Hamelin plays Liszt Fantasy and Fugue on B-A-C-H Part 1 of 2

[infothomashicks]

Its worth remembering that fast and loud does not always equal machine-like detachment from emotion. Quite the reverse. It is so british to hear something like this and assume that it is emotionally lacking because it is virtuosic. You may prefer other interpretations but I dont think there can be an argument that it is senseless 'hitting'! (im british myself for the record!!)

[FountainofFire]

nobody plays this piece better than leslie howard

[dnephi]

@FountainofFire Troll? I am not pleased with anything Leslie Howard has produced.

[sfsphil]

@marcelmombeekpiano such nonsense.

[95bach]

it's better on organ

[fisarmonicista]

I remember once I went to a recital where Lilya Zilberstein played this work, they had to tune the piano again in the interlude.

[arvhaax93]

@fisarmonicista I saw her play this piece live as well! Where did you see her perform?

[fisarmonicista]

@arvhaax93 I saw her at Mexico City =D

[fisarmonicista]

Responder a este vídeo...  Where did you see her?

[karazh]

holy! the ppp around 3:00 is amazing!

[armyofgrace]

John 3:16?"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."

[hamelin69]

@armyofgrace

you got the point!

[Tajoumaru]

Unbelievable to hear this on piano. Prior to this I've only heard organ versions.

[Gusakov]

BRAVO !!!!

[antoinezygfryd]

Le genre de musique qui célèbre l'anniversaire d'un génocide ????

[Mikujo]

encore lui?

[lisztaholic]

I first saw this performance about 8 or 9 years ago in Toronto on the Bravo channel, and regretted not recording it. I'm so glad to find your post here. Hamelin's account of this is absolutely fearless.

[Frozentoes1]

In the long list of pianist today (those still concertizing), I would submit that, besides Mr. Hamelin, Boris Berezovsky and Steven Hough are amoung those who do justice to the greatness of Lizst. If anyone would suggest other pianists, I would be happy to have listen.

[vjam4339]

please listen to Lazar Berman's Liszt especially his etudes it is amazing the best ive heard

[CalgarySpeller26]

I agree.

[dnephi]

@1Thompsonmusic Berman's technique is exceptional. Hamelin is in a class of his own as a technical machine. He's improved over the years in his interpretations, but he does not stand alone as a pianist.

Berman's Liszt recordings are all essential to any Lisztophile. Have you heard much of them?

[vjam4339]

What do you consider Technique? im interested, its a question which plagues pianists all over the world

[dnephi]

@vjam4339 Which recording? They're both seminal.

[ChrisWatch]

Vladimir Ovchinnikov is pretty good with Liszt. He beat Boris in a competition. But I think Boris was only 19 at the time and Vladimir was over 20.

[voolare]

None of the pianists you mention are able to render the greatness of the b minor sonata nor the beauty of a Sonetto del Petrarca. I think that performers like Pogorelich, Pollini, Brendel and Kissin are better Liszt performers than those machine-virtuosos (whom I admire and enjoy a lot, btw)

[Frozentoes1]

I disagree with Pollini as a choice here. If anyone plays "machine-like", it's certainly Pollini.

[mtr369]

@voolare If Hamelin is a "machine pianist", then Brendel is a drooler!

[Tkypianoman]

Toca Muito ... Excelent pianist ... Amazing ... =o)

[1fattyfatman]

When I heard Hamelin play this live a few years back it was the most monstrous overwhelming tone bath imagineable. The finger work while glib is just there to delineate larger shapes and dramatic events which are anything but.. BTW quit your golden area belly aching giants are walking the earth!

[konzolmester]

Horrible. Cannot compeare to Leslie Howard

[OverFjell]

Leslie Howard sucks compared to Hamelin.

[Frozentoes1]

Leslie Haward?

You must be retarded.

[konzolmester]

I might be retarded but at least Im not deaf.

[terryregnar]

THIs is GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO­ODLY.. this guy is a legend

[muziqueonmymind]

Wow the mac is getting old but he is still great

[sebastianKB]

Der Vergleich Klavier zur Interpretation an einer historischen Orgel ist sehr interessant!

Abgesehen davon: wunderbar gespielt - wie alles, was Hamelin hören lässt (ich denke vor allem an das Busoni-Konzert).

[ga199337]

Oh my god!!! Now I know B-A-C-H are Sib-La-Do-Si theme, amazing !!!!

[afertyus1000]

i bet his music shop shits themselves every time he goes to try out a new piano there!!!

[tompilk]

lol. i bet...

[LeithMusic]

It's funny because Bach's chromatic fugue (BWV 903) is based on the tune A B H C.

[tjugofyra]

B A C H in order

[dur7y]

With this piece, Liszt actually transcribed it for the organ. you should have a listen.

[pypstudio]

it was originally a piece for the organ. Liszt later transcribed it for the piano.

[lachness11]

Liszt transcribed a number of other composers works to the piano. He did this in order to promote music of not very well known composers and enrich the field of piano techniques. Beethoven, Schubert and Wagner are a some other composers who Liszt has transcribed.

[VikingBerserker]

Liszt himself wrote this piece for organ and then transcribed it for piano though.

[dnephi]

It's also a transcription of a Liszt piece. Confusing?

This really is an incredible performance.

[medpiano]

No, it is an original Liszt piece. As was commented, the central motif is Bb-A-C-B, or in German, "B-A-C-H." It's a musical/syntactic homage to, but not from, J.S. Bach.

[AcePro]

H isn't a note..

[goobleglob]

it is in German. H is B natural, whereas B is B-flat

[Frozentoes1]

H is a not. "H" is B natural, I think. Or is if Bb. Oh well, it is a note.

[misscams06]

Sorry... in German it is!

[Scarbo09]

The title to this video is potentially misleading. This is not a transcription by Liszt of a piece by Bach, but instead a fantasy by Liszt based on the musical letters B-A-C-H. And wonderfully played by Hamelin.