Gavrilov Playing Prokofiev: Suggestion Diabolique

[def3mno62]

You classical people can be such snobs just because he doesn't fine to tune every single thing he does doesn't mean its bad. Yeah it might not be as good as a hand full of other pianists but it is by no means 'bad'

[THEmusicgurl98]

oh come on, for those of you unlikers out there, i bet you can't even play it half as well. i play this piece...and believe me, it's not that easy to play.

[monkeydude512]

the tone production isn't that great....

i really liked kissin and chiu for this one

[InuKitty1995]

too rushed! technique not polished enough! more emotion! my goodness!

[dobiegee]

He's just not that into it.

[BettyCope]

I like Chiu's version better, also. But, you have to admit - anyone who can play this is amazing!!

[Aul1kki]

Out of the all version's i've heard of, this is definitely the worst. Also I have to wonder how he is able to play it even this well with so awkward technique.

[trpttrt]

@Aul1kki Awkward technique? You've got no idea what you're talking about. There's not a single bit of awkward technique in this performance. Actually his technique is great, he made most of his mistakes at rather easy points compared to those more difficult ones he played flawlessly.

By the way, I play this piece myself and this is my favourite recording of it. (It's a pity Argerich doesn't play this though :P)

[Reaper978]

The comments for this video are ten pages of pure fucking bullshit. I cannot fucking believe the kind of audacious trash you people are spewing about this flawless performance. What empty, pointless lives you must lead. It's certainly easy enough for you to post your stupid criticism on youtube without actually taking it upon yourselves to create great art. It's a fucking insult and a tragedy to see these comments. It is no wonder at all to see society here on earth is such a fuck-up.

[bryan16love6love]

@Reaper978 agreed, they dont come much more raw than this, especially with the high-caliber pianists. its awesome to see one of them decide to rock

[chaosdude14]

Umm, sum this up in 3 words

Terrible... Piano ....Playing.

[predoje]

very bad

[alexisgud2]

was he in a hurry ? he played it like he remembered he left something on the stove...

[MerrekSK]

yes, there is a great deal of wrong notes, etc..... BUT.... He just nails it and plays it from the soul, that is why I like it freakin much. And the tempo he set.... heh... :)

[laundrylint]

Alright, it's not the greatest recording ever, but how many people can play this piece as well as him at that tempo?

I sure can't.

[Danilocompositore]

Mi piace, è bravo. La trovo una esecuzione più che decente.

[rjdotorg]

Phwoar! Who cares if there are some wrong notes - there are an astonishing number of right ones, and I love that he just goes for the MUSIC and nails it.

[trpttrt]

It's quite dirty, yeah, but not bad. It's the only performance I've seen so far with enough devil in it, imo. :)

[kuglagerfeld]

This is it!

[uhartchristian]

well to all guys here who criticise without giving a real argument just one word: do it bbetter first before saying this is bad. Its wonderful in rythm and its horrible diffucult to play this !!!!!

[simonetr81]

This is the first time I've ever been disappointed with Andrei Gavrilov....

Nevertheless, thank you for sharing this, Sepharite.

[pampiliong]

its very bad and dirty

[brazdipr]

Very many mistakes

[alexmanzo19]

Good, but watch up the perfomance when he was younger, he had a best rendition

[fabizorrito]

woao!!!!

amazing!!!

[codeman2008]

Wait, I don't know what made me think it's a Steinway, I can't see 'STEINWAY AND SONS' anywhere in the video... I thought I did, but I don't know what I was thinking. Still a bad piano though.

[codeman2008]

I think it's a pretty good performance... a little to much banging around and the piano is UGLY, a Steinway, yes, but Steinway isn't THE piano anymore... it's cliche. Maybe it might just be the audio quality, but the piano, especially the lower notes, sounds bad and thin to me.

[mauriciostarosta]

What an awful performance!

Frederic Chiu is far better.

[LeAzEMOval]

listen to Richter's performance and after that listen to Gavrilov's. I promise you will hear the difference.

