17 JAW-DROPPING Improvisations on Beethoven's Für Elise (ft. Gabriela Montero)

0:00 Intro
0:14 Für Elise (original)
0:54 #1 Happy
1:40 #2 Sad
3:08 #3 Curious
4:09 #4 Tired
5:57 #5 Terrified
7:27 #6 Triumphant
8:21 #7 Confused
9:29 #8 Cranky
10:41 #9 Thankful
12:20 #10 Infuriated
13:45 #11 Tranquil
15:33 #12 Bored
17:26 #13 Silly
18:33 #14 Pessimistic
20:46 #15 Tender
22:50 #16 Drunk
24:38 #17 Rejuvenated
This video was filmed at the Prager Family Center for the Arts in Easton, Maryland, as part of a four-day residency with the Gabriela Montero Piano Lab presented by OAcademy, an initiative of the Orchestra of Americas Group offering elite training to talented young musicians from around the world. For more, visit: oacademy.live
Gabriela Montero Website: www.gabrielamontero.com/
Gabriela Montero Piano Lab: oacademy.live/pianolab/
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[@jmoreno600]

This is so good that if somebody did a solid transcription it would probably start showing up in recitals.

[@PipeDreamerJacques]

By the time I made it to ‘curious’ I thought, “good heavens I hope this all gets notated.” She’s a true genius.

[@thekingsfighter]

I would like to see #2, Sad transcribed.

[@milesmartin4958]

Any good pianist can learn to improvise with practice but this is next level because what she does is so structured, as if she knows how it ends before it begins. This is the type of spontaneous creation that was a defining feature of some of the greatest composers in history. The only difference is she isn't writing it down as much, but even then I'm so glad we have her recordings!

[@lauracaruso2524]

Great! Beethoven was known to be a master improviser. This is the perfect tribute.

[@Shooshie128]

Fantastic playing! Gabriella is a natural composer. I’ve known maybe 2 people who could do that on her level, but they were extremely exceptional performers. It’s not a talent that just anyone can pick up, but it would be beneficial to every player to try this and do it as often as possible. You get a lot better. A lot! Of course Gabriella is in a league of a very small number of performers, but you don’t have to be as amazing as she to benefit from doing it daily. What distinguishes Gabriella’s improvisation is the completeness of it. Polished. As if each song is a composition she’s honed for years. THAT is unusual!

[@alareya1789]

Well, there´s always Jacob Collier ;)

[@jimmynguyen227]

I saw her live at harvard in a lecture/concert 2 months before the pandemic took over in the states. I had one of her albums from a long time ago and thought, sure she's a great pianist, but after attending that live session, I knew i had to get more of her musical output off of amazon lol. The album I then bought thereafter had a recording of Rach 2 and a piano concerto she composed. Her composition was by far my favorite of the album. The way she described her ability in the lecture was quite interesting. She said it was like an infinite source that she was tapping into, and like a water faucet, she could open it or close it off on demand. She doesn't know exactly where it came from but she was able to improvise things she had never even heard of before (like ragtime) at some point in her early life. She even went to an institute to have her brain examined while she played lying down not able to look at the keys (i believe it was a portable keyboard). It was said in the brain scans, the areas of her brain that really lit up surprisingly were the ones that had to do with visualization and visual abilities. It's great that she kept up with it all these years; her palette just seems to be endlessly widening.

[@grellis6483]

Thanks for the background. Fascinating!

[@henrykwieniawski7233]

Does she have a background in Jazz improv/Partimento training?

[@jimmynguyen227]

@@henrykwieniawski7233 i don't think so, but I don't know for sure. I don't think I've heard her play anything jazzy ever honestly. I personally hear a good amount of influence from guys like Rachmaninoff and Prokofiev in this video like when I heard her live back a couple years ago and even in many other KZbin videos you can find, such as the one where she improvised a whole soundtrack for a silent film... but this still feels so fresh and original. I do know that she had kept her abilities to herself for so many years while still training to be a traditional classical pianist until Martha Argerich heard her improvising in passing (either this was in a class or like before/after a concert) and then told her she had to share her improvisations with the world and do more with it in public concerts.

[@fordstone6308]

Srinivasa Ramanujan spoke similarly. These are otherworldly beings! Amazing to behold.

