As a pianist, I think there's no point in getting upset and pretentious over Jon Stewart's joke, hosting is stressful enough already...there is a point in getting upset over some of the "artists", with such shallow music, (not to diss the sincere pop musicians), who are paraded around as heroes at the grammys, while real musicians like hamelin are half-assedly tagged on the end
I think it's sad that this was probably most everyone's least favorite performance of the night... No one probably understood how amazing this performance was...
This is one of my most favorite compositions, and Hamelin has made the definitive recordings imo, being he is one of my top 3 pianists.
HOWEVER;
THIS performance was riddled with mistakes! Well, maybe not as drastic as that sounds, but there were definitely mistakes here not heard in his more refined performances.
Like the MASTER that he is, he continued seamlessly, and the air-headed audience remained oblivious, not to know how lucky they are to be in the presence of this super-human. Bravo!
Dios!!!!! ningún pianista por malo que sea no quisiera estar en los zapatos de Hamelin y compartir verdadera musica con toda una plebe de maleducados y gente rustica!!! Puf!!!!! que mal...... a pesar de eso BRAVO HAMELIN!!! SUBLIME!!!!
JAJAJAJA Pobre Hammelin tocar un Chopin-Godowsky en el mismo escenario en que sale Shakira y Eminem JAJAJAJAJA....bueno esa es sin duda la mejor interpretacion que he visto en un Grammy......
The guy is in a league of his own. This study on the etude is so rife w/ treacherous leaps as to defy all but the surest perseverance, yet he renders it w/ such apparent ease that the connoisseur is left flabbergasted! More stupendous yet, the pianist delivers the impossible before the unreceptive congregation from within the fortress of pop-pantheism. Bravo, Hamelin, ye ballsy astonisher!
Lol ya'll don't get it John Stewert saying the D flat joke is poking fun at how nobody there knows the difference between c major or D flat. He wasn't serious. Some of you guys need to get a sense of humor and just listen to Hamelin play.
Well, Hamelin is genuinely one of the giants of the piano, right up there with Beethoven, Liszt, Busoni, Godowsky, Richter, Cortot, Argerich. To play such a phenomenally difficult work after such an offhanded introduction by an otherwise very funny Jon Stewart, in front of an audience that would not really appreciate the kind of finesse and stupendous technique, so well deserves kudos from anyone who loves music. Grand! And one of the last times we'll see classical music so well played on TV!
@andreenzo And he does it as if he were shaving, brushing his teeth, putting sugar in his coffee.... What a delight to see and hear!! He is so Olympian ,,,
Well, i say this love but the performance is actually full of errors, almost on each cascading run. When i first heard this well over a year ago, i thought it was error free and it inspired me to prompty buy his godowsky cd, then go to Toronto's major library and find the archived sheet music. After learning it, it's interesting how different it sounds, and where all the mistakes are.
@debussy84 so what, its a live performance and there are wide stretches who else do you kno of who can play the whole thing perfectly plus those black key arpeggios are ridiculously hard to nail the whole technique is a leap but yeah, you have all the right in the world to criticize MA Hamelin. show some respect hes one of the greatest alive today
@anonymousQ45 wow, you're really desparate. Did you miss the part about the performance inspiring me to immediately purchase his cd and find the sheet music? Me pointing out errors following "i say this with love but" is hardly criticism. I know its hard for you to read that your idol might make a mistake but get over it. And he messed up others other than the black key runs.
@anonymousQ45 Anyhow, mine's coming along VERY well. And dare i say i'm quite good so please remember your quote "who else do you kno of who can play the whole thing perfectly" when i rub mine in your face in my own post. "Show some respect'" ie. "heaven forbid don't mention his potential errors or i'll cry"... grow up!
As for musicality, "die gustibus non est disputandum"..it's often just a matter of taste. Virtuosity in and of itself has always been an important quality of the great pianist. One could hardly imagine a Liszt, Busoni, Rubinstein, Chopin, Horowitz., etc., etc., etc., without it. Explicitly, virtuosity is sine qua non to the virtuoso. I.e., without which..not!
Obviously, a "massive technique" is absolutely essential to the virtuoso performer. Indeed, with substantial parts of the literature requiring exceptional technique, one could hardly be considered a virtuoso at all without possessing great technical facility. Recording technology and competitions have evolved the modern virtuoso to near perfection,unlike e.g., the early years of Arthur Rubinstein, who wrote of impressing the critics with fakery...they couldn't tell the difference!
Funny thing (not sure if Jon knew or not) there IS a Godowsky study in D flat (for just the left hand) on the same etude! ;) And no, it would not suck! Haha.
A massive technique can carry one pretty far. However, IF a pianist has an amazing sense of the MUSIC, but is not that impressive technically, guess who gets all the press and fame?? Unfortunately, the wow factor of titanic technique is inescapable. People will always love to be wowed.
Das ist ein unglaublich schwieriges Stück. Schon das Original ist sehr schwierig, hat aber die Läufe nur in der rechten Hand. Dieses Stück hat Läufe in beiden Händen!
I'm glad Hamelin got a Grammy! This etude is very difficult, but may be worth putting in the time to learn after learning the original Op. 10 No. 1 by Chopin.
