Horowitz plays Liszt Mephisto Waltz part 1

[forgottenbooks]

Horowitz's playing was marked by passion and depth. Sure, he was flashy sometimes, but most of the time, his playing was extremely deep. His Chopin may not be "Chopin", as people often say, but I prefer it over any "genuine" artist's interpretation. Same over here. Fiery playing, as it should be.

[KeithWhalen11]

Horowitz is all his own here. If you want to hear a remarkable version (and my personal favourite) listen to Andre Laplante's recording!

[Haaggus]

I just discovered this piece! It's magical

[Meerkatdawg]

One of my favourite versions of this. Love the rewritten ending.

[meredith218461]

An object lesson in how to do a hatchet job on the Mephisto. It's crude, over inflated and unecessarily embelished. I'm usually a great fan of this legendary piano Titan but here I'm afraid.

[John27346]

@meredith218461 What is so bad about doing a hatchet job on this piece?

[pianinista]

In 0.59 he takes enough time to prepare a kick to the bass strings.

[sessionmessiah]

Very good interpretation of a truly diabolically difficult composition, of course i haven't heard all of the other piano greats attempting this piece yet.

[einsamsowiedu]

what a sound?

i love it <3

[hanbitability]

wow stunning...

[wombstrat]

Estoy leyendo la novela de "El Vals Mefisto" de Fred Stewart, buenísima la novela como esta pieza en la cual está inspirada ésta :D.

Genial

[Valeriettaish]

Horowitz suona benissimo!!!

Coinvolge le persone più di altri interpreti.

[jegspillerpiano]

Ridiculous interpretation.

[ImmortalSpecies]

@jegspillerpiano Preposterous comment.

[pingalaida]

Sorry Volodya, Willie's got you beat!

[SeanPi314]

If Liszt heard this, he will be crazy: "Are you destroying the piano, Mr. Horowitz? And you changed my notes! "

[pianopill88]

I heard this performance live. It was Mephisto! I actually also heard his rehearsal in Avery Fisher hall . He said it was not bad. The range of dynamics , color and imagination , pedalings and touch variation was beyond anything anyone has ever achieved since. In my opinion of course .

[pewpewpiansta]

this is liszt's attempt at heavy metal

[Sanitoeter666]

@pewpewpiansta Oh come on, no Metal Band ever wrote something that complex xD

[JTHassellPiano]

@pewpewpiansta No, heavy metal is modern musics' attempt at Liszt.

[massimiliano123123]

Benedetti Michelangeli performance is better!

[akherousia]

pity there is only half of the thing

[1234567bryce]

wowwww around the 4:00 mark, it sounds sooooo much like something from Balakirev’s Islamey.... especially around 4:15... incredible similarities

[nbharakey]

Part at 5:00 reminds me of Barcarolle from Rachmaninov's Suite No.1 for two pianos.

[zamyrabyrd]

This must be the gold standard Mephisto Waltz. If anyone has a question why Horowitz was leagues above most pianists, just compare his drama and fire with the rest of his contemporaries.

[brolobear]

Horowitz missed more notes than any pianist ever...and who cares? Genius!

[SoulinMusicinSoul]

@brolobear Horowitz was a pianist with a lot of freedom in his execution. However, his best years were in the 20's to 60's

[SPACETIMEBEAUTY]

6.22 and on - will never be surpassed!

[1000armoured]

@SPACETIMEBEAUTY wht do u meant?

[SPACETIMEBEAUTY]

@1000armoured WHY DO YOU ASK??? IF YOU DON 'T GET IT, HEAR IT, OR UNDERSTAND IT...NO AMOUNT OF WORDS WILL EVER BE ABLE TO TRELL IT....

THAT IS ALLWAYS WHAT I MEAN. WHAT IS THA POINT OF A QUESTION , IF IS SOUNDS LIKE A WHINE???

ARE WE AQUAINTED???

