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From: innaangelova
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  • get the DVD entitled "Verbier Festival Highlights 2007" Kissin has much better sound quality there.Horowitz is the king however.

  • Nothing Like Kissin

  • A very good performance.

  • Yeah the sound quality here is completely muddled.  Too much reverberation

  • This's not comparable to Horowitz as the sound quality isn't clean enough - therefore making a judgement seems unreasonable. I hear no difference.

  • noisy

    not like Horowitz suond

  • Sorry it is too messy.

  • Of course, everyone wants to hear how the composer did it, but music needs to move on to someone else's hands. If I were Vladimir, I think I would be happy to hand my piece off to Evgeny Kissin. This was a very insightful and effective rendition. Thank you Evgeny Kissin! I loved it!

  • ...............No

  • I bet most of the audience haven't even heard about Horowitz.

  • This sounds very much like Horowitz.

  • Horowitz plays the Carmen Variations more stable~~~

  • i don't know why.. but somehow i dislike kissin's interpretations, maybe because he plays all the pieces rachmaninov/horowitz played before, but not as good as the old masters did..

    he still is a very talented pianist, but he should play more his own genre..

  • @meesbroersen he did

  • I feel sorry for Kissin and other piano players. Kissin plays on top level!

    Still HOROWITZ IS MUCH, MUCH BETTER!!

  • EVERYONE - listen to the professionally recorded version of this same performance by Mayuoka1001. The camcorder quality distorts the performance and can unfairly change your perception. Some flaws are still there, like rushing the coda and other instances, but this is as close to Horowitz as you can get without being Horowitz.

    Very interesting, Kissin isn't really famous for this piece but he beats Volodos in this one easy.

  • Well I like both this version and horrowitz, I purely like horrowitz version more because I can see his hands playing it << silly but true :)

  • I actually kinda like this.. he did better then he usually does.

  • I actually like this VERY young Kissen's interpretation. I'm listening - very closely - to the two versions...

    Frankly I think Kissen catches it a bit better... much like Horowitz caught Rachmaninoff's 2nd sonata a bit better than Rachmaninoff... after all, ol Sergei gave him the piece.

    Not on argument, just listen.

  • Yes to pick this piece- which Horowitz played- [as others mentioned] maybe not the best choice-- Evgeny plays it well and obviously is extremly talented!! ..but not with the crispness abd evenness of the Horowitz magic The more I hear others the more I appreciate the phenomenal mastery and brilliance of Horowitz- Why his concerts were a must for all the people to witness -- You noticed I said witness - as in almost miraculously supernatural playing!

  • I heard Kissin in Dublin some years ago. He was incredibly great.

  • tooooooooooooooo fast

  • So many known and unknown are on Youtube playing H's arrangements-they they all fail to capture what H brought to them.

    Of course this has awful sound a little unfair- Kissen is a major talent but he misses the drama, no matter how fast he plays it also pedals far too carelessly and a lot of loss of clarity

    somehow other than the obvious it just doesn't work for him-maybe he should write his own?

  • hülye buzi

  • Shite

  • Awfully!!!

  • i like the temperament

  • kissin is a great pianist , one of the best we have now, but it wasn't a smart choice to play Horowitz 's carmen.

    he will never match up horowitz technical mastery and cleareness of sound.

    Horowitz's version is the closest thing to perfection, you hear heach note with a natural legato almost without pedal, and everything is played at the maximum speed without any sensation of "rush" . kissin is great, Horowitz is a legend.

  • what you wrote makes me laugh

    ha!

    what can you play?

  • Perhaps if you'd taken a look at his discography or concertography, the thought might have occurred to you that Kissin ALREADY knows the major repertoire.

    It's a fantastic showpiece. You might as well question why people learn Islamey or anything by Alkan - because it's there.

    It also makes sense for Kissin to learn it, because he actually comes somewhat close to Horowitz. If you're going to play it like Yuja Wang or the like and fall woefully short, why even bother?

