YundiLi Prokofiev Piano Concerto No.2 in G minor (part 2 of 5)

[theoryjoe]

"Too many notes."

[davidbaker03]

HORRIBLE RUSHING! He rushed through most of the cadenza, especially in the first half of it, before it gets really hard. Its like he just can't wait to be done. I am sure the audience felt the same way

[davidbaker03]

@davidbaker03 all though the latter half of it, is impressive!

[caeimeng]

modernity and sensible society in playing expretions exotically.

[ThePianoLad]

I've been watching this cadenza being performed by about 10 professional pianists already, and still, Yuja Wang has the cleanest and fastest performance of them all

[utubuser10]

@ThePianoLad YUJA!!! simply the BEST!!!

[RAINZHOU09]

hard piece to play...

[rukashawn]

this piece is actually flowing with hidden melodies,

[dalcazar96]

for a professional award winning pianist, this is a terrible rendition of the cadenza in one of the biggest masterpieces ever composed for the piano. His tempo is all over the place. The crescendo must sound effortless, this sounds chopped up. he's trying to play too fast.

[werq34ac]

is it just me or am i hearing mozart requiem in the left hand at 2;55?

[pianistsan]

@werq34ac Confutatis? xD

[pianobelge]

I'love Prokofiev .

[calcmandan]

I recommend Volodos. Though I do love this pianist.

[DCLiszt]

@WouterC87 who cares?

this is so amazing, two or three false notes don´t say anything out, regarding how Yundi is playing the whole concerto...

i didn´t know this concerto before listening to this, but it is simply impressive.

never heard something comparable to this.

[helgeevju]

Do you know that the notes for the pianist in the 2nd movement (scherzo) add up to exactly 3000 (1500 per hand)?

[The1976spirit]

@helgeevju Do you know Maximilan Schmidthoff was killed by a Klingon?

[WouterC87]

Beautiful. But could it be that there are some false notes on 0:012-0:13?

[sussexpenguin]

good performance for a difficult piece, cadenza was bit weak, like to see people do better though.

[uo1980]

fucking amazing. really russian spirit

[katchum]

Why hasn't Argerich played this?

[wnsbug]

@katchum probably she thinks it's not her style.

if she played it tho, it would turn out to be complete trash... i love argerich but a piece like this can't be rushed, like the way argerich rushes almost everything

yundi li rushes some parts, but overall i think he plays it well

[ryw]

Omg...... how can someone remember soooo many notes, timing and rhythm?!?!

[prandtastic]

Bronfman owns this concerto. And Yundi botched the fuck out of the cadenza.

[flammejohnes]

Man, it was going good until this cadenza. This is all over the place.

[laputawitch]

I am looking forward to hear 4.52 part. However, cannot hear the piano sound at all.

[Gedren84]

This moment always tears my soul away...

[cpanati]

Marvelous playing. What a workout!

[redcitypro]

thank you for posting this. perhaps my most fav classical piece ever.

[drurylane5]

3:24-4:20 - AMAZING

(even though all of it is amazing)

[artymowycz]

i think that the parts leading up to that one are harder to play then that one itself.

[lucatonciann]

I will try to play the whole concerto on friday in front of my teacher and collegues, of course, accompanied by a second piano.I am very eager, I've never played it, but for me it is very pleasant and fun to play. Love it. Huge, beautiful music , simply breathtaking and amazing....wish me luck for friday!!

[inturtaner]

no doubt, the hardest piano candenza yet written

[adrenalinerush45]

@inturtaner what about rach 3 ossia?

[johnst66xx]

@adrenalinerush45 This is harder than the Rachmaninov.

[silverlight1980]

I just heard this concerto played two nights in a row, by two different pianists, at the finals of the Honens International Piano Competition in Calgary! Mind blowing virtuosity, I love it!

[syuzik712]

Perfect timing! just excellent by it's dramatic content! Super good :)))

[makotoyoshikuni]

i wonder if it's the quality but i do not like his interpretation that much compared to argerich. no idea why.

[karnerflies]

i have to say, i agree. She brings a certain style and personality somehow. Note her sway of fingers here and there. Very enjoyable either way. I'm not picky, just particular, lol.

[IVlr3vil]

Argerich never played the second.

[davidbaker03]

I wish she would have! as well as Barber Sonata

[makotoyoshikuni]

he's famous for his piano works really. his concerto's are among the most well composed to this day. some of his symphonies are also considered very "likeable" pieces. the easiest way to appreciate prokofiev, depending on taste, is to first listen to the first piano concerto, then go on to the sixth sonata, then the eight sonata, then the second concerto.. then just choose freely, by that time you should have learned to appreciate it a lot more. avoid the tocatta and visions & fugutives at first

[789vbc]

This is BEST BEST BEST part of this Concerto. yundi Li is awesome here.

