Bach Suite No. 2 in d minor | Erika Gray (viola)

[@billcook4768]

I've spent so many hours of my life on this.... and you make it look so easy. Thank you for the beautiful music, even if it shames me.

[@peterwu8471]

Keep it up

[@Kittensrme]

SAME

[@savik01]

why be ashamed? spending hours in this is incredible!!!

[@samg8761]

This piece is so difficult to phrase. Bravo ! Beautiful Viola tone !!

[@erikagrayviola]

Thank you very much!

[@nanaelibar]

This video is underappreciated. I dont care about the "oh Bach wouldn't want vibrato or this and that. Etc." I find his music I much more beautiful and emotional with the vibratos Especially when it's for the occasional held out notes it really amplifies the expressions the piece whispers.

[@johnries5593]

I've suspected for some time that if someone were to contact Bach in the next world and ask him how he wanted this played, he would say "well". It's not like his own copies of his cello suites have much detail (from what I have seen, he didn't provide much more than the notes; even the slurs are a matter of interpretation).

[@mustelidify]

Huge amounts of vibrato aren't really expected in music of the baroque period, but I think the amount of vibrato here is just fine. I've heard this performed with more vibrato, like you'd expect in a romantic era piece from Brahms or Saint-Saëns, and that sounds a bit silly over Bach, like a caricature. But this vibrato is nicely balanced with the baroque character of the piece and I think it sounds great.

[@osielcardenas2869]

@@mustelidify I agree

[@macaw2000]

Not sure what you mean. The whole "no vibrato" during baroque era is an urban legend. Would be embarrassed if she didn't vibrato.

[@MichaelBarker]

I understand that it takes A LOT of practice to play like this, which is absolutely beautiful by the way, but to be able to commit 20 minutes of such complex music to memory! Incredible. This was an an amazing performance, thank you so much for your dedication and for sharing it for all of us to see!

[@pauldeck4500]

She's probably got a dozen full concertos in her head plus a trove of other stuff. All the pros learned to memorize everything from their first lessons. Musicians agree that Bach is among the hardest material to memorize, but the pros just do it.

[@guillermohugocardenas3639]

A most beautiful and whole viola sound coming out from this astonishing and lovely interpretation.

[@zorkmarble]

This is so good I am trying to copy your bowings and fingerings! Marvellous playing.

[@captainpiefox9133]

I don't think I've ever heard this song played so emotionally. I must say, the tonality and overall technique you output throughout this piece was brilliant. Only extremely well-rounded violists dare try this piece to begin with, and you pulled through it with exuberance and excellence. Unbeatable work

[@zoec.4343]

there's this event where i live called the "bach marathon" where people play bach music from 7pm to 7am... this is exactly what i want to be listening to at 3 in the morning!

[@GloomyD.]

Great interpretation. I play the viola and I love its sound so much, and you really bring out its beauty with those notes. Thanks for paying tribute to this wonderful instrument with your music and delighting me with it. Congratulations!

[@MrGuillermoraben]

wow!!! you are a true musician...ground interpretation....very good!!! i havent words.... congratulations and thank you.....

[@erikagrayviola]

Much appreciated :)

[@jimfanlair6159]

Masterpiece played by a Master of Viola: Astonishing !!!

[@veloqis]

I haven't heard a lot of violists that can bring out the kind of sound that you can pull from your instrument. It's wonderful. And your intonation is excellent. Thanks for a great and very enjoyable performance!!!

[@erikagrayviola]

Thank you so much!

[@jamaljohnson910]

Nathaniel Noit

[@actorjay]

The presentation of the person, the instrument, the music are all so perfectly matched and lovely. Bravo.

[@colourblind5908]

Wow, this is so beautiful, I'm 14 and currently self-learning this song, and really hope to sound like this one day. Thank you for this amazing performance!

[@frankstein9982]

CB that's wonderful, but you really need a teacher's guidance in stuff this hard.

[@mpockley]

If ColourBlind wants to play it his/her own way, the lack of a teacher is a bonus.

[@SimonPiano42]

@Michael no, at least a good teacher lets you play your way and helps you achieve it. he will probably try to convince you of another interpretation if he thinks yours lacks consistency or taste here and there, but he won't force you. Most importantly, a teacher will help you improve your technique and correct mistakes so that you can play your interpretation the best way possible.

[@toney3229]

Thank You for sharing this experience with us! ❤

[@unforgive2n]

nice dynamcis.. good performance, truly astonishing.. thank you for sharing this

[@ChrisEbbrsen]

Your like a beautiful Greek statue that suddenly came to life with a viola in your hands down from the Minoan mountains. Uncanny! Take me to your leader.bravisimo encore!

