Chopin - Scherzo #1 in B minor (Cecile Licad, 2003)

[@MsLinjohn]

All the dislikes are not about her playing. It’s about her appearance and something else

[@Petootiepie]

This my first time hearing Cecile Licad 'n also first time purposely hearing 1st Scherzo, but I will say it was a creditable performance. I agree with some of the comments that it was extreme in some ways, but it is always rewarding to see a performer who puts their whole soul into everything they do. I am also happy to see that she is a Filipina.

[@hongating6538]

brava!! very vibrant SCHERZO performance, so deep and powerful, OMG I am transformed to another world; one of the BEST, VIVA FILIPINA

[@alvinalcantara2009]

I totally agree with aspacguy. She plays with soul, she and the music become one. And for me, that's perfect artistry. Some people focus on the trees and yet miss the forest.

[@PolyphonicSeduction]

I thought so too, alot of little things emphasized that normaly aren't. I liked it. I love it when I hear a henuine interpretation of a piece of music as a pose to playing like everyone else. Yundi Li's is still my favorite though.

[@choliszt]

Cecile Licad is one of the best pianist I like her.

[@Rahajo1]

she has beautiful hair. but we are not discussing her physic, but her performance!

[@flugelmaniac]

excellent playing

[@tuberobotto]

I think what one ought to look out for in a performance is the individual's skill in doing an interpretation that is basically "out of the box" and away from usual expectations of everyone familiar with the piece. This performance offers a few surprising departures from the usual Rubinstein and Horowitz phraseology and I respect that coz it comes up fresh. She seems totally in control of all the notes and phrases at her disposal and she "owns" the piece at her pleasure. Amazing musicianship.

[@gramo63]

I have Cecile Licad's CD of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto #2 and Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (Claudio Abbado is the Conductor). The CD Review Magazine gave it the highest rating 10/10. If you can find it, buy it -- and you will agree with the grade.

[@supermanifold]

what an interesting interpretation!

[@RaineriHakkarainen]

Natalia Trull is the Queen of the Chopin scherzo no 1.Trull is an amazing!!! a mindblowing!1 out of this world.The rest like Horowitz Pletnev J.Hofman can not pay this.Rosa Tamarkina is the best in Chopin scherzo no 3.The best second to none!!!

[@hongating6538]

BIG WOW !!!

[@danbar73]

There are five recurring sections of the same turbulent musical theme here. It is good practice to differentialte one from the other,and universally accepted for the artist to take little liberties-subtle dynamic changes, a quick diminuendo/rallentando here and there-to achieve that goal as long as they do not impede the flow and momentum of the music. Ms. Licad did not derail the flow or diminish the substance and value of the music.

[@Wiegenlied09]

we should not compare a pianist to another pianist because they have their own skills and style

[@philiprostek]

equisitely nuanced contrasts! i love this performance

[@MatthewJohnIgnacio]

Five Star!

[@hailkayy]

This was : " Cziffrette ". Liked it !

[@Timrath]

I agree.

[@tuberobotto]

I know your comment dates 2 years back but I just wanted to say that there are isolated anecdotes of Chopin's attitude as an open minded person. There's the story of how a younger pianist slaughtered the piano while playing one of Chopin's pieces (a polonaise if I remember correctly) in his presence that a few strings broke. The young pianist apologises but Chopin replied, "if I had your power (strength) I would have done the same". I don't know the origin of the anecdote but, so there.

[@tuberobotto]

In a word, Ms Licad's interpretation is very individualistic as I suppose her character as a pianist-musician-artist should and ought to be. I don't know if that's how her mentor, the late Rudolf Serkin, taught her to be as an artist but her approaches are definitely personal and distinct and far from "generic", in that sense. She's no longer just about the piece and the pianist. She's transcended to the next level of being a true artist - self willed and highly individualistic.

[@caveman3461]

the part around 3:35 reminded me of another song but its more of an opera peice and not one of Chopin's works

[@jjg7]

I only have one comment with regards the ending - that I prefer more the original Bm scale in the score instead of the octaves she did here.

[@maycallo6354]

彼女の経歴が知りたいです。どなたかご存知ないでしょうか？PHILIPPINE人ではあるのですが、この国でピアノを学んだとは思えないので・・・幼少時に欧米で？

[@aspacguy1]

Among the many possible interpretations, sometimes you can not help but not follow some of the markings.. I know you disagree to this.. let me point you to rachmaninoff himself playing his prelude in c# minor in YT where the video shows the music sheet being played. ( I have it as one of my fav). He did not follow his markings to say the least.. is it the same music? I think so.. but he interpreted his own in music in a different light based on what is 'real' to him at that time.

[@RicAbapo]

@riconallariconalla kuya ikoy! hahaha, mama nimo tinuod?

