Karl Richter - Brandenburg Concerto 5 (harpsichord solo)

[@A_Mukherjee19]

God created Bach to give the universe its final shape and Bach's music created Karl Richter to give Bach's masterpiece its final shape

[@jasoncarswell7458]

3:05 - "Wow... that's a pretty intense solo, Johann!" **grin** "Watch this shit"

[@sarefol6653]

Karl Ritcher, he was certainly a true virtuoso. Here you can see him not only playing like a beast, but conducting an orchestra and turning his pages for his own. He was one of a kind. Will be forever missed, always in my heart Maestro.

[@DeadmansPoncho]

Imagine at one of these concerts. Right when the solo ends and they all join back in, some dude in the audience is all wasted and stands up and shouts Fuck Yeah!

[@bl4578]

could not have said it better...

[@Darrigrande]

Not only a great direrctor, but also an excelent harpsicord player!

[@gilgermesch]

Too bad what you hear is not what's being played on video... you can clearly see him playing staccatissimo in several places whilst there's a legato going on in the audio (e.g. 1:47). Also he's skipping whole bars, and I'm guessing that's not because of any artistic decision...

[@v.a.simpao9424]

REST IN JESUS MAESTRO..... THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC

[@cleverlydevisedmyth]

Karl Richter plays the harpsichord and organ as if he were making up the music as he goes along. The mark of a true musician! Gorgeous

[@buzzfunk]

It's not the fact that this is extremely hard to play anyways, it's that he does it with such an ease! Genius!

[@patrickrohme7456]

Not only playing but conducting and turning his own pages.

[@estebanblanco2058]

By memory mind you. Wow.

[@consti1873]

Honestly, this is pretty easy compared to the harpsichord concertos. It has some tricky passages, but I guess an ambitious intermediate level player could do this after 2-3 weeks of practice. He did great, but for a player as skilled and talented as he is (or was), this probably wasn't hard at all😄😁

[@higgsboson9509]

@@consti1873 Agreed. I found his Harpsichord Concerto in G minor more difficult than this to play.

[@mattbod]

Hours and hours of practice a day for years is only way to a technique like that along with natural felicity.

[@nikosblaxabas5338]

70 years on from my first hearing of this magnificent masterpiece... it still boggled my mind how bach was even human

[@janbonn1198]

Guy: Are you conduct today, play the Hapsicord, or just turn the pages? Karl Richter: Yes.

[@ChrisStockslager]

Didn’t Bach and Händel themselves do it this way in their respective days?

[@espressonoob]

@@ChrisStockslager yes they did! so did a lot of composers like mozart, beethoven and chopin majority of the time when they played their own works!

[@ChrisStockslager]

@@espressonoob Exactly! Is it done very rarely these days?

[@espressonoob]

@@ChrisStockslager eems like it, the netherlands bach society often has a harpsichordist or whoever is the main instrument in the piece being played conduct alongside their playing. other than that, though, usually I don't see it.

[@SeverusSnape70]

@@ChrisStockslager I think Bach , on harpsichord, played on memory because he was shortsighted. I have the same problem. I don't know if he actually played this concerto on harpsichord because, according to Carl Philip Emanuel Bach, when there was an orchestra , he usually played the violin to better conduct the players.

[@crossgate123]

And some people said Bach was too boring!!! Simply amazing, another fantastic performance by the great Karl Richter.

[@jonlag3867]

I used to think that myself. Took me some time to understand the intelligence of his pieces

[@consti1873]

anyone who thinks bach is boring doesn't understand the genius behind his music.

[@Rutherford_Inchworm_III]

Historically-informed Bach can be incredibly boring. To the point where I think a lot of "historically informed" types are really just trying to justify their expensive conservatory diplomas by finding fault where there is none.

[@lipby]

Who says Bach is boring?

[@MARTIN201199]

@@lipby Chopin lovers do

[@TheMadisonHang]

certainly must be one of the highest forms of music to ever have existed ever in human history

[@robinblick9375]

The highest.

