(Gilels)Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No.1 Mvt III

[jimplank]

This is terrible. Looks and sounds as though Gilels and Metha are miles apart. Look for the old Gilels/Reiner recording. That one is simply awe-inspiring.

[TheLastOfTheFinest80]

For the audience to be impatient and just go wild seconds before the music ends just show how awesome that performance was.

[windstorm1000]

this is too rushed--its sounds like the whole movement were turned from '45' to 78 on a turn table.

[Raveshaw2002]

♥♥♥Gilels, I love this guy!!! ♥♥♥

[mc0558]

WHY THE RUSH!

A great pianist and a mediocre conductor have rubbished this piece. I am sorry that Gillel accepted this interpretation.

It's terrible!

[phipeli1000]

@mc0558 do you know that you're talking to emil gilels and zubin mehta? come on, post a video of you doing better

[phipeli1000]

@mc0558 do you know that you're talking to emil gilels and zubin mehta? come on, post a video of you doing better. may be they play in a hurry for you, but that still doesn't change their perception of the piece

[cubanbach]

@mc0558 Because few others dared to make this piece exciting...that's why.

[hhhunt777]

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[peixotoraul]

manlymuzik please post the second mouvement, it's so beautiful...

[mamiedoudie]

Après le 1er mouvement voici le 3ème je redis comme pour le 1er pour moi le plus beau de tous les concertos, des rythmes lents, des envolées, tu as vu la vitesse d'execution par moments, comme une source qui coule ou un torrent de la montagne; écoute et regarde le final!!!MAGNIFIQUE

[mamiedoudie]

Après le 1er mouvement voici le 3ème je redis comme pour le 1er pour moi le plus beau de tous les concertos, des rythmes lents, des envolées, des moments graves et des moments gais; incredible, incroyable, à écouter, réécouter, déguster, décortiquer, à chaque fois, on re-découvre des passages; le seul problème comme dans tous les concerts, il y a toujours quelqu'un qui tousse; vous avez remarqué?

[UGTownsend]

I like how he bows his head at the end as he finished... :)

[AnAmericanComposer]

I've been so inspired about this piece that I've started writing drill, such as marching drill, just for practice on this piece! Absolutely brilliant! And the story BEHIND this piece is almost as exciting as the song itself!

[inannaur]

IMHO, Gilels managed to coax from the piano the definitive tone and mood for this concerto. They may be other pianists who played the dazzling octaves faster, or seemingly with more emotion, but for me Gilels owned Tchaikovsky 1.

I remember seeing a clip of him playing this concerto outdoor for the soviet army during WW2 ... the stress and tension somehow felt particularly fitting as a backdrop for this piece.

[a6282]

At 5:06, Gilels pounced on it like a lion and swallowed it whole. This is how this part should be played, always. At 6:00 Gilels began to kick Mehta's butt to speed up the tempo. What a finish! One of the best performances of this piece ever!

[intopaganini]

OK, OK, sure Gilels was great. But Lang Lang is, thanks God, not the only pianist today. There are many great young artist: just look at Klavier Ruhr festival! or Hamelin, Hough, Perahia or Argerich... the piano art is still alive!!

[aloroy]

i have been listening to all the great pianists and i must say after considering all, gilels was probably the best

[uhartchristian]

Gilels and Richter were the best russian pianists who did not travel a lot as the political situation in russia did not allow it very often. Otherwise Horowitz and rubinstein would have had to leave space to these two great musicians. What was Horowitz and Rubinstein for the western world were these two for the countries behind the iron curtain...

Let us never forget what separation was there. Times are different now. Hope there will be no other curtain like that in the future....

