how good a piano player was liberace

Technically, Liberace played better than any other pianist. Classical music was his primary interest when he was a child prodigy. I’ve got some sheet music of Liberace performing popular songs, including those including his own Boogie Woogie

and a ragtime number.

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How good of a pianist was Liberace?

I say he was a very good pianist “technically” because Liberace was basically a piano entertainer. The real measure of great pianists is not just technical skill. A certain level of technical skill is a given when it comes to professional pianists.

What kind of music did Liberace play?

But while Liberace studied classical piano, he also played popular music and jazz in theaters and cabarets. At 20 he played Liszt’s Second Piano Concerto with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for a concert in Milwaukee. That same year, 1940, Liberace went to New York and started playing in nightclubs.

Was Władziu Valentino Liberace a good pianist?

But as far as “proper” piano technique goes, the reviews were mixed. What’s certain is that Władziu Valentino Liberace had the potential to be a great concert pianist. He was described as a prodigy during his teenage years in the suburbs of Milwaukee, often eschewing typical social activities to practice instead.

Why was Liberace considered a good pitchman?

Liberace was considered a perfect pitchman, given his folksy connection with his vast audience of housewives. Sponsors sent him complimentary products, including his white Cadillac limousine, and he reciprocated enthusiastically: "If I am selling tuna fish, I believe in tuna fish."

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Was Liberace considered a great piano player?

What's certain is that Władziu Valentino Liberace had the potential to be a great concert pianist. He was described as a prodigy during his teenage years in the suburbs of Milwaukee, often eschewing typical social activities to practice instead.

Who is the greatest piano player of all time?

The Six Best Pianists of All TimeSergei Rachmaninoff. Born in Russia in 1873, Rachmaninov graduated from the Moscow Conservatorium in the same class as Alexander Scriabin. ... Arthur Rubinstein. ... Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. ... Vladimir Horowitz. ... Emil Gilels. ... Ludwig van Beethoven.

What kind of piano Did Liberace play?

Baldwin pianosLiberace regularly used Baldwin pianos, and one can surmise that Baldwin would have procured this instrument for the artist.

Did Michael Douglas really play the piano in Liberace?

Michael Douglas plays the legendary Las Vegas entertainer in Steven Soderbergh's film, which shows the actor (as Liberace) tickling the ivories as only a skilled piano player could. It probably won't come as a surprise that Douglas wasn't actually playing.

What is the hardest piece of piano music to play?

'La Campanella', which translates as 'little bell', comes from a larger work – the Grandes études de Paganini – and is famous for being one of the most difficult pieces ever written for piano. The piece's technical demands include enormous jumps for the right hand played at an uncomfortably speedy tempo.

Who is the best pianist alive today?

The 12 best modern pianists you should knowCory Henry (born 1987) ... Jacob Collier (born 1994) ... Robert Glasper (born 1978) ... Diana Krall (born 1964) ... Brad Mehldau (born 1970) ... George Duke (1946 – 2013) ... Jon Batiste (born 1986) ... Martha Argerich (born 1941)More items...•

What was Liberace's favorite piano?

Baldwin SD-10 concert grandThey were looking for the Baldwin SD-10 concert grand adorned with rhinestones that was known to be Liberace's favorite piano.

How many pianos did Liberace own?

18 pianosLiberace owned 18 pianos, many of historical significance. A hand-painted green and gold Playel was supposedly played by Chopin at Versailles Palace. Other pianos were tested by the talents of Brahms, Schumann, Liszt and George Gershwin.

Is Jerry Lee Lewis considered a good piano player?

An amazing musician. The 'jazzers' don't really understand Jerry Lee but he just performed in the most incredible fashion. He played the piano like nobody else. There were Western swing pianists before him, such as Moon Mullican and Merrill Moore, but the way Jerry Lee played across the beat was unique.

Did Matt Damon play Liberace?

The film is based on a book by Liberace's long-time lover, Scott Thorson, who's played by Matt Damon, often wearing just a spray tan and a Speedo. Douglas, 68, made the movie after recovering from stage-four throat cancer.

Does Matt Damon play the piano?

8. Both leading men developed new musical abilities for their respective roles. Law learned how to play the saxophone, while Damon learned how to play piano and revealed his vocal talents during his performance of "My Funny Valentine" in the film.

Who is the highest paid pianist?

A global piano sensation, Lang Lang is no stranger to success and is currently worth an estimated $30 million (£22m).