  • I am quite aware of his discography and have been to a number of his concerts. In fact, I am a fan.

  • he's playing it as an encore; thus, it's supposed to be a showy piece. duh.

  • @gojewla whatever dude

  • @gojewla

    you obviously never played the carmen variatons

  • Based on my previous comments, I think that's a rather obvious observation.

  • The recording stinks. That certainly doesn't help. Maybe he had a bit of an off night too. It happens to all of them. I still consider him one of the best. Being a concert pianist must be very draining. Kissin says sometimes after a concert he can't sleep because of the adrenalin from the concert. Horowitz quit playing publicly for years because of the pressure. I admire all of them. They are leaps and bounds above most of us mortals.

  • @robertslistening Yeah, I met Kissin once in a hotel and I was wide awake because of jetlag but it was like 3am and he had just performed and he told me he couldn't sleep either.

  • This is very sloppy. I never seen Kissin play so terribly..

  • Kissin is an excellent piano player - He can´t help Horowitz is an even better piano player!!!

  • Cooooooooooooooooooool!

  • The difference between Horowitz and Kissin is that Kissin never fakes it.

  • Horowitz is the best..watch his vid. This is sloppy sloppy sloppy, still very hard to play, good job. Vladimir Horowitz is probably the best pianist of all time, which is why he does a much better job.

  • Horowitz is the perfection.

  • @Sidvicious100 agree!

  • haha, you're dumb.... hahaha... haha... haha.. you're just straight dumb.... hahahaa... wait, one more: hahaha...

  • i agree with everything ... could have done with a little less swearing ? xD

  • it's obvious that u don't know what u r talking about

  • It was fantastic but also better to play on VIolin

  • Fantastic!

  • i can say that when he was younger he concentrated more on the techniques than the actual music. But as he aged he became more of a musician, he has his own thoughts i believe Kissin will become a more thoughtful and distinguished pianist and musician as he gets older.

  • i think that the quality of this video is not the best,im sure it sounded much better live!

  • I love Kissin but this is clumsy compared to something like his interpretation of Beethoven's Turkish March or Rage Over the Lost Penny.... some clarity is lost. But then, Horowitz is Horowitz. And impossible to follow in comparison.

  • Yeah, except mlkoln would do himself better justice if he could spell.

  • Hey mlkoln, he will print out cour comment and use it when he is out of toilet paper.... not because you are wrong, but because nobody cares and he already is as famous as you can get.

    I could recommend you to win a lottery and spend your life on an island with beautiful women, not even thinking about what is unfair in this world.

  • Very good comment , I think the same!!!

  • mlkoln, indeed Kissin probably won't read your comment, but why shouldn't one vent his feelings like you did? After all, Kissin aroused them in you. Oh, and I find him loud and sloppy, too. And superficial. I had to review a Schumann CD by him, but he sounded as if he were driving nails into a ship's side. What happened to the sounds of Lipatti, Clifford Curzon, Casadesus, Perlmuter? The current grand pianos are more brilliant, I iknow, but they can't account for everything.

  • Kissin is of course one of the spectacular pianists today . especially in "playing the instrument"..in such things as "louder, faster, than anyone else" sort of way. he is of course also musical in his own way. BUT somehow comparing him to horowitz reminds one of something Artur Rubinstein related about giving a master class to hotshot pianists: he said something about a young pianists with so much technique playing a ballade by chopin: "he tried to show me how loud and fast he could play."..

  • i think if the audio was better, i liked much this version of kissin... in this way its far away from horowitz version.....

    aniway kissin is demonstrating a very good knowlegde of piano, this piece is impossible to play... i have sheets...... no words

  • does he have a meeting afterwards? why the hurry?

  • Great video. I still like Horowitz's version better.

  • It might be the piano... there's just some level of bravura and timbre that just isn't there when compared to Horowitz's.

  • j'adore kissin mais il faut dire qu'il joue trop vite et qu'il avale certaines notes.

