The Great Myra Hess
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- čas přidán 9. 02. 2013
- Myra Hess (1890-1965) plays her very famous arrangement of Bach's Chorale "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring".
Her favourite anecdote relating to "Jesu, Joy" concerned a British soldier who whistled it on a train during the war.
"Are you interested in Bach?", the soldier was asked by a journalist.
"No", he answered.
"But you are whistling a Bach composition", the newsman insisted.
"That's no Bach", he replied indignantly. "That's Myra Hess."
(From Marian McKenna's "Myra Hess -- A Portrait") - Hudba
I saw her play this as an encore in Ware drill hall, hertfordshire in 1945. Never forgotten
you were live audience back then??
@@philipchief4406 Indeed yes, I was pretty young but at 8 yrs I already loved music
@@peterwilson6891 wow! that must be quite an experience after so many years fly by!
Wow
What a memorable experience it must've been!
This was the first piece of classical music I heard that stuck as a child. I think a bastardised version was stuck into a toddler's toy. It took me a long, long, long time to finally come across it again after I lost/broke that toy, and the moment of hearing it again as a teenager in its full glory was a moment of such transcendent joy and nostalgia that I wept.
@superIby. It is a prayer without words.
It always has been a "go to" piece for me. Observe how her hands gently FLOW across the keys!
She LOVES the song AND the piano❤
She, the piano, and the song are one as she performs. Look at her face as she plays
Fascinating, at least to me.☺
That is beautiful
Such a sweet account. Thank you.
Thanks for sharing this beautiful story
How beautiful.
It is the beautiful fluidity and sensitivity that Dame Myra Hess brought to this piece that I love so much. She was a national treasure before folks used to use that term a lot. The concert series she started brought comfort to so many people during WW2 and the best quality programmation. Eventually she was able to pay the performers 5 guineas for a concert , but she never took money for her own recitals in that series at the National Gallery. A generous woman , fine pianist dedicated to her music , fellow musicians and public. Singers remember her with particular affection because when the great Kathleen Ferrier was struggling with her tragic illness Dame Myra presented her with one of her own pianos to use for as long as she wished and payed for it to be moved. Ferrier's piano had been damaged in some way, but Myra couldn't bear to think of Kathleen not being able to practise or play for her pleasure - Ferrier was a fine pianist herself.
One of the most exquisite performances ever. I was privileged to study with a great artist
who followed in her footsteps, my beloved college piano professor, Thomas Schumacher. He always used to play this beautiful arrangement as an encore after every one of his performances.
To play this like her, she must have had profound thoughts in the bottom of her heart.
My favorite since 1954. The 78-revs. record of this piece is still in my possession. Emotional and stimulating.
This was almost her signature tune in a sense. No one else could play this like Dame Myra.
Eight year old comment but the pianist Alon Goldstein also captures its beauty perfectly. I believe it’s the most faithful rendition to Myra’s we have.
Or can, today.
"There can be only one." This is it. A treasure.
Many thanks, Erwin.☺
What a treasure. Thank you.
She makes my heart so happy. Her playing is exquisite. I just finished her biography and even though I knew she had died I found myself weeping because of the depth of her suffering after giving so much to so many for so long. She has re-kindled my desire to play the piano as well as I possibly can.
Which biography?
Magnificent as always. I remember seeing Myra Hess perform at the City Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne when I was only 15 yrs. old. She played the longest encore I have ever heard. A wonderful lady indeed.
David McDougall Wow! What was the encore? You were fortunate indeed!
Wunderbar ....
As I understand it Myra heard the choral choir &backing returned home and arranged it for piano from memory. I am so very glad that we have this recording surely the antidote to the crass empty boasts that "reality" tv claim :Britain has talent. It has but you won't find it in these aptly named "shows".God bless the "old biddy" God appears in the strangest disguises"
It is written: Psalm 92: 1 "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: 2 To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night, 3 Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound."
A Great Master of the pianissimo....
Music to calm the soul, played so beautifully.
Indeed, it is written: Psalm 92: 1 "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: 2 To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night, 3 Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound."
Thank you for uploading this onto CZcams. I keep listening to her wonderful playing of her own arrangement, and I say to myself, "Why can't I play this like Dame Hess?" She endeared herself to British people by playing for groups during the bombings of WWII. Queen Elizabeth I would often be present.
GORGEOUS!
What a soulful piano playing! - Myra Hess, I adore her! :-)
Beautiful piece of music.
She is the genuine great woman.
The spiritual calm emanating from Dame Myra is truly wonderful! The performance is like a prayer in sound. I've only seen two performances from MH on video which, happily for us, represent two contrasting sides of her artistry. The 'Apassionata' reveals a fiery temperament, not usually heard in her studio recordings. Here she is all serenity and also exemplifies the beautiful tonal qualities which would no doubt have pleased 'Uncle Tobs'!
paulprocopolis Is your reference to Matthay Tobias? Did she study with him?
