Dimitris Sgouros?

[Cadenza_Ad_Libitum]

I searched for him, but only one topic showed up, not much info was given.

Do anybody still know where he is now? He was a phenomenal child prodigy comparable to Liszt and Mozart. Rachmaninoff 3rd at 12. Reads and masters scores in one readthrough. Some of his live performance recordings are available online, and many are great! He doesn't seem to record in studio much though...

I don't seem to get anybody talking about him in this forum. Why isn't he in the Great Pianists list? What about the best interpretation? The best technique? Etc, etc...

[allchopin]

I feel he should be in the list without a doubt, but I think, like Volodos, he is such a recent up-and-comer that he was too late to be listed.  His tecnique is out of this world and he knows it (he plays everything just about as fast as he can).  His interpretations aren't typically the most thought-provoking but he can sure make fireworks - one of his favorite encores is Liszt's Rigoletto Paraphrase which is played in almost half the time as Bolet and Cziffra.

[trix]

Yeah Sgouros is without doubt one of the greatest piano performance prodigies ever.  The complete works of Liszt, Beethoven and Chopin plus hundreds of smaller solo and chamber works and 45 concertos all memorized and performance ready (since the age of like 12) with stellar technique and musicality to match.  As if that weren't enough, he also has a ridiculous number of operas memorized and is fluent in several different languages and has done graduate work in math.    Still not enough?; he was praised by Rubenstein, after playing for him as a child, as a "gift from God". 

For all that you would think you'd hear a lil bit more about him.  I believe he is pretty popular in Europe tho which is where he mainly concertizes.  And I've heard his expressive qualities have dimmed significantly as he's grown older (kinda backwards isn't it?) so maybe he's turned out to be more of a technical wizard and "former child prodigy"  than a great musician?-just a thought.


 

[Goldberg]

That wouldn't surprise me. Prodigies who are deprived of a proper childhood usually learn how to entertain others rather than communicate with them, in a human-to-human sense, thus making them respected artists...ambassadors of musical expression.

But, I've only heard a few Sgouros recordings--including his Rach 3 at age 12--and I have to say that although I'm really impressed, I would think twice about comparing his expressive nature to greats like Rubinstein, etc...I would have to hear a more recent recording, though. For all I know he's the best pianist alive today...

Also, there's a story about him involving Richter, who had made a temporary stop at some music hall in Italy (or something like that, dunno the specifics) before being rushed into a back room excitedly by a piano teacher, who told Richter that he must listen to this new prodigy. Richter, who had heard hundreds of "prodigies" in his lifetime, was reluctant but finally agreed to humour the man. Well, needless to say, he was more than impressed by young Sgouros, who played for 3 or 4 hours for Richter without repeating a single piece (Richter could stop and say "Ehhh....Beethoven Op. 101" and Sgouros would oblige quickly, playing entirely from memory). Richter came out of the hall with huge eyes and told his friend--or whoever the man was--that he had asked the boy what he wanted to do when he grew up. Sgouros turned to Richter from the bench and said "Sviatoslav Richter!"

[Arsha]

He did not record the Rachmaninoff d minor at 12, he recorded at 14 with the Berlin philarmonic. He is possibly the most outstanding virtuoso under 40. Or even overall. Absolutely stunning.




Arsha

[dlu]

He did not record the Rachmaninoff d minor at 12, he recorded at 14 with the Berlin philarmonic. He is possibly the most outstanding virtuoso under 30. Or even overall. Absolutely stunning.




Arsha

But wasn't he the youngest to give a performance of it (at 12)?

[Cadenza_Ad_Libitum]

I do happen to know he performed Rach 3 at the age of 12. I think he's still the youngest to give the performance even until now.

Some local pianists in my area perform this work at the age of 13.

[Arsha]

I can play this piece tight now, and I happen to be 14. But playing in carnegie hall under Mytoslav Rostopovich. And playing it to Sgouros standards is another thing. Than playing it for the sake of playing it at a young age. Hes a miracle.

[anda]

i listened his recordings i found on soundclick. he's strange - he does some extraordinary things, and then... it's like it's not the same person from one bar to the next!

oh, and listen chopin 1st 3rd part - the caracas philharmonic orchestra has some difficulties in playing this

[Noah]

oh, and listen chopin 1st 3rd part - the caracas philharmonic orchestra has some difficulties in playing this

And when an orchestra has troubles playing a Chopin concerto, it's time to worry!

[Arsha]

but sgouros makes up for it 

Arsha

[Regulus Medtner]

Sgouros concertizes regularly here in Greece, where he lives and I've heard him on several occasions. His technical prowess is impressive but his artistry is lacking. I personally don't think quite highly of him, having heard shockingly careless performances from him quite recently and more than once (for example Beethoven's 4th piano concerto and Liszt's B minor sonata). His past recordings are exceptional for his age but, alas, he has declined since then. And the reason I'm being harsh is that I believe he IS capable of playing what the music demands (he did once and he still does if he feels like it), he just seems not to care about shaping the music as long as there's some "wow" passagework in the next bar to rush on to. He's often erratic even in the course of a single work, projecting his boredom to the audience. Well, I hope he recovers soon and starts amazing us once again (and soon).