Who is better Mozart or Beethoven?

Beethoven's music is superior because it has all of the structural perfection of a Mozart or Haydn, but also fiery emotion that has more direct impact than either. Thus, his music is more emotionally complex while structural brilliant...his music has it all. Beethoven had more global impact.

Is Liszt the best pianist of all time?

First and foremost, Liszt was a colossal pianist, the most awesome virtuoso of his era, who in his playing and his compositions for piano pushed the boundaries of technique, texture and sound.

Why is Liberace considered a good pianist?

I say he was a very good pianist “technically” because Liberace was basically a piano entertainer. The real measure of great pianists is not just technical skill. A certain level of technical skill is a given when it comes to professional pianists. What really makes a pianist great is the ability to grow as an artist and find new ways to improve interpretation of the same music. A pianist may record a particular piece of music at the age of 25 and then come back to that music at the age of 50 and find totally different nuances in the music. This is commonly seen with the greatest classical and jazz artists.

When did Liberace start playing piano?

Liberace started piano at the age of 4. His father was demanding and insisted on very frequent piano practice. By the age of 7, Liberace was

Why don't pianists worry about musical growth?

Piano entertainers usually don’t worry about musical growth because they are entertainers. They may very well play a piece of music pretty much the same way at age 60 as they did at age 20. There’s little or no interpretive growth. Some “serious” musicians think that’s awful, but there’s nothing necessarily wrong with it. It’s just a function of what the pianist is trying to do. Entertaining is an art unto itself, and Liberace was very good at entertaining.

What did Elvis ask Liberace for advice?

Elvis once asked Liberace for advice on how to present himself. Liberace gave him a gold lamé jacket. Entertainers such as Elton John and Michael Jackson may not have m. Continue Reading.

What hand span did Liberace have?

Liberace had a truly amazing and unique technique. His hand span would easily cover a 10th (i.e. C to the 2nd E).

What was Liberace known for?

He was playing for weddings, dance classes, local radio, and theaters. By 1937, Liberace was being praised for his “flair and showmanship.”. In the early 1940’s, Liberace shifted from performing the classics to “pop with a bit of classics” or “classical music with the boring parts left out.”.

What did Dudley Moore do?

He went on to win an Organ Scholarship at Magdalen College Oxford. when he was 18 or 19. Dudley Moore was a gifted jazz pianist as well as classical concert pianist and organist . Liberace was just not in the same league as Dudley Moore.

What was Liberace famous for?

In terms of the latter, Liberace was undeniably one of the most successful and impressive performers of the 20 th century . He regularly played sold-out shows at all the major venues (Hollywood Bowl, Radio City, etc.) and revolutionized the use of television as a medium for musical entertainment with his weekly program.

How old was Liberace when he performed Liszt?

He was 20 years old. Critics at the time raved.

What hand does Michael Douglas play the bass on behind the candelabra?

He deftly carries the jaunty rhythmic bass line in his left hand while adding the melodic riff in his right between bouts of patter with the audience.

Who said students lose their place when they lift their hands like their hero?

Henry A. Mullines of Atlanta said that his students “frequently lose their place when they lift their hands like their hero,” and that he “even has pupils beg to talk between numbers on a recital program, as the television star does.”. Show-offs. Advertisement.

Was Liberace's style popular?

Of course, Liberace’s personal style was far more popular—and lucrative—than high-art piano playing could ever be . But that didn’t mean that critics had to like it. In a hilariously catty 1954 assessment of the entertainer (“A Square Looks at a Hotshot”), New York Times music critic Howard Taubman remarked on Liberace’s talent for “compression,” lily-gilding, and other… gifts:

Did Liberace have a place in classical music?

However, another reviewer, writing about an earlier concert, suggested that though Liberace was poised to earn “a considerable place in [classical] music” given his “talent for flair and showmanship,” he needed “the toning of years and deeper experience.”.

What is the implication of Liberace playing Chopin?

The implication is that we are about to be engaged in an act of uncompromising artistry.

Who plays Liberace in the movie?

The much-awaited film, starring Michael Douglas as Liberace and Matt Damon as Mr. Thorson, was shown on HBO on Sunday night (and continues its run on that channel and through HBO Go and HBO on Demand). As we were forewarned, not much attention is paid to Liberace the pianist or his attitude toward music. “I love giving people a good time,” Mr. Douglas’s Liberace explains to Mr. Damon’s Thorson soon after they meet. “That’s what I’m all about.”

