In case anyone isn't familiar with the repertoire - this is a piece which normally requires at least a 40-piece orchestra. She's playing it on one harp. There is very little missing, she's making it work musically, and she's playing it with tremendous sensitivity. What she's doing here is almost impossible.
It's actually not that hard in the hands of a skilled arranger. In an orchestra, many instruments play identical notes, perhaps an octave or two apart. Piano and harp reductions of orchestral pieces are fairly common.
@@massunger1 Valérie Milot's performance is great; I thoroughly enjoyed it. Paul Baker's comment, however, is not accurate, and this was the reason for my comment. You provided no justification for your comment, but stooped to insults. Your comment reflects more upon yourself than upon me.
John Burns your condescending tone is more than an insult to Paul Bakers accurate assessment of her performance, and a defecation of words upon this feed. My comment stands.
It's truly amazing. I didn't even know that harps have pedals, or what they are for. 😀 But I have listened to this piece many times for almost 60 years since my high school music teacher played it to us on some old disk player, and parts of it on the piano. I really love this piece. It was kind of my awakening to great classical music.
Yes! Most soloists will memorize their pieces. Generally we practice to the point that we don't have to think about the ink on the page itself, just the physical sensations involved with making that ink the best it can be. The cliche is to practice until you cannot get it wrong, and especially with very difficult pieces, it often takes that much practicing to feel confident to play a piece for a recital, at which point you basically have it memorized. Memorizing the piece also means you're not looking at the page, you're looking at the musicians you're playing with or your accompanist or conductor to ensure good communication and very precise timing. If you watch a really great concert soloist, they'll rarely have music in front of them, they'll be most frequently making eyes or gestures at the conductor so the conductor can keep the orchestra in check to perfectly accompany the soloist.
@@discogoth Yep.. For most musicians playing a difficult piece like this, you can't help but memorize it while practicing. And with harp, there's a lot to work out ahead of time with the fingering and pedaling, so you can't much read the notes right off the page anyway. But some like to have the music in front of them because they're used to that in practice. Music is also good when your mind momentarily goes blank in a live performance, which is the most likely time for that! That being said simpler music can be playable off the shelf without having played it in a long time, or ever.
Similarly, actors have to memorize pages and pages of lines for a play. Singers also have to learn 1 or 2 hours of songs for their concerts. It's incredible.
What I love the most about really advanced musicians, is their expression as the piece they're playing unfolds. Some musicians are overly expressive for the sake of showing off, but the ones who are humble in their performance produce the most authentic and honest responses. When Valérie faintly furrows her brow when the piece becomes dark and intense, or smiles ever so slightly when it switches to light and dainty major, I just fall that much more in love with the music. It's like when a narrator reacts to a story as they tell it, and it makes it so much more immersive.
Everyone has already said so many wonderful things in the comments. I can only add that I am so grateful that you are in the world, Valerie. It’s a supreme experience to see and hear you play.
I think this is one of the best (if not the best) feedbacks/compliments a musician can get. Mainly musicians spend way too many hours studying alone at home and sometimes this lonely practice can bring a sense of detachment of the rest of the world and maybe even a little loss of point in all of that practice.
@prigama1 Thank you so much for speaking for all the musicians out there! Myself included! Spending hours in a practice room for days, weeks, even years can be sometimes disheartening, feeling like you're missing out on life.
It was the sound of harp music that comforted me after the loss of my little boy. I believe the tune was called The Littlest Cowpoke. I played and replayed it dozens of times and wept and wept. The harp softened the blows of such painful grief.
Só Só So..Sorry for Your Loss💜 I Understand Your Grief and Sorrow for I Am Well Acquainted And Familiar with such Grief...I too Lost My only child, My son, at 18 yrs of age🌿🌿 I Thought I would live/endure with the Intense pain for the Rest of My life!! But, I have learned, through the Christ, that My son and I are Spirit..And We remain Together🌟🌟 My Hope Is that You Find Peace And Relief Eternal..as You felt with the Músic of The Harp🔥🎵🎵🎵☮️
As a native Czech, I like Vltava and it is emotional for me to hear it being played by such a beautiful instrument as the harp. Bravo Valérie! It is beautiful, perfect, admirable and immensely difficult.👏👏
As a harpist, this is one of my favorite orchestral pieces, and Valerie Milot's performance and interpretation is simply unmatched. This will be the gold standard for anyone learning the piece. Bravo!
Valérie ! Hier , j'ai eu la chance de vous voir jouer cette pièce en personne sur "Apollonia" . J'ai ressenti le besoin de revenir vous écouter . Merci pour cette magnifique prestation ! Vous avez un nouveau fan . ;-)
As a non-musician, playing a harp at all looks just impossible, but Valerie makes it look effortless and the sound she produces is wonderful - I was totally entranced by this performance.
