I'm crazily deeply madly in love with Valentina Lisitsa

[j_menz]

I hope you are also a part of the intelligent population who knows that the metric system is the only logical way of measuring things.

I prefer hexametric.  Unless you're meting out iambic feet, when obviously pentametrically is the option of choice.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

One...  More...  Day...

And I can finally afford her Paganini variations!

I like ate everyone's leftover food.

[chopin2015]

One...  More...  Day...

And I can finally afford her Paganini variations!

I like ate everyone's leftover food.

I have totally done that before!

[ahinton]

Indeed, and he has a bus pass to prove it.

I possess no bus pass to prove or disprove anything and there are in any case no buses in my vicinity.

Best,

Alistair

[rachmaninoff_forever]

oH MY GOD YESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I haven't listened to it yet, but I know it's gonna be kickass!!!

I wanna hear her play some of the later ones. 

[lostinidlewonder]

That preview picture in the video looks like shes letting off some wind.

[chopin2015]

How many pedals does that piano have?

[rachmaninoff_forever]

How many pedals does that piano have?

I think three.

The Fazioli has 4 though.

Sooo dreamy...

[chopin2015]

I swear it looked like 5

[rachmaninoff_forever]

I swear it looked like 5

No you're right, it's 5.

I wonder why though.

[chopin2015]

Duuuude

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Oh my god...

SHE'S GONNA BE IN CHICAGO IN JULY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My love for her is burning strong!

[j_menz]

[ahinton]

...or perhaps even "keep calm and carry on", as the phrase goes in UK (and without the underlining, capitals or grossly inflated point size).

Speed bumps on roads are irritating enough, but thread bumps such as this one are things that we really could do without.

I do think that it's time that someone wrote to Alexei Kuznetsov about lisitsa_forever's infatuation with rachmaninoff, or whatever it is...

Best,

Alistair

[bronnestam]

When I see this, I am happy I'm not in your situation.    I know this pianist who is much better than Lisitsa (sorry, but he is) and I am thankful that I don't have to write with 1 dm high letters in a discussion board whenever he is showing up in my neighbourhood. He is going to give me a lesson later this year.     

I hope Lisitsa can do the same for you. Have you asked her, by the way?

[rachmaninoff_forever]

When I see this, I am happy I'm not in your situation.    I know this pianist who is much better than Lisitsa (sorry, but he is) and I am thankful that I don't have to write with 1 dm high letters in a discussion board whenever he is showing up in my neighbourhood. He is going to give me a lesson later this year.     

I hope Lisitsa can do the same for you. Have you asked her, by the way?

Good pianist doesn't always equal good teacher.   

I don't want any lessons from her, my current teacher is already enough.

[ahinton]

Good pianist doesn't always equal good teacher.   

I don't want any lessons from her, my current teacher is already enough.

Fine - but, as I have noted previously, VL is a competent pianist among many so many competent pianists today and her performances simply do not do much for me; she's OK, to be sure - and there are plenty worse - but I just cannot get worked up about anything that I have heard her do so far. Much has been made of her performances of the Rakhmaninov concertos; next to the composer (but also to quite a few other pianists who have played them since he himself did), she just doesn't really figure, to my mind. Sorry. There must be something else about her that gets your juices going but, whatever it may be, it doesn't do it for me. I would seriously be concerned about anyone who would value her account of the Fourth Concerto alongside that of Michelangeli, for example...

Best,

Alistair

[pianoman53]

Best,

Alistair

Well! She makes Schubert sound like Liszt, like no one I've ever heard! And the way she makes Chopin sound like Liszt... and mozart sounds.. like an uninspired Liszt...
...
The irony is that her Liszt sounds like Rachmaninov on drugs...

I have to agree with Mr. Hinton. I've tried to see what people enjoy so much in her... So far I'm quite sure it's not her playing.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Fine - but, as I have noted previously, VL is a competent pianist among many so many competent pianists today and her performances simply do not do much for me; she's OK, to be sure - and there are plenty worse - but I just cannot get worked up about anything that I have heard her do so far. Much has been made of her performances of the Rakhmaninov concertos; next to the composer (but also to quite a few other pianists who have played them since he himself did), she just doesn't really figure, to my mind. Sorry. There must be something else about her that gets your juices going but, whatever it may be, it doesn't do it for me. I would seriously be concerned about anyone who would value her account of the Fourth Concerto alongside that of Michelangeli, for example...

Best,

Alistair

I'm not much of a fan of her rachmaninoff concertos either.  

I was excited when they were coming out, but nah, I'm not about that life.

However, her first piano concerto cadenza is freaking kick ass omg...

[j_menz]

Rakhmaninov

Curious as to why you persist with a rather pretentious transliteration of his name in the face of both convention and the man's own practice.......



 

[ajspiano]

I've tried to see what people enjoy so much in her... So far I'm quite sure it's not her playing.

It's probably the accent. Somewhat alluring for a the average so worldly american teenager?

[rachmaninoff_forever]

It's probably the accent. Somewhat alluring for a the average so worldly american teenager?