I love how people call John Stewart "ignorant" as if everyone knows who Godowsky is. Hardly ANYbody knows who he is! If there's any fault it's with the producers for not making sure Stewart knew the correct pronunciations. Give the guy a break, there were about 100 names he had to say that night, off a teleprompter.
I have been playing piano for 20 years, but only recently learned about Godowsky. And I apparently don't know the correct pronunciation. How would I without being told?
yes i like both of them and can also struggle through the original, he must have a gr8 mechanical memory cos it doesn't give you a chance to think about each note
You have a very charitable disposition, Pookiejohn. Perhaps my remarks were intemperate, but I am nearing 70, and have regarded the popular culture as poison for a very long time. I had hoped to see a return to gentler, more refined and respectful ways, but that Alas! seems unlikely any time soon.
I take heart, however, in all the excellence I see here among young instrumentalists. I wish they received the acclaim they deserve, but it goes to the likes of Stewart, instead. Ugh!
As much as I admire Hamelin for his musicality and technical abilities, I love John Stewart for his humour, his journalistical ethos and his humaneness; as a person I think he fulfills every standard for being gentle and respectful (with legitimate exceptions) and surpasses the ones on being refined. That he may not be an expert in the musical field (you may call it ignorant) doesn't disqualify him as the host of the Grammys and his mispronunciations are imo inept, but very forgiveable.
I'd suggest you ease up on your snotty attitude - music, especially abstract music with no sociological or political substance, is an entirely voluntary field and there is obligation for anyone to be interested in a particular form, or particularly advanced field of it.
A good chunk, if not almost everything (it depends on the viewer, I guess) Marc plays is highly advanced, and often not easily accessible material that can absolutely understandably be only of mild...
... if any interest to the average person with only passing interest in music, or people not interested in music that goes beyond easily accessible entertainment with relatable, witty texts.
In fact, the Chopin etudes themselves are far more digestable and "catchier" to the listener than the Godowsky versions.
I'm being somewhat of a devil's advocate here because I really do dig this stuff, but you should really step back and get your head out of your ass for a moment.
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
As all who are aware of Beauty, Truth, Genius and Integrity should know, the masses are asses, and Mr. Stewart is an ANUS -- a cheap, coarse, vulgar LOUT.
That society encourages and supports such a person speaks very poorly for SOCIETY.
Mr. Hamelin should never have sullied himself by agreeing to participate in a Carnival of Crap --- PERIOD!
only trrue classical music lovers could appreciate the godowsky etudes. that applause was so weak he deserved a standing ovation and cheers i bet if jay z or usher was on stage those people would have went nuts. bravo Hamelin!!
This guy is wonderful. Watched him perform Totentanz today with the Seattle Symphony and he just blew us away. Awesome stunning performance of the quintisential Liszt show piece. I am a fan!
Micing a piano is notoriously difficult. The recording engineers for classical labels know the instruments, and know how to get the best sound. The guys recording the Grammies are probably used to recording rock/pop, and this is the result.
Also sounds like they normalized the sound, meaning they lowered the loud parts and boosted the quiet sections, to get an "average" volume. Standard for rock/pop, but a big no-no for classical.
watched the last grammy show on tv some weeks ago. funny to see hamelin playing here, did they finally get an idea of prefering musical quality instead of album sales and political bullshit content?
Love Hamelin, love his repertoire, fine pianist, obviously a thinking musician - but.... could have used some dynamics here. I'd be more impressed with pianissimo passage occasionally, and the music would hold the attention better. Maybe he was playing for a "Grammy crowd". Haven't seen Godowsky's dynamic indications. Hamelin is greaest Canadian pianist/musician since you-know-who!
And to think, someone gave me a thumbs down... Like I am making this stuff up or something. I heard what I heard, and I was just pointing it out. I guess some fan is butt-hurt that his favorite pianist is not perfect...
It's not even remotely surprising. This piece is ferocious, and he misses/drops many notes in this performance, as he (and every) pianist does in most live performances.
1) Piano Sound - How can you judge from a low res. YouTube file?
2) Choice of Music - It seems to be something of a trait, or even conscious decision, with this man, that he uses his talent to bring attention to lesser known pieces rather than go for populistic (over played?) repertoire..and he only had 2 mins. or so - there aren't that many pieces with the necessary impact that he could have chosen. A connoisseurs party piece perhaps?
3) He never smiles - He's a serious man and a total perfectionist. I doubt he cares about 'showmanship' - just the music and giving the best performance. He's probably thinking 'How could I have done that better?'
It's funny, because it's obvious that Jon Stewart (who tries to come off as such an intelligentsium, or at least a smart-ass) has no idea what he's saying when he announces this.
As someone below remarked, this is a pearl cast before a herd of swime.
Play faster? How shallow to judge music on speed. He plays this great! I don't think it loses much from the original which I love. They are 2 different pieces, but Godowsky's genius really shows, I think in this composition.
And I agree, the audience did not deserve this performance, they have no idea what they are hearing.
trevjr, it's also shallow for you and out of line for you to say that the audience is undeserving to hear a beautiful piece, as it was composed for the audience am i correct? Ironically enough it is the audiences who are NOT very or not at all interested in this genre of music that needs to hear this, so they can gain better appreciation for it; u feel me?
you have to understand its the grammy's too, which means the audience ranges from avril lavigne to 50 cent to miley cyrus to courtney love.....not everybody is refined enough to appreciate classical music, heck, it took me TEN YEARS away from my piano since the age of 9 that i realized that how much l loved it and return to playing it.
