The Pianist Movie -who has seen it?

[chopinetta]

too bad it's R-18, i don't care, i'm watching it!

[Celeste]

I saw it! It's my favorite movie ever. and the nocturne in C# minor is the most beautiful song. I am learning to play it now.

[chopinetta]

yeah! that nocturne! it sounds sooo lonely! it's supposed to be played slower than how it was played in the movie, it would sound better and lonelier when slow.

[amp]

The movie was excellent. Explains well why we do what we do.

The Nocturne in C#minor is a piece not played often, but I think (only opinion) it was is one of his most powerful Nocturnes. It is a "painful" one. And, cleary paints a picture.

Great choice to learn, Celeste. I heard it in a recital program given by a senior (senior recital) this past weekend. She played the tripet second (quoting the 2nd concerto), picking up the tempo quite a bit. Never heard it that way, and I don't know if she meant it, but it was really interesting. Have fun with it.

[frederic]

I've played that nocture. I found it very difficult to memorise. It is so beautiful. But it is not normally included in a set of Nocturnes, say, on recording or score. What a pity. They normally leave the last two out.

[chopinetta]

i have a recording of that nocturne, lucky me! and you can listen to it in https://www.danielpollack.com

enjoy!

[Chiyo]

I liked the Ballade Op.23  

[eddie92099]

I did not find this nocturne too difficult to memorize, only the end of the second page before the central section required actual thought. Even though it is easy it has always gone down well when I have played it in concert (I have recorded it if anyone is interested...)
Ed

[NetherMagic]

seen it, great movie, loved the credits with Grande Polonaise Brilliante, Janusz Olejniczak (he's the performer in the movie if you didn't know) is just excellent

[allchopin]

i dont get it- the movie barely has anything to do with pianos at all. I expected it to be, you know, about a pianist who like, dare i say PLAYS THE PIANO. Hes playing once at the beginning, once in the middle (but he didnt even play the whole ballade!!) and then the ending, they stuff the great polonaise brillante in the credits.  THis movie is so lame.  dont waste your time, just skip to the ending credits.

[eddie92099]

Just because the movie is not entirely about the piano does not make it "lame". It is a film about war and a very good one too. If you want to watch someone play the piano for two hours i suggest the video "The Art of Piano"  
Ed

[NetherMagic]

allchopin you probably got mistaken by the title "The Pianist," cut it down to the core it's just ABOUT a pianist, Wladyslaw Szpilman, but it's mainly talkin about the period of his life during WWII, and those piano playing are merely stuff to add to the flavour of the movie atmosphere
but i agree about the part where they cut off the middle section of ballad no.1, kinda pissed me off, but i admit they did a good job at it  

if you wanna watch all piano, watch the live recording of yundi li's international chopin contest, just search yundi li at amazon.com

im sorry for the continuous rantin of yundi li, but just to let you guys understand, he's my idol in the musical world  

[Irock1ce]

this was an amazing movie and i loved it... its probably one of my favorite movies of all time...

[la_carrenio2003]

For me, the most impressive part is when he's found for the german, and when the german asked "what do you do" he answered " Ich bin... ich war pianist."

[BoliverAllmon]

hey nether I saw a documentary about the film and roman polanski and adrian brody both claimed that he played the piano in the movie. they talked about how he spent every minute of free time with some professional pianist to learn the pieces quicker. I had always thought that someone else played the piano for him, but now I am confused. Where did you get your info?

BoliverAllmon

[NetherMagic]

boliverallmon i believe that adrien brody did play SOME of the pieces, like the nocturne in the beginning and like those little pieces at the café and the beginning of the ballade, but I checked the credits and also the movie soundtrack, all the pieces are performed by a famous Polish pianist named Janusz Olejniczak (6th in international Chopin competition many years ago)

Surely you don't expect some beginner to go rattling away with those crazy stuff in ballade or grande polonaise brilliante =]
If you pay notice to how they only showed the hands when he was playing the ballade, and how sometimes adrien brody's head, shoulder, and arm movements don't exactly match the piece, you'll definately figure out that it wasn't him  

[BoliverAllmon]

I always assumed that Adrien Brody played some of the pieces. I couldn't figure how they could use the camera shots they did without him playing. Brody isn't a beginner. not a conert pianist, but not a beginner. If the other pianist was in the credits then I'll take your word for it. Maybe Brody was leading on more than he really did. Has anyone seen the soundtrack to the book, the Pianist. Well soundtrack is wrong word, but the cd to it? It has a recording of spizlman (i know the spelling is way off) and his concerto I believe. Has anyone heard this? Was he a good composer as well?

BoliverAllmon

[NetherMagic]

boliver are you talking about the cd for the book or the movie?  If you're talking about the movie:
https://www.moviemusic.com/CD/pianist.html

The only piece that's actually performed by Szpilman from an old recording is the Nocturne in the beginning of the movie (it doesn't say on the website but trust me)

Never heard of his concerto.  However, I did a search on Wladyslaw Szpilman a long time ago when the movie just came out and, indeed, he did compose a number of pieces such as mazurkas and the like, but they never sifted to the western world because I believe rock or pop or whatever kind of music was becoming really popular at that time.  I guess his music is only known to the Polish, or they might not even know about it now in the current generation, dunno  

[BoliverAllmon]

I am talking about the book. It might not of been a concerto. I just remember the piece was composed by him.

