Sergio Tiempo - Chopin Sonata 3

[MyExGirlf]

What refreshing Chopin! Very good to listen to out of the ordinary performances, and this one is very intense! I like it, even if unconventional!

[th3wing3dpaint3r]

@MyExGirlf Sadly, not a lot of people understand "out of the ordinary performances". Any hint of alteration is perceived as a crime in the classical music world. You had hundreds -if not thousands- of conventional/by the book chopin players, but people just can't seem to get enough.

[MyExGirlf]

@th3wing3dpaint3r But that's all interpretation is - different views on a given subject. But I agree! Lots of people don't really get this part of music - not only classical, but every single type of music.

[alors24]

Excellent performance! Hey boring people, drop the sheets of music and enjoy it, if you are still able to enjoy something!

[grampasso1989]

Yeah... Maybe It's not Chopin... but who cares! That's so Awesome!

[cowheadcow]

Wow. It gets really offensive around 3:00

[bluematrix109]

....................UUUUUUUUUU­mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!! i was kinda dissappointed when i heard this...anyone else heard tht mistake on 0:09??

[UrbanVivaldi]

@bluematrix109 this is just a wrong note, i dont see where is the problem. Is there still people who care if there is 1 or 2 mistakes ?

[MYRHAH]

de par ses moyens hors normes, c'est probablement le plus spectaculaire pianiste de sa génération. Ici, le jeu est passionné, généreux, et prend, grâce à une technique d'exception, une dimension étonnante. La seule réserve concernerait le tempo, peut-être un peu trop rapide . Mais le brio et la bravoure ne sont pas déplacés dans cette oeuvre. Le personnage (bien sympathique) est fougueux, et on l'aime ainsi.

[leoamid]

Very good pianist,super.

[matrix6419]

who cares if this is or isnt the way to play chopin, tbh if chopin were alive today i think he would appreciate this performance. great performers try not to play the same piece the same way over and over so why not take a piece of work and do something new with it? just enjoy the performance who cares if this is or isnt how the piece is written. people came to see a performer, and thats what they got~ am i wrong?

[xper2xper]

After some days, I'm back here to listen to Tiempo once again whether I judged his performance correctly.

In the meantime, I referred to Mikuli's notes on how Chopin performed and the style he asked from his students...

Combining the above with the golden age performances of Paderewski, Hofmann, Lhévinne, Godowsky, Moiseiwitsch, Cortot, Rubinstein... I can say I was not misjudgung Tiempo. Too much of a virtuosity demo, unnecessarily shading the core.. Maybe he should get older?

[xper2xper]

Chopin is not Czerny, is not Liszt.

And this is not Chopin...

[Troybeallad]

The pianist is exceptional, but is this Chopin?

[v4liumfrance]

@Troybeallad

What do you mean ?

[angelfuree]

@Troybeallad Don't know if that was a serious question but, yes, it is the finale to Chopin's 3rd Sonata.

[Lunt1557]

i love him!!!!!!!!

[vx357st]

I was there!!What a wonderful pianist! Awsome!

[TJFNYC212]

I love the comments on Chopin's playing............. Like they heard him......... the piano's were not even capable of making this type of sound. Sergio is a superb pianist.............. I think he is great.... his recording of the Rachmaninov Cello sonata g minor with Maisky is brilliant ............ and of course his mentor is Argerich :) what more can be said.........

[SebastienLoong]

@TJFNYC212 well said.

[postumos]

Well, It´s Presto, NON TANTO. Another fast kid..

[HwangMyungShin]

If God manifested himself in human form and played CHopin, it would sound like this.

[HwangMyungShin]

Latin passion.

[koreanjeenyus]

lol, i agree

[HwangMyungShin]

Gamsahanida CHingu! ^ _ ^ No Hanguksaram matji????

[stephenjoeagi]

Sloppy playing by someone who could have been a great pianist.

[HwangMyungShin]

Sloppy playing????!!!!! Technically perfect, atriculately genius, lyrical fluence, as well as latin passion, what are you talking about!!!!!!!!!!!!! And martha playing is nowhere this calibre, it's too masculine and dry. This is the way to play Chopin.