As a classically trained violinist for over 10 years, I am now beginning to want to learn this beautiful instrument, too. It's magical and thrilling. Even more than anything I can make on my violin.
I have dropped the violin for the harp. Much easier... only 4 digits and forget about torturing the extension of a 5th finger... it just follows, idle! And you feel like you hug your harp: what fun! Besides, we can always play both, just don't get confused about the fingering number!
I heard this musical piece once at a school function in elementary school and never forgot the main theme. Ive been looking for it for years online. Today, I randomly chose this harp piece, and "eureka!" ☺ One of my favorite days in childhood was a spring morning in my front yard. It had rained a great deal lately, and the creek was overflowing. I hummed this tune and watched droplets fall with their sweet rhythm all over the brilliant green grass. I dont know why this memory is so potent to me, but I cherish it.
Did you know that the music was about water? Or did you just instinctively hum the tune? Sorry for my curiousity, but I always felt that this piece of music so beautifully captures the "feeling" of water...
A plausible back ground story: The audience was waiting patiently. But the orchestra couldn’t arrive in time because of a major flight delay. Fortunately this harpist was in town to fill in. Most of the audience thought that this was the concert as planned. They all loved it. And so do I.
I'm very moved by this performance, such sensitivity and talent. The Moldau by Smetana was the first piece of classical music, played by the music teacher in primary school, when I was about 12. He explained the parts of it, representing the river Moldau in different phases on its journey to the sea. His enthusiasm was contagious, I'll never forget this man's skill, in teaching
Sometimes on our stay on earth one comes across a paradise of solitude,peace and heavenly music, played by an angel....now when I came across Valerie Milot playing "Moldau" on the magical harp...I came across such a paradise and i touched heaven !
Thank you, Ms Milot. I don't have adequate words. We are in the midst of COVID-19, and you carried me away and comforted my soul. Dear One, be safe, stay healthy. Namaste
This is the most magnificent arrangement of The Moldau I have ever heard. What a blessing to my soul to hear and watch you perform it. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.
i was doing my homework on classical music autoplay and i suddenly heard this and i was so mesmerized i couldnt continue anymore there was some kind of magic to it that just made me listen and do nothing, it was such a bliss to be able to listen to this music, thank you for playing this wonderful piece
She was definitely created to master this beautiful instrument. She plays with such passion and skill, it's transcending and alluring. That is how greatness is done!!
This is one of the most beautiful piece of music I have ever heard. Masterfully played on such a gorgeous and angelic instrument. Brought tears to my eyes! Absolutely jaw-dropping.
Something I discovered when performing is that when you play from memory with confidence, you begin to project. The interpretation begins to flow from the heart. This, I believe, is what I witnessed in your performance; thank you!
the only way I can describe hearing this ....... is like, instead of hearing each note hit the table like a raindrop, it sounds like shes pouring the notes out like waterr from a vase. it has a liquidity that ive not heard anywhere else
I got to know her family very well. I first met her father when we were about 5 or 6 years old. I'm retired now, but I got to know the whole family, they were from Sherbrooke, in the province of Quebec, Canada. Her father had 9 siblings. She went to Europe many years ago and won 1st prize among all harpists and she also won 1st prize in New York thereafter. I heard her at her very beginning at a concert held in a Church in Montreal, Canada. What's mot interesting about her family is that her dad became an orthopaedic surgeon and of course had the money to buy a grand piano for his 2 daughters. Valerie has a sister, Elise, who was playing the piano. Valerie started piano lessons and wasn't very thrilled with the piano. So one day her dad had her listen to some classical music - could have been a concerto with an orchestra and the harp, I didn't get this straighten out ever. She fell in love with the sound of the harp and then she started harp lessons and the rest is history...
Pur nous, les tchèques, cette musique est une part inséparable du notre âme nationale, de notre cœur, ces notes écrites par le grand génie de Smetana parlent à nous tous ici. Et vous l’avez les jouée avec tant d’amour et tant de musicalité profonde! Merci pour votre musique chère madame !
Last night we had a school drought relief concert, one of my year 12 friends played this. She is in multiple professional orchestras including Australian Youth Orchestra and played this piece so beautifully that I cried during the performance. I love the piece - I played it on oboe in one of my orchestras half a year ago and one of the melodies is a lovely oboe duet which made me cry. :)
There's something magical about the fingers, I mean watching them... A bit they bring back to mind Penelope, but also millennia of women's labour on weaving fabrics, made into the most delicate form of Art...
