Bach-Busoni Adagio from BWV 564

Busoni's arrangements of Bach's extraordinary and ultra-romantic Adagio from his Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C. Properly insane crunchy chords towards the end - clearly the guy had some pretty deep emotional issues :)

[@roberto.7475]

The slow tempo lets this adagio unfold.0ne of the best performance ever !!! Thank you very much.

[@Libercapitum]

Gracias James 🌹por una interpretación finísima, de exquisita fidelidad...NÓ con la partitura, sino con el contenido espiritual que sugiere al pianista, porque eres tú, el que finalmente liberas las notas llenas de amor y necesidad de decir, que están presas en la tinta de la partitura, y en la quietud inerte del teclado...Gracias por la sutil ternura y delicadeza con que buscas la elocuencia máxima al emocionado llanto interno del autor...y con ello le permites compartir con nosotros las lágrimas de su alma y la inmensidad de su conciencia.

[@LeonardoSanchez-se6fz]

Grandes palabras...

[@chrismartinez5711]

No expert, but to me, some Bach pieces need to give you time to let the emotional heft of each passage settle inside you, and this is is one such piece. Thank you, James Rhodes for the beautiful pacing.

[@ramonprick]

I really love the way James plays this piece. Because of the slower tempo and the rubato it sounds more emotional than when played in a stricter tempo.

[@Forgetit2697]

I actually think it sounds more emotional when played with less rubato and a faster tempo ..

[@ramonprick]

That's the beauty of music, everyone can perform it the way they want and there is no wrong or right way. Just pick the performance you like, although I have to admit that the Sebok version sounds great also, but I still prefer this one by James.

[@marie-pascaleleonetti1555]

Je pense comme Ramon. Le rubato est sublime avec ce pianiste.

[@mmem13]

At the end of the day, Bach rules, regardless of interpretation. It's his music after all. He composed it, arranged it and played it.

[@ronankillian5350]

Pro trick: you can watch series at flixzone. Me and my gf have been using them for watching loads of movies during the lockdown.

[@kasenronin7009]

@Ronan Killian yup, been using Flixzone} for months myself =)

[@nolanconner1850]

@Ronan Killian Yup, have been watching on flixzone} for since november myself =)

[@roberto.7475]

Well done James.The slow tempo conveys the correct style and mood,beautiful tone and control.Thank you !

[@hamhampton4599]

The slower tempo I like. It adds significance to the depth of each note and easily shows how well Bach composed this piece to convey the beauty in it.

[@dianeswanson8206]

Ham Hampton I like the slow tempo here too.

[@marie-pascaleleonetti1555]

J'ai une adoration pour cet adagio. Pour moi, cette interprétation est la plus belle de tous les temps.

[@bobdjukic4760]

James, this was...this was...I have no idea what it was. I am still deaf, dumb, numb and disoriented. I saw the light. If you had not stopped, I would have ascended right into it and emerged on the other side of parinirvana. Is there a word to describe this experience? Hypnosis? Near-death? Ecstasy? Apotheosis? Meditation? Ascension? Resurrection? Has anyone else felt what I just did?...But surely the most striking part of the experience was that your hands formed an integral part of the Bach expression; I can't for the life of me imagine listening to this heavenly music without simultaneously watching those knotty, convulsive, agonizing fingers strangling every last ounce of emotion out of the keyboard. For six minutes and twenty three seconds, you WERE Johann Sebastian Bach. If the words of sufficient and appropriate gratitude have been invented, I haven't had a privilege of meeting them yet. Pacing? Not just right: the only possible.

[@VirginiaBurges]

You reached inside and tore out my heart...

[@7r5y9s1]

This tempo even better suitable for that music

[@Saxymancan]

Wow, beautiful

[@sergioroman8548]

Very beautiful, thanks for sharing.

[@danielarevilla5577]

Acabo de descubrir a este tipo... Impresionante su interpretación de Bach. Estoy seguro de que esta es la manera correcta de tocarlo

[@dianeswanson8206]

Thank you so much! This is really beautiful.

[@lucafreddi]

MAGNIFICO.

[@Gusakov]

So Beautiful...

[@bach_solo]

Very well played. Right tempo, well felt out. At the end, Bach clearly was writing in early 20th century style. Just gave us a hint he knows where it goes, just too much for his century...

