Just about the most perfect Chopin playing I can imagine. The kind of outwardly relaxed technique (in itself a marvel of digital independence and perfect support) that can appear almost "detached", and yet, intense control and concentration that makes everything appear to be effortless, while imparting a huge range of emotion and expression are all immediately apparent here. The descriptions I have read of Chopin's own playing indicate what must have been a similar result: maximum effect with minimal strain. Unmatched passion in the midst of an almost otherworldly restraint. As a fellow keyboard player, I find that just watching Thomas's videos is a musical and technical education in itself. Of course, it is all at the service of the composer and the music and it shows one thing I have always felt: that there is an underlying universal keyboard technique that informs great artistry, regardless of the instrument. It could apply to the harpsichord, the clavichord and the organ, or to any iteration of the piano from Cristofori through to Fazioli; the underlying technical principles: perfect hand formation /finger position, perfectly balanced support and flexibility from wrist, arm and shoulder and, from a purely musical perspective, the sublime truth that music grows out of silence. You put together all of those elements and you have perfect playing, as we can hear with this present performance. The technical and musical assurance requires vast amounts of practice; but, underlying all of this is a deep "knowing" And that is the preserve of a vanishingly small number of artists. I have striven my entire career to achieve this, and, here it is, all perfectly laid out by a master pianist..
Underrated channel, as a whole and in every part. I sense that you have been about the "real stuff" for a long time, and that the documentation is catching up. And you are young, which is to say, keep plugging. You are obviously deep enough to understand what accolades are worth, however, keep doing what you are doing, and at least from time to time give an eye to keeping body and soul together as it were. You will bring more people much joy. Cheers, ---NJ.
Dear Nikolas, thank you for your kind message and kind words, and for listening! This is certainly good advice, as I do almost nothing for self-promotion. I like to think that it is all in the hands of greater forces than my small "I". Thank you again, all the best! Thomas
As a Chopin aficionado myself your playing is absolutely rapturously stunningly sublime and beautiful!!!! Many thanks for your posting. It makes my heart very happy to listen while you play!!!!!
Thomas, amazing as always. This is my favorite piece currently in my mind of all time. Maybe because I have listened to it from so many other performers. You play this so very well really, just wow. But I have to say, every time, I hear someone play this song, I hear so many new things, and I feel I am actually starting to hear Chopin thinking. I'm sorry to pivot to Chopin now but he is so talented and takes us all on an incredible harmonic journey I am amazed. You again, show us these things. Power, then softness, then technical prowess, then quiet arpeggios...it is all so much emotion if you think about it. Isn't it just like LIFE? The ups and down, the pain, then happiness, hardness, softness, intermediate....the journey. Your technical prowess on the piano is on another level from your peers.
Thank you for your truly kind words! And also for your truly wonderful description of the artistic and human vitality of Chopin's music... All the best to you! Thomas
Since Claudio Arrau make the recording of this wonderful piece, nobody did it so well...and believe me, I listened to many interpreters .I guess I'm gonna change my feelings towards you, Mr. Schwan you are superb I guess your tempo it is just perfect, and tempo it's almost everything in music. I already watch all your performances in TH-cam. The Book 2 of Bach Well Tempered Clavier it's is the most deleightful thing to listen.
Dear Milton, thank you for such wonderful comment, and thank you for listening! I madly love Claudio Arrau, especially in Chopin, so I feel truly humbled by such words. And yes, I totally agree about the tremendous, crucial importance of tempo in music. Thank you so much!! All the best, Thomas
@@ThomasSchwan You see, dear Thomas, there are a lot of us who keep claiming the same thing: your playing is really special and many of us would be glad to have a recording of yours, or at least to hear you live if you were on tour. I have listened you playing Bach many times too and it has brought to me an entirely new insight in that music that I was surprised how something like this can be possible at all. Knowing about your pointing out the importance of spirituality, somehow it seems to me that it must be up to your decision of keeping the sight clear enough, thus avoiding additional distractors of bigger business driven demands that can easily reflect badly on sensual artistic approach in general. I can understand that very well and have respect for such a decision. Anyway, I am glad and grateful for discovering your outstanding performances and they are the proof that the great music still has many potentials to be brought to light in better outfit, despite our suspicion that we have experienced mostly everything so far.
