Stewart Goodyear: Beethoven's Hammerklavier 4th movement

Concert pianist Stewart Goodyear playing Beethoven's Hammerklavier 4th movement.

[@wukillah]

Wow absolutely stunning performance !!! The tempo, the dynamics, the colors, the clarity…. Im in awe. Nuance is in the 3rd mvt, this is a storm, a display of technique, a flex … he’s playing it how it should be

[@JaseBach]

This is a stupendous achievement that impresses professoonal pianists even more than the public. To play it this fast and this accurately puts him at the top 0.1% of pianists. What is even more amazing is that he was so totally relaxed ('didn't break a sweat'). Superhuman ability that makes Greek gods jealous.

[@pineapplesareyummy6352]

A breathtaking performance of the most difficult movement of Beethoven's most difficult Piano sonata!

[@erichuber9021]

The best performance of this piece available

[@Max_Plura]

You don't often hear such fast playing with this brilliant technique; Introduction was good but the Fugue was great!

[@ligueardent]

Yes, I agree. But that's all there is to it, there is no emotion whatsoever. Synthesia can play it like that

[@Juscz]

Amazing to hear the Hammklavier 4th movement fugue performed as Beethoven indicated it. Yes, it is true, as many commenters have stated already, that Goodyear's performance here is not especially rife with dynamic nuance. But I am glad to hear it in this manner for a change and kudos to Stewart Goodyear for giving this arguably very-true-to-the-score performance. Indeed, it's great that somebody has done it in this manner for all of us to hear!

[@veretyukglib8288]

Yes

[@FliegendeHollaender]

sweet jesus, that was magnificent. Well done. Unbelievable control.

[@veretyukglib8288]

Yesv

[@veretyukglib8288]

Yeah bro

[@veretyukglib8288]

Complètement dingue

[@veretyukglib8288]

Maître Gliaibe !

[@AeolianHall1]

A wonderful and amazing performance. Congratulations on both your interpretation and your incredible technique.

[@S.Lander]

What can anyone say but 'Bravo!' His performances is like looking at a battlefield from the point of view of an aircraft, seeing how all the pieces fit together. Every other performance of this reminds me of Laocoon struggling with the serpents. Sometimes the big picture is the best.

[@erichuber9021]

Absolutely lovely, thank you Stewart

[@fightinboner]

This is really, really good

[@BrianPaick]

This is astounding.

[@comraede]

Abolutely amazing!

[@someguynamedstacy4064]

This is really great. It does lack dynamic shape-but how many people can play it this rhythmically? Marvelous fingers!

[@thatnicekid04]

Amazing!!!!

[@stacelandicus8679]

This is the closest to my ideal. The tempo and rhythm are perfect.

[@demertzis2004]

1:22 the most epic part

[@brandonscherrer]

awesome!!

[@charlescxgo7629]

The magic in this piece is in the structure and meticulous calculations that make everything work. Even if it is a robotic playing, the message gets across

[@rcionco]

Bravo!!!

[@junyeongYoon]

Amazing

[@Sim882]

Valentina plays everything like a robot and everyone worships her - there are some interesting parts here

[@eboone]

She definitely does not play like a robot

[@iamhorny4542]

different preferences. i personally like her moonlight 3rd movement and her chopin torrent etude, but not so much her chopin nocturnes.

[@HankDrake]

Magnificent.

[@psabatm]

Hanon's Hammerklavier

[@Trooman20]

Bravo!

[@Vesivian]

amazing!

[@prrothed]

One thing Mr. Goodyear is scrupulous about is playing the sonatas at the tempo marked by Beethoven in the score, for better or worse. Beethoven's tempos are extremely fast, which is why this performance seems to lack nuance. But, by marking the tempo so fast, did Beethoven want it to be played with nuance? If he marked it this fast, is this how he would have played it? Who knows, but it's a reasonable question.

[@richdavis9690]

If anything, that makes it reasonable not to insult this performance (which was fantastic in my opinion) for sticking with the intended tempo. Irks me when key board warriors have the gall to scorn such pianists.

[@ifandonlyif4604]

I don't mean to sound insulting towards you, but if you thought this lacked nuance, then I would have to say that you probably have no real knowledge about performing. This was an amazing display of technique and musicianship.

[@demertzis2004]

A genius like beethoven knew what he did and how everything he wrote would sound on a performance, i believe that is very important while performing to respect every composer's detail, they gave their big minds and their lives to music, thats why classical music will never die, it has a reason that makes it worth more than any kind of music

[@pineapplesareyummy6352]

There are a number of things which should be said here: (i) pianos in Beethoven's time had a lighter touch, and the keys don't go down as deep, so it was easier to play fast than it is on a modern piano with deeper keys and a mechanism that requires more force to activate each key, (ii) Beethoven was long deaf by the time he wrote Op. 106. He was only hearing the music in his head. Since there is a difference between hearing music in your head and hearing a live performance, it is possible Beethoven didn't fully grasp how fast his tempi markings were for his late Sonatas.

[@bogus0320]

Very nice

[@eamendo7]

Literally how? How???

[@CristianFodor23]

super ..