@@messrtwinky yes, she did.
@@blakeray9856 Thank you!
It is written: Psalm 92: 1 "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: 2 To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night, 3 Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound."
True artist for sure!
Wonderful! Thank you for posting!
앙드레 루
Wish there were more videos of Myra Hess but grateful for this one.
When I heard Myra Hess perform this famous encore of hers, it was glorious. However, on the same recital she played a Brahms Intermezzo which impressed me even more - the short C major one which, although containing humor, came across with Keats-like elegant vivaciousness. It appeared, floating on its own brought-to-life joy, quickly won our hearts, then departed a la 'Ode to a Nightingale'.
palmerplantagenet You've inspired me to read Keats! Thanks!
Many thanks, Pianopera! This is a real treasure!
Beautiful we miss you
Marvelous!
She is quite amazing! Gifted by God!!!
«И сердцу стало,так,
тепло!», а душе-
возвышенно…
Спасибо!
27.01.2024.
Sensational!
Dame Myra Hess was indeed one off the Great Concert Pianist and thank God for the Gramophone so her Playing can be Preserved for everyone to hear and on Thursday November 25th will Mark the 58th Anniversary of her Death at age of 75
A hero of mine during WW2 She entertained people in the National gallery . She was popular to those who attended the concerts, and although the walls of the gallery were without paintings Myras music kept the beauty in the place .
This is a transformation of the original Bach, and transformations are what great musicians and artists make of original sources. They see something different. It is not a dirge but a wonderful song within the soul. And Bach would have approved since be transformed music to suit his musical needs--just look at the keyboard suites the original dances are transformed in myriad ways and show a diversity in the individual dance movements that in a sense uplifts the original sources into something more beautiful and incandescent. that is what Hess did with Bach --in the tradition of Bach himself. The chorale movement of the original cantata had the seeds for a transformation in Dame Myra Hess
Herman Joseph Thank you for your comment. . .well said!
You sure know you’re stuff about classical music!
OK, thanks. I'll look out for it. The video I have which contains the 'Appassionata' features a number of other pianists but only has the one contribution from MH.
No-one else played Dame Myra Hess' arrangement as sublimely as the lady herself. Lipatti's is quite beautiful also, but for me Dame Myra's interpretation will always have the edge. I've seen this video before, somewhere else on YT, or maybe in the documentary "The Art of Piano". Dame Myra famously hated to be recorded, so this is a rare and precious testament of her artistry indeed.
I love them both, I find Hess more subtle and deep ; that is not a criticism of Lipatti.
Hess performance might sound better to some people. But it is unquestionable that Lipati made it sound a lot more sublime that anyone else. Which is the ideal in such a religious piece
best piano verson in this life time so far.
A toss-up between Dame Myra and Dinu Lipatti. I think he's just that shade ahead, both well worth having and well worth preserving with the technology we now have.
God bless.
grand old lady. Dame Myra rocks!
Совершенно гениально. Практически Юдина.
I am working on this piece now! It is so hard work particularly voicing techniques.
Her arrangement of this Bach piece became a favorite encore piece for many pianists. As a result, there are numerous fine interpretations. My personal favorite is the one by Dinu Lipatti.
Fantastique musique merci🎶💕
❤
Sublime
Of interest to painters, Myra sat for a portrait by the great painter John Singer Sargent in her younger days.
Wonder where it is.
grazie
Hermoso
Isn't it strange that she produces such a gorgeous tone with her elbows above the keys?
Hess = Life
Ah, and I've just spotted a frustratingly brief extract of K453 from the National Gallery.
🙏💓🕊
So I’ve read all the comments but no one has mentioned the title of this piece play by Ms. Hess and composed by Bach. What is it’s name so I can research it? It is certainly impressive!
It's in the video description.
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring from Bach, Cantata 147, arranged for piano by Ms. Hess.
Вот так надо исполнять это произведение! Никто лучше ещё не исполнил
She made the Brahms her own, by choosing a tempo slower than customary and really bringing out little details.
Treasure
Her late Beethoven sonatas are the benchmark.
1954
My namesake.
haar versie verveelt nooit.
Not a bad performance for a random grandmother.
I hope you're joking
While this is very beautiful it needs to be pointed out that Bach wouldn't recognize it. The original is at a moderately fast tempo with a gentle lilt, not the dirge we have here. Thought I'd point that out to anyone who might be interested in Bach's view rather than Myra Hess's. Listen to the words. It's not a funeral.
This doesn't sound like a dirge at all to me. That's just your opinion man
Times change. I hope "Totally Cynical" would hear this differently in 2020.
grazie
grazie