Opus Clavicembalisticum 2nd mvmt(Part 1): Madge's Recording

[rolldito]

This work is specially beauty, but you need to listen it many times to understand.

[MasterMorty]

I Looo-ooo-ooove this song...Sorabji was Born writing music this way, and he's just Expressing himself. I enjoy this mussic 'cause I have perfect pitch and aren't bothered by atonal muu-uussic...

[VariationsOnNoTheme]

Every composer was considered "modern" in their Time: i.e. Mozart: the opening of the "Dissonace" Quartet C-Dur, K. 465, You have Bartok and Stravinksy in those measure 170 years ahead of them; Beethoven: "Eroica" Symphony, the famous sonority a-c-enatural-f-natural, before resolving to v-i in eminor in the middle of MVT. I It was probably at the sonority that someone at the first performance in 1805 shouted "I'd give another Kruetzer if that thing would only stop!"

[abgamer]

I like this. sounds like the composer was pretty angry when he wrote it though.

[JohnnyB802]

I love this piece! Sorabji was really on to something. If only it could be distilled down to a simpler form that I could actually play! :D

[koalaswrath]

This type of noise is the physical equivalent of stepping in a pile of dog shit. It just plain sucks!!!!

[Zantorc]

Why do people only ever play the beginning of the OC? I much prefer the third and forth fugue or the two cadenzas.

[ChrisWatch]

I suggest you can do this yourself as a composer. but, humble yourself and don't expect people to hear it or love it. Simply produce what you think you would want God to hear or know. Not what you demand someone to like or hope to like. make a gift or make something beautiful.  but, know it most likely isn't going to in the others ears, and over time you might get bored of it. I say this to myself. but, those who might also find music as pitiful as a sheep being sold at Gods temple.

[koalaswrath]

@ChrisWatch Dude, get off drugs. A prayer between one's self and God is sacred & private. If not it is a testament. Go hammer out some educated, but random chords on a piano if you feel your communicating with God. Otherwise it's like broadcasting how I killed a satanic cult in His name. This music is reminiscent of that asshole who signed his name on a urinal & called it art. The only bullshit are the jackasses that think they are receiving a revelation.

[ChrisWatch]

@koalaswrath I spose staying up is another form of elevated consciousness. I agree with the sacredness of one and God. but, what I meant is humble yourself and respect yourself and your compositions as you would communicating with God. I don't mean pray around people to show how holy you are or in another sense go around playing your compositions because your a "composer". I believe purity forms is becoming more rare and more hard to comprehend in our new era. To each his own.

[koalaswrath]

@ChrisWatch I apologize to you for my comment. I've tried really hard to "understand" music like this. I simply can't. It's just too random. I goes in my ear and out the other. I have to admit, I have trouble swallowing some of Rachmaninoff's, Debussy's and Scriabin's works as well, ( I love Rachmaninoff and Scriabin). Prokofiev ( a favorite as well) is the composer where I draw the line. If you sincerely like this type of music, I respect your opinion. It's just far too random for me.

[ChrisWatch]

I hate myself and the way I allow myself in the world. This music reminds me we are alive. Imagine if you were a dark shadow thoughtful as a mindless dream. Roaming Stravinsky's house late at night. Simply noticing, not understanding. not judging or fooling yourself. It's simple and innocent. fearful though indeed. brave enough to join this world. crazy enough to believe in it ;)

[ChrisWatch]

is it me or does this music looks like it was paying more attention to how it looked on the sheet music than it did sounding?

Very magical music. Empty as if you were nothing in space void of emotion. witnessing the beauty of the darkness. The escape from this primitive functioning commercialized world. Space. no one knows that you are there. you see the deep beauty of the universe speaking how it is alive. How it is infinite and beautiful. utterly Amazing. but should we agree

[pianoashmead]

I fail to see what's not to like about this. It's got moments of lyricism, virtuosity, interesting and moving harmonies and modulations, moments of power and moments of tenderness. If you happen upon this and think "Yak!" then press pause and move on to something else. If however you are interested in this and you enjoy 20th Century music, this is reminiscent of late impressionism, very melodically led with harmonies that shift between highly dissonant and near consonant. I really enjoyed this.

[supersmashermeta]

I think people should stop critizing these works, and sorabji. I'd like to see someone on youtube play this. And i know for a fact that 100% can not. No one has the right to insult this.