[@tonycosworth]

@prrothed: I forgot the fantastic and unltrabeethovenian interpretation of Richard Goode

[@harryk4840]

❤️

[@christopherreyes7594]

nice clasic music

[@ipheclekennedy]

7:37 that smile yea im a boawwws

[@272jdjdj]

good job xD

[@daretobetheweirdo]

2:48

[@anhtuanvn2010]

like !

[@Physicks499]

7:26= I'm the boassss kneel before me!!

[@272jdjdj]

kalsik müzik hayranıyım ve mmuhteşem

[@timotot123]

I don't think I've heard the fugue played at this tempo before but in my view it takes away something from the overall musicality. This is without doubt incredible in terms of technique but I guess this is a fairly good example of why amazing virtuosity is not always everything with such challenging works

[@albertwong4516]

A year old pompous remark is still a pompous remark. The musicality is through the roof and i would argue he captures Beethoven's essence better than 90% of the recordings you are refering to. Sadly recordings today have gradually retarded tempos and markings to the point where the original fervour is lost. Beethoven was a flashy virtuoso. He loved showing off as part of his charm. His fast passages were blistering and prodigious. I know Gould shares my point of view that Beethoven is played too slow today this is one of the best renditions i have heard, and leads me to feel that this is how Ludwig would have performed it. Hats off sir 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@timotot123]

@@albertwong4516 Pompous remark is a bit severe however I take on board your response as to why this tempo would be appropriate as you've outlined.

[@pineapplesareyummy6352]

I think Goodyear is trying to play the late Beethoven Sonatas at the tempi markings indicated by the composer, which are almost never used by concert pianists because they are too fast to be comfortable by anyone. It is already difficult enough to play such a torrent of notes, let along have the time to strike every note with the perfect sound, hence irrespective of the level of technique of the performer, they nearly always take things much slower.

[@nicholasmeins4756]

You people complaining are missing a very obvious point.... wow

[@tonycosworth]

@ prrothed: You are exactly in the central problem and your comment is very interesting; But don't forget that Stewart Goodyear is always faster than Beethoven's Tempo (160-168 vs 144). In fact, like Stephen Beus (who copied who ? because they do the same error at 1'56 but Beus seems better) it seems impossible to take such a tempo without an evident lack of power (may be Richter could do it); And Yes, Beethoven WANTED these nuances; when he writes 28 SF in 2 lines, it's not by chance; If you want the good tempo and a fantastic power, who can, except Richter ? That said, the technical capacity of LvB to play it at 144 is an other problem, but I hope so !!!

[@99Grigor]

I hate to say it but, despite some hefty dynamics this rendition is like a giant run-on sentence lacking true drama, incite and deep thought to sound and phrasing. All the same dynamics in all of the running fingerwork with little phrasing to the myriad 16ths. Still, it is a very admirable and secure performance-just needs more depth and wisdom.

[@Trooman20]

I agree, the different parts are muddy in the louder sections and it lacks a bit of dynamical contrast but still a brilliant performance

[@bogus0320]

OMg

[@tonycosworth]

Dommage que le réalisateur soit un con fini et nous prive à plusieurs reprises d'un spectacle digital de 1° ordre au profit d'u portrait animé de Richard dont on n'a rien à foutre.

[@wukillah]

🤣

[@dmhdmh28]

why isnt he wearing a belt

[@fenuanewsFR]

Good polyphony and excellent technique. But this performance lacks of nuance. The pianist does not take the time to breathe.

[@neto6517]

Un groso

[@pixelpaul7614]

ahaha

[@RolandKarlBryce]

zu schnell buddy.... missing the nuances... and way too slow at the start.... dominant 7ths descending get on the nerves that slowly... lol opinions huh?

[@sydneyjm]

kk

[@JesusChrysostomo]

Beaucoup trop rapide à mon sens...

[@christianpoletti7912]

More sharpness needed, but still excellent.

[@272jdjdj]

süper

[@herrbrahms]

Impressive but cold. I have a feeling the pianist had a bet with his buddies and won a beer for playing the fugue proper cleanly in under 9 minutes. What a hell of a parlor trick, though.

[@tarikeld11]

herrbrahms he played it in 11 minutes but ok

[@gabrielbustos2706]

T. Alexander E. the actual fugue starts at around 2:40, which is what i believe he was referring to

[@tonycosworth]

Yes Takao , it does not let the music breathe, too attentive to an uniform tempo.

[@karlakor]

Where are the sforzandi that Beethoven indicated in his score? Goodyear ignores them completely and seems to have no feeling for the fact that this fugue is actually a set of variations, each with its own character. Goodyear makes no distinction between them, but rather flattens the entire movement into a highway where there is no speed limit. I find little to admire in this performance.

[@mkeysou812]

A cascading mass of notes. You can see where Alkan stole all his ideas from.

[@EcstasyJesus]

Well, Alkan was a classicist and didn't like the development of music at his time. Of course he went back to Beethoven

[@ComposerMori]

He forgot something, ... something very important.

[@djrg7921]

he forgot not to power through like a robot

[@pierfrancescopeperoni]

I was really warried: I didn't realized it is joke....It is a joke, isn't it?

[@janicezany]

Not much nuance, esp in the fugue. Everything is bang-bang. I think he took too much to heart the subtitle.

[@nirinarabeson]

While I like the tempo chosen for this movement, I think he misses the nuances and the performance lacks heroism. Otherwise, great job !