Für Elise: the honky-tonk version

Für Elise: the honky-tonk version

Why Beethoven

norman lebrecht

February 26, 2023

This is Chopin Competition winner Bruce Liu cutting loose.

It’s one helluvan encore.

This version’s a bit straighter.

Comments

  • Samach says:

    Is it honky-tonk though?

    Gotta do what you gotta do to stand out, but there’s plenty of fingerbusting tuneful encore pieces in the repertoire.

  • Margaret Koscielny says:

    The next thing, everyone will be comparing him to Yuga Wang…without the miniskirt….
    Improvisation, 21st Century style. Liszt might be rolling over in his grave with envy.
    Beethoven, maybe, twitching the bones of his feet in uncontrolable “rage over a lost melody…”

  • Barbara Rosen says:

    Oh come on… it was fun. Anything wrong with that? Whatever you think of his playing, he has done plenty of serious work on the traditional repertory.

  • RPMS says:

    For another bit of fun starting with Beethoven (of sorts): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTkJK_adPwo

  • Sabeth says:

    He is unique.

  • James Minch says:

    Why would anyone play this still-born abomination?

    How to lose credibility in 4 minutes 16 seconds (if anyone can stand it for that long).

  • Michael Paré says:

    It’s not Honky-Tonk. The first is stride-piano style, as it might have been played by Fats Walle, James P. Johnson or others of that school. The second version is much like George Gershwin might have imagined it.

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