[koalaswrath]

@supersmashermeta Let's face it. Sorabitche's music is like me going on Finale, prancing around aimlessly on a keyboard with virtuoso skill and having the MIDI play back my random "rantings". Who wants to learn & master nonsense? I'd like to see you play some virtuoso Rachmaninoff, Chopin or Liszt. You like crazy? Play me some Prokofiev. 'Least his music makes sense.

[supersmashermeta]

@koalaswrath Are you really that retarded? I want to learn this because it's different. Even though I love chopin and Rachmoninoff's peices, it gets boring listening to the same thing over and over again. This is adding some blend to the mix, something abstract ad different. And it only sounds different. It's abstract. It's supposed to sound different. It's supposed to sound random, but for me as long as the notes can be played in order and are written down, it's not random, because randomness-

[supersmashermeta]

Has no order.

[talastra]

Thank you for posting this, Xiphoid, although it's low on the list of what I want to listen to (it's too neo-Romantic for me).

But for the people complaining this is ugly, good god, have you never heard anything? Listen to Ginastera's second and third piano sonatas, and Ustvolkaya. This piece is absolutely Chopinesque by comparison.

And as for difficult, most of Ravel is more difficult (he's pretty, you might like him), but otherwise again Ginastera is far more technically insane.

[musicalidea]

Too much damper. Virtuostic writing requires virtuostic playing.

[dellepianni]

I like it, it is completely a new style

[losinggrip1993]

No disrespect - but I think this is the biggest piece of musical nonsense ever written. It seemed all Sorabji wanted to do was create a complicated piece - which he succeeded... but it doesn't sound good to say the least. Music doesn't have to be complicated to be considered 'good' music. Look at the Chopin Preludes, some are so simple but so beautiful to the ear. If you want complicated music that actually sounds nice - try Liszt, Chopin, etc. This piece if truly ghastly.

[tough0crowd0eh9]

I don't think this piece is entirely unmusical. But I would agree that his intentions were in the wrong place when putting this thing together.

I'm all for artists writing only for their own benefit, but I'll bet that even Sorabji could count the number of times he actually played through this whole thing on one hand. And completely correctly? Probably never.

It doesn't have a personal attachment to it, which is why i say his intentions were probably off the mark.

[grimmbo93]

Das hat mit Musik gar nichts und mit "schön" noch weniger zu tun. Sowas kann ich auch in zwei Minuten aufs Papier schmieren. Die Leute, die sowas "komponieren", haben sich NULL Gedanken gemacht. Einfach behindert!

[supersmashermeta]

Ugly is a word that is an exact opposite of what this song is. Its beautiful in its own way. We all have diffrent standards of what we think is ugly and beautiful. So those of you music haters stop. And those of you who shun them, stop.(Though except in the exception the person has no idea and is just some troll.)

[arykk]

wow ok , where cna you even buy his music?

[EmmaMichiyo12]

It's so cool :D It has it's own - dissorted - beauty

[4hm3dimr4n]

the opening is a bit interesting

it sounds magical...like your going to another world

but then it just gets into all sorts of ugliness

[Vendetta5246]

It sounds .... beautiful..... its like the beauty and the beast. People dont seem to understand the song. But once you do , you can find the beauty

[TheJgutierrez]

i agree

[Kamilu27PL]

I`ve never heard sth like that. I don`t know what to think ab it.. yet

[braintist]

Its interesting to see how harmony evolved, and even more interesting to know what evoked the change :D

[LackingLack0]

will haters stop posting their asinine comments about all modern music please

any music made after 1900 a.d. is too advanced for these idiots

[MattiasXL]

That's why there's music for consumption, and academic music, like this. People make comments about things they don't understand.

[kandutery]

@LackingLack0 i think the most of the modern music is pure garbage, and i understand the people, but exists some genius in XX century (Sorabji, Ligeti, etc)

[maxkodan]

...It's just...I mean there have been beautifully written pieces of music that have been discordant and chaotic like this, but for about...3 measures. There just seems to be no symmetry or...rhyme or reason to any of this. It's just chaos on a keyboard, with a few measures of beauty peppered in for good measure.

If I had to make a comparison, I'd say that this sounds like a high school emo's poems. Chaos and death and despair! Not that it sounds amateurish...just a little all over the place.

[minacciosa]

There's something quite enticing and hypnotic about this music. It has its own perfume. I also think there's some influence here by the music of Cyril Scott. Madge is a terrific musician and terrific pianist too, but there are a lot of mistakes here. Who could blame him, though? The piece is near impossible to play!

[xtop23]

while i can appreciate the skill required to execute this music i can say unequivacally and without reservation ........................... i cannot stand it . its awful . i much prefer Alkan .

