It's strange because even though Gould is not very fond of Beethoven, he's probably one of the only pianists that actually play Presto 'AGITATO' and not just presto.
O my gosh! I thought I was good at this piece. Maybe I should soak my hands in hot water and copy his chair. I heard that one of the reasons he had such good control was the position he sat in relation to keyboard height and the chair bottom allowed him to develop that technique.
Very very few pianists play this piece clearly, not even the great ones. Mr. Gould does it much better than the usual. In fact, it´s my favourite version. But I think if Beethoven woke up from the tomb he wouldn´t be totally satisfied whith it.
Nessuno si è accorto che c'è un copia ed incolla mostruoso da prima ed ultima parte? Si sente il medesimo colpo di tosse di Glenn Gould nelle medesime misure....
I don't think there is a name for the speed at which Gould plays this piece, especially taking into consideration the high degree of accuracy and precision. Very Gould!
To be honest after listening to Gould's interpretation of this piece I can't go back to the others; most that I've heard lack the speed and intensity of Gould's interpretation. I personally think it's fantastic!
plus, the volume of 'forte/sempreforte' is more or less the same as 'piano' in this recording (especially at the beginning) as though he ignored those markings completely. i mean wtf?
Amazing how a quiet cottage at Simcoe could spawn such talent. To see him play would have been remarkable. I would have loved to see him and Idil Biret play together.
Yeah, Ive always thought there was something odd about how that passage was sounded. You hear a note with a strong beat played twice. Idk what he hit thought.
Maybe lots of people can play it this fast, but I really feel it with Gould. He wasent rushing, his hands were lagging his mind. Giles is another great interpretation (of this movement)...
The man was brilliant, his beethoven in my opinion is the best played. I think the romantic piano style takes away from the rawness, and skeleton of the music. Gould lays it bare.
This idea that there is any sort of correct way in terms of a persons personal expression to perform any piece of music is absurd ... this man is a complete case in point.
A genius playing the music of a genius and because we listen WE listen it becomes our own.
Also the page thats on 1:15-, near the end theres arrpegio for the treble clef, but in another manuscript it said you play it as a chord, which I think is impossible, because not many people have a big of a hand to play that with. Which ones original?
I've got no idea what the original is, but that's actually not so big, it's just 10ths and 9ths. But usually if you can't reach a chord you just "break it" or "roll it" as you say.
But if you got small hand you should play a bit of Henselt. He has great streches in his etudes
This is nothing like Bach, just because he played Bach well does not preclude him from playing any other style of music. I like his Beethoven, Mozart, Scarlatti, Gibbons, Strauss, Scriabin, Grieg, Brahms, etc. Gould was a true musician, he thought about how he was going to perform pieces and he is very musical. You can disagree with the way he performs if you want to. But he does not play Beethoven like Bach, that is ridiculous. Gould had tremendous technique, he could play anything.
those are Tremolos: they are like trills but between notes that are not next to each other. So in essence, beethoven wrote that you trill the octave by playing both G's back and forth as fast as you can.
@Theonedue its a way of notating without having to repeat the 16ths 16 times or 8. When you alternate between two notes you write the speed of the notes (in this case 16ths) and then how long they will be played (in this case half note)
For me this piece is not so much about how fast you can play...it is presto agitato, not prestissimo agitato. So much of the beauty and unsettled passion of this movement is lost when it is played for showmanship and not for the emotion behind it.
It really isn't very technically difficult, at least for the professional or collegiate pianist. It is very patterned, with lots of arpeggiated sections.
However, for the amateur it will be difficult and should not be attempted.
More than a little. This is an arresting interpretation, but that's what you come to expect with Gould. And i used to think Walter Giesking was the authority on Bach...
@Fernandez218 not just can be, but IS difficult. That kind of velocity, dexterity and articulation is nothing less than mastery. Even masters have their bad days, CONSTANTLY battling their own bodies/minds to maintain that kind of ability. Relentless playing all the time.
Funny, he made one of the easier angst pieces crap your pants hard with his method. He plays Beethoven like it's Liszt maybe, but at the same time it is a very sensitive interpretation, thank you for the video :)
This performance may not be everyone's cup of tea, but you have to admit, he certainly plays it at a presto and it is definitely agitato. Perfection indeed.
damn in other videos its around 7 mins. in this one its almost 5 mins.!!!! i think he destroyed the poor metronome!!!! much better in this tempo we can feel the beauty in a shorter time for the best effect
That Glen Gould for ya, his playing is Perfection. If anyone has doubts its Gould, listen with earphones, you can catch some of humming that distinguishes him from other masters.
