Claude Debussy - Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum (played by Lucamadeus)

[PaulOrsay]

I really like the way you play this song!

[lucamadeus]

@PaulOrsay thanks a lot!

[getoffmeCian]

Mad hand crossing involved

[Myumeful]

DAMN. This is my next piece. Oh hell...

[ArmandZach]

The best i've never heard,

[Jhn8Pl8Grg8Rng]

fantastic !!

[TheStarGoddess]

I have a video of me playing this...watch and comment please? :)

[Linkinvlad]

This piece isn't SO hard in itself, though there are some tricky moments. Yet, to play it THIS well, with such fluidity, and I of course refer to the last fourty seconds, it takes a lot of work, no matter your level. So, for those who wondered, it's kind of a hybrid level piece: you could rank it grade 6 if played slow, and a nice grade 8 if played at full speed.To me the next step to that would be Gardens in the Rain or Clair de Lune. But whatever: congratulations.

[raiu632]

This is a very nice piece. I have to play it for my recital at my school, I wonder how it's going to turn out.

[minimishira]

WOW

[taiyouchan101]

loooooooveeeethis peice now this is music wish i could play it like u!!! im only 12 and i looove debussy not like the other kids in my class who like nicky minaj or rebecca black

[SwimmingPianist99]

i have to get this ready for a competion and i'm not even 13

[Mathlete1000]

@SwimmingPianist99 so do i... is not that hard to do swimming. stop complaining and trying to impress us and get to work lol!

is hard to play it this well though.. i love this interpretation especially at 1:39

[iloyful]

...Dottore.. lei è impressionante!! :)

[lucamadeus]

@iloyful troppo gentile, grazie :)

[tucciotucciify]

@iloyful mi associo, splendida esecuzione

[supergabyota]

tan rápido que no tiene emoción alguna...

[WTforeverable]

@lucamadeus I've learnt to play this piece too;

just wonder how long it took you before you could play it like this?

how long have you been playing the piano?

[WTforeverable]

@lucamadeus

I've learnt to play this piece too;

just wonder how long it took you before you could play it like this?

how long have you been playing the piano?

[XxskillfullxX]

WOW is it supposed to be this fast i play it at a much slower tempo because im still practicing it though

[michelle4869]

gonna play this piece for exam on monday.. :( Hope I can play like you menn! :)

[lucamadeus]

@michelle4869 thanks :) good luck! :)

[LilJwalker12]

This is my favorite recording of the song on piano, you phrased each section so perfectly! :)

[lucamadeus]

@LilJwalker12 thanks so much! :)

[Siciliana101]

incredibly beautiful playing!

[lucamadeus]

@Siciliana101 too kind, thanks!

[TatyanaPlays]

Thank you! That's wonderful! I just turned 7 and I also play this piece but a little slower. You can see it on my Youtube page: TatyanaPlays

[yenyang101]

Hey I'm playing this for a recital and a program, and because your playing sounded so clear on each note, I'm wondering you have pedal throughout the song or not.. I play it with pedal and i think it blurs the notes a bit but gives the sound more flowy like water. lol but after listening to yours, it doesn't sound like you used pedal and it sounded very good too! :)

[coolkoreangirl]

do you have any tips how i can do this smoothly. mines comes out kind of rough. i can't get the bell sound to come out as clearly as you do :/

[lucamadeus]

@coolkoreangirl thanks :) some tips: light wrist, all the piece not too much "forte" (forte = mezzoforte, for example)...

[coolkoreangirl]

@lucamadeus yea that's the problem, it's kind of hard for me to make really good distinctions between the notes

[MDTalwaysMee]

One of my favorites on piano!!

[katecutiekat]

you play it so well,im learning this piece right now and its not even easy.

[sprluver1234]

<333 i love this song i'm 14 and i can almost play it as good as youuuuu!

[jadrsmjlc]

wow! that's funny! I'm 14 too and can play it pretty good as well!

[iMacxXuserXx485]

Thanx awesome

[Nathanbmajor7]

I'm trying to play this but I don't know what fingers to use. :)

[joanidesdottori]

My gosh! FlyHigh1987 said too many crap that i'm with a headeach now! Gradus isn't shure stairs. It is a famous book of (I don't know to say it in english) "contraponto"

[YrusTrulli]

you play it so perfectly!! when i paly it it sounds so uneven. gud job

[xMichi007D]

Thanks for letting me add my video as response :) You still played it ten times better than me xDD Although i dont like that piano sound very much D: Very nice playing :3

[lucamadeus]

@xMichi007D you're welcome! I know, my old piano was a bad Kawai...

[FlyHigh1987]

Gradus ad Parnassum--"stairway to Parnassus"--a contradiction in terms! There ARE no stairways to artistic inspiration. But Debussy's "doctor"--such an amiable gent--all smiles, affability--you forgive the absurdity. How I love this piece!

