Toccata and Fugue in D minor by J S Bach - Philip Hii, guitar

[@hatestorm16]

If you have ever tried playing the classical guitar, you'll just know that this performance is out of this world. The technique, the precision, the tempo... Everything is just spot on.

[@juliancuadra7838]

Not easy

[@AbrahamJunaid]

This guy is a grand master. Definitely in the top 0.1% of all guitarists in the world.

[@RandomComposer]

More like 0.001% if you count all the "guitarists" who can just play 3 chords

[@SmallAlexMoney]

@@RandomComposer very true. Even though you’re a guitarist at any skill level 😭

[@fuzzfac3942]

He taught my dad how to play

[@jacare_voador]

my penis have 33 cm

[@EmeraldLance]

My favorite part of this piece is how faithful to the original work it is. It's so difficult to find anybody playing it on guitar without making parts of it up as they go.

[@Tom_239]

Every now and then I bring this page up and tell myself I just want to watch+hear a little bit of the fugue to be reminded of how great this performance is. Every time I end up watching it to the end.

[@guatenewstoday]

The magnificence and greatness of both the composer and the performer/guitarists of this master piece gives me great hope in humanity.

[@wilsonsarmiento4842]

Philip Hii is a Master. the clarity , the precision is outstanding . Amazing technique and posture. A pleasure to watch and hear!!

[@manzam01]

I attended a master class back in 1989 with him. He played this score, I believe he was the first to transcribe/arrange this piece from Bach ... or so i was told but I may be wrong. He was amazing, he studied at Berklee. I used to listen to the organ piece ... and I was amazed that he transcribed this to classical guitar!

[@treblebass8049]

I've been watchin this for some time now, I am so glad you posted it, and so glad I found it on here. Wow! What an incredible performance, I am in awe. You are literally "The Master". Hat's off to you Sir, such tecqnique! I really, really appreciate this.

[@shaunhopper11]

You are absolutely one of the BEST classical guitarists I've ever heard!! Your tone is so full and you play with so much heart. I'm simply astounded by your skill. :)

[@Bocbo]

Since the first time I heard this piece on pipe organ thirty + years ago I have imagined hearing it on guitar. Thank you for making a dream come true.

[@carlseiler6441]

Went to the shelf to find my mid90s CD of this and could not find it. So sad. I love that I found this video.

[@vayasaberlo8]

I can' believe I have only discovered your genius now! You are superlative, a born maestro!

[@dimebagjared]

Phil. You are the man. Your nocturne rendition is spot on. Cheers. You're making a metal guitarist go back to the basement and practice.

[@FerSher1949]

The playing is magnificent. I am positive that JS Bach would approve.

[@NukerOfFace]

philip is more than amazing , you live every moment and the pictures in your mind are beautiful

[@danielavelino9906]

I have his CD and I always hear it, but watching him playing there is no words. Man you really need to come to Brazil! We need to see you playing your album live!

[@stringchild1]

Awesome! I can see and hear the tonality is actually A minor which really is best for guitar. You really fit it all in there really well and the technique required is truly outstanding. What a monsterpiece. You sir are a virtuoso indeed. Bravo!!!!

[@TheFutureIsPrimitive]

Hold on... let me try to pick my jaw up off the floor. I'm sure this is the best guitar rendition of Toccata and Fugue in D Minor I've heard in my life. Your skill would have to be measured by magnitude! Absolutely brilliant.

[@andrewwheeldon3957]

INCREDIBLE!!!!!!! why is this man not famous????? Imagine this piece away from the poor acoustics on a stage or in a church - oh my......

[@saulwylde9182]

The real question is not why isn't this man famous. The question is why is he less popular than that bad half-assed wig-wearing guitarist covering Tocatta and Fugue when clearly this guy is way, WAY better !

[@andrewwheeldon3957]

To which half assed wig wearer do you refer?

[@saulwylde9182]

The most viewed cover of this song on KZbin

[@nal8503]

Saul Wylde Because people have no attention span and need flashy stuff to keep their attention from getting distracted. Same reason there's pretty much no documentaries without annoying (not necessarily bad) music and sound effects in the background.

