Mozart Piano Concerto K.466-2, Clara Haskil at Montreux

[syncopeter]

For me Clara Haskil and Lili Kraus are the best Mozart performers ever. Both ladies have the subtlety that his music deserves. Her version of his 24th piano concerto by far outperforms any other version I've ever heard. Even played on a modern keyboard it has that perfect intimacy, with little pedalling to get a dry but oh so beautiful tone.

[KyotoMelody]

Amazing! Thanks for sharing!

[angelastefanescu]

Sublime! Thank you

[batchava]

I love the way she touches the piano. Besides she has an interesting face,

[BassicStorm]

101 like :) 0 dislikes :)

[yorokobinouta9]

これほどまでに品位品格を兼ね備えた演奏を聞くことが出来て幸せ­です。

[BeClaireful]

I wish I could have seen her perform this. When I first discovered the recording, I put it on the record player when I got home from school and listened to it; this went on every day for weeks and weeks. (One of my housemates got so frustrated w/ the repetition he threatened to shatter the record - a 33). It still amazes me.

[carlosgarcialeos]

carlosgarcialeos

CASALTI

Celestial interpretación de una las más maravillosas intérpretes del genio de Salzburgo

[78Maniac]

She played the Concerto at Montreux on November 22nd 1957 under Paul Hindemith's direction. In this concert, Paul Hindemith conducted his "4 Temperaments" and Brahms' Variations upon a J. Haydn's theme op. 56a. 

[111tigerlily111]

Heavenly Clara Haskil!

[highwaychile26]

Those "galloping" runs that start at 4:24 are sublime. This is my favorite recording that I have yet heard. I like Gulda's version too. But to me this is better.

[highwaychile26]

This is my favorite piece of classical music that I have ever heard. I don't remember when I first heard it but I've loved it ever since.

[Bognarfan]

Sergei Babayan, CIM...genius!

[dinastein44]

How about the incomparable Glenn Gould? Or am I letting the cat out among the pigeons? He was vehemently criticized for his Mozart interpretations and truly some of them are unorthodox. But many of them are sensitive and beautiful, and belie his claim not to respect Mozart.

[uhartchristian]

Clara Haskil and Dinu Lipatti were very big names around 1950/60 and a whole follower generation took example on them. Of course they were not the only ones but they were well known and admired for their way of interpretation. No personal style but serving the composers desires....

[Pischnaholic]

We should not fail to include MITSUKO UCHIDA in the pantheon of great female pianists.

I have long admired her Mozart, but discovered recently her MAGNIFICENT, eye-opening, breathtaking performance of Schumann's Carnaval.

Please don't miss that.

In truth all of the women players noted are or were simply great PIANISTS. Their sex is unimportant, since I don't believe in measuring by double-standards.

But, while we're at it, MARIA YUDINA should at least be mentioned.

[fdaltrey]

Certainly. However, in the case of Argerich, even if I am to risk walking on a very slippery slope of sexism, I believe not an insignificant portion of her fame and adoration results from her beautiful appearance - and who wouldn't? A beautiful, impulsive, passionate and romantic pianist gifted by god; she channels her inspiration from divinity - she can do no wrong. I think she is the 20th century pianist most shielded from public criticism.

[salvatoreobinu]

Le Mozart de Clara Haskil est d'une beauté absolue.

[fdaltrey]

Haskil, Bachauer, Hess, Argerich, etc. Where are the fabulous female pianists today???

[soami2u]

Argerich is still around! There's also Maria Joao Pires--I just listened to a superb performance by her of Mozart's K 271 concerto--she also plays Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, and Schumann wonderfully, in my opinion...but then when I try to think of contemporary names of legendary potential like those you mentioned, I can't think of any, with the possible exception of Argerich, Pires and de Larrocha, and they're all over 60 (de Larrocha is 86 and retired).

[Pischnaholic]

You left out GUIOMAR NOVAES one of the greatest Chopin and Schumann players who ever lived.

And why didn't you mention Alicia Delarrocha?

Argerich is too full of herself to be categorized with these other women, although I have heard her give great performances. Her Kreisleriana for example is one of the very best ever recorded.

[fdaltrey]

Yes, Novaes and Delarrocha are absolutely fantastic pianists. I used to have similar impressions of Argerich; indulgent and thrilling but only in terms of absolute velocity and uniformly loud volume, uneven tone where the fingers literally slap the keyboard. If the piece even hints at the slightest license for virtuosity or emotional outburst, she takes it overboard. They're a shapeless mess.