Except I actually like her playing...

[austinarg]

Except I actually like her playing...

You like her accents, not her accent.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

You like her accents, not her accent.

Lol

[ajspiano]

Except I actually like her playing...

..or you like her playing because you like her.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

..or you like her playing because you like her.

Nah, other way around bro.

[ajspiano]

Nah, other way around bro.

I'm just messing with you anyway..

But be warned its surprisingly easy to confuse such things.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Fine - but, as I have noted previously, VL is a competent pianist among many so many competent pianists today and her performances simply do not do much for me; she's OK, to be sure - and there are plenty worse - but I just cannot get worked up about anything that I have heard her do so far. Much has been made of her performances of the Rakhmaninov concertos; next to the composer (but also to quite a few other pianists who have played them since he himself did), she just doesn't really figure, to my mind. Sorry. There must be something else about her that gets your juices going but, whatever it may be, it doesn't do it for me. I would seriously be concerned about anyone who would value her account of the Fourth Concerto alongside that of Michelangeli, for example...

Best,

Alistair

Also...

Rachmaninoff has the worst rendition of his third piano concerto.

It freaking SUCKS!!!

GARBAGE!!!

The lazy bastard didn't care enough to play the whole thing.

Loser...

[ajspiano]

The lazy bastard didn't care enough to play the whole thing.

I would suggest that lazy does not apply to someone who doesnt play the entire rach 3, on account of the fact that someone who does surely falls into the EXCEPTIONALLY hard working category.

I can kind of relate to the idea of not wanting to be bothered technically perfecting my own compositions, I tend to just move on to creating the next idea...   granted rach was probably ( ) more technically proficient than me to begin with though.

[j_menz]

someone who does surely falls into the EXCEPTIONALLY hard working category.

Do we read into that that you've got to the end?

[ajspiano]

Do we read into that that you've got to the end?

You can if you like...

I'm sure I'd have posted it in the AR by now if I could play it with any degree of competency though. I built a bit of a list of "things in prep for sections of the rach 3" .. Which is where most of my focus is at the moment, I'll return to it with some more seriousness in a little while.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

You can if you like...

I'm sure I'd have posted it in the AR by now if I could play it with any degree of competency though. I built a bit of a list of "things in prep for sections of the rach 3" .. Which is where most of my focus is at the moment, I'll return to it with some more seriousness in a little while.

In other words...

You learned it.

Congrats bro.

[ajspiano]

In other words...

You learned it.

Congrats bro.

Your faith in my abilities is a little too generous.

Also, I'm married now, and not to the piano..  plus its the end of june, and I'm self employed. As if I have time to practice.

[j_menz]

plus its the end of june,

Either Melbourne has entered a timewarp or you need to turn your calendar over.

Temporal accuracy aside, I don't see how being June (or not)  affects you ability to play the Rach 3.

[ajspiano]

Either Melbourne has entered a timewarp or you need to turn your calendar over.

Temporal accuracy aside, I don't see how being June (or not)  affects you ability to play the Rach 3.

I've spent most of the last month cleaning up an entire year's record keeping, I've gotten married in may, and since been on a honey moon...

 - limited practice time since about mid way through april.

and the rach 3 if ineffably huge.

[j_menz]

I've spent most of the last month cleaning up an entire years record keeping,

Somehow I'd imagined you as the sort who had photocopies of every transaction, in triplicate, filed and cross referenced on multitudinous factors, digitised, databased and spreadsheeted to the Nth degree.  Marriage must be agreeing with you.

[ajspiano]

Somehow I'd imagined you as the sort who had photocopies of every transaction, in triplicate, filed and cross referenced on multitudinous factors, digitised, databased and spreadsheeted to the Nth degree.  Marriage must be agreeing with you.

hahah, actually I do have pretty much everything in order like that..  but I originally designed my own accounting/invoicing system in MS Access, and I recently decided it was time to use a proper accounting package as this is the first year trading as a pty. ltd. company and now I have to record wages and do PAYG/super and all that kind of stuff, its been a case of re-recording.

[ahinton]

Curious as to why you persist with a rather pretentious transliteration of his name in the face of both convention and the man's own practice.......



 

Old habits die hard, I suppose; there's nothing pretentious about it, though.

Best,

Alistair

[vladimir_gouldowsky]

The fanboy who disparaged the recordings of Rachmaninoff illustrated in that serenely stupid comment that he would be better employed selling cell phones at a mall kiosk than pursuing any career requiring anything so much as correlated with artistic sensibility or soul.

Lisitsa has one of the lowest talent to fame ratios of any classical pianist I know of.   I think her success is the result of a series of brilliant Youtube marketing tricks (flashy, well-produced performance videos, playing on the street corner). She plays everything in the same flat dynamic, with no colour.  It's the most pedestrian, perfunctory playing imaginable. It's like the only purpose of the composition is to aggrandize her phoney-baloney pianist persona.  Utter crap.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

The fanboy who disparaged the recordings of Rachmaninoff illustrated in that serenely stupid comment that he would be better employed selling cell phones at a mall kiosk than pursuing any career requiring anything so much as correlated with artistic sensibility or soul.