@@TrazomGV Dearest Vanja, I deeply treasure your words. I am actually pondering very seriously the possibility of producing a recording, and I am especially intrigued by your suggestion from a few weeks ago - i.e. releasing on a CD precisely these already extant live recordings! Yes, what you perceive is true - I am personally very interested in the act of music making for its own sake, and for a transcendent purpose - at the same time I acknowledge the importance to be visible in the world as a member of the human family. Thank you so much for bringing my attention in this direction. All the very best to you! Talk soon, Thomas
@@ThomasSchwan Dear Thomas, I am glad to hear that my humble suggestion might result in such a good result, I think many of us who appreciate good music and know something about it will be made happy by this release. Try with Naxos label, they seem rather openminded in giving chances to quality artists, those recordings of yours are really well made and I see no trouble in using them as such, with no need for any postproduction, or at least minimal. Stay well and good luck, hear you soon!
Just about the most perfect Chopin playing I can imagine. The kind of outwardly relaxed technique (in itself a marvel of digital independence and perfect support) that can appear almost "detached", and yet, intense control and concentration that makes everything appear to be effortless, while imparting a huge range of emotion and expression are all immediately apparent here. The descriptions I have read of Chopin's own playing indicate what must have been a similar result: maximum effect with minimal strain. Unmatched passion in the midst of an almost otherworldly restraint. As a fellow keyboard player, I find that just watching Thomas's videos is a musical and technical education in itself. Of course, it is all at the service of the composer and the music and it shows one thing I have always felt: that there is an underlying universal keyboard technique that informs great artistry, regardless of the instrument. It could apply to the harpsichord, the clavichord and the organ, or to any iteration of the piano from Cristofori through to Fazioli; the underlying technical principles: perfect hand formation /finger position, perfectly balanced support and flexibility from wrist, arm and shoulder and, from a purely musical perspective, the sublime truth that music grows out of silence. You put together all of those elements and you have perfect playing, as we can hear with this present performance. The technical and musical assurance requires vast amounts of practice; but, underlying all of this is a deep "knowing" And that is the preserve of a vanishingly small number of artists. I have striven my entire career to achieve this, and, here it is, all perfectly laid out by a master pianist..
Dear Peter - thank you for such an incredible comment from one of the world's truly great musicians. What a honor for me!!!
@@ThomasSchwan And thanks to you, Thomas, for the great artist you are and for your generosity in sharing. It's a great and life-affirming gift.
Excellent as always, perfect rendering of all elements! Chopin would be smiling...
Dear Vanja, thank you once more for listening and for your incredible words. All the best, talk soon! Thomas
Underrated channel, as a whole and in every part. I sense that you have been about the "real stuff" for a long time, and that the documentation is catching up. And you are young, which is to say, keep plugging. You are obviously deep enough to understand what accolades are worth, however, keep doing what you are doing, and at least from time to time give an eye to keeping body and soul together as it were. You will bring more people much joy.
Cheers,
---NJ.
Dear Nikolas, thank you for your kind message and kind words, and for listening! This is certainly good advice, as I do almost nothing for self-promotion. I like to think that it is all in the hands of greater forces than my small "I". Thank you again, all the best! Thomas
Perfect, sensitive Chopin.
Thank you for such a precious performance.
Thank you so much for listening and for your kind words!
Many years ago I told Rafal Blechacz was a superb rare pianist. Without any doubt I can said the same of you, Thomas!. Superb renditions!!!
Thank you so much for listening, and for such kind words! All the best to you, Thomas
Che stile! Bravissimo!!
