KISSIN IS THE BEST PIANIST AROUND THE XX CENTURY AND THE WOLD HISTORY

[mirmidon28]

Volodos, Horowitz, Arrau, Schnabel are nothing. Kissin is the supreme pianist. Some of you are gonna disagree but you know in your conciense that I say the truth.

[guttenberg]

lol. much as i'd like to agree with you, i have to say that there are other pianists who are either as good as Kissin or if not better, musically and technically. some of the names are Zimmerman, Hamelin, Richter, etc.

[gonzalo]

Kissin is the supreme pianist.

NO.

[gruffalo]

hes great, i love him. but i dont settle for one pianist as my favourite. i look for the different thinks they all give me when i listen to them. he is truly great tho.

[daniel patschan]

Zimerman - technically declining during the last years, therefore he is not better in this respect; musically he might be a little bit more sensitive.

Hamelin - technically unquestionable; musically mediocre.

Richter - technically superbe !!! musically superbe !!!

Kissin is for sure among the best in history, i would rank him above the two first and a little bit below Richter.

[jakev2.0]

Volodos, Horowitz, Arrau, Schnabel are nothing. Kissin is the supreme pianist. Some of you are gonna disagree but you know in your conciense that I say the truth.

Good luck with that, buddy. 

[mephisto]

Zimerman - technically declining during the last years, therefore he is not better in this respect; musically he might be a little bit more sensitive.

Have you heard him live? He is technicly insanely good, and musically too if I may say so.

[counterpoint]

Did Kissin ever play a Beethoven Sonata?

How could he be better than Schnabel?

[fiasco]

I love his Chopin Ballades, although it is so note-perfect, I wonder how much of it was post-production touch-ups.  And he was awesome in that Steinway celebration extravaganza with the 10 pianos being played at once (definitely check that out if you haven't seen it, I forget the real name).  However, when I listen to Hamelin, I get this feeling of awe that so far is unmatched in any other contemporary pianist.

[franzliszt2]

Did Kissin ever play a Beethoven Sonata?

How could he be better than Schnabel?

urr I believe he has played many Beethoven sonatas. And they happen to be very good. But of course you can't compare him to Schnabel. Why do people have this stupid idea of the BEST??? Why not just open your ears to new ideas. Schnabel's Beethoven is fantastic. But there are some sonatas I preffered played by others.

Hos ballades are note perfect for many reasons. They are not virtuosiclly difficult, so most good pianists can get round the notes withput to much hassle.

You can't say that Hamelin is supreme technicaly. Hamelin chooses to play the insnae repertoire. Kissin doesn't. Godowsky doesn't appeal to some people. I'm certain Kissin could play them if he wanted to. His live performance of Rach 3 is enough to show he has an incredible technique.

Although I don't think he is the best ever, I do believe he is a great player.

[tompilk]

urr I believe he has played many Beethoven sonatas. And they happen to be very good. But of course you can't compare him to Schnabel. Why do people have this stupid idea of the BEST??? Why not just open your ears to new ideas. Schnabel's Beethoven is fantastic. But there are some sonatas I preffered played by others.

Hos ballades are note perfect for many reasons. They are not virtuosiclly difficult, so most good pianists can get round the notes withput to much hassle.

You can't say that Hamelin is supreme technicaly. Hamelin chooses to play the insnae repertoire. Kissin doesn't. Godowsky doesn't appeal to some people. I'm certain Kissin could play them if he wanted to. His live performance of Rach 3 is enough to show he has an incredible technique.

Although I don't think he is the best ever, I do believe he is a great player.

rach 3 is nothing in the land of alkan... muahahahaha!
Tom

[arensky]

Although I don't think he is the best ever, I do believe he is a great player.

I agree.

A certain reserve or inhibition in his playing holds him back imo. I would like to hear him really cut loose a la Hoffman or Horowitz, but I don't think he ever will...

[franzliszt2]

rach 3 is nothing in the land of alkan... muahahahaha!
Tom

I must dissagree. Alkan is difficult, but Rach3 is a far bigger challenge. Musically, and technicaly.

I believe any proffessional player could play Alkan. But in my opinion there is better music out there. I think pianists are attracted to it's pianistic side, because lets be honest, the music aint that great.

[steve jones]

Lol, I smell a troll... 

SJ

[debussy symbolism]

Lol, I smell a troll... 

SJ

Greetings.

How do trolls smell?