Как нужно любить музыку, чтобы достичь такого мастерства?! Браво! Я бы с удовольствием сходила на концерт. Сметана на арфе - это наслаждение для моих ушей, целебная музыка для души!
I am speechless! You are truly gifted Valerie and this is masterpiece. Respect. Now I’ve heard your version, which I love, I can imagine than this was exactly what Smetana heard in his head when he was thinking it whilst composing it - angelic level. Respect to him as well because he was completely deaf when he wrote Moldau…
Eleven blissful minutes of crystal clear water flowing directly into my ear canals. Thought I already knew every corner of this popular orchestral piece, but I was obviously wrong. Thank you for adding this to my life experience.
Bedřich Smetana was one of my favorite composers of my country both like for example Leoš Janáček, Josef Mysliveček, Antonín Dvořák or Leopold Koželuh and of course František Škroup because with my humble opinion our anthem is beautiful.
How has this only got 600K views when there are vids of amateurs twanging away at their harp like it was a banjo with millions of views? This is a truly wonderful performance in the literal sense of the word and makes my day every time I listen to it.
So ashamed to witness this miracle so many years after it was uploaded, but never too late to enjoy! The transcription and the performance are insanely good. A respectful and overwhelmlingly beautiful hommage to Smetana and his devotion for his homeland
She is a very young master, I am very much interested in how she had been trained until she could achieve this perfection as an artist :) I like her calm and quiet emotional expressions too. It feels an art of life herself
I have watched this video for years in wonder, and 2 years ago bought The Moldau because of it. You have inspired me to push for this piece and I am halfway through it, mainly due to you! Thank you for this amazing interpretation, I cannot count how many times I have listened to it.
Thank you Kevin! I'm touched by your comment. :) I've just recorded news videos 2 weeks ago; they will be online before the end of the summer. Hope you'll like them too ;)
Ongelooflijk mooi!!! 't geeft me kippenvel !!! Met ingehouden adem zit 'k hier te genieten van deze heerlijk klanken , gebracht door 'n buitengewoon getalenteerd iemand !!
merci pour cette vidéo c'est vraiment superbe j'ai un disque 33 t de la Moldau de Smetana et c'est l'un me morceaux préférés merci de l'avoir repris avec ce bel instrument qu'est la harpe vous êtes sublime
Divine! Congratulations on your performance, sensitivity and technique. Die Moldau is one of the most appreciated works by me. I am a Violist, and I have had the pleasure of performing this exquisite Work by Bedrich Smetana a few times with the Symphony Orchestra of my City. Recife, Brazil.
There are absolutely excellent musicians in this world and great to be able to listen to We are blessed with their talents! Love you all for sharing it with us ♡
Smetana's Vltava is one of the best works that express the flow of water, especially in the opening. It is simply a masterpiece. It has the life, but what makes it last forever is this young lady master's fingers that give the elixir for the music. :))
I lay here in bed attempting to enter slumber. Yet this, what one would think to be soft, calm music; this music empowers me. It feels like I’ve been set free to glide through a new world. This feels like a slumber I do not want to wake from
Why the blazing hell would anyone dislike this? Let alone 53 people!? This is masterful and awe inspiring! Fantastic performance. I've watched this video dozens of times and I must say I appreciate and respect your discipline greatly.
I watch this video frequently too, it can never get old~ As for the other people who dislike the video, that is a true wonder...maybe they're the type who can't resist going against the flow to feel significant or maybe there were a few button mashing toddlers in the process. You just can't deny classical music's effect on the mind though, I believe every human loves it...even if they are unaware they do. :,)
This must be the rate that someone accidentally hits the dislike when they meant to press the like or replay it. The buttons are terribly close on UA-cam music,I’ve done it a few times.
Interestingly that number has now more than tripled. I'm not confused on who's disliking this. Obviously music-haters. But what I'm confused about is how could someone who hates music so much find their way to this video. Unless it's bots that go around disliking videos...
Yes! My parents had an orchestra recording of Moldau on vinyl (33rpm album) that always intrigued and moved me - rich and mysterious movements. Smetana created an enduring masterpiece. This is a stunning interpretation and performance.
"Quand le ciel bas et lourd pèse comme un couvercle" la fluidité de cette moldaw interprètee magnifiquement nous permet de nous envoler vers d'autres cieux. Merci pour ce moment privilégié!
Valerie, there are no words in English or French to adequately describe the feelings that your performances evoke. Transcendent and inspirational are just shadows.
