RARE: Young Shostakovich Playing end of op.35 (1940?)

[pablito2molina]

Excelente esta versión, es el Concierto para piano y orquesta en C menor Op. 35 de Shostakovich, ejecutado por él mismo, wow

[lewars1912]

Fascinating.

[Rwthless1]

Yes, it was fast, but his musicality really shone through. Some foretaste of his later pleasure in Jazz. He doesn't play any jazz, but there was that 'jamming' sensation that I found very attractive.

A really great composer and performer.

[mirkojorgovic]

OK,SCRIABINE and SHOSTAKOVICH where good pianists, alongside PROKOFIEV and RAVEL; S.RICHTER was beter pianist-only, but he can not imagine NEWS,he was not able to composing; S.RACHMANINOFF represented tradition of 18th and 19th century as great pianist+composer;

[vignetique]

Great! but it's not rare anymore.

[vignetique]

Great! but it's not rare anymore.

[amz392]

In your face Justin Beiber !!

Back when people used to think before and during composing a masterpiece...

[AfroPoli]

Man, this is fantastic. DSCH playing the best part of this concerto like a God, live and on video. I love youtube. Thanks for the posting!

[FrancoMFT8]

Great performance!

[reallyrandomdude23]

:48 ...awesomeness

[mozartsmusicblog]

How can someone dislike this video?? This is SHOSTAKOVICH...PLAYING THE PIANO!!! You can't dislike that! This is AWESOME!! :)

[newFranzFerencLiszt]

this is sped up

[newFranzFerencLiszt]

what a fucking username

ahahahah

[sevcik2]

Impressive performance!

Thank you so much for sharing this treasure!

[Kiarinadia]

Thank you for all that editing of yours (yes we can still see the unsync of the hands) in that precious document. I appreciate the information and the complementary discussion...

[piedijon]

He goes super fast - I think so fast that he couldn't play the huge octave jumps during the B flat section of the last passage right before the final repeated C major chords. If you look at his left arm, there is no way that is what it is doing. Just an interesting observation. I love this video...

[a1s2d3f4g5q1w2e3]

@piedijon Not only looking at the left arm, but simply hearing the fact that he is not playing those octaves...Somewhat reminiscent of Scriabin writing this difficult left hand in the last movement of Sonata No.3 and then himself playing the simplified version.

[omdcestpauline]

@piedijon the vid is fast forwardded.. isnt it? or do you already know

[Kirasiah]

@piedijon Don't forget that in that time the movie and the audio were faster than what it were in reality.

[a1s2d3f4g5q1w2e3]

@Kirasiah This video is pitch/speed corrected to be "like reality".

[newFranzFerencLiszt]

@piedijon this is sped up

[a1s2d3f4g5q1w2e3]

@newFranzFerencLiszt

It's the speed at which Shostakovich played it in that concert. As the original post explains, I corrected the footage to make sure of that.

[kbaronshaffer]

wonderful...he's certainly on my short list of favorite composers of all time!

-keith

[yanpengtheman]

no one in the auditorium said "bravo"? or screamed? unbelievable!

[TheGlasnost1]

Wonderful!!!

[volcomdat]

JESUS

[s900203]

He was a virtuoso indeed.

[SuperLuckydream]

No matter how much i watched the performance before, every time i feel respect and admiration

[mc0558]

Shostakovich visited the University of California Berkeley a year or two after he had been denounced for formalism by the Soviet authorities. As he passed along the glade in front of the Music Department, students and professors rushed to the windows to cheer and applaud him. In my opinion, we have no begun to explore the depths of his music. He was a supreme musical genius!

[ThePoopoo098]

Did he write all thaat?!?!?!?

[alltrue]

thanks for the upload

[petezilla]

this video kind of gives me chills, just the thought of him having written such severe music and then playing it himself so severely, under the Reign of Terror!

[elgatosucio]

This is priceless !!! Thank you so much for sharing.

[pangaea611]

from what year is this video?

[a1s2d3f4g5q1w2e3]

@pangaea611 I got info that this is actually 1940 (so Shostakovich is 33 here).