What piece does Wizened Master play?

One piece he plays is the Chopin Polonaise in A flat, and during this impromptu performance he may drop a few more notes than Liberace does in his video.

What hand does Liberace wear his ring on?

His fingerwork does not seem much encumbered by the ring he wears on his right-hand pinkie. This is Chopin’s “Heroic” Polonaise, and Liberace brings stirring energy to the theme and a nice bounce to the left-hand accompaniment, though he stretches the tempo indulgently.

What is Liberace's middle section?

The middle section, which breaks into stern marchlike music with a relentlessly repeating bass pattern of four descending notes (played in octaves), is famously difficult. Liberace pulls it off pretty well. Yet something in his playing is frivolous and saccharine.

What was the fox cape that Liberace wore?

Perhaps I am straining to find early hints of the Liberace who in 1984, three years before his death at 67, would arrive onstage for a concert at Radio City Music Hall in a silver Rolls-Royce and emerge wearing a $300,000 fox cape with a 16-foot bejeweled train.

How many extended passages does Liberace cut?

Actually, Liberace cuts two extended passages, places where sections of the music are essentially repeated. Still, the performance has its charms. Image. Liberace, bedazzled, around 1968. As a pianist he mixed popular style with classical technique. Credit... Popperfoto/Getty Images.

How did Liberace get back to fame?

Despite successful European tours, his career had in fact been slumping since 1957, but Liberace built it back up by appealing directly to his fan base. Through live appearances in small-town supper clubs, and with television and promotional appearances, he began to regain popularity. On November 22, 1963, he suffered kidney failure, reportedly from accidentally inhaling excessive amounts of dry cleaning fumes from his newly cleaned costumes in a Pittsburgh dressing room, and nearly died. He later said that what saved him from further injury was being woken up by his entourage to the news that John F. Kennedy had been assassinated. Told by doctors that his condition was fatal, he began to spend his entire fortune by buying extravagant gifts of furs, jewels, and even a house for friends, but then recovered after a month.

How many albums did Liberace sell?

The massive success of Liberace's syndicated television show was the main impetus behind his record sales. From 1947 to 1951, he recorded 10 discs. By 1954, it jumped to nearly 70. He released several recordings through Columbia Records including Liberace by Candlelight (later on Dot and through direct television advertising) and sold over 400,000 albums by 1954. His most popular single was "Ave Maria", selling over 300,000 copies.

What was the name of the show that Liberace appeared on?

Liberace appeared on the March 8, 1956 episode of the TV quiz program You Bet Your Life hosted by Groucho Marx.

What is the name of the movie that featured Liberace as a guest star?

Footlight Varieties (1951) is an imitation-vaudeville hour and a little-known sequel, Merry Mirthquakes (1953), featured Liberace as master of ceremonies.

When did Liberace perform at the London Palladium?

In 1960 , Liberace performed at the London Palladium with Nat King Cole and Sammy Davis, Jr. (this was the first televised " command performance ", now known as the Royal Variety Performance, for Queen Elizabeth II ).

What was Walter Liberace's first appearance in a movie?

In 1943, he began to appear in Soundies (the 1940s precursor to music videos). He recreated two flashy numbers from his nightclub act, the standards " Tiger Rag " and " Twelfth Street Rag ". In these films, he was billed as Walter Liberace. Both "Soundies" were later released to the home-movie market by Castle Films. In 1944, he made his first appearances in Las Vegas, which later became his principal venue. He was playing at the best clubs, finally appearing at the Persian Room in 1945, with Variety proclaiming, "Liberace looks like a cross between Cary Grant and Robert Alda. He has an effective manner, attractive hands which he spotlights properly, and with al, rings the bell in the dramatically lighted, well-presented, showmanly routine. He should snowball into box office." The Chicago Times was similarly impressed: He "made like Chopin one minute and then turns on a Chico Marx bit the next."

Was Liberace a conservative?

Liberace was a conservative in his politics and faith, eschewing dissidents and rebels. He believed fervently in capitalism and was also fascinated with royalty, ceremony, and luxury. He loved to hobnob with the rich and famous, acting as starstruck with presidents and kings as his fans behaved with him. Yet to his fans, he was still one of them, a Midwesterner who had earned his success through hard work, and who invited them to enjoy it with him.