Myra Hess Plays Jesu,Joy of Man's Desiring and Scarlatti
Вставка
- Опубліковано 16 бер 2008
- Recorded 1958. The great English pianist plays her famous transcription of Jesu,Joy of Man's Desiring from Bach's Cantata No. 147 and the Scarlatti Sonata in G K14.
I've always liked Myra Hess' playing, but my admiration for her as a person went up a lot when I found out that she played many free concerts to keep up morale during the war in London's National Gallery.
My father heard her perform this as a WWII artillery officer, he was so moved to hear these recordings later in life. R.I.P.
@@tonybooth4 My father, too--though he attended concerts by her dear friend Benno Moiseiwitsch and collected all the recordings of Moiseiwitsch that he could at that time. His admiration and love for Myra Hess and Moiseiwitsch were deep and lifelong. We spent many hours listening to his old 78s and early LPs together.
Truly great person
This was one of the few records my parents owned, and hearing it again takes me back to the peace of childhood, before I grew old and ill. Thank you
My mother queued up to hear this at the National Gallery in London, she gave almost 2,000 recitals during WWII to keep morale high.
Scarlatti was done so perfectly, and Jesu was gorgeous.
Myra's trasciption is glorious. Her Scarlatti glitters.
Unübertroffen. Auch nach so vielen Jahren! Danke 🎹🎹🐺
Oh my goodness, what a treasure! This is the exact arrangement of Jesu, Joy which I learned as a child!! To hear her playing her own arrangement is such a privilege!! Now if I could as much heart into it as she did.
Such amazing skills of concertration! I would have to start all over again if I hear anyone cough in the audience.
Tears come to my eyes when hearing this masterpiece by the unforgettable dame Myra Hess
Other worldly.a genius playing genius. Ethereal. After this now I may rest.
I find this performance of transcendent beauty. How sad that so many of the early music crowd are so preoccupied with whether something is correct or not (by their own rigid standards) that they have lost the ability to be moved by beauty of thought and sound. I think Dame Myra was in tune with the spirit of Bach and the music abd that is the important thing.
PS--I had the joy of hearing Dame Myra in person, c.1958, playing Beethoven's Emperor Concerto--Unforgettable!!
Also, two of my piano teachers were friends of hers, and one them actually studied with her teacher, Tobias Matthay, so I feel sort of a personal connection with her.
Thank you so much for this posting, Beckmesser2.
Tobias Matthay, well known with Dutch piano teachers.
A serenely beautiful performance where her intense artistic integrity is placed completely at the service of the music. The Scarlatti serves as a lovely contrast with its great ebullience and complete technical control.
A legend deserving of greater recognition among present day piano scholars I fancy.
One of the most beautiful transcriptions I have ever heard! Absolutely incredible!
in all of this world does music get more sublime than this performance of her Bach transcription and the Scarlatti a compete joyous contrast---- what tone and technical control in both pieces--Hess was a priceless gift to us all.
The absolute pinnacle of musicianship. In a time of hyperbole and unjustified acclaim of mediocrity or worse (even Jerry Springer receives a standing ovation after every commercial break) Dame Hess' playing is the gold standard.
Narrator: Jerry Springer was only the start...
How beautiful this is. I have tears in my eyes every time I hear this piece, and even more so listening to this rendition.
This beautiful tempo of Bach's Jesu Joy of man's desiring was played at our wedding 38 years ago and sadly at my wife's funeral on 5th January 2018 and it is so spiritual.
@@garethwphillips5551 so sorry for your loss Gareth. You two had beautiful taste in music and I will remember your story every time I listen to this piece
Thanks Matt for your kind reply. This beautiful piece of music goes back further in my music mind. We had it also played at my parents' funerals. Indeed I remember it too,played at my grandmother's funeral in1960 and so this piece music means so,so much more to me. Not just in a sorrowful 'place' but also it brings joy for all those happy memories it evokes. Dame Myra's beautiful rendition I regularly play!
@@garethwphillips5551 that is amazing! I am happy this music has been such a big part of your lives. It is certainly the best music!
Pianist M. Hess channels Bach's divinely inspired music in a MAJESTIC RENDITION!
Myra Hess: May God rest your soul in peace! You are giving to all of us so much peace and life-enhancement.
I was very fortunate in having a Matthay colleague and friend of Hess as my first teacher.T h u s I heard Hess many times in New York and New Haven.All in her playing the antithesis of much on today's podium...She once said that the superficial brilliance and mechanical excesses coming into vogue almost inspired her to stand at such recitals and say, 'Vive le sport'...
Thank you so much for sharing this information.
good for her!
Exceptionally beautiful . Probably the best version of this.
It is the best. The standard.
Nobility, simplicity, spirituality...all combine in this performance of "Jesu" to make it the gold standard, as stephenTGV has said here. And her Scarlatti has wit and sparkle! Who today among performers has her musical integrity and purity? She does not have a large discography, but every recording she made is "precious above rubies". Thanks for posting!
What a beautiful performance. What an inspiring woman pianist!
I just listened to someone who I have always admired play Bach...and I came back to the original. There is no comparison.
I hate to say that something is the greatest of all time. But I'll be coming back to this often.