[PianoManSteve]

OMG!!! I just want to let you all know! Your awesome awesome critiques and ASTONISHING musical knowledge doesn't impress me at all!!! hahahaaa. just thought i'd let you guys know! :D LOLOL

[hedones]

gavrilov always prefers piano to music...

[strangehands89]

1.03 and 1.04,toooootally wrong

[Pianisteny2k]

LOL! Look for "Moonlight sonata with comments" I think they put you in there =/

[coasterman16]

This performance is riddled with ghost notes, wrong notes, awkward rubato (at the beginning), over-pedaling, and general tastelessness. Congratulations, Gavrilov can play it at a ridiculous tempo...too bad it sounds like the work of a blindfolded Namibian gorilla.

[Sepharite]

ahaha. That's hilarious. After listening to other versions, I take back the "brilliance". But whatev. xD

[09Benavides]

I think that Gavrilov only wanted to show his virtuoso playing. Nothing else.

[vivvpprof]

@coasterman16 Yes, but well... you see... nevertheless, it surely IS diabolical :D

[LukeMD]

@coasterman16

.... well. I dont know what u listen but to me was an incredible interpretation. Here the link of the same piece but performed many years after by Gavrilov. There is a difference. Would be nice to try to notice.

ww w.youtube.com/watch?v=V1AMGAq2­pWs

[coasterman16]

@LukeMD I listen to Richter. His performance is astronomically profound, controlled, and intense.

[LukeMD]

@coasterman16

I am agree with u. Much better Richter ! No doubt ! But just think about the piece. It is not "easy" to play, interpretate or to listen for "us". Probably not a good test. The same argues are about Mephisto Waltz by Liszt. If u listen the old interpretation by Gavrilov u can say is much better than this one. I dont think is the best ever interpretation but I dont think is played as a "gorilla" :)

[JayHarvester]

@coasterman16 : I've read your comment before listening the video and wanted to protest because I adore Gavrilov, But after seeing this video I see what you were talking about. He must have a very very bad day when this was recorded. Really awful.

[Sepharite]

@JayHarvester To be honest, his producer or whatever contacted me to take down the video a long time ago.... I regret not taking it down.

[pila406]

@Sepharite Still not too late...Never too late for this one.

[stormiel]

@JayHarvester Agreed. Gavrilov plays with a very strong passion. In this day, he was probably arguing with hatred or anger, or maybe both. To play the piano, concentration is absolutely required, and for concentration, peace of mind is required. His head seems to be most likely in a real mess.

[classique321]

i prefer prokofiev's version ;)

[alexmanzo19]

Wow just perfect!!!

[gcaee]

Evgeny kissin's interpetation on 3/24 in Taipei is the best !!

[andreichiu01]

yeah..i was sitting there!

[weikko79]

Not as good by Richter, by a long shot...

[shaermy]

Gavrilov is a very good pianist, but that wasn't good in my opinion. I'm sorry, but I couldn't hear any of "prokofiev" in his play, it was only an uncontrolled hacking on the keys. Listen to Frederic Chiu, I think this is the best interpretation. (Sorry for my bad English, I'm German).

[antmanmax1]

Hey, your English is better than most of the people who post comments on YouTube.

[mystique400]

ich weiß, was du meinst.. keine direkten technischen mängel, aber es fehlt das "etwas".. die musikalische tiefe im hinblick auf das stück/den komponisten..

dennoch besser, als ich es kann :D

[drjekyll66]

this is high end of clssic´n roll.

Awesome !!!!!

[kovieraite]

DG plays it.

[luisalvaz]

Escuchen el Scriabin de Gavrilov, en verdad es fascinante.

[Sirtnat]

INCREÍBLE!!!

Salvo por lo excesivamente rubateado que está la introducción y algunos pequeños tropiezos durante el desarrollo, ésta es una de las versiones con más fuerza y sentimiento que he escuchado...

EXCELENTE, DE NO CREER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ipublica]

Fantastic. The reason why the late Gavrilov was not world-famous has never been unveiled. He has the technique and the supreme musical understanding and he was for some years been coached by the musical genius Svjatoslav Richter. Think about it. Today he his forgotten. The reasons? I won't expose them here for they are a shame for the Hero Culture.

