I have listened to almost every rendition on YouTibe and I have not heard any other pianist capture the essence of this piece as well as Kempff - I always use Kempff as the gold standard performance and then ask where the others compare ... lower
Totally agree. BUT. Do yourself a favor. Listen to this at .75 speed. Because that is how it should sound in my humble opinion. Mr Kempff is rushing it a bit in my opinion. Perfect rushing, but still, this should be played like a death march in my opinion.
I’m sorry but I disagree with you (and the others) about this being the ‘best’ performance. I’m in my late 60’s and was trained as a classical pianist and organist since I was 5. He’s fine technically, as for playing the correct keys, BUT I don’t feel his technique is that great. There should have been more emphasis on the contrast between the right and left hands, thereby giving them each their ‘own’ sound. He’s making the major and minor sound too much alike, when they should have two distinct ones. I’ve watched and heard many other 🎹ist’s play this entire sonata SO much better - with the feeling and emotion that it should have. If anyone wants to compare this performance to ONLY one other that does it justice, I would suggest watching Lang Lang (it’s easy to see how very different their styles and techniques are with these two, using just one as an example). (The Moonlight Sonata was the first ‘long’ piece I was taught to play when I was about 11 yrs old +/-, and is still one of my favorites.) * In his defense however, I will say he plays this much better than Lola 👎! She’s basically just ‘eye candy’ for the men, and putting her appearance aside, she can not play any better than a ‘beginner’ imho!
@@elainemeyer5062 Elaine. Are you actually arguing about taste? In SaveLMike's mind this is the best performance. Artists cover songs. And the original audience who heard the original version do not have to like the cover. I give an example: The sound of silence. Perfectly performed by the original artists, Simon and Garfunkel. And i could show you a few examples, live performances and recorded. And say: This one is better than that one. And then you have the cover from Disturbed. Personally i think Disturbed RAPED the entire song. But, others think it is the best edition ever. Who am i to say they are wrong? It is taste. There is no discussion possible, unless you actually think that people will all develop the same taste. Btw, that world would be very boring......if everyone has the exact same taste i mean. And so, you may disagree all you want, but it has no use. You like something different, and that is fine. SaveLMike likes this particular cover. And personally, i do too. Although i agree with what you say about his technique. The tempo, etc. Still, this man has made this particular piece sound very nice. Not many can do that.
@@elainemeyer5062 so to be honest: let us appreciate this quality from way back when people still actually cared for this, and not start a fight over taste, ey? The world is already at war with each other over nonsense crap. Why start discussions about taste? It is pointless.
@@elainemeyer5062 sorry that i might seem like a troll, but i just had this crazy thought again which i have to mention: Some people like Björk. And, i like her too. Her looks, and 1 particular song which we all know: It's all so quiet. Sssssssssssssssj ssssssssssssssssj. I obviously have checked her other songs. And to be honest: She just cant sing. But there still are enough people who also like her other songs. For me, no way. But there is no point what so ever to discuss it with anyone who does like her other songs. Because: It is taste. There is no discussion there. You just have to accept the FACT that we are all different. Btw, this last response i wrote brings me back to a song we all know as well, a song by John Lennon: Imagine. Just imagine.... PSS: Happy to see no one has yet raped that song, ey..... I mean, imagine a Disturbed kinda version of Imagine. Ridiculous. But ey, some might like it, who am i to judge?