[jezmuff]

I find with all the old recordings I have heard of the Russians, of Rachmaninov, Prokofiev, Shostakovich...that they seem not only to play extremely, extraordinarily quickly, but that they do so in a way that is almost sloppy, or messy or unattentive, as if they're acting as transmissive vessels rather than expressive agents. All the recordings I have demonstrate really sloppy pedal use, actual wrong notes, tempi so fast and unwavering that all character is lost, to torture a cliche..etc

[BarNuun]

@jezmuff : At the time, under Stalin's régime of terror, every talented composer and artist was apprehensive of being condemned by the state as a revisionist or cultural enemy... people simply disappeared. Performing in public therefore was a nervous activity, each musician reduced to a 'transmissive vessel'.

[dicthash]

@BarNuun

why under "Stalin's régime of terror" so much of priceless music were produced while under western "democracies" music has been always sucking?

[BarNuun]

@dicthash; Under fear and stress, people do heroic things, until they disintegrate. This is well known. I did not realize democratic music has sucking qualities. We live and learn...

[dicthash]

@BarNuun

you explanation are quite inadequate. Most myths about so called "Stalin's terror" don't withstand historical facts.

[nura78]

@dicthash John Cage is the most important composer of the 20th century. He was American.

[MrRicksStudio]

@jezmuff Rachmaninoff sloppy? What bridge have you been living under? Pianists such as Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, (young) Shostakovich, Stravinsky, and pianist-teachers such as Ginzburg, Neuhaus, Sofronitzki, and Goldenweiser made many recordings before 1948 - MEANING - 78 rpm shellac records cut direct to disc with no editing. Most recordings released during this time have the occasional missed note - multiple takes were expensive, with a fresh wax master used each time.

[marcphilos]

Lief Ove Andsnes is the only modern pianist I know of who matches Shostakovich's speed and virtuosity in this movement.

[UnionToko]

Shostakovich, Dmitri Dmitriyevich (Дмитрий Дмитриевич Шостакович)

[CuteLittleJazzBaby]

omg this video is so amazing !!

[EponymousWolf]

@CuteLittleJazzBaby

You NERD!

[intervalkid]

Jeeezsh!  He sounds as good as Rachmanninnoff!

[angelialvares]

Brilliant, Definitely a russian prodigy! Piano and composition..not so well-known world wide but astounding non-the-less.

[jezmuff]

@angelialvares Are you joking - not so well known? Shostakovich is one of the Russian 'Greats', perhaps THE most prestigious and highly regarded; second only to Stravinsky. My personal favourite is Prokofiev but I am speaking of course in terms of 'fame' and this derives from invention; from how the composer has advanced the art as form.

[gorokhovtseva]

super!!!!!!!!

[helenagothicangel13]

Whoa! Amazing...

[TuboEspectador]

We often think of composers as older and, well, not cool. Seems to me that most composers started out being very cool, and as one writer points out, quite good looking. It doesn't necessarily help, but it is nice to remember when they were young and audacious! Great video post. great!

[classicalnut1]

he is my favorite 20th century russian composer along with stravinsky!

[alwayslookinggoodme]

who are the guys in the frame?

[a1s2d3f4g5q1w2e3]

@alwayslookinggoodme

That's what I'd like to find out.

[Ralph95Mind]

Shostakovich rocks ! :3 And he's so handsome ! ^^

[kuchenmichi]

voll gay alter!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ornettology]

who's the violinist showed in the frame? About the cellist: Piatigorski?

[astronomo16]

this man is a complete genius

[a1s2d3f4g5q1w2e3]

@vernellpleasants784 Your account has been iniltrated by spambot - change password.

[nbfazel]

Shostakovich is god!

[Stunt2one]

Thank you, thank you so much for such an upload!!!! :D:D:D

[Remembranza10]

Congratulations... a jewel!

[seilagirl09]

SHOSTAKOVICH IS THE BEST!!!!!!

[alexultra64]

Se acaban todos los adjetivos Bravo maestro!

[jbrs007]

WAO! AMANZING

[HolyMotherofGrid]

Thanks SO much for the time and effort you've put into this. It is definitely an eye (and ear!!) opener - quite something else :-+). Bravo!!!

[eoghdes18]

One of my favourite videos on youtube, without question. I've heard this played live, and have at least 6 recordings of it, but not one of them takes it at the lick Shos does. What an amazing pianist as well as composer!

