Liszt's Strangest Masterpiece: Vallée d'Obermann

00:20 Liszt’s most enigmatic piece
02:28 Compositional history of Vallée d’Obermann
03:15 Experimental style of the young Liszt
05:20 Literary connection
05:58 The Valley of the title
06:39 Obermann’s personality and quotations
09:28 The isolated and itinerant romantic hero
10:08 Quotation from Schubert’s “Der Wanderer” song.
12:20 Influence on Tchaikovsky
13:04 Programmatic outline
13:45 Allusions to Classical sonata form and Beethoven
15:13 Performances of this piece
17:35 “Better than it can be played”
18:25 Piano Trio version
21:00 Complete performance
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[@robertdyson4216]

I started playing this is the early 1960s. It has never lost its magic for me.

[@pandude53]

Best description of this piece that I've heard. Truly you get this and the style. Wonderful work

[@TheIndependentPianist]

Thank you!

[@gergelykiss]

If you want to delve into Vallée d'Oberman even deeper, here is a 30-minute analysis: kzbin.info/www/bejne/npjCZol7a5yfi6M

[@AfroPoli]

Thanks for this video. The piece fascinated me as a teenager, and I learned it when I was 15. But back then, I played it only to get to section B and following. The first section didn't make any sense to me. Now, that I'm older and have tasted some of life's bitterness, I love section A the most. Its darkness and crushing despair, however, almost make it unplayable. I'm curious how it'll feel at 70 if I ever get there.

[@mvmarchiori]

For me Liszt is the master at motivic transformation. Great video, thanks!

[@josephhapp9]

Loved this, thank you. 1st heard this on Horowitz Tribute Highlights Carnegie Hall compilation, live 27th November 1966. Magic.

[@petermccutcheon6261]

Fascinating as always, Cole. The melodic motive in Section B reminds me of the first movement of his first piano concerto.

[@TheIndependentPianist]

I never thought of that before! I need to go and take a look right now….

[@petermccutcheon6261]

@@TheIndependentPianist I was thinking of the brief passage in the concerto, approx. 3 mins. in, when the clarinet transitions to Amaj. and plays a theme echoed by the piano and solo concertmaster. Rachmaninov would have smiled!

[@iianneill6013]

The definitive online analysis of d'Obermann. Grateful for your work in producing this!

[@TheIndependentPianist]

Thank you, you are very kind!

[@nickk8416]

What an exceptional video! This piece is new to me. The story behind the piece is so deep. It's amazing that a person who has seemingly everything can experience these deep depths. This will take several more listenings for it to sink in. I loved the final 1/3 rd of it at first listen. The finale was so Liszt. This piece gives one much to think about.

[@peterchan6082]

Great analysis and underlying stories! Am a huge fan of Liszt's original works. I was madly in love with this work ~20 years ago. My debut all-Liszt recital in Feb 2005 contained this work as the opening piece. Haven't been playing it for a long, long time ever since, though. You made me sort of want to re-visit and pick up this piece again! And Bravo, well-done, great playing!

[@richardwhitehouse8762]

Wow! I can see why the piece was mauled by the critics. It is very enigmatic and yet marvelous. This was new to me. Thank you so much for the analysis and the commentary and also the annotated score which helped a lot. Having lost my father last year, I can see why he would have felt a bit unmoored and it certainly shows in the piece. The very ending was a complete surprise. I'll have to listen again but bravo for your performance. I found it subtle and probing and extremely beautiful.

[@NSKS52]

What an in-depth analysis and fantastic performance! A few days ago, I was in a car listening to a local classical music station. They played a piece I didn't recognize, but clearly heard Lensky's aria theme in it, so I figured it must be either Tchaikovsky's or someone else's arrangement. Toward the end, I was sure it was not Mr. T. When it ended, they announced that it was Liszt's Vallée d'Obermann! Thank you, Cole, for another wonderful journey in good music! Enjoy your stay in the south!

[@pawdaw]

My feeling about the sempre animando section at the end is that you have to feel as though you've earned it; you've climbed the mountain, now you can see the horizon. But then, after the moment of exultation, the nagging doubts return - hence the strange, precipitous ending. One of Liszt's most inspired works.

[@johnrock2173]

Absolutely great episode and performance. Thank you as always. Your interpretation really allowed the piece to rise through. Thank you for caring about Liszt's pieces that are less played.

[@michaelwaterworth9899]

What an extraordinary piece. I've never heard it before until now. You did well to play such a contrasting and complex work.

