Brahms Variations & Fugue on a Theme by Haendel | Jonathan Fournel Queen Elisabeth Competition 2021 

I personally believe the Handel variations to be one of the most perfect piano compositions ever written. It is extremely tuneful, most variations are very melodically memorable and expressive, making it easy to grasp the beauty thereof after only a few listening experiences. The Handel Variations has easily become my favorite composition for piano forte, Brahms is absolutely amazing. I've had the pleasure of listening to many versions of this work, among my favorites are the Richter and Schiff versions.

That piano sounds crystal clear.

beautiful pianist LOVED his energy and what he brought to this magnificent piece

Wonderful playing. So glad I found this video by sheer chance.

I keep coming back to listen. Mesmerized, time after time! Awesome performance!

Son toucher effleure le piano tout en produisant des sons tellement nuancés .Quel plaisir de l’ entendre🙌🤲🎶🎵👏

Superb performance ! Two thumbs up ! Rivals thé bests !

What a performance! Great style! Fantastic command and imagination. Right up there with Arrau, Richter! I never heard of him before, but he's now on the radar of every Brahms lover!

Époustouflant..... incroyable prestation ! Celle d’un grand artiste !!!

Un pianista excepcional. Magistral interpretación de esta obra del gran Brahms.

Chrystal clear, balanced, relaxed, just about perfect execution down to the most minute details. Winning persona. Very appealing!

Very beautiful, moving and captivating performance! Thank you very much!

Paradigm of efficient technique.

Bravo Bravo!!!

Interprétation pleine de belles idées : notamment l'absence de pédale sur certaines variations, le caractère rhapsodique donnée par la main gauche, c'est un piano qui chante merveilleusement ; cela parait incroyable de pouvoir sortir un tel niveau pour un concours dans cette oeuvre si difficile. C'est mieux que la version livrée par Goeffroy Couteau dans son intègrale en cd et presque quasiment aussi beau que celle d'Yves Nat.

I love his playing!

Superb interpretation, without excess pedal.

브람스를 이렇게 음악적으로 표현하다니....정말 대단하다 최고👍

La "creatividad "haëndeliana recalificada por Brahms e interpretada por este VIRTUOSO,se convierte en un PAROXISMO DE BELLEZA SUPREMA!!! APLAUSOS!!!!!!!!!

Bravo! Monsieur Fournel!✨votre interpretation de Brahams m’a fait l’impression d’etre tres viritement et merveilleusement!💐

Solide, tendre et très intense!. Indrukwekkend! 🧡

Superb. Thank you!

I love his music 🎹🎼

Brilliant.

BRAVO !!!! Perfection

This performance is what made him the winner...not the final.

Beautiful playing, really.

*Great* musician

Fantastic, wonder performance.

So impressive!

Masterful reading of this masterpiece...

Bravo!👏👏👏

21:54

He is an extraordinary for an brahms

Brillante!!!

so very enjoyable!

I hope he won, damn.

Aber haltet sich Brahms in diesem Werk nich in der Nähe der Barockwelt mit den Preiffen Nummern? Etwas biederer? Die Fuge geduldiger?

Very delicate

Why is the piano not masked ???

leggermente asettico

Bravo à cet *excellent* artiste. [Même si pour ma part je trouve la sonorité de l'instrument un peu dure. Peut-être est-ce dû à l'absence d'auditeurs ou au trac de la 1/2 finale ? ;-) ] Des interprétations comme celle de Murray Perraya me semblent (subjectivement) plus sensibles, riches en nuances et animées davantage de respirations, de souffle poétique.

Why was Brahms not masked when he composed this ???

Alas, the version by Sokolov has very poor audio. Solomon is arguably the best in some variations, especially #23. Serkin and Katchen are particularly good. Pletnev, as usual, has revelatory aspects. What a glorious masterwork by Brahms! By the way, if you go back to Handel, and listen to the original - it’s markedly good!

I don't know whose performance is the gold standard for the Brahms piece. However, one can always rely on Kempff's aesthetic, his clear approach, his lack of mannerisms and wild gestures (see: Horowitz). Here is an excellent performance by Kempff: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-dfEMLQhF670.html

An unsightly, metallic-sounding touch, played too fast, he doesn't take his time. Lovers of the work should listen to G. Sokolov!

Best

Er desavouiert in keinem Moment die traditionellen Deutungen, erfüllt sie aber mit mehr Innbrunst.

Effectivement Le Steinway sonne assez durement pour cette oeuvre...Un Bösendorfer aurait été plus indiqué. Interprétation onirique et envoûtante vertigineuse et emportée. Trop emportée cependant puisqu'à trop vouloir convaincre un parterre de juges les erreurs s'accumulent dans les passages virtuoses qui n'auraient sûrement pas dû exister pour ce pianiste époustouflant, et impérial. Un prince du piano est né qui devra lutter contre sa propre fougue pour égaler les plus anciens. Mais quel incroyable musicien cependant. Quand à Brahms, égal à lui-même il parvient à rendre quasi ennuyeux Haendel, un champion je vous dit!

Con todo el respeto que se merece este pianista, me da la impresión de que puedo sin temor a equivocarme hacer click en cualquier tiempo de este video, y siempre se escucha la misma melodía y cadencia... Eso me parece pobre en composición, pero sigue siendo apreciado por muchas personas al parecer...

Naive piano students believe that Rachmaninov learnt and memorized this collosal set in tree days... What a joke!!

Where. Are. The. Freaking. People. ????. !!!!.

Meg ne bolonduljál ám bazzzmeg

He is talking to his imaginary friend while playing the piano

At the risk of being pilloried for my views, I must disagree with the over-enthusiastic comments. On par with Arrau or Richter? That's just nuts. So, the artist has a solid technique. But, for this piece he seemed to have no sense whatsoever of the poetry as it interplays with the drama. He sounded far too mechanical for me. I found very few moments of insight. He sounds like an artist still in the formative stages who could benefit from taking private lessons from the likes of Sir Andras Schiff or the old guy, Seymour Bernstein. Overall I disliked the performance all the way through. It felt forced, nervous and brittle. Brahms is very demanding and difficult to play. I know this piece, it is a big mountain and one of his best themes and variations. This artist would do well to refine his emotional connections to the music.

Again. Another pianist playing the opening too fast. And then missing notes in the next variation because of it.

Funny faces and boring music i like piano but this sounds too stuffy 😢