I don't believe in concepts such as "most difficult", "most challenging" or "hardest"; these are relative. But today, the concept of "difficulty" is viewed from only one perspective! Flashy technique, akin to sports skills, is not the only thing that determines musical performance and difficulty in music.
Not sure it is very useful to scare oneself about playing Mozart. Better play it the best you can with all your soul and subtlety your able of . Of course, it never will be sufficient but if someone in the audience listening at your playing thinks even only for one second to "the little notes that love one another", that makes your day! And after? Just continue for the rest of your life - not exactly a punishment, don't you think?
Anyone can play Mozart, but the issue of playing Mozart well is very complex. The new generation of pianists and listeners do not understand this. Thanks so much for pointing this out! You prepared it very cleverly.
Isnt that incredible, It should be a joke that music that sounds so simple and plain can be so concise and difficult!! But it is! There is so much to discover in Mozart, we don't know if there is enough time...
Funnily enough I've never heard this simplicity everyone talks about when mentioning Mozart. I've always felt that, even while merely listening to one of his pieces, even if they're not fast and flashy, like the sonata Richter is playing in the background of this video, you can always understand how complex and composite they are, how they always put forward musical ideas that are intellectually very sophisticated (often beyond my understanding, unlike many other composers which appear to be quite blunt and plain in their creations) and sonically very refined
@@pe-peron8441 Composer Elliott Carter had a great seminar on this subject: Mozart has a tendency to present complex techniques in a simple, uncomplicated way. Therefore, Mozart's understanding of perfect and refined simplicity can be equated with crude and superficial simplicity. The concept of simplicity here is different from what most people understand. The motto of Ravel, who took Mozart as a role model was: "complex but not complicated". Mozart's music is not simple in any way and very detailed, refined; but he tries not to sound complicated or difficult. That's why it's misunderstood. As John Cage said, Mozart's music is implicit. I think there is a multi-layered structure and it is not so easy to see the other layers.
I'm not entirely familiar with Gould's views, but I'll speak to what I know. Gould's approach to Mozart seems a bit complex. He didn't said that Mozart was a bad composer, but claims that his compositions became worse as he concentrated on opera. He states that Mozart's start to think of all his works as dramatic had a bad effect on his writing style. So he prefers Mozart's early works. Even though I don't agree with his opinion, I can understand Gould since I know that he does not like the concept of opera and non-musical elements. He also sees what Mozart can do and his capacity, but blames him for conforming to the norms of the period. Even though I disagree (Mozart has exceptional works), I don't think it's a ridiculous criticism.
@@OzanFabienGuvener Here is one example that is quite thrilling. But he hadn't yet dared make a career away from the stage, and may have felt some obligation to conform more than later.
The Menuhin quote is my favorite. I often feel like people overemphasize the “silly” aspect of his personality to the point where Mozart becomes not a person, but a caricature of a class clown with few complicated emotions.
If I need to add a detail: Camille Saint-Saëns describes Chopin's rubato as "the most difficult thing" because certain sections in the left hand move metronomically while other parts move freely, two opposing understandings coexist. Not a simple right hand timing shift, Except for the bass line, the accompanying left hand is entirely in strict time but right hand moving in free time and phrasing like the singer. Saint-Saëns said that most pianists cheat on rubato and notes that real Chopin rubato is very very difficult, which I agree with. In fact, the basis of Chopin's rubato comes from Mozart (Chopin probably saw it from Mozart's pupil Hummel), there are very similar expressions in Mozart's letters. Most pianists play Chopin and Mozart in a simplified manner. Whereas, things get even more complicated when we acknowledge the operatic influence from all angles (dramatic structure/variability, singer's phrasing/timing/rubato) and try to play it as Mozart had it in mind. In order to create a singer effect in right hand melodies, they should be played with more legato and the pedal should be used infrequently. And as Mozart said, everything should sound natural. I remember in one of his letters he reacted to the person who exaggerated the trills and played them without emotion.
Wrong - there is in fact one that is MORE difficult than Mozart.. Me. See for instance my new Scherzo:ua-cam.com/video/y7B78GGCDGc/v-deo.html. You see - writing the texts accompanying the music video is also hard. For instance, there is a spelling mistake around 4:47
I don't believe in concepts such as "most difficult", "most challenging" or "hardest"; these are relative. But today, the concept of "difficulty" is viewed from only one perspective! Flashy technique, akin to sports skills, is not the only thing that determines musical performance and difficulty in music.
Not sure it is very useful to scare oneself about playing Mozart. Better play it the best you can with all your soul and subtlety your able of . Of course, it never will be sufficient but if someone in the audience listening at your playing thinks even only for one second to "the little notes that love one another", that makes your day! And after? Just continue for the rest of your life - not exactly a punishment, don't you think?