[@noshirm6285]

Brava, Erika! 🎻💐 This is playing of mastery, depth, and beauty! 👏🏻

[@christinawong345]

You're absolutely AMAZING!!! You're helping me so much on prepping for my audition! Your fingerings and bowings have helped so much but the pitch helps the most. Thank you so much! 💕 Keep being great!!

[@auroratripodi8771]

Bravissima, I love this piece, I've never heard played with a viola but the sound is magnificient.

[@18JasonM]

I saw you today at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, great job

[@empireentertainmentevents1353]

On behalf of all VIOLAS (yes, Viola the instrument) I say thank you! VIOLAS have been ridiculed and mocked as the' lesser' or inferior Violin. You brought the soul out of your VIOLA with your lovely playing. You go Girl!!

[@gracevlogs6610]

Thank you for your viola play. I really like Bach’s suites.

[@ellispipermusic]

the perfect combination of expression and technicality. well done :)

[@violaisreallycool]

The most difficult suite I’ve encountered, all of the others may be slightly more technically demanding but this and the first suite as a close second are extraordinarily difficult to phrase!!! Not to mention the homogeneity of the sound and being completely convincing. I love the Gray intensity and ease characteristic of your playing!! A very fine performance with clear evidence of a huge amount of work and care in your playing!

[@simon8katz]

Beautiful recovery in preludio;) Bravo!

[@cptsuperstraight6924]

I am a musically sofisicated, narrow-minded snob. And I was enchanted by this.

[@akrishnaa]

Bravo - simply wonderful!

[@veratucchi]

wonderful performance. very musical and your tone is gorgeous

[@tsuihimson9321]

Beautiful

The best Bach I Never see!!!! Congrats

[@MitchBoucherComposer]

This is a spectacular performance! The tone of the viola is perfect for this suite.

[@-Honeybee]

Beautifully performed!

[@Wavewolfaroha]

This prelude is my favorite movement from the solo cello suites! It is open to perhaps a wider interpretive margin than the other 5 preludes, because of the nature of the composition. I look for success in whatever direction the performer has taken it, definitely having preferences for type of direction while being open to appreciate a different manner of success. For me, success in this movement entails formal coherence, understanding of implied polyphony, interpretation of the blocked chords near the end, and the usual measures of intonation, bowing, beauty of tone, etc. Your performance is truly magnificent, especially for the prelude but also the dance movements. In the prelude, consider treating the notated block chords freely: arpeggiated (as Jodi Levitz and Max Baillie do in their KZbin performances), or even improvising within the harmonies in the style of the movement, a Baroque temptation! The beauty of your tone, intelligence and control of bowing, impeccable intonation, and musical interpretation are most engaging. Wishing you every success in years to come!

[@FletaPascual]

Wow, great experience hear this video, thanks for sharing,

[@nocturnallsnake4228]

THIS one is well played. i was looking for one this good.

[@kaielafeen1417]

Beautiful interpretation ♥️♥️♥️ I had to quit when I broke my left carpal 😔🎶🎶🎶🎶 Keep Performing and please put it up on YT 🎈🎵🎶🎼🎧 ❤️🖤❤️🖤

[@camerenanai]

You're absolutely amazing!!!!😍

[@jasminetunac442]

Cameren Anai I love her sound 😭😭

[@camerenanai]

Ugh ikr! Same! I'm so jealous.

Very good sound!!!! Thanks for the video!!!

[@georgeng635]

Your playing comforts my soul :)

[@KellyWayar]

Que buen sonido y excelente interpretación!! Felicidades

[@ChrisEbbrsen]

Nice thirds baby! Your playing is to die for way to go!

[@curlyfry9542]

It's an incredible performance

[@TranceFan05]

I really enjoyed your palying will you be making a recording of this piece? Also shout out to drew schlegel the audio of this recording rivals the audio quality of cds.

[@astrolabbius]

Notable interprete . Congratulatons Erika !!

[@mostafaragab4834]

Very good playing Really tender and touching

[@sasavlogs4205]

I’m playing this for my next audition on Wednesday next week and I’m so afraid of not doing as how I expect but you clearly nailed it and I hope to do it as good as you

[@elcarlitos24]

and how did it go?

[@petercabrales9064]

What a pleasant sound.... coming from a viola!

[@marianacarina2580]

Get the fuck out with your toxic ass. The music community doesn't need ignorant people.

[@SvatoslavHamaliar]

Beautiful 🎶🎶🎶

[@AnnaSzarek-FDD]

so good playing, congratulations!

[@nickfarinacci1776]

Never heard a viola sound so beautiful

[@JamieJonesmusic]

Great player

[@bh9257]

Love it!!!!