I will never be anywhere near this good...but this is part of the road to why I just purchased my first harp and am diligently working on fingering exercises, studying bracketing, and letting my hands and arms learn this new position in which to operate. I watch the playing here and the sheer mastery...to think that years and years ago I could not understand why anyone liked harps. Life is a never ending series of discoveries 🙂
Wow, this is absolutely breathtaking. So beautifully played. This song sounds so mesmerizing on the harp; it truly captures the flowing and running of water. Thank you for sharing!
I wonder if she still reads these comments. I don't play the harp but you make me want to!!! I can't imagine how much practice and love you have for such an instrument. You're also very pretty!!! I wish you the best.
*Valérie Milot, strumming the strings of the harp . . . .* - I'm a lover of music, but I have to readily confess: After seeing and _listening_ to Valérie's performance, I am lost for words . . . . . *_Bravissimo!!!_* ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💓
In case anyone isn't familiar with the repertoire - this is a piece which normally requires at least a 40-piece orchestra. She's playing it on one harp. There is very little missing, she's making it work musically, and she's playing it with tremendous sensitivity. What she's doing here is almost impossible.
Yes, it is transcribed and rearranged by H. Trnecek. and it is performed in Eb minor
It's actually not that hard in the hands of a skilled arranger. In an orchestra, many instruments play identical notes, perhaps an octave or two apart. Piano and harp reductions of orchestral pieces are fairly common.
@@johnburns3510aka Mr. Know it all, way to poop on a wonderful compliment to the performance.
@@massunger1 Valérie Milot's performance is great; I thoroughly enjoyed it. Paul Baker's comment, however, is not accurate, and this was the reason for my comment. You provided no justification for your comment, but stooped to insults. Your comment reflects more upon yourself than upon me.
John Burns your condescending tone is more than an insult to Paul Bakers accurate assessment of her performance, and a defecation of words upon this feed. My comment stands.
This literally improved the quality of my existence
Yes, mine also! :)
Ditto.
hahahahhahha
SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAME!
lmfao. I agree absolutely!
Those pedal changes are INSANE. There was a part where she was changing pedals every beat. As a harpist I have nothing but respect for that.
It's truly amazing. I didn't even know that harps have pedals, or what they are for. 😀 But I have listened to this piece many times for almost 60 years since my high school music teacher played it to us on some old disk player, and parts of it on the piano. I really love this piece. It was kind of my awakening to great classical music.
Should have taken it on a Welsh triple: no pedals to worry about. The only truly fully chromatic harp!
Now that you said it, I noticed it too. Wow
@@paulcaswell2813 But the range of that type of harp (also double-stringed ones) is smaller.
Can you time stamp?
Wait, did she memories an 11 minute long piece and played it perfectly by heart? Respect.
Yes! Most soloists will memorize their pieces. Generally we practice to the point that we don't have to think about the ink on the page itself, just the physical sensations involved with making that ink the best it can be. The cliche is to practice until you cannot get it wrong, and especially with very difficult pieces, it often takes that much practicing to feel confident to play a piece for a recital, at which point you basically have it memorized. Memorizing the piece also means you're not looking at the page, you're looking at the musicians you're playing with or your accompanist or conductor to ensure good communication and very precise timing. If you watch a really great concert soloist, they'll rarely have music in front of them, they'll be most frequently making eyes or gestures at the conductor so the conductor can keep the orchestra in check to perfectly accompany the soloist.
@@discogoth Yep.. For most musicians playing a difficult piece like this, you can't help but memorize it while practicing. And with harp, there's a lot to work out ahead of time with the fingering and pedaling, so you can't much read the notes right off the page anyway.
But some like to have the music in front of them because they're used to that in practice. Music is also good when your mind momentarily goes blank in a live performance, which is the most likely time for that!
That being said simpler music can be playable off the shelf without having played it in a long time, or ever.
Learning how to get out of the way and to just play after having rehearsed and practiced and dreamt of the music...
Pretty common. Here in France, even first year student pianist have to memorise their piece for exam.
Similarly, actors have to memorize pages and pages of lines for a play. Singers also have to learn 1 or 2 hours of songs for their concerts. It's incredible.
What I love the most about really advanced musicians, is their expression as the piece they're playing unfolds. Some musicians are overly expressive for the sake of showing off, but the ones who are humble in their performance produce the most authentic and honest responses. When Valérie faintly furrows her brow when the piece becomes dark and intense, or smiles ever so slightly when it switches to light and dainty major, I just fall that much more in love with the music. It's like when a narrator reacts to a story as they tell it, and it makes it so much more immersive.
well said indigo fire!!
Well put!!❤️
A perfection in the most natural ways is something that is beyond art :)))
Near 8:48 I love the most when she breathes the lightest tunes ;))))))))))) She's the most gorgeous musician I've ever found
Very well put. Much of the joy of this piece is watching her concentration and shades of expression. I am in awe.
