Chopin Mazurka Op.17 No.4 (Horowitz)

[renumeratedfrog]

Beautiful tune, but not the best recording....

[poopturd159]

simply the best interpretation recorded of this masterpiece that exists

[OleLaZeta]

I love how he improves on the original score.

[fuserchexx]

how can you make this video? on vegas? of window movie maker?

[2emmagine]

am I the only one who blew a kiss back at him ? :) :)

[kirkbutler12]

I want this video on my CL55 unit.

[leongatha6]

"Cries and whispers"....Complete range of human emotion.

[glc23l4]

@leongatha6 I looked up this because I had just finished that film.

[billconner718]

This video went viral on New Zealand

[thedirtymeatball]

@billconner718

how so?

[townsendjean]

Chopin was very maticulous in every thing he composed. And in this "intimate" work Horowitz is equally maticulous in its rendering.

[shobarsch]

It reminds me of Bill Evans, very much.

[davy2funky]

This felt a bit rushed to me. It is superb, but not quite intimate..

[alexjrmarino]

@davy2funky intimate doesn't mean go to sleep, horowitz's view of this piece is spot on !

[Blahshua]

This is perfect.

[InsertName125]

Bill Evans

[nscheer0423]

What haunting melody - Chopin sends me! Horowitz is one of his best interpreters.  Natalia Makarova and Mikhail Baryshnikov are splendid in their dance rendition of this beautiful piece!!!

[arianna494]

bello lo suona anke la mia insegnante di pianoforte solo ke lei lo suona molto meglio

:P :P :P :P

[titusbeertsen]

Even if the performance is a little quirky, his dynamic control... just takes your breath away.

[MarySummerlover]

I listen to this, I watch Horowitz playing Mazurka and however I feel like nonentity...

now I get it, this music is nirvana for me. I can't feel anything else, except for the sound

[thenotoriousadin]

@MarySummerlover lame.

[MarySummerlover]

@thenotoriousadin has anyone asked you?..

[thenotoriousadin]

@MarySummerlover you dont have to ask me. you put your comment out on the youtube page, and so you should expect responses. but the original statement makes classical music lovers seem lame and whimsical to a point that everyone despises us.

[MarySummerlover]

@thenotoriousadin yeah well I don't know what classical statements you're talking about, but never mind. it's your opinion

[thenotoriousadin]

@MarySummerlover there we go... take it like a man!

[MarySummerlover]

@thenotoriousadin ughh! lucky for you, you appeared in one of the greatest pages in youtube, Vladimir Horowitz is playing Mazurka by Chopin, can't you just LISTEN TO IT and stop grumbling like a grumpy kid??? Jeez, I just said how I feel about this music...

[FreemakeAcc]

He's playing in his house, that's pretty cool.

[slapmyfunkybass]

i guess if you had to criticise you could say the main theme in a minor could be softer but apart from that it's pretty much genius

[bsd300d]

Are his keys wider than normal?

[uesrname187]

@bsd300d i kind of was thinking that also, hard to tell

[operaticxingenue]

BAMF.

[FeBlandMusic]

An object lesson in Rubato playing. A real brainwave to place the score below the performance - one can see the liberties H takes with the music. The compositional groups of 14 notes are breathtaking!

[TommyDai1]

this isnt human

[injamaven]

not as heartbreaking as some other versions, but perhaps it shouldn't be.

[Yamahazryn]

he plays with such a gentle delicacy!

the small ornamentation/idea at 0:34 is wonderful :)

[dani9230]

very good pianist,to play this beautiful piece

[maternalheart66]

Aweh, he's so cute.

[MsThisNameIsTaken]

I want to marry him :o

[ReturnOfTheStienway]

great video idea man!

[rivale8]

un génie plein d'humour

[RemovdSande11]

wow Ive never heard such a good version of this... he totally OWNS this song !

[vbatuhan]

most romantic piece of Chopin after waltz op 64 no 2.

[HarmonyOneClass]

It was filmed in an apartment - it's Mr. Horowitz's home in NYC.  This was from a 60 Minutes episode.

[RemovdSande11]

chopin

genious

[johntel16]

I love how this is filmed right in someone's house or apartment from it looks like.

[karazh]

16 mute fail :D

[flarbton]

no modern player has equaled his pianissimo in my opinion.

[pianoaddict06]

@flarbton that's what i was thinking

[TheGBShawFan]

@flarbton

You should listen to John O'Conor.

[peteklat]

Horowitz can be very quirky at times. There is a beautiful rendition, quiet and understated by Rubinstein.

[TheGBShawFan]

Interesting: Horowitz indeed presents us with a uniquely intimate performance, a treasured performance. His playing could be described as "unchopinesque", yet this aesthetically displeasing adjective is anomalous: it is based on the butched interpretations of Chopin over the years, which have ingrained in us a sense of what Chopin should sound like. This is always a danger. If one studies Chopin(his life, music and self) the performance becomes somwhat relevatory. And the parting kiss? Ohhhhhh!