[Musicman180]

I'm sorry, I disagree. This is most definitely NOT the way to play Chopin. Maybe Liszt, but Chopin was a much more sensitive soul. Lyricism and beautiful harmonies are the essential aspects of Chopin's music- a well-shaped phrase that draws the listener and gives you that feeling that only the true spirit of Chopin can give you. This playing, on the other hand is far too rushed. Chopin would be turning in his grave. Not to say this isn't a tremendous musician- just this particular piece...

[HwangMyungShin]

Well, that's OK, Chopin wouldn't have played it like this. He was physically very frail.

[peixotoraul]

his technic is suberb, just listen to his version of the chopin study. But I disagree with you CxC2007. I think Martha is an incredible pianist in chopin. Just listen to her recording in the chopin competition playing the 3rd scherzo. Obviously, Pogorelich and Zimerman are fantastic too :)

[GeorgeMaxwellDuPre]

Little things he does, like the way he hits some keys, is very much like Martha's method. Interesting! I've seen no other pianist play this way.

[CxC2007]

Martha is amazing.. and also she is argentinian (like me)... ok, her recording on chopin competition are fantastic that is why she won that day.

the point of this discussion, is that I dont find any difference between Sergio and Martha's interpretations, the are the same, and that is no wrong, its beautifull...

[peixotoraul]

i'm sorry, i misunderstood you :)

[Egide0]

I understand my friend, he's screwing up this piece!

[CxC2007]

Sergio Tiempo is GREAT, but he has no personal style, he plays so fast, because, Martha Argerich was (or is) his Teacher..

She plays like this.

There is no difference between lisening to Sergio or Lisening Martha,

By the Way, Both performs Chopin Exelent, She won the Chopin Competition, and Sergio, will folow her path...

Try Ivo Pogorelich, or Zimmerman, those are my favourites on Chopin....

[GeorgeMaxwellDuPre]

The differences in the way Sergio plays and Martha plays are stark. for one thing, Prelude 16, chopin, is cleaner than hers. But generally she seems to have a more mature personal interpretation compared to him. I'd prefer to hear her over him.

[peixotoraul]

yeah, in that prelude I prefer Martha, definately. He plays a little too fast, and Martha is more musical...

[CxC2007]

I coudnt find a "clean" version of martha's 16 prelude, the one on youtube has dirty sound, Sergio's, is cleaner, but they perform the same way, same beginning, same ending, shes a little bit faster, but sound the same, I have to say that are my favourites versions of that prelude, and the only way I think it should be played. She IS more mature, He is like 25 years old, and shes close to 65 or somethin like that, She has the sound of experience, but she passed all that to Sergio (thanks god)

[GeorgeMaxwellDuPre]

I admire pianists whose talent is as much as theirs is. Both are great pianists to be sure. But neither is perfect. Martha plays most things too fast. Yet, Sergio, great though he is, fails to impress me the same way, and maybe that is because he is not saying anything that hasn't been said before: maybe because he is being too much like Argerich. Today I listened to Freddy Kempf play the busoni-bach Chaconne. I didn't like it much, but i respect that he is saying new things that no one has b4.

[wnsbug]

i thought sergio was in his 30s, no? his bday is in like 1970s i think

[CxC2007]

----- You are right my friend ---------

Sergio Tiempo

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sergio Tiempo (born February 24, 1972) is a Venezuelan-Argentine classical pianist. He has studied under some of the best known pianists.

[KearneyPiano]

no definatly not

[klingsor001200]

Ce pianiste est inouï ! J'ai lu un commentaire en espagnol lui reprochant de mettre quelques notes "à côté". Sviatoslav Richter n'en mettait-il pas ? Toutes les interprétations de Sergio Tiempo sont "habitées" et c'est là l'essentiel. Il rejoint, avec son étonnante personnalité, les plus grands pianistes du continent sud-américain : Martha Argerich, Claudio Arrau, Nelson Freire... Il me fascine, tout simplement...

[NickoVolodya]

je suis d'accord, Sergio Tiempo est un grand espoir surtout quand on a une prof comme la Grande Martha. Les notes à côté ??? je suis bien d'accord on s'en contrefout, le principal c'est de transmettre ses émotions et la vision personnelle que l'on a d'un morceau

[klingsor001200]

Voilà une opinion qui me comble ! Votre argumentation est tout à fait la mienne. Il est probable que nous ressentons la musique de la même façon. Cordialement.

