Rachmaninoff Prelude op. 23 no. 5, Vladimir Ashkenazy

[erken]

As always, Ashkenazy showcases Rachmaninoff perfectly.

[IRIQUOIS227]

AS clean a rendition a one will likely ever hear.

[vckXD]

<33333333 [:

[2012Ronpaul2012]

wow. Gilel's interpretation is amazing, but this even more powerful!

[piano0011]

Great piece! I really enjoy playing this piece and have uploaded my interpretation of this work! Although the tempo could be quicker but please feel free to comment and subscribe if you like it.

[dgaranin]

@dkanrjskgkwlanj Why do you need a pianist from London? Does it really matter to go to Korea?

[dgaranin]

@dkanrjskgkwlanj Ah, I understand, you are going to play chamber music!

[A8opi]

he is great pianist, he can plays beethoven very well too. I love him ! 

[cattleman6420012000]

@A8opi  I am an enormous fan of Ashkenazy.

[satyu131089]

i love anything that ashkenazy plays :)

[tegrenath]

I've always been a fan of the Gilels, but I might prefer the expression in this one. It's pointless to compare the actual playing, they're both masters of rhythm and dynamics. Lisitsa's version shows absolutely phenomenal playing, but if I were to close my eyes and just listen there is something I find missing from her interpretation.

[howtoplayPianoMusic]

I like both Richter's Gilel's Versions better than Ashkenazy's

[chowderandspoon]

I like this version, but I like Lisitsa's version as well :D

love Ashkenazy.

[cattleman6420012000]

This is the best.

[utki17]

my god...lovely control of speed..

legend at work

[iosoil]

best version? this is a crap!

[monobrow638]

what a beautifull piano!

[opterios]

I also love Gilel's version, but yes, I agree, I like this one the most. Ashkenazy gives this piece an amazing russian hue. I just loooove it!

Thanks for sharing!!

[natasha12483]

Magnifica.

[48104goblue]

my favorite interpretation. Rachmaninoff's one is less heavy but creates a different impression, makes the piece sound more dance-like.

[pcho007]

Comparing to other experts, he played this piece sincerely and honestly, I love it, it calms me. It's delightful. Very very elegant. What a beautiful mind he has.

[artsloving]

@pcho007 Very emotional, beautiful interpretation. Possibly too romanticistic, I still prefer the version of Emil Gilels

[MrCrowbar77]

for some reason i always think this peice is soo cute

[lannie2007]

Thanks for sharing.  I love it.

[Katherine223411]

His temopo is perfect, and he keeps it steady throughout. His dynamic variations are very pleasing and his middle section is very expressive and he voices the right notes exactly like Rachmaninoff plays this.

[DogzRock88]

5 stars definately. It must have took Ashkanazy ages to get this good because his hands are really small.

[Katherine223411]

Hi Nancy!!

How is your version of this piece going?

All the best,

Katherine

[DogzRock88]

Hi Katherine!!

I havent played this 4 a looong time because i decided not to enter it with aadgt

[Katherine223411]

oh, Okay

I am sure when it is done it will sound great!!

See you at choir,

Katherine

[DogzRock88]

Hi Katherine,

Its a bit better now and Mr Lee decided to enter this and the Merry Island into the Bunbury Open Section :S. Miss you, see you at choir. SOOOOOOOOO EXCITED!!! NEWYORK!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ily xoxoxo

[DogzRock88]

this is one of the best recordings of this piece

[Ellinidara]

My preferite version about this difficult piece.

[cattleman6420012000]

This is absolutely magical.

[Smeagollum86]

i'm torn between this one and richter's

[cedricdeb]

Stunning performance!

[HjalmarGuitarMaster]

This record is probably on of my all time favorite piano recordings EVER!!!

[CoffeNMilk]

Damnnnnn

He's playing Rachminoff music so damn good! like he is his son or something...

I like the part at 1:13 :D

[koooraman]

WOW! Just WOW! Thank you so much for this piece by the two legends! It is the best I have ever heard, everyone tried, including Horowitz who is amazing, but nothing beats this! Ashkenazy was made for Rachmaninov's music!

[MyLordLoke]

ooo.. very beautiful at 3:19 ...

:|

[glaalterego1986]

I've heard dozens of versions of this prelude and I think this is the one that best captures the mood of the piece, it makes me feel like I'm riding through the russian steppes, I think it's very russian in it's character, and Ashkenazy's interpretation transports me.

[tenorissimo1986]

There's another fine version by Cecile Licad. Try check to it out. It's great.

[wellancefan01]

i like gilels' version better... i'm not saying he's not good its just a matter of preference. but this one's great too.

