Mozart - Sonata K.545 | Johan Smith, guitar

Guitarist Johan Smith performs his own arrangement of the W. A. Mozart's Sonata in C Major, K. 545.
I. Allegro 00:00
II. Andante 02:39
III. Rondo - Allegretto 06:59
Guitar: Ignacio Fleta e hijos, 1991
Strings: Savarez Corum Alliance
Audio and video: Johan Smith
Location of recording: Alfred Cortot Hall in Nyon, Switzerland
www.johansmith.net/
/ johanguitare
​Enjoy! :)

[@paulking2919]

Wonderful transcription and flawless performance! It sounds even more sweet on the guitar. Mozart himself would have loved this version!

[@davideperotti4336]

Just great! You make it sound like it had been written for guitar and not for fortepiano!!

[@Gatsbi]

Im studying this on Piano. Playing it on guitar is a whole another level. such an accomplishment

[@Pacho_Muranda]

Excellent!!! I love your arrangements and interpretations Mr. Smith 👏👏👏

[@johansmith8597]

Thanks Francisco!

[@extado5710]

Оранжеровка и исполнение восхитительно выполнено! Браво!

[@continenthopper]

You’re making the history of the classical guitar. In time, you’ll be another Tarrega / Segovia 👍🏻

[@lucasunplgd]

That was the best classical guitar arrangement I've ever seen for this piece! You nailed the entire sonata. Congrats!!

[@SoundtrackStudio23]

Ce type est extraordinaire, que ce soit avec une gratte électrique ou classique 😍

[@skgupta43]

A one man orchestra with strings, winds, percussion and an accomplished conductor...

[@iodhar]

Magnifique Johan... t'as un talent fou, vraiment bravo 👌🏼

[@thedg0]

Is there a transcription of this that I can buy?

[@shoshashosha9257]

So beautiful. I wish it were longer.

[@musicalzest]

Simply outstanding: a virtuosic performance!

[@domenicocagliostro5961]

A great performance

[@Aldous944]

Superb arrangement and performance. I would have loved to play this when I was in my prime. I will be watching/listening from now on. Thank you.

[@jeremydoody]

You’re a treasure, Johan. Now I need to learn this too. Erlkonig is coming along now that I’ve gotten back to it. Wonderful arrangements and incredible playing! Bravo 👏👏👏

[@johansmith8597]

Thanks Jeremy, never give up! 💪

[@lordvaderbossofdoom3960]

Erlkonig, ooh! How's that coming along?

[@jeremydoody]

@@lordvaderbossofdoom3960 it’s a treasured part of my repertoire now, and always goes over well when I play it in public.

[@RajSayed]

Mesmerizing playing Well done. Subscribed & waiting for more.

[@andrespascual1164]

Inefablemente bello. Gracias por tu aporte al mundo.

[@rekdinhopoetico]

Great arrangement!! Congratulations! Cheers from Brazil.

[@1414ever]

What an amazing performance! Is there a possibility of purchasing the sheet music of this peace?

[@AlexandreLuiz-ph8ns]

"piece".. not peace 😅

[@StevenBrener]

Beautifully done....superb skills!

[@nitrofan917]

Best I have seen. You are very talented.

[@musiqueauparadis]

Excellent Johan!

[@johansmith8597]

Hey Dago! Merci beaucoup!

[@rosgill6]

Youve done it again, Johan. Fantastic!

[@rubensholzmann]

Maravilha!!!! Parabéns!!!

[@StillPointStudio]

Beautiful playing! Really nice

[@manoelsabatinojunior]

Wonderful sound! 👏👏👏👏Bravo, Johan!!!

[@budo1968]

Amazing. Extremely well done Johan!

[@Fabio_Moro]

Amazing! Chapeau!!🎩

[@Zigotoy_3234]

just gorgeous, wow 👏🏻

[@Luca-yy4zh]

Very beautiful

[@ConatusStudios]

Superbe, merci pour ce partage!

[@Ellatigojusticiero]

Es un monstruo de la guitarra, congratulations guy , todo lo toca y lo frasea bien…musica escrita para piano, muy difícil para guitarra.

[@nanar2130]

MERCI très belle interprétation

[@nerilcatte0931]

Amazing!

[@NelsonClick]

Bravo! I did not know this work was possible on guitar. The subtlety in the Andante was moving and you have me now to believe the Allegretto sounds more exciting on guitar. Again, I would have never to think this sonata was possible on guitar. Bravo! Tack ska du ha.

[@johnnycrean413]

Bravo maestro! 👏🏻

[@paulschneider6202]

Unreal. Made me happy to listen

[@persiopoulenc6327]

Excelente!! 🙌🏽

[@JulioFrancoPy]

Excelente su interpretación y su arreglo...brillante

[@irfanchooify]

Superb !

