Valentina Lisitsa Plays Für Elise

What I like about Valentina Lisitsa's playing is not only her ease of motion and beautiful sound, but the sense that the focus of the performance is not on her, but on the music. Yes, she is arguably the most popular classical pianist on YouTube, although it depends on your definition of what comprises classical music. Her rise to stardom happened through the acclaim of YouTube viewers, who obviously found a pianist that they found genuinely engaging on computer and smartphone screens. I've played the following video for many of my students who are learning that pesky Für Elise, and in spite of the fact that she is probably a little exhausted (after having just played the Grieg Concerto with the Seoul Philharmonic) I find that she captures the style and mood of the piece most wonderfully.