Lol! Are you five years old or what? All I said was that piano means soft, and dosent relate to tempo. I was being "rude" because you didnt know the difference between volume and tempo. Also piano is not an objective term, in other words piano is soft in relation to not being as loud as a medium or forte, ect. So techinically you can play piano is any regared as long as it isnt louder than medium or forte.
Interesting. I can see how some people would say this is too fast, but compared to most recordings, Gould's interpretation really gets the "agitato" across instead of merely the "presto"
They do hint at this being about the ride to his immortal beloved that went wrong, don't they? It is interpretted so feverishly i feel the hysteria and agitation myself, so what better kind of interpretation is there?
This is an impossibly brilliant piece which has been ruined. . .
Not by Gould though. His genius has brought the beauty through. As for you Mr Mario, the very fact that he is playing it coldly does not in fact take the romance out, only accentuates the strength of the feeling behind it. Only someone who doesn't truly know how to portray feeling in a piece would say that this is emotionless. It is the best interpretation I have ever heard, which is no less than you would expect of Master Gould
still, I think that the Bachian influence on this particular piece is working well. Even though it sounds bit colder than the Beethoven probably indented it to be played firstly, Gould makes it up in his accuracy. Plus, if we consider the fact that Ludwigs structure of composition was influenced by the classicism, playing it without romantic accentuation, can also reveal the beauty of this peace. What do you think?
Yeah...the problem with Glenn Gould is that he was so obsessed with Bach, he had to turn everything else from every other composer he played into Bach, which is why this has no romantic feeling, because Bach had emotion in his music, but not that romantic feeling, which is why you don't feel it here. Moonlight Sonata was written to an opera singer Beethoven was in love with, and if you play this piece like Bach, you totally take the romantic feel out of it.
I love Bach. The post Bach era of music did evolve to a great extent through the expanded range of instrumentation. Bach showed romantic feeling in my opinion, but was limited with the range of instruments he had access to since he lived in the Baroque Period. I don't know as much about technicalities as you do I'm sure, but I know what I like, and I cry when I hear Bach. Although a little fast, I love this version of Moonlight Sonata.
Yeah, Bach did have some romantic feelings in his music, and yes, it was limited, however, I think with what he had, he was fine, his music is still very good, I don't think it was a goal for them to upgrade their technology. But back to the point. Yeah, it is a bit fast, that wasn't really my problem, my problem is, it's in a Bach-style. Yes, you like Bach, but Bach is Bach, Moonlight Sonata is Beethoven, NOT Bach, therefore you play it the way Beethoven intended it to be played.
Mario-I respect you and as I said I think you are a connaisseur of this type of music. My point, and by the way, I love Beethoveen, is if he is great, shouldn't any interpretation that works be good? People could say about him--"How could you write choral music when you're deaf--a singing sensation. "How can you feel a sonata for a woman you're in love with, when your music in general is so disturbing and turbulent most of the time-Pathetique Eroica. It made Beethoveen great--both ways.
Not exactly, some people play it very plain, and some people play it not the way the composer intended it to be played. When you break that, it's not Beethoven anymore. That's why a lot of people butcher certain pieces because they have no respect for the composer and decide to play it "their own way". I do like Glenn Gould's Bach recordings though, he plays Bach like a genius, everything else he plays, he turns it into Bach.
I really enjoy this discussion with you. But again, my intent is that if Beethoven is a great composer, like a great novelist to analogize, could he not have his works interpreted differently by other people who then play his music to their own accord and have it appeal to people similarily? I would also suggest, that the composer may change his own interpretation from time to time. Variety is the spice of life. Improvisation in jazz allows this in music. In fact, is the essence of it.
Next time, refrain from ignorance and read our discussion. We mentioned Bach because Glenn Gould plays Beethoven and every other composer like Bach. instead of jumping to conclusions by reading part of it, next time click "View All Comments" and read the actual conversation, and if you don't want to, then just don't comment. Thanks.
I don't think he plays this like Bach. I know Gould is known for his Bach interpretation—but if you mean he plays this as well as he does Bach I'd agree. Or that he obviously learned this piece of music very well and played it as such. But, like Bach? How so?
I mean what you really could be saying is that this is Gould—if it can be Bach when its Beethoven why can't it be Gould if it is Gould who is performing these notes? He is playing each note as written with the correct rhythmic spacings—that is Beethoven.
You need to stop listening to the notes and start listening to the MUSIC. The music is beneath the notes, it's the soul of the piece. Every single composer has their very own distinct style, their very own types of forte, piano, fotissimo, pianissimo, etc. The way he plays this, the style he plays this, is very Bach-like, or actually it's more just like any Baroque piece in general. Gould can't get any other period BUT Baroque right. That's why i dislike him most of the time.
