Rzewski's 'People United Will Never Be Defeated' Part 7 Cadenza - Final Theme Audio + Sheet Music

[Joeyboiification]

This can't be an improvisation. Hamelin must have written this and memorised it! OR DID HE???? XO

[thaiguy20fromla]

The theme is incredibly powerful, and it gains even more of a hold after all the variations and dissections of it. There's something transcendental about listening to this now, after all 40-50 minutes or so of the variations.

[guigodoipiano]

has he memorized the whole thing to record it??? =O

[emopz13]

4:48 - is that music or what?!

[twooffour]

4:57 death metal :D

[GeneralKuno]

The cadenza is a potpourri of musical eras. I like it. Thanks for posting by the way.

[kingfire111]

I really hate his cadenza here. Technically it's outstanding, but musically, it seems very random and harsh on the ears.

[KevinBeethoven]

6:32

[hyperklavier]

Brutal!

[Shadowtel]

Ferm

[samsun216]

thank you!

[atee12321]

Creepy :o Very well written cadenza :)

[MrSumperium]

@atee12321 Well written? Isn't this an improvisation?

[atee12321]

@MrSumperium Good point, I suppose I should've said "well thought out". Though as much as I hope he had no idea what he was going to play beforehand, I doubt this is the case: he certainly had a large thought process going into this beforehand, much like his Cadenza of Hungarian Rhapsody n°2, which I thought was improvised until I found sheet music for it.

[musicalidea]

Hamelin has some glorious moments in his improvisation (and some rather sloppy ones)...he and the composer should re-collaborate and issue a new edition of the score with an optional "specified" cadenza, which would consist of Rzewski's edited/reformatted/expanded version of Hamelin's improvisation.

[MarcheseCadmio88]

Violent!

[4improv]

brilliant work on the cadenza on hamelin's part.... very much appreciation here from an improviser at heart .. :)

[Xandertrax]

Aw, no transcription of the cadenza?

[fisarmonicista]

Éxtasis

[1980NewWave]

Am I the only one who would've been happier with just the beautiful and majestic D-minor melody, perhaps with a little expansion on the theme, without the 827349 incomprehensible (and at times barely audible) variations?

[Aul1kki]

@1980NewWave We have seen so many works done in that way, so why not this way?

[KeithWhalen11]

@1980NewWave You can always write your own! Rzewski wrote the variations that compelled him.

[coasterman16]

@1980NewWave Yes, you're the only one.

[gilbertoagostinho]

@1980NewWave probably yes

[ivanaman]

@1980NewWave yes

[funniestbone]

@1980NewWave No I'm with you... as much as I can appreciate the technical aspect of it, it's just not something I'd really listen to.

[maraxus83]

@1980NewWave I don't think so, Personally I get really bored of all those sections with fifths over fifths, they all sound the same. And also, I think that this piece has a lot of structural problems, it's way too long, and this "strange as it may seem" does NOT make it a masterwork.

[musoderelict]

@maraxus83 I'd be interested to hear your discussion regarding structural problems in the music.

[twooffour]

@maraxus83

I've only listened to it a few times, and I quickly find myself annoyed at the constant "style switches". It has some awesome moments and probably has reasoning behind most of its "craziness", but I guess it's one of those examples of post-modernism that's more "clever" and "exciting" than actually good music. But whatever, I'm just some hack.

[musoderelict]

@1980NewWave No, you're not the only one. Personally, I like it - I think it comes down to purely a matter of taste. At least you were willing to open your mind and give this a go - hats off to you.

[jpablomagana]

Bach did Goldberg variations

Beethoven did Diabelli variations

Rzewski did El Pueblo Unido Jamás Será Vencido

[madlovba2]

@jpablomagana Alkan did Le Festin d'Esope

[krystyna222d]

Thanks so much for posting this, with the score too! You did quite a lot of work to coordinate all of this!

[EinSofVirtuoso]

I can feel the people winning through the cadenza, though through war and bloodshed, the chaos eventually resolves into harmony.

[kablamxafi]

Great improv by Hamelin! And of course, phenomenal vision on Rzewski's part.

[kastlesucksTDOTS]

oh, Thanks for doing my request. :)

[Rob48]

phenomenal piece of music, but hamelin's improv ruined it for me.

 i'd much rather here rzewski himself improvise, or no improvisation at all.

[kablamxafi]

@Rob48 Rzewski wrote in the music that the pianist could improvise if he wanted. Obviously the composer himself wanted the pianist to put his own personal spin on the piece. So don't act all high and mighty. Saying you don't like the improv is one thing, but saying that the only person who could write a good improvisation is Rzewski himself makes you a pompous asshole.

[Rob48]

Hi kablamxafi

great spin on my comment!

[xodn3300]

thanks to you for uploading this!

[KeithWhalen11]

I hope this is written or I'll never touch the piano again! He has great ears man.

[kastlesucksTDOTS]

His cadenza is scary!