I've heard lots of versions of Bolcom rags, and played some myself, and this young lady I never heard of not merely holds her own with the very best of them, indeed, she bests most of them. She combines strong rhythmic pulse with convincing flexible rubato, changes in dynamics and tone color, and a feeling for the drama and abrupt transitions of Serpent's Kiss. Her intense expressive involvement with the music speaks and enthralls you. Alpha plus!
18 днів тому
Catchy eye contact / kiss at 09:40 !!! :-* Love it... Very nice.
Having heard The Serpent's Kiss played in concert, I decided to use it for an assignment in my musicology seminar, so I listened to a great number of performances, and just keep coming back to THIS one! It is my favorite by far!! Thank you.
Melissa, I am in awe! Both pieces are done perfectly. Never heard better interpretations. That serpent is sooo good! Words do not express how much I loved them . So, I keep coming back for seconds. Thanks for sharing.
That was amazing! Best performance of this piece I could find on the internet! Really exciting and well-controlled (which is hard to do with this one).
Hi Randy, both pieces are in the book of complete rags, which you can purchase on Amazon: www.amazon.com/William-Bolcom-Complete-Piano-Revised/dp/0634001825 There are a few parts in The Serpent's Kiss (namely the vocal percussion) that are personal touches that are not in the score, as well as a few note variations towards the end that were suggested by Bolcom.
I've heard lots of versions of Bolcom rags, and played some myself, and this young lady I never heard of not merely holds her own with the very best of them, indeed, she bests most of them. She combines strong rhythmic pulse with convincing flexible rubato, changes in dynamics and tone color, and a feeling for the drama and abrupt transitions of Serpent's Kiss. Her intense expressive involvement with the music speaks and enthralls you. Alpha plus!
Catchy eye contact / kiss at 09:40 !!! :-*
Love it... Very nice.
For me, this will always be *the* quintessential interpretation of The Serpent's Kiss. Incredible job!
WOW. Thank you!
Having heard The Serpent's Kiss played in concert, I decided to use it for an assignment in my musicology seminar, so I listened to a great number of performances, and just keep coming back to THIS one! It is my favorite by far!! Thank you.
so well played with ease, best version of Last Rag heard so far
Melissa, I am in awe! Both pieces are done perfectly. Never heard better interpretations. That serpent is sooo good! Words do not express how much I loved them . So, I keep coming back for seconds. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much!
Phenomenal, Melissa. It's impossible for me to imagine two better interpretations.
A bit late to the show here, but I just wanted to say thank you for sharing! The performance of the Serpent's Kiss is absolutely fantastic!❤
Really nice! Does justice to the tempo, rhythm and dynamics.
She’s so cute and yet such a piano monster! What a wonderful and talented human being!
Perfect playing on the Last Rag, sounds like Brahms. Your version of The Serpent's Kiss is mind-blowing.
This is amazing. What an enormously talented musician! Always great to hear Bolcom's works, too.
Fantastic musicianship and fantastically fun! Congratulations on your M.A.
FAAAANNTASTIC!
Melissa, Thank you!
Very Energetic and lovely musical flows. Superb!
That was amazing! Best performance of this piece I could find on the internet! Really exciting and well-controlled (which is hard to do with this one).
Wow. Thanks so much, Aaron!!
Arkham
very beautifull. Most of Bolcom's Rags are very hard to play. Well done!
OMG, Great!
The Serpent's Kiss is so cool!
Wonderful
at 7:05 cf "Officer Krupke youve done it again,
this boy dont need a job needs a year in the pen.
(West Side Story.
Just the right temperament!
10:14 onward is my favorite
where can you find the sheet music for the last rag
aswell as the edition you use for the serpent’s kiss?
Hi Randy, both pieces are in the book of complete rags, which you can purchase on Amazon: www.amazon.com/William-Bolcom-Complete-Piano-Revised/dp/0634001825
There are a few parts in The Serpent's Kiss (namely the vocal percussion) that are personal touches that are not in the score, as well as a few note variations towards the end that were suggested by Bolcom.
Thank you for the reply. I bought the complete rags book from Amazon too and I am enjoying reading a few. You And Bolcom are an inspiration Melissa!
Excellent playing of this music. Poor video work though.