I was actually telling you how every composer has their very own version of each dynamic. The pianist must recognize this and play the composer's pieces with those right versions of those dynamics. As far as him playing this piece like a Baroque piece, he plays the piece with that Baroque consistency. Baroque period music is to be played with this extra clarity, this clarity that none of the other periods have, which also makes that period's music the most difficult.
I suggest listening to more Baroque period music, try listening to some Bach Inversions, and then listen to some Mozart or Haydn Sonatas, then go to Beethoven. Then we'll talk. It's really frustrating to explain all of this on text when the person I'm explaining this to doesn't seem to know the simple distinction between Baroque and Classical Period music.
You are wrong on the assumption that I do not know the difference between the two.
The differences between Baroque and Classical music have very little to do with rhythmic "clarity" as you put it—and more with structure
I still do not understand why you believe Gould made this piece Bach—maybe because Gould performs Bach well you think that is all he is capable of performing? If he performs something in a way you don't like you reference this without actually understanding why?
I do like how you point out how Bach's music has romantic feelings, because yes, he did, which contradicts a lot of people's ideas on Beethoven being the "first Romantic Composer" when other composers before him had Romantic feelings, but are still Classical/Baroque composers!
I realize that the classical era of music was very rigid--symmetrical by today's standards. Mozart said of his own music "Just the right number of notes, not one more". I find Mozart to be genius. Yet if someone wants to criticize it or change it a bit--it's fine with me. Being romantic is a subjective term and we can all come to our own conclusions about that. His 21st concerto andante--very sublime--very romantic to me. Again. I know little about classical music. Nice speaking with you
ok this version is perfect is it not?
steppinout67 3 days ago
It's strange because even though Gould is not very fond of Beethoven, he's probably one of the only pianists that actually play Presto 'AGITATO' and not just presto.
cjcarrington97 5 months ago 4
Jeezzzzz D::: thats amazing!
PublicLibraryx 5 months ago
six stars
gimichi 5 months ago
O my gosh! I thought I was good at this piece. Maybe I should soak my hands in hot water and copy his chair. I heard that one of the reasons he had such good control was the position he sat in relation to keyboard height and the chair bottom allowed him to develop that technique.
1Janny1 6 months ago in playlist automne 2009
This has been flagged as spam show
fantastic!
ChopinLiszt82 6 months ago
Comment removed
ChopinLiszt82 6 months ago
that was probably his daily warm up before practicing...
MsFloopdedoop 6 months ago 4
I have to say:he was a genius!
Andreskill1 6 months ago
0:30 gives me chills
weeblesproductions 6 months ago
Beautiful:) coming from someone in the metal genre.
gutentaug39 6 months ago
Very very few pianists play this piece clearly, not even the great ones. Mr. Gould does it much better than the usual. In fact, it´s my favourite version. But I think if Beethoven woke up from the tomb he wouldn´t be totally satisfied whith it.
javierleonenriquez 6 months ago
Nessuno si è accorto che c'è un copia ed incolla mostruoso da prima ed ultima parte? Si sente il medesimo colpo di tosse di Glenn Gould nelle medesime misure....
draconella1971 7 months ago
i can play this song in my sleep without a piano near me!
oxygen117 8 months ago
my son plays this on marimba... beautiful I LOVE this piece.
G
GWoification 8 months ago
I don't think there is a name for the speed at which Gould plays this piece, especially taking into consideration the high degree of accuracy and precision. Very Gould!
HIghBlutdruck 8 months ago
ahhhhh- my favorite speed: "lightning"
icemannn344 8 months ago
Wow! And I loved having the music to follow along to.
ReapBaby 8 months ago
To be honest after listening to Gould's interpretation of this piece I can't go back to the others; most that I've heard lack the speed and intensity of Gould's interpretation. I personally think it's fantastic!
Adam1349 9 months ago 14
@Adam1349 I agree wholeheartedly.
Thorens 4 months ago
I can't hear ponctual notes, too fast
v4liumfrance 9 months ago
the metallica of classical pieces.
TADGELL 9 months ago
Theres allegro, then theres prestisimo, then theres prestisisimo,...... then theres glenn gould.
xJoshiee 9 months ago 2
Prrrestiiisssimmmooo!!!!!!.....