[@mohammadbayazid5064]

Bravo! Do one of Schubert’s sonatas next, if you please

[@user-fu7zf4ck9z]

You absolutely nailed the final two bars!! Very satisfying recording. Just from the performance alone one can tell that you did your research on this piece

[@foljamb]

wonderful...wonderful channel and wonderful tech that this artist can use to make these amazing lecture-demos

[@mazeppa1231]

I really love your interpretation at 35:00 to the end. I've heard a lot of vallee d'obermann, but I've never heard anyone play it that way, and it makes so much sense for that part to be played like this. It's very satisfying.

[@EElgar1857]

I have loved this piece for years, but without a lot of the background that you have brought to it in this video. Now I'm sure that I didn't take it seriously enough! I have some favorite recordings of the piece - Arrau & Bolet spring to mind - but yours is the equal of both of them. Really, a superb performance!

[@gergelykiss]

Wonderful performance. I don't understand how you aren't signed with some major classical label. Special thank you for playing the ossia - I never found a recording that opted for that before. I was really glad to hear the "Wo bist du?"-esque motif at 31:20 in the middle voice (D#-G-F#) - for me it's clear Liszt meant that to stand out, and you never really hear piansts giving it the prominence you did here. Another nice touch is in mm. 212-213 (35:46) where the rhythmic play between the two hands is often osbcured by fff and pedal, but you bring it out really clear and crisp, the right hand really adds to the underlying syncopation with your approach (which seems more in line with Liszt's score in any case:).

[@samsontarpeh6157]

Goodness, what a piece. The ending is remarkable-my kind of ending😊. 🎩🎩🎩🎩 off Cole👏👏👏

[@dirkschneiderheinze]

I feel Tchaikovsky also used ideas from this piece in his Romeo and Juliet fantasy overture such as the brooding chorale section as well as the repeated chords in the climax.

[@M.Arsenault]

Great video and well researched. I'm glad you mentioned the forgotten Trio version "Tristia". Also that ossia passage is very nice, I don't think I've ever heard it be played!

[@grahamtwist]

A fascinating commentary, Cole, followed by an exquisite performance of Liszt's 'Vallée d'Oberman' (and as it is the first time I have heard this work, I can see why you reference the music as his "strangest masterpiece"). The music intrigued me and I was compelled to read more about the piece. I found some programme notes that resonated with my initial reaction to the music: "Throughout the work . . .dense, gritty dissonances, weakly resolved, bear witness to the intensity of the emotional struggle being portrayed" - which explains why I found it both wonderful as well as deeply unsettling! B R A V O !

[@Birbeniho]

Great analysis

[@pauchalo]

Thanks a lot!!! I have always loved this piece and also performed the ossia passage jist because I felt it was much better and fitting. Somehow I felt comforted by someone else also feeling the same way. I’ll follow your channel, GREAT and inspiring discovery. You have got a new fan from Barcelona. I just have one question about the sound, it feels you are not using an acoustic piano but an electronic one because the sound drops in long chords and also the keyboard moves when playing octaves. Is that so because of technical issues? Thanks a lot

[@wamexart]

The first two mesures evoques me the Eugene Oneguin Lensky aria

[@davidclemensen8952]

Bravo!

[@angelmeneg6507]

Thanks

[@rogerevans9666]

The version by Nyiregyhazi is the best by far, although some hate it!!!

[@franzurjisorabliszt]

I watched this again after I heard nyiregyhazi's interpretation on this piece, what an analysis!

[@TheIndependentPianist]

Thanks! Oh I could say a lot about Nyiregyhazi's version-I'm not sure if I should though. I love your user name by the way.

[@nandovancreij]

@@TheIndependentPianist lmao there certainly is a lot to say about that performance. i do think korstick's recording is valid.

[@ruramikael]

I think the piece is closely related to Marie d'Agoult, that is why the 2nd version is much darker and Liszt didn't want to hear the 2nd part of the piece which ends in a relatively happy mood.

[@bloba6969]

Once I heard Nyiregyhazi's recordign i couldn't go back to other performances. I think that he pays tribute to Liszt.

[@einberteinbert]

😍

[@AlotusNine]

Learned 5 minutes into it. Wasn’t able to do the physically demanding part. I got exhausted

[@TheIndependentPianist]

I can certainly get that. Even just the first 5 minutes is great stuff.

[@AlotusNine]

@@TheIndependentPianist no I started from the first main theme all the way till the cadenza, after that I got fatigue with the tremolo. The beginning was too depressing for me.

[@rogerevans9666]

Schnabel's dictum @17:42

[@iianneill6013]

Have you come across the Zoltan Kocsis orchestration of d'Obermann? It's quite sumptuous ... kzbin.info/www/bejne/oKq1ZaqdoJqesJI

[@TheIndependentPianist]

I haven't-that sounds fascinating! Thanks, I will add it to my listening list.

[@arts1902]

33:11

[@penrodcrystal6022]

🙈 𝖕𝖗𝖔𝖒𝖔𝖘𝖒