[@jimmynguyen227]

@@fordstone6308 interestingly enough, i watch Sadhguru's videos from time to time and his channel made a recent video fittingly about Beethoven and whether he was an unconscious or conscious genius. Halfway through the video, I saw Ramanujan's name for the first time as Sadhguru compared Beethoven's abilities to those of Ramanujan's, his being able to describe black holes in the form of equations, suggesting both abilities came from going within and being conscious--especially since Beethoven's outer ability to hear no longer contributed to his musical abilities.

[@1me0815]

Thankful for your gift❤

[@loveispatient0808]

She’s a composer! Wonderful!🎉👋👋👋

[@hermodnitter3902]

The "Thankful" variation (10:41) was totally beautiful, instant shivers and tears in my eyes. I was so lucky to experience Gabriela live in the Grieg Hall in Bergen in 2010. I will never forget that. Thanks!

[@abrahamokolo9888]

I hope someone transcribes it

[@hstanekovic]

I agree, this one is very beautiful. But also: tranquil, tender and rejuvenated.

[@kabukibear]

Saw your comment so clicked the time you linked. Wow, totally choked me up. I remember hearing about her many years ago on NPR and I had all but forgotten about her until today. Wonderful.

[@user-jq7bl2er4n]

I hear some Schumann there

[@drakestube]

Classical improvisation often sound like pointless noodling. Not this. Just an incredibly high level of content and structure running throughout these little pieces.

[@scherzomazeppa726]

I saw her about 5 years back (or so) play Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with the Houston Symphony. I knew of her improvising skills before hand, but when she came out and literally jammed on the Rach--better than anyone I have seen play it live before (and I have seen many) it just blew me away. I didn't expect her classical mastery to be beyond the many "stars" I had seen play it before, but she was THAT good. Gabriel Montero is one of the very best and as good as any "big names" out there...she just chooses a lower profile.

[@cantkeepitin]

Sad remainds me in Rachmaninow

[@tanja5867]

Stunning. What talent! She’s clearly having fun, too. I loved ‘Cranky,’ it made me laugh for some reason!

[@fortissimoX]

Lol, it's ridiculous how good she is. Unbelievable. I truly hope I'll be able to see/hear her live. Thanks for sharing this video!

[@nickwilson7697]

I’ve been listening to her for years. And this was such a pleasant surprise. Watching her brain at work is such a lovely experience.

[@julienelson8162]

Every emotion can be expressed through music. That is it’s magic. That is it’s gift. That is Ms. Montero’s genius.

[@Willie_Wahzoo]

Beautiful playing! She has a beautiful demeanor, too! Very cool!

[@carlosbacktothepiano]

She is simply unbelievable!

[@corinasilvio1121]

Thank you so much for this wonder... I'm half french half venezuelan, non professional musician (+writer, translator...) Gabriela is really prodigious. Moreover: she is a great woman. She could choose comfort supporting the dictatorship in Venezuela, like Gustavo Dudamel, with help and huge amounts of money to achieve an international career. She has chosen a difficult path, with freedom, honor and a clean consciousness. And Gabriela has been very active, she never ceases the fight for a new democratic Venezuela. She is amazing! Gabriela: ¡eres extraordinaria en todos los aspectos! 💛💙❤ Un cálido abrazo desde Francia... 🙏🏻💙

[@pianoone9004]

A contemporary and genius fur elise that Beethoven would love to play for sure!

[@james240878]

Fantastic. It is interesting that her improvisations tend to sound very Russian. She has totally assimilated the language of all those early to mid 20th century composers, Rachmaninov, Shostakovich, Prokofiev, etc.

[@peaceandlove544]

Soooo true

[@keyboardbw]

This is absolutely jawdropping amazing. What a talent, so good.

[@antonomaseapophasis5142]

9:30 From now on, I am going to have to resist thinking of Prokofiev as “cranky”.

[@ant_adlibs]

That was amazing, she has reinvigorated my drive towards my goals on instant compositional efforts like these

[@dutchww]

This is great! The improvisations are very original, thanks!

[@simonsaturno8651]

¡Maravilloso! Reí, lloré, volví a reír, volví a llorar, me extrañé, me pregunté, me respondí, me alegré, recordé, recordé que olvidé, me apuré, me detuve, sonreí...

[@nigelkennedy3427]

Nice - the fact is that there are at least 17 emotions in the Beethoven original so the question is whether to look harder in the original or go about it this way...

[@robertmac7833]

I’m a guitarist, not a pianist, but I have to say this is genius!