[cattleman6420012000]

I particularly like Ashkenazy's playing in Rachmaninov. He is like a genius the way he has such an enormous repertoire.

[cattleman6420012000]

This is absolutely fantastic playing.

[MyLordLoke]

yeah i know its sux... NOOOOOOOOTTTT!!!

Why do you think it sux??

i&%¤#"!

[635Passworte]

I thought,Kissin's version is the best one, but then I heared this one...listening to this,you can hear every single melody,it differs perfect

[MyLordLoke]

yeah true..

[someone0d]

This is the one I was talking about, it is one of my favourites!

[subtleyetstylish]

Genius

[ArturoAlejandroS]

It's very very good,but listen too Rachmaninov version and Hoffman.Ashkenazy is a great pianist.

[atralfalgar]

Yes, it's a very great recording.

[Ilovemusic83]

first part too fast and middle part too slow, quite the opposite of Richter's or Gilels' version. Interesting interpretation though

[M0e9h8]

I'm going to London for the weekend next month specially to see him. He's conducting, unfortunately, but still! I can hardly wait! Thanks a million for this video - Rachmaninov's ability to write for piano is so remarkable as to be almost unbelievable! An excellent performance too.

[Deimosxsz]

How lucky you are!

[dlfunky]

there are many great pianists but noone plays rach like Ashkenazy his rach 3 is a wonder to behold. I just love him and watching his doc on bbc4 made me realsie why. He was such a cosmposlitian, mature and intelligent individual too.

[gogsy88]

That documentry about him on bbc4, what was the piece called that he plays at the hague and also it plays at the start and as the credits are rolling, Is it Chopin ????

[dlfunky]

i cant remember maybe beethoven he played him alot in the doc.

[gogsy88]

The way he opens the piece does it for me, that very first bar just hooks you straight in. Its so strong, powerful, graceful and LOUD! Everything is just so spontaniously correct. The tempo, sustain the volume, Its got to be the best version for me.

[manco82]

Matt Bellamy of Muse plays this piece(or part of it) during live concerts.

[joaharu]

Ashkenazy obviously listened to Rach's performance of this piece.

I hear that he has borrowed heavily from Rach's brevity of Staccatos. Sudden dynamics changes.

etc.

Anyway, who can blame Ashkenazy from borrowing from the owner who performs his own piece?

[DarkRaimundo]

Vladimir Ashkenazy plays this piece wonderfully.

[sovlfrja]

your ok, not my style.

[AwesomeArpeggios]

Great interpretation! Very close to Rachmaninov's own performance, he has done his research. Sergei would be proud.

And you're right ScottBoss68, there are many better; but many of them are dead.

Ashkenazy is up there with Horowitz and Zimerman for me. He's definitely one of the greatest living pianists and will go down in history: for good reason.

[shemseven]

Done his research? He's not a youtuber you know. He's Ashkenazy, a Russian trained to play Russian music. Didn't he train at the same place as Rachmaninoff as well? So, no research necessary really. It's in his blood.

[AwesomeArpeggios]

Well of course. All I mentioned was the fact that he had made a performance close to Rachmaninoff's and had probably, given he studied where Rachmaninoff did, listened to the composer's own performance and thought about his own performance through the techniques of the composer.

And of course the research is necessary! If a man plays one composer all his life he will research the composer in the most inner depths of every note.

[pianoben89]

one of the best interpretations i heard!

[dannymaestro]

Well, I think Idil Biret plays this piece best of them all...

[cattleman6420012000]

Sorry to disapoint you scottbos68. Ashkenazy was one of the world greats.His Rachmaninov preludes and second sonata are wonderful.very deep musically.

[lisag6]

Ashkenazy is unparalleled in elegance, depth of emotion heightened by restraint, ability to sustain a melodic line -- and he can project pianissimo to the last seat in the balcony. My favorite pianist ever!

[ccdg1066]

I agree with you completely.

[simnos1]

Who would you point to?

All I can say is that whenever I find a look at a piece and compare interpretations Ashkenazy is always the best. His Beethoven... so good.

[tothemax91]

Because he's able to hide a whole symphony orchestra in a piano and conduct using the keys. Absolutely incredible.

[shemseven]

ha ha, you're funny. But you haven't given any examples? I've listened to a lot of people playing Rachmaninoff. Young and old, famous and unknown. Whether it's true to the original or not, I don't know. But it sounds and feels better as a piece of music than any of the others.