Laudan08 9 months ago 3
the clarity is mindblowing.
froterons 10 months ago
I liked 0:00 TO 4:57
Mario1223345 10 months ago
@Mario1223345 nice try
oreowizard1 10 months ago
@oreowizard1 nice tries are not worth mentioning
DarkCavaliero 6 months ago
I think the passage from 4:05 to 4:37 is one of the most beautiful things Beethoven ever wrote.
joedotarch 10 months ago 2
this is the proof that great technique does not mean great interpretation...
although this is this my personal opinion, this is way too fast, even if impressive...
Hama8382 10 months ago
I like this fast tempo!
eitwid2011 10 months ago 2
this was done when glenn went through a crystal meth phase.
TADGELL 10 months ago
this was done when glenn went through a crystal meth phase.
TADGELL 10 months ago
NADA COMO EL PIANO REAL ESTO APESTA
numelamames 11 months ago
To fast, i don't like this
tektojov 11 months ago
oh my god that is freaking fast. I am amazed
tonymusicrocks 11 months ago
plus, the volume of 'forte/sempreforte' is more or less the same as 'piano' in this recording (especially at the beginning) as though he ignored those markings completely. i mean wtf?
fuckshitass911 1 year ago
he just set the world record for playing the final movement in the shortest amount of time. nice job.
fuckshitass911 1 year ago
Amazing how a quiet cottage at Simcoe could spawn such talent. To see him play would have been remarkable. I would have loved to see him and Idil Biret play together.
SpectralIntercourse 1 year ago
Unless you're as well known as Glenn Gould, he's probably a better pianist than you.
parkbenchbass 1 year ago
EXCELLENT!!
TheOsseous 1 year ago
waaaay too fast.... and no voicing whatsoever.....this person is clearly talented though....all just constructive criticism! :)
tjoe84 1 year ago
Je déteste les Schtroumpfs!!!
cristhrmo 1 year ago
TRAINWRECK!!!
NightClash909 1 year ago
Him and Art Tatum...
monkeys350 1 year ago
This is disgusting BEETHOVEN SAY PRESTO, NO PRESTISSIMO!!!
my god... is like i play Lento this song...
Glenn Gould Plays very very very bad!!! the music not need be fast!!!
fedechopin 1 year ago
@fedechopin shut up you conservative twat. It is fine this way—beyond fine and I'm sorry you don't hear that.
EMPERORMIKI 1 year ago
There is a mistake from 2:36 to 2:38. Did you guys notice it? Do not reply to me before looking at the music sheet.
incanadaindia 1 year ago
Yeah, Ive always thought there was something odd about how that passage was sounded. You hear a note with a strong beat played twice. Idk what he hit thought.
Theonedue 1 year ago
I think he just over emphasized the c# in the alberti bass.
Theonedue 1 year ago
@incanadaindia you mean the extra note ?
DarkCavaliero 6 months ago
Maybe lots of people can play it this fast, but I really feel it with Gould. He wasent rushing, his hands were lagging his mind. Giles is another great interpretation (of this movement)...
chaddyfromtheblock 1 year ago
amazing, wonderful
gimichi 1 year ago
who is playing?
AkaMouTinn 1 year ago
@AkaMouTinn Glenn Gould
JacobRudduck 1 year ago
Too fast I don't like this way of playing at this speed. I feel fidgety during listening this.
mylifeiscomplicated1 1 year ago
@mylifeiscomplicated1 Exactly! Hence the name: "Presto Agitato" (Agitato meaning agitated) :)
JacobRudduck 1 year ago
Gould knew how to use his hands in a speedy manner!!
Stick234567 1 year ago
Comment removed
semicroma 1 year ago
Over 200 bpm, he sure had technique
semicroma 1 year ago
The man was brilliant, his beethoven in my opinion is the best played. I think the romantic piano style takes away from the rawness, and skeleton of the music. Gould lays it bare.
Irshkboy 1 year ago
Completely agree ...
This idea that there is any sort of correct way in terms of a persons personal expression to perform any piece of music is absurd ... this man is a complete case in point.
A genius playing the music of a genius and because we listen WE listen it becomes our own.
People can hear this as they like.
I think its shockingly beautiful.
EMPERORMIKI 1 year ago
I just hate fermattas
Vendetta5246 1 year ago
Also the page thats on 1:15-, near the end theres arrpegio for the treble clef, but in another manuscript it said you play it as a chord, which I think is impossible, because not many people have a big of a hand to play that with. Which ones original?
Theonedue 2 years ago
I've got no idea what the original is, but that's actually not so big, it's just 10ths and 9ths. But usually if you can't reach a chord you just "break it" or "roll it" as you say.
But if you got small hand you should play a bit of Henselt. He has great streches in his etudes
addeex1 2 years ago
Couple of questions pertaning with this sheet music:
1)What does the big line over the notes on the treble clef entail?
