Nino Rota: The Legend of the Glass Mountain ( piano solo version )

[bjoanpope25]

i only wish i could play like you

[PSearPianist]

@bjoanpope25 Maybe you could.

[bjoanpope25]

its a beautiful piece it makes my hair stand on end

[PSearPianist]

@bjoanpope25 Thank you very much - I hope you have more of it to stand on end than I have!

[v6200man]

Lovely rendtion

[PSearPianist]

@v6200man That's very kind!

[SalMessina1]

Ciao Maestro, grazie dal cuore!

[PSearPianist]

@SalMessina1 It is a pleasure - I am glad you enjoyed it!

[bjoanpope25]

f@SalMessina1 fantastic beautiful so touching

[SalMessina1]

@bjoanpope25 Maestro: "TI SPENDA NEL CUORE IL SORRISO PIU' DOLCE DI CHI TANTO TI VUOLE BENE".

Grazie,

Salvatore :o)

[crzxr]

Thank you for this splendid rendition. Nino Rota lot of fine music.

[PSearPianist]

@crzxr Thank you he did indeed!

[dollygirl5]

a bit tooo much to do with god

[injamaven]

No wonder you loved the music! It's by Nino Rota. His music is far above the usual

movie themes and stays with you for its nostalgic emotions. My favorite is I Vitteloni.

We all have our favorites.

He produced the most wonderful melodies.

[joang863]

I have loved this music ever since I saw the film with Valentine Cortesa and Tito Gobbi. I am so glad you posted this. Right now I am painting a work based on this legend and listening to the music is inspiring. Thank you. You play beautifully. I am going to see if you have others on Youtube,

[PSearPianist]

Thank you for your kind, and most interesting comment. I wish you every success with your painting. I do indeed have a lot more videos here on YouTube!

[permea]

have you the sheet??

thans!

[PSearPianist]

For copyright reasons, I can't distribute it - but you may be able to find it elsewhere on the web, and I am sure it is still in print.

[Isidore98]

Rota wrote a number of real operas which if written 50 years'earlier would have entered the repertoire - too many tunes sadly.

[PSearPianist]

I would love to see - or better still, work on a production of one of them!

[AhaBach4Life]

Thank you PSear Pianist, may you be blessed with many more years of life and piano playing!

[PSearPianist]

Thank you! And I hope you have many more years of listening to Bach!

[4candles]

The main subject after the introduction reminds me of a certain Chopin étude!

[PSearPianist]

The 'Revolutionary' I presume!

[dwayne2005]

Just a bit more info for you, re: the Glass Mountain. The main bulk of the music is from the Sinfonia sopra una canzone d'amore's 1st movement. Written in 1947 as a concert work but not orchestrated until 1972. It was also the source (3rd and 4th movements) for the music for Visconti's Il Gattopardo.

[PSearPianist]

I never knew that! I must listen out for that Sinfonia. He was obviously an adept recycler of musical material, rather like Handel!

[PSearPianist]

Thank you. It is indeed - although the movie 'The Glass Mountain' is not as well-known as this theme!

[DulceKu]

you're such an awesome pianist. your playing always amazes me

[PSearPianist]

Well, that's very kind!

[dwayne2005]

This is a wonderful performance, thanks. You'd be surprised there are performances of a fair bit of Rota's non-film stuff online (that trio is one of my least favourites) including his Sonata for Clarinet & piano /watch?v=zbsQN0K_B9U, Sonata for Flute & harp /watch?v=J-AfrkbgAqs and Divertimento Concertante, which is actually rare on CD but I've seen perhaps a dozen performances on YouTube. His scores for Romeo & Juliet '68 and Il Gattopardo tend to be his most cherished works by devotees.

[PSearPianist]

Thank you. I will look out for the other Rota videos you mention. As I say in the description, he seems particularly popular in the US - but he is pretty well ignored in the UK where I am!

[dwayne2005]

I think he should be, as he studied in Philadelphia from 1930-32 and took back with him many jazz inspirations that found its way into his music, but I'm not so sure he is. I think there is some segment of the US audience who enjoys him simply for The Godfather. He is most popular in Italy and, it seems, Japan.

