John Ogdon - The South Bank Show (1989)

John Ogdon on The South Bank Show, first broadcast on 19th March 1989.

[@johnnicholson3577]

John was one of the kindest people you could ever meet. I used to promote concerts - in Scotland where I was a music teacher - in the 1980s, and one the last occasion he came to play (he was staying with us) he asked to accompany our 15 year old daughter, who loved singing Gershwin songs. She will never forget the experience, and neither will we. We still have the (not brilliant) piano on which he played for her. We have a much better piano now as well, but I still show the little Allison baby grand to people with greater pride, as the piano that John once played Gershwin on.

[@tess934]

He was my great great uncle, and although i never met him, my mum always tells me about how nice he was when he came to visit. And how sweet and genuine he was and that he always listened to her play 😁 Such a shame about how it ended.

[@AJ-tp9bk]

@@tess934 You can tell in any video footage, he seems like he was very sweet. Yes, really a shame how it all wound up. Life is so unfair!

[@barneyronnie]

@@tess934 I would really like getting to know you. Would you like to visit the States? Nothing would make me happier than to meet you. You must be very special. Do you play the piano?

[@barneyronnie]

You're lucky to have beheld John's visage in the flesh. His ghost visits me occasionally...

[@barneyronnie]

@@tess934 How are you?

[@johnschlesinger2009]

His sight reading was phenomenal. I remember a story of a fellow student hearing a pianist playing Brahms D minor concerto superbly. It turned out that the pianist was Ogden - and that he was reading it for the first time! Just like Liszt....

[@richardaldridge3897]

0llp0lp"

[@riveredgeman]

Lovely story . Thank you for sharing . It’s very inspiring .

[@violetporter6842]

Such a treat to be reminded of this great man's skills as a performer, a composer and interpretor of "out of this world" fantasies. I was privileged to attend what must have been one of his last concerts in Winchester. The Stage was dressed for a country house set, and at the Intermission he was unable to decide which door was "real" and which a prop! It was agonising to watch him struggling to get his bearings.... indeed some of the audience laughed aloud. (John had still to reach planet earth from his performance.) But when he did, in the second half, the mood changed and he played so movingly we were caught up in its spell. I remember it like it was yesterday. What a genius. What a thrill to have been a witness!

[@stephenloxton43]

Brilliant artist of the highest quality and a great and good man committed to music.

[@lagathy]

extraordinary talent...truly breathtaking...i hope he has found peace...

[@gerardlacey9384]

Wonderful, lovely to see this film again after so many years, I used to watch it over and again on video back in the day. A truly God gifted gentleman. Many thanks!. Gérard lacey in Ireland. X.

[@citizenworld8094]

Like many I had a tragedy in my life but one of the things that kept me going was John Ogden's recording and my subsequent learning of Messiaen's Vingt Regard sur l'Enfant-Jésus. I too discovered that being a very good pianist is no panacea to a happy or even a normal life. John gave me hope and sadly I never met him, but I met him in another way, probably more meaningful.

[@carlhopkinson]

Sounds like such a nice, kind and refined man.

[@luigipati3815]

A fascinating genius, and a heartbreaking story. It reminds me of Schumann's. It is striking to notice that like other geniuses, Mr Ogdon could be "awkward " in society. "All the greatest minds have often been aliens in society.". "Great minds are like eagles, and build their nests in lofty solitude.". "To know the ways of the world, especially at an early age; to be people-savvy: this is the sign of a vulgar mind.". -Schopenhauer

[@berlinzerberus]

What a great man and pianist, but genius and a very special sort of madness are sometimes very close together!

[@davidhertzberg]

Brilliant, a giant of a man and a musician. Thank yo for sharing this.

[@MrBevo1960]

I have loved this programme for so long. I used to have it on VHS but it's great to see it here on KZbin available again. A wonderful insight into such a remarkable man. In watching it I find my emotions so mixed up - sadness that John was taken at so young an age but also joy that we ever had him at all. RIP John. You are still remembered and loved.

[@sarahhudleston832]

I saw John Ogden play in Bulawayo in the 1960’s. I was about 11 years old and it was a thrill!

[@adamkorekach9936]

Zimbabwe?

[@simmo303]

I saw him in 1961 at Prince Henry's Grammar school Evesham.

[@violinbuff3782]

His music is a pathway to his inner soul and with the facilities he possesses nothing can ever stop him. He lives and breathes music. Eric Shumsky

[@WagnerMahler]

Great documentary of a genius! Surely he was beyond a virtuoso. Nowadays, that kind of genius musicians are so few and you see mostly "well commercialized star" figures who has nothing to do with deep knowledge about art. So, this is a great example of being sophisticated artist. Thank you for this precious video post!

[@RobertPearson777]

I think because in the last 50 years, the classics are no longer taught from an early age, and the old great poets are seldom read. Publishers and libraries stock more modern pablum. I guess revision is trying to throw it all out.

