Wilhelm Kempff plays Beethoven's Sonata 27, Op 90, mvt. 1

[oboeguy2000]

That is the hight of the art.

[yuhkilovess85]

I didn't like the beginning so much at first..but actually it goes well with the rest. Love his touch..so delicate..especially when he plays the motif.

[Haamidpianoman]

at 1:17 or 1:18 he just made that camera shake with his hand force was in him, it made me jump in my belly

i dont think i;ll be uploadin this anytime soon, maybe moonlught sonata 3rd mov which would be on m channel ina couple of months but definatrly 3 beethoven pieces this month and many more this month! :)

[magicalfirstkiss]

i've watched this so many times.

[wlaajaks]

Worst....

[ChinaRox100]

Omg he makes more mistakes than me... but yet has 1000 times my skills + interpretation... emtions > technique

[afertyus1000]

got an idea for the l/h 10th chord in bar 22 slow it down imperceptibly bar 18 is ok as i can prepare my hand

[brandonscherrer]

0:19 - I thought he was going to fall asleep xD

Beautiful playing Kempf!

[Cumul0Nimbus]

1:11 4:12

Incredible how makes this sound so easy and effortless.

[elifistanb]

I want to listen to this for the rest of my life.. repeteadly, I mean!

[cowheadcow]

I feel like a pianist like Kempff could never make it in today's world of classical music. We are so obsessed with technique and perfection now that the critiques would just tear him apart for being sloppy. Frankly, some of his flubs bother me a little, but then he picks it right back up by playing with beauty and attention to detail that most "Yuja Wangs" could never match.

[goggyli]

@cowheadcow this is the absolute truth and, most of all, it happens daily. it seems that we've lost music for good, its real meaning, its profound and intimate connection, first and last, to the human soul. people may continue play music like machines forever. win competitions, organize big recitals, over and over again. unfortunately, it seems that there is no end in stupidity. thank god we have these recordings. they will last. Time is the major Judge. hopefully better than us will come

[OriginalBasaliskos]

@goggyli Some pretty strong statements considering the evidence behind them.

[afertyus1000]

@cowheadcow that is a very thoughtful statement!!!

[amrabas2007]

Absolute beautiful piece ,absolute beautiful playing .

[jpcastello1]

Gilels version is so much better!!! And to those with religious impressions about this wonderful piece of music: the composer did not really had any belief in god, gods supreme beings, holy ghost or any other nonsense

[MaestroTJS]

@jpcastello1 Wrong. Beethoven very much believed in God.  But what he did not believe in were all the precepts of the Catholic Church of his time, which he felt had ossified.

Having unconventional views on God and being an atheist are not the same thing.

[thecarpy]

Nobody has equalled this to this day, and I doubt anybody will.

[U38066]

magical pedalling.. pedalling king!!!

[petezilla]

this is a religious affair, it is music, which is a self-sufficient religion, IMHO : )

[TheBubbaBomb]

He doesn't fucking look at it O.O Holy fuck.

[TheChileanpsycho]

why so many catholic comments in here i thought we were listening to music

not because kempff was catholic he was blessed neither gifted of special powers by god.

He was just a man that had the ability to play the piano so emotionally that sometimes you get completely lost in his interpretations. He wasn't given that ability he learned piano from his father and then he practiced for years to improve his marvelous technique.

stop discussing about religious affairs, this is music.

[Raggedy9]

I am not impressed by this performance. He ignores or downplays the strong contrasts between forte and piano indicated in the score, and i don't hear much in the way of "very expressive throughout" that Beethoven explicitly asks for. But it's one of Beethoven's more elusive sonatas. I'm going to listen to Richter and Arrau next.

[StephenDeMille]

I was born in the bicentennial of Beethoven. He is my favorite composer and Kempff is one of my favorite pianists.

[Otaxonov]

@annakornishina

Ну уж нет, как раз логика в этом исполнении пострадала весьма!

Don't like his interpretation, cuz it's too romanticized and very slipshod. And his age is not an excuse

[snappleboy16]

God is real but plz dont start a war about atheism and theism plz

[annakornishina]

Очень логичное исполнение, которое по-настоящему трогает. Видна сила мысли исполнителя. Не меньшее значение имеет и жизненный опыт, который он прекрасно передаёт в музыке. Радует отсутствие всепоглощающей виртуозности. Пианист, обладающий великолепными техническими возможностями, не стремящийся при этом продемонстрировать их при всяком удобном случае. Такие случаи, к сожалению, редки.