One of the most difficult pieces for solo piano because of the sheer impossibility, for lesser pianists, to bring out the inner voices. Dame Myra and Dinu Lipatti, the all time gold standards. And Dame Myra was a super good hearted person for giving free concerts at that. RIP both.
Time seems to stand still when listening to this performance. Poetry in sound and true and sincere worship of God. In a noisy and false world, here is TRUE BEAUTY from a truly great musician.
This is one of my all-time favourites from Dame Myra Hess,who arranged this piece from Bach`s Cantata No.147,which closes the work,and not to mention a wonderful piece from Scarlatti,which reminds me like Haydn and Mozart.These piano pieces were originally released in 1957 as an EP on the EMI/HMV label and the catalogue number is 7EG 8281.
I think her performance of Bach is full of love.
Glorious! She was up there with the very best ever! Brava! TY.
Her transcription of the chorale has become a staple of the classical piano repertoire, and frequently is an encore choice. Always enjoyed.
Beautiful piece..... thanks!!!!
I LOVE the tempo. Remember Speed kills .
It is such a beautiful piece! My wife played it a few month before she died. Even Dina Lipatti played it as it when he gave his last concert. It is so peaceful.
This sends shivers down my spine- just perfect.
She is an absolute lady delightful. Thank you for sharing
Her masterful and solemn performance is beyond description , inspirational and specutacular
I heard Dame Myra play when I was in College in LA--it must have been 1959 or 1960 (she played her last concert in 1961). I remember her playing the Bach transcription, as well as Schubert and Beethoven. It was sublime playing, and it is a treat to listen to these recordings. I've played Scarlatti sonatas, and believe me when I tell you that her playing is simply miraculous--those pieces are little gems, and deceptively difficult, especially difficult to play as well as she does.
So true James
What a magnificent transcription. Myra Hess captures each and every note, in exactly the right proportion(s), of Bach's choral original -- a miracle of interpretation. Moving, exquisite and unforgettable.
I knew I was listening to something special, the tears rolling down my cheeks, were the tip-off! ...Absolutely amazing! Best Wishes, D.
Beautiful!
Myra Hess has been one of my three favorite pianists (along with Hofmann and Cortot--like night and day, go figure) for the past 50 years, and this recording of the Bach has been my favorite for just about as long. I just discovered the 1940 version on YT a couple of minutes ago. I had no idea it existed, and it, too, is a treasure.
And, yes, her recordings (1939 and 1958) of the Schumann Concerto are also my favorites of that work. In fact, just about anything she recorded is my favorite.
This was the first piano recording that I ever bought. That was as long ago as 1959 (I think). Hess's phrasing in the Bach is second to none, in my view. Thank you for posting this. I enjoyed the performance just as much as when I bought the record!
The ultimate version!
How graceful!
Both very good versions.
There's a wonderful sense of playfulness in the Scarlatti.
Gorgeous!
So many thanks for posting this jewel!
beautiful
I think her chamber music recordings at the Prades Festival are relatively overlooked. The Brahms B-major trio with Casals and Stern is one of the all-time greats.
I can not put into words something very special in a lifetime hard act to follow
Sublime . . .
She plays the first as beautifully as someone like Michelangeli and the second as Argerich. Literally sublime pianism throughout.
+Sam Moore I just started listening to some of her recordings and there are interesting similarities between her playing and Argerich's.
Magnificent !
Of course her transcription of the Bach is sublime. It's her Scarlatti that really impresses me, this truly sparkles. Horowitz could'nt have done better.
thank you so much!!! I was totally unaware her being the author of this deeply moving piece of music. Usually I'm so not into Bach but this is so etheral and truely spiritual - when played by the right artist in the right tempo = not too FAST. For me she does it exactly right and so does Lipatti. I heard it played as an encore by Bernd Glemser - sublime doesn't begin to describe it!
Thanks again
Awesome.TY B for posting.
My piano teacher pronounced her version as being unplayable (for me!!) in its difficulty - but Myra Hess was no ordinary pianist.... thank you for uploading this beautiful music.
it wouldn't be that hard if you would remove some of the optional parts played (like the ones played by extending your fingers like almost an octave)
KostasTheLabel i
Maybe there is a second pianist.
本当に美しく、切ない名曲ですね。バッハは本当に偉大ですね‼️🎵❤️
***** BEAUTIFUL *****
So beautiful! It almost sound like an organ!
Oh my , wouldn't you just die without Scarlatti!! Wonderful, thank you for posting
This is HER tempo. It is the tempo that SHE imagined it. And since she rescued this piece from obscurity with this transcription that she made, she can play it at any damn tempo she wants. If you want it faster, hire a chorus and orchestra and perform the damn cantata.
dam da dam da dam .. :)) you are verry righT mr. Rix
funny you should say that, growing up I thought all music like this was "as the composer intended" i.e. verbatim, of course I was very wrong
AdrianJayeOnline - There were no metronomes in Bach’s day, To be honest, we don’t know what tempo he wanted. But this is a transcription. It is not a literal arrangement. Hess made this piece famous again through this transcription. And her interpretation is very personal. She called this piece “her prayer”.