[libetta]

that's right, he's overrated

[minasgekos]

the best version of this piece is Lugansky's. this one is good too of course. but lugansky is to rachmaninov what gould was to bach (in my humble opinion..). what i admire and appriciate in Ashkenazy is that you'll never be disappointed, he's good in all repertoires.

[johnbaptistlulu]

true. he can interpret everything from bach to rachmaninoff with the same deep quality. i have yet to dislike something coming from ashkenazy.

[analxixen]

great indeed, What a pianist.. why did he turn to conducting?

One of the very greatest pianists of the last 100 years, never anything other than pure music, emotion and great, great intellect.

[radurak]

I've heard many interpretations of this piece, but none as convincing as ashkenazys. From pretty much back to front, every note is as it should be. He nailed it down with this one.

[tweriovnzxclb]

I've heard a lot of versions of this piece but this one beats them all. Kissin for example: too fast, Gilels: too slow + way too much pedal

This is one FANTASTIC, period.

[Balkyzag]

Thats my opinion as well, after having heard several dozens of various players.

[Haeronthegreat]

Ashkenazy's 24 preludes (Rach) disk is truly great.

[teresahan1991]

this piece can be played in so many ways and it will always sounds awesome.

[OorvakanSar]

I like Prokofiev's version the most. It is very dark.

[cattleman6420012000]

This is truly exquisite playing!

[Rubinstein007]

yes.

[winawer64]

The central section of this performance is my favorite rendition of the eight or so I've heard on Utube.

This sounds like heresy, but I don't like Rachmaninoff's performance at all. Perhaps because it is radically different than any other version I've ever heard.

[jerrykim2]

it's okay. I don't like what George Lucas has done to Star Wars.

[cattleman6420012000]

Gilels had enormous respect for Ashkenazy. I read it a CD booklet.

[marlonclaus]

Gotta rely on your sources :D

[cattleman6420012000]

This is absolutely fabulous. He is such a genuine humble person and musician.I have tremendous respect for him.

[TheGreatRichter]

One of the most prolific recording artists of his generation who has a huge range of different composers in his repetory.A pianist of immense technical ability but not only great technique a pianist with an incredible range of colour in his playing, plays with deep insight,interlect and a profound sense of poetry in his playing. One of the greatest living pianists without doubt.He is also a widely respected conductor.

[kiwibd]

oh...i have heard lisitsa's version~

it's technically flawless but i don't really like her expression

[Parker002]

I like it very much..all tho her version does kind of sound dry

[marlonclaus]

I prefer Gilels; power, emotion and great technique

[tdenusa]

Right on.

[danielbriamonte]

@jero13595

La versión de Lisitsa está buena, pero su interpretación se parece a Chopin; y este preludio tiene que tener un ritmo firme y preciso, como el de una marcha.; y el único que lo ejecuta de esa forma es, obviamente, Vladimir Ashkenazy! ;)

[vladdegs]

Mr Ashkenazy giving us a slower middle section to contrast with the outer bits. The momentum and unstopability of an express train, the eyes of an eagle, the strength of a lion, the cunning of a fox, to win hearts and minds with sheer poetry.

[alanlehman]

As one who has attempted to play this, I can say that it is a magnificent performance! Thank you for posting.

[christoperfect]

People get enthusiastic because anyone who has studied classical piano on a serious level understand the long hours of practice and hard work put into playing like this. Everything about Ashekenazy's performance; dynamics, expression, phrasing, rubato, etc... It's all something that he spent AGES perfecting. It saddens me when people mistake a fantastic, heart felt performance for senseless "banging" at high tempo that just happens to sound "cool".

[cattleman6420012000]

Very well said christoperfect. I can assure you during Ashkenazy's best playing years he had one of the best and safest techniques. I heard him many times, he was fantastic.He has achieved an amazing amount in life and is an amazingly modest humble person.

[leomulder]

I don't dislike it, but don't know why somepeople get entusiastic with this.

[shemseven]

As a pianist, I recognise the fact that this playing is absolute genius. You listen to other 'masters' playing this piece. You can tell the expression and timing in this is superb. And the piece is obviously genius as well in its complexity and emotional expression.

[mukaria373]

Geez, it's G minor, not sharp!!!

[kiwibd]

I'm sorry....

[mukaria373]

thanks for changing that in the information. i'm sorry it sounded so mean;D

[francocerri74]

the incredible thing is that he has very small hands!

[ccdg1066]

He is small in stature including the hands; makes him all the more amazing. I can't even imagine what he could have gone on to do as a pianist, without the challenge of arthritis.

[cattleman6420012000]

Superb!

[Danielkorki]

Coincido con usted: la versión de Vladimir es la mejor! Y siempre lo dije. Muchas gracias por subirla.