2)In the middle of the second page, what does the dot with the half circle over it mean (its over the G chord)?
3)What does sf mean?
4) What do the single dots above some chords mean?
5)On page 2, at the end, where it says cresc., in another manuscript I saw the use of peadal, why not here?
Thats it, I would appriciate some answers.
Theonedue 2 years ago
1. Legato.
2. It's a fermatta. It means to hold the note.
3. Sfortzando. Loud and burst-y, then soft.
4. Stacatto. Short.
CarlyCarnifex 2 years ago
Someone already informed me, but thanks.
Theonedue 2 years ago
noob, youneed some piano classes
Sotox92 1 year ago
This is nothing like Bach, just because he played Bach well does not preclude him from playing any other style of music. I like his Beethoven, Mozart, Scarlatti, Gibbons, Strauss, Scriabin, Grieg, Brahms, etc. Gould was a true musician, he thought about how he was going to perform pieces and he is very musical. You can disagree with the way he performs if you want to. But he does not play Beethoven like Bach, that is ridiculous. Gould had tremendous technique, he could play anything.
trevjr 2 years ago 3
Well, well said—I tried to say the same thing obviously. But, perhaps I failed. I guess people should take comfort in what they LIKE to listen to.
EMPERORMIKI 2 years ago
Why are there 16th note half notes on 0:29?
Theonedue 2 years ago
those are Tremolos: they are like trills but between notes that are not next to each other. So in essence, beethoven wrote that you trill the octave by playing both G's back and forth as fast as you can.
abucunezzer101 2 years ago
Comment removed
abucunezzer101 2 years ago
@Theonedue its a way of notating without having to repeat the 16ths 16 times or 8. When you alternate between two notes you write the speed of the notes (in this case 16ths) and then how long they will be played (in this case half note)
Violinkid05 1 year ago
Gould is known for saying he did not like Beethoven or Chopin
Doug19752533 2 years ago 8
@Doug19752533 =( I don't like him anymore, because I love them!
Agomongo1235 8 months ago
@Doug19752533 =( I don't like him anymore, because I love him
Agomongo1235 8 months ago
@Doug19752533
he also said mozart died too late ... not too early ... lol
80whiterice 3 months ago
This performance is not Bach-like, because:
- it is performed with lots of pedal-use
- in a Bach-like performance there is no such thing as piano and forte
The composition has some Baroque characteristics though.
GagiPetrovicNL 2 years ago
@GagiPetrovicNL oh no it doesnt! this romantic piece is so ahead of its time. i love it
308813062 2 months ago
so fast!is there a reason its so fast..beacause i've never heard it played like this before...awesome and nice playing all the same..
sutphoe 2 years ago
Very exciting and clear. I do like this interpretation but I think Jeno Jando is the best with it. Even though this is exceptional.
morvensky 2 years ago 2
(that was aimed at deimosxsz)
bogsheet 2 years ago
Hey, this is the "danger" theme music from the Smurfs. Great music
therulerstl 2 years ago
The left hand is very clear and not muddy.
NapSeason 2 years ago
For me this piece is not so much about how fast you can play...it is presto agitato, not prestissimo agitato. So much of the beauty and unsettled passion of this movement is lost when it is played for showmanship and not for the emotion behind it.
steven28910 2 years ago 2
Perfectly stated! Those who think this a great performance have never heard the sublime rendition by Wilhelm Kempff.
soami2u 2 years ago
...and his 10 mistakes and kinda ok tempo.
Theonedue 2 years ago
It really isn't very technically difficult, at least for the professional or collegiate pianist. It is very patterned, with lots of arpeggiated sections.
However, for the amateur it will be difficult and should not be attempted.
KyndalSarah 2 years ago
Hearing this video after not having heard it for 11 months - Gould's piano skills are legendary. Amazing!
Fernandez218 2 years ago 2
even at this speed, this piece is not technically so difficult anyway.
Deimosxsz 2 years ago
Playing it with the clarity that he has at that speed can be difficult.
Fernandez218 2 years ago 21
More than a little. This is an arresting interpretation, but that's what you come to expect with Gould. And i used to think Walter Giesking was the authority on Bach...
Lukecash12 2 years ago
@Fernandez218 just practice, that's all. Besides if you really listen, it isn't all that good.
paullubliner 1 year ago
@paullubliner what exactly makes it not "all that good"?
Fernandez218 1 year ago
@Fernandez218 Precisely as TJoe says. Further if you don't hear it, you really shouldn't comment.
paullubliner 1 year ago
@paullubliner thanks for being original.