    Je préfère l'interprétation d'Horowitz et celle d'Arcadi Volodos !

  • Kissin deserves the dope slap for this one.

  • pirate video

  • I much preffer the Horowitz version!

  • @violeta054 becausse of the sound qualitly

  • dont be such an ignorant and stop comparing...

  • I totally agree ...

    It's only loud and noise - compared to Horowitz he is playing like a virtous monkey ...

  • ROFLMAO...virtuous monkey

  • I prefer the Horowitz video

  • Is this Lagerfeld sitting in the audience?

  • I am with you demosj. Clarity of passage-work has been sacrificed on the altar of speed in this performance, and who on earth ever heard Horowitz pedal his way through broken-octave passages? Actually there's not much to see beyond here at all. I don't actually see that Kissin is a master-but there again I see precious few master-pianists perform these days, though I fly around the world trying.

  • Are you an idiot? I can assure you no one here worships him we simply give our point of views as usually musicians ourselves. If soloists gained half the recognition of those dumbass bands such as Jonas dweebs I could understand your point of veiw. NEVER say soloists aren't musicians becuase that just shows your own idiocy, where the hell do you think today's music stemed from? You wanna see worship go to the hannah montana videos, then complain about pianist worship

  • That is the wisest and most accurate comment on all of YouTube.

  • They have no talent, even if they wrote a few songs. They only got to where they were today because they're young and they sing pop. Kissin is reaching 40, and he plays classical. With today's pop music, the "stars" never last more than a few years. Kissin has been famous since he was 12. It's not worth going on and on about, either you appreciate him or you don't.

  • Err...why don't you go smoke some pot and feel even happier about yourself as you are currently feeling and let the rest of us mere mortals enjoy this...thank you so much for your valuable insight...enjoy your life...

  • ...you can't be serious.

    SERIOUSLY? JONAS BROTHERS???? AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

  • man... if you don't know anything about music please stop writing shit and wasting the earth's oxygen, the fuckin jonas brothers doesn't have any idea of the evolution of music now a days, try looking for Stockhausen and you'll realize that pop music is in diapers...

  • HAHA! pop music in diapers, yes, exactly! that is the best comment ive heard on today's pop music.

    PS I think this performance by kissin is great, but i think he doesn't accent as well as horowitz in the end with the tremelos and octaves. Nevertheless, great performance. I appreciate his hard work.

  • Well, it's very difficult to find someone who shows a lot of fidelity to Horowitz's playing, but after all, that's one of the best things of the music, that every musician has a different way to understand the music, not like the jonas brothers guy said.

  • I don't like this performance for this reason: Music is about communicating personality. Kissin commiunicates this very well, but I just happen to hate his personality. How's that for a reason?

  • I can totally understand you not agreeing with the interpretation, but what's wrong with his personally? Do you KNOW him? I think you're being a bit hypocrytical.

  • While it's been said... many times many ways... Horowitz's rendition is better.

  • Attempts to compare Kissin to Horowitz are fun but how relevant they are with respect to each of these artist's ouvre are arguable at best. I'm sure Kissin would have no problem deferring to the old master's "supremacy" just as Horowitz did with Rachmaninoff. Although I have never seen Horowitz in concert I was raised under the notion that he was the final word on pianism. Seeing beyond that has been hard, at best, and completely irrational, at its worst. Kissin is a master, with no doubt.

  • You call it lousy, but why? Don't just bash it, give a reason. If what you say is true, then explain it so we can all as musicians learn from his very few mistakes.

  • If you're an experienced, knowledgeable listener, you shouldn't have to have it 'explained' to you. Argerich, Lang Lang, Yundi Li, and at times, Horowitz all belong in the same boat of sub par musicians. Hint: there's more to being a pianist than playing the notes. For example, do you know who Alfred Cortot was ? Gieseking ? Myra Hess ? Paderewski ? (to name a few). Color, tone, phrasing are abundantly on display.