Nowadays, I believe her outbursts are sincere, not indulgent.

[Pischnaholic]

I admire much of Argerich's work, but I could never feel the deep affection for her that I do for artists such as Novaes, Myra Hess, Haskil, Rubinstein, Serkin (whom I heard many times in person) and Horowitz (when he was at his incomparable best).

Landowska's Bach and also that of Ago Jambor -- two very different artists -- remain supreme in my opinion.

In short respect many players, but adore few.

[BuckshotLaFunke]

How about Idil Biret, the Turkish lioness living in Brussels? Possibly ignored because she dared record for Naxos.

[dmcII]

I wish more recordings of her were available. She's wonderful !

[xper2xper]

Beautifully played!!!

Rest in peace!

[fengyu225]

any word I find cannot express my applause to this music

[budanbahuidl]

2:25 - 2:35 - so simple but yet it has the truth of life in it... that'S the GENIUS of MOZART (and the genius of Miss Haskil)

[billyguns2]

I will probably never hear this better played; suddenly anything I could say about this sublime performance is inadequate. I adore her playing; her partnership with the violinist Grumiaux is also very special.

[ellandelachapelle]

Did you know that her friend Dinu Lipatti called her "Clarinette"? (fitting. Her playing was light and clear.) Did you also know that she suffered all her life from poor self-esteem? After a magical concert when the audience had been THRILLED they would find her afterwards backstage totally broken down by her bad performance! (unbelievable.)

[soami2u]

She had a tragic life, beset by the deaths of many of her relatives, plus numerous physical problems--she was apparently born with curvature of the spine and had had a brain tumor, among other things. Out of all this tragedy and suffering came these incredible performances. It is so sad that she died from that fall in the Brussels train station in Dec. 1960, almost exactly 10 yrs. after the death of her countryman Dinu Lipatti, another miraculously gifted but tragic soul who died far too soon

[florinartimex]

ii multumesc dlui profesor Moscu ca m-a

ajutat sa descopar un asemenea geniu

[xper2xper]

Buna! Eu nu sunt Roman dar vorbesc un pic.. :-)

Nu am inteles ce vreti sa ziceti.. ?

[soami2u]

If I could choose only one interpreter of Mozart on the piano it would be Clara Haskil. If I could choose only one word to describe her playing of Mozart it would be sublime.

[cantata202]

It was at the ending scene of the movie 'Amadeus' that I heard this concerto for the first time. Since then, I listened to many different pianists' playing, but 'personally' I think Clara is the best interpreter for this concerto.

[gofreddor]

The emotional center of this movement is about 7:34 and Haskil has the secret of its supreme revelation.

[pjioayncoe]

She just made Mozart God...

[thelindsayrose05]

love the coughing at the end lol Sometimes it just seems so hard to believe that those beautiful sounds come out of instruments

[jpedrocp]

very true

[MadMadMadTom]

I have been sitting here for 15 minutes trying to find the words to express how beautiful, how wonderful, how moving ... this supremely accomplished playing is. But I just don't have the skill with words to do it

Yes it moves you to tears

It is the hope of one day delivering a performance with a fraction of the same emotional power that keeps me practicing for 4 hours a day

What an inspiration. What a great woman - to play like this despite the constant pain she had to live with

Wonderful.

[bachianasbrasileiras]

You put into words , what most of us feel when we listen to such an unparaleled performance.

It is not only a lot of practicing , but the result of distilling a lot of suffering and of course boundless love for what you are doing , counts for the success of your dedication !

[sjkarolina]

She is the one of the perfect human beings which is very rare in this world. It is just... I feel just humble. Thank you lady Haskil the earth is still worth to live in because of you...

[dinastein44]

All I can say is, I am just wiping my tears. This is so far the best version of this heavenly concerto I have ever heard. Good recording too, considering it's over 50 years old. Clara Haskil, wherever you are, thank you for the music.

[bikercowboy1]

When I heared it some jears ago (still on LP) I was criing to and I had to whip my ears to and still up today I get a feeling in my heart I can`t describe, only when I hear it played by Clara. God bless her.

[stacooch]

beautiful. should it be faster?

[dinastein44]

Who knows how Mozart wanted it played? Tempo is not an absolute definition. A lot of pianists play it faster and it sounds fine too. I did myself when I was younger. But in my opinion this is the best ever version.

[gmgm4000]

Veli Kucuk pasamiza gecmis olsun

[franzkafkas]

mükemmel

bu kadar ince şiirsel naif.....