Another illuminating introduction exploring the details that then inform your glorious and virtuosic performance of very high end salon (!) piano music from Brahms that leaves the audience more than satisfied with this Ballade gem: bravo, Cole!
Lovely Brahms piece and analysis! Dare I ask what is your opinion of the playing/legacy of the Polish pianist Ignacy Paderewski? I ask because were someone to go back in time a century to 1924 and ask a random person on the street who the greatest pianist in the world was, they would probably say "Paderewski". I am aware that neither then or now is he highly regarded by most pianists, but he must have had something to have gained such popularity with the public. His fame and success at its peak around the turn of the twentieth century rivalled Liszt's, and Vladimir Horowitz was an admirer of his.
So glad you mentioned Carl Friedberg, whose performances of this piece on UA-cam (including one as part of a master class) are IMO the most compelling. Clearly your own playing is influenced to a great degree by his. His performance (and your own) make liberal use of rubato within phrases. I think this is a very important part of what makes his performance so distinctive and so good, and it would have been interesting to hear you speak about this. Moreover, if he heard Brahms play the piece, Brahms himself may have played it this way, and I wonder if there is anything in the writing that would suggest this.
Maybe it's my imagination, but I find that the ballade often reveals its composer's personality more than other forms. It takes the listener on a very personal journey. I think it's true of Chopin and even of Samuel Barber's rarely performed but very lovely Ballade, opus 46. I love playing the Brahms' opus 10 Ballades but have never played this one. It seems especially adventurous in its harmonic progressions and tempo shifts.
Another illuminating introduction exploring the details that then inform your glorious and virtuosic performance of very high end salon (!) piano music from Brahms that leaves the audience more than satisfied with this Ballade gem: bravo, Cole!
This is absolutely phenomenal, Mr. Anderson! It is a pleasure to watch your analytical videos.
Lovely Brahms piece and analysis! Dare I ask what is your opinion of the playing/legacy of the Polish pianist Ignacy Paderewski? I ask because were someone to go back in time a century to 1924 and ask a random person on the street who the greatest pianist in the world was, they would probably say "Paderewski". I am aware that neither then or now is he highly regarded by most pianists, but he must have had something to have gained such popularity with the public. His fame and success at its peak around the turn of the twentieth century rivalled Liszt's, and Vladimir Horowitz was an admirer of his.
Its wonderful hearing u playing this music, thx
So glad you mentioned Carl Friedberg, whose performances of this piece on UA-cam (including one as part of a master class) are IMO the most compelling. Clearly your own playing is influenced to a great degree by his. His performance (and your own) make liberal use of rubato within phrases. I think this is a very important part of what makes his performance so distinctive and so good, and it would have been interesting to hear you speak about this. Moreover, if he heard Brahms play the piece, Brahms himself may have played it this way, and I wonder if there is anything in the writing that would suggest this.
Your analysis and performance is spot on. And for me, the piece is as hard as it sounds, but so worth the effort.
Nice work! Btw, what piano do you use?
teacher just assigned this, thanks!
Oh I'm learning this piece right now (it's giving me a hard time, mostly interpretation-wise), so this video came at just the right moment.
Maybe it's my imagination, but I find that the ballade often reveals its composer's personality more than other forms. It takes the listener on a very personal journey. I think it's true of Chopin and even of Samuel Barber's rarely performed but very lovely Ballade, opus 46. I love playing the Brahms' opus 10 Ballades but have never played this one. It seems especially adventurous in its harmonic progressions and tempo shifts.