("refined" is simply my interpretation of refined, fans of those artists, please don't start immature e-beef with me)
i agree with you in that most of the grammy audience may not appreciate classical music to depth, but i believe many of them are familiar with piano. they either play it in the pop genre or have been accompanied by the instrument in their performance, so it is plausible that they appreciate the great difficulty of this Godowsky transcription, and the volume of the applause they return to Hamelin seems to prove their appreciation.
Its too bad such a talent had to play for such a audience. I dont think that grammy audience deserves Hamelin, or Godowsky, let alone Chopin. Great playing though, keeping the grand tradition alive ( in front of dirt farmers and goat herders).
to davids2000: "Its too bad such a talent had to play for such a audience. I dont think that grammy audience deserves Hamelin, or Godowsky, let alone Chopin." Cmon man that's not right to say. This piece as well as many others were composed to be shared with the world. The audience deserves to hear this piece as much as you do; that's how people gain better appreciation for this music. Yeah most of them might tune it out, but its their fault they can't understand great music. continued...
eh... I don't think that's fair. Godowsky himself said that the point of these was not to surpass Chopin's work but rather to bring the technical requirements for the left hand up to par with that of the right hand.
the second Godowsky arr for left hand of this etude is actually in d flat and is gorgeous. He could have played something that would have had people going to the record stores the next day. this one is my least favorite -the octaves make it sound over top-like america!
This guy is amazing. He just blows through those runs like nothing! But I think Godowsky in his transcription, although he made the piece infinitely more difficult, the piece loses a lot of its heroism and dramatic line that is intrinsic to the original. That, or Hamelin isn't playing the transcription fast enough, and really, would it be fair to ask anyone to play this faster?
I may be suggesting something redundant, but I implore you to view the rendition of the same piece by Boris Berezovsky right here on youtube posted by the user, dafuckinmart (or something close to it). It's quite 'turbulent'.
The "guy at the beginning" is Jon Stewart, and I would say he is very funny in politics, I don't think he understands much about classical music or he is playing to the peanut gallery.
And Swedish, where do you hear "repetitive" in the "song"... I think you should listen carefully again. This is a remarkable work for piano and perhaps pianists.
i think it is just an automatic reaction, perhaps due to the fact that when the pianist finishes a piece, he is reducing the possibility of perhaps hitting another note or making any other sort of sound to spoil the performance. Or perhaps it is a reflex, or a psychological thing that confirms that the piece has ended. To be fair, I don't know.
You'll notice that they quite often go backwards when they do that as well. It's relaxing,and if you do it, it can (i suppose because of autosuggestion) take a lot of tension off.
Naw, it might just be miked for Alicia Keys or someone... seriously, when is the last time they've had a classical musician play at the grammys before this.
This performance is not one of his best. Perhaps it was the unfamiliar ambiance of the Grammy's, but I'd rather blame it on the piano, which sounds a bit sharp- it does not at all produce a robust or rich sound. I think the piano's timbre is kind of superficial. Given that, Hamelin's playing was fabulous, as it is invariably is on good pianos.
I don't think it was disrespectful in this case for him to start when the audience was still applauding. All the pop stars who get most of the attention at the Grammys certainly don't wait for people to stop screaming to begin.
Better yet, why not La Campanella by Marc-Andre. Yundi Li plays it very very well. But Hamelin plays it better. Besides, MCH was invited at the Grammy's not Yundi Li.
the grammy awards are a strange place for someone like marc andre hamelin to be playing such an obscure (even to some pianists) piece, maybe he was a little nervous?
The D-flat joke is just a way to lampoon classical music's notoriety for indicating the key when giving the title of a piece of music. It's a bad joke stemming from the predictable requisite of lampooning exactly what the mainstream dumbed-down masses in the U.S. are conditioned to scoff at...intellectual cultivation.
Low grade moron Jon Stewart spits at classical music by using the work 'suck' in his introduction.
What a poor choice of a piece to play for an audience that hardly knows what classical music is.
marcxopoco 5 days ago
if i played with this many mistakes my dad would lead me to suicide
georgie7777888 4 months ago
@georgie7777888 how about if you were playing it at the grammys?
endofthecorridor 2 months ago
@endofthecorridor I played for the PM...so don't assume anything honey
georgie7777888 2 months ago
a godowsky transcrription always brings up the qustion in my mind, "what's the point?"
utubuser10 6 months ago
playing classical at the grammys is like a slug on a rose. Chopin-Godowsky-Hamelin are too good for the Grammy cretins.
Eztoez 6 months ago 2
Probably, it was more chords and armonic content in this single piece than in all the other pop music that won a grammy that day...
Larousse27192 7 months ago 7
As a pianist, I think there's no point in getting upset and pretentious over Jon Stewart's joke, hosting is stressful enough already...there is a point in getting upset over some of the "artists", with such shallow music, (not to diss the sincere pop musicians), who are paraded around as heroes at the grammys, while real musicians like hamelin are half-assedly tagged on the end
cmautnerable 7 months ago
the original was one of the hardest pieces chopin ever wrote...
the godowsky arrangement is just insane
RomanianOrphansLOL 7 months ago
@RomanianOrphansLOL Actually, the original isn't that hard with the right technique. But I agree about the Godowsky.
xtfcr7 7 months ago
what year is this?
gsarci2011 8 months ago
I think it's sad that this was probably most everyone's least favorite performance of the night... No one probably understood how amazing this performance was...
trp8155 8 months ago
like a boss
mikedeliv 8 months ago
This is one of my most favorite compositions, and Hamelin has made the definitive recordings imo, being he is one of my top 3 pianists.