[dudewhereismymount]

Sometimes this peace is great, sometimes it sounds like someone is jamming their head on the piano.

I wouldn't say I dislike atonal music as such, but there are just way to many notes at the same time at some places here.

[DannyDaWriter]

Firstly, I wish to make a correction to your post: this piece isn't atonal. Functional harmony is present throughout this entire piece (especially in this movement), and while there are moments comparable to atonality, I wouldn't classify this work as such. Sorabji had even expressed his public distaste for atonal music, especially the dodecaphonic music of Arnold Schoenberg.

[egyptianghetto56]

err hang on there..you're saying this isn't atonal? I don't understand, It sure sounds atonal, it doesn't sound like it's written in a key

[DannyDaWriter]

I suppose you're right that it's atonal in that it has no key (like Liszt's Bagatelle sans tonalité), but they're still loads of functional harmony. It isn't atonal in the sense of Schoenberg of Stockhausen, but rather atonal as in "dubious tonality", like some of the works of Debussy or Shostakovich.

[egyptianghetto56]

okay, it's just that i thought atonal music simply meant music without a key. I still love sorabji's music just as much, whether it's classified at tonal or atonal :)

[DannyDaWriter]

Second, I think you are a little too quick to dismiss this piece. Sure, there are portions where "it sounds like someone is jamming their head on the piano" (though not to me), but give it time... almost certainly its beauty will grow on you.

[andriskaya]

I would say it sounds pretty awful all the way, no idea how anyone seriously wants to play it.

[listenwhatisayoh]

This gives a very special feeling to me. In a way, this music is absolutely great and beautiful, even though it's atonal.

[TikiFury]

this is noise

[egyptianghetto56]

you obviously don't know or understand what atonal music is. this is a very special and unique kind of music that most people can't understand or appreciate. study this piece and you will see that it's actually very complex and its not "noise" , it's dissonant beauty

[Randomnessk]

There actually is beauty in this, but beauty is, as always, in the eye of the beholder. I have to completely disagree with your definition of this pieces beauty. Atonal music can only be aesthetically beautiful on the paper; when heard out loud it is garbage to the ear with that rare beautiful part.

[egyptianghetto56]

I can see that you, unfortunately, fall into the category of people, who can't appreciate and understand this type of beauty. The OC isn't the best place to start, so before you declare all atonal music to be garbage, I suggest you listen to Sorabji's first piano sonata, or one his noctures ; they are what I like to call "immediately gratifying"

[Randomnessk]

I have listened to both before, and neither suit my fancy. It isn't that I hate all atonal music, I find a lot of Scriabin and Prokofiev pieces quite nice, I just find a general dislike for Sorabji's style of music.

[jemccullough]

i completely agree with egyptianghetto... nobody understands REAL music these days!!!

[jemccullough]

with all do respect randomnessk, you are the biggest dumb ass in the world... this guy was a genius, a man of stupendous brilliance

[Androslav]

with all do respect, it is impossible to enjoy music like this. canno be compared to Alkan, Chopin, Rachmaninov etc.

[Sorabjian]

I enjoy it, therefore it is not impossible. Try again.

[moveste]

@ Androslav:

Ehm... exactly where is the due respect when you say it is impossible to enjoy music like this?

Are we liars and cheats when we say we love it?

I respect people who have different taste or who do not have the training to be able to enjoy this, but on one condition: that they express that they do not like it without bashing those that do.

Do we have a deal?

[Randomnessk]

There is no due respect in what you said. To respect my opinion is to debase my opinion itself, not me. People like you continue to make fun of the person who made the opinion and not the opinion itself where it may be due. There is absolutely nothing to be gained with what you said. It only makes my opinion stronger if people like you make such a mistake, only proving that you are ignorant, and as such your opinion is completely unimportant. What a loss to your side of the argument...

[jemccullough]

calling it garbage is going a little far fetched, but you did stump me with the whole respect thing, and for that I am sorry.

[Randomnessk]

I must say, Sorabji didn't make this for enjoyments sake. Seriously, this piece seems like random notes placed ascending, descending, and both. There really isn't anything to show that this is to be impressionist either, it just seems like musical splattering all over a page...

[chubetoz0r]

My noose is bleeding...

[egyptianghetto56]

does anyone have the music sheet for this movement?

[paradox5653]

oh dear god...

[ihrtmusic12334]

It's difficult for the majority of people to understand the musical complexity of Sorabji's masterpieces. I am definitely in the that majority, but I got to give him some props for having the patience to write this huge fiasco by hand!