Absolument magnifique. Vous remplacez un orchestre symphonique à vous toute seule. Exceptionnel ! Merci du fond du cœur.
Absolutely magnificent.
A proof this instrument was designed and made in Heaven.
rbaleksandar couldn't agree more :)
no that was a ten-stringed harp as per psalmist.
Absolutely true. That's the main reason it enters your soul.
So true. My favourite.
Harp somehow is the mirror of truth. If you like Smetana for sure you must now very well the world of classical music. Isn't it?
Who needs an entire orchestra wen you can have one harp
Everyone has already said so many wonderful things in the comments. I can only add that I am so grateful that you are in the world, Valerie. It’s a supreme experience to see and hear you play.
I think this is one of the best (if not the best) feedbacks/compliments a musician can get. Mainly musicians spend way too many hours studying alone at home and sometimes this lonely practice can bring a sense of detachment of the rest of the world and maybe even a little loss of point in all of that practice.
@prigama1 Thank you so much for speaking for all the musicians out there! Myself included! Spending hours in a practice room for days, weeks, even years can be sometimes disheartening, feeling like you're missing out on life.
It was the sound of harp music that comforted me after the loss of my little boy. I believe the tune was called The Littlest Cowpoke. I played and replayed it dozens of times and wept and wept. The harp softened the blows of such painful grief.
I'm incredibly sorry for your loss. I hope you are doing better now.
Só Só So..Sorry for Your Loss💜 I Understand Your Grief and Sorrow for I Am Well Acquainted And Familiar with such Grief...I too Lost My only child, My son, at 18 yrs of age🌿🌿
I Thought I would live/endure with the Intense pain for the Rest of My life!!
But, I have learned, through the Christ, that My son and I are Spirit..And We remain Together🌟🌟
My Hope Is that You
Find Peace And Relief
Eternal..as You felt with the Músic of The Harp🔥🎵🎵🎵☮️
David played the harp for King Saul in the Bible to ward off demons who tormented him. Just thought this was an interesting fact to share
My heart melts for your pain praying hope they comfort you
As a native Czech, I like Vltava and it is emotional for me to hear it being played by such a beautiful instrument as the harp. Bravo Valérie! It is beautiful, perfect, admirable and immensely difficult.👏👏
this was probably the prettiest piece of music i heard of my life played by a single person
Il y a de ces rivières où on aime retourner.
Les notes de musique coulent comme une pluie fine dans un doux ruisseau. C'est magique.
I can’t stop listening to this. Her playing is so fluid and flawless.
As a harpist, this is one of my favorite orchestral pieces, and Valerie Milot's performance and interpretation is simply unmatched. This will be the gold standard for anyone learning the piece. Bravo!
Valérie ! Hier , j'ai eu la chance de vous voir jouer cette pièce en personne sur "Apollonia" . J'ai ressenti le besoin de revenir vous écouter . Merci pour cette magnifique prestation ! Vous avez un nouveau fan . ;-)
As a non-musician, playing a harp at all looks just impossible, but Valerie makes it look effortless and the sound she produces is wonderful - I was totally entranced by this performance.
As a classically trained violinist for over 10 years, I am now beginning to want to learn this beautiful instrument, too. It's magical and thrilling. Even more than anything I can make on my violin.
I have dropped the violin for the harp. Much easier... only 4 digits and forget about torturing the extension of a 5th finger... it just follows, idle! And you feel like you hug your harp: what fun! Besides, we can always play both, just don't get confused about the fingering number!
@@clairedionne559 Thumbs at top and as a keyboard player? Diabolical ;-)
I heard this musical piece once at a school function in elementary school and never forgot the main theme. Ive been looking for it for years online. Today, I randomly chose this harp piece, and "eureka!" ☺ One of my favorite days in childhood was a spring morning in my front yard. It had rained a great deal lately, and the creek was overflowing. I hummed this tune and watched droplets fall with their sweet rhythm all over the brilliant green grass. I dont know why this memory is so potent to me, but I cherish it.
Did you know that the music was about water? Or did you just instinctively hum the tune? Sorry for my curiousity, but I always felt that this piece of music so beautifully captures the "feeling" of water...
@@simplicity_007 I think the presentation informed us that the piece was about water. This piece definitely sounds like water flowing, doesn't it?
@@arraynetheelf yes, it does.... It's beautiful...❤️
Thank you for allowing us yo cherish your memory with you. ❤
Це супер! Я просто розчинився у цій музиці! Ви талант! Продовжуйте! Дякую!