HOWEVER;
THIS performance was riddled with mistakes! Well, maybe not as drastic as that sounds, but there were definitely mistakes here not heard in his more refined performances.
Like the MASTER that he is, he continued seamlessly, and the air-headed audience remained oblivious, not to know how lucky they are to be in the presence of this super-human. Bravo!
Gibson29 8 months ago 4
@Gibson29
Well, he (and most others) constantly makes mistakes in live performances of extremely difficult pieces ;)
twooffour 6 months ago
Actually yes, D flat really would suck for this etude
Lisztman88 9 months ago
There were just a handful of people in the audience who understood the shear super-virtuosity of that performance.
pianoplayeruk 9 months ago
Dios!!!!! ningún pianista por malo que sea no quisiera estar en los zapatos de Hamelin y compartir verdadera musica con toda una plebe de maleducados y gente rustica!!! Puf!!!!! que mal...... a pesar de eso BRAVO HAMELIN!!! SUBLIME!!!!
lfmusik 9 months ago
I always considered John Stewart as one of the more intelligent american frontmen, but now... that first joke completely ruined my regard for him.
titusbeertsen 9 months ago
Can you write what the conductor said at the beginning? (I can't understand it!)
andriventu 10 months ago
John Stewart can only embarrass himself in front of real greatness.
HotSo0P 10 months ago 3
it's not the original version of this Etude.
c'est pas la version originale de cette etude
bluesmanflo 11 months ago
they don't know how lucky they are to be in his presence.
Theo333222111 1 year ago 8
this actually lagged my computer
Brawn 1 year ago
0:06
that idiot just insulted the raindrops prelude! thats one of chopins best!
Likeafoxow 1 year ago 12
WOW!!!
JAJAJAJA Pobre Hammelin tocar un Chopin-Godowsky en el mismo escenario en que sale Shakira y Eminem JAJAJAJAJA....bueno esa es sin duda la mejor interpretacion que he visto en un Grammy......
belialah 1 year ago
lol madonna's "music"
CammehYaBams 1 year ago
Comment removed
madlovba2 1 year ago
he should have played the original version since most people in the audience never listens to Chopin
RemovdSande11 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
The guy is in a league of his own. This study on the etude is so rife w/ treacherous leaps as to defy all but the surest perseverance, yet he renders it w/ such apparent ease that the connoisseur is left flabbergasted! More stupendous yet, the pianist delivers the impossible before the unreceptive congregation from within the fortress of pop-pantheism. Bravo, Hamelin, ye ballsy astonisher!
skybendu 1 year ago
people like him should have thousands of Grammys.
Laudan08 1 year ago
@Laudan08 Amen to that! He should receive a special Grammy that they give out only every decade or so.
steveaulie 1 year ago 2
The supreme piano geek-I mean that as a compliment. He champions all the unsung heros of the repertoire...truly deserving of his Grammy!
eschera 1 year ago
Superb.
pianotruth 1 year ago
Lol ya'll don't get it John Stewert saying the D flat joke is poking fun at how nobody there knows the difference between c major or D flat. He wasn't serious. Some of you guys need to get a sense of humor and just listen to Hamelin play.
MisteeeeerKennedy 1 year ago
@MisteeeeerKennedy I can't imagine anything worse than playing for non classical fans.
LoftyProduction 1 year ago 3
@MisteeeeerKennedy There is a difference of a semitone. Those with perfect pitch could easily tell the difference.
hughtonks 1 year ago
Jon Stewart SUCKS.
marcxopoco 5 days ago
"Because of course we all know D flat would suck." That was so bad, it hurt.
yelvaberry 1 year ago
Comment removed
MisteeeeerKennedy 1 year ago
Well, Hamelin is genuinely one of the giants of the piano, right up there with Beethoven, Liszt, Busoni, Godowsky, Richter, Cortot, Argerich. To play such a phenomenally difficult work after such an offhanded introduction by an otherwise very funny Jon Stewart, in front of an audience that would not really appreciate the kind of finesse and stupendous technique, so well deserves kudos from anyone who loves music. Grand! And one of the last times we'll see classical music so well played on TV!
klavierspieler72 1 year ago
is the presenter handicapped in some way?
