Alfred Cortot: Master Class on Schumann Kinderszenen (1953)

Alfred Cortot (1877-1962)
Schumann: Der Dichter Spricht (Kinderszenen, Op15)
Paris, 1953
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[@TJFNYC212]

What he says is almost as beautiful as the music itself

[@peregrinusabsoluti2302]

TJFNYC212 and believe me because I’m French, the translation is rather modest, in that it translates in simple words ideas which are certainly so, but expressed with much more poetry in French.

[@edwardbak4459]

Even in English translation his words are poetic, but it is hard to imagine anyone speaking with such beauty as when Cortot spoke French. Truly humbling.

[@dovic86]

you can tell from his eyes that he's actually visualising the music as he plays, that's rêverie indeed

[@TheFourteenthWard]

This is my favorite video on youtube

[@VladVexler]

Yes, Cortot the great master of characterisation.

[@bennoamatti3921]

This is sublime! The man sits to show how it can be beautifully done and what we hear is simply SUBLIME MUSIC! And the sweetness of his voice, the precision of his diction, the choicest words of descriptive poetry coming effortlessly out of his mind tempered by the lighflames burning in his eyes! Thank you so much for sharing this piece of a treasure!

[@hhll6442]

I dont have words to describe how i feel after seeing cortot play this piece . His commentary and understanding of this piece is extraordinarily deep and sensible.

[@kaleidoscopio5]

The understanding and the love that Cortot shows in this piece is really touching. THIS IS MUSIC.

[@davids2000]

What a wonderful human being. It is an honor to be in the same field of study as this man. The art of the piano continues to astound me.

[@robertjamesstove]

If Cortot had not been an outstanding pianist he could have been an outstanding orator.

[@ganjamozart1435]

Cortot to me is the most profound interpreter on the piano.

[@rrrrrr-kb9sb]

Agreed …. Yet he sounds like a student compared to Hofmann

[@epicaunleashed8764]

@@rrrrrr-kb9sb What are you on about? Both were great, but Cortot will be immortal. Hofmann wont.

[@rrrrrr-kb9sb]

@@epicaunleashed8764 among anyone who knows anything about pianism, Hofmann certainly will. And it’s not even open for debate.

[@epicaunleashed8764]

@@rrrrrr-kb9sb Weirdly of all, its Cortot that is universally respected among pianists. Confirm for yourself! Not Hofmann

[@rubbertoe86]

A fascinating peak into the profound genius of one of the most transcendent artists of all time. Hauntingly beautiful, chills all over.

[@Romanacer]

The single fact that Cortot takes his glasses *off* for playing the piano is his whole genius in a nutshell.

[@chantalbalestri1434]

Well, I do it all thd time while teaching piano too but I am not a genius 😂

[@darnfirefingers]

What a gift it is to capture a well-poised spiritual moment in music. This is so moving!

[@DTailzMedia]

I love it how he gives his own twist to it.. I think I haven't heard a better version yet. Even the bad sound quality, along with him explaining (which is also amazing, he talks and plays blindly at the same time), adds to this. I wonder what it had to sound like when you'd be standing in that room.

[@Palestrina-us8sv]

I love that the only filmed cortot masterclass is about the short sequence that is my favourite composition of all compositions.

[@xman_hall]

This is beautiful. After listening to all of the other pieces in kinderszenen. The poet speaks is the last piece. that’s the piece that the poet is telling you his final thoughts about his childhood memories that you have just experienced with him. Nostalgic but not completely sad. Bittersweet. “Damn, I remember when everythig was so easy when i was a child. I miss those days” type of vibe. that’s how i take this last piece

[@FilipSandecomposer]

Very moving!!!....in our time, when music like very much else is turned very superficial and anonymous....this is a very good reminder of what music really is about....thanks for posting!

Filip Sande Well said, absolutely agree!

[@buckingham1948]

Wow... what emotion .. feeling .. so blessed to witness this. thanks for posting.

[@metteholm4833]

Absolutely breathtaking! The filming itself is art.

[@gushadowx89]

A brilliant explanation and sense of emotion. A lot of emotion and ideas can be extracted from such a small and tender piece.

[@MusicalMaryFly]

beautiful voice too !