[RyaZila24]

fascinating

[angellittlefire]

yeah its really rare !! thank u

[LONGLOTTfilms]

Excellent! SO neat to hear/see this performance!

Thanks for posting it!

[SierraNeef]

The trumpet part is very deteriorated. Shame... This concert is grate.

[Fernandoandretn]

why is this so....frantic? is it supposed to be like that? i dont get it :S

[choulapine]

this cadanza is so.... so communist haha I love it

[BenMcCormack91]

lol... though Shostakovich was one of the few composers who was able to sidestep the whole communist thing for the large part - they initially didn't want to publish his 24 preludes and fugues, thinking it was bad propaganda to make a work based on one of a German composer (Bach's "Well-Tempered Clavier") but they ultimately realized it was so good that it didn't matter.

Gotta love him. He had quite a wonderful sense of humor, too (see Jazz suites).

[helenagothicangel13]

This is crazy good.

[uranrising]

Looking at the google images, I agree that it looks like Alex. Gauk.

[a1s2d3f4g5q1w2e3]

Having read Sofia Moshevich's book, it is possible this is from 11th of January 1936, where Albert Coates was the conductor. Google his photo and let me know.

[HwangMyungShin]

Oh.... this is soo beautifull, so moving, and I live his cadenza, it's genius, despite it's stacato, it's really wonderfull.

[a1s2d3f4g5q1w2e3]

@a1s2d3f4g5q1w2e3 I'm probably wrong.

[gajek1]

That is THE best video I have seen in a long time. Its so intriguing to watch Shostakovich himself perform, such confidence!

[Quuee7n]

Это точно не Голованов (not Golovanov). Может быть, Гаук (Gauk)?

[a1s2d3f4g5q1w2e3]

Tozhe pohozh (possible). No togda poluchaetsya eto Leningrad Philharmonic, gastroliruyuschii v Moskve?

[josegiraldi]

Antológico !!!

[Lenochka1107]

It seems to me this conductor is not Golovanov. I learnt a lot about Golovanov's activity and saw a lot of his pictures... Great conductor!

[asnodgrass2]

Спасибо, Володя. How can you tell that it's Moscow -- because of the orchestra or because of the building?

[uranrising]

Brilliant. I agree that the conductor looks like Golovanov . See google images.

This is what YouTube is for.

[a1s2d3f4g5q1w2e3]

Queenn7 and Lenochka1107 believe it isn't (could be Gauk). Have to keep searching through archives of data until we know for sure...

[asnodgrass2]

How do we know that this was "definitely not" the premiere performance on 15 October 1933?

[vladimirwaltham]

it's not the right venue, this is in moscow, the premiere was in Leningrad

[flutetime]

great pianist and composer

[apollomwj]

HARRY POTTER!

[Timmytimtimtm]

LOL!

[Will170392]

Shostakovich was an amazing pianist!

The recordings of both his concertos he made in 1957 are interesting - You can hear the decayed version of the virtuosity he shows here, but he developed wrist problems shortly before, giving it an interesting innacuraccy.

This 1st concerto is an extremely difficult piece to play. I doubt that was the original speed. But this is truly an amazing piece of footage.

[JSB1983]

That trumpet and piano were dead together upon every beat. I am not sure they could be any more together and crisp?

They were AWESOME- Shostakovich and the trumpeter made it seem like effortless perfection!

[Grubenpony12]

Outstanding!

[037kondo]

I dont know why...Im not even a fan of this guy Shoshtakovich and yet I come back to this video everyday to listen to it, as if Im addicted.

[pianovideo]

That means that you are a fan when the music is performed with the right hands. Explore.

[morehn]

perhaps it's an isolated aspect of the performance that you enjoy.

[theholliswake]

I read in an Oliver Sacks book that Shostakovich's musical "muse" was a metallic sliver in his brain; every time he leaned his head to the side, he "heard" musical inspiration. Pretty interesting.

He apparently was not happy about getting the sliver removed.

[7beers]

Which book, please?

[theholliswake]

It's called "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat." Shostakovich is briefly discussed in the chapter called "Reminiscence." However, Sacks is quoting a New York Times article called "Did Shostakovich have a secret?" in which a Chinese neurologist named Dr. Dajue Wang suggests the theory of the metallic fragment. I gather that the article was written in the '70s. Hope that helps...let me know if you are able to find the original article!

