Classical Music for Aficionados

I used to really like Gavrilov ,I have the two cd copy of his and Richters Handel keyboard suites. Why does R ichter start the Harmonious Blacksmith Variations with such a long note ? I find it most unsettling. I am going to linvestigate Ekaterina Derzhavina today so thanks apdxyk I shall let you know how I get on. I am into the second week of my take up of Idagio and I have to say that i am really enjoying it and I don't miss the fact that it is only CD playback. I find their playback very fullsome sounding but do miss the abillity to fine tune playback the way Qobuz does but if it is a recocording I like and want a hard copy of I can then record the music stream using Sound Tap and then put the recording into Sound Forge and edit it as I please.

thank you apd
just downloaded and now listening to Ekaterina Derzhavina
Haydn piano sonatas 9 cds
Somehow I had never heard of her

Gavrilov is one my favorites, his old recordings
(Rachmaninoff, Ravel, Schubert, Handel, Prokofiev, Schumann, Shostakovich, Bach , Balakirev, Scriabin, Tchaikovsky)
as well as his newer (esp Chopin nocturnes)
another USSR musician saga!

jim204, Richter lived in the West for over 30 years, he just hated recording process, he was an accomplished theatre man. I was fortunate to be at his recitals a few times and it was out of this world. I keep coming back listening to him and discovering more and more, especially in his late, ’simple’ and ’cold’ performances. His counterpoint playing is like a Gothic cathedral: there are so many storeys and layers hidden underneath his simplicity. He played a piano as if it were an organ - a true klavir player. You can also give Andrey Gavrilov and Ekaterina Derzhavina a listen. Gavrilov was a kid, when Richter proclaimed to be his student, not the other way around. Ms Derzhavina is a true musicians’ musician, a musician from a heavenly ensemble - she is up there with Richter, but went her own way.
Here is Odessa Opera:
https://ariananadia.livejournal.com/835328.html
(you don’t need to understand the nonsense she wrote, pictures are great)A grandfather of mine was singing there when Richter was active in Odessa Opera.

yes indeed jim
What a saga
From his teenage job accompanying the Odessa opera rehearsals
to the death of his father (father was german, was warned to leave, but his mother was too attached to her lover, so dad stayed and was arrested, executed - while Sv. was in Moscow studying with Neuhaus)
to his long hibernation in USSR (allowed out once to play at UN)
and his final world wide recognition when he was finally allowed out
in 1960 at age 45.

I hear rhythms within rhythms where other pianists are struggling to keep up.

Do you have the Richter in Hungary (1954-93) set of 14 cds?
Have you seen Bruno Monsaingeon's 1998 documentary, “Richter the Enigma"?
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=richter+the+enigma

Compilation of his recordings here:
http://www.doremi.com/sr.html

JC   That was a very interesting article about Richter you posted , he was a very cultured man. As for his pianism although he was a stupendous pianist the recordings that were released were really poor and didn't really do justice to him. I really admired him but could find his playing rather cold. Regarding his recordings I am reminded of the quote that was said about Busoni when he was doing some early acoustic recordings . When he had finished recording they played back one of the masters to let everyone hear this scratchy hissy horrible sound when one soul said "that sounds nothing like him" and another "said no wonder how can you put the Atlantic ocean in a bottle and stopper it". That's exactly how I thought of Richter if he had been in the west just think what we could have had. 

Nina Dorliac on Richter:
When he sat on the jury at the first International Tchaikovsky Competition, he immediately singled out Van Cliburn as having no rival among the other contestants. He gave Cliburn the highest mark and zeros for the others. Then he changed his mind. It wasn't very nice to give them zeros. 
lots more here:
http://sviatoslavrichter.blogspot.com/2011/04/nina-dorliac-i-met-richter-at.html

Ah yes, much to enjoy. Another excellent set and one that offers some serious alternatives to some of the more popular Rachmaninoff recordings. I consider these performances as more introverted which are to me often more attractive. FWIW I only have Shelley's performances to compare to most of these .

 However, in the Preludes especially, I really do prefer something more high powered, such as Ashkenazy's, Shelley's, and for something really over the top, Hayroudinoff  (You've really got to hear that one!)

and Artur Pizzaro, Rachmaninoff Complete Piano Works
7 cds, exquisite

now listening
Tchaikovsky Piano Recital, Sviatoslav Richter (1983) RRC 1093
the master

Pletnev is one of the best around.  Not a bad conductor as well.
A little unorthodox, but a fine conductor nonetheless.

yes, Pletnev's Schuman is a gem
yes, Argerich is superb
and I have a recording of them playing together
Prokofiev Cinderella Suite
Ravel Ma Mere l'Oye  (Mother Goose)

I love Pletnev's playing of The Seasons , that is my reference but have any of you ever listened to his Schumann. I love him playing Etudes Symphonique and his Fantasy in C major, I find his tone much more pleasing than most of the others with the exception of Arrau, in the last movement of the Fantasy his tone is orgiastic. Sorry for that but it is the only word I can come up with that tells the story of how I hear it. 
Now come on guys I have been reading about all these female pianists and no-one has mentioned the blindingly obvious, Martha Argerich. She certainly deserves a mention as she is now in her late seventies and she can still set the keyboard on fire, what about Gaspard, Scarlatti the D Minor Sonata  .Now I will give you all what you are saying of Buniatishvili's playing which is spellbinding at times . Her Pictures is breathtaking in some of the movements and likewise her Liszt , have yet to hear another woman play as tenderly and also as fiery as she can. She reminds me of the young Argerich , perhaps she will take over her mantle when she settles down an bit.

jcazador, Same with me. I have his 'Seasons' and '6 Pieces' on Virgin Classics, and '18 Pieces' on DG.