[@Latarniczka]

Haunting and aiming at eternity--A. Cortot immortalized this piece and this moment! Favorite pianist of all times.

[@gabrielgabriel8096]

"This" is comparable to any masterclass by any youtuber of today... Same level. In terms of musical depth and thinking, above all.

[@BWV846]

I love Cortot. This video is touched my heart.. It's an honor to be able to see the video...

[@infinitonica2362]

Speechless.

[@robertmillar3364]

Thank you for posting this remarkable video. It combines examples of both effective teaching and inspired (as well as inspiring) musicianship. I have referred readers of my blog to this page as an ideal video to illustrate one of my blog entries. Cortot takes us right into the inner world of a true interpretive musician, if we will just listen to the music, watch his face, and follow his words.

[@guitargalleryseoul6279]

thanks for this beautiful masterclass..."dreaming" during play piano....

[@snakeeplayz1010]

I love how deep Arthur Cortot goes with this piece of music. It reminds me of what we have lost in music throughout the years. Also is that Theirry de Brunhoff? I remember he was a student of Cortot. It makes since of course because Brunhoff has the most elegant interpretation of Chopins Nocturne that I have ever heard.

[@ADGO]

Part of this was used in a great contemporary Danish film -- Dark Horse by Dagur Kari. Totally recommend it

[@metteholm4833]

Thank you! A must see.

[@InigoTyR]

Thank you 😊

[@BWV846]

Wow..

[@lucas__machado]

I love Alfred Cortot, he may have some imperfections in his technique in the most challenging works. But who cares, he add the most powerful sense of music I ever heard, his Chopin and Schumann are beyond any comparison. He had to be a great great teacher as well, his pupils all inherited an absolutely magnificent approach of music, where the melodic line and sense of recreating the piece as it's played, was perefectly conveyed. Samson François, Jacqueline Blancard, Éric Heidsieck, Dinu Lipatti and many others... They all received a teaching from Alfred Cortot and it is always incredible

[@kaleidoscopio5]

Imperfections? Sometimes was a disaster, but a unique one. To the hell the wrong notes if he could showed us all the beauties in music 😁

[@tobiolopainto]

@@kaleidoscopio5 If you want to hear Cortot at his best technically, listen to his Etude in the form of a waltz by Saint=Saens from 1919. It's blisteringly good with all kinds of difficulties that Cortot tosses off. All the rest of his recordings demonstrate technical mastery, too. Who cares about wrong notes? As Hofmann said to a student who complained that Godowsky made mistakes, "why look for spots on the Sun." And this was before the scientific world knew the function of sun spots.

[@hxyjdn]

What’s most astonishing is his ability to perform this while turning his head 90 degree.Imagine when he’s playing this in a concert with his eyes looking at the audience.It is as if saying”Look,it’s Schumann.It’s easy”.

[@walterprossnitz3471]

This is not a difficult piece, any advanced student can play this without looking:-) But can anyone play Kinderszenen with the intensity of Cortot? Of the performances I have heard, I think only Horowitz comes close?

[@holmespianotuning]

Cortot’s playing makes the true romantic style of performance worth it.

[@christianlewarth9805]

The Poet speaks.

[@mumuchat9475]

une grande leçon d'émotion

[@cameronbaggins9755]

Gotta hand it to the KZbin team -love the segue!

[@吉田征夫-i3x]

新海昭二が、最初に師事したのは、ロシア系・ユダヤ人のレオ・シロタです。Litanei は直ぐ見つかりますが、コルトーの演奏が行方不明になりました。わ～～と、コルトーの演奏が載っていて、捜す時間がありません。いずれにせよ、これから、全部（？）聴きます。感謝！　吉田阿吽旅人（征夫）

[@antoniofernandez-albalatga5731]

El poeta del piano.

[@bikedawg]

wow. extraordinary.

[@79postt]

This is not working anymore....could u upload it again?

[@bismiksm]

Fascinant personnage... Merci pour le partage

[@rrrrrr-kb9sb]

Hats off gentleman! A genius (Cortot)

[@funkycatglasses01]

This is so beautiful

[@davidm587]

That's what you call a masterclass

[@andychoi2531]

Horowitz's live performance hits different after watching this 😥

[@alainspiteri502]

two opposite great pianists

[@ban9nas177]

why are they opposites? I am curious as to what way. Thank you.@@alainspiteri502

[@pop123fly]

THANK YOU FOR THE ENGLISH SUB- TITLE!!

