Chopin Sonata in B minor, Presto

The last movement of Chopin's slightly insane 3rd piano sonata.
Performed live by James Rhodes

[@ktsince83]

Love this guy. His book was the best I ever read. =). Legend.

[@timothyj1966]

Brilliant Player - because he is PASSIONATE and it really shows

[@YenneyRossi]

✨ Affascinante pezzo strumentale 🎹 straordinaria interpretazione caro James Rhodes 🎶🎹👍 Grazie Mille per la condivisione e il prezioso videoclip 🤳🎬✳️ Complimenti e un meritato applauso 👏 Buona giornata 🌞✨🇮🇹✔️ Ciao 🤗

[@alessandropelizzoli6613]

Simply one of the best pieces Chopin ever wrote... Probably also one of the best of piano literature. Not sublime, but really good and enjoyable interpretation. Congratulations!!!

[@toodleoo88]

Oh, how I'd love to meet this genius in my life !

[@classicalmusicanalysis]

Beautiful, James!!! Thanks for uploading, thought you stopped doing it!

[@bharatbash]

Amazing James!

[@alfredomarquez1916]

Freaking beautiful.

[@Ballet-ester235]

La música que me emociona, me hace amar la vida. Gracias.

[@maane28]

This man is genius......but at the same time this video shocks me out what kind of genius Chopin was...

[@vr4ever645]

I love his attitude and how he just is. 🔥🖖 Lang lang on the other hand .....

[@TheCaminoPilgrim]

Bravo, Jimmy!

[@fleurdlotuz]

Magnifique ♥️

[@josepmariapuigcalderon9629]

Malgrat tinc una afició important per la musica (des de la infància) mai he tingut sensibilitat suficient per la musica solista (llevat de l'orgue) No obstant, escoltant a J.Rhodes s'intueix el seu virtuosisme com a pianista. El que m'ha originat una certa pertorbació mental ha estat la descripció que fa (en el seu llibre INSTRUMENTAL) de els grans creadors de musica per a piano com Bach, Chopin, Bruckner, Beethoven, Liszt etc., els quals al marge de ser genis de la musica, eren tots uns tarats mentals i fisics. Això i la lectura del seu esfereïdor llibre, em fan pensar si no serà la musica culta un article creat per tarats (segons Rhodes)

[@douglassmith7750]

Listen to the haters.. incredibly demanding piece..I personally enjoyed 👍

[@HesBridy1]

@Mejoho when it comes to interpreting an artists' interpretation of a music piece,.. a comment Quickly simply becomes Too interpretive.

[@akelofgren9468]

Art(ists) is today likely to be like Rimbaud cast from society himself, even if Rubinstein was a HUMANLOVER LIFELOVER, Seymour Bernstein 95 survived as ARTPIANIST

[@akelofgren9468]

In Northern they take out piano in the wood

[@akelofgren9468]

When l experienced MAM DAD ERIKWASA CHOPINHEART SWITCH DOWN (INHUMAN KICKINGS EVEN SO MUCH MORE)l became more like Arthurs Rubinsteins brother revolutionairy rather than Arthur (MAMS DARLING LAST BORN

[@akelofgren9468]

When l saw MAM DAD ERIKWASA my CHOPINHEART SWITCH DOWN ,worse than chopintouch vanish in conserthalls,l became more LIKELY to be like Arthur Rubinsteins brother revolutionairy rather than (MAMS DARLING LAST BORN

[@akelofgren9468]

Rather than Arthur himself,humenlover lifelover, Seymour Bernstein survived as ARTPIANIST, but even so anyway artist risk to be like Rimbaud CAST FROM SOCIETY HIMSELF, for we were 'AQUARIEFISHES' THAT WERE DENIED OUR 22 DEGREES CAST OUT TO POLARDOGS

[@sergioazevedo7390]

Good for people who have no idea what means to play the piano at a professional, virtuosistic level.This is a gifted amateur, nothing more, nobody turns theirselves in good pianists only because they had a sad life story, they need at least to play the writen notes and keep tempo, and, and, and... play well. Try Pollini or Martha Argerich for this Sonata if you want a good version.