  • Yes, you really should explain it, because not everybody shares the same opinion. Just calling it "lousy" for no reason isn't right. And no, there is MUCH more to being a pianist than playing notes. Kissin has had a LIFETIME of dedication and work. He's where he is today because he feels the music in his own style.

    And it's totally fine that you don't like it; everyone has different tastes. But don't call him "sub par", that's tacky, and to put it most simply, not true.

  • His dynamic range is very much sub-par.

  • I think it's fine. Where could it have been better? This could also be a defect of the camera, it appears to be some sort of home-camera.

  • Well at least you dn't kiss his feet like everyone else here.

  • Thanks for understanding. At least a few of us don't see why all the worship over this guy. He's only a piano player, NOT a musician.

  • Have you ever seen him perform?

  • NO....wouldn't want to.

  • Great, he wouldn't want to waste a valuable ticket on an immature and insecure fool such as yourself anyway. Have fun wasting your time by pointing out non-existant faults online. If you truly want to do some good, then go practice your instrument.

  • You call that a valuable ticket? ! Denny's is fine dining too !

  • Once again, you've never had the experience, so how would you even know? And if you call THAT "fine", then you should stick to eggs and ketchup instead of classical music.

  • I shouldn't have to explain it to you....calling Denny's fine dining is a 'tongue in cheek' type of statement. SHEESH!! How long has your type been listening to piano performance? A few weeks? You Kissin and Lang Lang worshipers haven't discovered what true piano artistry is. Those guys are just bangers...piano players......after you've listened extensively to the truly great pianist/musicians, you'll know what I mean. Do I have to list them for you, or discover them at you own pace?

  • Hahaha I agree with you to SOME extent. I've heard Lang Lang live too once and it was great but nowhere near world class. YouTube search Fledermaus (the piano version). First watch Kissin, then Lang Lang. Maybe you'll like Kissin after comparing the two. I also agree that Kissin isn't the best EVER, but he certainly is among the living best.

  • Do we have to compare faeces with urine? Listen to Grunfeld's own recording, for fuck's sake! Kissin's performance is absolutely abysmal by comparison.

  • This is coming from some little piano teacher who knows nothing about Kissin and apparently the real music world. If Kissin and Lang Lang are as lowly as you give them credit for, then I cringe to imagine the abilities of you and your filthy mind. Keep your ugly thoughts to yourself, because quite frankly nobody wants to hear them.

  • What's wrong with that? He's a good role-model.

  • If stiff wrists and the ability to hit the piano aggressively (rather than with balance and poise) are qualities, he's probably the best "role-model" around.

  • Don't lie and make up excuses...You can barely SEE his wrists.

    You seriously have a problem with people liking him? Go talk to rap, pop, and alternative fans from today's "music" about how "great" today's "musicians" are and then come back to this video. Until you've come to reality, don't put down one of the greatest musicians of our generation.

  • And of course there are no other films in which his forceful technique can be observed on youtube...

    Kissin is not one of the greatest musicians of his generation. He is one of the most overhyped musicians of his generation- along with today's rap and por stars. Sorry, if you cannot accept that some people are unimpressed, but instead of preaching to others, maybe you should try accepting that not everyone has to be impressed by percussive tone-production?

  • My my my. Jealous much? What Kissin does is wonderful, he keeps classical music alive in a time where it's dying fast. I can see that you like Cziffra. He was among the best of his time, I completely agree.

    If you're unimpressed then it's your own loss. But don't diss him without a legitimate reason. If you hate him so much then post vidoes of yourself performing it better.

  • Alternatively, if you're qualified to decide that those who are unimpressed are 'wrong'- perhaps you ought to upload yourself playing it, in order to demonstrate that you're better qualified?

    I feel absolutely no loss at being unimpressed. I heard Kissin live in Birmingham a few years ago and can honestly say that the first half featured some of the most unmusical playing I ever witnessed. Not only did he not breathe between phrases, he accelerated between them! As for the tone-production...