[@culterofpersonality]

Not human... Definitely the most epic solo I've ever heard

[@oldsanfrancisco]

I was blessed to see Karl Richter playing this concerto in San Francisco in 1972. He was brilliant and received a standing ovation for the performance. I'll never forget it! Thanks for posting this!

[@dodisumer6842]

Que envidia!

[@MeehanJunction]

There is no doubt in my mind that had Karl Richter lived to a ripe old age that he would have become one of the most famous musicians of his time. He had so much to give and accomplish that who knows what this man would have accomplished and given to the world of classical music. During his lifetime nobody really realized that there was a genius in their midst. His did things that nobody at that time dared to do but yet he did it and decades later he is recognized for his momentous accomplishment.I dearly wish I could have met this man even for 5 minutes!!!

[@SeverusSnape70]

Me too.

[@annamcancarini6953]

But he was! The first still now for Bach and Haendel.

[@rezilla1]

I was surprised that the orchestra began to play at 4:00 instead of erupting into cheers

[@alhassannasser6696]

no zey r zerman (Kraig Ferguson german accent)

[@ejej_shej7958]

Same

[@AhsanNadeem00]

it was actually at 4:05

[@rubendow]

Beautiful rendition by Richter. NO RUBATO HERE. That's how Back wrote his music. He was not a romantic. I absolutely enjoyed this. Thank you grumpa1936.

[@organistaclavicembalista2908]

L'avrò ascoltato miliardi di volte e non mi ha mai stufato!

[@joelshuan]

Anche me :'3

[@JDeffenb]

I love how Karl has those page flips memorized and looks at them for half a second, almost for pleasure.

[@canemreakay8941]

Bach and Richter from another world.

[@Etiblack01]

The harpsichord solo started, and I was just, wow, wow, woow. :D

[@docholiday1360]

Absolutely marvelous. rip richter, you technical skills were the best of the 20th century.

[@EleosGamoto]

this guy died so young, the world lost a Genius.

[@stevenxia2944]

just like Glenn Gould.

[@MiScusi69]

@@stevenxia2944 gould sucks

[@StevenOBrien]

1:46 Find someone who looks at you the way the first chair looks at Richter's hands

[@stefanhinners2199]

Karl Richter = Karl der Große, wie hier eindrucksvoll dokumentiert wird, absolut souverän und virtuos!!!

[@bowlerrollercoaster]

He nailed the solo all the way through without a sweat. He is one of the best performers of Bach especially with BWV 538 Toccata Dorica in D minor. Best organ performance ever. Rest in Peace Karl

[@Ramakrishnademeester]

When a great musician plays a masterpiece we can just listen and be happy that we can listen to it. Thank you for the upload of this wonderfull video.

[@jeffreyhirschfeld7761]

This is my personal favorite performance!

[@nickslater1164]

Their faces after 4:05 THAT is leadership

[@Syckxpack]

Best piece of music in the universe and all time. Nothing can top Brandenburg concerto 5. Nothing

[@mirko9072]

it is a serious contender indeed

[@caesarsneezer6992]

The cadenza is insanity for it's time, but I would put many pieces on the same level as this. A true tie!

[@walter8lee]

i am agree

[@tmaaz]

Beautiful music, and beautiful conversation -- who could want more from the latest social network!

[@thebazaartraveler2905]

The weather sure is nice here today, and made even nicer by listening to this beautiful music and sharing said music and thoughts with strangers. No, new friends. Thank the Owl for the recommendation! What relaxing and uplifting music here.

[@skykiss12]

This Always send shivers down my spine. Richter and Bach, what a perfect combination. Bach must have been in really elated Spirits when he composed that.

[@mariogatti1101]

Questo genio ci ha lasciato troppo presto. Grande Karl, sei stato il più grande interprete del grande Maestro del quale tu hai avuto l'onore di occupare il posto appartenuto a Lui. Quello di Kantor della Thomasschule di Lipsia. Non credo che Johann Sebastian amasse più di tanto quel lavoro, ma per un musicista vissuto qualche secolo dopo è stato sicuramente un grande onore. Secondo me nessuno riuscirà mai ad eguagliarti. Soprattutto nella cadenza del quinto Brandeburghese. Sei sempre nel mio cuore Karl Richter, come il nostro Maestro Johann Sebastian, il più grande di tutti i tempi.