[lau]

Greetings.

why always greetings? why does bernhard always say best wishes? just for tradition or something, your trademark wording?

anyway, you sound like an alien when you say greetings

[mikey6]

Richter - technically superbe !!!

pfft! Listen to his Live Beethoven sonatas and you'll change you're mind!
I know he can have a superoir technique but it's not always on display!

I got's to say this is a gutsy topic for his second post - going to cause many an argument

[maxd]

I heard the preludes (CH.) and turned them off. too depressing.

undoubtedly a great talent, but who cares.

a great artist needs more than technique and talent.. otherwise the world would be full of great interpreters... which seemingly isn't the case.

[Waldszenen]

I'd give Kissin a 3/10 on a good day...

[steve jones]

Greetings.

How do trolls smell?

Like the dude who started this thread... kind of nutty!

Seriously...

I do like Kissin. His technical mastery is impressive, and I do like watching him play. The mad hair and the head bobbing all totally works for me! His Chopin 3rd Sonata is one of my favorite recordings.

But I cant help but feel that this thread was set up to be a flame fest, as VERY few people I know hold Kissin in that kind of esteem...

SJ

[maxy]

come on.... look at the post count...

it's a troll, let this topic die.   

[tds]

kissin' is ...rhoamandic 

[Kassaa]

pfft! Listen to his Live Beethoven sonatas and you'll change you're mind!
I know he can have a superoir technique but it's not always on display!

I got's to say this is a gutsy topic for his second post - going to cause many an argument

Some late recordings like the authorised recording set are indeed technically (imo also musically) weaker than other, like it sounds he has problems with the broken chords on the first page of Op. 110. But this is obviously because he's older. When you hear his Hammerklavier fugue from the Richter in Prague set you'll change your mind .

[nisa]

Kissin is good pianist but not a great one and never will be . His performance never give you any informations ,like he is still on his 18's .

[kempff1234]

Why are we comparing Kissin with such giants such as Rubinstein, Horowitz, Richter, Gilels,... . He is no where near them. Yes he is quite magnificent but common'....

[mikey6]

Some late recordings like the authorised recording set are indeed technically (imo also musically) weaker than other, like it sounds he has problems with the broken chords on the first page of Op. 110. But this is obviously because he's older. When you hear his Hammerklavier fugue from the Richter in Prague set you'll change your mind .

I know, I've heard enough og his other stuff to think his technique is/was amazing, but as I said it varies - I'm not exactly sure whether it age or not coz it's winter wind etude from late in his lfe is one of the most ferocious things I've heard.

[opus10no2]

I must dissagree. Alkan is difficult, but Rach3 is a far bigger challenge. Musically, and technicaly.

I believe any proffessional player could play Alkan. But in my opinion there is better music out there. I think pianists are attracted to it's pianistic side, because lets be honest, the music aint that great.

No.

[jakev2.0]

Ahh, comme...we'll disagree on everything but Alkan. 

[franzliszt2]

But you just need a good technique to play Alkan. , I believe Rach 3 to be more difficult, but I suppose it is just my technique is more suited to Alkan.

[jakev2.0]

But you just need a good technique to play Alkan.

You could say the same for anything. If a pianist plays anything "technically" perfectly, the result is still boring assuming there is no input on the part of the composer.  Hamelin's Alkan Symphony for Hyperion is note perfect, but is dead boring compared to Petri.

EDIT: just to get jre off my back, heh, in fairness to Hamelin, Petri is the only one who does  a GREAT job interpreting the Symphony (out of Smith, Lewenthal, Gibbos, Hamelin)...

[franzliszt2]

Yeh, but I think there is a lot more music in Rach3. Although I do love the Alkan symphony, and concerto, and most other Alkan, the technical problems repeat themselves. Rach3 has a much wider range of difficulties.

[jakev2.0]

Whatever.

[Mozartian]

How can someone with such inartistic hair be the greatest pianist ever? Psht! It's not possible!

-moz
*solid believer in the greatness of Fiorentino, Kapell, Lipatti, Michelangeli, Gilels, Gould...*

[kaiwin]

Personally, I don't like him... especially his performance of Scriabin's Etude... absolutely unmusical and horrible... too fast to feel the passion....

[jre58591]

this topic should just be deleted.

[soliloquy]

Volodos, Horowitz, Arrau, Schnabel are nothing. Kissin is the supreme pianist. Some of you are gonna disagree but you know in your conciense that I say the truth.

I, nor do any of the other members of this forum, have a consciense.