TomPField 1 year ago
'cuz D flat would suck ! haha.
mrkwonsony 1 year ago
@andreenzo And he does it as if he were shaving, brushing his teeth, putting sugar in his coffee.... What a delight to see and hear!! He is so Olympian ,,,
Malaka57 1 year ago
Jon Stewart and Marc-Andre Hamelin in the same youtube video? Be still my heart!
flamingspinach 1 year ago 8
Wow, he played at the grammies and got introduced by Jon Stewart. Good thing he plays Alkan...
hellomate639 1 year ago
Well fortunately, Hamelin is BOTH a technical powerhouse and musically very good too! :)
OrangeSodaKing 2 years ago
Well, i say this love but the performance is actually full of errors, almost on each cascading run. When i first heard this well over a year ago, i thought it was error free and it inspired me to prompty buy his godowsky cd, then go to Toronto's major library and find the archived sheet music. After learning it, it's interesting how different it sounds, and where all the mistakes are.
debussy84 2 years ago
@debussy84 so what, its a live performance and there are wide stretches who else do you kno of who can play the whole thing perfectly plus those black key arpeggios are ridiculously hard to nail the whole technique is a leap but yeah, you have all the right in the world to criticize MA Hamelin. show some respect hes one of the greatest alive today
anonymousQ45 1 year ago
@anonymousQ45 wow, you're really desparate. Did you miss the part about the performance inspiring me to immediately purchase his cd and find the sheet music? Me pointing out errors following "i say this with love but" is hardly criticism. I know its hard for you to read that your idol might make a mistake but get over it. And he messed up others other than the black key runs.
debussy84 1 year ago
@debussy84 lol
anonymousQ45 1 year ago
@anonymousQ45 Anyhow, mine's coming along VERY well. And dare i say i'm quite good so please remember your quote "who else do you kno of who can play the whole thing perfectly" when i rub mine in your face in my own post. "Show some respect'" ie. "heaven forbid don't mention his potential errors or i'll cry"... grow up!
debussy84 1 year ago
As for musicality, "die gustibus non est disputandum"..it's often just a matter of taste. Virtuosity in and of itself has always been an important quality of the great pianist. One could hardly imagine a Liszt, Busoni, Rubinstein, Chopin, Horowitz., etc., etc., etc., without it. Explicitly, virtuosity is sine qua non to the virtuoso. I.e., without which..not!
SiegfriedHorner 2 years ago
Obviously, a "massive technique" is absolutely essential to the virtuoso performer. Indeed, with substantial parts of the literature requiring exceptional technique, one could hardly be considered a virtuoso at all without possessing great technical facility. Recording technology and competitions have evolved the modern virtuoso to near perfection,unlike e.g., the early years of Arthur Rubinstein, who wrote of impressing the critics with fakery...they couldn't tell the difference!
SiegfriedHorner 2 years ago
Funny thing (not sure if Jon knew or not) there IS a Godowsky study in D flat (for just the left hand) on the same etude! ;) And no, it would not suck! Haha.
OrangeSodaKing 2 years ago 3
A massive technique can carry one pretty far. However, IF a pianist has an amazing sense of the MUSIC, but is not that impressive technically, guess who gets all the press and fame?? Unfortunately, the wow factor of titanic technique is inescapable. People will always love to be wowed.
MrGrigor99 2 years ago
Good thing Hamelin has both.
jojoereturns 2 years ago
Well, he isn't unmusical, but I think he is well aware where his true capabilities lie.
Grigor99 2 years ago
Das ist ein unglaublich schwieriges Stück. Schon das Original ist sehr schwierig, hat aber die Läufe nur in der rechten Hand. Dieses Stück hat Läufe in beiden Händen!
klaviermusikfreund 2 years ago
HAmelin = virtuoso ONLY. I recently heard him play a simple bach piece. Let's just say it was obviously not his type.
TheFrenziedPianist 2 years ago
Comment removed
mvcl 2 years ago
Holy mackerel.. that's absolutely -stunning-.
Wow!
Mpony70 2 years ago
Ironic , isn't it, that Godowsky wrote his second version of this etude( for left hand alone) in Db Major?
delphi123 2 years ago 4
I'm glad Hamelin got a Grammy! This etude is very difficult, but may be worth putting in the time to learn after learning the original Op. 10 No. 1 by Chopin.
OrangeSodaKing 2 years ago
hes one of the best technician on the piano, so good
bludika 2 years ago
I love how people call John Stewart "ignorant" as if everyone knows who Godowsky is. Hardly ANYbody knows who he is! If there's any fault it's with the producers for not making sure Stewart knew the correct pronunciations. Give the guy a break, there were about 100 names he had to say that night, off a teleprompter.
I have been playing piano for 20 years, but only recently learned about Godowsky. And I apparently don't know the correct pronunciation. How would I without being told?
uluru28 2 years ago 5
@uluru28 its go-doe-skee
anonymousQ45 1 year ago
Good audience - at least members of the audience know when to clap, but I doubt many of them apprehended what they heard.
ulsbolde89 2 years ago 8
Comment removed
mvcl 2 years ago
Godowsky sends chills down my spine...
JlDsanity 2 years ago 2
i prefer the original chopin etude though this is more difficult
afertyus1000 2 years ago
I like em both! I can play the original, but this one is hell on the left hand haha... out of my reach technically!
JlDsanity 2 years ago
yes i like both of them and can also struggle through the original, he must have a gr8 mechanical memory cos it doesn't give you a chance to think about each note
afertyus1000 2 years ago
Db would suck! LOL I LOVE C Major! the best scale ever (for piano that is!)
dumyhary 2 years ago 3
CAPITAL idea!
BRAVO!
NOW you're talking. :-)
Pischnaholic 2 years ago 3
You have a very charitable disposition, Pookiejohn. Perhaps my remarks were intemperate, but I am nearing 70, and have regarded the popular culture as poison for a very long time. I had hoped to see a return to gentler, more refined and respectful ways, but that Alas! seems unlikely any time soon.