[wormwoodpecker]

divine has zero to do with..

nor does any ignorant religious propaganda...including stupid prayers

nature alone produced this great man and his talent..nothing else.

listen and enjoy and no more

[soverysneaky]

@wormwoodpecker Divine it is.

[Tanitko4]

you guys... he's obviously joking!

[de4th1snt3nough]

@greenleaf547 actually I think he would tell you to shut the fuck up and fucking listen to how he plays listen to how he feels the music as he was once told "you did not play that as a pianist but as a human" stop arguing and LISTEN

[t1248]

@Mustloveoranda You must be high on Coke. Please don't even mention snoop dog compared to Beethoven and Wilhelm, that is really the highest, compared to the lowest of the low. Don't comment on things that you don't have the faintest idea about, and stick to your crap music !

[polloman14]

@Mustloveoranda WTF are you talking about!!!!

[ThePVGS1]

The 10 dislikers consume 1 gallon of beer a day, and were under the influence of alcohol while voting.

[sonofabastard]

So blessed , please give this man his credit that is due. This is from a lifetime of devotion and love for music , not from being blessed from your god.

[innovatorarch]

@sonofabastard i bed you are wrong beethoven himself sought the gift from god , how can anyone who seek to endvoure the arts throught its inner meaning its emanual exsistanc (kant) ,do that without knowing how beethoven blived in the true god, the ode to joy is a testemony to what i am saying.

[Mendelevium146]

Looks like he cut himself under the hear while shaving :P Even masters are human

[troutssaver]

@Mendelevium146 the most prodigious hands, capable of great precision in space, time, speed and force will make a stupid cut while shaving... thats like saying that Michael Schumacher crashed his car in the garage.. why dont you go and get your eyes checked, or your brain

[KingHarkinian]

@troutssaver Schumacher crashing his car in the garage.. best comment i've read today! xD

Anyway, as for Beethoven and Kempff, my favorite composer combined with my favorite pianist. :-]

[Mendelevium146]

@troutssaver lol why so pissed? Take some laxatives bud, was just pointing it out

[troutssaver]

@Mendelevium146 I took some now I will discharge over your head pppprrrrrrrrrr bon apetit

[kendosendo]

fantastic....i always seem to come back to Klempff.....wonderful!

[andres16180]

aveces es un poco alucinante,

pero es una muy buena sonata

[Chesterbarnes1]

A Master piano player! Who can touch him!

[hotrupees]

@Chesterbarnes1 Beethoven;}

[Chesterbarnes1]

@hotrupees True!  I forgot

[PsycoGV]

My god

Epic.

[6435842]

jedna slika hiljadu reči, jedan ton hiljadu slika

[0netnet0]

8 people missed the like button.

[0111person]

@0netnet0 nope they are the ones that were so shocked that they immediatly went to press the like button but had a heart attack and accidently hit the dislike button poor them.

[The1timothy2]

I've noticed that everything he plays has to do with Beethoven I wonder what the story is behind that. Similar to Nathaniel Ayers only in this case Wilhelm isn't a bum and much more talented then he is.

[cmaxtois]

@The1timothy2 he is fond of Beethoven however, he played/recorded a lot more. (Schumann, Brahms, Schubert, Mozart, Bach, Liszt, Chopin)

[mradipatti]

habe laenger als 30 jahre her nicht Kempff gelauescht. Eher Richer usw.

Der alte Wilhelm spielt jedoch mit Gruendlichkeit ud gefuehlsmaessig vetantwortet

[BassicStorm]

which moron can dislike this

[TheRSChickenTV]

@BassicStorm me

[claracandida]

息詰まる緊張の中での心の動きを感じられる強弱と優しく流れる音­。ひとつのものに向かってゆく意志を持して、すがりつく迷いを払­うようなような情景を浮かべる。

[JARHEAD362961]

@claracandida g.kjthje4,.w5j6hmhilhjlebghkl

[curtismichael14]

is he blind?

[Alex4LP]

@curtismichael14 .............................

[audhen1]

@curtismichael14

no, he feels the music and doesn't have to look at the keys. ;)

[lovesGenet]

I adore Kempf but this is an intense sonata .Rarely does Beeth write in eminor or b minor. 2nd movement is warm E major like the op.109 .someone give me an intense op.90.The Master is here something else he knows. But it ain't what i see on da page .

[fatmanlee7]

He is a god!

[Akuroth1]

You can almost predict the notes ahead.

[BoyJewish]

Not bad for a goyim.

