There are many versions of it on Youtube, but for me, the premier among them is the LiJie version. I prefer it because of all the versions out there, I hear the story most clearly with her presentation. It is perhaps a little ironic since her demeanor is probably the most deadpan in terms of body language, but I've always felt that she heard the story beneath better than most.

Upon hearing this stunning piece of music, I was immediately captivated - especially by the heart-pounding Presto 4th movement. Undoubtedly anyone who listens will find the same since the pace is unrelenting and technically challenging. Indeed, the only version of the great John Williams on Youtube at this time shows him making a few small errors and one completely wrong note. For someone with a reputation for mechanical accuracy, that's got to mean something.

I decided that never in a million years of practicing would I ever be able to play this piece. So that means I have nothing to lose!

I practiced it on and off as one of the very first pieces I ever attempted, spending more time off than on, but did manage to get things polished to get to the end o the 3rd movement, when the mental strain of keeping all the melodic elements and arpeggio patterns led me to a halt a few times.

Over the years, my understanding of the piece has changed as I have come to see it through the mind of the performer rather than just the listener. A story emerges from each part. The theme of repetition allows for imagery of the Turkish hills or mountains sending back echoes of every sound, hills that could have been the location for the suicide of the shepherd of the legend upon which it is based. Or perhaps the bleating of sheep in a nearby flock. Or indeed the memory of a lost love's unique vocal inflection, leading to a regurgitation of a long past argument. Indeed, each time I play it through, a different element of the story seems to take hold.

Other notable versions:

George Vassilev

John Williams Official

Edin Karamazov Complete (Lute) 3rd Movement (modified) showing his performance

Pirai Vaca (shortened)

There are some shortened versions out there, but my feeling is that each movement has a part of the story to tell.

The first movement is romantic reflection. He's interacting with the world around him, and possibly feeling a little melancholy from the cold isolation with only the sheep as his friends. He could be sitting on a rock reflecting on better days or perhaps looking over a precipice, listening to the silence and the bleating sheep a short distance away.

The second movement indicates that something has called up a strong memory. It could be passion. It could be pain. Most days I play it as passion and excitement, tinged with some regret.

The third movement actually has the emotional climax of the piece. He is truly lost in his memories as he recalls the beginning of the end of something good. It starts with the moment that his heart realizes that something isn't right. Could it be infidelity? Or perhaps an illness? Or something more complex that he knows he can do nothing about? The movement peaks with the sound of a breaking heart. Notable is the similarity that this has to the trill from the first movement. Could the bleating of the sheep be repeating this tragic moment? A harsh word? Or perhaps violence?

That leads into the 4th movement, which is undoubtedly involving running. It could be a racing mind. It could be the memory of running. Or it could be the shepherd himself running to an edge and the 'flashing before the eyes' that occurs in the moments before he leaps.

The piece ends with a repetition of the beginning of the train of thought that got him there, presumably the last things that pass through his mind as he lies there waiting for his broken body to die.

It's a hell of a story and it all spins itself up in my mind as I play.

Little wonder that on one occasion, I played through to the end of the 3rd movement and actually sat there for a few minutes, heart pounding and tears forming. Of course that can make it a little difficult to keep up a good routine of practice...