Schubert: Wanderer Fantasy in C Major, Op.15 (Lewis)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 มิ.ย. 2024
- A thrilling account of Schubert’s colossal (and ingenious) Wanderer Fantasy. The Wanderer Fantasy is at once a fantasy built around an implied variation form, a one-movement sonata, and a traditional four-movement sonata. This is all possible because every single movement is built around the same motif, which is itself derived from the opening phrase of Schubert’s lied Der Wanderer (this opening phrase is quoted nearly exactly in the opening of the second movement.) Note also how Schubert integrates organic transitions between movements into the work: the opening of Mvt 3 is directly derived from the LH figuration at the end of Mvt 2, for instance. As the work progresses from movement to movement without pause, we hear the Wanderer motif being constantly transformed; in the first movement it is used as the subject of a sonata form (both themes in this movement are similar enough that calling it monothematic is quite fair); in the second as the base of a set of variations; in the third as part of a magnificent scherzo in compound time, and in the fourth as the basis of a fugue which builds to a truly thunderous finale. The Wanderer Fantasy represents the first truly structural use of the device of thematic transformation, which Liszt exploited to its fullest in his great B Minor Sonata - it is no coincidence that Liszt was highly familiar with the Wanderer Fantasy, as his transcriptions of it attest.
Lewis’ performance of the Wanderer Fantasy demonstrates that Schubert was a fantastic colorist and dramatist in the full-blooded Beethovenian mould; he is more willing than most to allow Schubert’s music to expand into the vast sounds it requires. The first movement opens with propulsive energy, but quickly broadens into fine deltas of light and shade. The second features some remarkably subtle pianissimo playing [see the passage beginning at 10:58] shot through with almost unbearable restlessness [see the beautiful buildup beginning at 7:50]. The third bounds along until Lewis suddenly arrests all movement with a dreamlike trio; and the fourth builds up ferociously with ironclad clarity into a climax of blinding ecstasy [see the sheer sweep of 18:37, and so on].
00:00 - Mvt 1, Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo
05:42 - Mvt 2, Adagio
12:14 - Mvt 3, Presto
16:59 - Mvt 4, Allegro - เพลง
As always, goosebumps at 9:56
Same here! Every time! I like your taste of music :D
same! breathtaking moment
Very.
totally true, what a composer, Schubert.
At least it wasn't in Presto. Lol
"Let the Devil take the thing. ..!" said Franz Schubert when he struggled to play this, his own composition.
Brilliant performance, thank you for posting.
I severely underestimated the difficulty of this piece when I decided to tackle it. I knew it would be hard, but I didn't think it would be this insane lol. Every page feels like you're trying to tame a monster that's trying to escape your fingers by any means. There's massive fast jumps, dense passages, awkward arpeggios, you name it. I understand now why Schubert struggled so hard to play this. I've gotten certain parts down now but there are still sections like the end of the third and fourth movements that are just completely bonkers and feel borderline unplayable. Honestly, I've gained a new appreciation for Lewis's recording now, and how he breezes through these insane passages so naturally and musically.
@@aerohydra3849 I have total respect for you for even trying 🙂
This Fantasy feels like I'm listening a Concerto arranged for a single Grand Piano, and this piece as a whole is absolutely breathtaking to listen to...
Yeah, Schubert is the grandfather of Sorabji.
Actually Liszt made an orchestra version of it
18:35 the definition of absolute ecstasy, euphoria, an explosion of joy
Totally agree
18:07 - 18:20 what an epic chord progression!
B F# A E G D G D F C E B E
B down a fourth, A down a fourth etc
@@momoalnajjar can you explain this easier, I am dumb
@@aramkhachaturian8043 they’re trying to say, it is going down to the fourth degree of a scale, ie: like B major scale, B-A#-G#-F#. So that’s how he made the chord progression.
Very pleasant and vigorous! Does anyone know any other pieces (by Schubert or others)where the very specific emotion of this fragment is captured or appears?
Thanks Ashish for taking the pain to coordinating the sound and the pages of the score
Thats easy, what's hard is transcribing.
@@nightshade8958 y
Yyyy.
@@nightshade8958obviously, he does not transcribe
3:20 I think the mist beautiful melody I have ever heard hands down
Sounds a bit like Chopin! The more I study Schubert the more stuff I see Chopin "taking" from him
Then you can't have heard a lot of melodies. That's literally dozens of bars of that same rhythm and six-note motive. Don't get me wrong, it sounds nice, but it's nowhere near the most beautiful melody out there.
@@late8641 People all have different opinions.Don't just think about your opinion.
