I'm glad to see these pieces getting a new audience. The revival of Scott joplin's music in the 1970's brought a number of great American composers to light--including the modern ones like Bolcom. BRAVO!!!!!
I loved the way my piano teacher played Graceful Ghost (he was a friend of Bolcom’s.) He didn’t swing it - and although I’m ok with the swing interpretation, I prefer it straight. It was one of the gentlest, most touching performances I’ve ever heard.
I would say that it is more graceful without swinging... :) I would also prefer a bit slower. And in this version, the central part ("grazioso") I would prefer it more straight, that part of the piece is very beautiful, but it lacks a more rect measure in my opinion
It's a new song, but I love it. When I listen to it when something bad happens and I feel depressed, the ghost dispels the depression sitting on my shoulder and makes me laugh while playing pranks. Looking at the score, I would like to play it someday. Thank you for the great video.
I love the chord progression in the first one! Sounds like Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings. The piece also reminds me of the second theme of Kapustin's Piano Sonata No. 6 1st movement or Pokemon Black and White Route 10 (I don't believe anyone knows these pieces :D
@@tarikeld11 The 4th generation is my all times favorite ! HeartGold was the first Pokemon I ever played, and wow, I can still remember the fun years it was
@@SeigneurReefShark I came a bit late in playing Pokemon games.. The first I played has been Platinum with DS. Ages ago, great memories, for sure.. More recently I played some of the newer games, a few years ago with the 3DS of my brother. They are not on same level, by far. And that awful 3D graphics. Eh.. :/
I love these pieces, but I never thought anyone would make a video of them in this format on TH-cam. Looks like I was wrong. Great video! (Edit: If you could make a video of the Garden of Eden Suite-the 2 piano version-it would be amazing.)
The Poltergeist is so underrated in the shadow of Graceful Ghost (don't get me wrong, I love Graceful Ghost too). The little bits of chromaticism in the melody, the harmonic departures from the home key, the goofy sound effects, all give it such a playful haunted-mansion vibe.
Cazal's is the best version of the Poltergeist I've heard. Your own mileage may differ, as Madison Avenue says. Certainly it's not the only way to play it.
My personal favorite version of "Poltergeist" is still the super excellent MIDI file made by the late John Roache (d. 1998) on his website. Mr. Roache took time and care and pains to not only shape the phrasing of the files he created, but also to adjust the dynamics on EACH INDIVIDUAL NOTE, so though not actually hand-played, his MIDIs sound handplayed by a superb virtuoso. In my opinion, that might be what's needed for pieces of this level of difficulty. Not that a fine pianist can't pull it off... but sometimes there are a lot of moving parts. That was the first place I heard it and I got a bit spoilt hearing the software play the MIDI back perfectly 😁 It's given me a rather unfair bar to set both my own and other folks' performances, in terms of accuracy and control.
@@andrewbarrett1537 I'm sure the midi is mighty impressive, but I cannot believe that William Bolcom, a superb pianist himself, wrote his piece intending it for anything but a flesh-and-blood pianist. The moving parts are exactly what endow a "hand-played" performance with its indefinable but unique character as artistic interpretation. The works of Conlon Nancarrow for player piano are uniquely suited to that idiom, and cannot be hand-played (although some have made instrumental arrangements of some of Nancarrow's pianola pieces). That's different. I for one find most of the myriad midi realizations of keyboard compositions on TH-cam vacuous, although I grant there are occasional exceptions. I always prefer a scratchy old 78 of a pianist from 100 years ago to any Duo-Art, Ampico, or Welte-Mignon piano roll by the same pianist, no matter how faithfully reproduced.
It sounds far too fast for my liking It's around 25 BPM faster than the composer indicated. I'm not one to be a stickler with what the composer wrote exactly (especially for ragtime), but it really does sound like it should be played closer to that speed
My ears may well deceive me, but in three rags the piano sounds a half-tone higher than the notes written in the score. Is this so or do my ears truly deceive me?
Love these as compositions, but the performance employs tooooooo much swing with the 8th-note delay. Joplin, the gran-font, if not the grandfather, of the off-beat bridge between classical salon pieces and early jazz, was a very form-conscious artist, his trademark syncopation notwithstanding.
The Poltergeist has to be one of the cutest piano pieces I've ever heard.
You can imagine a ragtime revival in the late-1960’s without William Bolcom, but it sure wouldn’t have been this amazing.
I'm glad to see these pieces getting a new audience. The revival of Scott joplin's music in the 1970's brought a number of great American composers to light--including the modern ones like Bolcom. BRAVO!!!!!
I loved the way my piano teacher played Graceful Ghost (he was a friend of Bolcom’s.) He didn’t swing it - and although I’m ok with the swing interpretation, I prefer it straight.
It was one of the gentlest, most touching performances I’ve ever heard.
Agree--the swing is definitely overdone.
Mark andre hamelin doesnt swing it either
I would say that it is more graceful without swinging... :) I would also prefer a bit slower. And in this version, the central part ("grazioso") I would prefer it more straight, that part of the piece is very beautiful, but it lacks a more rect measure in my opinion
Beautiful music 🎹🎶👏
Thanks for sharing
thanks for bringing this back up :D
Omg thank you so much for this!! I absolutely love bolcoms rags.