[mikejr41387]

im assuming this is his own arrangement? interesting

[gullivior]

alcune idee sono geniali...ma gli elementi teatrali e istrionici sono esagerati...il vecchio Horowitz...

some ideas are great ... but theatrical and histrionic elements are exaggerated...old Horowitz...

[Sanitoeter666]

I always said, the ear can get much more impressions than the eye. Liszt proved it.

[sinancans]

this piece allways reminds me wallstein of beethoven

[mrmaroonmonkey]

I agree that this interpretation is a bit more "happy" than most, but I like it. I think people usually put too much anger and frustration into this piece. It is still a waltz, despite being seductive and conniving. But that's exactly what it is - conniving, not angry. It's witty, smart, plotting, whatever you want to call it...

[WaldemarKoszlowsky]

He was too old. Listen to Berman!

[gouloum2222]

@WaldemarKoszlowsky no He was not too old, He was Horowitz.

[777jasonyoo]

This music gets even better when you listen to it many times...

[Blackwhite2277]

@777jasonyoo that is exactly what happens to me on every work

[titinice06]

comment peut on oser poser un commentaire... aimez cette interprétation magistrale, ou pas. mais les mots sont de trop. laissez vous emporter, ou pas. et n'essayez surtout pas de la jouer...

[morphepit]

Pourquoi ne la jouer surtout pas? :o

[vincentvuik]

I also like this mastercomposition on organ: search on Cameron Carpenter, mephisto waltz on YouTube, and you will be amazed...

[umdala]

This is one driven performance. I'll take this over "pretty" versions of this piece any day. Play this on a nice stereo in a room with hardwood floors and it's almost like you are there at Carnegie Hall (or wherever it was recorded). FYI: Liszt and most of the 19th century romantic pianists altered the pieces they were performing; they were artists! Strict adherence to the score is boring - many conductors do it all the time. Perfection is boring.

[MrLacidaremlamano]

elegant waltz with evil in it... seduction and magic. "Liszt is a magician and Chopin is a prince" (Hélène Grimaud)

[babyblackblond]

he is d mephisto..or being poses......

[flarbton]

he makes some bad mistakes that are quite obvious... i have this recording, seems like during certain times in his life he had personal troubles.... that lowered his skills overall.

[Sanitoeter666]

i love how he holds his fingers - every other master of the piano'd say he's insane, but horowitz... well he's just the best of the best!

[Gioacchino4]

Extraordinary...one of a kind.

[astronomo16]

High excitement psychological

[gahero31]

I have two versions of the Mephisto Waltz, and both are diferent from this one. Does any one knows about this? Is Horovitz improvising here his own version?

I'll apreciate very much thanks.

[SeanFitandSmart]

Liszt wrote 4 Mephisto Waltzes; the famous one is no 1, I think.

[gahero31]

Yes, I know, I am talking about n.1 versions. N. 2,3 and 4 are completly different. Why there is different versions of Mephisto Waltzes n. 1.? And Horovitz seem to play a mixt of two versions. One version I have, '' Franz Liszt his greatest PIANO SOLOS in the original form compiled by Alexandrer Shealy''. there is one version very ,very complicated , I never heard this played before, and unfortunatetly there are no comments in the book about this. Thank you!

[SeanFitandSmart]

Ok--You are correct. But within the famous No.1, we have the following addenda: (1) Busoni made an arrangement of No. 1 that became very well known. The changes are really minor, and in only a few places. That is known as "Liszt-Busoni Mephisto Waltz No. 1," and it's available in the standard Schirmer catalog. Now Horowitz does a lot of more changing, he changes not only certain technical details (e.g. he plays individual notes as thirds in rapid passages, but also

[SeanFitandSmart]

he might double octaves in the left hand, and then actually does change the music substantially, in some cases stylistically "tasteful" and musically appropriate, in some cases not (in my opinion).

[FrAeNaTlAiStYy]

Liszt wrote 3 mephisto walzers.... this in the original no.1!

[FrAeNaTlAiStYy]

sorry...four....

[Sanitoeter666]

@gahero31 there are four different mephisto walzes by liszt, this is the first one.