 Something I've had a long time I've always enjoyed is an MMG CD with Richter playing excerpts from the 'Seasons' as well as excerpts from Rachmaninov's Etudes-Tableaux. 

In case some one doesn't care for Pletnev, I can also recommend Antonin Kubalek's "Seasons' on Dorian and Ashkenazy's on Decca. 

The "Seasons' is so good it is really hard to go wrong. :-)

ftm
my favorite Tchaikovsky player is Pletnev.

thanks newbee, that is 11 hours!
i have been listening to Vladmir Feltsman, A Tribute to Tchaikovsky,
but it is only an hour!
I also like the old Gary Graffman recordings

Here is something for the adventurous and or completest collector of Tchaikovsky's music for solo piano.

 "Complete works for solo piano" performed by Valentina Lisitsa  on a new Decca issue. A 10 CD set for $32 on Anazon. Most of this is music I've never heard at all or in this form (except for the most common ones). Interesting at worst and some (so far) is quite good. Good recording quality and certainly worth having. It will really take a long time for me to get thru it all in any meaningful way.

Ginette Doyen, as good as it ever got
Listening to her Mendelssohn Song Without Words
Also recommend her complete Faure and her French Piano School
(Indy, Magnard, Severac, Causson, Ropartz, Roussel)
Still looking for her Chopin Ballades, Saint-Saens and Chabrier
can be heard here:
https://www.forte-piano-pianissimo.com/Ginette-Doyen.html

ei001h, "...other notables", you might like Louis Lorties' version of Petrushka on a Chandos CD, which includes an excellent 'LaValse'.  I have not heard Buniatishvili's version, but IMHO Lorties' version is in the  'Pollini class'. But then I really do like Lorties' work in general, and particularly in Chopin and Liszt. YMMV.

I believe that Buniatishvili, as she matures and gains more control, has the makings of a great pianist. Very imaginative and expressive with a truly explosive technique.

jim and jcazador

Take a listen 3 movements of Petrushka by Khatia Buniatishvili new CD Kalkeidoscope. Not many pianists attempt this piece. Pollini was the first version I heard and in my mind is the reference. But I was also moved by Khatias playing. She has an interesting interpretation of Pictures at an Exhibition here as well. Anyone know other notable recordings of petrushka? 

True rv , you could argue as to whether  Hewitt or Gould is the best player
ever to come out of  Canada , but no doubt she is the greatest living one .
She will be at 92nd Y on May 14h .

I have 3 different publications of the same Petrouchka recording by Pollini.
The original DG, the 13 cd compilation, and the Great Pianists of 20th Century.
I also have Gilels' recording, which is magnificent.
And Weissenberg.
And Marcelle Meyer.
All these recordings are wonderful.

I had that recording of Petrouchka on an LP many years ago (think I still have it.)
Astounding performance. Really captures the spirit of the original orchestration.

yes yes
I have the Pollini Stravinsky "petrushka" as part of a 13 cd set from GD
and I love Angela Hewitt's Couperin (3 cds on hyperion), her Chabrier, Faure, Debussy, Chopin, Liszt, Beethoven, Handel & Haydn
and she plays well with others too

Just been browsing on Idagio and came across a compilation entitled The Art of Maurizio Pollini and the first three tracks are Stravinsky's Three Movements from Petrushka. I have never heard them played so well and they are generally avoided by pianists as they are so fiendishly difficult, Mr Pollini ate them up and swallowed them whole. It was worth the subscription to Idagio for them alone as I was stunned by the playing. I have only ever been to see Pollini perform once and it was in the seventies at City Halls Candleriggs in Glasgow. I even remember the program as it was so special because he directed from the piano Mozart's Piano Concerto no 24 and he conducted Beethoven's Symphony no 4. I don't think he has conducted since but I say he made a really good job of it. One thing that did strike me was he had the most beautiful hands that I have ever seen on a pianist. They were so long and thin and his stretch was enormous , some of his octaves were with thumb and ring finger without the slightest strain. I would hunt them out if I were you and I assure you will not be disappointed . Other stuff in the compilation are wonderful renditions of Chopin's Opus 25 Etudes and also a virtuosic Beethovens - Piano Sonata in C Minor Op.111.

She is wonderful with almost anything!

+ for Angela Hewitt , she is fantastic with Bach .

I also love Angela Hewitt, especially her Bach.
A worthy successor to Gould's Canadian crown.
Playing this week in Vienna!

JC   I heartily agree with your sentiments regarding Gould, I too favour Koroliov in Bach especially his Goldbergs which are the equal of Gould's technically and outshine Gould on a spiritual level. I urge anyone who has not heard them to seek them out.

