Prokofiev's 6th Piano Sonata

[pies]

Which recording is best?
I have Kissin's and I think it's too slow + lacks emotion.

[etudes]

try Pogorelich! 

[pies]

Can't find his/her recording online.
Anyone else?

[kreso]

Check your e-mail, I want to ask you something about sonata.

My favourites:Pogorelich, Richter, Kissin

[pies]

A bit off topic, but the poco, meno mosso part near the end of the last movement of Prokofiev's 5th sonata is orgasmic. When played correctly.

[arensky]

For me Pogorelich or Boris Berman. I'm sure the Richter is amazing, but I don't think I've ever heard it.

[pianalex]

richter

[rohansahai]

Richter is probably the best.
Also try Alberto Nose, the runner up of the 1999 Busoni competition...its pretty good too:
https://www.giornaledellamusica.it/online/downloads/mp3/busoni/nose/proksonata6_160.MP3

btw, i agree that kissin's rec is too slow and boring(the carnegie hall one (?))

[kreso]

Richter is probably the best.
Also try Alberto Nose, the runner up of the 1999 Busoni competition...its pretty good too:
https://www.giornaledellamusica.it/online/downloads/mp3/busoni/nose/proksonata6_160.MP3

Thank you for Alberto Nose's record, he plays very clean and fine, the only thing I wants is more fire!!

P.S. I forgot to mention Simon Trpeceski's recording of Sonata for EMI Debut Classics.
He plays really stuning, I've heard him live playing that sonata.
And also I forgot to mention that I have Pogorelich's record which he recorded in Croatia when he was I think 17, and this is also superb performance!

[iumonito]

Yefim Bronfman by a lot.

Then I like Hough.  Pogorelich is a bit affected, and Richter's inhuman for my taste.

[superstition2]

I've only heard Richter, Sandor, and Glemser. Richter's technique is stunning, but...

The other two aren't as good for this piece.

[pabst]

, and Richter's inhuman for my taste.

"war" sonata

[iumonito]

Right.  War is among the most compelling situations calling for humanity and compassion.  Such horrors are all over sonatas 6, 7 and 8.  They should simply not be played just like repertoire work horses.

It is a little off topic, but the same can be said of Shostakovich's preludes and fugues.  Such human music should not be played just like an automaton, which is in my opinion what both Richter and Tatiana Nikolayeva do.

[maxy]

Right.  War is among the most compelling situations calling for humanity and compassion.  Such horrors are all over sonatas 6, 7 and 8.  They should simply not be played just like repertoire work horses.

It is a little off topic, but the same can be said of Shostakovich's preludes and fugues.  Such human music should not be played just like an automaton, which is in my opinion what both Richter and Tatiana Nikolayeva do.

... interesting... Richter knew both Prokofiev and Shostakovich but in the end did not understand how to play their music.  As a reward for being unable to play sonata 6 and 7, Prokofiev dedicated to him sonata #9. 

Shostakovich did blame Richter concerning the Preludes and Fugues: he blamed him for not wanting to play them ALL...

To say that you don't like Richter's interpretation of pieces by Prokofiev and Shostakovich is fine but please, do not suggest that his conception is wrong. 

[superstition2]

I haven't heard a pianist play #6 or #7 better than Richter, although I find his #6 hard to listen to. I think his best live recordings may be better than his studio recordings, simply because he hated recording studios and needed an audience to become energized. I like the live version of #7 better than the studio. I don't have a live #6.

I think it's dangerous to allow biographical details to intrude on our interaction with compositions/performances. Prokofiev could have called #6 the Mad Hatter sonata, or something even more off the wall. For me, it's the music that matters. Of course, some might argue that programmatic music truly does deliver a narrative. Peter and the Wolf is a good example of programmatic music. But, I don't hear anything about war in Prokofiev's sonatas, personally. I listened to them before I knew about his "war cycle", and to me it's just as artificial as Scriabin's "state of soul" for his 3rd sonata, and the "white mass/black mass" labels for 7 and 9. It seems to me that to box in such pieces diminishes them. Perhaps Prokofiev was trying to make his music safer politically?