[@poprox69]

What do you mean, he was signed under GSP Recordings? He's 4th gen Tarrega student. Get learnt

[@StataCom]

This never gets old Philip!

[@hendarinriandi1100]

Never heard of this guy, but he played this toccata and fugue by Bach which must be very difficult for classical guitar, almost flawlessly ...... really enjoy this 👍👍👍

[@76sprucetop]

It was his arrangement before 1995.perfect without missing one note in his concert

[@PaulBeykirch]

fugue voices are crisp and delineated...great job!

[@edilsondias91]

We see the result but sometimes we forget the effort involved in the final work... Congratulations on all your dedication and effort, excellent execution!!!

[@goodwin8x8]

Impossible to comment on such a display and precision, the best transcription of any work performed by JS Bach, fully respecting the original. Hii is a Paganini of the guitar

[@RicCortezMusic]

Literally, incredible. What a fantastic transcription and performance. I'm speechless. I'm proud to call you my friend.

[@tavismacdonald7759]

What a great representation of bach on the guitar. Just amazing. Imagine writing that. Everything so worked out. Even when inverted theyre worked out to be so perfect. The use of diminished chords. Just. I dont know. Just perfect. That song is perfect. Couldnt be a more musically free and eye opening to his soul , piece of music. In my opinion. God bless brother

[@OTIStheREALcarlos]

You are Amazing!!!! The way you took on this piece and play it, YOU are bigger than the piece! Bach would have been amazed! Thank you for your dedication.

[@mloftin]

Mr. Hii, I just wanted to tell you that I'm still enjoying your recording of this nearly 15 years after I bought it. The emotion in your playing really comes through. Thanks again for sharing this with us mere mortals. :)

[@barbelfloat]

Extraordinary! WOW!

[@ryancaryn0209]

I bought your cd a few years ago and I was completely in awe of your arrangement and abilities. I can remember falling in love with this piece as a kid watching Fantasia. I have played classical guitar for many years and to hear one of my favorite pieces on the guitar of course made me ecstatic. I also purchased your arrangement, but have to admit that it will be sometime before I'm on par with you to tackle it. You are simply amazing!

[@GreekFire25]

Looking on youtube and I see all of this guys playing only bits and pieces of the intro on electric guitars with distortion. I appreciate the fact that they pay homage to Bach, but there are only a few people on youtube who can play this entire piece on guitar solo, one of which is you. You did a great job in not only performing this piece, but putting emotion and substance into the music through just a simple spanish guitar. Respect.

[@sebacoyl]

He was the original transcriber of this piece for Guitar. His CD "Bach: new transcriptions" was released in 1995. I bought it back then after hearing on the radio. I am glad he made it onto KZbin

[@Juliencorse9]

Un vrai phénomène une interprétation magistrale bravoooo

[@philiphii]

@greenrange Thanks, glad you liked the concert! What do I like most about the guitar? The energy, the fire, the sensual beauty, all in one package -- you won't find that in many instruments.

[@patrickowen9614]

My old guitar teacher at the University of North Texas a long time ago...he went to teach at Corpus Christi..

[@23BET23]

I remember this transcription from an early CD you played on - this is the most insane realization of this work (maybe any BACH organ work) transcribed to the Guitar. You get all the essential details in the piece that most people are forced to edit out because - well - NO ONE ELSE CAN PLAY LIKE THIS!

[@naivhoerenundsehen]

Bravo! You show the true beauty of Bachs visions in music. What a joy seeing you play all these melodies. thanks for the upload

[@codonauta]

The best Toccata and Fugue in D minor by J S Bach adapted and played in the guitar i ever watched. A great work, really. Philip, a shame for me, but I didn´t you until some minutes, when I found the article written by you in web, "Bach's Method of Transcription" - that is really interesting who likes to study J S Bach's matters.

[@lazarusgray1188]

Hi Philip. I bought this manuscript about 5 years ago, and have pretty much hacked away at it ever since. Sometimes I just have to come back to remind myself how it's done. Thanks for many, many sweet, frustrating hours of pleasure. (no, I can't play it this well, but I can play it now. Those middle bits though... woof.)