BoliverAllmon

[Chad]

i dont get it- the movie barely has anything to do with pianos at all. I expected it to be, you know, about a pianist who like, dare i say PLAYS THE PIANO. Hes playing once at the beginning, once in the middle (but he didnt even play the whole ballade!!) and then the ending, they stuff the great polonaise brillante in the credits.  THis movie is so lame.  dont waste your time, just skip to the ending credits.

To me the underlying theme of the movie was that music kept him going.  I think the title of the movie was perfect.  My favorite part of the movie was when the german office caught him and made him play.

What do you think would have happened if he lied and was not able to play the piano?

[NetherMagic]

if he wasn't able to play the piano, he would've been shot, probably like that

[piglet]

It was amazing that the audience (in cinema) listened and watched quietly until the screen went completely blank.
I've never seen that happening.

[eddie92099]

if he wasn't able to play the piano, he would've been shot, probably like that

I doubt that - I have read the book too and the impression given of the German officer who saved him was that he was actually a compassionate human being rather than some Hitleresque tyrant,
Ed

[TwinkleFingers]

your right ed.  if he was a hitleresque tyrant he probably would of shot him after he performed the piece.  And not bring him food and stuff.  This movie didnt hit me like schindler's list though.  That was a spectacular movie.  I had to walk away sometimes when it got really violent.  I couldnt imagine what it was like to go through that. If you did make it through it that is.

[eddie92099]

Yes I agree - Schindler's List was much more "hard-hitting". I wonder if this was because I had read the Pianist before I saw the film so I knew exactly what was going to happen...
Ed

[NetherMagic]

mm well good point

Btw, few weeks ago when I was performing at a dinner, this lady came up to me and asked me if I have watched this movie.  I told her yes, and we kept on discussing about it until the part about Adrien Brody playing Chopin's Ballade no.1.  I've heard ppl say about how Adrien Brody practiced for just countless hours on the piano for this movie, but I'm very skeptical about if he actually played the Ballade no.1.  Nocturne is definitely played by him, no doubt about that.  And the thing I'm wondering, if Adrien Brody really did play it, why then did Roman Polanski have to keep on shifting the camera angle from the face to the hands during that scene?  If there was just one shot of both Adrien with his hands on the piano with his fingers coordinating with the progression of the Ballade, then I would believe it

Suggestions/explanations very welcome

[hal]

Hey,
I just came of seeing Janusz Olejniczak here in Buenos Aires.....what an amazing artist!!
He just sat on the piano and play chopin's nocturnes, mazurkas, waltzes and the polonaise in A op. 40.
He has a very deep, clear tone...very nice.
He also played chopin 2nd Concerto, but the original version, for piano and a quintet...never had heard this concerto like this before, anyone here who knows the differences between them?
Hal

[eddie92099]

heard ppl say about how Adrien Brody practiced for just countless hours on the piano for this movie, but I'm very skeptical about if he actually played the Ballade no.1.  Nocturne is definitely played by him, no doubt about that.  And the thing I'm wondering, if Adrien Brody really did play it, why then did Roman Polanski have to keep on shifting the camera angle from the face to the hands during that scene?  If there was just one shot of both Adrien with his hands on the piano with his fingers coordinating with the progression of the Ballade, then I would believe it

Suggestions/explanations very welcome

He didn't play it - pretty simple really,
Ed

[NetherMagic]

He didn't play it - pretty simple really,
Ed

thx very much for the reply, Ed, i just luv solid answers

[nightmarecinema]

So then, he did in fact play the Nocturne while he is in the studio, and perhaps a bit while he's at the restaurant, but that's it?

[perfect_pitch]

When I say Szpilmann (I know my spelling probably sucks) play the Ballade No. 1 for that German, it really touched me... The minute I heard that playing, I went out and learnt the piece. I think it is one of the most beautiful and heart-wrenching pieces on the planet. (Those of you who don't think so, don't have a soul.) It was like Szpilmann was trying to relight the fire in his soul. Breathtaking. A Brilliant movie and very well produced and very sad.

And YES I know that in real life, Szpilmann actually played the Nocturne in C# for the german, not the ballade.

[randmc]

Szpilman did record a piece on 'The Pianist' soundtrack. It was the last track I think; the Mazurka in A minor by Chopin-of course. I don't know what it was about this piece, but it just put me into another world.....

[jehangircama]

seen it, great movie, loved the credits with Grande Polonaise Brilliante, Janusz Olejniczak (he's the performer in the movie if you didn't know) is just excellent

seen him (Janusz Olejniczak) live, got his autograph  congrats on being able to spell his name, i never could but he is good. lovely movie.