Fernandez218 1 year ago
@Fernandez218 not just can be, but IS difficult. That kind of velocity, dexterity and articulation is nothing less than mastery. Even masters have their bad days, CONSTANTLY battling their own bodies/minds to maintain that kind of ability. Relentless playing all the time.
9b8 11 months ago
@9b8 tell that to paullubliner; apparently paullubliner thinks otherwise.
Fernandez218 11 months ago
@Fernandez218 uhh, yeah.
TADGELL 10 months ago
yeah right! please upload your own recording playing it at this speed without difficulty!
i won't hold my breath....
bogsheet 2 years ago
Gould didn't like repetitions, hm? Schade...
christophleipzig 2 years ago
too fast for me to enjoy :(
jiwonast222 2 years ago 7
listen closely and hear the background humming. Its gould fo sure
Irshkboy 2 years ago 2
sounds actually too good for Gould I have it different in memory but who else could've pull this off? Most defientely Gould.
Romsstar 2 years ago
finally presto agitato
a very good interpretation which captures
beethoven´s intention concerning the speed I think
well done
joernbroeker 2 years ago
It's not Glenn Gould. (i'm sure it' not his style.) Who play?
takhirviolinest 2 years ago
Yes it is Glenn Gould playing. Go buy the CD, listen and compare.
mohobika 2 years ago
I had a CD but i lost it. buytheway if I want to listen everything is here.
takhirviolinest 2 years ago
this must be glenn gould.. only he plays this movement this crazy fast
rvn10rvn17 2 years ago
WHOA! how can someone move their fingers this fast?!?!?!!?!?! wowowo!! i wont able to do that in more than 100 years! :O sooo pro!
chinezelady1996 2 years ago
Well in a hundred years you'd be pretty old so I would think it would be less likely ;) :P
chelseapie 2 years ago
GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ForeverIsis 2 years ago
this person plays it like they are trying to show off
its good though anyways takes tons of practice
QuakerILYA 2 years ago
Funny, he made one of the easier angst pieces crap your pants hard with his method. He plays Beethoven like it's Liszt maybe, but at the same time it is a very sensitive interpretation, thank you for the video :)
Lukecash12 2 years ago
Beethoven himself must be one of the other few people who can play like this.
ulsbolde89 2 years ago
Actually, hes the only one who could write like this -- never mind playing.
EMPERORMIKI 2 years ago
This performance may not be everyone's cup of tea, but you have to admit, he certainly plays it at a presto and it is definitely agitato. Perfection indeed.
adams82683 2 years ago 5
woah... so fast haha
dlwhdtjr33 2 years ago
To fast in fact
justlooseit8567 2 years ago
I agree to disagree. The tempo is "very fast agitation", and that sounded like a very, very accurate interpretation of Beethoven's irritations.
Lukecash12 2 years ago 2
How Beethoven's moonlight sonatas are classified:
1st movement- sadness
2nd movement-resentment
3rd movement-ANGER!!!!
lol
SilentFlame111 2 years ago 16
Come to think of it, it's like a biography of the maestro.
Lukecash12 2 years ago
@SilentFlame111 "Moonlight" is not even the real title, the name of this sonata is not from Beethoven.
anotherpianodude 1 year ago
@SilentFlame111 I wouldn't say the second movement expresses 'resentment' at all. It's more like what Liszt said, "A bridge between two chasms."
OriginalBasaliskos 1 year ago 2
@SilentFlame111 i would say the last movment is more like frustration...
BenjaminTheHolyDiver 1 year ago
its 7 mins in other vids. in here its 5!!! save the 2 minuets for applause!!!!!!!!!!!!!
theromanpraetorian 2 years ago 6
damn in other videos its around 7 mins. in this one its almost 5 mins.!!!! i think he destroyed the poor metronome!!!! much better in this tempo we can feel the beauty in a shorter time for the best effect
theromanpraetorian 2 years ago
Very emotional
Lukecash12 2 years ago
omg i never heard this play so crisp before, murray was my fav version untill now
kenbladex 2 years ago 3
That Glen Gould for ya, his playing is Perfection. If anyone has doubts its Gould, listen with earphones, you can catch some of humming that distinguishes him from other masters.
Irshkboy 2 years ago
wow. the way he made the verses run together at 3:38... amazing.
cjhervalles 2 years ago 3
Very well performance.
syss127 2 years ago
holy shit
AminelikesStephanie 2 years ago
this is just ridiculous. it's insanity. this is crazy amazing.
nbdcjj 3 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
It's written "Piano" at the begining... It shouldn't be played so fast.
v4liumfrance 3 years ago
Youve got to be shitting me right? "piano"means soft. Has nothing to do with speed or tempo.