@@bertjesklotepino I wanted to reply to your 3 comments to mine in a single one. * First of all, mine was meant to point out the ‘technical’ aspect of his playing ‘Moonlight Sonata’. I was NOT trying to start any argument or debate on someone’s personal ‘taste’ and/or opinion of it - or music in general. That would have been similar to comparing people who liked apples 🍎 or oranges 🍊 more - it is a matter of personal taste, but they’re both fruit - only a different kind. IF you read my original comment again, you’ll find that I was not remarking on the fact that he and the others ‘liked’ it, unless I wasn’t clear enough in my explanation? I was attempting to say that there is a difference between what makes a ‘great’ pianist (i.e. Lang Lang and Gould imo, to name just two), a ‘mediocre’ one (him), and a ‘poor’ one (Lola). This was based on the fact that I have been a 🎹ist for more than 1/2 a century, and as such was trying to be helpful by pointing out (very briefly, and w/o going into a lot of details) one of the distinctions or differences. In this case, it was the manner in which the ‘phrasing’ and ‘tonality’ were NOT correct technically. This means that the major/minor keys, and the right and left hands 🙌 need to have a different sound, and not be the same. At the risk of repeating myself again, I wasn’t criticizing him or anyone else for ‘liking’ this 🎹ist’s playing on this piece - ONLY the reason why I didn’t agree with him for it being the ‘best’! I agree with your one point though - if everyone had the same ‘taste’ and liked everything equally, life would be boring. * Another point is that you’re almost contradicting yourself. (It was when YOU rather subtly suggested something that goes along what YOU said about ME and MY comment about opinions - and I quote: You said Disturbed ‘raped’ the original version of ‘The Sound of Silence’ done by Simon and Garfunkel. THIS is exactly what you told me I was doing and was wrong to make a comparison on a person’s ‘taste’. The fact is that I personally prefer BOTH (Disturbed’s) David’s solo AND the duet with Myles Kennedy to the original by S&G. I NEVER liked their version from the time it was first released, and it wasn’t because of the lyrics either, which I do like. It was their style and treatment of it in general. Would you contradict me on my choice bc it’s not the same as your own taste and liking or another person’s, bc I’d never do that to anyone - to each his/her own has always been what I believed in! THE ⬆️ remark is not even in the same context as the comment I made on this video. That was in regard to his 🎹 playing as it was not performed properly and correctly - not whether or not I ‘liked’ the overall sound. It’s wrong to compare a classical piece to a ‘cover’, or another rendition, of a ‘song’ which have NO set guidelines to be followed. *Finally to comment on YOUR statement: ‘Artists cover songs’: ‘Moonlight Sonata’ IS NOT A SONG, nor should it ever be referred to or compared with one. I sincerely hope that you do know this?! *Musicians such as he, and others like him, don’t do ‘covers’ (unless it’s deliberately made as one for entertainment purposes only) - they do their own ‘interpretations’ while following the original composer’s written notes. In this case, going back more than 100’s of years ago! PS: You wrote something else which was: ‘Artists cover songs. And the original audience who heard the original version do not have to like the cover.’ That’s such a botched up attempt to try and make a point that really makes no sense. Hopefully this will give you something more to think about what you wrote on the overall, single comment I made on the original one by SaveLMike, AND your own!? In summary, I was not questioning his taste in the music, but only trying to point out WHY it wasn’t THE ‘best’ performance of it. I’m glad he and the others like it for what it is.
@@TheWiseMonkey8888 ???¿¿¿??? Yeah, we could all hear it. But not a twitch from Wilhelm. He continued. And so, what do you mean by your comment? The timestamp, ok, nice. But the ... and then Gosh followed by another ... It makes me really wonder what you are trying to say. Are you trying to imply that this performance was not close to perfect? Does your response relate in any way to what Otto Bertermann said? And if so, pls explain, i would love to learn. To me it is obvious what this response is. It is the response of an obvious troll. Am i wrong?
I would like to say that this is the very best rendition of this beautiful haunting piece of music because it comes from the heart of this performer this is my opinion only thank you. Definitely has a world war one and two feel to it so brilliant and sad
You can tell when he's looking across the piano he's wondering if he let the cat back in... looks like.. yes but it's his wife he forgot to let back in.. wait a minute... what's that? He's going to pretend he forgot and sleep on the whole bed instead of his normal right 1/6th.
Mr Kempff is in my opinion one of the best Pianists i have ever heard playing. BUT in this case i have to disagree with the speed he is playing. It is a perfect play, didn't miss a note and played em with such care, such feeling. BUT , too fast. Try .75 speed and tell me i am wrong. To me normal speed sounds way too fast for a piece of music like this.
WHAT IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN - ONLY A GERMAN CAN PLAY IT THIS WAY? I personally think that Lang Lang, who’s Chinese, does a much better job than Kempff (with this and the others they both play)! I’m sensing that you’re just being biased.