[7beers]

Many thanks. I actually own and read that excellent book. But I lent it out so I don't have access to it now. I have a vague memory of what you're talking about. BTW, if this sort of thing interests you, you might enjoy another excellent book: "This is Your Brain on Music".

[theholliswake]

I have heard of that book and will definitely check it out. Apparently Oliver Sacks is also really into music and I think he somewhat recently wrote a book called "Musicophilia" or something of the sort...?

[babikorean]

i LOVE shostakovich!!!!!!!!

thank you!

[ghmus7]

Thank you for this-what a treasure!

[richtomes]

Wonderful - a rare treat

[gnolti]

This is an amazingly good piano concerto, especially for a first one. Too bad we don't have the entire thing.

[Tibicina4JMJ]

Wow, we are so blessed to have videos of such great composers. Thank you!!

Kinda makes you wish old father Mozart had had home movie skills....

[mrpossibilities]

Damn! A video of Shostakovich himself playing the piano. See, this is why youtube kicks ass

[luigiperso]

@mrpossibilities , and yet some idiots even clicked 'unlike'. Absurd.

[bachgod]

@luigiperso Don't worry they are steel nazis who don't know about what quallity music is? Schostakovich... was a genius composers as well as a pianist. 

[YvesVanChiang]

amazing to see the past composer and also pianist to play his own work with even more than i min !!

Thankx for sharing ~

[FrancoMFT8]

Beatiful video! Great Shostakovich!

Thanks to share it.

[sospello]

I enjoyed this very much, FrancoMFT8 and thank you very much for sending it to me!

[studentjohn36]

It's funny that the Bechstein Piano Company doesn't use this clip as part of their promo. But it's plain to see that legitimate music, even from the hands of olympians like Shostakovich, was once made on pinnos that were not Steinways or Yamahas.

"I'm not feeling quite up to olympic level today" -John Weinzweig, Summer 2004

[Valelacerte]

I always loved Shostakovich's 12th symphony and admired him as a composer; I had no idea he was such an accomplished pianist too.

[Giuliani7222]

You're right, those are the wrong notes; gasp!

I dont think I have ever found a recording of somebody who plays that part with the correct notes, up the the correct speed, etc. If you know of one, please tell me.

[nyysfan]

if it's him playing his own music, then there aren't wrong notes

[nathan87]

what if he meant to play different ones.

[a1s2d3f4g5q1w2e3]

All this is unrelated to the original point:

The term "wrong notes" in this particular case refers to the fact that the piano keys Sh. presses and notes you hear in the audio are not the same. It is very likely that he "meant to play the notes that he played". (It doesn't look like he is "messing up".)

Also, it is very common for certain composers to play their music differently from the published version.

Hope this settles the whole "wrong note" debate.

[nathan87]

"the piano keys Sh. presses and notes you hear in the audio are not the same."

how could you possibly tell that...heh

I think the original point was that if the composer is playing then whatever he plays is automatically right. This is obviously false, because even the composer could accidentally play notes he didn't mean to. I don't know this concerto well enough to pick out particular mistakes, but I think I can hear a couple of screw ups in there.

[a1s2d3f4g5q1w2e3]

"how could you possibly tell that...heh"

By listening. (I even get paid for that).

The more original point before the original point here was the point I made in the little video description box over there.

[VegliaBorletti]

Kissin!

[PatrickBateman930]

truly a very important composer for contemporary music and musicians.

[davealkan]

Amazing!

[iongmail]

Thanks a lot!

[metabog]

WOW. Incredible footage!

[widorfan]

i didnt know he hits qwrong notes in this. i think theyre shoastakovichs harmonies. seeingi did my dissertation on thi

[a1s2d3f4g5q1w2e3]

Have you analyzed the original video footage frame by frame (such as what I have here at 1:16-1:20)? Sh. presses certain keys (that are not in the score), but they don't sound in the audio. It's almost like the performers were asked to "mime" their previous performance to get another camera shot. What's your dissertation called?

[Jimpsterz]

brilliant

[kwcfan]

So amazing to watch this. The wonders of Youtube.

[opus43rhap]

Cool!!