[@rravvia]

Thanks for this wonderful video❤

[@LukeZhang1]

love it

[@nihilatak]

This girl is İdil Biret by the way =)

[@TheModicaLiszt]

No way!

[@hugueshugues1560]

et merci Avner !

[@bloodgrss]

Tres bon!!!

[@TomD67]

This video is extraordinary. Thanks for posting it! But... Are there any more Cortot videos like this? I have not been able to find them in my web search but would love to see them, if they exist.

[@teresagomez9120]

Magistral este maestro es único es poeta

[@adautoar]

Was it Thierry de Brunhoff in the audience? It looks like him.

[@kumoticc]

It is Thierry de Brunhoff

[@TopStarshake]

wowww!!!!!!!!!

[@ningxiabird]

Mesmerizing

[@user-si5rr1jm2u]

Wow

[@LucaCiammarughi]

Entre les élèves de Cortot, a 0'48, il me semble de reconnaitre le pianiste Eric Heidsieck (dernier à droite) :)

[@marcelmouland4945]

Et Thierry de Brunhoff au centre?

[@lara-fi4ww]

can anyone transcribe what he says in french please? i speak a bit myself but not enough to catch every little detail

[@dillinger240]

me parece... que en el ultimo pedazo(parte) el poeta habla.. segun el titulo que schumann a el mismo a dado a esta pagina inmortal deberia transportarte sobre un plano de ensueño mas intimo..... no es asi? no unicamente la bella sonoridad, la relajacion expresiva de la frase sino un sentimiento mas soñador.... la verdad es que hay qeu soñar este ultimo pedazo(parte) no tocarlo me permite usted tomar su lugar?

[@dillinger240]

cortot plays: y aqui... no ligar estas dos frases, estos son dos elementos diferentes de la misma condicion musical y aqui como un tipo de interrogacion..... y de nuevo el otro..... afectuosamente.... interroga el avenir.............. y a partir de aqui... todo esto se inscribe tan simplemente no en la musica sino a travez... de la inmortalidad y dejen desvanecerse las sonoridades.. que deben desaparecer se apagan... y ustedes se dejan simplemente en la presencia de un sueño que se posa

[@janedvinsson]

Like Duke Ellington said...music should be beyond categories...you need allwaýs to say something...like Cortot here is going through what's going on and in depth ...the art is in the "cooking", what you make out of it. For me pianotangents are buttons and you need to combine them in speaking phrases to make any sense, like I experience Cortot is doing.

[@nicolasvanpoucke.pianist]

He must have had the number of Schumanns dealer.

[@lovetosteer]

Perfect comment. Still laughing.

[@opustravels3659]

Is that Pollini on the left at 0:49?

[@zviatocrapo9678]

This film is from 1953 ... Pollini's born in 1942 ... ;)

[@opustravels3659]

Wow, he aged really fast then ;-)

[@williamhill2221]

Cortot's late life was loneliness and depression.

[@teddythemlgcorgi7309]

0:48 that guy looks like Alban Berg

[@zviatocrapo9678]

who's the lady ?

[@williamhill2221]

We must see French people how to evaluate Alfred Cortot fr.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Cortot

[@kaleidoscopio5]

Cortot attitudes are a mix of patriotism, antisemitism, the intention of developed pedagogy and some kind of regret.....it is hard to judge him in the commodity of these times.....he did what he thought was the right thing and what he could....

[@ディヤングルタ]

0：48

[@ディヤングルタ]

0:49

[@-leochutkin4132]

Et son visage !!

[@horstlanger]

*KEIN TON!*

[@bluerayden]

what is he talking about, I have no frigging Idea, even with the sub titles

[@luc3753]

Poor student. Cortot seems to perform for the camera, utters a few hollow analogies and forgets to teach.

[@purpleAiPEy]

This lesson follows me every time I play this piece, each time I play it after months and months I understand what he says a little bit more.

[@kaleidoscopio5]

Cortot performed for all future generations, and we should thank him for that 😌

[@justinpino8115]

One in every crowd