[bluerberr1]

this is a strange song. It doesn't even sound like a good song. It is just a mixture of raw notes. I would say La Campanella is better because it has notes that are actually descent.

[IloveAlexisBledel689]

Where can I get the sheets for this? I've been searching for so long!

[nearenough3]

It's a real thigh slapper. I always laugh at Sorabji. He wanted so desperately to be a composer. I am fascinated by his determination to write down all these notes. Quite a capital enterprise. Post more!

[M4gaBe3tch]

wow...I actually like this...

[mortenkul]

Strange NOTES btw! hahahahah xD =) But their OFC right!

[mortenkul]

Gentlemen! Don't VOTE ME DOWN! This is real. so why Downvote me?

When I hear this piece... It Seriously HURTS in my ears!

[mwakin22]

I truly can't pick out any sort of melody...

[Sorabjian]

That's very strange.

The octaves at the beginning are a melody. If you listen to the first movement, you'll notice that it's the same melody that starts the whole piece.

0:45 , another obvious melody, in chords, which is also one of the main themes.

0:58 , the VERY SAME melody appears in the left hand, note for note (!)

1:17 , the same melody AGAIN, in upper chords.

1:36 , yet again, the same melody found in the middle voice this time.

I could go on like this through the entire movement.

[mwakin22]

I take that back: I can hear a melody, but nothing I could hum out.

[bboymango]

watt genre of piano is this?

[virtuosomusician]

modern

[Babejuda]

I'm interested in the idea behind the title. Could you please explain it? Thanks for uploading.

[zach100590]

yuck

[bboymango]

this composer is hardcore

suposedly this is piece lasts like 4 hours

harsh bull shit

and i wonder if this composer can actually play his pieces

that woudl be sumthign to seee

[Sinfoniette]

Sorijabi (or something) is basically a never-performed conposer. I wouldn't want to hear his works for enjoyment, anyway.

[jongpilyun]

Sorabji. I first heard of him today, but it seems quite pleasant.

[Sinfoniette]

Well, thats your musical taste. I am really not introduced to Scriabin, and which ultimately affects these 'Scriabin'ists, including Sorabji. Anyway, I wouldn't want to get sutffed in a suit and listen to this crazy skeletal monstrosity. Sure it is a showpiece for the greatest master, but it is nothing but black and white in a music sheet.

[Sinfoniette]

To me, of course.

[virtuosomusician]

No one, including the composer, has played this piece perfectly.

[Sinfoniette]

Its still be an heck of an impressive feat. I think this is the ultimate showpiece. Seems like an intricate deathtrap for the brain to me. Just like a crazy Rubics Puzzle thingy. Only about as hard as a 1000000*1000000 one. But again, I would definetely see (for 30 minutes) with the crazy score on my hand. It would be impressive.

[kly45]

he was the first one to perform this piece when it was written, check wikipedia

[lsbrother]

really interesting . thanks for syncing the score which was a great idea.

[Alexias030692]

How the hell are you supposed to play the octave passage shown from 3:08 to 3:18???? It's astronomical!!

[xiphoid13]

its ossia, which means you can play either one.

[sahandsesoot]

no it means u should use u'r legs to play it!!!

[xiphoid13]

I'd like to see someone do that.

[wnxg4nd4lf]

This whole thing is just crap in my opinion. One might say it's the work of a genius. That he is ahead of his time and all that usual nonsense. Someone might say that a decapitated body hunging by its legs is art. Arguing with such people is pointless. Everyone can have his own opinion. Still for anyone not mentally - psychologically ill, this is just a huge piece of crap.

[georgecziffra]

Maybe for a performance with half the notes wrong. Listen to John Ogdon's videos on Youtube. He plays it far more accurately, and a lot more musical.

[nearenough3]

I have "written" a longer and better piece. It remains unpublished but I can play the entire thing from memory on request. Just ask.

[sahandsesoot]

i am asking now:)

[thunder1909]

Well, isn't it though?

[thunder1909]

Well, I definetly don't enjoy his music, but geniuses are not always understood. Perhaps he is so far ahead of our time that we cannot begin to comprehend such celestial music...

He is a genius within himself.

[Reaper978]

Hey I completely agree. As far as enjoying his music, try listening again at a later time, it will sound different to you.

[GL3NE]

You obviously aren't Richard Kastle, but you must be his long lost twin!

[thunder1909]

Interesting...what was going on in Sorabji's head when he wrote this? Sounds random, but there must be some explanation for the music...

[ross5th]

Dreadful, awful.

[jordanbbuu]

Thats not a song...