Theonedue 3 years ago 3
Well, it's too loud at begining. Why are you rude ?
v4liumfrance 3 years ago
Rude people like you shouldn't be allowed to chat.
v4liumfrance 3 years ago
Lol! Are you five years old or what? All I said was that piano means soft, and dosent relate to tempo. I was being "rude" because you didnt know the difference between volume and tempo. Also piano is not an objective term, in other words piano is soft in relation to not being as loud as a medium or forte, ect. So techinically you can play piano is any regared as long as it isnt louder than medium or forte.
Theonedue 3 years ago
"isnt louder than medium or forte" -in relation to the piece. In this case Beethovens third movement.
Theonedue 3 years ago
And if you think im rude, theres others who are five times more rude than I am. Trust me.
Theonedue 3 years ago
Ok, drop.
v4liumfrance 3 years ago
Interesting. I can see how some people would say this is too fast, but compared to most recordings, Gould's interpretation really gets the "agitato" across instead of merely the "presto"
RigorMortis999 3 years ago 3
They do hint at this being about the ride to his immortal beloved that went wrong, don't they? It is interpretted so feverishly i feel the hysteria and agitation myself, so what better kind of interpretation is there?
Lukecash12 2 years ago
Other pianists add thick layers of gooey schmaltz ... Gould plays it very clearly ... almost like ... clear moonlight!
sethmartinhill 3 years ago 3
Where the hell is the repeat...?
MrRobertZ 3 years ago
Around 0:40 you can hear him hum...that guy is one crazy pianist!!
Theonedue 3 years ago
This is an impossibly brilliant piece which has been ruined. . .
Not by Gould though. His genius has brought the beauty through. As for you Mr Mario, the very fact that he is playing it coldly does not in fact take the romance out, only accentuates the strength of the feeling behind it. Only someone who doesn't truly know how to portray feeling in a piece would say that this is emotionless. It is the best interpretation I have ever heard, which is no less than you would expect of Master Gould
Milligan1932 3 years ago
this is CRAZY!!! this like faster that sonata pathetique!
Ddosfan 3 years ago
I know right? When I heard this I was like "Holy shit" and "Is this sped up?" and then "I didn't know Gould could play like THAT!"
D0g63rt 3 years ago
Can I say WOW!
gwintz 3 years ago
way too fast for my liking. i like kempff's interpretation best. but it's still impressive you can play this that fast.
badmojo11 3 years ago
still, I think that the Bachian influence on this particular piece is working well. Even though it sounds bit colder than the Beethoven probably indented it to be played firstly, Gould makes it up in his accuracy. Plus, if we consider the fact that Ludwigs structure of composition was influenced by the classicism, playing it without romantic accentuation, can also reveal the beauty of this peace. What do you think?
bopri9 3 years ago
Yeah...the problem with Glenn Gould is that he was so obsessed with Bach, he had to turn everything else from every other composer he played into Bach, which is why this has no romantic feeling, because Bach had emotion in his music, but not that romantic feeling, which is why you don't feel it here. Moonlight Sonata was written to an opera singer Beethoven was in love with, and if you play this piece like Bach, you totally take the romantic feel out of it.
mario54671 3 years ago
I love Bach. The post Bach era of music did evolve to a great extent through the expanded range of instrumentation. Bach showed romantic feeling in my opinion, but was limited with the range of instruments he had access to since he lived in the Baroque Period. I don't know as much about technicalities as you do I'm sure, but I know what I like, and I cry when I hear Bach. Although a little fast, I love this version of Moonlight Sonata.
124bjw 2 years ago
Yeah, Bach did have some romantic feelings in his music, and yes, it was limited, however, I think with what he had, he was fine, his music is still very good, I don't think it was a goal for them to upgrade their technology. But back to the point. Yeah, it is a bit fast, that wasn't really my problem, my problem is, it's in a Bach-style. Yes, you like Bach, but Bach is Bach, Moonlight Sonata is Beethoven, NOT Bach, therefore you play it the way Beethoven intended it to be played.
mario54671 2 years ago
Mario-I respect you and as I said I think you are a connaisseur of this type of music. My point, and by the way, I love Beethoveen, is if he is great, shouldn't any interpretation that works be good? People could say about him--"How could you write choral music when you're deaf--a singing sensation. "How can you feel a sonata for a woman you're in love with, when your music in general is so disturbing and turbulent most of the time-Pathetique Eroica. It made Beethoveen great--both ways.