 She plays everything in the same flat dynamic,

The reason why I hate Rachmaninoff's rendition of Rach 3 is because he freaking cut out half the concerto!  And on top of that the quality sucks.  So I'm justified.

Oh really is that so?  Well that's an ignorant statement.  Like, I can pull up any video, that's just bullshit.  Oh and I bet you're one of those Lang Lang, Kissin, and Yuja Wang haters who just hate them for their popularity.  I would understand if you don't like her because you think her Mozart sounds like Liszt or something, but to say everything she plays is the same flat dynamic is just stupid.

I should be selling phones at malls huh?  Nah kid, I got a full ride to U of I for piano you stupid punk.

[pianoman53]

So I'm justified.

Oh really is that so?  Well that's an ignorant statement.  Like, I can pull up any video, that's just bullshit.  
...
but to say everything she plays is the same flat dynamic is just stupid.

Naah...
First: You're not justified. Sorry, but to say that Rachmaninov's own recording sucks can't be justified... It's just an ignorant statement, and you can't get away with that.

Second: I don't think you'd become a new youtube-sensation with just Any video. But, the thing is, Lisitsa recorded basically all pieces most people will youtube. She recorded them to a standard where she plays rather few wrong notes. The reason it wouldn't work for you, it's because it's already been done. If you'd do something extra, plus playing that many pieces to the same standard, I'm quite sure you'd be very popular too.

Third: I'm afraid I have to agree with the well articulated (he he) Gouldowsky. Howeer, if you could show me a few examples where she shows the essence of a composer that isn't Rachmaninov or Liszt, I'd be willing to change my mind.

[vladimir_gouldowsky]

I should be selling phones at malls huh?  Nah kid, I got a full ride to U of I for piano you stupid punk.

University of Idiot?

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Naah...
First: You're not justified. Sorry, but to say that Rachmaninov's own recording sucks can't be justified... It's just an ignorant statement, and you can't get away with that.

Second: I don't think you'd become a new youtube-sensation with just Any video. But, the thing is, Lisitsa recorded basically all pieces most people will youtube. She recorded them to a standard where she plays rather few wrong notes. The reason it wouldn't work for you, it's because it's already been done. If you'd do something extra, plus playing that many pieces to the same standard, I'm quite sure you'd be very popular too.

Third: I'm afraid I have to agree with the well articulated (he he) Gouldowsky. Howeer, if you could show me a few examples where she shows the essence of a composer that isn't Rachmaninov or Liszt, I'd be willing to change my mind.

First:  He cuts out like half the entire concerto!  I don't care who it is, if it sucks it sucks.  Just because he's Rachmaninoff doesnt mean that everything he does is great.  I am justified, sorry.  And I can get away with it.  Wanna know why?  Cause its my opinion! 

Second:  I don't care how she became famous and whether or not she deserves her fame, I still like her. 

Third:  Well her Rachmaninoff and Liszt are the main reasons why I like her in the first place.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

University of Idiot?

Good one


Nah, of Illinois boi boi.

Only gotta pay 386 dollars. 

What has your uuuh... Artistry gotten you hmm?

[rachmaninoff_forever]

First:  He cuts out like half the entire concerto!  I don't care who it is, if it sucks it sucks.  Just because he's Rachmaninoff doesnt mean that everything he does is great.  I am justified, sorry.  And I can get away with it.  Wanna know why?  Cause its my opinion!  

Second:  I don't care how she became famous or whether or not she deserves her fame, I still like her.  

Third:  Well her Rachmaninoff and Liszt are the main reasons why I like her in the first place.

what the hell how did this get here?

[pianoman53]

Clever. Good day, sir.

[j_menz]

The fact is Rachmaninoff's own recording of his third concerto is not Rachmaninoff at his best, the recording quality leaves much to be desired and it is a heavily cut version. I wouldn't go quite so far as to say it sucked, but it is not what I would recommend to someone for anything other than study purposes.

Not everything a genius does is unadulterated excellence, and to blindly credit a performance with that which is clearly lacking on the basis of the reputation of the performer is just ridiculous.

[ajspiano]

Having access to the composers own recording certainly gives us some real insight into aspects of his musical conception process, which may allow us to produce a more faithful interpretation. But there is no reason to suggest that a composers performance must be good. Composition can certainly be a separate mental process to performance and a composer may not refine the performance of his own composition.

And since in this case I believe he's quoted as having said horowitz played it the way its meant to be played he may have openly felt that he was not playing it very well. And as always, ideas develop. Bolet's masterclass discusses things such as how rachmaninoffs initial ideas about the solo part's interpretation had to be altered to ensure a successful performance with orchestra.

One might wonder how bolet's understanding relates to the recording by rachmaninoff, whether certain refinements in rachmaninoffs mind came before or after that recording.

[vladimir_gouldowsky]

What has your uuuh... Artistry gotten you hmm?

vag.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

vag.

You should stick to flipping burgers at McDonalds instead of trying to give musical insight scrub...