Richter - Chopin Op. 25 no. 12

[Renard8214]

Почти ощутимые музыкальные образы.

[Balti26000]

1:40 1:42. This is the most unique things i ever heard in this etude. The only one who played it like that. That's incredible.

[Balti26000]

@marcelmombeekpiano : best troll ever. Go listen 2nd Rachmaninoff's concerto, and try to say he isn't creative. Richter is certainly one of the most greatest pianist this world ever made, but he's one of the most incomprehensible too, but what a genius.

[leeyue47]

Richter showed great control in this interpretation:seems to manage different speed in both hands

[OriginalHockeytowner]

I like Horowitz's interpretation better, but this is also magnificent

[lokikotemia]

No way is this mechanical.. this has the same stubborn and consistent motion of the ocean the entire piece was themed after. His down notes perfectly coincide with a very soft and methodic flow at the each of every "wave".

[Noobiele]

Pollini and Richter both are outstanding pianists , the best in my opinion.Pollini's version of 25/12 is unbeatable.

I heard a nice phrase about Pollini somewhere : when Horowitz and Rubinstein plays , you hear Rorowitz and Rubinstein. when Pollini plays , you hear Chopin and Beethoven.

[zdevol7]

Je to úžasné - přivřete-li oči vidíte a slyšíte skutečně bouřící a zase zklidňující se oceán - a ta technika !

[yuhan900402]

much more than an etude. fantastic!

[goemaeregert]

steamednotfried, master troller ;/)

[steamednotfried]

Unlike most of Chopin's studies, this really is just a 'study'.

[refuseit]

@steamednotfried And what is the criteria for this statement?

[madabtjaznclsc]

the best recording of this etude the melody lingers over the other rumbling notes ...... simply amazing...... richter is THE BEST.........

[steamednotfried]

This music is rubbish to be honest. Why is Richter wasting he's time with it?

[EatYourBeans]

@steamednotfried

Well then again, don't you think Richter made the right choice in extending his musical selections so broadly?

[naught159]

@steamednotfried Chopin's 24th etude is rubbish ? Is that a joke ? Anyways, it's your POV so I won't judge it, I'm just letting you know that I don't share it.

[philipvanlidth]

@steamednotfried Perhaps Richter is playing it because, like many of us, he doesn't share your opinion of this piece and finds it worth playing. You may have the right to your opinions, including the one in which you state that this, unlike many of Chopin's etudes, is just a "study," but that doesn't mean that the rest of us are required to agree with you, and I suspect many of us don't. I would be interested to know on what basis you make these statements.

[dagadbm]

@steamednotfried why are you wasting you time here? if you don't have the mental capacity to like chopin etudes then don't listen. maybe one day you will like them. just don't bad mouth what you don't understand

[NewDawnFades608]

@steamednotfried Rubbish, sure. Just like your taste.

[bboyjoshua5]

dang 0.0 so fast 0.0 human?0.0 impossible0.0

[thecr8tor]

What a genius, instead of making it sound like ocean waves just like all the interpretations, his interpretation paints the tolling bells of a funeral.

[baseket2ball12]

@thecr8tor you're messed up dude

[paigearchuleta]

This is fantabulous

[trschaefer]

Not my favorite etude. He plays it very well.

[Jragir]

One of my favorite performances along with Arrau's. There are very few people who can capture the passion and and melodic beauty of this piece without losing the scales, and there are very few people who can play the scales with such clarity and beauty without losing the consistency of the melody.

[DadoD999]

I love richter.Fantastic performance!!

[sovietdoc]

Amazing. For the kind of piano genius that Richter is, he simply excels at Chopin's Etudes

[aysixtiri]

great tempo; tactful decrescendo where it counts - a perfect version would be the synthesis of cziffra's powerful left hand with richter's ebbing right hand

[Renard8214]

Любимый этюд, в исполнении великого Рихтера. Но часто слушать не рекомендуется. Есть опасность заработать себе инфаркт.

[LordCalvinHastings]

My favorite renditions: This, Horowitz's, Cziffra's. Comparing them with each other is just too difficult, and not to mention unfair. So I'll stop here.

[beauvivrekris]

that's the best russian player of the piano in the world.What do you expect?I Like it very much!!!

