Thomas Adès masterclass: Ariel Lanyi plays Ravel La valse

www.ariellanyi.com/blog
If in a game of word association I say “Thomas Adès” you are likely to respond “composer,” or perhaps “conductor,” which is how we tend to think about Thomas Adès, forgetting what a great pianist and teacher he is. Listen to this fantastic lesson and to the reckless virtuosity with which he plays some of the trickiest passages of what is by no means an easy piece. Incidentally, I replaced someone in this masterclass, and when I walked up to T.A. he had no idea what I was going to play. You may want to skip my performance of the piece and go directly to the lesson, at 13:30. You can find a better performance of La valse, in part owing to this lesson, at • Ariel Lanyi plays Rave... .
And here is Ravel's other masterpiece, Gaspard de la nuit, played at a recital in London: • Ariel Lanyi plays Rave...
Recorded at the Jerusalem Music Center.
La valse: 00:10
Lesson: 13:30

[@m.a.3322]

15:45 loving that sung glissando mimicking the orchestra 😂😂😂

[@wagnerpolveiro7176]

A great master class, no doubt, Ariel. Your interpretation is very good, your music sound great, but of course there is always a new way to see, to feel, to understand a composition, as the Maestro Thomas Adès showed with his explanation. Anyway, congratulations, Ariel, you are amazing.

[@KinkyLettuce]

the musicality of Ades is incredible

[@aviuscomposer2605]

he's definitely the new Britten in every single way!

[@jegsynes]

Thank you Ariel for sharing this very interesting, wonderful and great master class, I enjoyed to listen and learned about what Thomas Adès tells and explains about Ravel's La Valse. I now understand this piece much better than ever before. The way he explains is almost "dancing with your (musical) mind"!

[@ras5999]

Bravo Ariel! What a Masterclass!I think You got to the end really very good interpretation .Thomas Adés is one of my favortites Composer he is really cool.Great!

[@samferguson9171]

ades' feel for the music is amazing. "very dangerous modulation" - he feels the shit!

[@spertrand]

"Can the A major be a little less real"

[@m.a.3322]

@@spertrand he was right though, the kid's approach was too direct for that phrase

[@spertrand]

@@m.a.3322 For sure. It's a big part of the piece and his critique - the moments when something coheres out of the whirlwind.

[@aviuscomposer2605]

​@@spertrand he's definitely the new Britten in every single way!

[@robertbradymusic]

@@aviuscomposer2605 😂 I see you coming up in all these Adès videos!

[@chtellez]

Impressive playing and a great masterclass!

[@maurorossi7803]

Woonderful! Thank you very much for sharing!

[@pathounais5988]

Thomas Adès vraiment extraordinaire de talent, de poésie, de psychologie généreuse..... un Monsieur... et Ariel super aussi bien évidemment. Un moment de pur bonheur. Merci.

[@homepianistaminako9597]

Sounds much more like orchestra I love it. Feels mystique! He is an amazing quick learner.

[@djcowling]

The Strauss waltz mentioned at 49.35 is 'Tausend und eine Nacht', op. 364. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qHyuXqSkj5Z7f6M -The part he mentions specifically occurs around 4 mins and 7 mins in the linked video. Ades is not only a brilliant composer but an inspiring thinker and performer

[@MoniqueChiron]

Wow je trouvais votre interprétation très bonne... mais l'œil du maître ne laisse rien au hasard !! Lol !!! :D Très intéressant. J'ai écouté une partie et finirai plus tard... Je ne suis pas très douée en anglais... ;) Bonne continuation de travail sur cette belle valse de Ravel. Amitié et merci du partage Ariel.

[@aviuscomposer2605]

What's all this shite? You chewing pins boy you are making gobble dee gook up you daft farthin yer!

[@KenKen3593]

"We see something. You see the whole thing: Vienna." I could confuse that for Woolf.

[@guarrho]

Have a think about it

[@marcio3426]

Ariel, would you share with us the anotations Mr. Thomas did on the partiture? Would be amazing!

[@ArielLanyi]

I'm sorry, this masterclass took place quite a few years ago and I no longer have the notes.

[@m.a.3322]

- 15:45, 16:07, 16:55, 17:54, 22:03, 26:47, 27:54, 31:50, 32:59, 33:51, 38:18, 43:16, 45:00, 48:09, 49:30

[@300076379]

thanks for sharing!

[@bilhaosher6418]

Elizabeth L c

[@lucasvanvlierberghe3641]

I think Thomas tries to explain to the student that it's not a real ('strict') waltz. It's Ravel's way of humor and at the end of the piece he kills the waltz anyway.