[Nocturnus6355]

my favorite composer

[p0lyph0ny]

May I just most heartily thank you for all the effort you have gone to in order to correct the pitch & video problems of the original? This is great!

[JeeRant]

Very cool! I've never seen footage of him before.

[Giuliani7222]

Um... think you have the wrong person, sorry.

[Giuliani7222]

Heat to burst your bouble... He's dead.

But this is a truly great piece of history right here.

(He totally mess up at 0:41/42 XD)

[a1s2d3f4g5q1w2e3]

Incorrect: There is a glitch in the footage at that moment (poor splicing of two tapes).

[Giuliani7222]

Then what exactly are you talking about when you say he hits wrong notes at the end of the final stride cadenza?

[dzidziaud]

hi, harrison! lol. im assuming this is you because

1. you sent me this vid

2. this username is giulani.

if your name is not harrison, please disregard this XD

[Giuliani7222]

Um... think you have the wrong person, sorry.

[dzidziaud]

haha! lol. you would like harrison, then. same interests.

[a1s2d3f4g5q1w2e3]

Correct: he does hit wrong notes at the end of the final stride cadenza, but he does not mess up at 0:41/42.

[a1s2d3f4g5q1w2e3]

"Stride" is the bit where his left hand is all over the place in the last solo bit just before the very end.

[atralfalgar]

It's not serious if he makes an mistake : he has composed this masterpiece !!

[metabog]

Exactly. Also, I had never expected him to be such a good pianist, I thought he was mainly a composer, but those hands are lightning.

[virgilmihailescu]

yup, he was a brilliant pianist, not only a brilliant composer

[metabog]

Wow, thanks de raspuns care or fi sansele sa imi raspund un alt roman tocmai pe video asta. :-)

[MrUtube14]

@metabog yea piano was his main thing,rather than composition, until maybe... 13 years old. im not sure. i know he sarted piano at a very young age

[TheDigger2010]

@MrUtube14 no he did not - he began lessons relatively late aged 9 but made rapid progress - read the biogs

[tchuchovsky]

Amazing, I wish to know him someday. Great master,

[IngridAtenea]

Impresionante!!!

Gran hombre Shostakovich, como músico y

como persona, admirable!

Me fascinan sus composiciones.

[clymnestre]

That Shostakovich composition is hard for the piano, but the Maestro Shostakovich plays that very easy. It is very interesting and nice even hard to play but not to listen to. Thanks for that video

[ScrucyFam]

I think it's the concert for Piano Trumpet and Strings,not the Piano Concerto...btw it's so strange to see him,playing his music...wonderful!

[lemmingguy1]

Wow, it's awesome to see Shosty play. Thanks so much!

[surincises]

This is an insane speed.

[hinneinisannidanni]

It's not THAT hard. Also, it's easily practiced, since you can basically do it anywhere (with or without the instrument). I used to practice my triple tounging at bus-stops when no one else was around.

[procrustesuk]

Did you ever wonder why no one else was around?

[hinneinisannidanni]

Hahaha! :D

[BassTromboneKing]

me too!! lol. I do it at work too

[Mumum2]

I believe the orchestra is the Moscow Philharmonic Symphony, since that is the orchestra that Leonid Yuriev played in for awhile. I could be wrong however.

[a1s2d3f4g5q1w2e3]

Do you mean MPO?

It was founded by Samosud in 1951.

[annaj2929]

This is excellent, very hard.

[naoussa2you2]

Fantastic!!!!! Discovering clips like this is why I love YouTube so much. Thank you.

[espinos2008]

Возможно, дирижер - это Малько Николай Андреевич?

[a1s2d3f4g5q1w2e3]

Vozmozhno.  Est' istochnik informacii?

[a1s2d3f4g5q1w2e3]

You know, no, I don't think so. Malko left Russia in 1928.

[espinos2008]

Я согласен с Вами.

[a1s2d3f4g5q1w2e3]

Ochen' rad. (mozhno na "ty") :)

[mikeman55555]

that trumpet player is triple tounguing thats awesome and f'in hard

[triciak83]

WOW!

[fiddlinmatt]

Shostakovich. Probably my favorite composer (just me) but that's probably just a stage that i am in now that I have discovered his string quartets! He was truly a genious.