@@late8641 the "most beautiful" is always an opinion not a fact. For me it's one of the most beautiful melodies, if it isn't for you I really couldn't care less, don't get me wrong
This piece really impressed me and caught me off guard the first time; it was made by SCHUBERT, and he's not known for the difficulty of his pieces, and this Fantasy actually intends to be hard; there's octaves, huge chords, arpeggios, double thirds, fast sixth notes... i heard that Liszt inspired many of his compositions on this piece, and i totally believe it, for it was actually revolutionary when it was published.
13:10 such a cute melody!
Kyle Fang i would say more whimsical than cute lol
Kyle Fang : “cute” ???
Which melody of the so many?
agreed - it's adorable!!!
It’s very darlingish!
Yes yes yes yes. Just let it rip. An absolutely wonderful glorious demonstration of the unbridled Human spirit. A festival of delights and just outright gorgeousness. Makes one glad to be alive.
I didn't want it to end! I have heard this pianist so many times playing pieces which seem impossible to play on account of their colossal difficulty. He and Tozer should be far better known. They are giants!
I completely agree with that.
Most likely Schubert's most technically demanding work for the piano. Fantastic performance by Lewis here. I get Brendel vibes from it.
Alfred Brendel was Paul Lewis' teacher!!!!
I’m always reminded of Beethoven’s Waldstein when this piece opens
I think the same thing
Also, it's in C major.
The same thing :)
@@segmentsAndCurves With the second subject in E major, the mediant major.
It's actually the most uncharacteristic piece by Schubert... If we look at his lieder and at his sonatas they all are so intimate and private.... But this glorious masterpiece... Can't just be explained with words...
I agree. Schubert's 'delirium' piece. Maybe there was an explanation. (Wikipedia-'delirium can be triggered by a serious medical illness such as an infection.. (and) certain medications...' ) .
I found this to be a very Beethovenesque piece for Schubert. Maybe that explains how it surprises you?
His Sonatas are nowhere near intimate. Look at his first three sonatas.
@Megabloggy 06 Why not both?
We know Schubert had many musical evenings among friends. I imagine him improvising extensively in between written pieces. Maybe this piece, or at least a first version of it, was born on such an occasion?
One of the most underrated pieces, in my opinion. I had the pleasure of hearing this for the first time at a live recital and was blown away. If I had the technique to play it I would probably never leave my house.
Don't feel too bad. Fran Schubert couldn't play this piece either. In trying to play this, he angrily remarked something along the lines of "let the Devil himself play this piece."
@@underzog Funny
I have the privilege of having this piece as part of the soundtrack of my childhood. My father played it frequently (and flawlessly) - I am devastated that I have not a single recording of his brilliant playing.😢
@@ALPalmos Be glad of the memory! Who was your father? Was he a well-known pinanist?
Well build up your technique. And keep up. Pieces like this serve also that purpose
00:00 Mv 1Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo
05:42 Mv 2 Agadio
12:14 Mv 3 Presto
16:59 Mv 4 Allegro
Thank you.
Franz Schubert:C-dúr ,,Wanderer'' Fantázia D.760
1.Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo 00:00
2.Adagio 05:42
3.Presto 12:14
4.Allegro 16:59
Paul Lewis-zongora
Köszönöm az értékelést
Thank you
Thanks!!
Staggering performance of one of the greatest pieces in the piano literature. I think of it as the piano equivalent of Beethoven’s 5th symphony.
This is the best performance I’ve heard since discovering Sviatoslav Richter’s recorded in the Salle Wagram, Paris, over 50 years ago in1963. EMI.
A photo finish dead heat I think. A stunning achievement, considering even Schubert had to give up at the final fugue reportedly saying, “to hell
with it, somebody else will have to finish it”. Thanks be, for Schubert.
If this is the piano equivalent of Beethoven's 5th, what would you consider Schubert's great last 3 piano sonatas to be equivalent to?
Me:Hey Schubert, are you left handed or right handed?
Schubert:Yes
Most underrated comment ever
"Shubert"
**ambidextrous**
@@dididistuff3417 Exactly.
I'm lefty
What about you
Probably one of the most genius compositions in the history of mankind. Schubert really takes it to another level here. The way it dramatically changes while still maintaining the first theme, the sublime, gorgeous second movement, the playful third and the monstrous fugue in the final movement. Certain moments like 8:13, 8:36, 9:57, 10:45 and 11:03 really strike me as truly transcendental. So different from what Chopin and Liszt wrote. Incredible piece.