Anyone can play Mozart, but the issue of playing Mozart well is very complex. The new generation of pianists and listeners do not understand this. Thanks so much for pointing this out! You prepared it very cleverly.
Well, that is true for so many composers. Chopin, Liszt, even Rachmaninoff.
@@Seleuce Of course!
@@chopin5981 Just noticed your name. :D
and Richter having a great performance of Mozart. sublime!!
What a Giant he was . . . .
Isnt that incredible, It should be a joke that music that sounds so simple and plain can be so concise and difficult!! But it is! There is so much to discover in Mozart, we don't know if there is enough time...
Funnily enough I've never heard this simplicity everyone talks about when mentioning Mozart. I've always felt that, even while merely listening to one of his pieces, even if they're not fast and flashy, like the sonata Richter is playing in the background of this video, you can always understand how complex and composite they are, how they always put forward musical ideas that are intellectually very sophisticated (often beyond my understanding, unlike many other composers which appear to be quite blunt and plain in their creations) and sonically very refined
@@pe-peron8441 Composer Elliott Carter had a great seminar on this subject: Mozart has a tendency to present complex techniques in a simple, uncomplicated way. Therefore, Mozart's understanding of perfect and refined simplicity can be equated with crude and superficial simplicity. The concept of simplicity here is different from what most people understand. The motto of Ravel, who took Mozart as a role model was: "complex but not complicated". Mozart's music is not simple in any way and very detailed, refined; but he tries not to sound complicated or difficult. That's why it's misunderstood. As John Cage said, Mozart's music is implicit. I think there is a multi-layered structure and it is not so easy to see the other layers.
And then there was Glenn Gould. What a blind spot he had!
I'm not entirely familiar with Gould's views, but I'll speak to what I know. Gould's approach to Mozart seems a bit complex. He didn't said that Mozart was a bad composer, but claims that his compositions became worse as he concentrated on opera. He states that Mozart's start to think of all his works as dramatic had a bad effect on his writing style. So he prefers Mozart's early works. Even though I don't agree with his opinion, I can understand Gould since I know that he does not like the concept of opera and non-musical elements. He also sees what Mozart can do and his capacity, but blames him for conforming to the norms of the period. Even though I disagree (Mozart has exceptional works), I don't think it's a ridiculous criticism.
@@OzanFabienGuvener ua-cam.com/video/K4n6jYKbHnc/v-deo.htmlsi=75tgjxcj3f-hg-98
Quite literally, he did. At least part of the time.
@@OzanFabienGuvener Here is one example that is quite thrilling. But he hadn't yet dared make a career away from the stage, and may have felt some obligation to conform more than later.
ua-cam.com/video/1wLMdi8R4qg/v-deo.htmlsi=swVzlPBIyqRaOD0z
The Menuhin quote is my favorite. I often feel like people overemphasize the “silly” aspect of his personality to the point where Mozart becomes not a person, but a caricature of a class clown with few complicated emotions.
Mexico 🎶🎶🎶🇲🇽🎹
The thrills would have been better played very timidily, with rubato and not loud.
Bach in the cello is similar in that difficulty
If I need to add a detail: Camille Saint-Saëns describes Chopin's rubato as "the most difficult thing" because certain sections in the left hand move metronomically while other parts move freely, two opposing understandings coexist. Not a simple right hand timing shift, Except for the bass line, the accompanying left hand is entirely in strict time but right hand moving in free time and phrasing like the singer. Saint-Saëns said that most pianists cheat on rubato and notes that real Chopin rubato is very very difficult, which I agree with. In fact, the basis of Chopin's rubato comes from Mozart (Chopin probably saw it from Mozart's pupil Hummel), there are very similar expressions in Mozart's letters. Most pianists play Chopin and Mozart in a simplified manner. Whereas, things get even more complicated when we acknowledge the operatic influence from all angles (dramatic structure/variability, singer's phrasing/timing/rubato) and try to play it as Mozart had it in mind. In order to create a singer effect in right hand melodies, they should be played with more legato and the pedal should be used infrequently. And as Mozart said, everything should sound natural. I remember in one of his letters he reacted to the person who exaggerated the trills and played them without emotion.
Wrong -
there is in fact one that is MORE difficult than Mozart.. Me. See for instance my new Scherzo:ua-cam.com/video/y7B78GGCDGc/v-deo.html. You see - writing the texts accompanying the music video is also hard. For instance, there is a spelling mistake around 4:47
No mencionen otros artistas es una grosería. 😮