[jero13595]

Gavrilov is not dead yet...

[ipublica]

Sorry, of course, it's a typo. I meant he's kind of dead in the musical world, not physically dead. Gavrilov has been one of those children who were forced to become a 'classical' player, by his mother, from age 3, and the scars are real. Svjatoslav Richter was talking about it in several TV interviews in France and in Germany.

[ipublica]

The hero culture sacrifices the gifted child for the profits of cultural achievements, giving priority to the cultural hero to the detriment of the simple human. The danger is alienation and widespread robotism. See, for example, Alice Miller, The Drama of the Gifted Child: In Search for the True Self, New York: Basic Books, 1996; Thou Shalt Not Be Aware: Societys Betrayal of the Child, New York: Noonday, 1998.

[dereczynski]

there is no hero without tragedy.

But to put everything online physically ,mentally ,emotionally

(without becoming a criminal)

must be a enormous privilege as well

[fdaltrey]

Humongous hands.

[lovespianola]

wow. it really sounds evil a lot XD

Great performance!!! Superb

[kosephdrums]

this piece is hard X b i wish i could play it that well

[acridplacidity3]

he is good. i like gyorgi sanders version better. still really good. he makes it creepy!

[DontBlameThePianist]

There are alot of people who try to write music that is scary without visual aid. Very few are successful...this is one of three songs that actually frightens me when I listen to it, especially the very beginning.

[robert982]

The ending of the performance is just great. He's basiclally like, yeah, that was awesome, and I am finished!

[likeclassicmusic]

in this piece is all the pureness of prokofiev

i like it

[cynic150]

Yes, i was lucky enough to hear him play this live as an encore to Rachmaninioff's Rhapsody on a Theme... It was far better in my view! Suits his character well.

[tranceoxide]

The person who posted this does not agree with you guys. It clearly is a brilliant performance..............pft.

[Brentor14]

lets chat

[beerfan12]

i like the composer in all truthfulness the guy playing the piano does put a little bit of a bore on the piano it's self, he is just repeating a preformance that has been played in every country why not try somthing new, i love alot of Prokofiev's works it just the same thing with this musician it can become a bor.

[allegrissimo]

This performance can be considered as non- existent.

[tranceoxide]

AHAHAHAHAH....you posted my comment for me.

[coasterman16]

As usual Gavrilov ends up raping the piano...sigh

[f1f1s]

Being honest... I've compared this perfomance with Frederic Chiu's play. There is something wrong, but Gavrilov completely failed at 1:23-1:26. Chiu is an 'ideal' perfomance, a 'yardstick' of Suggestion. That's just a matter of luck. Everyone has a right for failure, so don't blame Gavrilov so agressively. He has already received a portion of shame. ;)

[Querfahrer69]

mabe he had a bad day!?!

[demonicadvent]

I've heard this piece performed with a number of errors before, but I've never heard a PROFESSIONAL make so many mistakes!

Normally, I can forigve mistakes if they make up for it with expression... but this interpretation just doesn't cut it.

How did this man get to professional status by playing like this?

[raidenciv]

ooh, i am usually a very forgiving critic, but I have played this piece and whoever said he is playing it sloppy is right...I would be a bit disappointed if I paid to hear this. There are lots of good things in it though

[02dezsoe]

whats brilliante in this?

[richteristhebest]

HEY GUYS!!!DONT TOUCH RUSSIAN PEOPLE SPECIALLY GREAT PIANISTS WHEN THEY PLAY RUSSIAN MUSIC!!!eheheh GAVRILOV IS GENIOUS SO JUST STOP WITH ALL THE CRITICS AND ENJOY HIS HUGE TALENT & MAGIC THAT HE PRODUCTS FROM PIANO!THANK YOU TO EXIST MAESTRO!