[sam0xin]

Now I have a 1 ONLY suggestion for YOU SERGIO!

actualy for dafuckinmart! Video-quality is very important(for this kind of musician it's a detale of course... but anyway, HE deserved it,You know...We are in XXI century)and 1 more thing: About this video- section shuld have some chronology, about AGE and time of performing, will be great to know about location as well. Anyway THANK YOU for Posting! SERGIO YOU ARE THE NEXT RICHTER !

I'm going to look for YOUR recordings !

[HaparukuU]

"Sergio Tiempo - Chopin Sonata 3

salle Gaveau Paris"

[frateramadeus]

He has very good fingers. A extremely great facility to play difficult things almost effortless, but if he would have a little more brain he can convert his technique to a superlative one instead to play in a so high position. Since the point of view of pure music, he just play also an ugly version of this sonata. Only fast and fast. Not dynamic range,not any breath, just notes and notes..And the camera man i think was more interesting in his derrier than anything. So weird video.

frateramadeus

[remotic]

good english nob end

[flugelmaniac]

the only thing i have heard him play well in Liszt Mephisto waltz no 1.....perhaps that work coincides with his Character,fortunately by chance!

But this playing of Chopin is truly awful

[flugelmaniac]

rubbish playing

[Ernesto7608]

manolisworld, I disagree with you that you have to know how to play it before you can judge it.

You go to a fancy restaurant and they put some food under you nose that you hate,

you have to know how to cook it before you can say you dislike it?

His technique is awesome. His music, that is something different.

[manolisworld]

yes o.k. i got your point.. but why do we have to judge all the time maybe he writes music that we never heard so how can we judge if we don't know if he has passion in his playing??

and again we don't have to judge if it makes us feel good thats it

[Ernesto7608]

I feel saddened by this performance played with so much technique and such lack of musicality. What a waste!

And it is not the fast tempo that bothers me here. In contrast the interpretation not much slower of this same work by Claire Huangci here on youtube just blew me away. Hers in comparison is a poem, it is music throughout. A few little strange turns she makes she earns a RIGHT to make... Sadly, it's not the same here.

[olasonn]

It is sad to see that you (Ernesto7608) are going from one clip to another of this fantastic pianist, just to say bad things about him.

This is clearly something beyond his music abilities, what is your problem?

[Ernesto7608]

I am sincere, olasonn, in MY sadness. I realize the effort, time, dedication that goes into achieving his technique. I'm not sure he is such bad musician, or if his ability has gotten into his head. I would like to hit him over the head (figuratively) and make him realize that when in public the music is not there for him, but it's the other way around. I wish he reads this...

[organman52]

You're at it again. How can you say this is not musical? Is it perhaps because there are no acrobatics or theatrics?

As a college professor for 32 years, my students evaluated me at the end of each semester. A few said I was a great teacher, the majority said I was okay, and a handful said I was the worst teacher they had ever had. Now really - how could one person be all those things at once? My point: Chopin is the only one who can provide us with clues as to how to play his music.

[Ernesto7608]

You are right, it is impossible, OrganMan. While fortunately you can be disected and studied in all detail now to have a definite answer, it is impossible for Chopin to pass judgement on Tiempo.

While you will get surely a highly favorable grade, you may also find as the most interesting and useful the opinions from the bottom.

[manolisworld]

well guys the real question is can you play it ???? stop doing this and listen to THE MUSIC!!!! you need to study and practice a lot to do this... you can't say anything else

he is awesome!!!!

[organman52]

How on earth do you know who does or doesn't play this or any piece? FYI - I performed this live on the radio 35 years ago, and did so with almost 100% accuracy. Why do I mention this? Because most people listen to music by sitting there waiting for a 'mistake'. So yes - I CAN play this piece, but you do not have to believe it. That is your choice.

[manolisworld]

sorry but did i say anything bad??? i like classical music!!! i wrote this because everybody says hi sucks he doesn't know how to play.. thats all so please tell me what did i say wrong ???

[kjw163]

I agree with you on this. Not a very musically rich performance. Too many pianists play fast simply because they can, leaving the music behind. A real mess, here.

[kjw163]

And sure as hell. some jackass yells, BRAVO! Stupid concert goers: go up on stage and take a dump, and he'd bravo it.