A plausible back ground story: The audience was waiting patiently. But the orchestra couldn’t arrive in time because of a major flight delay. Fortunately this harpist was in town to fill in. Most of the audience thought that this was the concert as planned. They all loved it. And so do I.
Шедевральное испонение оркестрового произведения на одном инструменте.
Аккустика потрясающая.
Браво!!!👏👏👏
An incredible performance. Art validates humanity's existence.
This woman is a extremely good player, wow!
This man good grammar
the spumel joke this man good pfp
I'm very moved by this performance, such sensitivity and talent. The Moldau by Smetana was the first piece of classical music, played by the music teacher in primary school, when I was about 12. He explained the parts of it, representing the river Moldau in different phases on its journey to the sea. His enthusiasm was contagious, I'll never forget this man's skill, in teaching
Sometimes on our stay on earth one comes across a paradise of solitude,peace and heavenly music, played by an angel....now when I came across Valerie Milot playing "Moldau" on the magical harp...I came across such a paradise and i touched heaven !
Thank you, Ms Milot. I don't have adequate words.
We are in the midst of COVID-19, and you carried me away and comforted my soul.
Dear One, be safe, stay healthy. Namaste
This is the most magnificent arrangement of The Moldau I have ever heard. What a blessing to my soul to hear and watch you perform it. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.
couldn't agree more, that is absolutely superb! Thank you Valerie
Vltata...as Smetana would have it ; ) (Czech)
And don't forget the arranger/transcriber Hans Trnecek.
Nádhera neskutečná nádhera úplně mi vlhnou oči bravo!! 👏👏👏👏
i was doing my homework on classical music autoplay and i suddenly heard this and i was so mesmerized i couldnt continue anymore there was some kind of magic to it that just made me listen and do nothing, it was such a bliss to be able to listen to this music, thank you for playing this wonderful piece
Touches my heart ; thank you!
While listening I forgot my coffee and got cold....but instead my soul woke up after this extremely peaceful play!! Heaven is real...
She was definitely created to master this beautiful instrument. She plays with such passion and skill, it's transcending and alluring. That is how greatness is done!!
She makes playing the harp look easy. The opposite is true.
Unbelievable! The Moldau is my favorite composition ever and to hear so much music come out of one instrument is just beyond comprehension.
This is one of the most beautiful piece of music I have ever heard. Masterfully played on such a gorgeous and angelic instrument. Brought tears to my eyes! Absolutely jaw-dropping.
She's a Goddess. Plain and simple. I love this piece, this is the most beautiful rendition I've ever heard!
Something I discovered when performing is that when you play from memory with confidence, you begin to project. The interpretation begins to flow from the heart. This, I believe, is what I witnessed in your performance; thank you!
Il y a des morceaux de musique, des instruments et des musiciens qui jouent directement pour l'âme et le cœur, merci, merci, merci Valérie.
Her wonderful and comfortable performance promotes peace and serenity of the soul, and unrivaled ,and beyond description
the only way I can describe hearing this ....... is like, instead of hearing each note hit the table like a raindrop, it sounds like shes pouring the notes out like waterr from a vase. it has a liquidity that ive not heard anywhere else
I got to know her family very well. I first met her father when we were about 5 or 6 years old. I'm retired now, but I got to know the whole family, they were from Sherbrooke, in the province of Quebec, Canada. Her father had 9 siblings. She went to Europe many years ago and won 1st prize among all harpists and she also won 1st prize in New York thereafter. I heard her at her very beginning at a concert held in a Church in Montreal, Canada. What's mot interesting about her family is that her dad became an orthopaedic surgeon and of course had the money to buy a grand piano for his 2 daughters. Valerie has a sister, Elise, who was playing the piano. Valerie started piano lessons and wasn't very thrilled with the piano. So one day her dad had her listen to some classical music - could have been a concerto with an orchestra and the harp, I didn't get this straighten out ever. She fell in love with the sound of the harp and then she started harp lessons and the rest is history...
The Moldau is a tone poem about the Moldau River - that's why it sounds like that to you!
I agree. For me, sometimes it seems that she is not touching the strings.
This is what heaven must sound...
Agreed
Pur nous, les tchèques, cette musique est une part inséparable du notre âme nationale, de notre cœur, ces notes écrites par le grand génie de Smetana parlent à nous tous ici. Et vous l’avez les jouée avec tant d’amour et tant de musicalité profonde! Merci pour votre musique chère madame !