[Bret6464]

@uhartchristian YES :-) Can not forget Rachmaninoff in the U.S., he was primarily a performer here for 20 years:-) also Van Cliburn, Moiseiwitsch in the West. Never let it be said that Gilels' tempo is too fast. This is absolute perfection! The "young" and other artists people mention here have not been "listening" to Gilels :-) (or to Rach, Richter, Benno, VH, Cliburn)

[uhartchristian]

@Bret6464 Must have been a great experience to hear Rachmaninoff live in concert..... Cliburn won the tchaikovsky competition but then did not make that big career worldwide. Moiseiwitsch is completely unknown to me and I ll have a close look to his recordings...

[Bret6464]

@uhartchristian :-) Cliburn was a national hero, incredibly popular in the U.S. to this day. There are many Moiseiwitsch videos on YT, he was Rachmaninoff's preferred pianist in Russia (later it was Horowitz), before he "went" to London, recorded there, toured mostly in Europe, extraordinary pianist :-)

[uhartchristian]

@Bret6464 yes the 2nd rachmaninoff concerto with moiseiwitsch on on youtube and some eary recordings are really amazing.... He had that nobility of a rubinstein and a real good technique and musicality. Can be seen as one of the best pianists and would have been more known if he would have lived longer.....

[Bret6464]

@uhartchristian Did you listen to BM's Medtner clips and Rach Moment 4? Yes, incredible musicality, tone/color like Rach performing, he had it all.  It's like hearing Cziffra play Lizst on the old records.

[prodesica]

GRANDE.

[SebastienLoong]

A Russian pianist, Indian conductor and an American orchestra - classical music has no bounds.

[bushbar123]

Wat... he's eating gum and playing on same time, respect.

[GBV1961]

Bravo!!!!!!

[PianoBoy308765]

Mehta is not exactly W e i r d. Every conduter has his/her on take. Same w/Pianosits.

PS He plays this concerto than anyone. (my view).

[prodesica]

Che mostro!!!

[viulu11]

Gilels is unparalleled, especially in this performance, but Mehta is a shoemaker of a conductor.

[billyguns2]

I agree; Mehta is not up to his brilliant soloist and the orchestra sounds coarse and ragged under his uninspired direction. Gilels deserved better; listen to his stunning recording with Fritz Reiner, a great conductor.

[rva25]

Van Cliburn in1958 played much much better

[nburton85]

Lol.. Much better in what way!?!?

[Ellinidara]

ahahah...sssssssssst.Please,Gi­lels plays perfectly...!

[rva25]

nobody is gonna dispute that, so don't laugh, please.I just like Cliburn much more- that was real Tchaikovsky!

[Ellinidara]

My laugh is friendly...I respect every opinion..happy new year !

[rva25]

merry christmas!!! great music is always with us!

[Ellinidara]

Thanks:-)) wishing you the same..and happy new year,with health,smiles,and much love around you:-) really.

[rva25]

and more music... happy new year!!!!!

[Grigor99]

Gilels was such a class act and a superb musician. True integrity!

[HwangMyungShin]

Tschaikovsky is a supreme orchestrator, and the balance he makes between the orchestra and the piano is amazing!

[vladimirgligoric]

One of the best performances I have ever heard. Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!

[rolex452]

Mr. Gilels plays the concerto like "second nature" he knows it so well...excellent! You may also want to hear him play the Tchaikovsky Concerto #2 as well! We'll see these guys again when we get to heaven.

[steinwaygrande1]

This was videod six years before his untimely death in 1985 aged 69. Still young in this day and age

[minsubyun]

whatever van ciburn says,

gilels is one of my favorite pianists

i think he plays this concerto better than anyone

[Lonegan63]

Gilels always superb...but Mehta is here very bad conductor. The final of third mvt. is sad...

[HwangMyungShin]

Zubin Mehta rocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[karljeff14]

the sound quality is horrid to an otherwise beautiful performance of this phenomenal concerto.Gilels,as always, wonderful.

[jabsomdoc]

the sound quality may be an artifact of the horrible acoustics Avery Fischer Hall had at the time of this performance. since this performance they've done major renovations to rework the hall. but even now, it's very dry.