[@mares3841]

💛

[@aoyangli311]

Cloud you please tell me where you find the scores? I can't find this version

[@ArielLanyi]

All one-piano versions of La valse are to some degree arranged and adjusted by the performers, usually by keeping an eye on the orchestral version.

[@aoyangli311]

Ariel Lanyi Thank you for your reply. I saw the scores, it's difficult to play with orchestra part together. Thank you for your share:-)

[@stevehaas9515]

Reminds me of James Booker.

[@playmiaow]

22:40 24:50

[@playmiaow]

26:55

[@jcholroyd5598]

Did he fight in Vietnam?

[@aviuscomposer2605]

No! he is the new Benjamin Britten, haven't you heard?

[@user-jq5ce9de7t]

Отличная техника исполнения! жаль, что я первый, кто оставляет свои комментарии на русском. либо наши только шансон понимают на пяти аккордах, либо их вообще ничем не проймешь, даже такой игрой...

[@alex_evstyugov]

That, or maybe some people are actually fluent in more than one language.

[@AidanMmusic96]

Is Ades sight-reading this? (Wouldn't surprise me!)

[@ArielLanyi]

+Aidan6496 He absolutely is! He may have played years and years ago, but he had no idea what piece I was bringing to this lesson, having just stepped into the breach for someone who couldn't make it.

[@AidanMmusic96]

+Ariel Lanyi Jaw. On. Floor. I'd love to be conducted by him in my life too - I played his Asyla last year and he was in the audience - that was scary enough!

[@aviuscomposer2605]

He is the new Benjamin Britten you know!

[@johnholroyd3864]

Thomas Ades is a working class hero done good, coming from all that hardship, just goes to show you you can overcome all barriers!

[@Beach_comber]

Working class? You must be confusing him with someone else. Mark-Anthony Turnage perhaps?

[@aviuscomposer2605]

@@Beach_comber I think he grew up on a council estate in Dagenham, so he might be working class, not many rich people there!

[@Beach_comber]

@@aviuscomposer2605 No, he grew up in Hampstead, an expensive part of north London. His mother is an art historian who had a successful academic career; his father is a poet and translator.

[@aviuscomposer2605]

Working class hero this boy Ades, from nothing and doing all this! Him and D H lawrence are one!

[@aviuscomposer2605]

Apparently he does not come from Dagenham and is not self taught!

[@bazingacurta2567]

​@@aviuscomposer2605 No shit.

[@henrylee7995]

For everyone praising him for this performance sayin he has such amazing musicality, the ridiculous amount of rubato that he used shows quite the opposite. He had ok colors throughout and some decent phrasing, but the rubato was absolutely terrible it ruins the entire point of the piece. There is no consistent pulse when he plays this piece which is an essential for waltz or any dance. People with good musicianship don’t use excessive rubato, they use tone,color, phrasing, rythmic vitality, ect to really express the music. Not wasteful fluctuations of the tempo

[@marcioqueiroz225]

You are right, but it's a masterclass, exactly to discuss this. Pay attention.

[@aviuscomposer2605]

@@marcioqueiroz225 and he overlooks all the Benjamin Britten spirit there, it's all over him!

[@marcioqueiroz225]

@@aviuscomposer2605 He was a boy when Ravel right this valse.

[@shootayibyukhrabaytak674]

Too many words..............the kids playing is flabby..........yes too much meaningless rubato that stops the piece from having having any excitement..........it needs pulse to be exciting - it's not exciting.........

[@jcholroyd5598]

Really? Well Ades is making a good living composing, conducting and playing - we have not heard any of your music Shootayib and with a daft name like that - it is unlikely we ever will!

[@aviuscomposer2605]

@@jcholroyd5598 he's definitely the new Britten in every single way!

[@johnholroyd3864]

Utter crap!

[@vcupiano]

John Holroyd the video quality? I know it could be better right? Amazing piece of music transcribed for piano though, so difficult to pull off well on the keyboard.

[@aviuscomposer2605]

@@vcupiano The video quality is very poor he means! You get the Benjamin Britten vibe though from Ades!

[@aviuscomposer2605]

@@vcupiano definitely the video quality he means!

[@ViceroyoftheDiptera]

I assume you're describing yourself, because it doesn't apply to anything in the video

[@aviuscomposer2605]

@@ViceroyoftheDiptera the quality of the video and audio - not Mr. Ades working! They should have filmed this better is what I mean!