Caro Raul, grazie di cuore! Un abbraccio! Thomas
Beautiful performance. So natural, and a pleasure to watch how you play the instrument, so elegantly. Experienced plenty of goosebumps. Bravo! 👏👏👏👏
Thank you, that makes me truly happy! Thank you for such a kind comment! :) All the best, Thomas
Keep it up.playing with the silence is the highest level of music.
Thank you! All the best. Thomas
As a Chopin aficionado myself your playing is absolutely rapturously stunningly sublime and beautiful!!!! Many thanks for your posting. It makes my heart very happy to listen while you play!!!!!
Hi John, thank you so much for such wonderful words!... All the best to you! :) Thomas
Really good ❤
Thank you! All the best to you! Thomas
👏👏👏 great! 👍
Grazie di cuore!
Thomas, amazing as always. This is my favorite piece currently in my mind of all time. Maybe because I have listened to it from so many other performers. You play this so very well really, just wow. But I have to say, every time, I hear someone play this song, I hear so many new things, and I feel I am actually starting to hear Chopin thinking. I'm sorry to pivot to Chopin now but he is so talented and takes us all on an incredible harmonic journey I am amazed. You again, show us these things. Power, then softness, then technical prowess, then quiet arpeggios...it is all so much emotion if you think about it. Isn't it just like LIFE? The ups and down, the pain, then happiness, hardness, softness, intermediate....the journey. Your technical prowess on the piano is on another level from your peers.
Thank you for your truly kind words! And also for your truly wonderful description of the artistic and human vitality of Chopin's music... All the best to you! Thomas
Since Claudio Arrau make the recording of this wonderful piece, nobody did it so well...and believe me, I listened to many interpreters .I guess I'm gonna change my feelings towards you, Mr. Schwan you are superb I guess your tempo it is just perfect, and tempo it's almost everything in music. I already watch all your performances in TH-cam. The Book 2 of Bach Well Tempered Clavier it's is the most deleightful thing to listen.
Dear Milton, thank you for such wonderful comment, and thank you for listening! I madly love Claudio Arrau, especially in Chopin, so I feel truly humbled by such words. And yes, I totally agree about the tremendous, crucial importance of tempo in music. Thank you so much!! All the best, Thomas
@@ThomasSchwan You see, dear Thomas, there are a lot of us who keep claiming the same thing: your playing is really special and many of us would be glad to have a recording of yours, or at least to hear you live if you were on tour. I have listened you playing Bach many times too and it has brought to me an entirely new insight in that music that I was surprised how something like this can be possible at all. Knowing about your pointing out the importance of spirituality, somehow it seems to me that it must be up to your decision of keeping the sight clear enough, thus avoiding additional distractors of bigger business driven demands that can easily reflect badly on sensual artistic approach in general. I can understand that very well and have respect for such a decision. Anyway, I am glad and grateful for discovering your outstanding performances and they are the proof that the great music still has many potentials to be brought to light in better outfit, despite our suspicion that we have experienced mostly everything so far.
@@TrazomGV Dearest Vanja, I deeply treasure your words. I am actually pondering very seriously the possibility of producing a recording, and I am especially intrigued by your suggestion from a few weeks ago - i.e. releasing on a CD precisely these already extant live recordings! Yes, what you perceive is true - I am personally very interested in the act of music making for its own sake, and for a transcendent purpose - at the same time I acknowledge the importance to be visible in the world as a member of the human family. Thank you so much for bringing my attention in this direction. All the very best to you! Talk soon, Thomas
@@ThomasSchwan Dear Thomas, I am glad to hear that my humble suggestion might result in such a good result, I think many of us who appreciate good music and know something about it will be made happy by this release. Try with Naxos label, they seem rather openminded in giving chances to quality artists, those recordings of yours are really well made and I see no trouble in using them as such, with no need for any postproduction, or at least minimal. Stay well and good luck, hear you soon!
@@TrazomGV Thank you once more for such great and detailed suggestions. Really precious to me - I so much appreciate! All the best!! Thomas
Brillint performance
Thank you!
Linda interpretação!!! Einfach glaenzend!!!
Grazie!!!