[cattleman6420012000]

Thank you so much richteristhebest. I am an enormous fan of Andrei Gavrilov and I am absolutely sick at this constant vendetta against Gavrilov. He has fantastic talent. When I heard him recently playing Rachmaninov live he was amazingly good and masterful.The audience gave him a standing ovation.

[kalouuri]

why don't you tell that to the great russian personalities that forced prokofiev to emigrate, that called shostakovitch an enemy of the russian people and threatened him with a gulag session at best, and and and...

come down, russian friend, it is always worth to think before writing

[richteristhebest]

well i am russian & there r bad people everywhere specially in every govermnent!ok?so just relax!

[michieldpiano]

I hate it when they compress the sound, the piano doesn't sound natural anymore.

Anyway, this performance is not bad at all, I recognize Prokofiev his playing in it. But for me Alexis Weissenberg is my favourite for this piece. But maybe in this piece I hear and FEEL more mephisto/diabolo... it's evil!! it's good.

[hessianihil]

Sloppy.

[cattleman6420012000]

This is a brilliant performance with so much passion and musical feeling.

[coaster1000]

Are you being sarcastic????

[cattleman6420012000]

Don't be so stupid!

[johnbaptistlulu]

i love gavrilov...he has such a brilliant touch, so pixie-ish... and i simply ADORED his interpretation of tchaikovsky's, first piano concerto, it was simply awsome, as is this.

[cattleman6420012000]

I totally agree with you johnbaptistlulu. I have his early recording of it.His playing is so deep with interpretation and brilliance. I adore his Prokofiev Concerto 1 recording also.Magnificent!

[sviatoslavberezovsky]

phenomenal.

[munadel123]

this is an etude for rachmaninoff not profiev.. dumb

[skate4joy]

this is prokofiev and not rachmaninoff! .. dumb yourself!

[Donpianist]

very good

...uff

[dnephi]

The tru fury demonstrates its acceptability.

I personally really like this.

You don't have the right to say what you said, really.

[stridje]

:s what is he doing?

[godelike]

It's by far the worst performance I've ever heard of this piece! My god! What does that extreme rubato mean at the beginning? And there are so many mistakes, he just almost play nothing right! It's fast but he should play it slower if he doesn't practice... Honestly, I know amateurs who could play it better! (And I do think I play it better..)

[arantiztacci]

Geez! You should really record it if you think you play it better! Gavrilov has won the International Tchaikovsky competition and has been playing piano since the age of 5! It is his style, listen to some of his recordings of Rachmaninoff preludes and you'll see what I mean.

[godelike]

I don't say he's a bad pianist, I just say this recording is really awful! Even Richter or Horowitz played bad in some occasions... I don't really know much about Gavrilov but this recording is bullshit! He obviously just didn't practice enough... Listen to Prokofiev's one to compare... I also plan on recording myself playing this piece.

[cattleman6420012000]

I have just bought his Chopin etudes recording and that is fantastic.

[francorussie]

These times are long gone... arantiz...

[sgh31]

Wha´s wrong???or worst?? It´s a great perfomance, the beggining is the intoduction, suspense!!, or you want it fast too?? it´s better be quiet when your comment sucks! they are a couple notes there but the interpretation it´s great

!

[godelike]

If you knew about Prokofiev you would be shocked by this extreme rubato of the introduction... totally contradicts the spirit of the piece. Then, in the fast sections, it's not just "a few notes" that are off, but really most of them... It's not acceptable from a professional pianist! Or it is, but then it's not to be considered as a highlight or anything... He was just on a bad day!

[johnbaptistlulu]

man, i can't wait to hear you...

[Yaniss]

yes, the best...

[Werwolf2x]

that's one of my favourite prokofiev pieces, but I heard some mistakes at 0:50 or 0:51 and after the glissando, but this is the best performance i've ever heard of this piece.

[cattleman6420012000]

I heard him play the Rachmaninov No3 Concerto live the other night in Dublin, he really gave a fantastic performance.People gave him a standing ovation.

[MMM613]

Pianiszmmm!

[cattleman6420012000]

Fantastic to hear this. Amazing playing.