[ThePVGS1]

Shut up. I am a goyim too, call me one!

[qnoquai]

@BoyJewish

I feel really embarrased reading your comment

[hermanshermits124124]

@BoyJewish hahahahahahahahahahahahaha jajajajajajajajaja you will pay haahhaaahah

[afertyus1000]

well i suppose some people look for the compost instead of admiring the flowers

[quinto34]

haha, well put

[Alex4LP]

0:58 - 1:45 Fantastic....

[afertyus1000]

yes i find 1.10 left hand really difficult

[n0vangelus]

has anyone else seen the Chopin 200th celebration in battery park city, ny, ny? world financial center every day this week. go after work it is SO WORTH IT

[Martel211996]

Hey, please go on my channel, you will see a video of me performing at the financial center Chopin's Waltz in A flat major and his etude In c sharp minor. It was a lovely Steinway! im sure youll agree once you see it! thanks

[ThePVGS1]

That Steinway was pretty! I've seen ten of them and played on them, but YOURS is by far, the prettiest.

[Martel211996]

@ThePVGS1 Thank you for the lovely comment, feel free to leave feedback on my channel, comments are apreciaited. Thank you and have a lovely day.

Regards,  Richard

[ibv56]

la coda di questa sonata è magnifica!

[newFranzFerencLiszt]

@ibv56

Io direi che tutta la Sonata è magnifica, come molte altre

[ibv56]

@newFranzFerencLiszt certamente! ciò che volevo dire è che la coda di questa sonata è assolutamente unica, infatti Beethoven riespone con estrema chiarezza dolcezza nonché decisione il tema principale della composizione senza cimentarsi in virtuosismi come solito fare, il risultato è estremamente poetico paragonabile per riflesso ad una dichiarazione d'amore verso la musica da parte di Bee. :-)

[skryabyn]

2:45  sooooo modern

[DesolationRow0]

i think that Beethoven's best compositions are all timeless...

[kendoscot]

he is a great player so enjoy

[Shampoo450]

Yeah this guy wrote at least once EVERY Beethoven's and Franz Schubert's sonatas, he's a god damn freak. I love him

[Shampoo450]

I meant Recorded at least once Sorry ^

[olofreltih]

Kempff era sublime, e continua sendo.

[GoodOrion2113]

I wonder is he like's Wolfgang? I just see him play Beethoven.

[YouMoreable]

The only thing I know is that he recorded EVERY Beethoven sonata. I guess he liked Beethoven more.

[davel112]

Out of curiosity, at the very end, isnt the downward bass line of B-A-G suppossed to be octaves? He plays it as it was the first two times. My copy reads octaves. J/Wondering if any one actually has that in their version?

[Batmancomicsandtoys]

You are correct. It is octaves, but kempff usually adds his on pizzaz to beethoven peices :) So technically you could call this an interpretation

[Jamesgs007]

AWESOME performance!

Thanks a lot for posting the video

[LudwigVanDirks]

2:28 to 2:40. He was totally and utterly starring the Divine right in the face.

[charold3]

@LudwigVanDirks What's amazing, Ludwig, is the fact that, as beautiful as that little interlude is, Beethoven never repeats it!

[photoeditingchicken]

@LudwigVanDirks He was like, "Shit, man! I can't go now! Wait until I finish giving this piece of divinity!"

[LudwigVanDirks]

He carried me through my first years in classical music with his recordings of the complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas. I know each and every piano sonata only though his interpretations. ... He died before I even knew who Beethoven was...

[RonaldVanVollenhoven]

Thank you for your comment! As a little boy, I sometimes listened to a 45 rpm recording of Kempff playing opus 81A. Now, I am playing this myself. It remains one of my absolute favorites!

[phoolisness]

Whats with all the comments about the moonlight sonata?

Is it because the moonlight is op 27 and this is the sonata #27?

In anycase, this is NOT the moonlight sonata.

[morvensky]

This piece is way better than the Moonlight sonata.

[phoolisness]

agreed

[shiyang8616]

he is the best

[cembalaro]

So good, so solid, so blessed!!!!

We all ought to hope hope and pray that we'll be in this shape at the the respectable age of seventy-five....!!!

[hohohee1]

@cembalaro his ball sack is probably sagging to his knees .. respectable maybe ,but this shape , hell no!

[vakho87]

magaria yvaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[JJKjaer]

Hehe. Memory-lap at 0:28-0:29?

[MaestroTJS]

Yup, I'd say so.

Too bad, because the rest of the performance was very good.