[kreutzo1]

I played this sonata long time ago,and I must tell you that from the point of view of expression,there are some parts I can object,somehow it is fair to say that his techique is absolutely perfect,I am impressed

[go9zu]

I have to say..live he is much much much better than on cd or on video.when I saw him the first time live I knew nothing about this pianist but i was sooo schocked from his music and his technique...i was realy speechless!He can do/play EVERYTHING with his fingers and believe me...that's very important!

[Mamasan41]

Start at the beginning!!

[sanjosemike]

I play this piece, so I am aware of the difficulties. Tiempo has more technique than I have, but I prefer a slower tempo, and less mudd. Arthur Rubinstein is my god for this work. The songlike singing in the bass is completely lost here. There's more to music than technique of fast runs.

sanjosemike

[frateramadeus]

I agree with you about Rubisntein completely.

Is also a very old version played by Hoffman which is a little personal, but he brings out many things wich are "Underground".

This "Tiempo" just doesn`t understand what he is playing.

Frateramadeus

[sanjosemike]

Thanks for your reply. Rubinstein did not particularly like Hoffman bringing out "inner and under-parts." This is a matter of personal taste of course, but Rubinstein thought this tendency was "confusing and irritating." I think Rubinstein tried to consider an "over-riding" architecture of a piece, rather than concentrating on individual elements.

sanjosemike

[frateramadeus]

It`s true, i know that fact. Despite Rubinstein in general terms (because never is an absolute "Best") is for me the greatest pianist of all times, sometimes i disagree with some of his opinions as example when he praise the insuperable boring and plain Brendel together with Pollini ¡¡¡¡¡¡ sometimes Rubinstein made stranges things :-)

Regards.

Frateramadeus.

[go9zu]

I compeletely agree with you my friend,generally all the chopin sonatas with rubinstein are just unique.I was listening to the sonatas and the same time I was reading the score and I realy had the feeling that this piece has no bars,the music flows and rubinstein is the greatest magician...just great.

[lobo48ar]

This would be valid playing if the pianist were 13 years old. At his age, no originality and no individual sound. Just notes as fast as you can play them. What a waste of technique...

[throuman]

Sergio Tiempo ou comment jouer Chopin comme du Czerny ! Et encore ! Même avec du Czerny, on a le droit de faire de la musique ! Vos moyens techniques sont énormes M. Tiempo mais votre musicalité n'est pas à la hauteur. Dommage.

[makemusicnow]

choose another profession my friend, you do not know what it is to make music... sonata 3 is a monument but you make nothing out of it

[frateramadeus]

Maybe your judgment is too severe,but is very close to my opinion. He needs to study with somebody who teach him how to make music and to use his brain. he looks very empiric. I can´t believe he was coached with Argerich and i can´t understand why she is so enthusiast on him.

Frateramadeus

[sergeholst]

He does not understand the piece, he knows not what it is to make music, he can only play notes... very very sad...

[shishirth]

However, I imagine that if I had never heard Chopin before (and had no expectations of how Chopin ought to sound like), I might be quite impressed by this performance.

[shishirth]

While I can understand that many will find this performance an injustice to the spirit of Chopin, I would be cautious in labelling this performance as "terrible" or a "mess".

Very unorthodox - but quite brilliant if one thinks of it as a Toccata - (and not as the finale of a deeply moving profoundly tragic sonata by a composer who most of love for the sheer poetry of his music.)

[shishirth]

Not a traditionally idiomatic performance - but once you get past that - its still an intriguing performance because of his amazing technique and ability to control the performance at this dazzling speed.

[marcelmombeekeigen]

another proof: tiempo does not listen to his own pianoplaying, again a much to fast interpretation, he does NOT understand the music he is playing, but he is a very good pianist, but not musician...

[jannokas85]

All old music ilke Chopin's music has been played sooooo many times by so many people...if one was to play it like everybody else (slow and too careful) the result is - DULLLLL!!! I'm glad he shows off a bit of fingerwork. He is very talented with his hands and some 'earstolisten' is a boring critic who goes to listen to people's mistakes and misses the human being doing it. YUCK to earstolisten!

[nietzschemasterclass]

You have to play certain work by the score. But, further more, you have to learn under which circumstances certain composer, like Chopin, composed certain work, sucha as this beautiful sonata. Tiempo starts pretty fast, he noticed id an eventually slowed down. The result is awful, I found there 3 different tempos. IF you think this is good, you need to listen a little bit more good friend.

