Revolutionary Etude played by Jordan Rudess

[twooffour]

@MrCrgl

Well, it does sound good, so why not :)

Can't get a grip on this recording enough to point out specific passages, but yea, some of the decisions do give off an "arbitrary" vibe, but I sometimes like it that way.

[MrCrgl]

@twooffour do you know if this was played on a digital piano ? Because there is something about the sound that bothers me, specially in the left hand arpegios.

[twooffour]

@MrCrgl

From the sound of it, I'm pretty sure it was.

I've got a fondness for digital pianos / MIDI (something "seizable" about 'em), but despite its expressiveness, this recording does sound somewhat "flat".

Not bothered by the LH, though - the RH chords do "quack" a few times, though (i.e. the notes aren't hit simultaneously), which, from my experience, is more probable to happen on a digital.

[MrCrgl]

@twooffour well, I dont have a particular problem with digital pianos. I have a Yamaha P-80 which has a very classic tone. But I recognize its limitations. ...being a digital piano, brings another question..could it be that it was MIDI edited ?

[twooffour]

@MrCrgl

Who knows!!

[TheWhocares233]

Listening to this, and then listening to other interpretations...I kind of agree tha this doesn't have that "Feel" that other artists have when they play this. But I would say that it is mostly because he is playing on an electric keyboard so the sound is very bright compared to an actual piano.

[MrCrgl]

I only hear notes, not music. 

[josefzachariassen]

@MrCrgl then you are as deaf as beethoven.

[MrCrgl]

@josefzachariassen but remember beethoven composed his best music while deaf. You have ears BUT YOU DONT LISTEN...this is a very poor interpretation of Chopin, only to display Rudess technique, only suitable for that kind of thing he plays that you call music of Dream Theater. Chopin is much more than technique.

[josefzachariassen]

@MrCrgl i do know that. but are you saying that rudess only is a lack of technique? sure. this isn't the best version of the etude. but it has soul.

[MrCrgl]

@josefzachariassen I think you are mistaken. The "soul" you feel in this interpretation can be ascribed to Chopin's music, not Rudess interpretation. This is a very passionate piece of music. But I think Rudess kills it. The playing of the arpegios accompanying the melody is so awefully played, sounds too mechaninc, it feels like a robot is playing them, it is very distracting from the melody. Something that maybe is not helping him is that he is performing on a digital piano.

[MrCrgl]

@josefzachariassen a wayyyyy more better interpretation /watch?v=yq_ea5RgvOI&feature=r­elated

[RediForKing]

I think the tempo is a little too slow. Listen to Richter if you want to hear a real concert pianist. But as a keyboardist Jordan is by far the greatest.

[ayanorisuzuki]

Amazing!!!



[Newspin]

But what you are hearing is due to the bad quality of the YouTube upload not the bad quality of the recording or the samples of a supposed keyboard.

By saying what you claim to hear and transferring it into the statement that the piece must be recorded on a keyboard you are probably discouraging people from buying this beautifully recorded CD, which sounds absolutely amazing!

[faraz007able]

@robertslistening

fuck u motherfucker......go learn music frm him!!if he did it for money...thn he wudve gon to pop music or smthing lik that......jst shut th fuck off....

[Obelix5150]

This is soo good.. it'd would be even more brilliant if he did thiz on an acoustic piano. Goddammit... The electric piano sounds so... lifeless in comparison.

[Newspin]

@Obelix5150: Would all you people who claim that this was played on his Oasys or a similar device please go to frakking iTunes or Amazon and download the song in a decent quality? It sounds amazing and yes, it sound like a fucking grand piano!

It's 99 cents. Give it a go and stop writing bs like this!

[Obelix5150]

@Newspin Chill dawg, i'm just saying what I hear.

[rizz7604]

@Newspin HE'S A GREAT PLAYER BUT HE'S PLAYING IT ON A KEYBOARD. IT WOULD SOUND BETTER ON A PIANO. PERIOD END OF STORY.

[rizz7604]

Sigh...why did he have to play it on an electronic keyboard....::shakes head::

[matthieuim]

I have been playing piano for 12 years and I can play this piece. Jordan rudess' recording is 10 times cleaner than most concert pianists.

[RediForKing]

@matthieuim But it's not at the original tempo. Listen to Richter's version and you will be stunned.