[@marianelamelgarejo2166]

sublime

[@SergioValenzuela]

Not a performance. a prayer. Thank you

[@robertobravo7714]

True

[@yuliet07]

Sin palabras, te felicito.

[@robotinthebrain]

I'll play this on december 21st just before the worl ends

[@kristalfranch212]

Es muy bueno, me encanta muchísimo

[@Haamidpianoman]

absolutely brilliant

[@JEP177777]

Very quietly popping in to say Busoni is not Baroque - 18(something) - 1924. This is beautiful x

[@batkodimitrov3183]

Gorgeous! Thank you!

[@gabrielxing]

Very beautifully played

[@magoit]

Well played. Thanks for upload!

[@VamLoveAndKisses]

I quite like the rubato, it seems to fit the piece. Have a listen to Barenboim's recording (itunes) of Bach's Well Tempered Clavier Book I Prelude 6 in D minor. It's so different and incredibly romantic because he used pedal and rubato, yet it really works! I like when supposedly 'stiff' and 'straight' music is re-imagined to show it's emotion and beauty. But it's all a matter of opinion so hey ho! :)

[@proSpiritofTruth]

So far this is the only other version which shows an understading and skill such as Vladimir Horowitz displayed particlularly in his 1965 Carnegie Hall appearance 13 years from retirement. There are still some indefineables which Horowitz has for me, but this is by far the nearest so far. Don't underrate yourself.

[@Marianofrv]

great job pal congrats

[@Domydoor]

everything you do is epic :D

[@dered5548]

What a pity that people unlearnt to listen to slow music! Nobody listens the prayer, nobody seeks God, for this reason the tempo is too slow and ridioculous for them . This the miracle, how Bach's music discovers the human soul. Thank's for honest performance!

[@mudkip_btw]

Edgar Gerashenko what a ridiculous statement

[@7r5y9s1]

Very thérapeutique

[@ArrOzita3b]

Tocas genial amigo!!! :3

[@Musicantrix]

Nice playing, but also a beautiful camera movement and shot :)

[@bjgamez_]

Wonderful. Brought to mind a Horowitz interpretation.

[@pf7180]

magnifique interprétation a rapprocher de celle du maitre Horowitz bravo et merci

[@Phoenixlechannel]

A tutorial please, just hands and keyboard. It's possible ? Thank you.

[@TalPlayPiano]

What a beautiful music ! But why the tempo largo ou lento ? It's an Adagio...

[@dered5548]

Slow tempo. I thin'k the interpreter it's free here

[@timw4383]

Ok, I've compared this to Gyorgy Seboks' version. While I liked Sebok's, I have to say that I think James Rhodes got to the heart of the piece. Sebok's is just a presentation of the note on the page. James Rhodes gives us a true interpretation.

[@dtelele111]

Literally, everything haha

[@feelimpianist]

If it is too hard to read, listen more and try to get most by ears.

[@ame1432]

Bad or not, I think that 's a very personal interpretation, many many ideas! the bass is very very appropriate and organistic thought! and..who knows.. A Lot of Busoni's own recordings of original baroque pieces (WTK ecc..) sound very very romantic..What can we sincerly call correct or appropriate?

[@ZemljaZarnetskaja]

Очень убедительная интерпретация. Экзистенционально! Браво, маэстро!! Вашу запись уже используют в качестве саундтрека: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l53Xg5yLaKeSoas . Поздравляю!

[@Phoenixlechannel]

9 months later I repeate my question : A tutorial please, just hands and keyboard. It's possible ? Thank you.

[@tonfarbe]

Learn to read music + get the score

[@paulhalpin6301]

Try it on the organ mate like I have on my channel. It's MUCH better. Particularly the fortissimo ending. I jump between flute&reed before that which is a dualism you JUST CAN'T GET on piano. This is HIGHLY over-romanticised. But Kissin is the same. I've also got the Bach-Busoni Chaconne on there, so still play a BIT of piana 😊

[@lalijew]

Dear, there is too much pathos! Sorry! Bach's music does not need this. Bach's beauty is in the mind, not on the piano keys. I can recommend to you an interpretation of Gyorgy Sebok. But im sure, you have the gift to ripen it! :-) Greetz from Roma!

[@deanropchan7213]

Gyorgy Sebok’s version was good. I can recommend to you an interpretation of Vladimir Horowitz.

[@johnsmithsu]

Es Keanu Reeves :D.

[@williamstafford8914]

Cor!