I take heart, however, in all the excellence I see here among young instrumentalists. I wish they received the acclaim they deserve, but it goes to the likes of Stewart, instead. Ugh!
Pischnaholic 2 years ago
As much as I admire Hamelin for his musicality and technical abilities, I love John Stewart for his humour, his journalistical ethos and his humaneness; as a person I think he fulfills every standard for being gentle and respectful (with legitimate exceptions) and surpasses the ones on being refined. That he may not be an expert in the musical field (you may call it ignorant) doesn't disqualify him as the host of the Grammys and his mispronunciations are imo inept, but very forgiveable.
veitcall 2 years ago
And as a young instrumentalist myself: Thank you very much.
I myself am very happy, that Hamelin earned this much deserved Grammy instead of some show-off.
veitcall 2 years ago 2
@Pischnaholic
I'd suggest you ease up on your snotty attitude - music, especially abstract music with no sociological or political substance, is an entirely voluntary field and there is obligation for anyone to be interested in a particular form, or particularly advanced field of it.
A good chunk, if not almost everything (it depends on the viewer, I guess) Marc plays is highly advanced, and often not easily accessible material that can absolutely understandably be only of mild...
twooffour 1 year ago
@Pischnaholic
... if any interest to the average person with only passing interest in music, or people not interested in music that goes beyond easily accessible entertainment with relatable, witty texts.
In fact, the Chopin etudes themselves are far more digestable and "catchier" to the listener than the Godowsky versions.
I'm being somewhat of a devil's advocate here because I really do dig this stuff, but you should really step back and get your head out of your ass for a moment.
twooffour 1 year ago 2
This comment has received too many negative votes show
As all who are aware of Beauty, Truth, Genius and Integrity should know, the masses are asses, and Mr. Stewart is an ANUS -- a cheap, coarse, vulgar LOUT.
That society encourages and supports such a person speaks very poorly for SOCIETY.
Mr. Hamelin should never have sullied himself by agreeing to participate in a Carnival of Crap --- PERIOD!
Mr. Stewart is OFFENSIVE.
Pischnaholic 2 years ago
The emcee is REVOLTING, and should not have been privileged to be in the same TOWN let alone the same STAGE with a stellar genius like Hamelin.
The setting for this display is frankly disgusting.
Pischnaholic 2 years ago
i didnt get that joke, d flat would suck wtf does that mean>
anonymousQ45 2 years ago 2
only trrue classical music lovers could appreciate the godowsky etudes. that applause was so weak he deserved a standing ovation and cheers i bet if jay z or usher was on stage those people would have went nuts. bravo Hamelin!!
anonymousQ45 2 years ago 52
@anonymousQ45 um - sounds like the audience liked it.
cowheadcow 1 year ago
@anonymousQ45 I don't think that applause was weak at all! Great playing, but also lots of cheers!
peteseattle 6 months ago
Marc-Andre Hhhhhhhhamelin (if he's trying to be funny...then it isn't!)
tomekkobialka 2 years ago 5
Hamelin is the man!
HyneseyBoy 2 years ago
No words after watching/hearing this video... amazing
gmcbdn 2 years ago
This guy is wonderful. Watched him perform Totentanz today with the Seattle Symphony and he just blew us away. Awesome stunning performance of the quintisential Liszt show piece. I am a fan!
Valkyrie91a 2 years ago
It is a great arrengment, made with a big sense of humor! 5 stars!!!
allanikitskaya 2 years ago
Micing a piano is notoriously difficult. The recording engineers for classical labels know the instruments, and know how to get the best sound. The guys recording the Grammies are probably used to recording rock/pop, and this is the result.
Also sounds like they normalized the sound, meaning they lowered the loud parts and boosted the quiet sections, to get an "average" volume. Standard for rock/pop, but a big no-no for classical.
JanesStyle 2 years ago 4
"Rock/Pop" is nothing more than ROT/POOP, and always has been.
If only I could push that proverbial button ...
Pischnaholic 2 years ago 4
They sure gave him a crappy piano to play on. Too bad
aardvaark069 3 years ago 3
im sure it was meant for like stevie wonder and jazz kind of stuff. even though its a steinway they probably didnt really take care of it well.
godsloved3 2 years ago
Amazing performance aside, am I a purist in claiming I like Chopin's original version of this Etude Op.10 No.1 MUCH better?
calflyboy 3 years ago 6
Agreed. But it's a nice rendition.
OrangeSodaKing 3 years ago
The announcer is Jon Stewart from the Daily Show on Comedy Central.
ayso78 3 years ago 3
watched the last grammy show on tv some weeks ago. funny to see hamelin playing here, did they finally get an idea of prefering musical quality instead of album sales and political bullshit content?
kage1369 3 years ago 2
he doesn't play the octaves. he plays single notes :(
Tortelier18 3 years ago
Love Hamelin, love his repertoire, fine pianist, obviously a thinking musician - but.... could have used some dynamics here. I'd be more impressed with pianissimo passage occasionally, and the music would hold the attention better. Maybe he was playing for a "Grammy crowd". Haven't seen Godowsky's dynamic indications. Hamelin is greaest Canadian pianist/musician since you-know-who!
camaysar222 3 years ago
is this a paraphrase on chopin's etude op.10 no.1?
kiitoob 3 years ago
Yep.