  • I have no reason to upload a video, I already like this version better. And I'm sorry that you are so uneasily impressed. Everyone has a different interpretation, but if you can't find warmth in musicality in a genius such as Kissin, you might have a harder time than the rest of us finding something up to your standard. Then again, maybe not.

  • Indeed, I have a very hard time finding something worth hearing these days- because we have so many noisy pounders like Kissin rather than pianists who understand the art of cantabile and orchestration. What a pity that the better artists who are still around are overshadowed by overhyped celebrity pianists with gimmicky hair.

  • Incidentally, among the many accomplished pianists I have met, I have encountered few who are impressed by Kissin. I have encountered a huge number who were either utterly indifferent or hugely unimpressed. He is far more popular among the public than he is among musicians. Shame really, because a border-line autistic geek is the very last thing that gives classical music a good name in this day and age.

  • "boarder-like autistic geek"? Not only are you disrespectful, classless, and downright rude but you also are obviously also envioius because that would be the only source of your distasteful remarks. I regret lowering my standards to even have this conversation.

  • Have you never heard him speak?

  • I've met him personally twice, conversing long enough that he remembered me the second time.

  • And you think that he has the kind of personality that gives classical music a good image?

  • He's a very kind and modest man. It's wrong to make fun of him.

  • I wasn't making fun of him. I was simply being honest. Don't shoot the messenger. You said that Kissin is keeping classical music "alive"? Well, I'd say quite the contrary. He gives the impression of classical musicians as being completey different to normal, everyday people- the very LAST thing that presents a positive image to a wide public.

  • "boarder-line autistic geek" sounds like making fun to me. That might be your opinion, but he really does inspire a lot of people to play, and in that way he does keep music alive.

  • Well, I hope so. Let's just hope that he's not putting others off. From what I've seen of him in interviews etc. border-line autistic strikes me as a fair description of the guy. It certainly isn't the image that I would ever want anybody to associate with classical musicians in general.

  • He's a very good guy. He's patient and more than willing to talk to fans. It's not autism, I believe it's some form of a lisp. His reason for speaking so slowly is that he speaks multiple languages; he's very educated. I know he speaks at least Russian, German, and English, but I think he speaks French too.

  • Indeed, but I said borderline-autism, not retardation.

  • Unless he's singing, don't judge his musicality on his speech.

  • I don't. I judge it on his playing.

  • Is that so? Because you earlier said that he's a bad representation of classical music because of his speech. Don't even bother, you have no strong defense because you keep changing it each time. Go make real music instead of criticizing others' playing. Good day.

  • Perhaps you ought to reread your posts. I simply said that I don't think his playing is terribly impressive. YOU changed the subject when you suggested that he's a fine ambassador for the world of classical music. I happen to disagree on that matter- because I think he does nothing but perpetuate a stereotype of musicians as being abnormal people who lead existences that are tragically sheltered from everyday reality and who tour with their mothers into their thirties.

  • If you felt that was being used as an argument against his playing, then I'm afraid you should have paid a little more attention to what I wrote, before leaping to hit the 'reply' tab. It was an argument against what YOU changed the subject to...

  • Excuse me, but YOU were the one who said that you didn't want people to associate him with classical music based on his speech and hair, not I. If you honestly plan on making a difference then show others the "right" way to play instead of inventing non-existant "wrong" ways. You might not like his interpretation, but his appearances have ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with the music. I say this a final time: good day.

  • Indeed. I judge him on his ugly tone quality and tendency to play all too loud (soon reaching the point where he has no room to grow), rather than to balance his tone-production.

    On what is an entirely separate issue, I would indeed prefer if people did not associate classical music with people like Kissin. Hence I take issue with your statement that he is helping to keep music 'alive', which is why I responded with that point. But perhaps I'm not allowed to reply when you change the subject?