[flyingfishpie]

At the same time technique can be different and still great. Look at the hand position of Horowitz. I am glad that there are so many talented pianists that have different styles but people who idolise one of them to the stage where they are saying that everyone else is worse do not appreciate the differences. I love Gould playing Bach, Horowitz playing Rachmaninov and Rudess playing Chopin but I can appreciate different versions.

[t3hlulz]

great performance, right hand needs more oomph tho

[intooctavarium]

who think that the guy from juilliard can't play classical stuff?

[MrCrgl]

@intooctavarium I play this and I didnt studied at juilliard ....another issue is if he makes a good interpretation of Chopin... I think it is awful

[leragequit]

@MrCrgl How do you know what the true interpretation sounds like? Let the guy improv a little, lol

[MrCrgl]

@leragequit he needs to improve a LOT, in interpretation. His interpretation is lacking a lot, dynamics for the sake of it, arbitrary contrasts, and most of all he wants to play stereotypically and fails at it. There's not one true interpretation, there are as many as good interpreters. His "interpretation" is not one of the good ones.

[leragequit]

@MrCrgl First of all I said improv, not improve. I understand what you are saying though, but I still think this is a work of art in it's own. It flows nicely. I am not a pianist, I guess that is what lets me appreciate this having an untrained ear. It's hard interpreting emotion but this still has emotion that speaks to me if you catch my drift.

[MrCrgl]

@leragequit Its hard not to feel the music behind, but dont be mistaken, Its Chopin, not Rudess 

[twooffour]

@MrCrgl

Depends.

For example, in this clip, a lot of the emotion and "excitement" actually comes from the interpreter, not Rach - not least because she violates some of the original score markings (and at least at one point, I think, the actual score):

watch?v=tVuP1BjbhAg

In Rudess' case, I'd agree.

[MrCrgl]

@twooffour I agree with you. Certainly Horowitz was also that kind of pianist where his interpretations where more Horowitz than the composer,,,A very idiosyncratic pianist. But Rudess, how could I say it... , I dont know why he bother playing Chopin.

[Uberloinvongenchler]

@MrCrgl Since when was your interpretation of others' musical 'interpretations' an objective apprasial?

[MrCrgl]

@Uberloinvongenchler an "appraisal" of someones musical interpretation is always subjective in nature but it is made on objective criteria. For example, I can critique his use of dynamics, his use of rubato, his technical management of musical passages, his overall concept in the interpretation, Do you understand these things ?

[kaferere]

I don't know anything about Jordan Rudess but this is a wonderful version of this piece with great clarity in the left hand and a lovely grasp of tempo. Not easy with this piece. Thanks for posting.

[chaveznieves]

@kaferere he's the greatest keyboardist to walk the face of the earth.

plays for Dream Theater

[Angel94angel94]

People might think he's not good at all because he usually plays the keyboard with all its strange effects...That's the prove he is good and he's able to play classical music, if i'm right he studied jazz in a music university for ten years.

[chaveznieves]

@Angel94angel94 he trained at juliard when he was only 9. but he didn't finish his classical training because he became more interested in progressive music and playing synthesizers and such. so he left to pursue that to great success

[liquidbird601226]

por favor suba este cd completo es una verdadera obra de arte gracias anticipadas

[jordankuprij]

hello,fellow wannabe pianists...here to criticize?well then go screw yourselves...here to appreciate??good...listen..enj­oy

[UnderTheTunk]

@jordankuprij The complete mediocrity of the debate on this comments page is appalling. Anyone who dares to criticize Rudess's playing is told they resemble feces, would be better off screwing themselves, and so on down through the list of every fifth-grade retort. Rudess must be proud of having fans like these.

(For the record, I'm someone who's learned a lot from his keyboard playing, but also thinks his performance here was rather blocky and unexpressive.)

[jordankuprij]

@UnderTheTunk i love this interpretation of the piece too...its totally different from the one we tried to learn...of course i thought this was expressive..but in a different way...a more....umm....drunk(cant find the right word..sorry) way...but tragic nonetheless!

[jordankuprij]

@UnderTheTunk i mean...seriously...how can you not like this interpretation???dont compare it to that of richter/glenn goud/any other classical pianist whose interpretation you must have heard!!listen to the piece as it is played...how rudess interprets it....in no way this piece was unexpressive!

[UnderTheTunk]

@jordankuprij To be honest, it's difficult to do what you say; I can't NOT compare this to performances by classical pianists, because I think anyone who records and publishes himself playing this piece invites comparison.