[hiercomesthesun]

WHAT A GREAT PIANIST!!!

WHAT A GREAT PERFORMANCE!!!

but the time of the great and REAL pianists and - artists seems to be over; today one can hear on stage, for example, the childish china-circus-boy lang or the average and completely musical tastless franch-girl grimaud...all of them are only the plastic products (and NOTHING MORE!)of our time and the boring and superficial music industry...

what a shame!

i want the real art back!

[Bret6464]

@hiercomesthesun

Yes, I keep coming back to listen to this performance and all the Gilels, Rachmaninoff performing, Horowitz, Richter and Moiseiwitsch clips - thanks to YT :-))

But all is not lost, there are great young pianists today that perform as true artists and with incredible musicality :-)

[leopianotuner]

that "everythingistken1291" can't even spell "hear" correctly so pay no attention to that idiot.

[everythingistken1291]

Van Cliburn said he would rather go to a performance and here someone play music and hit wrong notes than here someone play just the notes.

[Desmonddd2002]

I think the performance is great, It is Gorgeous, but the conductor sucks...lol

[HwangMyungShin]

What do you mean the conductor sucks???? He's a genius!!! I haven't seen a conductor bring out the brass in such a way, and make the each family slur in such a sophisticated manner, unless you're judging him on physicall level, which has nothing to do with the music.

[nburton85]

It's better to have an amazing performance with wrong notes in, than a bland one that is note perfect. Gilels was a master at the piano, and will remain one of the best ever pianists. His octave playing is superb!

[symontian1]

Personally, I'm playing this concerto and I have to agree that Gilels performed it greatly in terms of musicality. But I just don't understand how an excellent pianist like Gilels could make SO MANY WRONG NOTES!!!

I could easily play at this speed and have much less wrong notes then him!!

Maybe he wasn't well prepared, because in his recording, he did much better...

[Schwarznasen]

I agree.

[EvaHartwig]

Who are You,

my g r e a t m u s i c i a n ?

[cromulentinnoc3nce]

Perhaps my opinion as a violinist has little merit here, but frankly, I didn't even hear any wrong notes, so wherever he messed up, it didn't detract from the electrifying performance for me.

[analxixen]

listen on youtube to gilels and Sokolov playing Bach/ Silote prelude and I rest my case.........

[analxixen]

Staggering, the incomparable Gilels, such electricity. How can any modern day pianist compare with such virtuosity and utter, utter conviction. The so clled modern Russian greats such as Sokolov and worse Kissin will never be remembered in the same vein as Gilels, Richter, Sofronitsky.

[mainlymuzik]

Your observations about Gilels and the greats are very true but then, I still glad that I happened to live in the same age as Sokolov :p

[penguinshin]

@mainlymuzik yes! and the age of arcadi volodos too.

[meredith218461]

@analxixen I agree with your observations concerning these Soviet giants.

Regarding Kissin, he's certainly a powerhouse but lacks the subtlety of an Ashkenazy, Gilels or Richter.

[MarschNZ]

@analxixen hmmm. Not so sure. They sad the same sort of blah blah when Gilels was a young man - he is not as good as Michałowski, von Bülow,

Tausig and Anton Rubenstein. In turn, these masters were not considered as good as Liszt. We can't really judge until about 50 years' time when things are in perspective. I'm sure they will then be comparing the new concert pianists with Kissin, Lympany, Barenboim etc.

[ftballfrk]

@analxixen different school, and just different perception of music. . . nobody will ever be able to replicate these artists, you are right.

[donesixfour]

@analxixen you speak as if Gilels is not a modern performer...

[manolotube007]

absolutely awesome!!!

[kreutzo1]

I think you comit a terrible mistake while comapring Argerich with Gilels.They have absolutely different styles in their way of interpretation.Talent is innate in both of them,somehow Gilels was unique.