It's a new song, but I love it. When I listen to it when something bad happens and I feel depressed, the ghost dispels the depression sitting on my shoulder and makes me laugh while playing pranks. Looking at the score, I would like to play it someday. Thank you for the great video.
Why did you perceive a ghost but won't be scare?
I love the chord progression in the first one! Sounds like Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings. The piece also reminds me of the second theme of Kapustin's Piano Sonata No. 6 1st movement or Pokemon Black and White Route 10 (I don't believe anyone knows these pieces :D
Oh god this pokemon reference brought me back memories ! What a great game it was
@@SeigneurReefShark Oh yes, Gen 4 and 5 were just unique!
@@tarikeld11 The 4th generation is my all times favorite ! HeartGold was the first Pokemon I ever played, and wow, I can still remember the fun years it was
@@SeigneurReefShark mine too, I had Soul Silver! The music was one of the best things in the games!
@@SeigneurReefShark I came a bit late in playing Pokemon games.. The first I played has been Platinum with DS. Ages ago, great memories, for sure..
More recently I played some of the newer games, a few years ago with the 3DS of my brother. They are not on same level, by far. And that awful 3D graphics. Eh.. :/
Beautiful rags, and nice of you to put different pianists for each one.
Also 2k subscribers :O
Unfortunately I did not have time to make the special video I wanted for the occasion... I hope I will publish it someday anyway
I love these pieces, but I never thought anyone would make a video of them in this format on TH-cam. Looks like I was wrong. Great video! (Edit: If you could make a video of the Garden of Eden Suite-the 2 piano version-it would be amazing.)
The Poltergeist is so underrated in the shadow of Graceful Ghost (don't get me wrong, I love Graceful Ghost too). The little bits of chromaticism in the melody, the harmonic departures from the home key, the goofy sound effects, all give it such a playful haunted-mansion vibe.
Thanks for the upload! After my exams ease up a bit I think I might tackle Dream Shadows, I like it a lot and the harmonies are so sweet...
Yes I played it at my school
THESE ARE BANGERS WHATTT
Olivier Cazal is on fire!
Thank you!!!
this is so fire
5:30 "Insouciantly (same tempo)"
Cazal's is the best version of the Poltergeist I've heard. Your own mileage may differ, as Madison Avenue says. Certainly it's not the only way to play it.
My personal favorite version of "Poltergeist" is still the super excellent MIDI file made by the late John Roache (d. 1998) on his website. Mr. Roache took time and care and pains to not only shape the phrasing of the files he created, but also to adjust the dynamics on EACH INDIVIDUAL NOTE, so though not actually hand-played, his MIDIs sound handplayed by a superb virtuoso. In my opinion, that might be what's needed for pieces of this level of difficulty. Not that a fine pianist can't pull it off... but sometimes there are a lot of moving parts. That was the first place I heard it and I got a bit spoilt hearing the software play the MIDI back perfectly 😁 It's given me a rather unfair bar to set both my own and other folks' performances, in terms of accuracy and control.
@@andrewbarrett1537 I'm sure the midi is mighty impressive, but I cannot believe that William Bolcom, a superb pianist himself, wrote his piece intending it for anything but a flesh-and-blood pianist. The moving parts are exactly what endow a "hand-played" performance with its indefinable but unique character as artistic interpretation. The works of Conlon Nancarrow for player piano are uniquely suited to that idiom, and cannot be hand-played (although some have made instrumental arrangements of some of Nancarrow's pianola pieces). That's different. I for one find most of the myriad midi realizations of keyboard compositions on TH-cam vacuous, although I grant there are occasional exceptions. I always prefer a scratchy old 78 of a pianist from 100 years ago to any Duo-Art, Ampico, or Welte-Mignon piano roll by the same pianist, no matter how faithfully reproduced.
It sounds far too fast for my liking
It's around 25 BPM faster than the composer indicated. I'm not one to be a stickler with what the composer wrote exactly (especially for ragtime), but it really does sound like it should be played closer to that speed
My favourite version, hands down.
Could anyone please help me with the pedaling?
Use your foot
@therealtruetwelfth798 Pianista no se si eres, pero gracioso definitivamente no.
@@Verdeazulgris Soy ambos
@@therealtruetwelfth798 Pues ya me hago idea de cómo tocas el piano🤭🤣
Ningún buen pianista hubiera hecho esa broma absurda.
Based!
Based although I do love myers graceful ghost
I do too ! But I loved the way Jacobs played it with swing.
Me as well
Le gabin ig story moment lmao
◑ 🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊 ◐
My ears may well deceive me, but in three rags the piano sounds a half-tone higher than the notes written in the score. Is this so or do my ears truly deceive me?
nah you're probably right ... the piano seems a little sharp here
“Not fast”? Lol
Love these as compositions, but the performance employs tooooooo much swing with the 8th-note delay. Joplin, the gran-font, if not the grandfather, of the off-beat bridge between classical salon pieces and early jazz, was a very form-conscious artist, his trademark syncopation notwithstanding.
🎼🎹❤️👍