I bought his DVD at the weekend. Performs live at the Theatre de champs elysee Beethoven Op 14 no 1&2, & Pastoral sonatas, Komitas dances, Prokofiev sonata 7 and 4!! encores.He is up there with my best artists ever ( with Maria Jao Pires). Ive never seen such control and perfection and range of sound as I have as this - even my friend who knows nothing about piano said (unprompted) he makes the piano sing - I was glued to the screen!Forget your flashy pianists listen and learn from an true artist! Pires also has one of the greatest sounds and singing tone Ive heard. Speed does nothing for me. Sound and artistry is everything!
which flashy pianists are you refering to?I get sick of musicality sacrificed for speed and the "macho" audiences being so impressed by it as if thats what makes it god-like!I have heard Martha Argerich play things way too fast (although her Tchaikovsy P.Concerto is the best Ive heard), Im not impressed with pure technicians (hamelin and volodos are exceptions), but Im mainly talking about child prodigies Ive heard making their way up but falling at hurdles because of their lack of artistry. I hate Jeno Jando who does everything and nothing particularly well - hes all over the naxos recordings! Gavrilov is another!
gavrilov is one of the greatest pianists of the last 50 years!the fact that he often plays fast does not inherently mean he lacks musicality
I heard Sokolov live over 10 years ago at the University of Michigan. He was a last minute replacement for Pollini who could not perform. Of course we were all disappointed. We were expecting Pollini!!!We that in mind we sat through the Sokolov recital. I remember he performed the Haydn Sonata in C Major, the Liszt Sonata and then the Schumann Fantasy. A good performance, but certainly not Pollini.I did however remember the encore. He tossed off the Chopin Etude Op.10 No.1. This was the fastest performance of this etude I have ever heard to this day.It is sad to say that I only remember the encore.
Erm.. I do like tempo (Marc Andre Hamelin for example) but not for the sake of ego or for "I need to do another recording to pay the bills!" complacency. It has to have a musical meaning. Jeno Jando is boring musically ( I have some Liszt - legend no.2 and others and heard just about everything hes done on naxos website although I could never hear all the way through before getting REALLY bored. There was one thing he did I liked but obviously its not very memorable because I cant remember what it was!). But I can see we are not going to agree.
gavrilov actually is bad now compared to what he was
which flashy pianists are you refering to? I hate Jeno Jando who does everything and nothing particularly well - hes all over the naxos recordings! Gavrilov is another!
Gavrilov is a great pianist.The only bad thing about him IMO is that you don't like him.This is called "prejudice".
well its whats know as 'personal taste', BUT when he attacks gavrilov's musical intentions and seriousness it gets ugly.but i guess he actually isnt that serious a guy if he does drugs, but he undoubtedly has a great passion for music, it comes over when i hear him speak about music.
To the lucky person who has his Hammerklavier, you're in possession of one of the finest performances of that work. No one in my experience has clarified the final fugue so marvelously.
Well, he was young, and he took risks and he lost.He is clean now.I almost cried when i listened to him play Bach on the BBC DVD.
I'm not arguing with you but did you hear Gilels version. I find that to be one of the best Hammerklavier's.
why?it was that moving?i own that DVD, which parts moved you?
as far as I know he has never performed the Schumann Fantaisie...
sorry but you must be confused. Sokolov does not play Liszt because he does not like him, and as far as I know he has never performed the Schumann Fantaisie. Haydn did not enter his repertoire until the late '90s too. Perhaps it was another pianist?
Topic: Grigory Solokov 