Waldszenen 3 years ago
D flat wouldn't suck...wtf is he talking about.
trigalg693 3 years ago
that's the point, he doesn't know what he is talking about
tonyshawk 3 years ago 3
its a joke. dude, chill out. =P
thedeathskittle 3 years ago
I'm not a piano player, (I love good pianists though, and good music,) but I think I heard a mess up at 2:15
You guys hear that too? Hamelin is still awesome though...
Oooops...
Lukehausherr 3 years ago 2
Yea I think he accidentally hit an adjacent key somewhere.
trigalg693 3 years ago
And to think, someone gave me a thumbs down... Like I am making this stuff up or something. I heard what I heard, and I was just pointing it out. I guess some fan is butt-hurt that his favorite pianist is not perfect...
Lukehausherr 3 years ago 2
Heh the post ratings are quite stupid. Hamelin is really phenomenal though, it's somewhat surprising that he missed a note :P
trigalg693 3 years ago
Awe- he's only human. A very talented human, but nonetheless...
Lukehausherr 3 years ago
It's not even remotely surprising. This piece is ferocious, and he misses/drops many notes in this performance, as he (and every) pianist does in most live performances.
John11inch 3 years ago
did godowsky ever do one on op. 10 no.4?
laydowninthegrass 3 years ago
Yes, for left hand alone.
fdaltrey 3 years ago
thats fucking nuts....that one is impossible with 2 hands already
soleonice 3 years ago 4
OMG!!! What! That's insane.
debussy84 3 years ago
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got bored out of my mind
oshopiano 3 years ago
Lots of issues raised here:
1) Piano Sound - How can you judge from a low res. YouTube file?
2) Choice of Music - It seems to be something of a trait, or even conscious decision, with this man, that he uses his talent to bring attention to lesser known pieces rather than go for populistic (over played?) repertoire..and he only had 2 mins. or so - there aren't that many pieces with the necessary impact that he could have chosen. A connoisseurs party piece perhaps?
dwftube 3 years ago
3) He never smiles - He's a serious man and a total perfectionist. I doubt he cares about 'showmanship' - just the music and giving the best performance. He's probably thinking 'How could I have done that better?'
dwftube 3 years ago 4
if i were hamelin, i would play Kapustin's stuffs (toccatina) instead.. more entertaining..
rvn10rvn17 3 years ago
he plays kapustin.
Achtelnote 3 years ago
It's funny, because it's obvious that Jon Stewart (who tries to come off as such an intelligentsium, or at least a smart-ass) has no idea what he's saying when he announces this.
As someone below remarked, this is a pearl cast before a herd of swime.
jbarbri 3 years ago 2
Play faster? How shallow to judge music on speed. He plays this great! I don't think it loses much from the original which I love. They are 2 different pieces, but Godowsky's genius really shows, I think in this composition.
And I agree, the audience did not deserve this performance, they have no idea what they are hearing.
trevjr 3 years ago 5
to trevjr: I completely agree.
ulsbolde89 3 years ago
trevjr, it's also shallow for you and out of line for you to say that the audience is undeserving to hear a beautiful piece, as it was composed for the audience am i correct? Ironically enough it is the audiences who are NOT very or not at all interested in this genre of music that needs to hear this, so they can gain better appreciation for it; u feel me?
JlDsanity 3 years ago
you have to understand its the grammy's too, which means the audience ranges from avril lavigne to 50 cent to miley cyrus to courtney love.....not everybody is refined enough to appreciate classical music, heck, it took me TEN YEARS away from my piano since the age of 9 that i realized that how much l loved it and return to playing it.
("refined" is simply my interpretation of refined, fans of those artists, please don't start immature e-beef with me)
soleonice 3 years ago
i agree with you in that most of the grammy audience may not appreciate classical music to depth, but i believe many of them are familiar with piano. they either play it in the pop genre or have been accompanied by the instrument in their performance, so it is plausible that they appreciate the great difficulty of this Godowsky transcription, and the volume of the applause they return to Hamelin seems to prove their appreciation.
tonyshawk 3 years ago 4
Its too bad such a talent had to play for such a audience. I dont think that grammy audience deserves Hamelin, or Godowsky, let alone Chopin. Great playing though, keeping the grand tradition alive ( in front of dirt farmers and goat herders).
davids2000 3 years ago 5
to davids2000: "Its too bad such a talent had to play for such a audience. I dont think that grammy audience deserves Hamelin, or Godowsky, let alone Chopin." Cmon man that's not right to say. This piece as well as many others were composed to be shared with the world. The audience deserves to hear this piece as much as you do; that's how people gain better appreciation for this music. Yeah most of them might tune it out, but its their fault they can't understand great music. continued...
JlDsanity 3 years ago 4
Hey leave Jon Stewart alone! And watch some comedy central too while you're at it. Beautiful performance by the way.
evifnoskcaj 3 years ago
godowsky gave chopin a run for his money.
LongDriveChamp03 3 years ago
eh... I don't think that's fair. Godowsky himself said that the point of these was not to surpass Chopin's work but rather to bring the technical requirements for the left hand up to par with that of the right hand.