[@annamcancarini6953]

Indubbiamente Karl Richter, kantor, organista, maestro al cembalo, direttore d'orchestra e di coro, improvvisatore, è stato il più grande interprete di Bach, il punto di riferimento, 'colui che sapeva conciliare poeticamente la fedeltà al testo con la fedeltà agli affetti, all'anima e al cuore'. Solo una piccola osservazione: Richter divenne organista nella St.Thomaskirche, poi fuggì dalla DDR e fu cantor e molto altro a Monaco di Baviera.

[@StuffMadeOnDreams]

After reading your beautiful Italian words, I think that I am going to dedicate more time to learn your poetic language.

[@maugustyniak]

More delectable than cake, and fewer cavities.

[@kathaus5861]

Awe-inspiring performance by a great master and scholar of Bach. Growing up on the recordings of Glenn Gould, I find a renewed passion in listening to the same works as performed by Richter. What an absolute joy to hear Bach's grand masterpieces. And, of course, SDG.

[@LucaCanetti]

Definitely

[@thankyou62]

Yes, Solo Dei Gloria

[@richardhastings1755]

Here in case of twitter collapse.

[@chickenfish7166]

Still waiting for my bluesky invite, so…. Let’s gooooooo

[@henrykwieniawski7233]

Huh?

[@DomFileoreum]

Can someone explain

[@oliviersimonnin6983]

Un moment musical baroque exceptionnel. Merci au Kapellmeister Karl Richter et à ses musiciens d'exception pour ce concerto brandebourgeois n°5 de Bach que rien ne surpasse. Danke für alles!

[@amarch20]

This is the most impressive thing I have ever seen.

[@JuanCruz7]

Just imagine the pressure of not getting a wrong note o_o; amazing!

[@searchingforlostatoms7191]

There is no match to this unstructured Baroque section in music......Incredible that a human could both create such music and another human reproduce it flawlessly

[@987inuyasha]

the best in his game

[@rw1993n64]

i love seeing the man playing the flute smile while enjoying Richter's playing of the wonderful harpsichord

[@robisaza]

Karl Richter was a fucking beast.

[@tgchicot]

To watch Richter's hands is to watch Bach's hands. Totally groovy time travel.

[@SapereAude1490]

He completely and utterly nails it.

[@lastfirst6626]

And a Bravo for the harpsichord, it has the power of a concert grand here.

[@SeanersRocks]

Yo yo, new social network!🎉

[@chickenfish7166]

Oh yeah let’s do this!

[@holyspacemonkey]

@@chickenfish7166I’m ready! 😂

[@Gnophkehs]

And my axe!

[@jimmyblues15]

This is fantastic. Just look at the hall they are playing in. Wow. This is just too great to describe.

[@Christherpiper]

This isn't a harpsichord solo, this is magic and god

[@marguerite9123]

Merveilleux Karl Richter ! c'est suite à l'écoute de ce morceau que j'ai eu envie de devenir musicienne à 13 ans !🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@wormswithteeth]

1:26 solo starts.

[@benlit]

best solo ever written

[@Schubertd960]

Amazing how you end up cheering him on like you're at a football match when he's just playing a few minutes of music at a harpsichord

[@allensoderlund7468]

Allen: First there was the creation, somewhat later J.S. Bach, rocket forward and there was Karl Richter.

[@Luslot1973]

The sound is almost organ-like. Love this recording and the masterful playing of… well, the master.

[@ralimis]

That solo is one the best things I've ever heard

[@filippozaccaria6944]

This performance is incredible, Richter is like a beast in the cadenza😱. The orchestra is very skilled, too. In my opinion it would be even better if they used an ancient flute.