[@gadonabagsy6154]

Just Excellent

[@arnaudaebi2514]

Magistral

[@enzozara2296]

Interpretazioni fantastiche! Bravissimo 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@Togdan]

Beautiful! Bravo!

[@poldibinder5164]

A dream arrangement and performance!

[@stdio44.32]

Great adaptation! I have all of Mozart's piano concertos and sonatas in a looping playlist, and this is the first guitar treatment I've heard that didn't seem lacking in some way.

[@user-cf5nk2rc2y]

Bravo!!!

[@BULAT.V]

👍👍👍Best!!!

[@pocrlsinceramente]

Incredible.

[@theearth9167]

Great arrangement!

[@AlanMearns-YesTheRaven]

Awesome

[@Charlybugs]

So nice! I want to study this transcription! Have you published it? If yes where can I buy the transcription??

[@xazov]

Красиво, спасибо! 👍

[@alfredovalentin9192]

Que decir?...precioso!!! Me encanta!!

[@purepuresound4671]

Finally, someone is doing it right. Thanks a lot, buddy!

[@cattivit]

Amazing execution!

[@Yuriy21]

Bravo!

[@cesaredicesare4968]

Bravo!!

[@renardbleu1790]

Bravo Maestro !

[@robertcollins3420]

Great job.

[@tmarti3207]

How the hell are alble to replicate the both piano hands at the same time in teh guitar?? No way!! It is 100% exact to the original for piano score! BRILLIANT!

[@user-bl4uv6tj4k]

just wow

[@figliefamiglia1802]

Molto bravo 👏

[@tarcisiobonaita1452]

Grande!!!

[@johngiles132]

Marvelous

[@wenxingwang4574]

beautiful music and nice player

[@user-eh9ts7vs9m]

wonderfull

[@mischayolleck520]

wow!!!

[@holgermarsen8596]

famous......bravo bravissimo !

[@angelavitaliano5200]

Bravo.

[@eddywidjaja6432]

Bravo

[@math11235]

wow! beautiful sound and great technique. what to say? try mozart again and again :)

[@maceyl9432]

Amazing! I was thinking once whether this piece would be able to be played on the guitar, and you actually made it happen, beautifully. I would love to play it myself when I further develop my skills. Is the music score available anywhere? Thanks and look forward to hearing more wonderful transcriptions from you :)

[@satirooritas8962]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rJzSlHZqn9Whl7s

[@noddyslayer]

Wow, it sounds so right on a guitar! Would you be releasing the music sheet as a publication soon?

[@terryadams3489]

wow.

[@lennartsandberg1568]

Great

[@NoONE-bk7ud]

Im gonna subscribe immediately bro

[@EdgarEscobardelRock]

🖤

[@supreme17]

Mr. Smith, would you upload your work on spotify?, if you do, thank you very much, love ur work. Have a good day, Dan

[@thatbo8902]

wow

[@Guitarlifebyjohn]

🙌👏👏👏👏👏

[@sandroantonelli9214]

😮👏

[@francescoteopini6290]

Very nice. However, why is the third movement in D major, if it is supposed to be in C major? Kind regards, Francesco

[@Dyas777]

How many years do you play pia.. I mean. guitar? Your skills are crazy good. I started playing guitar three weaks ago and it is a little bit sad for me that will never be able to play like this)

[@themusiccovenant]

Guitar virtuoso

[@jesuisravi]

Good. It might be a good idea to publish your arrangement of this work.

[@tasosdiaforetico7377]

Maestro that was amazing, is it possible too purchase the score?

[@johnylopez]

wolfwang was a special compositer

[@user-eh9ts7vs9m]

great waoderfull are you professional or amture? in any case I become a your fan

[@YannHarmoniCAjon]

Masterpiece😂❤🎉

[@pierre-eugenesavary8297]

Certains la jouent, mais ici c'est sublimé au plus haut point, de l'âme dans l'interprétation...

[@Davi-lr5nl]

Where can I find this arrangement?

[@giovannjperri]

me cojoni :O bravo

[@nicktursi3178]

Is there a transcription of this available?

[@ulisesperez9096]

y la partitura?

[@beachbarlouie7522]

Excellent arrangement and preparation. But man, don't you just hate changing strings? It took 2 days to get them stretched out and then I wore right through my Savarez Corum Alliance D string on the third day. I was practicing Leyenda. I am not going though that again. The strings sound good for the short duration. But I need strings that are durable. At this point I can't justify spending more time time stretching strings than playing. You must have some one doing that for you.