[tpbrody]

He is a fantastic technician but loses the music. Why doesn't he listen to himself? There is great music to be heard but not at this ractrack speed.

[wmi10]

and this record also have a very bad sound quality

[organboi]

the only problem is that he's playing on a yamaha. what a god-awful piano.

[w3sp]

Rafal Blechacz plays this Sonata quite nice

[nietzschemasterclass]

At the beginning I tought this was just a rehearsal where Tempo was trying to get his "tempo giusto". I've found here 3 different tempos, a lack of continuity, there is no link between one passage to another. The result is awful and I think Tempo noticed that so he eventually slowed down on speed.

[nietzschemasterclass]

Tempo's performance is totally a mess. In my opinion this Sonata requires a very special sound with lots of "mystiscism", passion (passion is not equal speed) and temperament, which as a whole envolve the truly escence of Chopin. I never liked Argerich and Tempo sounds like her but with much less musical idea.

[fortissimo25]

..BUT HEEZ PRETTY

[earstolisten]

oh my god this guy sucks! he plays too many wrong notes and has trouble keeping up the tempo!!! he should quit playing piano. what a disaster he is!!!

[qwertyproulx]

Yes, it must have been a bad day. Musicians always get those. But he does actually have a pretty capable technique when he's on form. Check out his "study on Chopin etudes". Frivolous piece but scary nonetheless.

[earstolisten]

the first time we heard this guy play was some 20 years ago and he truly sucked back then. he played rachm 3rd piano concerto and it was a disaster! then we heard him in belgium and it was also a pain. we left half way through the concert. not only his wrong notes but his sound and his reading of the works! His problem is his mother that pushed him since he was 2 years old to become a pianist but it is as if you expect pears from an orange tree. it's simply not there!

[anthem231]

It's comforting to know that the future and existence of classical music is, as it has always been, securely in the hands of those who, quite enthusiastically, apparently have ears to listen but not to hear. It is perfectly legitimate to disagree with a pianist's interpreation, but one's categories for doing so ought to go beyond music theory 101 vocab words like 'tempo'

[anthem231]

(for the record, a lot of Chopin interpreters do not adhere to Chopin's own practice in this regard) and the idea that 'keeping up the tempo' means playing to a metronome. No less an immaculate technician than Godowsky also once said to a student who can complained about finger slips at a concert by Hofmann: "who looks for spots on the sun?"

[anthem231]

(neither does anyone seem to complain about the finger slips in Horowitz's celebrated Rach 3, for that matter). In other words, calling a piece a 'disaster' due to a couple finger slips is appropriate either for juries or philistines. So too it is interesting to notice that Argerich believes, in the very least, in Tiempo's potential. Two things are interesting here.

[anthem231]

(1) One who disagrees with the idea that Tiempo at least has potential would have to suggest that one has not only a different view than Argerich, but that one has the same right or the same ability to make such a determination. (2) Argerich's attitude toward Tiempo's potential was to encourage it and not to shut it down by telling him he should 'quit playing piano'.

[anthem231]

But perhaps I am too hasty; perhaps Tiempo should quit playing, at least for those to listen who are like (to adapt Nietzsche's metaphor) plundering troops who "take a few things they can use, dirty and confound the remainder, and revile the whole".

[earstolisten]

I think you are just biased, perhaps you are his mother?! There is the freedom to go to one of his concerts or rather NOT go, or like we've done in the past, even get up and leave! I think that to apply a quote of Nietzsche here is also kinda vicious, because this guy is not that good after all and you are trying to insinuate that the public is dumb and has no ears! As someone who goes DAILY to concerts i think i've seen in the past 30 years enough "stars" who crashed and silently vanished!

[earstolisten]

hmm... your "logic" here is kinda off focus. ( you start sounding like his mother!!! lol) I heard Martha MANY times make "positive" -encouraging- comments to other musicians/students, now THAT doesn't mean anything, because THAT won't make for them -nor speed up- their careers. I rather be honest and spare the kid all the pain and disappointment later on in his life!