He died way too young sadly
I’ve always thought this piece served as a Beethoven meets Chopin situation personally
18:37
Franz Schubert hi
16:59 made me mentally segue into the final movement of Chopin's first sonata
Thank you! And having the score to follow is a total delight. Many, many thanks for the trouble you have taken in bringing this to us.
What I love most about this work is that it is through-composed. Imagine how tedious to write those 32nd notes on paper back then!
That's demisemiquavers to non-Americans
It's a set of variations. It's not through-composed.
What does through composed mean?
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Through-composed
piano1500 How is it not through-composed?
4:20 is so powerful!
❤😅
et la fugue !!!
The dream piece that I wanted to play in my childhood... ahh the good memories
Just noticed the key signatures of the 4 movements makes a perfect equilateral triangle on the circle of fifths (0 sharps/flat to 4 sharps to 4 flats then back to 0)
Highly interesting approach
Nam Nguyen circle of fifths was the common tonal relation in the classical era. The tonal plan that we see here and which influenced a lot of other romantic composers like Liszt is based on a circle of thirds. Look how the main sections are tonally a major third apart; C major - C sharp minor/E major - A flat major - C major.
@@musmerized658 Well, since Liszt came later this probably actually the influence of Beethoven.
@@ArturKorotin it could be because Beethoven too used relationships based on thirds in many of his works.
@@ArturKorotin Beethoven wasn't as well known for the use of hexatonic cycles. You can find them even in Haydn and Mozart if you really look. Schubert, Liszt, Chopin, Wagner, Strauss, and others really ran with them though.
This is my favorite piano piece by Schubert : Through the years I've attempted to play it and have finally triumphed; none the less, not without overwhelming difficulties. Mr. Lewis's interpretation scales the Olympian heights of technique, dynamics, timbres, sonorities and agogics with effortless ease, to render this masterpiece the way it was meant to be performed. All in all, this is destined to become one of my favorite recordings of "Der Wanderer," along with performances by Sviatoslav Richter, Alfred Brendel, among others. Thank you Mr. Kumar for this post, otherwise I might never have heard it.
I don't care about a few mistakes I want to know if you can take it at tempo?
This an amazing piece by the excellent pianist, (I assume it is Paul) Lewis. Over the years I've seen it eat up even very good pianists in concert --there are just so many notes in this thing!! Evidently even Schubert himself had trouble performing it. Lewis has both the sensitivity, confidence, technique and bravado to pull it off. Thanks for the posting with the score.
Similar to the Poetry and works of Edgar Allen Poe, every moment of this piece builds to one inescapable moment, one climax which encompasses all that has passed in this piece and resolves it. and This piece doesn't do that once, but twice. at 18:38, and again at 20:03
Thanks a lot for this, it rediscovered me this piece after I'd listened other versions that I found boring. This one is brilliant and really struck a nerve on me.
Thanks so much for including the score. This piece reminds me how amazing an instrument is the piano! The explosive percussion here is phenomenal. And the power and unity of the piece as a whole is cosmic (literally).
Amazing performance. If you jump from the very end right to the beginning, you will be surprised how those tempos correspond each other. An amazing balance of fiery passion and calculation.
This is probably the most unique interpreration of this piece
I always enjoy the little write-ups you do, Ashish. You seem very knowledgeable, and well-versed in different performers' versions of a wide array of different composers and their works. I am happy to be a subscriber to your channel, and I hope you'll be continuing this for some time to come!
Glad to hear that!
Fully agree with hanspellegrims' comments. This is a beautiful, well-known Schubert Fantasy but the details of this youtube presentation: very well written description, and showing the sheet music dynamically following the music make it a VERY special experience. This is my first experience with your postings, Ashish, but you won me over and I am going to subscribe to your channel right now. THANKS for your contributions!
Add me to the list of people who really, really appreciate the work you put into this Ashish. Thank you!
Please add my name as well. Ashish, your efforts and knowledge make listening so much richer for us. We very much appreciate your knowledge, your taste and your care. Thank you so much.
I agree with this as well! Fantastic write-up! Coming from a classical music performance background and being well-versed in music theory, getting such commentary on youtube is a rare gem! Thank you Ashish!
My absolute favorite interpretation of the piece, by miles. Absolutely awe-inspiring and beautiful.
I would love to listen to more pieces like these. So beautifully energetic, even during the calm parts.
Schumann's fantasia in c major op.17 is quite of this type (though that's quite a late answer to a comment)
Ads are disrespectful. TH-cam, why would you put ads in the middle. Its an act of disrespecting performers, composers, and audience. I am so offended.
1. The skip icon.
2. Have a copy.
😁
Boo hoo 😭
Wow. This is not a live performance for you to cry about. You can download adblockers on playstore so you won't see ads here.
