A breathtaking performance of the most difficult movement of Beethoven's most difficult Piano sonata!

This is a stupendous achievement that impresses professoonal pianists even more than the public. To play it this fast and this accurately puts him at the top 0.1% of pianists. What is even more amazing is that he was so totally relaxed ('didn't break a sweat'). Superhuman ability that makes Greek gods jealous.

❤️

1:22 the most epic part

Amazing

Robots from galaxies far far away applaud this performance.

Absolutely lovely, thank you Stewart

The best performance of this piece available

Bravo!

Quel naturel narratif !!

Literally how? How???

Un groso

This is astounding.

Wow absolutely stunning performance !!! The tempo, the dynamics, the colors, the clarity…. Im in awe. Nuance is in the 3rd mvt, this is a storm, a display of technique, a flex … he’s playing it how it should be

More sharpness needed, but still excellent.

What can anyone say but 'Bravo!' His performances is like looking at a battlefield from the point of view of an aircraft, seeing how all the pieces fit together. Every other performance of this reminds me of Laocoon struggling with the serpents. Sometimes the big picture is the best.

This is the closest to my ideal. The tempo and rhythm are perfect.

Bravo!!!

I hate to say it but, despite some hefty dynamics this rendition is like a giant run-on sentence lacking true drama, incite and deep thought to sound and phrasing. All the same dynamics in all of the running fingerwork with little phrasing to the myriad 16ths. Still, it is a very admirable and secure performance-just needs more depth and wisdom.

Where are the sforzandi that Beethoven indicated in his score? Goodyear ignores them completely and seems to have no feeling for the fact that this fugue is actually a set of variations, each with its own character. Goodyear makes no distinction between them, but rather flattens the entire movement into a highway where there is no speed limit. I find little to admire in this performance.

I don't think I've heard the fugue played at this tempo before but in my view it takes away something from the overall musicality. This is without doubt incredible in terms of technique but I guess this is a fairly good example of why amazing virtuosity is not always everything with such challenging works

Amazing to hear the Hammklavier 4th movement fugue performed as Beethoven indicated it. Yes, it is true, as many commenters have stated already, that Goodyear's performance here is not especially rife with dynamic nuance. But I am glad to hear it in this manner for a change and kudos to Stewart Goodyear for giving this arguably very-true-to-the-score performance. Indeed, it's great that somebody has done it in this manner for all of us to hear!

Very nice

OMg

Amazing!!!!

You don't often hear such fast playing with this brilliant technique; Introduction was good but the Fugue was great!

Yay. Tempo indicates character, and good on him for trying to get the properly abruptive character here.

I was really warried: I didn't realized it is joke....It is a joke, isn't it?

The magic in this piece is in the structure and meticulous calculations that make everything work. Even if it is a robotic playing, the message gets across

Took a hammer to the klavier

zu schnell buddy.... missing the nuances... and way too slow at the start.... dominant 7ths descending get on the nerves that slowly... lol opinions huh?

7:26= I'm the boassss kneel before me!!

You people complaining are missing a very obvious point.... wow

Not only incredibly talented, but a person with integrity! Thank you for standing up to #Lisitsa and her bullies and speaking against their racism and xenophobia.

why isnt he wearing a belt

Very good pianist..not for my taste though, Sviatoslav Richter and Alfred Brendel (live by Philips) have spoilt me rotten..

One of my favorite Beethoven sonatas. Excellent interpretation!!!!

Playing all the right notes and at speed doesn't make a great interpretation here, but in Pollini's classic DG recording, it does.

Hanon's Hammerklavier

While I like the tempo chosen for this movement, I think he misses the nuances and the performance lacks heroism. Otherwise, great job !

Beaucoup trop rapide à mon sens...

Abolutely amazing!

Yes Takao , it does not let the music breathe, too attentive to an uniform tempo.

Dommage que le réalisateur soit un con fini et nous prive à plusieurs reprises d'un spectacle digital de 1° ordre au profit d'u portrait animé de Richard dont on n'a rien à foutre.

Marvellous: Wrong notes are indispensable for Maisenbacher dreams !

@prrothed: I forgot the fantastic and unltrabeethovenian interpretation of Richard Goode

@ prrothed: You are exactly in the central problem and your comment is very interesting; But don't forget that Stewart Goodyear is always faster than Beethoven's Tempo (160-168 vs 144). In fact, like Stephen Beus (who copied who ? because they do the same error at 1'56 but Beus seems better) it seems impossible to take such a tempo without an evident lack of power (may be Richter could do it); And Yes, Beethoven WANTED these nuances; when he writes 28 SF in 2 lines, it's not by chance; If you want the good tempo and a fantastic power, who can, except Richter ? That said, the technical capacity of LvB to play it at 144 is an other problem, but I hope so !!!

He forgot something, ... something very important.

Valentina plays everything like a robot and everyone worships her - there are some interesting parts here

One thing Mr. Goodyear is scrupulous about is playing the sonatas at the tempo marked by Beethoven in the score, for better or worse. Beethoven's tempos are extremely fast, which is why this performance seems to lack nuance. But, by marking the tempo so fast, did Beethoven want it to be played with nuance? If he marked it this fast, is this how he would have played it? Who knows, but it's a reasonable question.