Another piano Goddess enters the Piano Pantheon...

[FMiguelez]

That's right... I say we must welcome her in the ultra-exclusive pantheon.

Yeol Eum Son won Silver Medal in the 2011 Tchaikovsky Competition... I had seen her many times before, but not like in this video

https://youtu.be/o_lokD9TIPU?t=4490


This performance is electrifying, probably the best I've heard to-date (at least right up there with Yuja's performance).

Please excuse the video editor, though... He apparently got frozen-stupid with the long shot of her from the front and you can't see her hands (who could blame him), but if you're patient and wait 'till right after the descending chromatic thirds (which only few pianists can play so crystal clear), you'll get a lateral view of her hands and stunning technique.

This piece is pure fire on its own. Add her amazing performance, DRAMA and beauty, and that's what you get...



The Piano Pantheon keeps getting more complete and stunning! Of course, I'm the self-appointed gate keeper

What do you guys think??

[cuttime]

Thanks FM for the Pantheon Panoply. If I'm not careful, I might end up in the Pantheon Panoply Panopticon. Beautiful performances. You know, I've always had a hard heart against Chopin, but this performance is reminiscent of Gould's 1982 Goldberg, insofar as tempo relations.

[FMiguelez]

Thanks FM for the Pantheon Panoply. If I'm not careful, I might end up in the Pantheon Panoply Panopticon.

Beautiful performances.

You know, I've always had a hard heart against Chopin, but this performance is reminiscent of Gould's 1982 Goldberg, insofar as tempo relations.

I get the same with certain composers... They are Masters, but their music don't always whack my emotions like others can. Like Mozart... If I'm going to listen to his music, it must be at the beginning and NOT after someone like Shostakovich or Prokofiev (or else it feels a bit "childish", if you will). However, right now I'm learning his "Rotation Sonata"

If you don't mind my asking, in your case, is it mostly Chopin who hardens your heart, or the whole "style" of the Romantic period? In my case, the early Classical doesn't do much for me in general.

What's your favourite period and who are your favourite composers?


Perhaps you like something a bit more edgy, like this?
BTW, Primavera Shima is like primavera, verano, otoño and invierno all into a great seasoned pianist!! She's definitely nominated to enter the pantheon as well
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huhgjE7 ... gs=pl%2Cwn

or this (awesome piano arrangement of an awesome piece)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5J9RM-tVD6M&frags=wn

[stubbsonic]

I kinda wish Santani Ojala would do a Shredz of this video.

His shtick is that he takes stellar performances with lots of physical drama and replaces the audio track with less than stellar playing-- that matches what you are seeing (and nothing more). For me it is an effective and hilarious thing.

YouTube removes them as the original artists aren't usually very happy about it. (understandably).

[cuttime]

If you don't mind my asking, in your case, is it mostly Chopin who hardens your heart, or the whole "style" of the Romantic period?

It's Romantics in general. I think it must be my character flaw. I can dig Brahms just fine, but something like Schumann makes me want to scream. Schubert can be magical, but I consider him more of a late Classical composer.

I'm 100% there with Prokofiev and Shostakovich, but I still think J.S. Bach is on a mountain top that will never be scaled by anyone else. Beethoven had him in his site, for sure.

I do agree that Mozart can be annoyingly trite. It frequently seems that he was just trying too hard to be liked. Perhaps it's a result of his patrons and finances. When Mozart wrote in minor keys (something he rarely did) you can get glimpses of a beastly genius lurking below the surface. I can't fault the g minor symphony, other than it's been played to death.

Nothing trivial here IMHO:
https://youtu.be/jSZJjTeP0mU

[cuttime]

More K. 546
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TWT6bswc1Y

[FMiguelez]

YouTube removes them as the original artists aren't usually very happy about it. (understandably).

No kidding! You got me curious about him (sounds hilarious). I looked in YouTube and found nothing.

It's Romantics in general. I think it must be my character flaw. I can dig Brahms just fine, but something like Schumann makes me want to scream. Schubert can be magical, but I consider him more of a late Classical composer.

You're not alone. I know some great musicians who are no fans of lots of Romantic masters. I personally love this period.

So you like Schubert... Me too. I'm all over his Impromptus

How about some Schubert, arranged by Liszt, with Yuja's magic? This is just gorgeous!
https://youtu.be/ozCirLYxSBI?t=18

And in true Romantic spirit, a display of ferocious super-human technique - yet with lots of lyricism - could not be missing... (you can clearly distinguish the 3 characters of the story) Who else but Yuja Wang?
Her dynamic range (and clarity and control) is just ridiculous... it's like 128 bits floating point!!!
https://youtu.be/4_BmRekeJ8A?t=8

I'm 100% there with Prokofiev and Shostakovich, but I still think J.S. Bach is on a mountain top that will never be scaled by anyone else. Beethoven had him in his site, for sure.

Agreed. Bach is truly sui generis.
The intellect takes delight with masterful mingling of simultaneous multiple melodies, be they imitative or not.
There's something about great counterpoint that is irresistibly beautiful and intelectual at the same time. It sounds like you would also love the Renaissance masters like Palestrina, yes?

I love this performance by the incomparable Buniatishvili sisters. Had they taken this arrangement of Bach's 2 Violin concerto 10-15 BPM slower, it would've been even better, IMHO (so one could digest the myriads of details better). Even then, it's just jaw-dropping great (I looked for the original 2 Violin concerto work, but didn't find any performance I liked... The Oistrakh's duo was disappointing )
https://youtu.be/864PsEtZzko?t=25

I do agree that Mozart can be annoyingly trite. It frequently seems that he was just trying too hard to be liked. Perhaps it's a result of his patrons and finances.

I think so too. Not unlike some composers of today. Once you know "what works", it's logical to keep doing it. I've been guilty of that myself a couple of times.
I still like some of his pieces, but in small doses. His 4-hand sonatas are quite fun to play!
Plus, had he lived 20-30 years more, he would've definitely evolved in interesting ways.

Yet, most times I feel if I hear one more heroic trill resolving a climatic Cadential I 6/4 - V7 - I ... I'm going to SCREAM

Nothing trivial here IMHO:
https://youtu.be/jSZJjTeP0mU

That was beautiful! Thank you.

[Phil O]

Thanks for the link FM. Whether you like or hate the composition, you have to admire the performance. Piano Goddess, indeed.

Phil

[cuttime]

It sounds like you would also love the Renaissance masters like Palestrina, yes?

I love me some Palestrina! In my old age I have been discovering Gibbons and Byrd, too. Talk about hard to play! Doctorates have been written on Baroque ornamentation, but the Renaissance stuff is a different word unto itself.

[stubbsonic]

I found a site that is curating those shreds videos. The only problem is that in the conversion process the sound isn't synched to the video. In the originals, it was spot on. Still, you'll get an idea. There are links to various artists along the right side.

http://stsanders.com/web/

Here's one on YouTube that shows the basic idea. But it's not as funny as the others. I don't know if it is "an original" Ojala.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9q-XF0CvwtU