[Cadenza_Ad_Libitum]

So it was true. I once saw a review one of his recording of a Brahms Concerto (I think) that stated Sgouros had lost interest in playing difficult passages and treated the music badly. I guess he is bored with his career as a pianist...... Such a shame considering his phenomenal gifts.

[rach2nd]

Well i was in the same music academy with him many years ago and our fathers (both doctors ) were friends. Definitely he is one of the 5 most talented ever! Among all pianists ever!( I quote what richter said for him when he saw  dimitis fistrt time ).
He performed in the concert hall at age of 12 the 3rach concert and as a study la campanella. The graduating exam.?.. oh... !! after bach and scarlati Waldstein, 24 preludes chopin , Gaspar de la nuit !!!!!!!, and for concert TSAIKOWSKI!  It was amazing. When he finished (to see a 12 1/2 years old child playing all these tremendous pieces with such comfort) all cried from what they saw. He could play whatever from sight with speed!!!!!. True believe me. Islamey at 11??? He can play entire pieces a semitone up or down immediately without thinking!! Can you believe that??? He has the ablolute ear and that is a problem sometimes.. lol. I dont want to make other comments. You must fall in love dimitris and suffer ( in a good way ) from what you feel.Then... you will  be the best.  An advice from an old old friend .I can tell that from the starting chords of 2nd rachmaninoff concert you played while ago in Athens..

[nikodr]

That wouldn't surprise me. Prodigies who are deprived of a proper childhood usually learn how to entertain others rather than communicate with them, in a human-to-human sense, thus making them respected artists...ambassadors of musical expression.

But, I've only heard a few Sgouros recordings--including his Rach 3 at age 12--and I have to say that although I'm really impressed, I would think twice about comparing his expressive nature to greats like Rubinstein, etc...I would have to hear a more recent recording, though. For all I know he's the best pianist alive today...

Also, there's a story about him involving Richter, who had made a temporary stop at some music hall in Italy (or something like that, dunno the specifics) before being rushed into a back room excitedly by a piano teacher, who told Richter that he must listen to this new prodigy. Richter, who had heard hundreds of "prodigies" in his lifetime, was reluctant but finally agreed to humour the man. Well, needless to say, he was more than impressed by young Sgouros, who played for 3 or 4 hours for Richter without repeating a single piece (Richter could stop and say "Ehhh....Beethoven Op. 101" and Sgouros would oblige quickly, playing entirely from memory). Richter came out of the hall with huge eyes and told his friend--or whoever the man was--that he had asked the boy what he wanted to do when he grew up. Sgouros turned to Richter from the bench and said "Sviatoslav Richter!"

I live in greece and often i have been to many of his concerts.I think that society and general people,are not ready to accept people like sgouros.People often see him as something weird.

I do not agree with them,ask anyone who lives in greece about sgouros!.The word "sgouros" in greek is a word you say if you think someone is highly talented.(yes to arts it is a new word!).To me sgouros is a prodigy.

People like him are not born every day,i think 1 child every 100 years or so,i agree that there are child prodigies who can play everything,but listen,he was 12 and there wont be a child who plays rach 3 and campanela at the age of 12 for a long time.

And at 11 he could play islamey,and other pieces.My teacher was there when he gave his final exams as a pianist to get his diploma (sgouros  was very very young).Now moments like these you cant live them every day.

I am not suprised by the fact that he has not made a carreer like Richter,pollini or horowitz,or (you can place any pianist's name here).He is very different by nature by any other pianist.And that is a problem for many.And there is another problem.Everything he does even at the age he is now -(he is no longer 12)- is not accepted,the shadow of the child prodigy is still in him,and overshadows everything he does.

To me his concert's are not the typical concert you will go and hear,somewhere.I was amazed when i heard him play Listz/verdi riggoleto (maybe the fastest version you will ever hear in your life).And it is not only speed,it is the way of the he played the piece,it was no longer the typical liszt thing,the technical abilities he had,made him treat the piece the way he wanted (believe me i am a HUGE fan of martha argerich and horowitz but after hearing this i was almost ready to quit playing!it was ridiculusly fast(FAST!),and powerful!!!and all that at the age of 16 or 17 i think.I had learned to play that piece but after i heard sgouros i no longer had the will to present it on the concert platform anymore,i feel weak to do so!).

So accept him the way it is.Thats the secret.It is no use trying to accept or not things he does a certain way or not.He is not the typical pianist you will see.

[etudes]

well  agree that Sgouros is prodigy
btw i dont really like his Liszt's Rigoletto Paraphrase
ok we agree that is the fastest recording (maybe in the world) but he just play the slow and lyric fast and the octave in the ending section not really that fast (you can compare with Yundi li) for me it lacks of climax in this piece
but he is great pianist (if he wants to be)