[sdiggy4004]

i worked on this for a while and the accruacy you did this with at that speed i must say was pretty damn impressive. kudos my man

[lucamadeus]

@sdiggy4004 thanks so much, too kind! :)

[srbd2004]

la delicadeza y expresividad en el movimiento de cada mano, me encantan!

[lucamadeus]

@srbd2004 thanks so much!

[mLe1004]

very nice, very clean fingers.. just wish we could get rid of the static in the background! :)

[lucamadeus]

@mLe1004 thanks a lot :)

[bloodelfasdf]

The piano sounds very nice. Is it a steinway?

[lucamadeus]

@bloodelfasdf thanks! no, it's a Kawai mezzacoda

[invisiblesun01]

peu de couleurs, malgré une bonne technique !!! dommage

[HAMayoral]

TEACH ME!!! I'd give half my soul to be able to play this! Oh, and hello again by the way, just looking through my favorites! :D

[lucamadeus]

@HAMayoral thanks alot, too kind :)

[BlacckChrome]

@HAMayoral it's really not that hard of a piano piece, but it is one of my favorite

of course i shouldnt be talking, having given up piano 5 years ago... but there are much harder pieces

what im saying is i encourage you to learn this, its beautiful, impressive to most people, and not that relatively hard. winwinwin.

[HAMayoral]

@BlacckChrome Indeed! I´ve temporarily given it a rest, and have decided to work on Chopin´s waltz No.19 in A minor posthumous. Unfortunately time is of the essence (I was hoping maybe to use this piece as my audition piece for piano technique in college... But the days are quickly slipping away)

[Fwibbib19]

best version i've seen of this on youtube yet...well done

[lucamadeus]

@Fwibbib19 too kind thanks alot!

[pila406]

@lucamadeus It is truly the best version i've heard on youtube yet.

It is really a good one!

[lucamadeus]

@pila406 thanks so much, too kind! :)

[Ste86Horus]

Bel video, ma forse fai troppo veloce la parte centrale dove cambia la tonalità, stesso errore in cui sono caduto anch'io. Se vuoi dà un'occhiata al mio video di questo pezzo.

[lucamadeus]

@Ste86Horus hai ragione, risentendola dopo tanto tempo riconosco che la parte centrale andrebbe eseguita più lenta

[MatthewPiano95]

complimenti, nel complesso è davvero una buona interpretezione. Bravo!

[lucamadeus]

@MatthewPiano95 grazie mille! :)

[CHOPIN2132]

ma quanto è bello questo pezzo! e tu come sei bravo!! ciao Luca... Grazie!!

Tommaso

[lucamadeus]

@CHOPIN2132 grazie mille a te Tommaso! :)

[HelloLynn123]

i like it so much better when it's played slow!

[lucamadeus]

@HelloLynn123 well, but Debussy wanted it quite fast :)

[HAMayoral]

Terrific? Can you play his Arabesque or am I asking to much?? XD

[lucamadeus]

@HAMayoral thanks! I'll do it of course as soon as possible :)

[HAMayoral]

@lucamadeus Yay! Oh and I meant Terrific! I see I accidentally placed a question mark rather than an exclamation point.

[Rastafurious]

Ahahahah amazing ! I've got difficulties to make the ''melody'' break through the other notes that are in background ... any tips ? And ah yeah do you use this pedal which make it easier to play (the notes are much weaker tu push) tu play so fluently and smooth ? I do and it sounds impossible to do without it ahahahah

[imedhel]

how old are ou ?? i love this song

[lucamadeus]

@imedhel thanks! I'm 33

[practicecrazypianist]

Thank you! I'll try that out....:-)

[practicecrazypianist]

Thank you for posting this, lucamadeus! I am learning this piece at the moment having just done my Grade 8 and I am loving it!  Any tips on how to get the R.H.

crotchets to sound truly legato over the other notes at the beginning?

Lovely playing!

[lucamadeus]

@practicecrazypianist thanks so much, my only tip is trying to follow the movement of the fingers (doing each 4 crotchets) with wristle and whole hand :)

[MattPianoMan]

Very nice rendition! I love this piece, played it for the University of Delaware back in 2001. Check on my video when you get the chance! :)

[Shanasha1234]

europeanxdoll and jazzy250: I totally agree! I've been playing piano for about 7 years now, and I am dismayed to see either teenagers who've been playing for 1 year and can play these pieces or kids under the age of 8 playing these wayy better than me. piaonger-lol i'm playing the fantasie impromptu too.

[pianonger]

Other than that excellent job. what kind of piano is that? i recommend you get a Steinway. its my fav!