  • I didn't change the subject, I was merely adding to my view. Whether or not you enjoy and agree with his style, he DOES keep music alive. You make that sound like a bad thing. Many people love what he does, and no matter how much you can't stand him, people are going to keep loving his music. Maybe it was a bad coincidence when you heard him. I saw him play Chopin and Prokofiev, and the Prok. Sonata 8 was the most touching piano piece I'd ever heard in my life. It truly does depend on the piece.

  • Oh, I see, if I'd changed the subject then it would have been wrong for me to keep 'changing all the time', but now we've established that I was simply following up after you changed the subject, you were merely adding your view? Funnily, enough I wasn't attacking you for 'adding your view'- I was pointing out how hypocritical it was for you to complain that I chose to respond.

  • Also, I do not agree that Kissin helps keep music alive. As I already contended, I feel that his status as the most famous performer (despite the fact that there is no shortage of comparable talents) gives portrays classical musicians in a negative, distant manner. There is no shortage of comparably competent players who would give out a better image.

  • I established far earlier that this was a waste of time. I have remained polite as you have gotten more and more aggressive. This will be my final post beacuse your obscenities and mind games are not worth my time. Goodbye.

  • Well, you could have saved yourself a whole lot of time if you had simply accepted the fact that others are permitted to be unimpressed by Kissin.

  • You are unimpressed for the wrong reasons. But that's not my problem.

  • Yeah, sure- it's unacceptable for anyone not to like Kissin. Go and idolise your hero all you like. However, please don't kid yourself that everyone else is going to equally impressed. There are far greater musicians out there, if you're prepared to go to the trouble of looking for them.

  • I like all sorts of musicians, and I am already aware that not everyone likes him...That wasn't the point...You know what? Forget it. Go live in your little critical world and analyze what you think is wrong about the world's top artists. The rest of us will enjoy the music, regardless what or who you think it should be represented by.

  • Fine, enjoy his playing. If you would like to check over my comments, I never suggested that you shouldn't. Please just stop telling anyone who doesn't like him that they are not permitted to be unimpressed. Perhaps you might simply accept that not everyone has to be as impressed as you are?

  • Well if you would have read my saying that was a legitimate reason maybe you would have realized that. This is getting nowhere. I couldn't care LESS that you don't like him; How many times I have I said that now?. I've repeated that this is a waste of time and just FORGET IT. But you seem to want to keep going but that's also not problem. (continued)

  • I'm not going to reply to your other post either, NO MATTER WHAT you say, because as tactful as I've attempted to stay, youve been rude, vulgar, and deceptive. The truth is that I havent changed the subject; it IS A FACT that people love Kissin and are inspired by him. Your jealousy of the world acclaimed piano star has gone to such an extent that you would waste two days of your life arguing with a stranger that he doesnt help the music world. (continued)

  • It really doesnt matter if you dont like him, because guess what? So many other people DO, and your saying that he doesnt expand the music world is NOT a legitimate statement (like your opinion of his tone and dynamics). If people didnt like him then he wouldnt be where he was today. My entire point of this is that its great that you form your own opinion of his playing. But you are 100% wrong in saying that he doesnt inspire other musicians. (continued)

  • Indeed, but then I didn't say you're not allowed to like him. I defended the rights of those who do not- who you have responded to so rudely. I care nothing for how many like him. That does not negate the right of myself and others not to like him. Are you trying to 'prove' his greatness on record sales?

    Given that you responded to my suggestion that you might accept that others are not going to be impressed (with four replies!) it seems clear that you could indeed care 'less'.

  • And your own reason for wasting 'two days of your life arguing with a stranger' would be? Hypocrisy is something you have a real talent for, you know.

    Is it that easy to accuse others of being intolerant of other's opinions in the same breath as you claim it to be illegitimate for a person to criticise his tone and dynamics? I didn't say he doesn't expand the music world. I said he perpetuates a negative image of classical musicians as abnormal, sheltered individuals.