[@Tizohip]

Filippo Zaccaria 0:26 very beautyfull

[@brumels1570]

The baroque flute and baroque violin have much more color than their modern counterparts. But the baroque flute is not audible in a large space.

[@mirko9072]

@@brumels1570 especially for the violin, the extra colour is worth nothing if someone plays it simply bad.

[@48796gbf]

Karl Richter is a wonderful conductor.

[@ChristianPauchet]

To me Bach will always be the ultimate Rock Star, this harpsichord solo riff jams... if there ever was a god, Bach was it.

[@ezekielbrockmann114]

I have a feeling that if Bach ever needed money he could just waltz into a hall, play this cadenza, and then stand up and honestly declare, "Your harpsichord is now out of tune... I can fix it for you, put it back the way it was... for a fee."

[@jeffreyadams648]

You can see in their faces that they know that they are very lucky to be with him.

[@mymind7508]

If beauty could kill I would have died hundreds of time already by hearing this composition and performance. No words !!!!!

[@MisterMalleable]

I understand that Karl was a harpsichord prodigy, and I can only picture someone playing this at this speed today if they were on crack.

[@progressxoverdue]

@rrickarr I totally agree! I love Bach for that relentlessly steady temp on the harpsichord! Richter + Bach = musical bliss.

[@welthitsaufhessisch]

This is madness. And it's on KZbin for everyone to see FOR FREE!

[@loftyblond]

Wow. Many thanks for posting this. Never heard a better interpretation of this great solo. Richter makes it look so easy.

[@roxicastro1]

J.S. Genius. All that goin·on & still leaves time to conduct & page over, 10 on the richter scale

[@rezilla1]

Richter's performance is so strong and the orchestra achieves such a powerful, muscular sound compared to all the other Brandenburg recordings I've heard. I had this performance on cd for a long time and was so happy to see that they took a film of the performance also. What a special moment in human history.

[@ssbphotography]

rezilla1 it was karl richter's Brandenburg recording that they sent into space on the golden record of Voyager 2

[@annamcancarini6953]

Yes, the concert n.2, on Voyager 1 & 2 in 1977 I think.

[@caesarsneezer6992]

@@ssbphotography I'm sure the aliens will be waiting with headphones, and we'll be waiting with empty cigar boxes . C'mon, face it, we're alone so we better get our act together

[@MatthewFordAnimations]

WONDERFUL! one of my favourites! i'm happy that someone still likes this ART!

[@ml3229]

If *only* Richter could have played it just a bit faster. KIDDING - it is perfection!

[@ElektraPalace]

Absolute madness. What superb chaps. Bach for writing and Mr Richter for the rest. Stunning.

[@BigEightiesNewWave]

Karl is in the zone , and has synched brainwaves with JS Bach. He is literally channeling Bach , from the grave.

[@alpeninfo]

Karl Richter ist immer unter uns ! Es sind immer wieder die schönsten Momente im Leben Ihn spielen zu hören!

[@annamcancarini6953]

I feel the same, Richter is unforgettable, unique and always in our hearts. Too soon gone.

[@PaceyPimp]

3:07 sounds like he is playing heavy metal with an electric guitar no joke close your eyes and listen. Thats sick Bach Rocked it out baby

[@walter8lee]

Classic music is better than rock... comparation do not applie, thanks!

[@PaceyPimp]

Walter Lee of course i just saying it crazy how crazy and down they got back then

[@walter8lee]

XD haha ok man!

[@heatherwoods360]

A lot of heavy metal was inspired by classical...

[@bburago9]

Jacob Woods This isn't the classical period actually, I don't think any ''heavy metal'' was inspired by say Haydn...

[@hookedonafeeling100]

Now this is the proper way to play this bad ass piece!

[@lorenzbroll101]

he is the only one I know of who can do this completely "even" with no stuttering or faltering!