[@blankname4716]

It's been long taken down but I once saw an interview with Yundi Li. He was saying how Chopin liked nice things and that he also liked nice things such as lamborghinis, expensive restaurants, priceless wine, etc. At the time it just made me lose respect for him; now it's just funny lol. It does sadden me to realize that the paved road to piano excellence is filled with such distractions and can be more about appearances.

[@davidm587]

We must not forget that this remarkably talented pianist's wife was also an excellent pianist ... A lovely couple indeed ! Very beautiful . Thank you for sharing ...( Ex RNCM student )

[@bootman26]

I had the amazing privilege of Mr. Ogdon sitting in on an audition to become an Associate instructor in Piano at Indiana University. By this time, he wasn't communicating much, but my biggest takeaway was his loving smile. I was also to hear John and Brenda perform the Bartok Two Pianos and Percusssion in the MAC. That said, I'm curious about his mental illness, wonder if it couldn't have been diagnosed and treated better now, or even in 100 years.

[@user-ti8sg3nj3x]

I believe, from what I have heard of his life, that what the Times critic calls "stamina," was in fact relief to John Ogden, relief in being able to lose "himself" in concentration and through musical abstraction. If he was schizophrenic, this effortful self abandonment would also be his greatest relaxation. God rest this phenomenal genius.

[@rossitermusic6962]

Great pianist and inspiration

[@ADGO]

Fantastic show, thank you very much. The footage was more interesting than in the BBC documentary Ogdon - Living with Genius.

[@riveredgeman]

Oh , I looked for it . Thx .

[@DavidRimanelliselect]

Thank you for uploading this. John Ogdon was supreme.

[@nicolasmajendie1229]

I was close to the late Daniell Revenaugh who conducted Ogdon's recording of the Busoni Concerto and heard many tales of Ogdon's special nature and phenomenal gifts. Watching this documentary made me understand how the man was loved.

[@RorizleS]

I learnt that John Ogdon was my great uncle (my father Dailan's uncle).

[@LeChevalierDuFeu]

May i give you some information about genetically inherited Rachitis? I know that John Ogdon had health problems, that surely had to do with a lack of Vitamin D3. Many people in Europe have problems with Rachitis, which is the circle of problems of this. Many Europeans have Rachitis on the basis of the genes. Because of my genetic problems I became very ill. If the skin cannot produce healthy amounts of D3 then serious problems can occur and develope. Often the problems start in the mother´s body. John Ogdon had Morbus Scheuermann (his back). I have Morbus Scheuermann. There is no Morbus Scheuermann without Rachitis. Scheuermann is caused in the youth mainly by a lack of vitamin D3. Please do not get me wrong here. Many artists have Rachitis. This condition produced a lot of great artists. Almost all of the great composers of the past had Rachitis. It is also the cause of weak sight (the eyes!). My great aunt died because of heart weakness (which developed because of the genetically inherited Rachitis). My grandfather commited suicide because of depression (caused by Rachitis). A distant relative of my mother also commited suicide because of this conidtion. I am very sensitive to music because of all this but i now take vitamin d3 pills regularly. John Ogdon had bipolar disorder. I have something similar. My ex-girlfriend has bipolar disorder and very pale skin. It is very sad what happened to John. I know the pains of depression. In school i had extremely pale skin and low blood pressure ans i was very obessed with music. In England the weather situation can cause big problems because of regular lack of sunlight. Doctors did not tell me the truth. The psychpharma pills that John took regularly surely caused his Diabetes. But his Diabetes was not disgnosed before his death. sad story. greetings from germany

[@tess934]

He’s my great great uncle!! Crazy small world we live in haha

[@i.ehrenfest349]

@@tess934 well...that means that you and Rorizle are related. You should meet!

[@AJ-tp9bk]

@@LeChevalierDuFeu All very interesting. Thanks for all the information! I think I now need to take vitamin d3 pills!

[@AJ-tp9bk]

@Argerich's almighty squeak 👍😆 Better than no heritage!

[@davisd_ambly4067]

Thank you for this extraordinary programme. I'm transfixed.

[@NoferTrunions]

John and others at the top of their craft posses brains that are literally supercomputers: unimaginably fast with incomprehensible memory capacity. Imagine the scale and speed of the neuroplasticity. The real miracle is that there are people that can control such processes. Any malfunction or distraction could lead to a catastrophic crash.

[@barneyronnie]

His genius was so profound that his brain was on fire. He's from a different planet. Once in a 1000 years!!

[@malkwinter8998]

I remember John Ogdon when he was interviewed by the South African Broadcasting Corporation, i was a lighty then, he was a brilliant pianist, very peculiar man, he had a long goat beard that drew comments.

[@olivierlattion]

What a wonderful man.... I can't help thinking that his personality what more suited to being a composer than a concert pianist....And that this under exploitation of the creative side of his genius explains in part the sad psychiatric problems he had to endure....