[lucamadeus]

thanks alot! it's a Kawai mezza coda, I'm just searching for a Yamaha :)

[radcliffeishot123]

@lucamadeus lol kawaii = japanese for cute XD

[pianonger]

I enjoyed your playing, this is coming from a 13 year old...lol...well when you played that f scale near the middle of the song it was to rushed and consumed. i did not like it at all. i wish you would take more time to really bring out the slower parts.

[europeanxdoll]

your hands are beautiful!

[lucamadeus]

thanks for your kindness :)

[jazzy250]

Wow! You have such a beautiful touch with the keys. I am learning this piece for my year 12 recital and i hope i can play it half as well as you! Bravo!

[lucamadeus]

thanks so much! I think you'll be able to play it well!

[europeanxdoll]

thank God someone over the age of ten is learning this piece.

ive been watching videos of dr gradus on youtube for the past hour. theres like 18 girls under the age of ten playing it, and might i say quite well.

and im like wtf i just started this piece and have been playing piano for nine years. GRR

[jazzy250]

hahaha! i know what you mean! I've been playing for about 9-10 years myself and i just started this piece. Then i come on youtube and see all these 8 and 9 year olds playing it! They did play it well, but child prodigies are a little frustrating to me.

[pianonger]

i am 13...i wish i was devoted myself more... i learned this piece in a month without lessons. you can do it easily. much easier than fantasie impromptu. it took me so long to figure that piece out. (nearly 2 years of perfection and still needs work) atleast i won a competition with it :)

[MCRandCrissangel123]

@pianonger 90% of pieces in the classic world are easier than the Fantasie Impromptu if you're talking about Chopin

lol

[PianistaItaliano]

Favolosa interpretazione Luca.Bravo.

[lucamadeus]

grazie mille Alfonso, come sempre i tuoi giudizi sono particolarmente preziosi

[fromtwistedlogic]

It's excellent, what can I say? I like you technique.

Please take a look at my version of this piece, and give me suggestions!

Thank you

[earlod01]

look at his hands fly!!

[lucamadeus]

thanks! :)

[Shankovich]

I admire how calmly you approach the keys (goes so well with the piece). It's nice to not see hands hacking towards the jumpy notes on a peaceful piece :)

[lucamadeus]

thanks so much! I think it's better to avoid unnecessary moves of the hands and arms :)

[KiaHope]

Complimenti, suoni questo pezzo davvero perfettamente!

Io sono 5 mesi che ci provo ma degli errori mi escono sempre...

[lucamadeus]

grazie mille, a mio parere una volta che hai risolto la diteggiatura (prova a trovarne una comoda per le tue mani) gran parte dei problemi tecnici si risolvono da soli :)

[bartkneppers]

thnx Luca,

u make the sun shine and sparkle while playing!

[lucamadeus]

thanks so much Bart, too kind :)

[tfolv]

:O ♥

[lucamadeus]

so kind :)

[HardcoreLoominator]

I love Debussy. This is one of my college audition pieces. Playing this piece has given me an even greater appreciation for the impressionist period of music. I could play Debussy for a living. Very good job. 5/5

[lucamadeus]

I agree, I think Debussy was one of the greatest

[cojobo407]

The best recording

Great!

[lucamadeus]

too kind, thanks!

[Melisiyo]

this is probably the best one ive seen so far...forget about the speed [even tho this speed is really good as well] u put the emotion into the piece as well. others just play it with speed and technical stuff. but u looked at both. :D keep it up!

[lucamadeus]

thanks so much, I'm so glad you liked it! I've ever loved this piece :)

[akachica1010]

i'm learning to play this song.. but, my version isnt as vivid... really great!

[lucamadeus]

thanks a lot :)

[paulette954]

Amazing.

[lucamadeus]

thanks so much!

[daijirokito]

the best

[lucamadeus]

thanks alot, too kind!

[lucamadeus]

hi, thanks so much!

[pianogirl4ever]

Whoa, Luca! This is sooooo beautiful! Five stars! (*^^*)

[lucamadeus]

thanks so much dear pianogirl!

[shufflelovarz]

I'm playing this song too! I really love it... :D how do you play so well? I've been learning to play the piano since I was 5 and I still suck after 8 years.. :\

[lucamadeus]

thank you so much...only a lot of study, study and study :)

[andreea1407]

you play it awesome but could you please please make a tutorial ...i really want to learn this snog so much and i don't know how to read sheet music yet but i know how to play a lot of songs..so i think i could play this to...THANK YOU SO MUCH!

[lucamadeus]

thanks a lot to you, I'll try to do a tutorial with synthesia sooner or later (I can't say precisely when...sorry)

[andreea1407]

ok thank you ...it doesn't matter when you will do it the important thing is that you will do a tutorial !Thanks again!