[azngirl967]

love it thanks for sharing!

[PSearPianist]

Thank you!

[EdwardWhelanPiano]

This is totally amazing, but there is another famous piece Nino Rota wrote. I think I speak for everyone when I type; give us The Godfather!!!

[dwayne2005]

Godfather is one of my least favourite scores by Rota, though I love this flute & piano version of the Immigrant theme from the sequel: /watch?v=vHiCTw3_t5s

[EdwardWhelanPiano]

That "Immigrant Theme" is just a rip-off of the second subject of the first movement of Tchaikovsky's sixth symphony. One of the most shameless steals in film music history next to Hans Zimmer's "Gladiator" score.

[dwayne2005]

Of course Rota drew influence from good music, and Tchaikovsky was amongst them. You could say John Williams blatantly stole from Dvorak's New World Symphony or Leonard Bernstein stole his main theme for West Side Story from Beethoven's Piano Concerto No.5 2nd movement. Rota was shameless, but so were many others, and not just in film music. Regarding that particular piece, I didn't hear anything purely identical.

[dwayne2005]

Another example is Swan Lake for all of Williams' Harry Potter scores. :/ Anyway, Rota himself didn't do it for fame but because as he said himself "all music has definite foundations, to deny it is anti-cultural".

[EdwardWhelanPiano]

I don't see how that's evidence to suggest he didn't compose for fame. What if the foundations of his music were money and recognition? Plus, music IS culture, which leads me to think that he said more on the subject than what you have quoted. Your opinion is obviously that he didn't do it for the fame, and I'd like to think that too, but without more evidence I'll remain skeptical.

[dwayne2005]

I think you have to understand the person. He begun composing around the age of 8 I believe, he had international success as a child composer/conductor at 11, and he spent his entire life devoted to music, including as the director of a conservatory. He stayed out of the spotlight and there is footage of him initially shielding himself from the cameras. He even collected ancient manuscripts and studied early music. He also lobbied against Church's replacing hymns around 1950.

[PSearPianist]

That's very interesting. I suspect that if Mozart had been born in the 20th c, he would be just as likely to have had a career like Rota's as have been purely a composer of concert music as we tend (wrongly) to view him today.

[dwayne2005]

He certainly seemed to celebrate Mozart's music. Someone posted his Cello Concerto on YouTube which features a homage to Mozart and he also wrote an excellent fantasia for piano and orchestra based on "Don Giovanni". Musically, they're similar, though if Amadeus is anything to go by, personality wise they weren't. Rota in contrast was frequently referred to as an angel by most he encountered.

[TConradC]

Beautiful music and excellent performance. 5*****

Tom

[PSearPianist]

Thank you!

[clavis55]

Bravo. This is my favourite piece of Nino Rota. I only knowed the piano and orchestra version of this piece. Nino Rota has also composed two interesting piano-concerti.

[dwayne2005]

There is a performance of some of the C major one here: /watch?v=YwAMafReIGs

[PSearPianist]

Thank you. Rota is an excellent composer, and I have never heard anything boring by him!

[wolkowy1]

My wife and I love very much all that concerned Italy (sights, people, food, music, language, etc.). Nino Rota's music brings it all. Beautiful playing. Thanks for uploading.

[PSearPianist]

I had never realised that you were Rota fans. Thanks for your kind comment!

[Babejuda]

Oh my God - at last! One of Italy's best composers ever! Bravo&Bravu for your playing, uploading and informing!

(If you've noticed, I'm one-sided with Nino Rota... :)

[PSearPianist]

Thank you. I would like to perform the flute/violin trio with some good players someday!

[tocalpianix]

What a piece! Even considering the pianist might have done a more or less intense study previous to recording it, he doesn't sight-read too bad also :) Well done!

[PSearPianist]

Actually, I have played this in public some years ago. It is not the world's best piano transcription but it is a popular piece, which is why I thought I would record it!

[PierceHardwood]

I love Rota. Wonderful and inspired playing! Once again, well done.

[PSearPianist]

Thank you!