[Fallansig]

No shit. But you probably don't even know what a 'song' is, like most people.

[Achtelnote]

right,its a piano piece.

[tomokioh]

Opus Clavicembalisticum is actually harmonicly and melodically a lot more easier to listen to than post-modern music. Very intelligent composer he was

[fisherroastedpeanut]

and i'm so scared!!

[fisherroastedpeanut]

this is what only the HUMAN is able to do.

[wateva2234]

such a beautiful peice...i love it so much...the way that it sounds so catastrophic and chaotic

[Kalen1457]

If you can play this whole piece fluently, you basically mastered the instrument

[englishplayer40]

fuck this piece, - who cares? If you can play a Chopin etude fluently, or the paganini variations of brahms, then you have mastered the intrument, That is the repertoire that matters.

[aldebussy]

Good for Sorabji. Very technical. And EXTREMELY unmusical. I see idea, but I wish SO BADLY he hadn't spent his time making up extra work for the pianist and made it sound at least A BIT musical.

[georgecziffra]

Check out some of his other works, such as his sonatas and etudes. I agree, OC isn't a very musical piece, more of an obnoxious display of virtuosity. But his other works are very interesting and musical.

[tomokioh]

Opus Clavicembalisticum is not a musical piece? You havn't heard of John Cage and Gyorge Ligeti?

[singsinsing]

This piece makes no sense. who cares to listen to something like this?? Atleast Sorabji tried to compose...unlike some other composers. Now I'm off to scoff some Stockhausen's works.

[Goldenkitten4]

Have you ever heard Finnissy's English Country Tunes?  This makes this piece sound like Beethoven compared to it. This has some musical ideas but I agree, it doesn't make much sense.

[singsinsing]

no I haven't, but I've heard rumors that his works are awful...I don't get the idea why anyone would like to listen to this for 4 hours! 4 hours...well spent?

[Goldenkitten4]

4 hours definitely not well spent. More like four hours contributed to the progress of going tone deaf, or just deaf in general really.

[khlymore]

this is nice

[maydengarNSBHS]

is that passacaglia section on youtube

[xiphoid13]

no.

[maydengarNSBHS]

why not...

[xiphoid13]

It's really long and I don't feel like putting it on youtube.

[jero13595]

Is that the hardest section?

[xiphoid13]

To me.

[maydengarNSBHS]

which is the best section of Opus Clavicembalisticum?*

[xiphoid13]

Passacaglia.My opinion.

[maydengarNSBHS]

what does that mean?,sorry.

[xiphoid13]

The movement is called Passacaglia.

[maydengarNSBHS]

and what does that mean ?, sorry

[xiphoid13]

You asked what the best section was and the section is called Passacaglia.

[maydengarNSBHS]

oh. sorry..

[maydengarNSBHS]

Well, no offense meant but i've tried improvising on the piano and it sounds like this piece. complex and disonnant scales and chords.. doesn't sound very pleasing..

which is the best section of Opus Clavicembalisticum

[chacoteris]

Well, no offense meant but it's not very impressive music. I find it quite uninteresting but, of course, it's just an opinion. I don't see any harmonic inventions, just conventional chords in unusual surroundings. As for the 29 notes to 24 you have the same in Petrushka. You start with both hands and end simultaneously. Do not count the notes or you go nuts.

[javacisnotrecognized]

At 5:05, If I'm reading this right, the right hand is directed to play 29 notes in the space of 24 notes while the left is directed to play 22 in the space of 12; How is a flesh and blood mortal being meant to attempt the undertaking of such a request ?

[Sorabjian]

It's just a run, it doesn't have to be mathematically exactly placed in time. I'm more worried about the ridiculous speed octaves on the systems above. I've experimented with playing them as glissandi and it seems to work, even if it is "cheating".

[IloveAlexisBledel689]

That is THE hardest piece ever written for piano. I love Sorabji's music so much! thanks!

[sanctusignis]

It's actually not THE hardest, but it sure is one of them! Some harder works would include some by Michael Finnissy.

[IloveAlexisBledel689]

I've just seen one of his scores... this is just breathtaking! Is there a place where I could find some recordings of his work?

[sanctusignis]

I'd just look around the internet, or on the composer's website(s)...they're quite hard to find!

[IloveAlexisBledel689]

Ok thanks, I'll check that!

[videogamemusicgalore]

THE hardest word would include Faeries Aire and Death Waltz. LoLz.

[sanctusignis]

Yeah, if that even counted, lolololol.

[vikramparalkar]

Ah! The memories!!!