Alfred Brendel Plays Franz Schubert - Ungarische Melodie (Hungarian Melody) D.817

[alldaydaydream]

I heard this wonderful melody on a cd which was a present from a candy factory. They have had put it in every box of candies for their 150th birthday! And that's the most precious cd I have! :)

[Toxxic88]

@alldaydaydream

Great anecdote!

[alldaydaydream]

@Toxxic88 Thank you! =)

[Surtak]

It's surely faster than I'm used to, but it suits the piece perfectly.

And considering Brendel always emphasises the importance not correcting the great composers of the past, I think this is probably closer to the original intention.

[felipilloo1984]

Brendel thinks this is a march, but it isn't.

[circleofice]

@felipilloo1984 No, no ... it's clearly a dance. Can't you see them swirling around? I can.

[Thebeastlymiles]

@felipilloo1984 It's not a march no, and he doesn't think it is, this song was written in the romantic period. This was more about expression rather than anything else. As are a lot of Schubert's pieces. Interpretation is very important, and Brendel has his own, which is beautiful in ways which other people cannot ever achieve. This is marvellous.

[Waldenstien21]

There is never an exact tempo for any piece of music, in the sense that there is always an exact answer to a math equation. Each piece of music evokes both an intellectual idea and a mood. The tempo should correspond to the idea and mood that the composer intended. It is therefore advisable to know about the composer and what they have to say about there music. Music gives insight into how an individual thinks just like a piece of literature.

[monacia2b]

Avec radu Lupu, LA référence pour Schubert!!

[smc0603]

Bravo!

[Corinne722]

Bravo!

Chef d'oeuvre!!Interprétation majestueuse

[tyanael]

Celle-ci est mon interprétation préférée.

[MAZURKAofLIFE]

This record seems to be from the 1980th, in the 1970th Brendel played "Ungarische Melodie" explicitly somewhat more slowly. Both versions are still available on CD.

[HiSemra]

@MAZURKAofLIFE I've just uploaded the recording you speak of from the 70s

I hadn't heard this rendition before, thanks for the upload!

[juufa72]

being an Ungarische Melodie, the tempo is within a correct range. I could tell that it is Brendel within the first 10 seconds: he is very distinguishable. Well done, I wish I had 1/100th of his talent--I'd be a somebody.

[ThePianosarah]

@juufa72 but then he wouldn't be special anymore because of you ;)

[juufa72]

@ThePianosarah: I beg to differ. I'd be 1/100th of Brendel which means I'd be a very good pianist, but wouldn't infringe on his specialness. Now, if I had said "I wish I was as good as Brendel", then of course your comment would be correct. ;-)

[Discerninator]

Brendel's Schubert is never boring.... this pacing has lot's of great rubato in it and the speed he play's it at allows the right hand grace notes to evoke a gypsy playing a violin or zither perhaps , it's wonderful really, you won't hear it from others like this .... it is said that Schubert wrote this from hearing a maid whistle it ......

[ramirodespagne]

c'est parfait

[DrLectr]

I bought Brendel playing this song on itunes. I wish the video from 1988 "In celebration of Piano" where Brendel plays this song was posted on youtube. The program was hosted by Van Cliburn. Watched that video over and over as a kid.

[Noshirm]

It's arrant nonsense for some to claim that this is 'too fast'! It's perfectly paced and sounds young, vigorous, and bracing. Thank heavens Brendel refuses to allow this piece to degenerate and maunder along! Exaggeratedly slow playing nauseated the likes of Horowitz, no less. None of the greatest of the 19th century pianists (on disc) would have saluted the gross distortion so many of today's pianists subject pieces to. They believe their interpretations are thus 'more musical'. Balderdash!

[Toxxic88]

I play this piece myself, and it's one of those rare pieces to me that sounds perfect played at both a slow or fast tempo. It just depends on the mood, whereas most pieces lose their appeal when played at the wrong tempo. Brendel's interpretation is like you said, a masterpiece.

[Noshirm]

I'd be glad to hear your performance of it. (:-D)

[fcharton]

@Noshirm I think it was Liszt who once said : "when you think you are playing slowly, play slower", and Chopin who, on the copy of the Préludes of one of his students replaced and "allegro" by an "adagio". There really are two interpretation of this piece, one fast and dashing, the other slow and dreamy. I think slow tempo does justice to the end of the piece (the last page and a half), but both do "work.

[Noshirm]

@fcharton Hey there! (:-D) I would be keen to learn from which texts these examples have been cited. Could you direct me in this regard, so I could read and learn this for myself? Many thanks. I imagine a pianist could indeed choose to take liberties with tempo markings...I am not sure how musically responsible this would be, but I dare say an artist with immense musical authority, perhaps a Yudina or a Rachmaninoff, (but not a Pogorelich), might be able to get away with it. Is this fair? [^ -^]

[fcharton]

@Noshirm Need to check for Liszt, for Chopin, the prelude is the 14th, mention of the change can be found in several editions (there is one in Debussy's, which can be found on imslp, and a more precise one in NKaoua's Lemoine Urtext edition of the preludes).

[Noshirm]

@fcharton Greetings! Okay, thanks for this update, and I will check them out. (:-D)

[fcharton]

@Noshirm As for tempo markings, I very much agree, insofar the composer provided such markings. In the case of the Hungarian Melody, the only thing we have is an "allegretto" on the first (posthumous) edition, which is not easy to translate into metronomic values.

In my opinion, the important thing here is keeping the tempo steady, not accelerating during the crescendos, avoiding excessive rubato at the end of phrases and ritardando in the end. Overall tempo is less important.

[Noshirm]

@fcharton Okay, I read you on this. Would love to throw this discussion open and have musicians weighing in on the topic, too. Again, thanks so much for this response. It amazes me that my prattling from so many months ago caught your attention! (:-D) I'm honored.

[MilitantScience]

Very nice but a bit too fast...

I much prefer Andras Schiff's version on the CD Impromptus; Moments Musicaux etc.

[jeffg2020]

I've never been a huge fan of Brendel's later stuff, though I like the early Vox recordings. This is nice playing. But as others have pointed out, too fast.

[ZTNKEM]

Nagyszerű előadás.

[elcrystal]

Beautiful arrangement.  Can you say the source CD?

[Toxxic88]

I purchased the CD MP3 off of Amazon a couple years back but it's not up there for sale anymore. If you want, send me a private message with your email address and I'll send you the mp3 along with any other piece you want.

[colbentson]

I would like to have more of these wonderful pieces.

If you are interested look at the pieces played by colbentson.

[Alicia7777777]

Wonderful interpretation by Alfred Brendel ! 5* and thank you so much.

[berlinzerberus]

too fast...i think.

[kiskecs]

Yes, i think so.

[FABrendel]

Thanks for this great upload. I was missing this piece played by him!