Re Gould and Richter
There are so many recordings of Richter, and of course some are better than others technically.  But the good recordings establish Richter in my mind as the premier pianist of his era.
I heard a recital by a man originally from Czechoslovakia, born a jew and became a usa citizen and born again christian.  He said he had heard Richter 20 times, from his debut at Carnegie Hall to his concertizing across France.  He thought Richter the best pianist ever.
And yes, Richter preferred live concerts, especially in the days when he was not allowed out of USSR (except for UN dedication ceremony).  He drove around eastern europe with Yamaha van following, and set up wherever he found a nice church to play, gave a free concert for the locals.  I appreciate his absence of histrionics, often lighting a few candles and dimming the lights so that audience would not be distracted from the music.
Glenn Gould was certainly a great talent, senseless to dispute that.
But I find some of his recordings deficient - his humming along is a distraction that my teacher warned me against.  Also, some of his recordings were simply poorly prepared with inadequate preparation, eg his duets with Yehudi Menuhin.
But yes, Gould did produce some memorable recordings.
However, I have been listening to Evgeni Koroliov this weekend, and prefer his Bach and Mozart to any of Gould's recordings.

Yes, it’s really possible to get a bad seat at Carnegie Hall. And I got them!

Bimasta,

Like you, I saw Richter live once, and Glenn Gould as well, at Carnegie Hall.
Unfortunately, I had such bad seats in both cases, I couldn’t really hear too well, and really missed a great experience from these masters.

Just "discovered" Vladimir Viardo
he was not allowed outside USSR until Gorbachev
then he went to Texas
check out this youtube compilation:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFmEBtLQk1s&list=PLB_VhZSvJ9Clb9b-5_6NmZSNCEEPr7dNB

Been listening to
Dang Thai Son
very nice, lots of Chopin on youtube, also some Rachmaninoff
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1YIgziL7mU

Scharwenka #1.  Some really extraordinary pianism from Hamelin, especially in the third movement.  I'm really surprised that these 4 are not more popular.

@jc     Hi JC, Yes the Decca recording you have is the one I was talking about and you can tell from his playing that he had a rare pedigree with
beautiful filigree playing of those transcriptions. He knew so many of the old school players like Rachmaninov and Hoffman and picked up a lot of things on the way.  

Jim
re Bolet, Schubert Song Transcriptions
I have a collection of 9cds by Bolet, on Decca
"Liszt, The Piano Works"
and cd2 includes the Schubert Song Transcriptions + Wanderer Fantasie
I have no idea if this is the same recording you mention
but I love it

glad you liked it Jim
yes, Berman got taken out of international circulation for years
i read that it was because he married a french woman
Eventually he was allowed to move to Italy

I think it was Ashkenazy that first broke out of USSR control, gradually, by first moving to Greenland with permission

@jcazador     J, Thanks so much for the link for Berman's video it was a revelation to me. Have you seen the virtuosity he exhibits in works like the Mephisto Waltz the fingers were flying on those double octaves and chords.  It is a crying shame that he never got a chance to really shine.
Catalogue No: 4145752
Label: Decca
That is the catalogue no of the Jorge Bolet recording from Presto Downloads so as anyone can listen to Bolet  with his renderings of the Schubert / Liszt Songs. Definitely worth a listen

just found this video of Lazar Berman
quote
Lazar Berman playing 6 Schubert-Liszt songs,
Liszt's Mephisto Waltz,
Sonetto 104 del Petrarca,
Chapelle de Guillaume Tell,
Nuages gris,
and de Falla's Ritual Fire Dance,
live in Moscow on 11 June 1981. I think this is a magnificent recital.
 Лазарь Берман - Франц Шуберт - Ференц Лист - Мануэль де Фалья
endquote
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0C4SOb_gA2M

Scharwenka anyone?  Excellent!  Everything you want in a 19C concerto. Drama, emotion, virtuosity, etc.  Currently on #2, shares disc with #3.  Then on to 1 and 4 on Hyperion.

JC
I would love you to send me that link thank you.

jim
re Liszt/Schubert Song transcriptions
my favorite rendition is Lazar Berman
i have it on an old Discover International label
along with Schubert Sonata D 960 (discussed earlier)
and his interpretation of Rachmaninoff interpreting Rubinstein's
transcription of Beethoven's Marche Turque
I can send you a link if you like.

Happy International Women’s Day all .
Remember Amy Beach , one of the greatest American composers regardless of gender .

Everything she wrote is a joy to listen to , a favorite of mine " Gaelic Symphony " + "Piano Concerto" on Naxos is/ Schermerhorn / Nashville Sym .
Her many chamber pieces are beautiful as well.

Truly one of the greats!

Another controversial pianist besides Nyiregyházi, but in a completely different way, is Glenn Gould, one of my idols. Sheer genius to my mind.  And a technique to match ANYONE!
Just listening to his recording of the late Beethoven sonatas recorded in 1956 when he was just starting out. Despite some idiosyncrasies, he gets to the heart of the music even at such a young age.  Intellectually probing, intensely emotional with incredible technical execution.