Two different versions of Clair de Lune
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I probably don't need to say that I don't like Rousseau's version. It's disjointed and played like a pop song.
played like a pop song
Oooh, that's interesting! Maybe that's part of why it falls flat for me... I wouldn't have thought to describe it that way, but once you said it, it rings true.
There's nothing wrong with pop music, to be sure (and there's a lot of pop music that I like). But Debussy is not pop music, so that approach doesn't work here. IMO.
I have actually always thought that I Giorni, by the post-classical pianist Ludovico Einaudi, has very strong "pop music sensibilities" ... so to play this piece like a pop song would be fine. IMO of course.
back to Clair de Lune... Listening to it, I also wondered if Borge's style of playing is not currently "in vogue" in the classical piano world, but I don't know because I don't really know what's "in vogue" (like, I don't know, how would Lang Lang or Yuja Wang play CdL?)
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I don't like CdeL usually, but Børge was a child prodigy, and there's eighty years of musicianship being expressed on a rather nice Bosendorfer.
Almost in tears watching the old man show how it ought to be played. I am going to have to learn it.Ventosa viri restabit
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played like a pop song
Oooh, that's interesting! Maybe that's part of why it falls flat for me... I wouldn't have thought to describe it that way, but once you said it, it rings true.
There's nothing wrong with pop music, to be sure (and there's a lot of pop music that I like). But Debussy is not pop music, so that approach doesn't work here. IMO.
I have actually always thought that I Giorni, by the post-classical pianist Ludovico Einaudi, has very strong "pop music sensibilities" ... so to play this piece like a pop song would be fine. IMO of course.
back to Clair de Lune... Listening to it, I also wondered if Borge's style of playing is not currently "in vogue" in the classical piano world, but I don't know because I don't really know what's "in vogue" (like, I don't know, how would Lang Lang or Yuja Wang play CdL?)
back to Clair de Lune... Listening to it, I also wondered if Borge's style of playing is not currently "in vogue" in the classical piano world, but I don't know because I don't really know what's "in vogue" (like, I don't know, how would Lang Lang or Yuja Wang play CdL?)
I have to admit, Borge's version is not my favorite either, but like you say, it's probably a style that was more popular in the past, or of a certain school. It seems to treat the piano more as an orchestra mimic than as it's own rightful instrument, which leads to music that does not sound as "pianistic", but... more orchestral, imo. Could be totally wrong about this.
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I don't like CdeL usually, but Børge was a child prodigy, and there's eighty years of musicianship being expressed on a rather nice Bosendorfer.
Almost in tears watching the old man show how it ought to be played. I am going to have to learn it.Almost in tears watching the old man show how it ought to be played. I am going to have to learn it.
this was basically my response! I have known this piece since forever, and sort of generally liked it.
But hearing Victor Borge's version, I immediately wanted to learn it and play it myself. (My teacher tells me it's within my level, so I may start working on it when the fall semetser starts...)
@bernard you may be right about the "orchestral" style.
So, do you have a favorite version of CdL?
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Hang on a mo!
Just downloaded the score, 6 pages, and checked.
It's grade 8 UK
Level 9 US.Chopin's Wiosna that I just learnt by heart in a couple of months is grade 6 UK, level 7 US, and 3 pages.
CdeL is going to take some dedication.
@AndyD RCM puts it at grade 10 (according to a quick and dirty internet search).
Yep, it won't be easy!
I am going to purchase it from the Henle app so I can reduce the number of staves on the page, but (again) an internet search says that it's about 72 measures. No super long, but the complexity is there...
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Almost in tears watching the old man show how it ought to be played. I am going to have to learn it.
this was basically my response! I have known this piece since forever, and sort of generally liked it.
But hearing Victor Borge's version, I immediately wanted to learn it and play it myself. (My teacher tells me it's within my level, so I may start working on it when the fall semetser starts...)
@bernard you may be right about the "orchestral" style.
So, do you have a favorite version of CdL?
So, do you have a favorite version of CdL?
I like both of these versions. I feel that a lot of performances, including from world class pianists, are self-indulgent, sometimes to the point of distortion.
Debussy playing his own music is from a music roll and there is probably a bit of nuance lost, but I still think it's an incredible performance.
Link to video Link to video -
The alleged piano roll recording labeled as being performed by Claude Debussy is not a piano roll recording of Debussy. There are a couple of versions out there pretending to be his performance but are just click bait.
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