[@allstarmark12345]

Excellent video!

[@LeChevalierDuFeu]

Thank You very much for uploading this.

[@pianosenzanima1]

One of the greatest piano technicians of all times. I would put him right after Cziffra.

[@pianosenzanima1]

His mephisto waltz and Dante sonata are just unique

[@nicolasmajendie1229]

That's an excellent observation and I agree. Both were virtuosos of a very unique kind - they inhabited the keyboard, unlike other great pianists, by almost ignoring its difficulties. Not even Yuja Wang has the granitic power of Ogdon and Cziffra. I would recognize both pianists hearing them blind. But Wang could be Hamelin or Gerstein - not that that's a poor thing - because nothing distinguishes their sound, their touch. When I hear Cziffra or Ogdon, I sometimes get the feeling I could be listening to Liszt.

[@BurningSky9]

​@@nicolasmajendie1229I could hear the same difference with Argerich.

[@fernandobnoliveira]

Eis um dos meus preferidos!!!

[@DihelsonMendonca]

I only wished I had his music sight reading. The rest, I can work. But his sight reading is sooooo rare, absolutely rare. My sight reading is only for the Chopin´s Mazurkas level. I wish at least to a Scriabin Sonata.

[@UtsyoChakraborty]

22:40 Boulez and Ogdon. Magic!

[@MrInterestingthings]

We are fortunate to have composer MaxwellDavies talk about what is happening in his work in the 12th minute . At 15 minute there is Ashkenazy playing very young the Tchaikovsky 1st concerto !

[@MorganHayes_Composer.Pianist]

23:22 a brilliant example of a music critic form that era.

[@stephenjeacocke7208]

Its interesting to hear that Mr Ogdon did not play the chords at the end of the live performance of Liszts piano concerto when the audience clapped. Or perhaps he did and the sound is rather low. Whereas in this clip he did.

[@alexhuddleston301]

all these people body shaming this person.... terrible

[@blankname4716]

Are you surprised, what with all the rampant color shaming that was prevalent? ;P

[@jayhillz3705]

@@blankname4716 stop bringing racism into this 🙄

[@pianosenzanima1]

Someone release his Tchaikovsky competition performances already ffs...

[@stephenjeacocke7208]

Is the composer Ghoer the father of Will Self? Looks ever so sinilar in sound and facial features

[@paulatkinson3738]

Yes they do have similar face and voice! No relation, I'm sure

[@WayOfTheRidge]

What is the work being played at 14:36? It would appear that Ogdon wrote it, but I haven't been able to find a recording anywhere with the title given.

[@yagiz885]

36:23 opus clavicembalisticum part

[@peterrowan9955]

Yagiz

[@yagiz885]

@@peterrowan9955 pater

[@stephenjeacocke7208]

I'm sorry for all your troubles Brenda Lucas Ogdon.

[@DavidArdittiComposer]

What’s the closing title music?

[@blankname4716]

5:30 it's a waltz from a sonata he wrote

[@kalofdutivlakops]

My surname is Ogdon

[@jayhillz3705]

So is Bert Ogden 😝

[@ronwalker4849]

MODERN MUSIC- WHO WANTS TO LISTEN TO THAT DISTURBING NOISE????

[@ronwalker4849]

LIKE MOZART, BACH, SCARLATTI, CHOPIN, MR. OGDEN WAS AN "IDIOT SAVANT" A DIFFERENT TURN OF GENIUS WITH AN INTENSE TOWARDS THEIR OWN INTEREST. BUT THIS MUSIC EXERPT IS AS UGLY AS MUSIC CAN GET.

[@GUILLOM]

LMFAO

[@vova47]

Great pianist but some of the contemporary pieces he plays including his own are pure rubbish IMO (excluding his Moby Dick improvisations, which serve at least some purpose).

[@pianosenzanima1]

He had best piano technique after Cziffra... My opinion.

[@dalcassian8351]

pianosenzanima best technique afaik is Marc Andre Hamelin

[@hubertborde]

No, his compositions are not pure rubbish. You are wrong. You don't know his works. I work and prepare an edition of some of his piano pieces. It's well constructed, shaped, colorful, original, with different styles.

[@PieInTheSky9]

His original compositions are wonderful. I can't even conceive of how someone could call them rubbish.

[@barneyronnie]

What a sweet man! The best 2 days of my life were spent with John at a beautiful hotel in Paris where we gave free reign to our natural desires. It broke me apart when he had his breakdown, suffered for years and then died. I pleaded with him to stop the charade and to accept and embrace his sexuality. The entire tragedy could have been averted if this sublime man had not been a victim of society's prejudice and hatred of those who are 'different.' The same treatment resulted in the death of Alan Turing who was one of the originators of mathematical computer theory. What a relief that the tide has finally turned against such hippocratical beliefs!

[@margaretmoore7034]

Fuck me.. it looks like they have given Rolf Harris too many dumplings in prison, he's piled the weight on !