I've seen Mr. Parkening live two times in my life at the Ambassador Auditorium in Pasadena Ca. and I have never heard such a brilliant player. His technique and virtuosity not to mention the range of tone colors he derived from his Ramirez was just mesmorizing. I have seen many top classical guitarists live and with the exception of Elliot Fisk who comes close, no one has played with such sensitivity and beauty. Parkening is one of the greatest classical guitarists of all time.
I love this man. He is an inspiration. I've read his book about his life story. Practicing a classical piece of music using his guitar had never been easy for him. At a very young age, he started playing guitar with his very strict father. I've learned that self-discipline and a growth mindset is the key to be a master musician. He's amazing!
That is Christopher Parkening. One of the top classical guitarists in the world. He was a personal student of Segovia. Many times he uses the hard tone because of his spanish and flaminco styles that he is also very good at.
It actually derives from violin partita III. The autographed manuscript entitled "pour la clavecin/ compose par/ Jean Sebast. Bach/ Original." The amount of retuning needed on the lute serves as a practical argument against this piece being composed for lute. According to Frank Koonce, "We may never know with certainty the original instrumentation."
The only people who will nitpick this performance is someone who has never picked up a guitar. I have the music for this piece and it's musical gymnastics! It's hard to get 4 lines together fluidly much less the entire piece. HARD!!!!
I’ve been playing this piece for 2 years and still don’t have it where I want it. This isn’t the hardest piece out there but it has to be up there, definitely one of the hardest I’ve worked on.
Never tire of hearing this particular performance. It's spectacular and as a previous poster has said it is incredibly hard to play with such musicality. As great as Williams is I think this version is far superior.
+John Washington Anybody who seriously thinks this performance is superior to Williams' rendition of the piece has the removed ear of van Gogh. Parkening has a fine intellect and has provided some great insights in respect of interpretation, fingering etc but such qualities, IMO, do not elevate him to an upper echelon performer. His dynamic contrast is often brash and his tone is relatively poor irrespective the limitations of this basic recording from the mists of time.
+Christopher Clarke "Anybody who seriously thinks this performance is superior to Williams' rendition of the piece has the removed ear of van Gogh" LOL - I'm glad I had my my ear removed because in my view this is better, but I bow to your superior ear and knowledge.
While I agree with your assessment, I would greatly prefer that we honor and affirm the greatness and uniqueness of the wonderful contributions made by both Williams and Parkening. If Bach were here I am confident that he would love them both without having to pick a "winner".... and I suspect Williams and Parkening have huge respect for each others work.
I've heard a couple of orchestral recordings of this piece where the tempo was even faster. Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Philharmonic was one of them...
the reason this piece still sounds so good is because: 1it's parkening, 2 it's a good guitar, 3 it's a good acustics in the concert hall. do you have your recording on youtube? gosh, i can ever get bored of this piece! i can listen to it over and over, and there is always this same conclusion: bach is absolutely a genius!
Bach definitely a genius. We listen to his music 300 years later. Will they be listening to Lil' Wayne, or Lady Gaga, etc., 300 years from now? I think not.
No I'm not going to pretend I know anything. But I am in the gifted music class at my school and I have studied the many periods of music. I'm particularly interested in Bach, mainly because I find his music epic. But thanks for calling me an idiot. And I think your opinion count's too, as well as countless other listeners.
@bersa888 ...agree ... harpsichord muddies the guitar, distracts from it, though you could say that harpsichord makes the discerning concentrate on distinguishing the guitar from harpsichord
great playing, but i must agree with you that playing this composition at a little slower rate would be more powerful. somehow, playing it fast on a violine sounds right, but applying the same speed doesn't seem to sound right for the gutar. and it does sound like a race.
sure. i think j. williams plays it at a pretty favorable speed, however, i take it down a bit, and it sounds good. as you said, one can not express the complete scale of emotions by playing is like a machine gun.
Ohhh no....a few minor mistakes during a live performance. I saw Julian bream completely stop during the Bach lute suite in eminor because he seemed to have had a lapse of memory. Shit happens. I saw john Williams completely masacare a piece he should play perfectly as he couldn't seem to catch up from a precedsing mistake. It happens. Doesn't deter from the overall quality of the performer
Count me in the camp who is 'over' the classical music scene (the absolute creative desert it is, watching pseudo-intellectual buttholes criticizetechnical pedantry and minutiae as though it were some great illumination on their own insight... it was, just not in the way they had hoped) but will always a special place for Parkening. He lost some of the deftness he had pre-retirement, but he is still, in my mind, the ultimate technical practitioner at his peak.