[@byronharrell6479]

Im crying!!! this is gorgeous!!

[@BashirWahid]

Fantastic arrangement Mr. Philip and very well done. A real masterpiece. I love it! Thanks.

[@hirock491]

Unbelievable!!!!! You have a amazing memory and amazing hands!!!!

[@philiphii]

Hi Joseph. That's the same way I feel too. Life is about achieving something worthwhile and beautiful and this piece is definitely up there with the rest of life's many other wonderful goals. Good luck to you.

[@cookingprof]

One word...WOW !!! This performance blew my mind.

[@f3ryan]

Unbelievable performance. You are a true virtuoso.

[@luisricardo00]

BRAVO. Excellent performance. THIS VERSION OF THE MINOR BELIEVE THAT IS BEST FOR THE GUITAR. CONGRATULATIONS

[@InglisAcademy]

Truly an inspiration! There is so much music in that piece, and to bring it all out on the guitar is a monumental feat!

[@cualquie]

@philiphii I wanted to say: It's a magnificent performance

[@lawcch]

wow, I saw Philip Hii played live this piece in a guitar recital in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah in 2011 and blow my mind away. It sounded better than original organ music.

[@miggychan]

You played this piece flawlessly, bravo good sir.

[@dolafree]

I had your Bach CD a long time ago but it's the first time I saw you playing the BWV 565 on video! Perfectly played! Bravo! I wish you post some videos of your Chopin's Nocturnes! Thank you for the music!

[@bmf0003]

i've only managed to accomplish a 2h tapping version of this piece i adapted from one of dave celentano's books. trying to do this on a classical guitar is a whole other monster. this was masterfully done. thank you for sharing

[@sheinv]

Incredible performance and arrangement! Thanks!

[@timfguitar]

Bravo!!! Great to see this Philip! My right hand technique and approach was forever changed(for the better!) by you! hope you are doing great!

[@gtrs4life]

Bravo Philip! An excellent performance and I might add, a definitive transcription!

[@ralextc]

Impressive performance, a very special and beautiful touch to this masterpiece of Bach, thanks for giving us the thrill of hearing it on the Strings of Your Wonderful guitar as well as the feeling that comes from within your soul.

[@johnkieferguitar]

incredible execution and great decisions i (and several students) are studying your art of virtuosity e book

[@lughlongarm76]

Thank you for reminding me what a beautiful instrument the guitar is. You've really mastered picking in different locations on the body of the guitar to get different sounds, closer to the bridge for those darker colors. I think it was Segovia who said that the guitar is the only instrument that can sound like an entire orchestra, or something to that effect. Your performance here exemplifies that. I need to find a transcription of this now.

[@graph15]

Wow,thank you! Greetings from Birkenhead England 😊

[@Alluminati]

This is ridiculously well done. I've been loving this song since I was a child and recently I wondered whether it could be played well on a guitar. I imagined it to be very complicated. And here I am, looking at this and realizing: Well, I'd have to train for years to achieve this level.

[@ncdoherty]

Good grief! That was absolutely fantastic. Bravo!

[@hongteeguitar]

Hi Philip, nice to hear you on youtube. like this very much, more video please, haha..

[@codyboyd67]

I love it. I have been playing blues and blues rock guitar for some time now, but am thinking of attempting to learn classical. I love the right hand technique, that is an amazing thing to train yourself to play such beauty. I can't imagine in what kind of hate the people who disliked this piece were engulfed.

[@jonprosise7162]

You are an awesome classical guitar player!

[@massiveDestruction]

One of the best interpretations I have seen of this piece for guitar, well done!

[@elvieyra4402]

Brutal! Best version ever, perhaps most difficult.

[@gavinbeau]

Hi Phillip - Awesome work. Congratulations!

[@MusikalGod]

great. hands down amazing....nice feel too

[@TheRagerock]

the best guitar version that i never see, amazing

[@philiphii]

Glad to hear you're thinking of learning classical guitar. It's good to know other styles and classical guitar is really a lot of fun. Thanks for listening.