  • You've got quite a good point there!

  • Thats not an opinion, its a fact! I dont care by this point if you get that or not. For the final time, goodbye.

  • If percussive tone and poor dynamic-range is a "wrong reason" not to like a pianist, by the way, I'm proud to be 'wrong'...

  • "Percussive tone and poor dynamic-range" is objective but still legitimate reasoning. I was referring to your not liking him beacuse of his speech and appearance. But if you're "proud" to be that way, well, then, I guess there's nothing more to be said, is there?

  • Why are you dwelling on this? As I already stated, I find his tone percussive and his tonal pallette highly limited- compared to the finest performers. THAT is why I do not rate him alongside true greats.

    As for his speech and appearance (as I have already explained more than once) my point was in response to when YOU changed the subject and said what a good ambassador he is for classical music. I disagreed. So are you going anywhere, or do you just intend to repeat yourself ad infintum?

  • Comment removed

  • See, this is why Horowitz never notated his own transcriptions. He knew ambitious upstarts would try to outplay him, sacrificing clarity and expression for speed, as Kissin amply demonstrates.

  • Schöne Etuede - oder: Viel Lärm um nichts ...

    Von Musik jedenfalls weit entfernt.

  • Horowiz is awesome, but this guys definitely just as good. Too bad the video sound qualite's not as good. Also it would be good if we could see the actuall hand movements as well, but never mind. The cheer at the end says it all. As for who's better, I honestly couldn't decide.

  • horowitz on his best day doen't deserve to be in the same room with kissin-horowitz was an overated stooge

  • im not sure if someone has ever handed kissin a blank check for his piano but im willing to bet no one has. horowitz's mastery is untouched.

  • The sound quality does not do justice to this remarkable performance.

  • Sloppy, by a tired viruoso at the end of an exausting concert.

  • well the sound quality is actually very bad, so how can those horowitz-fanboys judge this performance anyway

  • lmao horowitz fanboys xD

  • Very noicy interpretation,

  • Ok everyone, you came onto this video to watch Evgeny Kissin. If you think Horowitz plays it better search for "Horowitz" not "Evgeny Kissin". Saves you complaining.

  • OdenGod:Comparisons of this manner between two undoubtedly great musicians are unnecessary.

    I agree, but .....  Kissin opened himself up to comparison by playing a piece Horowitz wrote for himself to display his own brand of virtuosity. This flatters Horowitz and the way Kissin tries to out-Horowitz Horowitz by playing the piece faster without half the grace of Horowitz makes Kissin look like a poor imitation. He's much better than this. Maybe he should make his own virtuoso arrangements.

  • Agreed - for Kissin, who is usually absolutely brilliant and very elegant, this is not very good. For Kissin in MUCH better form, try the Fledermaus transcription also on YouTube.

  • horowitz is better

  • Horowitz is much much much much much much better ...Evgeny kissin doesn't stand a chance in front of horowitz

  • All I will say is this. Watch Horowitz play this; watch Kissin play this. With what pose and care is Horowitz able to extract the depth, clarity, power, and brevity of every note. And when he's done he gives that nod, as if what he played was so so, palatable but just barely. Kissin, however acts for a moment like he had just cleared the summit of Everest or finished a marathon.

  • Sorry, pose should read poise.

  • Ah, thank you very much for that comment!

    On the topic. Kissin is a fine pianist, Horowitz is a fine musician and that's that. Pianists like Kissin give a bad to such pieces as "empty virtuosity". There are no such piece when a real artist, who is most of all a great musician, plays. Horowitz was one such.

  • why the comparisons here? Kissin is not even 40, he has so much more to grow. Horowitz was in his 50s, at least, with the comparative performance. Not to mention this is a hand-held, less than ideal, recording versus a professional recorded version by Horowitz. I like them both, personally. Not sure what the statement "doesn't stand a chance in front of Horowitz" means, either. Are they fighting each other?