An Introduction to Liszt’s Vallée d’Obermann

Created and narrated by Chairat Chongvattanakij.

[@AndreiAnghelLiszt]

What a brilliant explanation! Thank you!

[@AndreiAnghelLiszt]

@Kirstie Sjulstad Nah we don't care

[@charliechen1]

I don’t play the piano. I played grunge guitar and I read tabs(can’t read sheet music). It just turned out that I met this girl who was auditioning for her Phd at the top music schools in the US so I offered to travel with her across the US to audition for the different schools. Rochester, Maryland, Cincinnati, Boston etc. all I heard that summer were classical music. I took on the role of going out and buying snacks, drinks and organizing travel itinerary. It was the first time in my life that I took on some measure of responsibility. I was a 19 year old punk. I must have heard this piece a hundred times played by her and a few hundred more played by the masters. I saw the frustrations, the elations and i learnt how to read sheet music in a rudimentary way because I was demanded to flip the page at the right time. This video is only meaningful because I know exactly which part is being explained. Please do a video on chopin piano concerto #2. I know that like the back of my hands too!

[@EtienneZhou]

Extraordinary lecture! It helped me a lot to know this piece better, wonderful transition, animation, as well as logically connected and convincing. Will definitely watch this again for an in-depth understanding.

[@hermannschaefer4777]

The first version is one of my most favorit piano pieces ever.

[@thenotsookayguy]

What?

[@hermannschaefer4777]

Album d'un Voyageur - Vallée d'Obermann, S. 156/5

[@thenotsookayguy]

@@hermannschaefer4777 Ik, but how is it one of your most famous pieces ever?

[@Ricardo7250]

Me too, I think the first version is better than the second one

[@gergelykiss]

Thank you! I thought I knew Vallée d'Oberman pretty well before I watched your introduction. The connections to Weber and especially to Schubert seem to be absolutely, 100% intentional - and I am pretty sure Liszt would be very pleased to know that at least a few people picked up on it. The subtle Wanderer-quotations are amazing. Such a fantastic insight into Liszt's mind and thinking. Thanks again!

[@EElgar1857]

An absolutely beautiful video, worthy of this great work. I've loved the piece for years, but now I have a deeper understanding of it. Thank You!

[@kpokpojiji]

Excellent presentation! Thank you so much for this! Very illuminating regarding this great masterpiece by Liszt.

[@deandusk]

Simply brilliant!

[@charliechen1]

This can be a part of a masters degree thesis in music history. My ex girlfriend should have seen this video when she was writing hers.

[@waterglass55]

Thank you very much for the deep, and expansive analysis. This music is one of my most favorite one, listening over and over for years. I had not understand well the relationship between the music and Byron's story, but now much clearer.

[@caterscarrots3407]

Is it just me or does the phrase "the angst of a young man in self exile" describe Beethoven's music well?

[@mariocarrocomposer]

Amazing analysis!!

[@pianoimagination]

Fantastic, absolutely fantastic! Very complete, balanced in every aspect and inspiring explanation about the deep and incredible journey that this piece represents. I knew most of what you said and shared the same vision of the work but hearing the references of Liszt inspiration and quotations described and presented in such a fluid and elegant speech spoken with rich and poetic vocabulary that brings the curious listener more near to the unexplainable entrails of the emotion this music raises was extremely captivation and inspiring. I will be playing this piece soon and I'm glad you helped me to shape and concrete my thoughts about it with this wonderfully-made video. Please keep posting them. I would be extremely interested in your view about Dante Fantasia and Ravel Gaspard de la Nuit. Best wishes!

[@giandomenicolupo372]

Thank you for this outstanding analysis

[@CalamityInAction]

That was fascinating! Thank you so much

[@ahmadzamani]

Great analysis! I'm happy that you've started uploading again!

[@chrisridenhour]

Excellent presentation! :)

[@MrBleubleubleu]

Bravo for this video ! So interesting and easy to understand. Great flow. Do more of these if you can ! It could be nice to have some on Scriabin !

[@mariosvourliotakis]

While i personally havent reached my music theory to the level where I would understand absolutely everything, the interpretational comments with the deepest points of the valley for example, and the backstory behind the piece, were more than enough for me to find this video useful! Thank you very much!

[@haritsprabowo1048]

love it! brilliant analysis!

[@arlettehellemans2117]

Nooit las ik zo een uitvoerige, leerrijke omschrijving van een MEESTERWERK!

[@azure5697]

i didn't know all of this, but i had the feeling there was something like this behind very interesting, thanks

[@mazeppa1231]

Very nice video! :) With the annees de pelerinage set, I just wished Liszt substituted one of those pieces with the Andante Molto Espressivo piece in the Fleurs Melodiques de Alpes. It's a very beautiful piece and was a shame that it didn't make it into the final Suisse set of the Annees de Pelerinage.

[@AsrielKujo]

Very good explanation!

[@MBL2210]

Thanks for this interesting video, reall appreciate it, since Liszt is my fav composer.

[@cmerrell51]

When I worked on this piece a couple of years ago with my piano professor, we had talked about what the meaning of the piece actually meant. Did the man triumph or did he succumb to his old habits? I like to think that the repeated notes at the end of the piece do show that something sinister is in fact brewing. We do receive one last glorious effort in the octave passage before the coda, but the repeated notes do show up again. Thank you for such a wonderful explanation of one of my favorite pieces.

[@winsomelau6188]

Please also do the whole set of Swiss book s.160!

[@Ricardo7250]

Unpopular opinion: I think the first version of Vallee d'Oberman (which is in Albun d'un Voyageur) is much better. This second version adds nuance but I really miss the raw turmoil that exists in the first version

[@TheCountcounts123456]

A very conclusive analysis of this masterpiece. Especially the comparison to the first version, works of Schubert and literature references were extemely meaningful. in my opinion the used „sound sample“ was not the best choice - for me the interpretation of the pianist was swashing between superficial and overdrawn most times and so it unfortunately was in contrary to the things that were said, what‘s pitiful! (for example measure 67: „deepest valley...“ - the music doesn’t sound anything like an authentic experience of existential crisis like Liszt insinuated). basicly i don‘t like to give negative critics in this comment section, but there is a lot of work to recognize in this video, so i think it maybe could be helpful anyway... however, best wishes to this great music scientific work of you!!

[@mikedaniels3009]

You are awesome, man, thanks. Well, to all those who haven't commuted suicide after hearing this, happy belated 2021. I can't share my gratefulness to the Lord for helping me through the abysses of existential crises. Like Liszt I'm now free to indulge in being a Christian minded materialist happily ever after. Truth be told, Liszt early understood that freedom from the BS of life spelled having money, and lots of it. Hence he would charge exorbitant fees for his concerts, became a millionaire and thus in later life was free to indulge in existential & religious crises and in charity without the obnoxious distractions of work. PS I prefer Ray Charles' musical dealings with depression.

[@witsukyai1685]

Great analysis! May I ask where you’re from? Is it Thailand?

[@handznet]

Great video. Are you still making content? 👍🏻

[@think-about-it3465]

who is the interprete of your audio?

[@antoninocaraco1947]

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@arts1902]

22:33

[@user-ne9mt7mu4g]

Shuddering