[@TheSmoshmy]

1)No. But I think that James might be. But, actually I had another listen and I found that this time there were things that I quite liked.I think that the tempo is about right. Part of the problem might be actually in Busoni's arrangement . I found that filling out all those thick chords in the L.H. tended to overweight the single line melody in the R.H. Also James' pedalling was not always accurate and harmonies often clashed in a rather murky sound.Also the precision berween

[@user-kr6dy9sg5v]

Вялое стокато

[@TheSmoshmy]

2) the hands is not always there,The L.H. often seemed to be a nano-second BEHIND the R.H., a late-Romantic mannerism which I find does nothing for this music.As for those thick LH. chords it might be better to just play bare, simple octaves.That might clean up the texture a little.As for that infamous chord.It occurs at 5.16.There is,of course, a dissonance, built into the chord (I think Bb clashing with C_ but I thinkl that there is a way of cleaning this up also.

[@annelidencker9973]

x .Sebastian bach aa

[@pauloliberato6953]

i strongly believe you enjoy playing :)

[@patricepimoulle8548]

C'est tres beau, naturellement, mais trop lent. La musique y perd un peu de chair, de tissu... mais j'aime bien quand meme.

[@bruno280678]

baroque vs romanticism: 1-0

[@toodleoo88]

How beautiful you are James

[@raymondgood2359]

to each his own. i personally love his playing of this piece

[@militoquintana6816]

Dejen que el intérprete haga lo que le venga en gana al fin y al cabo es él quien está tocando, si no les gusta vayan a otro lado o hagan un video de ustedes tocando la misma pieza "como debería ser" les gusta simplificar las cosas y no dan libre expresión.

[@Halley-qs4qr]

Es könnte noch laaaangsamer gespielt werden. The most organists and pianists plays the slowly pieces (BWV 622, 654, 659, Air from BWV 1068, Handels Largo, Albinonis Adagio...) to fast.

[@MrLanzafan]

too slow, sorry !

[@dered5548]

For you, yes, maybe .

[@mrschwammkopf361]

Way too much pedal. Bach was definitely not a romantic composer...

[@johnbrothers8226]

"But Busoni was" great reponse..

[@dered5548]

Busoni was romantic ,But he doesn't make Bach's music romantic absolutely. The interpretation can be romantic.

[@tunafishmaki]

20 children, seems romantic to me?

[@mrschwammkopf361]

10 kids died during his life, including his 24 year old son. His first wife died when he was on a journey ... his eye has been operated and he died in pain... very romantic. His great works ( mass im b-minor and all the sad cantatas and passions) are reflecting the omnipresent death which accompanied him through his whole life.

[@raymondgood2359]

very astute observation

[@sacsw81ga]

I'm generally a purist when it comes to great Baroque works: don't mess with masterpieces. The BWV 564 is a rare instance when this rule can be thrown by the wayside. Sadly, however, this version is too affected. too slow, too emphatic, too much rubato. Pretty awful really ... For pure inspiration try György Sebök's version. A MASTERPIECE.

[@timw4383]

Ok, I've compared this to Gyorgy Seboks' version. While I liked Sebok's, I have to say that I think James Rhodes got to the heart of the piece. Sebok's is just a presentation of the note on the page. James Rhodes gives us a true interpretation.

[@williamwaynflete6336]

Ridiculously slow, with far too much rubato. :-(

[@johnbrothers8226]

You are way too judgemental. Music is art and open to each persons experience,,,,,

[@dered5548]

It's pity that slow Bach's sacred music can be ridiculous.I think's people unlearnt listen to slow music.

[@dianeswanson8206]

William Waynflete I think this is beautiful. Rubato is nice here.

[@kuiperroerdink1670]

This piece just doesn’t work at this tempo imo

[@WallCollapse]

LOL, seriously ?

[@LRSCA]

Busoni used the music of Bach and made a much worse.

[@TalPlayPiano]

Peut-être préférez-vous cette interprétation ? @

[@enzocypriani5055]

too much rubato, this is bach

[@TheSmoshmy]

Actually, not bad James baby BUT a little overpedalled and still that problem of synchronising the L.H. and R.H. and even though I don't regard you as a REAL pianist JAMES baby this was actually rather moving but WHAT THE FUCK was that chord you played at the beginning of the loud bit? That can't be right> But keep on keeping on with that career James baby.That's what really counts,eh James baby.