[werq34ac]

@gahero31 There is an ossia written in the score. Perhaps maybe your recording plays the ossia while Horowitz doesn't?

[ChicagoTheory]

I'd still argue for Steven Hough's recording...

[abe1sapien]

Extraordinary.

[ibclappin]

got a musical piece that's very nice but it kinda needs help? just a little more life in it without twisting it into something else would be great?

horowitz to the rescue!

[MoebiusTripper]

This is a "late Recording" of Horowitz playing the Mephisto Waltz.....He plays it twice as fast and better on an earlier recording he made in his twenties.

[ReaganNg1986]

I admire this interpretation in every way. this is his way of playing.

[Danitech2999]

I rather prefere the Arrau version....a little bit slower but colourful, subtle and technical prowess as well

[JayIvory87]

where can i find his version? I would like to hear the difference :) Thanks

[Danitech2999]

Yes fellow, look for Arrau plays Mephisto Waltz part 1 & part 2, available here in youtube. Tell me what you think about it.

[JayIvory87]

hey dani. I checked out the version of Arrau part 1 and he played it too fast causing many mistakes. I didn't really like his interpretation. It was pretty dry imo and the sound quality was also horrible. Also, it wasn't as clear as Horowitz. I perhaps may be a bit bias but I found that Horowitz added more color and clarity to his performance than Arrau did. Maybe I will have a different opinion of him in Part 2.

[JayIvory87]

Ok after listening to the 2nd part I really liked Part 2 over Part 1. It was more clear and as you said earlier it was a lot more colorful and slower interpretation. I would give the 2nd part 5 stars but Part 1 I would only give it 3 because of clarity. If he had used less peddle then I would give it a higher rating but I found it to be a bit muddy. I may have been overly critical of Arrau but I enjoyed listening to his performances. Thank you.

[Sanitoeter666]

I think he is really good, but not good enough to play the Mephisto Waltz. He's missing the interpretation.

[jaekn]

@Sanitoeter666

But what the fuck do you know that horowitz doesnt?

[Sanitoeter666]

i think he's really good. not only at playing. Hes just such a happy-mood-pianist... you can hear it in his music ;)

[hellentroy]

@Sanitoeter666 i'd change happy mood with passionate , something that most lack

[Sanitoeter666]

@hellentroy he IS passionate, but he plays it easier than nearly all the others playing this piece. And so he fills it with relaxed and happy mood.

[CBasie2856]

I didn't know horiwitz was a kool-aid, but I love kool-aid

[JohnEBProductions]

He's using a figure of speech based on cult's tendency to drink poisoned kool-aid.

Not only has he stated his opinion, but he's also claimed that all positive opinions of this recording are brainless. Splendid.

[nyscholartist]

Wow that was great. This is my favorite interpretation of this piece. So much power for a 76-year-old pianist!

[Pischnaholic]

So full of unique character! H. above all pianists understood what the term PLAYING the piano really means. There's a flat out theatricality about it that never fails to amuse as it both amazes -- and touches -- those with ears to hear.

This is not a "waltz," it's a SEDUCTION SCENE and one that pits ruthless diabolical elements against chaste naiveté. And so it manages to be beguiling, thrilling, terrifying and heartbreaking all at once.

Horowitz GETS that and projects it wonderfully.

[EuphoricDan]

I got to play Horowitz' model D last week... was awsome.

[Pischnaholic]

Please tell us about it. What was special about the piano? How did differ from other good instruments you've played? What did you play? Who listened to you?

Frankly, I think I would have been paralyzed with awe at such an opportunity.

[EuphoricDan]

Well, I'm a first year piano student. I practice ridiculous, but I am in no way qualified to give an accurate description of his piano compared to others.

I played it at Trombino's Piano gallery in Pittsburgh. They also have Van Cliburn's and the Steinway 500,000. I played both of those as well.

In my own, not qualified opinion... Horowitz was the best among the 3. The touch and feeling of the notes was magical. Hitting octaves in the bass was huge, resonant... but not harsh.