[flarbton]

@TheGBShawFan it can never be made sense of in reality, Chopin played Pleyel pianos which would sound so foreign by modern standards, Steinway etc... so what's the use in trying to make sense out of thin air? It's like the people that rant on about Mozart harpsichord pieces played on piano, any piano in modern times, what sense can be had debating it?

[TheGBShawFan]

@flarbton

I was referring to a more metaphysical, aesthetic approach rather than a physical one.

[TheGBShawFan]

@flarbton

I was actually referring to a more metaphysical, aesthetic approach rather than a physical one.

[jbyjby1]

2:37 I love that part!

[jjvvgg1]

What a perfectly executed "perdendosi" at the end.

[ConcertoArt]

Thank you, rmannion

for this fantastic idea and for giving people this great possibility.



[Pjgrimshaw]

The technique required to play this song is amazing!

[lazyasian0321]

i love this mazurka!

[normalpsy]

i like his tone and upper voice and soft dynamics, but horowitz in my opinion often goes too far from the original interpretation into something of his own that i dont always care for. this is one i enjoy but there are some sections i wish he wouldnt deviate as much dynamics wise.

[killedbyAP]

just amazing. I love horowitz.

[takkutakiainen]

too fast n pointy.. I play it better.

[lovesGenet]

The man made music.Unforgettabe as this mazurka is his insight is great. Chopin was so young how could he write such dark ,soulful music.

[Pinepelt]

So very beautiful. I've never heard a mazurka this beautiful. I appreciate that the sheet music is at the bottom to follow along with. A masterpiece.

[minik47]

вау4..так классно!

[nasef13]

i am crying

[T33VlOn3Dt]

A favorite of mine... Horowitz did a great job.

[injamaven]

I think this is the most beautiful thing Chopin ever wrote - a unique feeling-tone,

evanescent, neither happy nor sad

[nandoflorestan]

@injamaven Not sad!?!?

É a tristeza da tristeza isso.

[demalkin]

I agree 100%. By far the best. Ever. Simple.

[akatsukilover707]

horowitz plays so cutely! i don't know why! OMGG!

[mflynn17]

One of my favorite mazurkas, exquisitely played.

[geekx9]

wow... amazing.

[StellaBCM]

Qué belleza de composición! GRACIAS CHOPIN!!!

[drwaynejohnson]

Horowitz's flat hand position was mentioned in some of the posts. A bit unusual, granted. I actually performed on that Steinway piano after he passed away and it was one of the easiest actions I've ever experienced--which Horowitz demanded. The piano definitely took some getting used to but required almost no arm weight--only very sensitive finger action which explains the flat fingers and low hand position. But the instrument had a tremendous tonal & dynamic range and a clear, bell-like sound.

[Martel211996]

Very light action can be an advantage as well as a disadvantage. for fast passages to be played loud, such as the coda in Chopin ballade can be an advantage. But playing some of his slow and gentle nocturnes can be a trick. I have tried light weighted keys and i can say its very very difficult to control the volume without "banging" on the keys. As well as developing technique, this isint exactly the best type of piano to use, once you get on a harder weighted, your screwed.

[FredricEric]

The theme in Ingmar Bergman's movie Cries and whispers

[JayIvory87]

it's berry eentimate now.. shhhhhh. haha, this has to be one of my favorite of all the Mazurkas. I love Horowitz!

[ThePursuance]

Ca n'vaut pas l'interprétation de Rubinstein..

[michelclavecin]

bin d'accord!

[grampasso1989]

rmannion, congratulation for your work on the video!

[SirPuffNTuff]

love you Horowitz. never forget...

[Biscuitsruleface]

almost jazz-like, love it.

[IggyKoopa12]

My piano teacher played this song to me once.

[dmcII]

His technique was phenomenal yet if you look at his actual mechanics here, they were so different from conventional wisdom. His hands are mostly flat or even below the keyboard. Amazing that he could do this and make it work.

[TheCantabileviolin]

dmcll- I Totally agree. To see his hands position like that, is just amazing, I coudn't imagine making the piano sound in that way. Or maybe, he got this technique in the kind of upbringing that was made in him.

[phatmusic]

wow....all i have to say is...wow... that was a beautiful interpretation of this song...AMAZING,,,WELL DONE!

[xJulianax]

Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!

[puchalaka]

mistakes and yet a good performance

[93rardo]

You know, I don't really mind mistakes if the execution is good in general. I rather listen to an inspirational performance with some mistakes than a boring faultless performance.

[simplerachel11]

@93rardo "beauty in imperfection"

[byrbyw]

Horowitz played very professionally, I like this piece.

[tony176000]

While semiotic analysis is VERY interesting, and I often wonder how we can accurately re-produce pieces from nothing more than the music--I wonder how Bach or Beethoven, or Mozart sounded playing pieces themselves--yet it seems also to remove us from the truth the composer tried to convey by still relying on the paper. But this, its certainly not my interpretation, but when i hear it I think THIS must have been how Chopin played it from his own fingers. Horowitz is truly great.

[hecthovenpianist]

Horowitz, es un gran pianista, me encantas!!! te aqdmiro mucho!

[autr727]

@hecthovenpianist creo que lo toco muy rápido y con errores, la versión de cicolinni es mucho mejor by far.