[@robertberlund8235]

a true master of the art

[@celiagoldstein1806]

you’re amazing!!!

[@nicholasborelli275]

Outstanding!

[@N3bula_Cr3ations]

13:12 the coughing of that one man in the room got me laughing 💀💀💀

[@rwc123cheng4]

Excellent play!! 👏👏👍👍

[@rwc123cheng4]

Greatest viola player I've ever seen! I first thought that was a violin 😂 👍

[@zoltanalmashi3829]

Bravo!!

[@violatione]

Only someone who knows nothing of music would thumbs this down!

[@nanaelibar]

violatione violins upset that they have no C string to play this and that a violist shifts better than them

[@ki2134]

Tears fell down on my cheeks.

[@paulst2951]

Phenomenal

[@vav5838]

wonderful vibrato. i've been trying to develop your type after using my arm vibrato for years... would you mind giving me some advice? thank you very much :)

[@enricorossi3106]

I listened to this at 3 am , very loud My neighbours called the police The police obviously arrested them.

[@sethkormylo2289]

loved the paganini peice you did with HPS! great work here too! thanks for posting this (edit:) by the way is that a 16 1/2 or 16 viola? thanks!

[@ultravioleta3373]

maravilloso

[@kleberlimah8045]

sublime

[@hisstoryteller758]

Excellent! Than you!

[@hamletvalencia6589]

BRAVO!!

[@josemotta9560]

Maravilhoso.

[@christianbrodiez5287]

C'est avec une telle prestation que l'on peut se demander si les suites attribuées au violoncelle ne sonnent pas ENCORE mieux è l'alto ?

[@pablovilla7539]

Bravo!

[@rjgjn378]

Huge viola

[@eleforcollege5477]

Starting point: 0:34

[@francoisvillon1300]

Какой огромный нструмент! 17 дюймов?

[@24yamazakura]

I think it's a stile characteristic to woman on Bach. It looks like Hahn. I very like them.

[@jellymary4509]

15:15 minuet II

[@nelsonlabarca1443]

que talento

[@saxangel45]

me gusta mucho.

[@curlyfry9542]

!!!!🤩

[@Kittensrme]

❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@dixitgarg289]

masterly

[@moon_chaser22]

Do you have tye sheet music?

[@pauldeck4500]

You can find viola and violin transcriptions of the cello suites on IMSLP. Here's one for viola: imslp.org/wiki/Special:ImagefromIndex/121689/hfin

[@ChrisEbbrsen]

ENCORE! DYNAMIC GENIUS OF VIOLA BEWITCHING SHOW ME LITTLE GIRL HOW TO PLAY VIOLA IM ENTRANCED SAVE THIS VIDIO PLEASE!

[@hyungkiparkshop]

What size viola is that ?

[@erikagrayviola]

It’s a 16” by Gary Garvaglia (2011) in Chicago!

[@pauldeck4500]

I was curious about that too. It looks like a huge viola because Ms. Gray is a relatively petite woman. I remember seeing a picture of her with some other contests finalists, and she she looks tiny in comparison to the other individuals (even in comparison to the other women) in the picture.

[@Pet_1812]

9:58

[@Michelle_Esparza_m]

💕💕💕

[@manfioviolas]

Eh, brava!

[@Pet_1812]

14:11

[@hweesanong3255]

As a soloist you can bring out more expression. I should have PM you. Thanks for putting yourself out there!

[@samuraiJoe7]

Beaitiful

[@danielcho1179]

y so fast

[@黃-i6o]

16:46

[@rexyape1633]

Where are your feets

[@Wavewolfaroha]

Hahaha--I would be so afraid of stepping on my gown and falling upon my viola!!!! I guess someone playing that well also has grace in walking on stage wearing such a gown...

[@rwc123cheng4]

It should be 'Feet' instaed of 'feets'. 'Feet' is already a plural noun! I love to catch others grammatical mistakes cuz I am an English teacher! 😄

[@maggieb6822]

rwc123 cheng Then why’re there two errors in your comment?

[@gimbapco1313]

rwc123 cheng sure you are

[@Cynolia]

@@rwc123cheng4 i n s t a e d

[@Stephen-iv3me]

0:34

[@missmel1fan819]

17:07

[@carlosvillegas4133]

Is cello!!!!!!!!!!!

[@teckyify]

[@serviciotecnicocdc4916]

SU RICMO Y TENPO EN SU SEREBRO ES UNA CARICIA AL CABELLO DE JESUCRISTO QUE DIOS TE SONRRIE CONTENPLANDOTE 🎉😂❤JHONSON ARANDA

[@RilouRilou]

It is not that Bach did not want vibrato, it is that violins of that time were different and could not make as much vibrato. Improve the sound another way