had the privilege to hear in my whole life. Any recommendations of CDs of his glorious playing?

[Valerio2991]

technique 10 nothing to say... perfection is reached

[petezilla]

Compare with Gieseking's RADICALLY different, and I think my still favorite interpretation. This version is great, of course, even though he's wearing that silly shirt-belt.

[gallowswood]

@petezilla I think his outfit is awesome!

[FRENZ1993]

I was told that Debussy wrote that one after he visited the Exposition Universelle et Internationale in Paris were he listened to a lot of oriental stuff. He noticed, that the asian music often uses these whole-tone-scales and penatonics so he used them and carried them on the piano to keep the impression of the experience he had there. Now that's genius, isn't it?

[2fat2die]

@FRENZ1993

Yes, he´s indeed as genius as i am ;)

[2fat2die]

@FRENZ1993

Yes, he´s indeed as genius as i am ;)

[saintsaens21]

@FRENZ1993 Very interesting, but because of all the impressionist imagery associated with this music, all I imagine are scenes of belle époque era France, nothing oriental for me.

[tongbunsing]

Great VDO

[richclayderman]

he kinda looks like david carradine on Kill Bill

[TibbsTV]

Great recording. Thanks for uploading.

[Suwandi]

Thanks for uploading!

[cancakmur]

wonderful

[fabiolima4060]

Sans rigueur. Yeah, teach them!

[tim1504]

Pero eso es lo especial en la musica impresionista

[enagyb]

peeeeerdon??????????

[aladinschneider]

Robin Hood and Prince Ironheart on the piano. I think there's no chance to overcome Michelangeli .... he is the champion in the Debussy area. What he invested in this music, benfits him !

[a3886]

woah i came here because of the wikipedia article on kind of blue and you can hear so much of bill evans in this intro (actually i guess it's you can hear so much of this intro in bill evans)

[BeauJames59]

....if I may, listen (look if you can) to the opening piano noodling on "So What", it's those moving blocks chords straight outta Debussy..............

[a3886]

yeah i know that's what i was referencing, the wikipedia article i was at mentioned that that intro had bits which were in reference to this piece or whatever and i had never heard the piece so i came to listen to it and i immediately heard the connection

[BeauJames59]

If you like this, I encourage you to get all 24 (2 books of 12) Preludes, there's a whole universe of music in 'em.....

[moley1390]

I like the start - you can really hear the influence on "So What" - Miles Davis (Kind of Blue)

[TheFetusWillEatUs]

I really like this piece. I play it a bit faster. While I really like the clarity and musicality of Michelangeli's playing, I find he uses rubato a bit too freely. After all, this is impressionism. And are the grace notes really supposed to sound like that?

[Neilhoven]

He's carving space with Sound.

[oberon06]

this piece sounds like a bad dream, its so obscure. i like other pieces by debussey but this one is just bit too weird for me

[ClassicalGuitarBlog]

That's the magic of the whole tone scale. Except for that glorious middle section.

[iMustMakeMusic]

@ClassicalGuitarBlog the middle section is pentatonic i believe

[bilda2]

@ClassicalGuitarBlog wow your so genius you can identify types of scales

[cannelloni99]

@bilda2 It's easy to ear the whole tone scale... I don't know if he's a genius or he doesn't, but you can't say that for this.

The scale at the middle is the pentatonic scale in Eb minor, i.e. the black keys of the piano.

Beautiful piece, my Debussy's favourite!

[honchunfung]

@cannelloni99 Gb Penta

[looney1023]

@honchunfung

e flat minor pentatonic.

[honchunfung]

@cannelloni99 I think it's a D-flat SP

[GranBag92]

I like this better than Clair de Lune..

Well played;)

[florenzblueice]

Neither major nor minor, whole tone scale. There's alot of space for interpretation, the music is very misty.

[coasterman16]

There's way too much rubato for my taste. I find the piece to have more power if the tempo is steady and relentless even at a small dynamic.

[Sviolinist]

Obviously you don't read French.. a danse without care translates to strict tempo for you? what are you, mad? Read the score sometime!

[coasterman16]

Obviously you dont speak French. Dans un rythme sans rigueur et caressant means in rhythm, without harshness and affection. What are you mad? Learn French before you go about mistranslating it.

Debussy wanted Voiles to have an ethereal, enigmatic quality. By adding in excess emotion via fluctuations in tempo, the subdued anxiety caused by the ever-persistent, insisting rhythmic elements that define this piece is lost in a blur of tastelessness.

[Sviolinist]

It says without rigor, if you want to translate the Latin routes directly.

Rigor implies sternness (of tempo) which this piece shouldn't have. That's why it's in the TEMPO MARKING. Caressant translates more directly to "cherishing" - which I interpret as "caring" - it's the same thing. Your cares fade as you sail. Debussy is telling you that when you are lost on the water, time is different. This isn't emotion. It's sailing. You should imagine what it's like to sail the Seine with Debussy.

[KhanShin]

Obviously, you know exactly how the man wanted that piece to be played.

Are you his friend?

[esojbar]

Dans un rythme SANS rigueur et CARESSANT means: you don't need to be rigorous with the rhythm and you must play it caressly (sans rigueur: without rigor - caressant: with caress).

[guitar2adam]

whole tone scale ;)

[mynippon]

C'est ... superbe

[pennymusicMAma]

Magnifique. Master.

 Merci, Penny

[toneeeeeee]

I close my eyes and see a bay so brightly lit that it creates a veil of light shimmering and blurring my vision creating that ever escaping sense of mystery in the piece. Michelangeli plays this amazingly. One of my Favorites!

[viharrad]

He has a funny haircut:)

[bopswave]

haha.. so I noticed

[Lillars]

On sait que ça existe, et pourtant, quand on le voit, on a du mal à y croire... Stupéfiant !

[Lillars]

Jamais entendu des tierces aussi douces...

[musicdivinemusic]

The title of the video says Voiles, but in the intro we read Danseuses de Delphes. Which one is it?

[laurihippelainen]

Voiles

[llesmeiriol]

we see Danseuses de Delphes because it's the title of the previous prelude. Debussy wrote the titles of the preludes at the end of the pieces (in order for the listener/player) to see whether the images evoked were the same as the given title.

The pianist had just finished playing Danseuses de Delphes and that's why we see that title.

[galaxyrainguy]

There have been very few people who have lived through their music to the extent that Michelangeli did. These performances are extra-clasic. Thanks greatly for making these available for our ears, and eyes.

[enagyb]

Impresionante.. compren los CD de preludes en Deutsche Gramophon

[Brennen000]

Absolutely brilliant...

[Krachen]

Illuminations... (that's why the titles appear at the end)

[Alessandro1985]

This is a most ridiculous comment

[tranquilasadove]

I guess that's why all conservatory students are famous pianists, right?

[awatkins69]

dayum straight

[juancillo]

... indescribable

[nico1978nico]

And if my monkey learns to "play" the piece, you'll say it's "as well"? Music is not a question of virtuosity.

[smb12321]

And musical criticism does not consists of denigrating every performance on Youtube. I swea, some people would bash Bach playing his own works.  These live performances are not "cleaned up" as in studio.

[TheChromiumDragon]

Magic...