[jordankuprij]

@UnderTheTunk haha....i said dont compare because this is a different feel altogether,,,but i agree it was a bit feel-less in the beginning....but ONLY in th beginning...rest of the thing blew me away!! :D

[ToxicLabProductions]

He's a good pianist, Chopin's etudes aren't easy

[Ancalagon4554]

Flawless technique. I only wish he played on a piano rather than a keyboard.

[spellboundbythebodom]

i always love how every one becomes an instant no it all musical genius when all they have to do is sit back and criticize.

[TheBarrelMan2]

The one thing I don't like about Rudess when he records CDs and stuff is that he always uses synthesizers with instrument patches rather than actual grand pianos. He's more expressive with an actual grand. Very talented guy, though, and easily my favorite modern keyboard player.

[raizenron]

wow

[scarsunseen24]

I doubt most of you can play this anyway. Stop being a bitch.

[masterlionheart]

Really find it funny at people who claim Jordan isn't a classical pianoist even though he studied Classical Piano starting at age 7, entered Juliard at age 9 and studied it there. Not many pianists can say they were playing classical piano at Juliard at age 9, lol.

Just check out some of his classical piano works like Silent Mountian, amazing piece.

[reallyhatejazz]

@masterlionheart I like Rudss because of those Korg demos, which are entertaining - but what a dissappointment again! Romanticism is about emotion, and this interperetation lacks that completely. It lacks the spirit of the piece, the era, lacks spirit as such. I like Bach interpreted this way, but Chopin? C'mon.

And Silent Mountain is not classical. I mean not art music, just a weak example of what an average rock shredder thinks classical.

[panamanian911]

@reallyhatejazz Silent Mountain wasn't meant to sound classical. Just because he played it on an acoustic piano doesn't mean he considers it classical.

Not art music? You can say whatever you want about how Chopin. He was great and helped music evolve, but I would choose Rudess any day over him, because NOW Rudess is helping music evolve. Don't get too attached.

[chromemist]

@panamanian911

absolutely fucking right

I play jazz/metal bass, so you would be forgiven for thinking me a musically ignorant dick, but since I was 7 I've been doing music theory and history. all that time, the most important thing to realize has been that the "greats" of classical, rock, baroque, jazz, metal, blah blah blah are not the ones who were the most often talked about. the greats were the ones who were willing to share new directions with the world.. rudess certainly does.

[SirMargas]

JR is a person that every musician wants to meet him...

[MrTanookiMario]

Wow, Chopin and Rudess have very similar styles (at least when it comes to classical). I never really noticed until now. It almost sounds like something he'd write.

[bilgueits]

Chopin is crying in his grave by what you just said. This piece's is Chopin !!!!! not Rudshit.

[lhc89]

he didn't say Rudess wrote this, he only said they had similar styles, duh of course we know Chopin wrote this. And who are you to call Rudess "Rudshit"?

[bilgueits]

I call him "Rudshit" to balance the opinions here since everyone here overrate him. He is only known to Dream Theater fans. Outside of this he is not know in the keyboard world. Obviously he has a great technical ability BUT he is no Virtuoso or Musical Prodigy. He is just another heavy metal shredder who didnt pick the right instrument.

[AJot]

He's also well known from Dixie Dregs and cooperation with Rod Morgenstein. Solo albums of JR are also not totally unknown....

[kklocket2]

@bilgueits people like you are terrible. he is very well known in the keyboard world, he was a child prodigy, and he is a true virtuoso in every sense of the word, creatively, technically, expressively. sure, he's not horowitz or rubenstein or gould or even chopin himself, but he's in a league all his own. people like you need to get over themselves and stop being so snobby and stuck up and close minded for that matter.

[panamanian911]

@bilgueits I've never read a comment as butthurt as yours. Get over Chopin. Great music (Fucking amazing actually). Chopin is a reference point now, because he is dead. Look up to new players.

[HamHamT]

@lhc89 this shit like heard my balls to read someone even refer to jordan rudess like that

[Bartekdex]

@bilgueits

And ur piece of shit..

Jordann Rudes - Rules!

[bilgueits]

@Bartekdex you dont even know what a piano is so you dont count.

[Bartekdex]

Well, as a matter of fact i DO PLAY piano, and im not goin' to argue with you. You ofended my favourite keyboard player, so i answered you. How its possible.. I play piano and i dont know waht it is ? Piano is string instrument.