[@michaelcoolen8716]

Wonderful. Anyone think that #8, Cranky, sounded a lot like Prokofiev? LOL

[@tonebasePiano]

definitely undertones of Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Mussorgsky throughout

[@virtuosiproducoes2591]

@@tonebasePiano And Rachmaninoff!

[@thekingsfighter]

I thought Number 3, Curious, sounded like Prokofiev.

[@amaurylopez5558]

Was a pleasure to see Ms Montero play with Ms Yuja Wang at the Easton Md. Recital 👍🎼👏🏼

[@paulalvarezloblich8363]

Cranky had me loling from the beginning. Awesome stuff.

[@bobsteiner9209]

Every pianist should have a comfortable chair to relax in like that. Krystian Zimerman would love it!

[@pianosenzanima1]

Volodos approves

[@aaronepstein4906]

This is truly extraordinary.

[@anthonyjeffries5299]

Thank you, Ms. Monteiro: underneath the astounding creativity on the spot, I hear a flawless command of technique, so that all the ways in which a dynamic keyboard can express emotion are not only as available to you at will as are thoughtful words and phrases and concepts, but that you have explored over a long career all the nuances and possibilities of those techniques. Your ease, and facility with that vocabulary inspires us to do the hard work early in our careers to make the piano, an extension of our voice. I am 73 years old and 50 years from playing piano any better than a goose playing the harmonica. But I can listen. And you have made me a better listener as I try to anticipate, then follow your images and structures and songs.

[@illogicmath]

Eres un gran tesoro nacional venezolano Gabriela

[@grellis6483]

Such brilliant technique and musicality but the real marvel is how her brain zeroes in on the precise nature of the emotional meaning of each word and translates it through her fingers., so we actually hear what the very distinctive though often subtle differences between some emotions are.

[@alvaromachado1388]

Gabriela in tonebase that's an unexpexted good surprise Saludos desde caracas!

[@corgisrule21]

Genius….I’m obsessed

[@gwojcieszczuk]

This is beyond my comprehension.

[@user-bc1qn6ln2b]

This has beyond human conprehension and expression , simply impossible , like many lifes many master of the instrument.

[@nightspore4850]

Mesmerizing. This is beyond brilliant.

[@xSpyder5x]

What is this magic???? Lady you are amazing! The places these took me....

[@ProdigyImprovisation]

This is more like variations on fur Elise. Interesting to see improvisations done in this way actually!! It’s great!

[@guiderjt]

She's a great improvisational pianist.

[@noellopez1919]

She has beautiful hand technique.

[@ua2381]

Loved it!! ❤️❤️

[@TheVTrider]

What a great mind & soul!

[@jamesgathings2142]

Fantastic!

[@MrLleal]

Awesome! Bravo!!!

[@jr499]

Oh great, it's only early Sunday morning, and now, after this incredible performance, the rest of my day will be all down hill! Thanks Gabriella!

[@washedinyahshua2822]

This is amazing!!

[@leokrym5216]

Amazing!

[@lluisrafalessole-classical5068]

Fantastic

[@ananditaisabel]

Bravooo, Gabriela!!

[@eye_sing]

This deserves a million views!

[@maureensansburn6413]

Brava Brava Brava! This was just splendid

[@JonathanOvnat]

Amazing and beautiful!

[@paulkoop7042]

A wealth of styles displayed!! Wow.

[@amaurylopez5558]

Great versions of a beautiful piece 👏🏼👏🏼🎶👍

[@valeriomoscolo4446]

Amazing! 👍

[@meme-bt7io]

She's amazing!!

[@laoebpsy]

Amazing!!!! Just continue!!! This is real talent.

[@anriariani]

Genial!

[@elsaesteves]

That was impressive 😳 bravooo Gabriela 🌹🌹🌹

[@aureliashimkus5660]

Absolutely unbelievable

[@RolandHuettmann]

Great work. Amazing -- she opens the ears and be my imagination.

[@Mazurking]

Bravo !

[@jamelmar2286]

Bravo, bravissimo!!!🎉

[@bigred8438]

Happy was Lizt all over loved it.

[@DrDAP]

Amazing! Genius! Extraordinary imagination!

[@eduardojara8137]

I can't believe it! amazing

[@robertomendez1547]

The union of a great heart and a great mind to generate new compositions. La unión de un gran corazón y una gran mente, perfectamente unidos para generar nuevas composiciones.