I think that Paul Lewis has more right to be offended by your refusal to pay to hear this. He has dedicated his life to reaching this standard and you expect to get all that for free. Pay to block ads, or, better still, buy some recordings!
odd coincidence: the theme of the fugue - 4th movement - is very similar to that wonderful finale of Mozart's sonata 17 (those remarkably satisfying leaps!)
My favourite performance always used to be Brendel’s late 1980’s recordings. However, the pupil has become the master and his goosebumps interpretation of the 4th movement is pure ecstasy. Taking advantage of the lowest bass c major octave in the 2nd development, 18:37 , in the 4th movement, is what I think Schubert would consider most appropriate for his epic piano work. This piece never fails to delight and provides something for every mood. Thanks for posting. Still don’t understand how you do it considering copyright, but so grateful.
Schubert shows the amazing breadth and depth of the piano...
16:30 oh my goodness
One of my favourite passages of music ever
So dramatic, all those modulations. G major, G# diminished, A minor, A# diminished, B minor, B# diminished, C# minor, A major, D minor, Eb diminished, Eb minor, Eb/D# diminished, D major, F# minor, A major 7, D minor, G major 7, C major, A minor, D major 7, G major, Ab major 7, ... G major ... C major! One critic at the time of publication (Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung, 30 April 1823) said Schubert went too far with certain chord progressions. I guess he was ahead of his time.
Thanks for the upload, this is one of my favourite pieces of all time. Very nice performance too.
Fabulous reading of a horrendously demanding work....
fantastic composition!
3:33 is my favorite part
The way Schubert treats tonal relations is kind of like how a master architect designs the layout for a grand palace - it's a journey in itself, it's got a little bit of something for everyone
And if that's not the mark of a true master I don't know what is.
8.36 A wonderful main melody that is restored several times in color throughout the work!
I love the gradual musical gradations...
That translates again into a sweet melody.
This music is like sea level... Nice.
Ashish Xiangyi Kumar, parabéns pelo seu maravilhoso trabalho. Ele vai além do tradicional, da simples postagem. Temos os comentários técnicos das obras, o que faz justiça à grandeza da obra. Essa leitura enriquece a apreciação das apresentações, temos o alcance artístico do que ela representa. O visual das partituras está magnífico. Fica à altura da alta cultura musical, além de que temos o luxo da sincronização, acompanhar passo a passo a apresentação das obras. Por último, mais importante, temos uma ótima seleção das peças musicais e com os seus virtuosos intérpretes. Estávamos precisando desse trabalho como o seu: beleza, técnica, arte.
Thanks for this upload and your (as always) excellent notes, Ashish. Just to add that Lewis plays D naturals on beats 3 and 4 of the bar leading into the Presto, which are not shown in this edition (or Peters) but are in the Urtext edition. This creates an E7 chord that can then be heard enharmonically as a German 6th built on the flat 6 of Ab Major (F flat), hence smoothing the lead-in to the Ab Major Presto.
3:16 i dont know why this melody makes me cry
I think because in that moment you feel something sad in your life or other things
Epic performance! Bravo Lewis!
Movement 1 sounds like the first half of a piece...
and Movement 2 sounds like the second half of the exact same piece!
Same with movements 3 and 4! Only this time, they caught me by surprise.
3:59 - 4:21 is some of the most adventurous (and brilliant) harmony that I've heard from Schubert...
Wonderfully colorful, operatic and captivating rendering. Thanks a lot for posting.
Very impressive! Never new Schubert wrote such technically demanding music!
His piano accompaniment for Erlkönig is something else
Excellent performance. Nice piano sound.
This is such an epic piece! I absolutely love this interpretation too! Thanks for sharing 😊
Unique and immensely surprising Schubert"s Wanderer performance by Lewis. In dynamics and rhythmical on forte a reminding of some time related rare recordings from great composers by themselves. Incidentally also nearby Geoffrey Tozer"s exposure in Medtners Sonata Tragica , recently as rediscovery on display.
Very difficult piece
I'm very happy to hear that Lewis is able to perform Schubert as good as Brendel does...he's truly its heir.
I guess Paul Lewis. ???
Lewis's father worked at the Liverpool Docks and his mother was a local council worker; there were no musicians in his family background.[1] Lewis began by playing the cello, the only instrument for which his school could offer him tuition. At the age of 14 he was accepted by Chetham's School of Music in Manchester, where his piano studies blossomed.
Honestly saying This Is THE MOST EXTREME PIANO PIECE I'VE EVER HEARD !!