[JJKjaer]

I agree - But people will probably mark my comment down anyway:-D (Sådan nogle forpulede pikhoveder!)

[MaestroTJS]

We've gotten so many thumbs down, our comments have been removed. And all we did was point out ONE minor mistake yet praised the rest. Sheesh, these people need to chill!

Imagine if we had said two bad things--people would have hunted us down for crying out loud.

[JJKjaer]

Yes exactly! Hehe.. It is funny to see how people sometimes can have discussions about something for several weeks! And usually it is because of a simple erroneous conclusions, for instance, it could be that they thought I GENERALLY thought Kempff played the Sonata badly. But as you say, it was only to point out one MINOR mistake!

[snowfijn]

The left hand chord is pretty tricky to play. That's why he paused.

[JJKjaer]

Ok. I don't think so, but whatever.. It's well played anyway.

[oigrescalvo]

Chingón.

Pero el secuestro organizado también evoluciona.

Les damos, en estas cadena sociales, excesiva información: dónde vamos a pasar el fin de semana, a qué escuela van mis hijos, qué hago, dónde trabajo, qué lugares frecuento, etcétera.

Tengamos mucho cuidado: El crimen organizado está en todas partes... y también tiene hakers bien pagados que obtienen la información necesaria, y además tiene activistas, gente de acción que te mata si no cooperas con el secuestro.

[DanielRicardoCA]

it's very good your coment but, why do you say that here? what does that matter?

[CoolPolar]

It's a wonder how his fingers can move so flexibly at his age :D

[INTMUSICSYN]

Imagine what Beethoven would have thought of this beautiful Steinway concert grand? The piano was evolving, and I'm sure he might have invisioned the possibility of something like this. Even with his hearing situation, he must have imagined, in his youth, what the piano would become.

[TheNeilnan69]

indeed it is but take Piano Sonata No.14 in C sharp minor Op.27, No.02

to most that means nothing

but to someone with more knowledge its moonlight sonata

you say that and then they realise

so its more of a nickname hes looking for

[einsteinlisztbach]

Beethoven didn't named the sonate the moonlight sonata, bud: "In a way of a fantasia" after Beethoven's death they change it into moonlight sonate.

[TheNeilnan69]

if im honest i didnt know that

if that is true then ill never call it moonlight again

beethoven called it piano sonata no. 14

thats what i shall now call it

[camionero1291]

thats rigth pal!

after beethoven´s death some guy compared the song to the moonligth reflected on a lake in germany (cant remember the lake) and there you go... moonligth sonata adagio sostentuto.

[leonlares]

The name of the song is actually pretty clear.. it's  Beethoven's Sonata 27, Op 90...

[AlgebraProject]

lol, ok where do you think i can download it?

[TheNeilnan69]

i always wonder what he was thinking about when he stares blankly

ive always wondered if he was thinking of his great success over his lifetime

wilhelm kempff was easily one of, if not the, best pianists ever

[AlgebraProject]

i wanna put this song to download, what the name of?

[negritazuni]

Kempff is an artist of the first rank, combining peerless technique with something original in everything he plays. His K331 is, for me, the most beautiful Mozart ever put on record.

[jlba3]

the contest between head and heart

[TastyColoda134]

Head and Heart work toTOGETHER in playing any instrument........

[jlba3]

Of course, that's undeniable.

But I was referring to this sonata. Beethoven supposedely wrote to represent: the contest between head and heart. Listen carefully, you'll see.

[TastyColoda134]

Actually, I feel that Beethoven wrote this when he was inlove with a girl, and she loved him, but couldn't be married becuase of class, back then they couldn't marry unless, they were both rich or bothe poor, ect. But thats the interpritation of this sonata that I get.....

[mathpianist93]

then to you, what would the lush 2nd movement represent?

[TastyColoda134]

The knowledge of happiness between the 2 people, just as freinds.

[AlgebraProject]

nice words...what's the actual name of this song? i wanna download it

[KlavierPlaya]

1:12 = so incredibly difficult to play....at least for me.

[mojoxrisin]

Absolutely! I'm having a big problem with it as well. I'm just going to keep trying :p. Good luck to you!

[mojoxrisin]

I believe it is all about the left hand pivoting the jumps on the F#.. switching from the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th finger. He makes it look too easy

[KlavierEum]

Kempff simplifies playing the piano, but after listening to his performance many times, i feel the depth of interpretation. It is amazing.

[Markohoppis]

looks like little man tate.