I feel that I'm about to cry from how beautiful this is
Last night we had a school drought relief concert, one of my year 12 friends played this. She is in multiple professional orchestras including Australian Youth Orchestra and played this piece so beautifully that I cried during the performance. I love the piece - I played it on oboe in one of my orchestras half a year ago and one of the melodies is a lovely oboe duet which made me cry. :)
Mon Dieu, une des plus belles choses qu'il m'est été donné d'entendre... On dirait que le Moldau s'est mué en musique céleste.
There's something magical about the fingers, I mean watching them... A bit they bring back to mind Penelope, but also millennia of women's labour on weaving fabrics, made into the most delicate form of Art...
Love from INDIA ❤
Как нужно любить музыку, чтобы достичь такого мастерства?! Браво! Я бы с удовольствием сходила на концерт. Сметана на арфе - это наслаждение для моих ушей, целебная музыка для души!
If I could only listen to one piece of music ever again, it would be this.
Remains one of the most beautiful harp pieces on UA-cam, amazing.
The harp to me is the most beautiful instrument ever made. This is amazing. I can listen to this all day.
I am speechless! You are truly gifted Valerie and this is masterpiece. Respect. Now I’ve heard your version, which I love, I can imagine than this was exactly what Smetana heard in his head when he was thinking it whilst composing it - angelic level. Respect to him as well because he was completely deaf when he wrote Moldau…
Eleven blissful minutes of crystal clear water flowing directly into my ear canals. Thought I already knew every corner of this popular orchestral piece, but I was obviously wrong. Thank you for adding this to my life experience.
Bedřich Smetana was one of my favorite composers of my country both like for example Leoš Janáček, Josef Mysliveček, Antonín Dvořák or Leopold Koželuh and of course František Škroup because with my humble opinion our anthem is beautiful.
never thought I'd see Emma Watson play one of my favorite classical pieces on one of the most heavenly sounding instruments lol
How has this only got 600K views when there are vids of amateurs twanging away at their harp like it was a banjo with millions of views? This is a truly wonderful performance in the literal sense of the word and makes my day every time I listen to it.
I totally agree. Real music isn't interesting to most people, they need tweerking and a repetitive beat that maybe changes 2 times in the song
Some people consume and produce some music like fast food, eat and trash. They simply live like that. Never mind :)
So ashamed to witness this miracle so many years after it was uploaded, but never too late to enjoy! The transcription and the performance are insanely good. A respectful and overwhelmlingly beautiful hommage to Smetana and his devotion for his homeland
Heavenly waters flowing through her finger tips. Pure gold extraordinary !
She really does have the elixir for a music in her hands! ;)))))
elegant and soulful watching u here in Dinagat Islands, Philippines
She is a very young master, I am very much interested in how she had been trained until she could achieve this perfection as an artist :) I like her calm and quiet emotional expressions too. It feels an art of life herself
WOW!!! This is so beautiful. I have heard Vltava thousands of times, but this is simply magnificent. Thank you for sharing it with us.
Арфа - инструмент-оркестр, есть ощущение, что исполнитель не один, а множество!
I have watched this video for years in wonder, and 2 years ago bought The Moldau because of it. You have inspired me to push for this piece and I am halfway through it, mainly due to you! Thank you for this amazing interpretation, I cannot count how many times I have listened to it.
Thank you Kevin! I'm touched by your comment. :) I've just recorded news videos 2 weeks ago; they will be online before the end of the summer. Hope you'll like them too ;)
Ongelooflijk mooi!!! 't geeft me kippenvel !!! Met ingehouden adem zit 'k hier te genieten van deze heerlijk klanken , gebracht door 'n buitengewoon getalenteerd iemand !!
merci pour cette vidéo c'est vraiment superbe j'ai un disque 33 t de la Moldau de Smetana et c'est l'un me morceaux préférés merci de l'avoir repris avec ce bel instrument qu'est la harpe vous êtes sublime
Divine! Congratulations on your performance, sensitivity and technique. Die Moldau is one of the most appreciated works by me. I am a Violist, and I have had the pleasure of performing this exquisite Work by Bedrich Smetana a few times with the Symphony Orchestra of my City. Recife, Brazil.
Congratulations to you as well! Hope the piece returns for you to play.
Every time I watch this, I ask myself how something so perfect can be real
There are absolutely excellent musicians in this world and great to be able to listen to
We are blessed with their talents! Love you all for sharing it with us ♡
Only one musical instrument. Beautiful.
+Valerie Milot - superb, beautiful, and elegant playing. True mastery.
It sound so natural. Her music sound good, I enjoyed it a lot and I don't normally enjoy music much.