[EuphoricDan]

Van Cliburn's had a much darker and heavier sound. His keys were Ivory. I never played an invory instrument before and found myself preferring the plastic. Aside from the feeling of the key surface I found that the touch wasn't as nice.

The "500,000" had a darker sound as well. I found the keyboard to be a little stiffer than the Van Cliburn (and the Van Cliburn slightly more so than the Horowitz).

Horowitz had scratches all over the (Face?). Not in a bad way... It added to it...

[hellentroy]

@Pischnaholic i fully agree !

[jcadas]

MAGNIFICO - BRAVO !!!

[leomulder]

And here he was 76 years old!

[cynycMD]

As for the changes, Horowitz simply had his own ideas about what sounded good. I have played this piece so I can verify that he departs from the score several times but in ways that are really just embellishments. Besides playing different notes, his approach to the rhythms and flow of the piece is also a bit different from how it has been played by others, e.g. the very smooth sounding Rubinstein. See Horowitz's version of Danse Macabre for more evidence of his unique, Liszt-like interpretation

[NordicHealer]

Horowitz incorporates many of the changes from the Busoni score, that is where you will find the source of these variations from Liszt's original. And he also adds a few of his own too.

[werq34ac]

the beginning sounds almost Prokofiev

[Sanitoeter666]

@werq34ac I think prokofiev would've made it from e to b instead of h ;)

[Sanitoeter666]

@werq34ac i think you can't compare them in any way. Prokofiew was 50 years later, so prokofiew sounds like Liszt, if you would compare them.

[werq34ac]

@Sanitoeter666 I'm not comparing them. I am simply saying that the beginning reminds me of Prokofiev

[kasyapa]

Sanitoeter666 - don't be pedantic.

[glaalterego1986]

I've heard many versions of this, but Horowitz's has a special quality that I think many pianists today lack, I think he had the right talent, the right education, and lived at the right time to be considered a legend now a' days, and the piece itself is a perfect union of technique and feeling, Liszt is out of this world.

[177018101811]

Incroyable nom, ce sacré HOROWITZ! Rien que d'entendre prononcer ces fameuses syllabes, on commence à soupirer, ne soit-ce vraiment bêtement ou sans aucun sens. Quand un artiste est "sacré" à ce point aux yeux de gens du milieu musical, il n'a plus rien à craindre des critiques pour tout le reste de l'existence de la musique. Il peut faire absolument tout ce qu'il veut n'importe comment, et ON lui trouvera toujours des excuses... vraiment désespérant comme démarche! :-(

[jackdasbo]

ich mag es ganz einfach nicht, punkt. :D

ich will garkeine technischen aspekte nennen, es gefällt mir schlichtweg musikalisch/interpretatorisch nicht. ich mag den klang nicht.

das ist keine kritik an horowitz, ist halt seine interpretation, aber ich spiele es nicht so und ich mag es auch nicht, wenn es so klingt ;)

[JeanBaptisteXIV]

ich finde die version von kedra auch besser.

[stybboon]

jo hast recht, ich finde es viel zu langsam für liszt

[jasonextreme]

Where is the passage where it's suppose to sound like an orgasm?

[j3sskady]

I was trying to follow along with the music to this song... He changed it SOOOOOO much

[Ecthelon]

Are you talking about the same piece? He's playing pretty true to the score.

[Hervinbalfour]

No its not.  I have the Henle Verlag edition and he is not playing all the same thing.

[Darthymerej]

that is not a song

[shiranissosexy]

i followed my urtext score and i agree.... does anyone know why he did it or where he got this version?

[wuthefwasthat]

this guy is partially right. a few notable changes (and my ear isnt that great), at least from how id heard this before:

4:10-4:36

4:57-5:03 left hand

5:55-6:17

down runs at 6:48, 6:55

& the finale (in the 2nd video)

i really like the changes though, despite not being used to them. horowitz is unique and fantastic here, if you ask me. oh, and bayram karamenderes plays this piece really well too, IMO. people who's versions i don't like? Ayako Uehara's. mine.