[@waynejoe7237]

One the rare real version on youtube of this song played by a guitar: BEAUTIFUL

[@Medioindio]

That was a jaw dropping performance!! thank you. Just bought your AOV book and have been through arounf 40 pages. Thansk you again!!

[@bonekruser17]

Absolutely incredible, thanks for the amazing arrangement!

[@JMichaelThames]

Very impressive Philip! Quite an accomplishment!

[@RoamingKBS]

one of my all time favourites....thanks for making me feel good....thanks to information technology , thanks to you who played it so beautifully..I am learning classical musice these days too...but dont know if i can ever reach this stage even close to this....i doubt....

[@FrothingFanboy]

Boy, did I enjoy your performance! Tk you so much. This is the first time I've ever heard this famous organ work played on guitar. I never see it on guitar recordings of Bach works. It seems that the violin partitas, cello suites, lute suites, etc., go quite amiably on the guitar. But in spite of its beauty and your virtuosity, it doesn't quite "work" to the same extent. However, that's just my own personal taste. Congrats in any case. You've made me happy by recording this for youtube!

[@flabens]

Master of classic guitar.

[@MetalizedCoke]

Thank you for the swift reply. I will save so I can purchase it. Enjoy the weekend!

[@Jalapablo]

The complete 2 and 3-part Inventions and Sinfonias performed on guitar by Philip Hii would be a very nice treat I think ;) I'd purchase that CD in a heartbeat!

[@LilCletus]

Excellent rendition, sir !

[@chrisdelanyguitarist]

Your playing is amazing! I remember a couple years back I attended/played the masterclass you held at San Jacinto South Campus.

[@josephcabaniss5061]

I've only been playing guitar for about a year, and I feel pretty strongly that if I can play this interpretation with the same consistency and tempo that you do, I will have lived a full life indeed. It's hard to imagine this piece as anything less than a real achievement in life, however shortsighted my view may be. Inspiring.

[@KaiCardenas-m7e]

I doubt u can play this...

[@barrywalker1198]

This is oh SOOOOOO difficult. And I thought I was good in my day. I now realise how bad I was... Breathtakingly good...

[@philiphii]

Yes, I first read about the theory in an article by Peter Williams and I have a solo violin version by Jaap Schroeder. I think it works great on the guitar. Even the fugue subject is guitaristic. Many thanks and all the best.

[@philiphii]

@Tyghtrope I started playing it in the early 90's so it's been a few years.

[@Yamagatabr]

Aweome rendition! Will buy your book soon, your work speaks for itsel :)

[@philiphii]

@BLR1GBattlemaster Thanks, would love to come to Monterrey. One day perhaps.

[@philiphii]

Tim! Great to hear from you! I will always remember our lessons. I'm doing great, hope you are too. Stay in touch!

[@petrusmalk]

Amazing! It was the best interpretarion of this music played on a guitar I have ever seen. Sorry for bad English.

[@emiliodiazmusic]

maravilloso, impecableee....

[@philiphii]

@houstonbiker Hi John, Great to hear from you! Glad you find the AOV useful.

[@byronharrell6479]

and mostly eyes closed!!!!!!!!! meaning he felt this!!! awesome

[@MordekainenX]

you are a true master, watching this video was so inspiring!

[@abella33]

Excelente interpretación. Mis mas sinceras felicitaciones.

[@orangeguitarmusik]

Love it. It never gets old.

[@JesusHilarioH]

Awesome job professor. Great recording too. Hope things are well. :)

[@TheSaintberzerker]

Fantastic Sir!

[@MrDizzyvonclutch]

I’m finally giving this transcription the best I can. I bought it probably twenty years ago… just now getting good enough to think I may get it right. lol I was wondering who he/you grew up on listening to it to, on the organ.

[@drainlifex]

Just awesome sensei!

[@philiphii]

@GreekFire25 Thanks, emotion and substance -- those two words mean a lot to me. All the best.

[@steveroslund7215]

wow that was great guitar playing!