[kiisky]

j'adore

[DeMusicManiac]

(November 25, 1895 -- May 23, 1991) was 75 years old.

no it says hes 95 not 75 :S

[SeanSarutobi]

he was 75 during the recording maybe?

[Roqjose]

Yeah,read the previous messages...

[noinin88]

I can't say how I love his way of playing!!! simply wonderful!! thx

[dragonfableKorag]

i love him he really feel what he is playing :D

[TheAtma]

Wonderful performance.

> Check description

Am I really the first one to point this out? He didn't die at age 75...he died at age 95.

[Kloppi1991]

75 is the age when the recordings were taken, not when he died ;)

[XxCloud124]

It is a wonderful performance.

But you've been confused with the age, he was 75 years old at the date of the performance (1970).

[Adamalgorithm]

playing and listening to Beethoven prolongs one's life :-) , cause it makes you happier

[silentbh21]

ofcoursee;) nice thought

[goldie0800]

I had a chuckle or two over your comment of Beethoven's music prolonging life - perhaps. I think W. Kempff lived more by spiritual light and it's obvious in his person and his playing.

[bdmntnfan]

He doent look at the piano most of the time.people who listen to his live performances are very lucky.The recorder is very very lucky.

[ForeverIsis]

it seems that he doesnt play himself but is be played by a special spirit. he is in his livingroom and is listening beethoven.

[whenultra]

Parkinsons is the literal deterioration of the motor cells of the cerebrum and the progressive impairment of physical motor skills and eventual breakdown of the synaptic pathways.

 Kempf plays very well for his age, both in terms of understanding of his playing on an audiences ears, and physically in this perfomance.

[evansvitz]

He looks like Emperor Palpatine

[Daetalus67]

Okay I have to get this off my chest. A number of comments have stated that parkinsons is "like arthritis" or is "a form of arthritis".

Nothing could be further from the truth, arthritis is a condition that involves damage to the joints in the body.

Parkinsons on the other hand is a neurological condition. Neurological meaning something related to the nervous system of the body. With parkinsons your brain is not able to control muscle movement. That was a simplified explanation.

[tootieflutie333]

parkinsons is not the same as arthritis.. but whatever.

this piano playing is beyond words

[quintos34]

He reminds me of my grandpa snif

[beethomozart]

fullfilled with passion and exciting agitation, mixing as only Beethoven could slow and accelerated sounds, this page has been cheered for its incredible rythmic and expressive variety, as always Mr Kempf did it superb at Beethoven,long live ludwig van

[dontreadthis15]

Wilehlm went thoguh alot 3 out of his 5 children died and he died of pakersins diesease which is like arthrits

[MindLeopard]

Many pianists die from disease, if only he died a more peaceful way.

[samhowhard]

why do pianists die from disease lol?

[TheEngrishRanguage]

Well if you are always using your fingers you are bound to get Parkinson disease which as he said is like arthritis. You get it from moving joints so much you wear them down basically making it hurt to move them

[danielchong1234]

o man.you really scares me a lot you know.

[Toxxic88]

If I could only play like Kempff himself I wouldn't mind dying when im 50 lol

[Erichristian]

You are... a complete tool.

[EvgenyTM]

I don't think there is a video of Barenboim playing this on youtube but I had the chance to hear him play this piece - he was better, not that I think that Kempff can't play this sonata but for me Barenboim will awlays be the god of Beethoven;s piano works :)

[tchebinai71]

I'm used to brendel's version.more rubato and pauses,and he doesn't play the first 2 chords exacly at this tempo. makes a nice effect .first i prefered kempff then brendel .. :o

[PavelNedvedAlex]

He is the greatest. He makes me happy and sad at the same time when he plays the piano.

[pipboyx5]

I feel the same

[Matticitt]

Right :)

[asxefv]

this is also the sound of te piano he used a kind of pianos wich is giving a warm sound like not those used by japanese players for example

[Irelandlass7789]

quite often European pianos have a completely different sound from yamahas; they are much warmer. I can't tell what piano he is playing though. It might be Steinway..

[inflames1419]

amazing

[XxooTEMPLARooxX]

I love the beginning where it looks like he is not interested :

A great piece played masterfully, but then we do not expect anything less from Mr Kempff

[mojoxrisin]

All music is open to the artist's interpretation. Besides, Beethoven was not someone who followed rules or structures. With Beethoven's compositions expression has more value. That is why Kempff was one of the greatest performers.

[trigalg693]

But Beethoven was one of the most specific composers when it came to dynamic markings and effects.