124bjw 2 years ago
Not exactly, some people play it very plain, and some people play it not the way the composer intended it to be played. When you break that, it's not Beethoven anymore. That's why a lot of people butcher certain pieces because they have no respect for the composer and decide to play it "their own way". I do like Glenn Gould's Bach recordings though, he plays Bach like a genius, everything else he plays, he turns it into Bach.
mario54671 2 years ago
I really enjoy this discussion with you. But again, my intent is that if Beethoven is a great composer, like a great novelist to analogize, could he not have his works interpreted differently by other people who then play his music to their own accord and have it appeal to people similarily? I would also suggest, that the composer may change his own interpretation from time to time. Variety is the spice of life. Improvisation in jazz allows this in music. In fact, is the essence of it.
124bjw 2 years ago
This is not Bach, this is Beethoven.
EMPERORMIKI 2 years ago
Next time, refrain from ignorance and read our discussion. We mentioned Bach because Glenn Gould plays Beethoven and every other composer like Bach. instead of jumping to conclusions by reading part of it, next time click "View All Comments" and read the actual conversation, and if you don't want to, then just don't comment. Thanks.
mario54671 2 years ago
I don't think he plays this like Bach. I know Gould is known for his Bach interpretation—but if you mean he plays this as well as he does Bach I'd agree. Or that he obviously learned this piece of music very well and played it as such. But, like Bach? How so?
EMPERORMIKI 2 years ago
I mean what you really could be saying is that this is Gould—if it can be Bach when its Beethoven why can't it be Gould if it is Gould who is performing these notes? He is playing each note as written with the correct rhythmic spacings—that is Beethoven.
EMPERORMIKI 2 years ago
You need to stop listening to the notes and start listening to the MUSIC. The music is beneath the notes, it's the soul of the piece. Every single composer has their very own distinct style, their very own types of forte, piano, fotissimo, pianissimo, etc. The way he plays this, the style he plays this, is very Bach-like, or actually it's more just like any Baroque piece in general. Gould can't get any other period BUT Baroque right. That's why i dislike him most of the time.
mario54671 2 years ago
That is not an explanation—what part of Bach's "style" does Gould apply to Beethoven to such an extent that it is no longer Beethoven?
"You need to stop listening to the notes and start listening to the MUSIC" ... ???? Hum, thats odd.
You talk about the soul of music then immediately after reference simple technical theory???
An actual explanation please.
EMPERORMIKI 2 years ago
I was actually telling you how every composer has their very own version of each dynamic. The pianist must recognize this and play the composer's pieces with those right versions of those dynamics. As far as him playing this piece like a Baroque piece, he plays the piece with that Baroque consistency. Baroque period music is to be played with this extra clarity, this clarity that none of the other periods have, which also makes that period's music the most difficult.
mario54671 2 years ago
I suggest listening to more Baroque period music, try listening to some Bach Inversions, and then listen to some Mozart or Haydn Sonatas, then go to Beethoven. Then we'll talk. It's really frustrating to explain all of this on text when the person I'm explaining this to doesn't seem to know the simple distinction between Baroque and Classical Period music.
mario54671 2 years ago
You are wrong on the assumption that I do not know the difference between the two.
The differences between Baroque and Classical music have very little to do with rhythmic "clarity" as you put it—and more with structure
I still do not understand why you believe Gould made this piece Bach—maybe because Gould performs Bach well you think that is all he is capable of performing? If he performs something in a way you don't like you reference this without actually understanding why?
EMPERORMIKI 2 years ago
I do like how you point out how Bach's music has romantic feelings, because yes, he did, which contradicts a lot of people's ideas on Beethoven being the "first Romantic Composer" when other composers before him had Romantic feelings, but are still Classical/Baroque composers!
mario54671 2 years ago
I realize that the classical era of music was very rigid--symmetrical by today's standards. Mozart said of his own music "Just the right number of notes, not one more". I find Mozart to be genius. Yet if someone wants to criticize it or change it a bit--it's fine with me. Being romantic is a subjective term and we can all come to our own conclusions about that. His 21st concerto andante--very sublime--very romantic to me. Again. I know little about classical music. Nice speaking with you
124bjw 2 years ago
Thank you ^^
dzeljpiano 3 years ago
Three words can describe my favorite composer. A MAD GENIUS!!
Michael326 3 years ago 2
this is so damn good when i listen to it my brain go somewhere else
phil00005 3 years ago 2
Yeah man, i feel the same!
Yilef 3 years ago
Maybe a little too fast?
erichvonhinken 3 years ago 3
this is prestissisisisisisimo!!
ryanyee1234567890 3 years ago 9
nup this is presto.
maydengarNSBHS 3 years ago