[pianalex]

beause a piece alludes to a subject doesnt necessarily make it programmtaic or narrative.  in this case surely there is a case to argue for a generalised context of conflict - last movement of no 7 ,say.  inhumanity is conveyed , but also a very human response to it.

richter's performance of conc 5 brought its 1st success, btw

[iumonito]

... interesting... Richter knew both Prokofiev and Shostakovich but in the end did not understand how to play their music.  As a reward for being unable to play sonata 6 and 7, Prokofiev dedicated to him sonata #9. 

Shostakovich did blame Richter concerning the Preludes and Fugues: he blamed him for not wanting to play them ALL...

To say that you don't like Richter's interpretation of pieces by Prokofiev and Shostakovich is fine but please, do not suggest that his conception is wrong. 

You give me words I have not said.  First, at the level of a Gould, or Horowitz or Richter there is no such thing as wrong.  One may like it or not, understand it or not, agree with it or not, but wrong is such a limited (and limiting) concept it only befits the crassiest of performances (say, poor Magde's recording of the Godowsky etudes).

Prokofiev and Shostakovich admired Richter's (and Gilels', so different) playing.  How couldn't they, these two were the greatest local pianists of their generation, and that's no mean achievement in Moscow.  That Richter admired Prokofiev's music is also no surprise.  Only an idiot wouldn't and Richter was a great artist.  His musical thinking, nevertheless, is at times oppressive, and indulges nothing to the more emotive aspects of Prokofiev's music; a fault - by the way - that can also be found in Prokofiev's own playing.

It is a philosophical question whether there is more to a composer's work than what the composer her or himself conveys in her or his playing.  If you think copying the composer's performance must be the end of it, good for you.  I think those who think that way are missing the best part of music-making.

Cheers,
H

[wervel]

Wouldnt there exist a Prokofiev recording? I know there is a Prokofiev recording of at least one of the earlier sonata's, and it is truelly amazing (really superb pianist he was). To me the Richter one is the best (but I dont like the sonata very much, its a bit harsh, isn't it)? Yet, great last movement, and Richter is just flying through it, impressive stuff.
A bit off topic, but a well kept secret: check the Glenn Gould recording of Prokofievs 7th sonata, it's mindblowingly good!

Cheers

[superstition2]

Also try Alberto Nose

I'm enjoying it right now. It's too soon to critique it, because I'm still in the middle movement.

As for a Prokofiev recording, my guess is that he developed arthritis or some other problem as he aged, because he stopped debuting his pieces and instead gave them to other pianists. The fact that he gave some of them to Gyorgy Sandor shows that he either must have had a warm relationship with him, couldn't find someone else, and likely was unable to play the pieces in public to a standard he was happy with. Sandor is no Richter! Late in life, he fell, too. That did permanent damage. He was reported to have been an awesome pianist as a young man. He played the 2 piano transcription of Scriabin's 3rd symphony by himself, and won an award for his performance of his first piano concerto even though the judges weren't keen on the music. I have a Naxos disc of him playing the 3rd concerto and some short works. He was a great pianist, although it took him 16 takes to get an etude down. His 3rd concerto is better than Argerich and Ashkenazy. But, I still find the piece annoyingly Gershwin-like. That's a personal taste issue, of course.

[mmccarthy]

How does everyone think Lugansky's recording matches up?

(i.e. https://rapidshare.de/files/9785714/Prokofiev__Lugansky__-_Sonata_No._6.zip.html)

[I Love Xenakis]

How does everyone think Lugansky's recording matches up?

(i.e. https://rapidshare.de/files/9785714/Prokofiev__Lugansky__-_Sonata_No._6.zip.html)

FUCKIN WICKED