[bussela]

What I meant is: Yes, it is hard, to remember so many notes and not play a wrong one -- but it is even harder for the audience to remember so many notes and RECOGNIZE a wrong one. ;-)

[adrenalinerush45]

an untrained ear would think this piece is total nonsense and random notes

prokofiev is one of the composers that you have to hear many times to like

[perezfrank05]

i agree 100% i use to not like this concerto,..

now im in lo with it (SPECIALLY CADENZA)....

[Sim882]

agree

[COCOONFABULA]

really ? well I listened to so much late Scriabin that this piece was very to appreciate the first time =P So funny how listening to lots of styles can help to understand others

[varniss]

@adrenalinerush45 Youve also got to hear this played by someone other than Yund Li.....In my opinion Horatio Guitarrez plays this the best, though Yefim Bronfman is pretty close. It is a shame indeed that Martha Argerich never played this particular piece.

[richclayderman]

@adrenalinerush45 have you heard Boulz's second sonata? Now, that's random!

[calcmandan]

@adrenalinerush45 I fell in love with this concerto the first time I heard it. But I see what you mean.

[rwcrx]

@adrenalinerush45 . I know what you mean, but I think Yuja Wang's performance is much easier on the ear and better I think in every respect IMHO.

[stagesix6]

@adrenalinerush45 lol, that's not remotely random... I just love it!

[hbomb2579]

@adrenalinerush45 No, I only had to hear Prokofiev once to know that he was a master composer/musician.

[adrenalinerush45]

@hbomb2579 it took me a while to get used to prokofiev. playing his 3rd sonata helped, that's nice. and it's strange, the first time i listened to this it didn't seem so great to me, until i forced myself to listen to it again and again. each time i find something special.

[Flutist11]

I love the blurs of notes! What a brilliant impressionist Prokofiev was!

[osuushiza8]

@adrenalinerush45

True- & it sounds exactly random to me! :p

But I like randomness.

[Pianista061292]

@adrenalinerush45 That is sooooo TRUE

[dragmio]

@adrenalinerush45 Also, people mostly don't realize how hard it is to achieve the appearance of randomness in music, if you don't want it to sound like a total dissonance, of course.

[Jusohpin]

Gosh.... how to remember so many notes...

[jambratz]

It's not as hard to remember as one would think. By the time you're finished learning to play all of the notes, you've played it 240,000 times. The memory takes care of itself

[afertyus1000]

what? i can play it blindfold after memorising the score on the train journey to the concert hall

[Woskob]

hahaha, BS!

[bussela]

@Jusohpin: It's even harder for the audience. That's the trick. ;-)

[Jusohpin]

like how?? =)

[akkadian4eyes]

Horatio Gutierrez plays the solo cadenza much better than this.

[nather823]

This is one of the best piano concertos ever written.

[alexmanzo19]

Ohh my god yundi li, playing the most difficult piano work ever!!!

[itsanthonyhere]

Imagine the high Yundi gets at 4:51...

[trunks2861]

good god i am speacheless

[piedijon]

y'all should listen to ashkenazy's recording

[thajonester]

Wonderful. One of the best young pianists in the world.

[davidbaker03]

I am in love with this concerto. The cadenza is amazing, so many notes, while the melody is woven in the middle. it really was so daring of his to write, and beautiful. I am learning it right now, and it fascinates me. i used to not be a very big fan of Prokofiev's music, but more and more he is growing to be my favorite composer.

[piedijon]

me too!!

[loveclassic1226]

Is this Prokofiev. I cant believe it.

[gtyler7292]

yes it is lol

why cant you believe it? It's one of Prokofiev's greatest works

[usernamefmyass]

It seems like everything people have to say about pianists on youtube is what mistakes they do and who else is a better one etc. This really is annoying. By the way, Li is probably one of the most talented ones in the world.

[gasel0]

too much pedalling in the second movement

[kgavardi]

It's "ok". He's playing the notes with a few misses here and there, but this is missing deep phrasing. It's rather sterile and what's up with the tempo and rhythm and dynamics? No Argerich or Volodos here, but this is better than some of the other Yundi Li stuff on You Tube... Dig deep, bro!

[superwater2005]

although he missed some notes here & there, he managed to perform the best on youtube.... Speaking of Argerich, she's good and all, but she doesn't have musicality that yundi li has. To me, argerich is more about skating on the keyboard , a little lack of soul.

[lyghdha]

Ha, ha! To even contemplate a comparision between Li with Argerich... do some real listening first! Her sensitivty, pps, phrasing etc are unique.

[vincentws03]

show us the link please?