Ravel Ondine from Gaspard

[OrangeSodaKing]

What's interesting is that here, a younger Christopher Shih competing in the Van Cliburn competition. However, he went on to be a physician and just last month, competed in the Van Cliburn competition for amateurs (since playing piano is not his profession). He won, and I think his final round included the entire Gaspard de la Nuit.

[OrangeSodaKing]

@OrangeSodaKing I'm wrong! Someone else played Gaspard in the Amateurs competition (someone who can pull off Gaspard very well is most definitely not an amateur...) Shih did the Brahms Handel Variations.

[honron21]

@OrangeSodaKing How the hell he could be an amateur! this is better than profesionals.

[OrangeSodaKing]

@honron21 I said the same thing, right? But an "amateur" pianist is somebody who does not make their living as a pianist. He makes his living as a physician, only playing piano on the side.

[Pischnaholic]

Thank you, Dr. Shih for posting Le Gibet and Scarbo on your site. It is too bad the last bit of Scarbo was cut off. You were giving a splendid performance.

I loved your account of Le Gibet. You chose to keep the ringing of the bell in the background while emphasizing the richness and poignancy of the harmonies. The tempo seemed very slow at first, but it worked wonderfully -- really cast a spell.

I am glad to hear different approaches to important music. There is no "one" way, thank Heaven.

[Pischnaholic]

I would love to hear Dr. Shih play Le Gibet and Scarbo too. Is there any hope? I do think his playing is "world class." It seems a shame to me that so much attention goes to "Big Names" and so little to Big Talents like Dr. Shish's and Rupert Egerton-Smith's.

At any rate, Guelsin Onay a Turkish woman is another who gives a wonderfully sensitive, extremely adroit account of Ondine. I like her Scarbo less, but many may disagree.

[Pischnaholic]

On a level with the finest performances we know. Pianistically flawless. Tasteful. Elegant. Honest in it's absence of affectation and any apparent striving for effect. However, it is very like Michelangeli in that the projection of any sense of the seduction, longing, pathos, irony and betrayal so present in Bertrand's poetry is absent.

Only RUPERT EGERTON-SMITH, who also plays with effortless ease and perfect accuracy but far more color, has plumbed the depths implicit in this work.

[dexterityhunter]

@Pischnaholic Every once in a while I come across some of your comments on YT.

Many times you share some insightful thoughts (and proof of your excellent taste)

with us, which I appreciate very much. BUT although R. Egerton-Smith truly is a very talented

(amateur) pianist, I cannot understand your high praise-campaign for him at all

(unless you are RES yourself, a close friend, or relative) !!!

It really gets annoying after a while...

[Nerahmaninov]

It is ingenious...there are no words...

[wildejag]

Are you going to play this again?

[stephenTGV]

Absolutely wonderful.