Sylvain Blassel plays Goldberg Variations

[carl-swanson]

Someone just emailed me this youtube link and I think it’s fantastic. Take a look. He’s a wonderful clean musical player with a gorgeous technique. For anyone who wants to see what classic French technique looks like (what some people mistakenly call “Grandjany” technique) this is a perfect example. Notice in particular how his left hand is constantly muffling individual notes as he plays, mostly with the third and 4th fingers. He stays very close to the strings all the time, and he is almost always placing in sequence(meaning placing just one note ahead of the note he is playing). Videos like this can and should be used as teaching tools. Teachers ought to watch this with their students and analyze what he is doing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDl1vjJwBLc&feature=related

[kay-lister]

WOW – that was beautiful! Thanks Carl.

Kay

[mark-andersen]

Hi Carl,

What a wonderful Easter gift you’ve given us all by sharing that video. I’m sending this to the people I care about this Easter. The technique in this video is so beautiful and to think that he is playing this unedited is breathtaking. The beauty of it brought tears to my eyes.

Mark Andersen

[carl-swanson]

I thought you’d all enjoy that. Now, maybe we can get Kim to pick it as the video of the month!

[jane-jung]

I just tried the link, and it says the video is no longer available?

[jane-jung]

Oops, tried again and there it is!

[tonie-ogimachi]

Carl,

Thank you so much for these video posts!

[janet-king]

Talk technique if you must, but more to the point, what beautiful musicianship!

[unknown-user]

Fascinating!

[janet-king]

SOMEBODY PLEASE IMPORT THIS CD!!

[carl-swanson]

I’ve been trying to get his email address so I could write him and see if the whole Goldberg recording is on DVD the way this youtube excerpt is. If any of the French readers know his email address maybe you could contact me.

[richard-hagan]

Janet —

You should be able to get it from the French Amazon.

[HBrock25]

Dear all harp lovers,

I am Jérôme Delmas and as Lontano’s label manager, I am really happy to read all your wonderful comments regarding Sylvain Blassel’s CD.

We did this recording last winter in Paris and the EPK you watched on Youtube was shooted in Rennes (France).

Despite our worldwide contract with Warner Classics International, it seems to be really difficult to find Sylvain’s album in the States.

FYI, the Goldberg Variations are paired with the “Fourteen Canons on a Ground Bass”.

You of course can order it on http://www.amazon.fr but also directly with us.

So don’t hesitate to contact me directly at the following e.mail address : jerome.delmas@lontano.fr

Thanks again for your support
All the best from France
Jérôme Delmas
Lontano’s label manager

PS : Unfortunately no DVD available.

[Sylvia Clark]

Who cares what technique is used?

[carl-swanson]

You’re right Sylvia. In the end who cares what technique is used. I only pointed that out so that anyone not familiar with French technique could see clearly how he uses his hands. Even young students learning French technique can see here how an advanced harpist plays. The Dilling film on youtube is another very good example of French technique, as well as being wonderfully musical.

[Author]

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