I didn't ask. Anyway, I just want to see you play as good as Christopher Parkening. Because I can't. Maybe you can, you never know until you try. And maybe you're better.
How exactly can you screw up a piece that was written hundreds of years ago? There are no recordings at all for you to critique the exact way the piece is to be performed. Also, different musicians interpret pieces differently. I find that Christopher Parkening actually performs this piece exceptionally well, but it is not perfect. In my opinion, this isn't so fast that it would ruin the piece, but it could be played a little slower. Finally, this is live. And great for a live performance!
Very Bad rendition. Speed is ok but every measure had a mistake of some sort! Look at milstien play this. John williams isn't bad either. Not so great though...
I've seen Mr. Parkening live two times in my life at the Ambassador Auditorium in Pasadena Ca. and I have never heard such a brilliant player. His technique and virtuosity not to mention the range of tone colors he derived from his Ramirez was just mesmorizing. I have seen many top classical guitarists live and with the exception of Elliot Fisk who comes close, no one has played with such sensitivity and beauty. Parkening is one of the greatest classical guitarists of all time.
the final aim for music is for God well done faithful servant Amen
The man himself playing Gods music, it doesn't get any better.
I love this man. He is an inspiration. I've read his book about his life story. Practicing a classical piece of music using his guitar had never been easy for him. At a very young age, he started playing guitar with his very strict father. I've learned that self-discipline and a growth mindset is the key to be a master musician. He's amazing!
Blessed music before our Savior Jesus
history in the making... no one compares the sounds he can generate from his fingers!!!
Great control, full sound, no tricks, great Artist
That is Christopher Parkening. One of the top classical guitarists in the world. He was a personal student of Segovia. Many times he uses the hard tone because of his spanish and flaminco styles that he is also very good at.
Amazing piece, a joy to hear and to watch.
A capo? (Well, if CP does it, it's right!) That is absolutely beautiful playing.
Amazing performance
MAESTRO!!! Bach and Parkening...what a great combination.
Absolutely great!!!
Parkening always sounds so good.
there is a guy named Stefan Schmidt that plays that amazingly well on a 12string guitar. But this version is nice too. Great duet.
favorite guitarist
It actually derives from violin partita III. The autographed manuscript entitled "pour la clavecin/ compose par/ Jean Sebast. Bach/ Original." The amount of retuning needed on the lute serves as a practical argument against this piece being composed for lute. According to Frank Koonce, "We may never know with certainty the original instrumentation."
Прекрасный дуэт !!!
I enjoy this performance, too
The only people who will nitpick this performance is someone who has never picked up a guitar. I have the music for this piece and it's musical gymnastics! It's hard to get 4 lines together fluidly much less the entire piece. HARD!!!!
Haha true that, Parkening has the best sound of any classical guitarist Ive ever heard.
I’ve been playing this piece for 2 years and still don’t have it where I want it. This isn’t the hardest piece out there but it has to be up there, definitely one of the hardest I’ve worked on.
Bach takes forever to evolve within a person's overall technique. You grow as you learn more and more
Never tire of hearing this particular performance. It's spectacular and as a previous poster has said it is incredibly hard to play with such musicality. As great as Williams is I think this version is far superior.
+John Washington Anybody who seriously thinks this performance is superior to Williams' rendition of the piece has the removed ear of van Gogh. Parkening has a fine intellect and has provided some great insights in respect of interpretation, fingering etc but such qualities, IMO, do not elevate him to an upper echelon performer. His dynamic contrast is often brash and his tone is relatively poor irrespective the limitations of this basic recording from the mists of time.
+Christopher Clarke
"Anybody who seriously thinks this performance is superior to Williams' rendition of the piece has the removed ear of van Gogh"
LOL - I'm glad I had my my ear removed because in my view this is better, but I bow to your superior ear and knowledge.
While I agree with your assessment, I would greatly prefer that we honor and affirm the greatness and uniqueness of the wonderful contributions made by both Williams and Parkening. If Bach were here I am confident that he would love them both without having to pick a "winner".... and I suspect Williams and Parkening have huge respect for each others work.
@@yogaflyer I agree! they do have great respect for each others work and our friends. Both are brilliant in their own way.
Fantastico
Wow. Said out loud, and I'm the only one here.