Btw, Bilgueits, every one like this version, just u have prob with this..

[bilgueits]

@Bartekdex 1st, I dont think I offended Rudess, he seems very  happy believing he is a great musician. 2nd, piano is not a string instrument is a percussive instrument, 3rd. No, I am not the only one who think he massacred this piece.

[jordankuprij]

@bilgueits im sure you didnt offent rudess..infact,im sure you know nothing about him too...but we like this version t...by saying 'he massacred this piece' im 90% sure you meant 'he didnt play like richter(or whatever)'..i basically loved the uniqueness of this interpretation...and of course the awesomeness...try playing it...youll understand..but if you think rudess lacks any bit of skill or musical knowledge or compositional skills,youre a total failure

[CrimsonDrift16]

JR can play anything given to him

[RhythmDramatist]

your like talking about the guy who invented the studies!

[itachi1452]

I'm not sure about this. He played all the notes correctly, but to me, it feels like it's lacking the proper emotion. Might just be the piano, but something sounds a little too hollow about it.

[TheWindWaker01]

sounds like he used his kurzweil (kinda hard to tell, but it doesn't sound like a grand piano to me)

[bilgueits]

It seems like it. I laugh about people giving a thumb down to your comment that may be true. These Rudess fans dont know shit about piano, less classical piano.

[danidra]

I agree, but I think it's the piano. Or, even the recording. There are other recordings of Rudess playing piano that are A LOT more emotional, tone-wise. Wonder if he played this one on a Steinway, sure doesn't sound like one =)

[Deathkavaderva]

sounds like electronic piano... would probrably be better on acoustic for this piece

[nolie94]

yes defintiely electric piano.

[YaEstanGrandes]

its the recording i have it on mp3 and it sounds great

[bilgueits]

completely agree with you, I think some of the cause of this has to do with the comment below about that maybe he used his kurzweil instead of a real piano.

[Newspin]

Right, on a CD called "!STEINWAY! to heaven" he uses his Kurzweil / Korg. I think not sir! ;)

[bilgueits]

If you bring the evidence that this was played in an acoustic piano, ok. But this was no promotional album of Steinway. If Rudess indeed played a Steinway he makes it sound like an electronic piano.

[badgers2012]

He didn't graduate from Julliard. He dropped out because of his interest in synthesizers. His parents wanted him to continue studies in classical piano, but he went against the will of his parents. Albeit, he is a superbly accomplished pianist/keyboardist/tech musician.

[PC328]

does anybody know if jordan has finished all the piano studies?

[dudetr00]

yes, he finished!

[PC328]

oh really?? I didn't expect that! maybe he doesn't show all his technical skills...

[dudetr00]

dude, he showed! Look his piano videos...

[guitarguru186]

Serious? It's Jordan. Of course he did.

[tankwfw]

One of the most gifted musicians of our age. His compositional abilities and his technical skill is amazing

[dudetr00]

of course Jordan can play classical, he's gradueted in classical piano in Juilliard...

[ljoekelsoey4]

i must say, im impressed.

[Mysdir]

this sounds like the piano sound on the kurzweil keyboard! and im pretty sure it is

[afartic]

LOL

[Xanthous04]

on a second listening of this piece, the piano certainly doesn't sound like a Steinway grand.

Am I hearing something wrong, or what?

[themrmustazz]

rudess studied classical piano since he was 9.

then he wanted to continue in his progressive metal road.

[RisingForce420]

He'd actually take offense to that comment, he considers himself prog rock like keith emerson, not metal like derek sherinian.

[themrmustazz]

I know.

Sorry of offending Rudess..

[thisismocha]

And also, as a classical pianist myself, all you who are bashing his playing in this piece, are you used to hearing sloppy concert pianists or something? Because his articulation on each and every note here is comparable to Glenn Gould.

[sahandsesoot]

Well Glenn Gould could only play Bach, he sux in playing chopin!!

[sahandsesoot]

Well Glenn Gould could only play Bach, he sux in playing chopin!!

[Cancrizans]

@thisismocha This is good...not my favorite but it is very good. I somewhat agree with the person who mentioned a lack of romanticism, there is a bit too much brute force in places. As far as his articulation being comparable to Gould...not even remotely so, the technique is clean but he doesn't fit a hundredth of the nuance Gould did in every note he played.

[musicioso]

@thisismocha

whahaha...dude....stop talking bullshit..