[@galaxy0339]

be sure to check also Sviatoslav Richter's rendition, even but as much poetic as this is assertive

[@cualquie]

Richter, my favorite player when I was young

[@mercedesbenzformula1]

I like how they chose a harpsichord with a 16’. There is evidence to indicate that Bach ordered a special harpsichord to be used with this Brandenburg concerto from the builder in Mietke which probably included a 16’ stop

[@luisahumada6081]

1:45 It's so cool look how the musicians stop their interpretation, just to enjoy Richter's solo...

[@RobSomeone]

My goodness that was incredible.

[@gataca1976]

this is the best by far!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@Daneel56]

Great artist. Great Maestro. A wonderful man.

[@jeffreyadams648]

A gifted man

[@justinnoble6506]

That is truly an insane solo. Bach would be proud.

[@dodisumer6842]

merciless & stratospheric

[@ringo9688]

FINALLY A PIECE THAT FEATURES THE HARPSICHORD... I've been looking for songs like this everywhere but couldn't find anything that I really wanted 0

[@caesarsneezer6992]

Not a song, called a piece

[@smhmyhead8017]

You joking?

[@luuktorn]

The 'harpsichord' in this video is a revival harpsichord, unlike the (much more beautiful in my opinion) harpsichords Bach knew in his time.

[@m.p.2234]

You must be deaf. Search for real harpsichords

[@phototommes]

einfach brilliant! eine blitzsaubere Bach-Interpretation mit einer Instrumentierung, die dieser zeit auch tatsächlich entspricht!

[@bjornviberg7071]

Absolute genius.

[@TonySanAgustinOrtiz]

No.

[@bjornviberg7071]

Each to his own.

[@annamcancarini6953]

Yes! Oui, ja da sì!!!

[@elenaolimpiaalbertini7690]

Il love Karl Richetr in this concert... ""Simply"" wonderful!

[@gabriela9788]

one of my favorite interpretations of this solo

[@ElektraPalace]

Sublime. Bach was a genius and this performance is stunning.

[@folklorette75]

Superbe interprétation.

[@GalaxyGal-]

What a rockstar. The only thing to make this perfect would be baroque tuning

[@luuktorn]

Or a good historic harpsichord

[@julianfranck6425]

This is a modern day guitar solo but on a Harpsichord. Brilliant.

[@brumels1570]

This performance is better than any period instrument performance ive heard in person. The baroque flute is barely audible and many harpsichord players fail the cadenza.

[@Rutherford_Inchworm_III]

You said it, friend. I genuinely think Bach would like this version better.

[@sharpie6888]

@@Rutherford_Inchworm_III No he wouldn't

[@Rutherford_Inchworm_III]

​@@sharpie6888 Deep and intelligent argument, thanks for the necropost.

[@ejej_shej7958]

3:10 holy shit

[@randy63ism]

And a few dozen other assorted guitar gods too! Mein Gott! Speed riffing a harpsichord! Absolutely brilliant. Herr Richter had to be the preeminent Bach scholar of the late 20th Century. So sad he passed on too early.

[@liranrok1]

that's beautiful!!

[@PhilipSalen]

Amazing 🤩. Also amazing that the harpsichord player is also conducting, and turning his own music pages.

[@ElektraPalace]

Just stunning.

[@karlrichter7045]

I feel exactly the same way.

[@matiashuinca6875]

Una bestia! No lo puedo creer! Como hizo? Como hizo Bach para escribir tal magnificencia y siga en el tiempo, y alguien pudiera interpretarlo mucho tiempo después? Una máquina Richter! Y Bach un genio! Es increíble ❤

[@menswear2112]

He’s soooo good. The best, no competition.

[@holyspacemonkey]

Who else is here from the ex-bird-app at the suggestion of Owl at the Library (AKA Sketches by Boze)? 😂 PS. I wrote another version of this comment before, but it seems to have disappeared. I don’t know why! This time I avoided naming the app and I left out the “at” symbol from the username I mentioned.

[@Wmblair]

Hey! I am here for similar reasons. There was an epic comment community on the AV Club’s review of the season finale of community (Season 5?)

[@holyspacemonkey]

@@Wmblair I didn’t know about that! Sounds cool!