@mc90604 Alan will be there on - Thursday/ Dec. 3 at 1:30am at Carnation Gardens as piano accompianist and Sunday/Dec. 5 at 10am. at Coke Corner. (keep checking)
Some people really need to lighten up.. I stop by to revisit this video from time to time, first to listen to Alan's version of the Maple Leaf Rag and 2nd to read the comments. Statements like "sounds better" and "tasteful" are all opinions. What you hear may not be tasteful or pleasing to me and I hear might not be pleasing or tasteful to you. In my opinion, the man took a great piece of music and made it his own. He plays it how he thinks it should sound. If you don't like move on.
That's not true! Alan is fantastic! I am really getting tired of telling people he can play slow but this is his style. And people love it! I am glad he doesn't follow your rules. haha :)
Why is everyone giving this great performer a hard time? I agree with the one comment about if you can't hear the syncopation at his tempo listen faster. Joplin is dead!!! He composed a great piece with the Maple Leaf Rag. But face it. His time is over. I can appreciate this piece at the tempo is was written in and also the tempo this performer is playing it at. This guy is playing his ass off and doing a fantastic job. So cut him some slack you stuffy bastards!!!
Thank you for your opinion but there is no law that requires any musician to do this. He is not showing off, but entertaining people at Disneyland and they love it!
It's really just a matter of being stylistically incorrect. Scott Joplin, the composer specifically wrote on his sheet not to play his rags fast. It's the same reason why a classical pianist is not going to play one of Chopin's nocturnes fast. The composer didn't want that, and it sounds better and more tasteful at the correct tempo. Some people may like it this way, but they are probably not that familiar with Joplin and haven't realized that his pieces are much prettier at his tempos.
No doubt whatsoever regarding his talent, which is exceptional, but this is fast beyond my comfort zone as a listener. At this speed, it becomes more about showmanship and less about musicality. (He obviously has plenty of both.) In contrast, Stephanie Trick, Adam Swanson, and several others get the tempo right, in my opinion.
Some people really need to lighten up.. I stop by to revisit this video from time to time, first to listen to Alan's version of the Maple Leaf Rag and 2nd to read the comments. Statements like "sounds better" and "tasteful" are all opinions. What you hear may not be tasteful or pleasing to me and I hear might not be pleasing or tasteful to you. In my opinion, the man took a great piece of music and made it his own. He plays it how he thinks it should sound. If you don't like move on.