Shanu Bag the most extreme in terms of colossal beauty and structure. Schubert’s ability for so many musical elements here is outstanding and is definitely one of the best pieces ever written to paper.
Yes it's up there with liszt's sonata in b minor and alkan's quasi faust sonata.
Take a look here, though: m.th-cam.com/video/k0aLw7pdqdo/w-d-xo.html
I wish 9:56-10:24 could've been longer. ): It's one of my all-time favorite moments of music.
so agree
I wish the entire second "movement" was longer..one of my absolute favorites.
I sometimes want to kill myself so much
sounds like a similar part in hammerklavier 3rd mvmt
@@authenticmusic4815 Hey, are you okay?
FAVORITE PIANO COMPOSITION EVER!!!!!!
The best version ever to be found.
1 раздел ГП - 0:00
1 раздел ПП - 1:22
1 раздел НТ в разр. - 3:16
2 раздел ОТ - 5:42
3 раздел 1Т - 12:14
3 раздел 2Т - 13:12 (?)
4 раздел - 16:58
Even the pedal percussion sounds great!!
Man, I love this masterpiece.
2nd 5:43
3rd 12:14
4th 16:59
Notevole!!! Fantastica anche l 'esecuzione
So glad yt showed this in my recommendations, beautiful piece
There´s a storyteller! The Wandrerer played by Aeshbacher was the best tale in my early childhood years.
Wow, just... I mean... WOW!
Simply astonishing! Lewis studied with Alfred Brendel for 9 years, so perhaps Lewis's performance shows the latter's influence. But that does not explain this performance's...words fail me!
Wonderful piece.
what a great transition among the movements!!
No wonder Liszt loved this piece so much. It’s probably the most Liszt-like piece before Liszt.
most energetic, imaginative and amazing piece to listen and play for piano
It is extraordinary piano masterpiece!!!!!!) I love It! It's listening is great pleasure! Especially unreal beautiful theme, I mean, from 7:55 at mov. 2, and till 8:32! But all this Fantasy fragments are also very magnificent!
9:00 :____((((( and then at 9:28 there's a ray of light and hope :-)))))))
The father of Liszt's sonata
That would be Alkan's "Quasi Faust" sonata.
😂
Got em
@@nico-de-napoli same in French
Actually, List wrote a concerto arrangement for this Fantasy.
Liszt did a pretty neat solo piano arrangement of this peice with some edits and additions, including a complete rearrangement of the final movement (S.565a). It's worth checking out!
This piano piece sounds so huge ❤
Honestly I like that 4th movement the most.
One of the greatest of all time.
Fantástico! 👏👏👏👏
Amazing and exhausting!
You should listen Lewis recording of all Beethoven sonatas. I just can't stop listening to them. Breathtaking.
me too
Superb pianist. I will try to find the complete sonatas. Probably try on Amazon first.
Mari Christian they are in Spotify
@@KegPatcha Thanks for letting me know.
This performance is fantastic except I cannot fathom why the pianist decided to use pedal on the last three chords when he did not on the previous exclamations. Is there a marking in the score I'm missing? Since Schubert was such a thorough admirer of Italian opera, I would imagine he would want the last three chords to be separated to imitate the end of an operatic scene with three epic detached orchestral blows. The pedal takes away from the finality of such a glorious ending to me.
Beautiful ! Thank you very much !
What a gem...Schubert was a "little" genius
The Lewis's version of this Masterpiece is the one I like the most. Very powerful. Simply astonishing!!
this has to be the best version
17:55 sounds almost like Liszt
18:40 bro what
Bass drop.
Thank you for sharing this music
in awe.
Ashish, you are a true musicologist. This piece looks so easy but is SOOOO hard.
Dave Steel it doesn’t even look that easy to me. One piece I never listened to, and seen the sheet music for and mistakenly thought it looked easy was chopins etude op.10 no.1
@@gwynbleiddroach2589 I feel your pain.
David Steel, I understand your mental stress. The actual chords and runs are very straightforward and easy on the mind, but combining those chords and runs together takes this piece to a whole different level.
Who said this looked easy?
@@andrewmarr8650 and David, try Ricercata 7 from Ligeti
th-cam.com/video/BmuK8Wtux6Q/w-d-xo.html
Yeesh. One definitely need to brush up on arpeggio technique to play this beast.
And octaves. 4:45
Not just any arpeggios, but the most awkward arpeggios imaginable lol. It would be so much easier if Schubert used textbook arpeggios instead xD
I really like the progression from 18:08 onwards
Who doesn't 😁
It always reminds me of some German church or Christmas song, but I can't think which
18:33 one of the most thrilling moments in piano music