[Trankle]

This song helped me, quite consistently.

[vaelrix]

haha this is gonna garner a flurry of outrage... but anyways screw you all. i think this interpretation sucks, as far as the first few minutes go. sparse use of the pedal, and especially parts like 1:43 they make me wanna throw up. and i think its dumb how everyone thinks that just because its Horowitz you cant say a word against him.

[michaeljh216]

Oh thank god someone said it; I'm sorry to say so, but I really have to agree with you on everything. Horowitz (great as he is) really destroyed this one, the lack of the pedal really makes me sad. Like I've said on other songs: buy the record of Liebestraum, I don't know who it's played by but it shows a woman on the front and says "Dream of Love"-- GO GET IT! It'll change your life in ways that you could never imagine...

[ultrallama101]

I like his sparse use of the pedal... kinda suits the character of the piece, I think.

[Nexus52085]

Well, here's the problem. If you play a piece as busy as this with lots of pedal, the sound becomes muddy. If you have a muddy sound, it's harder to pick up the counter point and even the melody if bad enough. Horowitz was very sensative to this fact, that's why he doesn't muddy up the piece so much. If anything, the lack of pedal is a sign of how clean he can play. A lot of pianists use more pedal to cover up their mistakes. He uses plenty enough pedal in the slower more lyrical sections.

[Rlaw2222]

Exactly, playing pieces with less pedal heightens the difficulty because that would mean that the pianist would have to have a practically clean and more in depth understanding of the piece to achieve the same satisfaction as it would have with pedal.

[TomPField]

@vaelrix completely agree

[rickideemus]

I'll never say a word against Horowitz, but Billy Kapell's interpretation of this piece is superb. Meanwhile, the rest of us mortals toil for a lifetime and if we're lucky ... maybe we get halfway there? MAYBE???

[jude4312]

pianist like horowitz are pain in the ass for sound engineers..crazy dynamic range!! horowitz's forte is FORTE!! lol

[SCHneiDen777]

glad somebody noticed! same for toscanini. almost broke NBC sound system! (i think with beethoven 5, or 6th symphony.

[MCarey0608]

The only one who could play Listz' Mephisto Waltz No. 1 better than Vladimir Horowitz is God.

[PuresMusic]

Does god play the piano then :o

[seimen007]

I guess Liszt could do it better too ;)

[SCHneiDen777]

Liszt IS god (of piano ha). Vlady here said once that Rachmaninoff is higher than him, and Liszt is so high that no one can see him.

I don't usually say this, and maybe Horowitz would've done better under different circumstances, or when he wasn't half dead, but i actually do like Cziffra's interpretation better. This recording altho powerful, is not Horowitz at his unaffected self. maybe pills he was on? he was going thru a period.

RIP Horowitz...

[SCHneiDen777]

I should add, that NO ONE (except Liszt), not Cziffra, not Rach, had an angel tone like horowitz with those high and low notes. the sounds are beyond pure. there. now I'm done.

[micromae]

Interesting thought! I never thought about this 'angel tone' before! I like all three pianists (plus others), but I tend to reach out for Horowitz when in certain moods. I would have to think about why (now that you got me thinking).

[soddom0312]

glad somebody mentions the Cziffra version of this piece, in my humble opinion it is one of the greatest interpretations of this enormous piece of music, if not the definitive one !

[stagesix6]

alkan was better than liszt...

[annamarianeri]

horowitz è assolutamente il miglior interprete del mephisto waltz ,poesia e brividi

horowitz is the best, poetry and piano

[azqmbob]

I never taught horowitz can play Mefisto Vals!

[SCHneiDen777]

learn to type in English. or ANY language coherently...

[hatzinwondering]

He left out the single letter "a" .... come on man. Cut him some slack. Where I speak English we usually begin each sentence by capitalizing the first word. dont hack a guy down for something so minor as that. i could make sense of what he was trying to say.