[@jdrnk1]

The thing that makes these scherzos so damn hard (esp. 1 and 2) is that they're very open-ended, in that you don't want to make them perfect (hence, boring, like Garrick Ohlsson does in his complete Chopin recording; his performance on YT is very good), but you don't want to do a bunch of unnecessary "wtf is this?!?" stuff... And if you do, you have to be really good to make them sound natural. I think this is even more true about Scherzo 2, but here as well...

[@frostishosti]

Did she beat you in a competition or something?

[@cctunes]

This has got to be one of the goofiest interpretations of this I've ever heard, and I love Ms. Licad's playing.

[@crybanshee]

Just seen this replies now... Well I think "disrespecting" the text is also an art. You have to play with it so well and so carefully that you no longer "disrespect" it, you just have another point of view. What I saw Rachmaninoff doing, is interpreting his own work (he's playing home) and I didn't see anything that would go directly against the text, or anything without any logic. What I see here, in the Scherzo, is a sample of virtuosi just like Lang Lang. All they care is about the speed.

[@Wiegenlied09]

@aspacguy1 I Agree!!!

[@crybanshee]

Lol we've have this discussion... It will sound diferently, because there are many possible intepretations from what the composer wrote, but being careless to what the author wrote is just wrong; but then again, I do agree with rubato IN CHOPIN, just doing the exact opposite to what he did is not good. Before you ask: diminuendos at the beggining when Chopin wrote crescendo.

[@chiv78]

what is she doing with the rhythm? I know there is artistic license, but my God, if Chopin wanted it that way, he would have written it like that...IMHO!!! But it's not bad overall...

[@riconallariconalla]

it's just the same.. she just did the octaves alternately.. same sound it will produce.

[@gjbs55]

Are you as good as her?

[@frostishosti]

lokopiano, I guess I don't understand why you watch youtube vids you don't like with the sole purpose of making the performer feel bad. It sounds to me like you have a Napoleon complex. Or a God complex. Or both.

[@MaLillyBoogan]

Why is her hair so flat and oily here? Did she not shampoo her hair before the concert?

[@riconallariconalla]

nope.. iya ning anak hahaa

[@olipippocinque]

sono daccordo ,piu che stupida versione sportiva ,chi ha letto Chopin e i libri su Chopin di Eigeldinger sà che il maestro odiava la volgarità e il suono forte volgare ,che lui descriveva come l'abbaiare dei cani !!!

[@Toscanini2008]

If you are not happy with her rendition GO WATCH A PACQUIAO OR EDDIE PEREGRINA VIDEO, you critics. At doon kayo magbagbakan sa text.

[@Wiegenlied09]

@lokopiano how boastful of you to say you're better than Cecile Licad... you Should not compare anyone to your self

[@flugelmaniac]

too fast

[@musictaylor87]

she needs to learn how to bow

[@NOSEhow2LIV]

Obviously brilliant pianist but very flawed musician & artits. Rythmic instability undermines so much here. The alternating octaves at end make not only a poor choice,(un-Chopinesque in the extreme),but are poorly played. Not a great musical moment.

[@tuberobotto]

I think what one ought to look out for in a performance is the individual's skill in doing an interpretation that is basically "out of the box" and away from usual expectations of everyone familiar with the piece. This performance offers a few surprising departures from the usual Rubinstein and Horowitz phraseology and I respect that coz it comes up fresh. She seems totally in control of all the notes and phrases at her disposal and she "owns" the piece at her pleasure. Amazing musicianship.

[@tuberobotto]

I think what one ought to look out for in a performance is the individual's skill in doing an interpretation that is basically "out of the box" and away from usual expectations of everyone familiar with the piece. This performance offers a few surprising departures from the usual Rubinstein and Horowitz phraseology and I respect that coz it comes up fresh. She seems totally in control of all the notes and phrases at her disposal and she "owns" the piece at her pleasure. Amazing musicianship.

[@tuberobotto]

I think what one ought to look out for in a performance is the individual's skill in doing an interpretation that is basically "out of the box" and away from usual expectations of everyone familiar with the piece. This performance offers a few surprising departures from the usual Rubinstein and Horowitz phraseology and I respect that coz it comes up fresh. She seems totally in control of all the notes and phrases at her disposal and she "owns" the piece at her pleasure. Amazing musicianship.

[@tuberobotto]

I think what one ought to look out for in a performance is the individual's skill in doing an interpretation that is basically "out of the box" and away from usual expectations of everyone familiar with the piece. This performance offers a few surprising departures from the usual Rubinstein and Horowitz phraseology and I respect that coz it comes up fresh. She seems totally in control of all the notes and phrases at her disposal and she "owns" the piece at her pleasure. Amazing musicianship.