[earstolisten]

Horowitz was Horowitz, and he certainly knew how to fake it if need be, and because it was Horowitz people forgave him anything. I heard him several times -live- and yes, i still remember all the wrong notes he played! Argerich doesnt believe anything. I remember asking her about this guy and she replied me with shrugged shoulders: "insoportable" (unbearable) and yet today they are neighbours! so don't confuse her politeness/diplomacy with anything else!

[earstolisten]

Argerich had to deal with his mother, who kept bringing little Sergio and his sister to Martha all the time (in Geneva), trying to get the kid to learn Piano by osmosis or thinking that by being there they'll eventually become as good as Martha. His mother even went on to "befriend" herself with Martha at any cost and yes, I remember also Martha venting one night about the mistake it was to have moved to Brussels, next door to the Tiempos! (Rue Bosquet 24)

[wmi10]

do you know martha argerich?????

[earstolisten]

yes i do know her very well. we go back some 30 years or so! and i listened to sergio tiempo for the time back in the 80's. i think i know what i am talking about here!

[rolipoli]

That you need to list someone's private address (be it current or not) to support your position is rather disturbing, but not as much as your position itself and name-dropping.

[nietzschemasterclass]

I don't agree with you. It is not a matter of playing piano without playing wrong notes. It's a matter of: no matters if you play the piano with wrong notes but let us know about music. Horowitz, Cortot, Richter, and many more played several times with wrong notes and they are the best performers, why? Because they play MUSIC not just strinking the keys as Tempo or Argerich do quite often. Tempo destroys the escence of this Chopin's sonata in my opinion.

[earstolisten]

it is understood that MUSIC, THE music, has priority but again it is a welcome sign if you manage to play "clean" without so many wrong notes, that is even better! I just can't stand people that are sloppy and careless when they play. It is lack of respect for the composer! At first I also thought that this here is a rehearsal but no..., it was the real thing!... :-(

[nietzschemasterclass]

I don't believe that exists just a single pianist who plays wrong notes on purpose, on the contrary, most of all as a critic society believe that the less wrong notes you play the better result and it's not true. I stand many wrong notes played by Horowitz, Richter, in live appearences but the result is awsome. The more I listen this performance the less I like this young pianist. Horrible interpretation indeed, but in all of his performances are quite similar.

[GeorgeMaxwellDuPre]

He is quite flashy and it suits some works better than others, but i have nothing of his raw talent, so my comments end there. He is talented.

[wmi10]

you don't like him, then why do you watch ALL his videos??

[earstolisten]

before i just want to be sure before i make any statement about this freak! this guy sucks and i stick to it!

[wmi10]

i heard infolg wunder, he is quite perfect! better than tiempo but that doesn't mean that tiempo sucks...

[nietzschemasterclass]

I think most of all are envolved in classic music for many reasons. One means to be able to listen the performer (pianists) so they can teach us something. You can have a point of comparisson. This video remindes me the way I don't have to play certain works such as this temperamental Sonata. This guy is just a product of the marketing of these days, in the other hand we are witness how a mother can push her son to the limit, in order to become a famous pianist.

[wmi10]

well... we cannot judge his mother, at least we don't know if it's true what you are telling, or not. i think if he didn't want to become a pianist, then he should hate what he does, his work, and we would hear this hate it in his playing. (excuse me for my english!)

[nietzschemasterclass]

You are right saying so, I can't judge like this. But I ask you to take a look at what "earstolisten" says about Tiempo's mother when she took him when younger to Martha Argerich. I believe earstolisten words just for the simple reason is totally believable in these days. I think you should listen other performances of this sonata, there are quite a few really good, but not this one, the piano has nothing to see with the terrible result. As I said before it is a mess.

[earstolisten]

i think i know enough about chopin and i have heard enough chopin in my life to know the subtle differences. i certainly agree with Idil Biret who once told me "most people don't understand chopin!...". very few ones truly got to the spirit of chopin, the rest just faked it all the way along! in this case to compare tiempo with good chopin interpreters is already way out of focus!

[earstolisten]

oh dear we not only "listen" we also "hear" very well, as a matter of fact i have perfect pitch, and can "compare" with 100eds of recordings I have at home. I can certainly go beyond the 101 you refer here but that would be to waste my time, because at the end, the guy will still SUCK. (!)

[leondelarosa]

have you got the whole thing? =)

[SELG88]

why did you put wunder in your tags?