Evgeny Kissin

[rv]

Some time ago I watched these in awe and with great enjoyment

La Campanella

Liebestraum

Rage over a lost penny

Scriabin Op. 8 No. 12

I'm relatively new to piano and piano music and I don't know much music yet, but I was kind of shocked to read very negative comments about him on youtube.
Kissin's playing is amazing, so clear and perfect. I can understand why people would prefer some other pianists who perhaps play these pieces with a more personal touch, but it is beyond me what people can have against this guy.
Anyway, I'm just curious what is your opinion on this pianist?

[lostinidlewonder]

Afterall opinion is opinion. I think Kissin is very good, however he doesn't seem to get the emotional side of the music very well. He is technically very strong, but often those technical greats miss out on the expressive side. Kissin playing Schumann for instance is pretty weak in my opinion (it is like it always stays on one level), but when he plays technical pieces he is quite strong. Many people consider him a really great great piano student with fantastic practiced up technique. I think he is more than that, but certainly he doesn't fit in the romantic, passionate pianist category, more a sentimental robot. AT least he doesn't try to fake at the emotion like Lang Lang does with his facial and movement gestures !

[somnifer]

His spontaneous dynamic changes still irritate the hell out of me. But they're more tolerable than Lang Lang's banging.

[camstrings]

Kissin's earlier recordings are, I think, quite impressive. His live Carnegie Hall recording is worth hearing: control married to a fine piano sound. Also his live Schumann concerto might make a good impression.
Of the studio recordings, his Liszt Transcendental Studies selection are great. 

[demerzel]

Basically Kissin has the technique to do most anything, but as others have said he often lacks expression. I think that the reader's opinion of him ultimately depends what they want to see in a performance: "Wow, he is really good" versus "wow, I really like the way he captured that piece", where a great performance would ideally combine both of those. I'm not saying that Kissin is a total show-off and lacks all capacity for dynamics, but if he could show more emotion in his music I would probably like him more. Would I go to see him in concert? Maybe.

I haven't watched any of his Liszt interpretations other than La Campanella, and I think that he plays that well. I would rate it above Yundi Li's, because I don't like the way Li played the broken chords, and behind Rubinstein's.

[argerichfan]

I rather like this one: 

Rachmaninov

He almost approaches -but not quite- the great Richter. 

[pianisten1989]

Why, oh why, do you keep saying that he lacks in the emotional parts?!
Emotional doesn't nessesary mean to do huge ritardandos, take time on all notes and stuff like that. It can also be dynamical changes, and some "breaks".

Listen more carfully, and stop have this "well, he played that piece without emotion when he was 12... and everyone else says he lacks of emotion, so he probably do"-thing
Listen to, for example, Rage over a lost penny.
I think he is great, even though I haven't heard a lot of his playing.

[goldentone]

Why, oh why, do you keep saying that he lacks in the emotional parts?!
Emotional doesn't nessesary mean to do huge ritardandos, take time on all notes and stuff like that. It can also be dynamical changes, and some "breaks".

Listen more carfully, and stop have this "well, he played that piece without emotion when he was 12... and everyone else says he lacks of emotion, so he probably do"-thing
Listen to, for example, Rage over a lost penny.
I think he is great, even though I haven't heard a lot of his playing.

Well, to my ears he also is lacking in emotion as Lostinidle expressed.  This isn't based upon hearsay, it's based upon listening.  It is as if Kissin is immersed in the technical beauty that the music itself is lost.  I do enjoy listening to him, but the effect with Kissin seems to leave one simply in awe of his playing rather than being moved by the music. 

[matthaley]

 RV, many people say he's the best living pianist around.. And i am one of them.. his technique is absoulutely flawless, and a lot of his music is played with emotion..( unfortunately people harp on at him for showing little emotion)..  he never over does it.. iv lost count of the number of concerts i was blown away by him..  i saw him play bach toccatta adagio and fugue in c  and glinka's the lark.. mesmerising stuff!!  i witnessed his transcendental etudes and few years back his version of mussorsky's pictures... He gets so many good reviews from concerts,mainly for 1 reason... hes an incredabile pianist. period!!

and i would recoment listening to more of his playing as you clearly recognise how good he is..   valentina lisitsa is up there with him technically( an incredabile pianist)..

If you ever get chance to see Kissin in concert, do it.. it promises an unforgetable experiance.
                                            Matt

 People call him to often, i think because he is too good to be true.

[thierry13]

valentina lisitsa is up there with him technically( an incredabile pianist)..

Valentina is not one of the greats of this world. Nor is her technique all that great.

[franzliszt2]

Personally I like and admire Kissin a lot. I have seen him do some wonderfull things, both in concert and in recordings. Of course, there are some things he does which I don't like, and I suppose I could say they were "unemotional", but only for me, I am sure there are many people are are moved by that performance. It is to broad a thing to say that he is not emotional and only has a great teachnique. His technique is beyond any doubt, amazing, but that does not mean he cannot be musical at the same time.

Basically Kissin has the technique to do most anything, but as others have said he often lacks expression. I think that the reader's opinion of him ultimately depends what they want to see in a performance: "Wow, he is really good" versus "wow, I really like the way he captured that piece", where a great performance would ideally combine both of those. I'm not saying that Kissin is a total show-off and lacks all capacity for dynamics, but if he could show more emotion in his music I would probably like him more. Would I go to see him in concert? Maybe.

I haven't watched any of his Liszt interpretations other than La Campanella, and I think that he plays that well. I would rate it above Yundi Li's, because I don't like the way Li played the broken chords, and behind Rubinstein's.

How does he lack the expression? That is such a vague term. How does one show emotion in a piece of music? I think it has everything to do with talent. You cannot teach anyone to play a piece of music musically. I think Kissin has some amazing recordings out, and when I have seen him play there has always been a moment (or many momets) of something special. I think that to beable to create a single moment like that is a sign he has a great gift. Most pianists in this world will never beable to really move a huge number of people in that way.

I think it is all a matter of taste at the end of the day, but I don't think anyone can argue that he is not a great pianist.

[ptyrrell]

Basically Kissin has the technique to do most anything, but as others have said he often lacks expression. I think that the reader's opinion of him ultimately depends what they want to see in a performance: "Wow, he is really good" versus "wow, I really like the way he captured that piece", where a great performance would ideally combine both of those. I'm not saying that Kissin is a total show-off and lacks all capacity for dynamics, but if he could show more emotion in his music I would probably like him more. Would I go to see him in concert? Maybe.

I haven't watched any of his Liszt interpretations other than La Campanella, and I think that he plays that well. I would rate it above Yundi Li's, because I don't like the way Li played the broken chords, and behind Rubinstein's.

Lang Lang 'Olympian of the piano' says it all.  I did'nt enjoy that cd at all