[nihil1]

@thisismocha LOL, "comparable to Glenn Gould". hahahahaahahahhaah ahahahahahahahahahahahahaahaha­hahahahahahahahahahaahahhaahah

[flyingfishpie]

@thisismocha I don't think you can say "comparable to Glenn Gould" for no other reason than because Gould shunned Romantic composers such as Chopin

[PutItAway101]

@flyingfishpie He's talking about technique not repetoire.

[iroveashe]

@thisismocha No one is comparable to Glenn Gould.

[lhc89]

@iroveashe That's your subjective opinion, there are many absolutely amazing professional pianists out there and he's one of them, however I must say his style is unique.

[pepefuentest]

@iroveashe Why not? He was human... Rudess is human, and both of them are magnificent

[iroveashe]

@pepefuentest So is the homeless guy that lives under a bridge near my house, but I wouldn't compare him to either this pianist or Gould, simply because they're the same species.

I meant that Gould is unique. And yes, I know that every interpreter is technically unique, but Gould was particularly unique.

[pepefuentest]

@iroveashe That's because he had Asperger syndrome.

[iroveashe]

@pepefuentest I think that's as much nonsense and simplistic as saying that Rudess plays like he plays because he's bald.

[pepefuentest]

@iroveashe I mean, Gould was unique because he was literally different. So, obviously he was notoriously unique.

[0babul0]

@thisismocha Well, Kurzweil samples are very clear and I think it sounds so precise mainly because of it - but of course Rudess technique also. In some passages you can notice small 'peaks' in volume (when going down), so it's feeling like every note is played but sometimes with standing-out velocity. But if this was played on K2600xs keyboard, it's understandable. He should play it on real piano too, it would be interesting.

[thisismocha]

Every song on this recording is performed on a steinway grand piano.

[d0g3n]

Why is this recorded on a digital piano? Too bad...

[AwesomeArpeggios]

I think all you people who are dissing on this recording have not heard anything other than a midi performance. The dynamical control here is rather exceptional.

And to prove he can play classical?! Excuse me! But it's what he's been doing for the last 40 years after all! He may not produce recordings but he will certainly practise these!

And I also think you forget: this man is a pianist. Born pianist, there was no other life. He began playing before he had a piano at home.

[Joshpol]

So play it better...

[Marklar3]

Sounds pretty good to me.

you've probably never even looked at the sheet music for this song have you?

[Xanthous04]

personally, i'd like to hear more classical piano cuts from rudess. Another Chopin etude besides this one since it's so overplayed. Maybe the Winter Wind, and possibly a Liszt Transcendental. I'm already impressed with his synth stuff. But this'll make me really recognize his virtuosity.

[FVCubbies]

You're right man...Art is no "I Can do it"...art is create something...something especial...something that can move the people...

[ilikeshred]

You hit the Bull eyes :)!

[hatecrew666k]

no..

PIANO GOD = CHOPIN

and PIANO "ANGEL" = RUDESS

[rolhebrios]

Impressive. Just like all of his works.

[woffa69]

GOD of Piano = Jordan Rudess

[mattthedream]

everyone these days has to snub talent.

[jude4312]

nothing more than midi haha. you obviously don't know how to play this. notice how rudess makes this ETUDE so musical throughout the playing, but especially at 1.10

[ghostlord101]

I think you'll find classical IS his job as much as contermpary is, he was after all taught to be a classical pianist at Julliard first before he decided to play progressive music.

[andiiee2432]

Rudess was at first considered a piano prodigy by his early professors, he was trained clasically. As an extra remark, his professors didn't want him to follow his love for synthetizers (?), finally thanks to them he got into Progressive Music.

The word 'Art' is not enough to describe this guy.

[theblackpencil]

hmmmm i quite agree, though not to put it as weak, but he plays it like a dream rather than revolution, but that's his interpretation i guess. Notes are very well pressed and smooth... Yup, he does bartok and other classical pieces too. There was a vid mike potnoy took and they pulled out from their inpirational box of music bartok and other composers...

[VengeanceNick]

Its very good, but I much prefer Jordan's modern rock style. A lot of keyboardists can play classical, but how many can compete with his perfect modern style? Very few.

[skatokeyboardistas]

Rudess is God

[sweetcryna23]

jordan the best!!!!

[YunckInYoTrunk]

I now have even more respect for him.

[8fingerfrenzy]

Jordan=Greatest Pianist EVER