[jecian1978]

Horowitz es un pianista monumental de nuestra epoca. Estas muy equivocada en tus criticas.Cicolinni? Nunca e escuchado su nombre. A de ser un pianista obscuro. Se me hace ridicula la comparasion pero aya tu, cada quien con sus gustos. Horowitz is legend.

[Celicious]

¿En serio no conoce a Ciccolini? ¡No es ningún pianista obscuro! :-D

[aardvaark069]

Oh that sound! deep ringing beautiful even in pianissimo. This is so perfect and personal too.

[AnimaRequiem]

I did a semiotic analysis of this piece, and I have to say that Horowitz's interpretation is spot on! Bravo!

[TheFrenchiesRock]

I love how there is music at the bottom

[TimmyIsNice]

so much dynamics and movement in this. i know how to play it, but rather stiff, theres still alot of work ahead of me...

[zowen11]

Amazing! I love this mazurka. Horowitz does an excellent job playing it!!!

[sandrasacco]

senza parole !!! magari suonassi così ...

[Waldszenen]

Horowitz makes it look so easy... he's amazing.

[TownsendMusicSchool]

So incredible. So amazing. So perfect it makes you believe perfect IS possible! It's overwhelming!

[LittleArgerich]

I cry when i listen this performance =)

[gwizvideo]

Love the performance of course! But your annotations with the music are cool! Thanks!

[DarkJediHacker]

Wonderful performance!

Horowitz is the bomb!

Oh, and THANK YOU FOR THE SHEET MUSIC!!

[EdiEllerymissing]

Poetry!!!

[8aetroya8]

Chopin liked Liszt's playing of his own works, so i might assume he'd love this as well.

[EuphoricDan]

Not trying to start an argument here, but Chopin DESPISED Liszt's playing of his own works, at least later in life

They were friends for years, until Liszt took some liberties with a few notes in one of his scherzi.

Now... in retrospect Chopin is (IMO) a more important composer than Liszt. At the time Liszt was the world-renown virtuosic rock star, not chopin.

His later scathing opinion of Liszt could have been more resentment than actual dislike. Fred was a miserable man later in life.

[AMONARSIEL]

Thanks... a sweet gift.

[henseltetude]

one of the best videos i watched .... sheet music+horowitz= great idea

[sergeidave]

I totally love how Horowitz is so funny and down to earth and YET an absolutely phenomenal artist!!! His charisma was beyond this galaxy. He owned this piece.

[gratecourt]

Gasp. Thanks so much.

[urielpiano]

So Special thank you for posting this videoI love Horowitz

[PrawDuhJee]

Thank you for posting the video along with the sheet music!

[gldmj55]

it's an interesting inpretation but i prefer it without the exaggerated rhythmic and dynamic changes

[Alessandro1985]

is very intimate now pshhhhhhh

[puchalaka]

what a dick!

i hate the way he plays...

I defo play better than him

[Tompelicious]

Absolutely astounding. What a mature musicality. Horowitz gives the impression that he's improvising by the keyboard and plays whatever comes to mind. Few pianist can do that convincing.

[NjallPiano]

@Tompelicious

But none of the should...

[titusbeertsen]

@Tompelicious Funny that you mention improvisation, because he is actually doing that a few times here :)

[MrRoofusPadumelon]

@Tompelicious Specially a Mazurka!!

[username1p]

Eh! Hahhahha! Hah, hah, hah!

[Marcuys]

awesome.. it really sounds like a mazurka.. like a dance..

[lamsauping]

Horowitz.......goodbye kiss, ha ha

[Waldszenen]

"It's very intimate now - SSSSSSHHHHHHHHHH!"

God I love Horowitz.

[cattleman6420012000]

So special,magical,rythm used so sensitively. Horowitz was like no other!!!

[spike2133876]

this is a very sad piece and i love it, and love the way horowitz adds his own little tricks to make it sound even better.

[rabengeraun]

The first line is definitely not what Chopin wrote in every case but so what!

[autr727]

too fast!!! this is slower

[callenishss]

lol awesome

[otterhouse]

What an intriguing way to present this music...

-----------------------------

Rolf, Netherlands.

I am a collector of classical 78's and lp's

Click "otterhouse" above to see (and hear!)

some of my collection.

(Gioconda de Vito, Berl Senofsky, Vlado Perlemuter,

Carl Schuricht, Gina Bachauer etc)

[mtias74]

Una interpretacion bastante rara. En la partitura dice "lento ma non troppo" y tambien habiendo escuchado interpretaciones más lentas es claro que el tempo deberia ser mas lento. De todos modos es un gran pianista

[joanilo21]

POESIA PURA...

[cordeiropascoal]

Thanks for posting!

[jero13595]

Interesting!

[shilloshillos]

Such a character Horowitz was. Love the video with the score underneath.

[mauvetys]

Great! i've been waiting your new vids for long time ago. Thanks for the partitions.

[NUTAAA]

Good Musik. Thanks mauvetys :)

[rmannion]

Please click on the High Quality link at the top-right.

[TheGBShawFan]

@rmannion