This is beautiful. Hard to believe it is just one instrument playing
Благодарю за прекрасную музыку!Мира!Любви!Творчества!Процветания💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖
Justi have to say these words... She played it amazingly beautiful and she is a Canadian 🇨🇦🍁 🙌
That's really neat. I didn't know that. I'm another Canadian who plays the harp (though not nearly so well). I really love her performance here.
Tant d’harmonies madame 👏👏👏vous jouez merveilleusement bien 👍 la HARPE❤ dans une infinie poésie 😘🙏
wow, this music brought tears to my eyes. absolutely beautiful!
Smetana's Vltava is one of the best works that express the flow of water, especially in the opening. It is simply a masterpiece. It has the life, but what makes it last forever is this young lady master's fingers that give the elixir for the music. :))
C'est bien de nous faire rêver. Merci pour ce moment idéal.
I think Bedrich would be standing up and applauding at the mastery demonstrated by this fantastic interpretation!
I lay here in bed attempting to enter slumber. Yet this, what one would think to be soft, calm music; this music empowers me. It feels like I’ve been set free to glide through a new world. This feels like a slumber I do not want to wake from
Why the blazing hell would anyone dislike this? Let alone 53 people!? This is masterful and awe inspiring! Fantastic performance. I've watched this video dozens of times and I must say I appreciate and respect your discipline greatly.
I was just thinking the same thing.
I watch this video frequently too, it can never get old~
As for the other people who dislike the video, that is a true wonder...maybe they're the type who can't resist going against the flow to feel significant or maybe there were a few button mashing toddlers in the process. You just can't deny classical music's effect on the mind though, I believe every human loves it...even if they are unaware they do. :,)
This must be the rate that someone accidentally hits the dislike when they meant to press the like or replay it. The buttons are terribly close on UA-cam music,I’ve done it a few times.
Danny K a few idiots
Interestingly that number has now more than tripled. I'm not confused on who's disliking this. Obviously music-haters. But what I'm confused about is how could someone who hates music so much find their way to this video. Unless it's bots that go around disliking videos...
As I child I was fascinated with the Moldau. I am once again.
Yes! My parents had an orchestra recording of Moldau on vinyl (33rpm album) that always intrigued and moved me - rich and mysterious movements. Smetana created an enduring masterpiece. This is a stunning interpretation and performance.
Absolutely mesmerising . Divine- I can hear my National Anthem
"Quand le ciel bas et lourd pèse comme un couvercle" la fluidité de cette moldaw interprètee magnifiquement nous permet de nous envoler vers d'autres cieux. Merci pour ce moment privilégié!
Such an AMAZING performance of this piece! Brava to you Valérie Milot for such a beautiful interpretation and such beautiful playing!
Thank you dear Jason. :)
Valerie, there are no words in English or French to adequately describe the feelings that your performances evoke. Transcendent and inspirational are just shadows.
I am in love with this harpist’s ability to portray some of my favorite music on the harp. If she does Chopin’s A Flat Major Polonaise, I am lost.
I can't stop listening to this. I love the piece but her interpretation is truly amazing. Paul Baker's comment is spot on. Sublime, thank you.
UNE MERVEILLE!
Excellent.
I had no idea that the harp could express such a magnificent world.😊
Спасибо вам за это чудесное исполнение, просто великолепная музыка!
BRAVO! A gorgeous rendition of my favorite piece of classical music❤️
I will never be anywhere near this good...but this is part of the road to why I just purchased my first harp and am diligently working on fingering exercises, studying bracketing, and letting my hands and arms learn this new position in which to operate. I watch the playing here and the sheer mastery...to think that years and years ago I could not understand why anyone liked harps. Life is a never ending series of discoveries 🙂
Incredible. Almost as beautiful and healing to watch her facial expressions as to listen to the music
Grâce et beauté! Merci!
A towering performance of astonishing virtuosity and breathtaking feeling. Thank you so much for what you do, and for sharing it with us all!
"and I think to myself, what a wonderful world"
Wow, this is absolutely breathtaking. So beautifully played. This song sounds so mesmerizing on the harp; it truly captures the flowing and running of water. Thank you for sharing!
I wonder if she still reads these comments. I don't play the harp but you make me want to!!! I can't imagine how much practice and love you have for such an instrument. You're also very pretty!!! I wish you the best.
Thank you Stephanie ;)
*Valérie Milot, strumming the strings of the harp . . . .* - I'm a lover of music, but I have to readily confess: After seeing and _listening_ to Valérie's performance, I am lost for words . . . . . *_Bravissimo!!!_* ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💓
Absolument magistral !
I have no words to this! Really, this is beyond words
És la primera vegada que escolto la simfonia Smentana, tocada només amb l'arpa i m'ha agradat molt és relaxant, melòdica, I el pensament flueix.