Musicality: Marc-Andre Hamelin, Ivan Pogolerich, Rudolf Serkin, Mikhail Pletnev
Technique: Yuji Takahashi, Jonathan Powell, Ian Pace, Nicholas Hodges


Kissin has to have the single most immature sound of any pianist I have ever heard; even more so than Lang Lang.

[steinwaymodeld]

Yeh, but I think there is a lot more music in Rach3. Although I do love the Alkan symphony, and concerto, and most other Alkan, the technical problems repeat themselves. Rach3 has a much wider range of difficulties.

Alkan's concerto, symphony are ETUUUUUUUUUDEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSs.... decided for the TECHNICAL ISSUES that SUPPOSE TO REPEAT THEMSELVE IN PATTERN. TO have pianist familiar with THAT PARTICULAR TECHNIQUE!!!

Rach3 is a concerto, with motif and development and none of the structural restriction.

Do i have to repeat myself and yell into your ear one more time?

[bflatminor24]

I, nor do any of the other members of this forum, have a consciense.


Musicality: Marc-Andre Hamelin, Ivan Pogolerich, Rudolf Serkin, Mikhail Pletnev
Technique: Yuji Takahashi, Jonathan Powell, Ian Pace, Nicholas Hodges


Kissin has to have the single most immature sound of any pianist I have ever heard; even more so than Lang Lang.

I agree. I would not, however, dismiss Hamelin's technique. I would add Pollini for Technique and Ohlsson for Musicality.

~Max~

[andyd]

Horowitz, Rubinstein, Rachmaninov, Toscanini, Stravinsky and others all pretty much agreed on who was the greatest pianist; 
and if they were alive today, it still wouldn't be Kissin, however well he can play and interpret other people's classical compositions.  It takes more than that to be the greatest.


My 2c

A

[franzliszt2]

Alkan's concerto, symphony are ETUUUUUUUUUDEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSs.... decided for the TECHNICAL ISSUES that SUPPOSE TO REPEAT THEMSELVE IN PATTERN. TO have pianist familiar with THAT PARTICULAR TECHNIQUE!!!

Rach3 is a concerto, with motif and development and none of the structural restriction.

Do i have to repeat myself and yell into your ear one more time?
Posted on: December 07, 2006

I don't get what your trying to say. So could you please yell in my ear a little louder?

I am fully aware of the fact that the Alkan concerto and symphony are essentially etudes, but I think they are vastly different to most puiano etudes. They are notthing like Chopin or Liszt etudes, as all of those can be given a specific technical aim. The Alkan symphony and concerto don't seem to play on any specific technique, they include a LOT of different techiques. There are loads of pieces of music that have ben called "etudes" but are actually not really etudes if you just listen... for example Brahms Paganini Variations, Alkan Festin de estope, symphony, concerto. If I was to hear them without knowing the name, I would not say etude.

Also...regarding your comment abut Rach 3 and motif development. The symphony 1st movement I believe has a development section, am I correct? As does the concerto. I think that the symphony and concerto are amazing pieces of music, but in MY OPINION (I am not stating a fact before people start trying to prove me wrong...I am entitled to an opinion) I think that Rach 3 is a much better piece of music.

Also, one last thing.......Rach 3 is a concerto.....so is the Alkan CONCERTO for solo piano.

[steinway43]

I think he plays beautifully....at times. Some of his recordings are wonderful and others leave me flat. But, as someone else said here, it's impossible to pick one person and call them the best. There are great performances and great recordings by various people.


 

[Derek]

Kissin talks funny.

[kevin2006]

what do you think of Lang Lang?

[pianowelsh]

Kissen is a fantastic artist BUT i dont think to compare artists in this way is possible or helpfull. We always think the new outstanding talent of our era is the best ever - thats life. They did the same for Schnabel and Horowitz etc. 50 years from now they'll be doing it for someone else and saying Kissen dosent hold up to'...........' fashions change, celebrity comes and goes.

[opus10no2]

Fashions don't changes.

Times change.

[webern78]

I'd give Kissin a 3/10 on a good day...

[webern78]

what do you think of Lang Lang?

I'd give Lang Lang a 1/10 on a good day... 

[franzliszt2]

I'm going to see Kissin in a few weeks 

[imbetter]

I'd give Lang Lang a 1/10 on a good day... 

seconded.

Lang Lang may not be the best pro pianist IMO but he's a really nice/likable guy. Read or watch some interviews with him

[webern78]

^ Nice guy? Why, because he smiles a lot and appears to be 'down to earth'? He looks like a complete attention seeking phony to me...