Thoughts on this guy?

[wotgoplunk]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=2xFPLWNyu9k

This really astounds me...I personally feel it wasn't an overly excellent performance, lots of rhythm errors when you look at the score, and a great deal of tempo fluctuation it seems.

Yet pretty much every single comment is "youre awsome man", or "omg this is genius".

So what are your thoughts on him, and do you think non-musicians should refrain from posting comments, on music they cannot understand.

(e.g. look at the score and check out the mistakes...)

[thalberg]

This is the way of the world.  It makes me so glad I'm not a musician anymore. 

[ilikepie]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=2xFPLWNyu9k

This really astounds me...I personally feel it wasn't an overly excellent performance, lots of rhythm errors when you look at the score, and a great deal of tempo fluctuation it seems.

Yet pretty much every single comment is "youre awsome man", or "omg this is genius".

So what are your thoughts on him, and do you think non-musicians should refrain from posting comments, on music they cannot understand.

(e.g. look at the score and check out the mistakes...)

I think you're being too judgmental. I think everyone has a right to comment. Think about it, you're actually being an ass(in their point of view). For example, someone does something relatively amazing, like in this case, play the piano; to most people who don't know anything about the piano, it would look amazing. Saying things like "Oigh, so many superficial comments...could non-musicians refrain from commenting on music?" would make you come across as arrogant even if you are right.
If everyone only commented(or expressed interest) on something they have a high proficiency in, nothing would ever gain popularity.
It's always you against the world I guess...

[wotgoplunk]

I think you're being too judgmental. I think everyone has a right to comment. Think about it, you're actually being an ass(in their point of view). For example, someone does something relatively amazing, like in this case, play the piano; to most people who don't know anything about the piano, it would look amazing. Saying things like "Oigh, so many superficial comments...could non-musicians refrain from commenting on music?" would make you come across as arrogant even if you are right.
If everyone only commented(or expressed interest) on something they have a high proficiency in, nothing would ever gain popularity.
It's always you against the world I guess...

Likely very true, I wasn't really thinking that through much at the time, I posted before remembering I wouldn't be able to remove it

I probably do come off as arrogant, but that's fine by me. I think it should be said though, in the hope someone objectively takes a look at it, and compares it to others.

So it still stands to a degree...you have a kid, who granted, is good. But it's the people who go and say "i want to marry you" or something else ridiculous along those lines.

See, would anyone ever say that for a professional? Likely not.

So why is this guy getting so much popularity, from people who likely don't know what they're listening to?

[thalberg]

Wotgoplunk, you need to take advantage of this phenomenon.  You see, when you play Waldstein the average person stares into space and says nothing, thinking about their next burger.

But when you play a movie theme--you are a genius!!!  So take 15 minutes and learn some movie themes, then play for some average people, and enjoy the attention!

[ilikepie]

Wotgoplunk, you need to take advantage of this phenomenon.  You see, when you play Waldstein the average person stares into space and says nothing, thinking about their next burger.

But when you play a movie theme--you are a genius!!!  So take 15 minutes and learn some movie themes, then play for some average people, and enjoy the attention!

Words of pure gold.
Taking advantage of the ignorant is pretty much how this world works too.

[indutrial]

Wotgoplunk, you need to take advantage of this phenomenon.  You see, when you play Waldstein the average person stares into space and says nothing, thinking about their next burger.

The average person never even hears the Waldstein these days. And I resent your comment, because sometimes a well-prepared hamburger is indeed more "interesting" (and sometimes more inspired) than another boring Beethoven performance.

To the original poster, why the bloody hell do you really care about this. I could understand your ire if this performance was packaged and sold as one of the next Naxos 'American Classics' or something but it's JUST A FRIGGING YOUTUBE VIDEO played by a kid. Pick battles that are worth fighting.

[pianogeek_cz]

Wotgoplunk, you need to take advantage of this phenomenon.  You see, when you play Waldstein the average person stares into space and says nothing, thinking about their next burger.

But when you play a movie theme--you are a genius!!!  So take 15 minutes and learn some movie themes, then play for some average people, and enjoy the attention!

Yeah, get their attention with a movie theme... and once they think you're a genius, revert to Waldstein, and they might actually listen. And they might even come next time, tense from waiting for the movie theme, which you put off until the encore.

[counterpoint]

Youtube is not a concert hall. We can't expect, that everyone is a passionate fan of classical music. On youtube we can see everything and many things are *interesting* if you have the right look on it. On the other side, many comments on youtube are just stupid. So for some people, this piano performance of "Pirates of the Caribbean" is pure genious, and for other people, Horowitz is the worst pianist of the world. So what.

[term]

So for some people, this piano performance of "Pirates of the Caribbean" is pure genious, and for other people, Horowitz is the worst pianist of the world. So what.

true.
It's always like that.

@comments: It's the same with all these für elise videos, people are like "omg great", " fantastic" etc and what you hear is crap². And then you see a fantastic cziffra performance and besides the fans, people say "boring", "mistake at 2:04", or those eloquent guys who need 10 lines to explain why they think it's pretty good, but not very good....uargh...

[wotgoplunk]

To the original poster, why the bloody hell do you really care about this. I could understand your ire if this performance was packaged and sold as one of the next Naxos 'American Classics' or something but it's JUST A FRIGGING YOUTUBE VIDEO played by a kid. Pick battles that are worth fighting.

It doesn't annoy you that people are making so many "omg i love you" comments, on a performance that in comparison to others doesn't merit it?

I mean, I'm no great pianist myself, but I know enough to tell that this much praise shouldn't be heaped on him.

[wotgoplunk]

I think I shall have to learn some movie themes.