[@soyeux27]

What a talent ! Thank you Gabriela Montero !

[@perseohernandez755]

I love it !

[@ckhorwias4149]

Unbelievably entertaining. Thank you for sharing this with us.

[@pstrzel]

I can play "bored" for hours.

[@gonzaloglz88]

Amazing musicality!

[@sx0lx012]

WOW! Bravo!!!!!!!

[@mauricesimonetti4855]

Very very excellent

[@Angel-qm4eh]

Marvelous! That's the musician I would like to be and I'm trying to be. Thank you!

[@Eristhenes]

Gabriela is AMAZING!!!

[@Juscz]

Variation # 8/Cranky at 9:34 strikes me was a bit Prokofiev-like. Great video overall and thanks for sharing Gabriela Montero's amazing musical talent!

[@GUPRPEET-Singh]

👏🏼 brilliant. What a great idea to play fur Elise in different emotions 👍🏼.. and you played really well too. ❤️. every playing was true to its emotion

[@downpatmusic]

Very cool. It's nice when you can listen for a few seconds and know you are a musician and can play.

[@luigipati3815]

this is one of the most extraordinary pianists of the LAST 100 YEARS. The improvisations are faultless, as well as the technique. She should definitely be a composer for the piano. However, this "many emotions, such as curious, etc" is a simplistic concept imagined by simple audiences.....as Arnold Schoenberg said: "Music cannot express the extra-musical.". I'd say: "language cannot define the musical", i.e. music is its own dimension, free from all others, including that of "defined" human "emotions". This is NOT a criticism about Montero, who is really an EXTRAORDINARY pianist and musician, one of the best 5 or 6 pianists in the world. She's simply "lowering herself to the level of her audience", so to speak, i.e. she's just doing what she's being asked to do. So none of what I mentioned is her fault. I am simply saying that common human emotions such as sadness, happiness, etc. are too limiting for the most beautiful and greatest of all arts, which is music. She's basically being asked to sum up Latin, Greek and Japanese in 10 simple words. And I am sure she would agree with me. For example, when you hear For Elise you aren't hearing simple sadness, but a huge palette of colours that no one has even defined yet in words. In other words: music goes beyond simple emotions, words, definitions, etc. But anyways, this is most certainly an amazing course! Hats off just to have a musician of her caliber in the studio.

[@seheyt]

Lot's of prokofiev, poulenc shining through. Love it

[@seheyt]

I feel she was just to curious about all the things that accidentally happened in "Boring" - It's hard to be bored on command - especially when you know you're listening together with someone else, it's impossible to suppress the "oh - did you hear that, that was nice, it begs for more of XYZ"

[@carlucho8031]

¡Qué maravilla...!

[@stitchergary]

She would be great creating music for movies....what a talent...thanks for the video

[@jslevenson101]

The talent and genius of some people is truly remarkable. ❤️

[@antoniokabbabe1175]

I've been listening to her since long time ago. She is my favorite pianist in the whole world. People should know her a little bit more. She have such a wonderful attitude and charisma. Bravo!!!!

[@brandonkreinhop359]

Drunk piano is awesome.

[@thepianopainter]

She a incredible talent!!

[@daartiz01]

She is one of a kind!

[@kevinkay-bradley2253]

Terrific!!! 💥👏🏻🎶👍😎♥️

[@ruhtrayen]

Absolutely mind-blowing. The filming is a bit terrible tho, next time a fix camera will be better

[@carlosbacktothepiano]

genius!

[@99wntr]

obsessed !!!

[@javierquesada798]

brutal excelente

[@maxbudo1]

I feel new for having heard her!

[@solracpilino1967]

!!Increíble musicalidad, siempre me sorprende, no he oído a nadie improvisar a ese nivel!! Me encanta la del borracho, pero todas tienen algo…

[@gaetanomontante5161]

Truly genial and heartfelt. Yes, I think she feels the music just flow out her fingertips like rivulets of water cresting down a dreamy wonderland. I love Gabriela. Alas! I have no words to describe what or how she does what she does or her effect on my soul. So, instead i will let you feel for yourself the aura that she has whisked in each cell of my consciousness.

[@mfurman]

This video is very timely for me. I want to start learning how to improvise and am just learning Fur Elise. I am a Tonebase subscriber 😊

[@SpiritualPianoProgress]

Same, I started playing piano 2 month ago with tonebase hahaha