Dude tares!
I've heard a couple of orchestral recordings of this piece where the tempo was even faster. Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Philharmonic was one of them...
the reason this piece still sounds so good is because: 1it's parkening, 2 it's a good guitar, 3 it's a good acustics in the concert hall. do you have your recording on youtube?
gosh, i can ever get bored of this piece! i can listen to it over and over, and there is always this same conclusion: bach is absolutely a genius!
Bach definitely a genius. We listen to his music 300 years later. Will they be listening to Lil' Wayne, or Lady Gaga, etc., 300 years from now? I think not.
MEERAAVIIGLIIOSOOOO!!!!!
I was about to ask if that was Diane Bish on the keyboard. Never mind! :) Yes, she is a great musician as well. Love her programs.
So fast! Playing with the capo helps some but damn, I can’t play this that fast for more than the first line or so.
He may be using that tone to try imitate the harpsichords sound. This is one thought.
No I'm not going to pretend I know anything. But I am in the gifted music class at my school and I have studied the many periods of music. I'm particularly interested in Bach, mainly because I find his music epic. But thanks for calling me an idiot. And I think your opinion count's too, as well as countless other listeners.
@rawrgDX Yes, it is...
this guy definitely practiced,😂
And then some!!...
sir1920, are there any videos of you playing? I would like to see them, you seem to have the gift of a virtuoso!
@bersa888 ...agree ... harpsichord muddies the guitar, distracts from it, though you could say that harpsichord makes the discerning concentrate on distinguishing the guitar from harpsichord
The guitar is definitely Jose Ramirez
great playing, but i must agree with you that playing this composition at a little slower rate would be more powerful. somehow, playing it fast on a violine sounds right, but applying the same speed doesn't seem to sound right for the gutar. and it does sound like a race.
Here's a secret of the pros: You can't play that good without a bow tie.
Yes...Bach is inmortal...!!!
sure. i think j. williams plays it at a pretty favorable speed, however, i take it down a bit, and it sounds good. as you said, one can not express the complete scale of emotions by playing is like a machine gun.
He needs to play a little harshly and loud, because he is competing with the organ.!
Does anybody know where this arrangment (Guitar+Organ) can be purchased?
Ohhh no....a few minor mistakes during a live performance. I saw Julian bream completely stop during the Bach lute suite in eminor because he seemed to have had a lapse of memory. Shit happens. I saw john Williams completely masacare a piece he should play perfectly as he couldn't seem to catch up from a precedsing mistake. It happens. Doesn't deter from the overall quality of the performer
Count me in the camp who is 'over' the classical music scene (the absolute creative desert it is, watching pseudo-intellectual buttholes criticizetechnical pedantry and minutiae as though it were some great illumination on their own insight... it was, just not in the way they had hoped) but will always a special place for Parkening.
He lost some of the deftness he had pre-retirement, but he is still, in my mind, the ultimate technical practitioner at his peak.
sir1920, are there any videos of you playing? You must be a virtuoso to be able to detect a mistake in every measure!
Is that Diane Bish? or Fisch?...on the keyboard?
and I have to ask, what is the "Right speed?":)
Beautiful Playing. BTW, if someone dares to criticize The Greatest of the masters BACH, has just showed how fool and ignorant that person is.
bach
I didn't ask. Anyway, I just want to see you play as good as Christopher Parkening. Because I can't. Maybe you can, you never know until you try. And maybe you're better.
why do you listeners keep fighting ? play the piece and shows us !!
Hahahaha..please don't even put those names in the same post as Bach.
*Can you translate that to ENGLISH please*
How exactly can you screw up a piece that was written hundreds of years ago? There are no recordings at all for you to critique the exact way the piece is to be performed. Also, different musicians interpret pieces differently. I find that Christopher Parkening actually performs this piece exceptionally well, but it is not perfect. In my opinion, this isn't so fast that it would ruin the piece, but it could be played a little slower.
Finally, this is live. And great for a live performance!
Make the videos to back your "years of experience" up.
sir1920? every measure? thats alot, of mistakes gee, its a real long song, maybee its so fast or am just not good enough to hear that many
1920? every measure? thats alot, of mistakes gee, its a real long song, maybee its so fast or am just not good enough to hear that many
Think it's hard to play try writing it ha ha
Very Bad rendition. Speed is ok but every measure had a mistake of some sort! Look at milstien play this. John williams isn't bad either. Not so great though...