[@jb9652]

Sérgio Azevedo I agree that a sad life story is not sufficient to make a pianist. However, I know of "better" pianists than James who cannot play so well as him, possibly because they don't have a sad life story or, indeed, much of a story at all. I don't think that James ever claims to be more than he is. But he is, I think, quite a lot, all told. A computer can play this piece with perfect technique and tempo, and yet I find myself listening to James and not the computer. If human played performances are to survive over computer played ones, we have to value what the human brings to them. As it happens, I do. And I think James brings a lot to his performances. I've listened to perhaps a dozen performances by James. None have struck me as being technically perfect / unrivalled technically. But - crucially - all have engaged me - made me want to listen - unlike some performances by technically better players. And any technical shortcomings in his playing have not spoiled my enjoyment of his music. Like you, I like Argerich's playing very.much indeed. But when someone here comments favourably on one of James' performances, they are not, I think, saying, "James you are as good as [or better than] Argerich, both technically and musically". Instead, they are saying, "James, you make a positive contribution to the World". And I agree.

[@sergioazevedo7390]

JB, perhaps you are right, but, as a professional musician (not a pianist, so, I am not jealous of James, in case of somebody here will think I don't like him because of some kind of envy), I am sure that if it was not because of his sad life story, and nobody would pay atention to his playing, at least, not this kind of atention. A lot of students inh my school, for example (university) can play this sonata as better as him, and even better, technically and musically, but they don't know how to do marketing for their playing in order to get concerts and media atention, and that is, for me, the problem. Also, if he can't play difficult works properly, why don't he play easy pieces, which are as good as the dificult ones, instead? In the end he could play them really well. Because, and that is the point, for a lot of these works, there is no point in trying to play them in public if you don't play really very well. I don't pay atention to some wrong notes here and there, everybody does that, my problem is really with everything else, he plays like a gifted amateur, but he gets atention only because of his life story. In short, some feelings don't make a good artist, everybody has feelings, but is necessary to know how to express them, and technique and hard work serve for that. But, well, people also loves Lang Lang and his circus, so, we are talking here not about music but about circus, media, showbusiness, soap culture, etc. The real music is eslsewhere, not here, in my opinion. Regards. S.

[@jb9652]

Sérgio Azevedo: I do fully understand and appreciate what you mean. I have wondered the same several times myself. Certainly, I know pianists such as my good friend Danny Driver who play this piece to what I consider to be technical and musical perfection, who do not have the promotional and popularity advantages of a difficult background, and who do not have the sort of tremendous support and energy from Twitter followers that James has. Yet I say again: I don't think that James promotes himself as a top notch pianist. If he did, or if someone did that for him, then I would have a problem with the situation. Instead, I think he promotes himself as someone who is trying to reach / help people with music. He sleeps poorly (as do I, so I know the deleterious effects that this has on one's playing, and hear them to some extent in his performances), and has other problems too, yet he makes the absolute most of what he has to offer. What more can we reasonably expect? I've decided to enjoy his music without considering any unfair advantage he may or may not have. He may do some good for music that others cannot do. And he almost certainly will do more toward reducing the sort of abuse he suffered than most other musicians will do. So, on balance, I think James is an asset to music. James has found a niche where he can be effective / successful. Other musicians must try to find their own. But, again, I do understand and appreciate your concern. (And your point that he should perhaps stick to easier pieces. Despite what I said above, I find that technical imperfections readily spoil the magic of music). Ultimately, music must, I believe, stand on its objective merits. I appreciate the discussion, BTW.

[@sergioazevedo7390]

You can be right, yes, perhaps I am being too much critic, and I do like him playing some pieces, more easy pieces, this one has a long interpretative background, but I enjoy also exchanging diferent opinions. I even read his book, so, I am not an enemy of James, and "gifted amateur" is not an insult, for me is a category, a dignified one but, usually, without all the promotion and media noise :)

[@carlosferatviera9419]

veo que es un hombre agobiado por sus limitaciones, de cualquier forma James pose un regalo único en sus manos

[@josemfuentes9413]

Awful amateur "execution". Try listening Arthur Rubinstein.

[@andrewkennaugh1065]

Do people actually pay to hear this?!!😕😊 He is simply nowhere near a concert pianist's standard.Why listen to this when there are so many great pianists around?!😕😊

[@bakuto.1055]

True, but still has its ups.