Idil Biret

[colette]

Has anybody notice what a poor artist Idil Biret is? Though, she seems to be doing quite well for herself. Generally, for me her piano playing dose not generate a rapturing atmosphere and she seems to have little grasp of tempo and dynamics in her interpretations. Her recording of Rachmaninov's C# minor prelude is a shining example, and just listen to the uneveness of her right-hand cromatic playing in Chopins Op.10 No.2 Study.

[pseudopianist]

Has anybody notice what a poor artist Idil Biret is? Though, she seems to be doing quite well for herself. Generally, for me her piano playing dose not generate a rapturing atmosphere and she seems to have little grasp of tempo and dynamics in her interpretations. Her recording of Rachmaninov's C# minor prelude is a shining example, and just listen to the uneveness of her right-hand cromatic playing in Chopins Op.10 No.2 Study.

No no no... Idil Biret is my all time favorite pianist. Her playing really moves me like no others. I feel in love with her playing about a year ago... I can't stop listening to her. I just love her playing soooooooo freaking much. :p

She isn't that technical, she really screwed up some of the Chopin etudes (esp Op10. no1) but still... her´playing moves me so much that I can't be bothered by her "lack" of techniqe (sp?)

My 2 cents.

[allchopin]

She has a decent Paganini #2 ...

[Spatula]

I absolutely have no clue why she bothered with the Rach 2 lest the Rach 3.  They sound like crappy stuff

[Tash]

i have an awful lot of her recordings for some reason. i have nothing against her but i like others better. yeah i found her rach c# prelude a bit wacked in the middle section

[pianojems]

I don't see the problem with Idil Beret. I personally love her playing. She is not so overratated like some other pianists. Ok show us something new. She does'n sound like other "dry" pianists. I personally would much rather listen to her Chopin etudes than Pollini's which are dry and tastless. Its also to great to see that some people are not perfect. How many of us are even close to as good as her.?This is why not many of us are concert pianists..because of people judging every little imperfection. I don't think perfect exists.. its just a matter of taste!

[donjuan]

I have her recording of Liszt's piano transcription of Berlioz's Symphony Fantastique.  Really, quite fine work.
donjuan

[Tash]

hmmm i agree with pianojems aghh we all need to stop criticising others (myself included)! they can play the piano and make a living out of it so that's something. they obviously love what they're doing and that's all that matters in the end

[pianojems]

Thanks for your support tash!

[rafant]

I have some of her Chopin's records for Naxos. I enjoy them very much, specially her version of the Preludes, which I consider a model for my own playing. I feel big respect for her and, if looking for a record of any piece, and find it played by her, I'd buy it pleased. I haven't found neither carelessness nor bad taste in her records, on the contrary.
We're fortunate that there are so many ways of interpreting the piano repertory. One often discover a way of playing a piece, which is not bad, but different, equally valid and with its own merit. Surely our appreciation of an artist's playing is influenced by our own's current stage in our listeners development. Things we used to like in the past, today are not worth to us, and viceversa. So, I hope that before expressing a hard judgement about a pianist's qualities, every effort was made in penetrating what the interpreter attempted to communicate.
Finally I'd think there are no poor artists at all. If someone deserves be called artist is because is very good.

[liszmaninopin]

Idil Biret is an outstanding artist, in my opinion.  It's true, that she is not my favorite in alot of stuff.  But, she has an insanely huge repertoire, and plays it all at a recording level.  I can only think of a couple of other pianists in the world with a comparable repertoire of pieces.  

[Magnus]

No one is perfect. I dont't have a problem with her recordings. The technic is not her best side and sometimes I think she has a strange way to play it. I feel that makes it more interesting to listen them.  To discuss how any pianist play the pieces is like to discuss wich colour is the best. We all see/hear diffrent.  

[chromatickler]

just listen to the uneveness of her right-hand cromatic playing in Chopins Op.10 No.2 Study.

If you thought she butchered some straightforward chromatique scales there, then i'm guessing you can't play it better youself. On the other hand, we do have people like Rudenko clocking in at one minute flat on that piece.

[Rob47]

op.10#2 in 1 minute?  

who's Rudenko?

[chromatickler]

Seek out the mysterious SDC. You shall find your answers there.  

[super_ardua]

Seek out the mysterious SDC. You shall find your answers there.  

lol

[bflatminor24]

You guys are a bunch of *** pussies. Yeah, in the end it doesn't matter what we think because she makes money and loves playing piano. Woohoo.

But that doesn't lend itself to a discussion, right? Why debate anything at all? Everything happens anyway, what difference does it make if we talk about it? That's the logical conclusion drawn from everything I've read. Wow guys, way to lead a discussion...don't criticize because YOU can't do as well as she!

Since when do you have to be able to do a better job to criticize? That's ridiculous. You think music critics can play music better than the musicians? Of course not! That doesn't invalidate their opinion!

You argue that there is no perfection, so we should dismiss all levels of quality, because none of them are perfect? What kind of illogic is that? That's horseshit. Yeah nobody is perfect, but there are shades of grey, and some are a lot better than others.

Horowitz wasn't perfect, and neither am I, so I guess if you compare me to Horowitz, it's just a matter of taste, right? Pussies.

There is nothing wrong with criticizing someone's style or lack of technique. After all it's only a discussion, this is all inconsequential ANYWAY. That being said, I think Biret plays too slow and too romantically, her interpretations are not as carefully thought out as others, say Ashkenazy, or Hamelin. I don't think she comes close to their calibur of playing. I like some of her Brahms playing because Brahms should be played more slowly since it's very brainy, intellectual music and doesn't demand speed-demon virtuosity like Rachmaninoff and Liszt.

I don't like her style overall, and she lacks technique. If you want good recordings, resort to Richter, Michelangeli, Gilels, Hamelin, Ashkenazy, Perahia, Arrau, Rubinstein, Goode, Wild, and other pianists with a much more formidable technique and superior interpretative style.

[thaicheow]

I feel a strong repulsion against any criticism on Idil Biret.

Sorry to say that. I have been listening to her music ever since my tertiary in engineering. I remebered how I hate doing engineering, but no choice as it was my parents' wish. I felt so tense and pressurised in my last year, as I was struggling for my Final Year Project.

I listened to idil's playing on chopin, almost everyday, to seek console. At that time, Naxos still open their recording online for full listening, free of charge.

I went to listen to her live in 2004 Singapore Piano Festival. I have to admit hers wasnt the best among all the pianists who came that year. But her rendition on Chopin's Fantasy Impromtu almost brought me to tears. I waited patiently after the concert, to seek her autograph and express my gratitude to her. I shook her hands, and my gosh, what a small hands she had and I keep wondering how does she play big work like Rach, Brahms, Chopin, Listz etc.

I have to admit her playing is not technically superb, compare to some Warsaw winners (like Martha, or Polini), but I have to say, her playing has the touch, the sense of a HUMAN playing.  Polini's playing is too clean, too crisp, overwhelmingly precise, like a rendition from a machine. Strange is that, later, I find out that the same comment has been given to Wilhem Kepff, one of idil's mentor.

Idil definitely deserves some credit, even not in quality, but in the quantity. She finish all piano repertoire by Chopin, and many more.

Idil is always my idol, no matter what critics say against her. To me, she has meant a lot to me, as she has showed me what a great thing one can achieve with great determination. Please spare her. If there is any of her life performance that I can reach in distance, I will be the first to buy the ticket. Anyway, her current recital in Carnergie hall was full house.