For me, this is the correct tempo. Unbelievably brilliant, beautiful.that can only spread joy.
Bach would most certainly have approved and thoroughly enjoyed.
MrRicksStudio@ She did NOT rescue this piece from obscurity. Dinu Lipatti recorded an even better version in 1947.
Awesome! Bravo! TY.
Dinu Lipatti reached this level of interpretation when facing death. Myra Hess did reach that level when being a solid rock in a difficult time where she gave joy and hope to thousands of people....
Exquisitely shaped phrases - so beautiful!
Verry good video,thank you.janny the netherlands
Kind of a odd combination of songs, but both played beautifully with passion by the great Myrna Hess. Thanks for sharing!
Piano Master
Songs........indeed. They're pieces, not songs. Songs have a text, that means words. Or is a Beethoven symphony a song?
Did you know that the piece Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring had lyrics to it 62 years before Bach arraigned it? This piece was originally written in 1642 by German composer Johann Schop with German minister Martin Janus adding lyrics to it in 1661 as a praise and worship hymn. Bach was a very religious man and this version inspired him to arraign and enhance this in 1723 when he was director of church music in Leipzig to close his 32nd cantata with the Cantata no.147, that is when it became popular. I have heard Myra Hess's piano arraignment in church done very beautifully with vocals. There are many other similar arraignments with vocals too such as The Celtic Women. So excuse me if I call it a "song" because I think of the beautiful lyrics when I hear / play it even if done w/ o words. Bless you.
I don’t believe this piece can be interpreted any better than this. Everything feels right. Particularly her choice of harmonizations sit so well. Some people might say it should be less convoluted yet I feel much gets lost in sparser arrangements.
Great playing.
grazie ancora
by far, the best version.. with the note at 0:22-0:24 i know this is the one. slow with resonant....a movement of downward clarity without any interference , bravo
traumhaft schön
Sublime
awesome
Ludwig von Kochel was a musicologist who catalogued Mozarts compositions in 1862. Ralph Kirkpatrick (1911-1984) was a harpsichordist who catalogued Scarlattis keyboard sonatas.
grazie
This concludes 'top piano ever' the search engine gives a list with 8 pieces. This is the 4th song in the favored 4 of those 8. This is a very nice one to this opinion.
She is in avery beautiful place now... know that when you think of her
Essa música é simplesmente manigifica toca na sua alma.
i agree !
That would be because Bach based most of his sacred cantatas on an existing tune. The tune, the "cantus firmus" is the original hymn tune. Everything else, and there is a great deal of everything else, is Bach.
Prayerful rendition
this version of jesus que ma joie demeure is as hearttouching as the one Dinu Lipatti did us leave on the recording of his last recital in Besancon.
I remember in the mid seventies playing something similar on Gran's keyboard. I only knew the song as Ralph McTells Visions Of You. She said that's Jesu Joy Of Man's Desiring. I said No You Are Quite Wrong. Some four years after I found out I was the one who was wrong. In case you are wondering I didn't play it a fraction as well as Myra.
Heavenly…….
Jesus a Alegria dos homens
Myra Hess
My darling Ma's favourite version.
@D7272D Thank you for responding. It's always been one of my favorite pieces due in large part to the delicate dissonance in the counter-melodies. I'm in no position to challenge Myra Hess, but that added bass note kills it for me. Does anyone have a version of Glenn Gould playing Jesu?
“The desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to himself. Only in God will he find the truth and happiness he never stops searching for”
Excerpt From
Catechism of the Catholic Church
PERFECT how it should sound not at 300 mph like some ov the people on here.i love this piece my favorite.
Oh yeah? Did you hear Irene Scharrer? She was mother-in-law of my Danish piano teacher Gunvor Callisen Lubbock! (Irene and Myra used to play four hands.)
I enjoy Alon Goldsteins performance of this piece . Much tenderness as with Miss Hess
I came here after discovering Akon Goldstein's beautiful version on UA-cam..
Looking for the source(s). Amazing touch to really being out the second melody. I am moved. By both versions.
3:38 Scarlatti sonata in G K.14
🌿🥀🎵💚
This just can't be beaten, now, can it?
この曲は私がピアノを始めるきっかけです！涙😢
This is the version of the Bach that Dinu Lipatti became famous for, but I really prefer Hess's version. (They're both stupendous.)
it was her transcription that Lipatti played, I believe..
I think Beckmesser2's recording date is incorrect. I believe this was recorded in the early 1950s--maybe 1952 or 1953. It was released in the US several years later on the ANGEL label, in 1957. I have the original LP--it contains Schumann Symphonic Etudes on 1 side and "Request Program" on the other--2 Scarlatti sonatas, a Mendelssohn Song Without Words, Granados Maiden & the Nightingale, Brahms Intermezzo & Waltz, and Jesu. I think it was Dame Myra's last commercial recording.
Pishnaholic articulates my own thoughts precisely.
i have heard this from lippati, hess and hubert harry. they are all master pieces in their own right. hubert harry's version sticks out the most.i found him by accident via ancestry.com it turns out he was my mothers uncle.
@meredith218461 I agree.
The great part about UA-cam.