Hellspire 3 years ago
the second Godowsky arr for left hand of this etude is actually in d flat and is gorgeous. He could have played something that would have had people going to the record stores the next day. this one is my least favorite -the octaves make it sound over top-like america!
lovesGenet 3 years ago
Isn't it pronounced "Haym-lin?"
loltheworld 3 years ago
say a-meu-lain fast...;o))))
lesterguy 3 years ago
This guy is amazing. He just blows through those runs like nothing! But I think Godowsky in his transcription, although he made the piece infinitely more difficult, the piece loses a lot of its heroism and dramatic line that is intrinsic to the original. That, or Hamelin isn't playing the transcription fast enough, and really, would it be fair to ask anyone to play this faster?
102938z 3 years ago 2
I may be suggesting something redundant, but I implore you to view the rendition of the same piece by Boris Berezovsky right here on youtube posted by the user, dafuckinmart (or something close to it). It's quite 'turbulent'.
fdaltrey 3 years ago
The "guy at the beginning" is Jon Stewart, and I would say he is very funny in politics, I don't think he understands much about classical music or he is playing to the peanut gallery.
And Swedish, where do you hear "repetitive" in the "song"... I think you should listen carefully again. This is a remarkable work for piano and perhaps pianists.
Malaka57 3 years ago
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this song is very repetitive.
innerswedish 3 years ago
That guy at the beginning misses completely the majesty of the happenings.
mephyman 3 years ago 4
Who the hell is john stewart?
fartlestucks 4 years ago
WHY DO MUSICIANS KEEP LIFTING THEIR HANDS ON TE LAST CHORDS OF PIECES? It's neither 'cool', nor does it sound good. It's so annoying.
Beautiful performance!
aldebussy 4 years ago
i think it is just an automatic reaction, perhaps due to the fact that when the pianist finishes a piece, he is reducing the possibility of perhaps hitting another note or making any other sort of sound to spoil the performance. Or perhaps it is a reflex, or a psychological thing that confirms that the piece has ended. To be fair, I don't know.
tompilk 4 years ago
It feels good. Try it.
facegarlic2 4 years ago 2
I will NOT. LOL! I know it 'feels' good, but I would rather listen to myself and produce a clearer and accurate ending.
aldebussy 4 years ago
it looks cool
LongDriveChamp03 3 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Close your eyes...
Malaka57 3 years ago
You'll notice that they quite often go backwards when they do that as well. It's relaxing,and if you do it, it can (i suppose because of autosuggestion) take a lot of tension off.
mickyj300x 3 years ago
what a terrible piano.
daniel0212 4 years ago 3
I totally agree and its another one of those HAMBURG Steinways. YIKES!
NordicHealer 4 years ago
Steinways are great pianos. Hamelin uses Steinways. This particular piano is aweful though.
FrankieSprs 4 years ago 2
There is often a HUGE difference though between a NEW YORK Steinway and a HAMBURG Steinway. There sounds can be worlds apart.
NordicHealer 4 years ago
Naw, it might just be miked for Alicia Keys or someone... seriously, when is the last time they've had a classical musician play at the grammys before this.
pianodan10 3 years ago
That's right!!
This piano would sound great for an Alicia Keys song - where she sings also. But, as I said this is not good enough for a pianist
FrankieSprs 3 years ago
many of them were to exercise the left hand... i think this is a good example of that purpose too!
tompilk 4 years ago
he shold play something like rudepoema or something something with more powerrrr!!!!
jingeshan24 4 years ago 3
he could have played something way crazier :(
still great. :O
robbiethemann 4 years ago
The piano sounds awful, and Hamelin is not as precise as he usually is. He must have suffered playing this horrendous piano !
Ebubu69 4 years ago
Yes, and perhaps very nervous.
Frozentoes1 4 years ago
What a slouch! Jon Stewart probably could have sightread that piece for a better performance!
hoek2000 4 years ago
I honestly dont think Hamelin cared about this "performance". And he isn't a slouch!
celach 4 years ago
I was just kidding, man.
hoek2000 4 years ago
This performance is not one of his best. Perhaps it was the unfamiliar ambiance of the Grammy's, but I'd rather blame it on the piano, which sounds a bit sharp- it does not at all produce a robust or rich sound. I think the piano's timbre is kind of superficial. Given that, Hamelin's playing was fabulous, as it is invariably is on good pianos.
pentium1000 4 years ago
I don't think it was disrespectful in this case for him to start when the audience was still applauding. All the pop stars who get most of the attention at the Grammys certainly don't wait for people to stop screaming to begin.
cvalkan1 4 years ago
Better yet, why not La Campanella by Marc-Andre. Yundi Li plays it very very well. But Hamelin plays it better. Besides, MCH was invited at the Grammy's not Yundi Li.
Frozentoes1 4 years ago 2
I love Hamelin's art, but it is me or he is not being as precise as he normally is?
danielito1979 4 years ago
the grammy awards are a strange place for someone like marc andre hamelin to be playing such an obscure (even to some pianists) piece, maybe he was a little nervous?
IAMLISZT 4 years ago
Since when did this chopin etude (or any of the chopin etudes) become obscure?
donotswallow 4 years ago
The D-flat joke is just a way to lampoon classical music's notoriety for indicating the key when giving the title of a piece of music. It's a bad joke stemming from the predictable requisite of lampooning exactly what the mainstream dumbed-down masses in the U.S. are conditioned to scoff at...intellectual cultivation.
mstalcup 4 years ago 10