[@achimborn5850]

If you listen to the original and compare it with the guitar transcription, you will notice how light and airy and of course ingenious it sounds, just as Mozart himself was. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hpLXnmSpjc9mps0 In my opinion, the spice lies in the differentiation. Not to make everything the same and to put everything in a container or a drawer. Where is the subtlety left? The special? A Parma ham that is produced somewhere for the masses is just not a Parma ham that comes only from Parma! The American cheddar cheese that you find everywhere and in many American dishes tastes a bit like cheddar, but is not cheddar cheese! Even if one sells it, the Americans, in such a way. But if you've never eaten a real Parma ham, preferably in Parma itself, you obviously don't know what a Parma ham tastes like. Whether this is a matter of taste, I do not know. I would not do it. Mozart is already too specific. In my opinion, the spice lies in the differentiation. Not wanting to do everything the same way and putting everything into a container or a drawer. Where is the subtlety left? The special? I'm not a friend of egalitarianism. The American cheddar cheese that you find everywhere and in many American dishes tastes a bit like cheddar, but is not cheddar cheese! Even if one sells it, the Americans, in such a way. A Parma ham which is produced somewhere for the masses is just no Parma ham which comes just only from Parma! But if you've never eaten a real Parma ham, preferably in Parma itself, you obviously don't know what a Parma ham tastes like. But who does not know this difference, of course, does not understand the meaning of my criticism!

[@achimborn5850]

Apparently you don't understand why I'm criticizing in the first place. It's not about whether you like this transcription or not. I think everyone can decide that for themselves after hearing the original. (Here is one of many examples: kzbin.info/www/bejne/n3Smp3RjfLeFrs0) If you listen to the original, you can hear the airiness, the lightness but also the genius of Mozart. (Just as he was as a human being) Unfortunately, this cannot be heard in the transcription for guitar. Rather the opposite. Even if brilliantly and skillfully played, it seems rather pressed and restrained. I mean, Mr. Smith himself admits how incredibly technically difficult he finds this transcription. Exactly there you can also hear. Quite the opposite of the original. How airy and light the runs pearl. The melody comes more strongly to bear and is altogether clearly clearer. But the real thing I want to say in general is that through this kind of transcriptions everything wants to be made "equal". So after the motto, look here, on the guitar, marimbaphone or harmonica it sounds just as good. (Or a kind of self-importance to think you can do everything as you like). No, just not! My outcry is a call for differentiation. Through these new media everything is rolled flat, so to speak. Everything is made equal. A generalization as it does not go worse. No and again No. A Parma ham which is manufactured for the masses, but as such is sold, is evenly no "genuine Parma ham" from Parma. Anyone who has ever eaten a real Parma ham, knows this, - if he just does not constantly eats fast food, which is exactly what my criticism is about!

[@achimborn5850]

I may be repeating myself, but it should be reconsidered whether such transcriptions are worthwhile? A transcription only makes sense if it sounds better than the original. Even with a guitarist as good as you, this Sonata sounds limited! My God, there are so many unplayed guitar works that deserve to be played at last. Why always these Scarlatti transcriptions? And now Mozart is supposed to be used as well? Sorry. Absolutely unnecessary!

[@antunbaric8286]

Freedom is such a wonderful thing. Mr. Smith's expression of his freedom was thoroughly enjoyable, unlike your's, Mr. Born, however thank you as well for expressing your viewpoint.

[@Thefare1234]

I don’t like the sound of piano. I prefer this version. It’s all subjective.

[@achimborn5850]

@@Thefare1234 Yes, it's true, on the (present-day) piano everything sounds pretty stupid from that time! But on the fortepiano, the instrument for which it was composed, it sounds much better. Besides, we must not forget that Mozart knew very well why he wrote it for fortepiano and not for guitar, organ or any other instrument. I assume that Mr. Smith knows this very well, but plays this famous Mozart sonata on the guitar for the same reasons that Eliot Fisk was the first to play Paganini caprices. Pure show! Sorry, I stand by my opinion. If you lump everything together, it doesn't get any better. If that's what you mean by freedom (see previous speaker), then it's rather embarrassing. Has anyone ever asked themselves why they don't play guitar pieces on the violin or the piano?

[@antunbaric8286]

@@achimborn5850 What I find rather embarrasing is actually stumbling across a living breathing larpurlartist. Great composers composed because they wanted their works performed in front of live audience, these days we'd call that 'a show'. Anyway, it's been fun exchanging arguments, for cooling down I recommend listening to some Isaac Albeniz and Enrique Granados who both composed for piano but sound way way better on classical guitar. EDIT: and yes, the fortepiano version of this Mozart's sonata sounds really lovely, but that still shouldn't stop anybody from going off the beaten path. You really should consider your position because in the end it leads to everybody just giving up on playing music because somebody else did it better and on a better instrument.

[@guitaristdotcom]

"A transcription only make sense if it sounds better than the original." No, it just has to be beautiful.