[smoao]

Hi.

Amazing ! ^^

Very good play =)

I close my mouth and i learn...

Enjoy

[lucamadeus]

thanks so much, too kind :)

[2121erika]

hi! I'm sorry for the English, but i'm a spanish girl.

You play it fantastic!! congratulations!!

I'm 13 years old and i've done 7 years of piano classes, i am in a conservatory.

Now, i've to play it!

Please, can you tell me how to play it good ?

thank you so mach!! and i repeat..i'm sorry for the English!

[retraslove]

oh, it's incredible, congratulations!

I'm studying piano at a conservatory, and the teacher gave me this. It's really difficult, I've only read the two first pages. How many time did you practise this until it was perfect?

I hope I could play as you. Congratulations again!

[lucamadeus]

thanks so much for your kindness, I practiced it a lot but it's far from perfection!! :)

good luck for your study!

[tooproforyou]

very impressive. Do you know if this was the intended tempo that had in mind?

i wish i saw this vid b4 i played this for my exam :( i'll use this as a benchmark now

[lucamadeus]

thanks so much, I think Debussy had in mind it like a study, so I believe faster is better

[notes000]

do u have any idea what does this piece means? i mean the "doctor gradus ad parnassum"..

[10nisman123]

In France they used to have finger exercises called "Gradus Ad Parnasum" or "steps to perfection". Then, Debussy made this song sort of making fun of finger exercises and called it "Doctor Gradus Ad Parnassum"

[notes000]

thanks for the info. =)

[lucamadeus]

10nisman123 already answered :)

[sarahbechillin]

omg. i learned the whole thing but i'm eighteen times slower than that.

i only have about two months until i have to play that in front of an audience. oh, dear... o.O

[lucamadeus]

good luck for your study and your performance! :)

[Iluvcheesepi]

omg i'm playing this right now and wow ur awesome! smooth - _ -

[lucamadeus]

thanks so much, I'm happy you liked it!

[fishygifts]

you play this really well!

i'm 12 and i'm trying to play it faster and smoother but it's not working XD

[lucamadeus]

thanks a lot, don't worry, keep up the study and you'll view good results!

[purpledancinyogo]

you play it so smoothly..

mines all rough and uneven and im not even playing it as fast as you!

lol youre amazing

[lucamadeus]

thank you so much, keep up with the study and you'll put up good results :)

[cocotube123456]

You´re incredible!! i´m 16 years old and i´m trying to learn it,and i´ts possibly too hard for me but you inspired me, that song is so beatiful. Congratulations!!

[lucamadeus]

thank you so much, I'm so glad I helped you :)

good luck for your piano study!

[lqiyun7]

nice job! I love this song, and the way you play it! XD

Hmm, in fact I'm learning how to play this song now lol XD

[lucamadeus]

thanks so much, I'm glad I helped you!

[ReignOfPraine]

The way you played this was fucking extreme! Great job!

[lucamadeus]

thanks so much!

[villaperalino]

Buenísimo, precioso, muy bien tocado.

[lucamadeus]

thanks a lot!

[OneCrookedSmile]

O.o wow great job! I also can play this song but in no way as fast as you can...5*

[lucamadeus]

thanks so much, I think my version is even too fast...

[meliolin]

And your hands are so beautifull

[lucamadeus]

thanks a lot again :)

[meliolin]

I try to play this song but Im desapointed when i see you, you play so good !

i'm french so, sorry if you can't understand my sentences :D but i hope you can...

[lucamadeus]

thank you so much! I understood your sentences, don't worry! :)

[ma1achite]

Wow, great job. I'm trying to learn this now. It's so fast!

[lucamadeus]

thanks so much!!

[EyekilL951]

i used to play piano, and wished that i had never stopped. i used to play this song, and you inspired me to relearn it. thank you. :)

[lucamadeus]

thanks so much, I'm glad I inspired you to relearn it!

[TheMikester307]

My (late) brother Mark used to play this! Thanks for the memory!

[lucamadeus]

thanks so much to you!

[Tributery]

Woah! This is awesome!

Subscribed-

[lucamadeus]

thanks so much!!

[Matt4Badgers]

nicely played :)

[lucamadeus]

thanks a lot!

[lolaphilologist]

This is my favorite interpretation of this on You Tube. Thank you so much for posting this.

[lucamadeus]

thanks a lot for your kindness and subscription!

[tinamarielovestosing]

wow!!!!

[lucamadeus]

thanks so much Tina! if you want, you could subscribe my channel to stay tuned about my last videos! thanks a lot in advance!

Luca

[katnaej]

I just played this two hours ago for my piano recital! I didn't play it that fast, though. I would've hurt myself if I'd tried. :P