[kjw163]

Don't care much for Argerich. Usually plays too fast, losing music along the way. Her Schumann concerto performances all but ruin that great work. A super technique isn't everything, no way.

[Mucicboux]

well, its of course very good. but i like Argerich more. Think she has most talent for this concerto

[Sinneo91]

Ditto. Quick.Flawless.Beautiful

[PianoPhase345]

Well, I prefer Gilels to Argerich. Of course, Argerich's version is very good as well, but still... Gilels plays this piece with more power. It is, as piano345 said, exciting.

[piano345]

Tchaikovsky did mark his finale 'con fuoco' and that's what Gilels gives it. His very fast tempo means there are some smudged notes but its exciting. The orchestra have difficulty keeping with him.

[abuhm]

I dont like the performance.. Bad conductor!

Gilels could do better that this one..

[glenngould99]

i like Gilels but i agree about the conductor. Mehta is an arrogant overrated tub of lard.

[Lonegan63]

I agree

[Lonegan63]

I agree

[meneltar]

Best ever?

Don't think so, but one of them, sure.

Listen Horowitz's 1928 version or Argerich/Kord 1982(or 1983?).

[gisaustralia]

this is too fast, I like karajan's take on this movement, on any of his recordings

[mainlymuzik]

Sorry I accidentally deleted a msg by A....

He or she said that Gilels is in a hurry here, and would recommend the Kissin/Karajan ver, which is also available here @youtube.

[bernie10025]

Is there any chance you could post the rest of the performance?

[vjam4339]

sorry no deal, gilels is the real deal

[sideeastside]

Wow!!!! Thank you for sharing this!

[Bac9I6]

Gilels- he plays like God. But I think this composition sounds realy bad. Because it's a orcestra, and it sounds much better in real.

ps: sry for bad english.

[antvlrs]

number 1 ever

[duchable]

best tchaikovsky ever

thank you

[ytkRisS]

the always wonderful gilels

[thepianomaniac]

Nice! Love the song, love the orchestra, Gilels is great. Maybe just a little heavy and loud at times, though.

[aise2i]

hmm... a bit dirty, notewise, but nice feelings.

[BrucknerEnthusiast]

Wow, I didn't realise there was a video of this amazing performance. I have treasured the LP & CD issues for years. Gilels's Beethoven recordings demonstrate that (along with Arrau) he was the greatest of the philosopher/pianists but here he shows everyone that he can outplay everyone in the virtuoso repertoire too. There's incomparable musicianship on display here.

[pianotalent]

The Pianist of the 20 century!!!

[daeviydt]

My favorite recording of Gilels' Tchaikovsky 1st piano concerto HAS to be the one with Fritz Reiner -- it just jumps out of your speakers. GOD WHAT TERRIFIC SOUND! ... in THIS performance (Avery Fischer Hall, MY LOCAL HALL, has to be the worst hall in the entire world, YUCK) Mehta sure is exciting, and Gilels still has plenty of fire and passion. Very well done... though, if you want to hear those final octaves, check out Berezovsky's most recent recording of this piece -- !!!

[acha114]

Great performance. What year was this performance recorded?

[mainlymuzik]

1979.11.14

AFAIK, it has also been issued on CD.

[GreatPianists]

Gilels has to be my favorite Tchaikovsky concerto player ever (even surpassing Horowitz in my mind). I have purchased and relished every Gilels Tchaikovsky concerto recording to date (taken great pains to do so).

[pianotalent]

Listen to His Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto #2 in Gdur in Moscow (not in London) performance conducting Svetlanov in December of 1972. Follow the sheet music - AMAIZING.

[jabsomdoc]

absolutely. tchaikovsky, brahms, beethoven, rachmaninov...gilels could do it all. i prefer him to richter and horowitz any day of the week.

[RIV2]

Great. Thank you to post this wonderful video.

[joeisapiano]

fantasic! complete concerti are more fun though *hint hint*