[bersa888]

... "than"...

[Balgig]

played best by a man with suited emotion.

[advisorC101]

It really feels like all the oceans of the world.

[irina1066able]

isn't this etude called "warsaw in flames"?

[seremerow]

繼cortot之後，這是我唯一聽過氣勢磅礡且驚濤駭浪的演奏！

Chopin etude 不能只關注於技巧的使用，尤其在op.25這部音樂藝術性格強烈­的作品中。然而，此曲素有大海練習曲之稱，我們雖不需拘泥於「後­註之別名」，但仍不妨可作為演奏的參考材料。空間感(和絃跑位時­，最高低音的突出)，翻騰感(不能彈出太乾淨的琶音，又必須讓伴­奏和絃維持一定音量的共鳴)，主弦律的方向性。

[smudgepots]

Sokolov's is outstanding, too..

[FibonaziProductions]

Holy crap. That is some damn impressive piano skills! Anyone who can move their fingers that fast could tap someone to death.

[beauvivrekris]

@FibonaziProductions that's not crap!My brother is 12 and he play it very nice! So it's not crap. it' you're problemyou don't like piano!

[FibonaziProductions]

@beauvivrekris - Haha, I just read your comment; no, my friend, you've got it all wrong. I LOVE the song. "Holy crap" was an expletive, not an insult towards the song. You've totally misinterpreted what I was saying. It is very nice indeed, and I love the piano and piano music.

[BlazeKenny]

@FibonaziProductions LOL *song* ?

[FibonaziProductions]

@BlazeKenny - Okay, piece then.

[HeifetzRanew]

Sorry,I meant the right hand,and it is more of an accentuation than a tweak......

[HeifetzRanew]

Greatest Chopin etude performed by my favorite pianist,man what an unbelievable combination!

And it is defenitely the greatest performance I have ever heard on the piano regarding every aspect,especially the amazing pedaling!!!

By the way,what is that tweak at about 1:41-1:43 with the left hand,I haven't heard it before in other recordings,and it is just an unbelievable addition to the whole piece,and pulls it all together somehow.....

[dmcII]

@HeifetzRanew Sounds to me like he just made a mistake. Remember this is a live performance so its not like he could go back & easily fix it. Richter hated working in the studio anyway. Like a true artist he made it sound cool.

[HeifetzRanew]

@dmcII Actually,I went and listened to a couple of other recordings(Horowitz,Cziffra,Co­rtot and a few others)and it seems to be in the original score,only Richter stresses it.I still think its wonderful,and this rendition is still my favorite!

[bobbphysics]

I just love Cziffra's version

[i4orJesusChrist]

Richter was the greatest...Richter will always be the greatest

[Lox1344]

it's not Richter... Richter never smeared so, even in old age would not take the liberty such record

[zy3]

Vladimir Ashkenazy does the best version of this song.

[ayso78]

@zy3 I imagine he's a baritone.

[forit911]

this has got to be the best interpretation i have heard so far...

[francorussie2]

Horowitz's recording of this makes higher waves! Though I think that on the whole, Sviatoslav Richter was THE visionary in interpetation, incomparable.

[Darrning]

Non male! Poteva venire meglio.....

[thefrogmaster2]

richter rocks! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[HeifetzRanew]

Best rendition like always.Horowitz is an amazing pianist,but Richter is just otherworldly.

[19932606D]

I love this play!

[civilbb]

It is not worth comparison. Richter is one of the greatest pianists. Who is Lisitsa?

[Vesolac]

bravo! c'est fantastique bien sur, mais, est-ce que vous savez, ca, Monsieur Richter, ici, il a de Down Syndrome??? c'est incredible, non?

[keekee1981]

They both play it well....but no on can touch Horowitz's rendition, imho...

[DaPianoBC]

@keekee1981

Me too, I'm not sure whether anyone can touch Horowitz's rendition though in my opinion the closest I would say is Idil Biret, a Turkish Jewish pianist who is best known for her Chopin recordings. Also one of Horowitz' favourite student. Highly recommend you to listen to her interpretations and let me know what you think. Enjoy!

[Chopin1986]

the spirit of art....

[namenlosesSehnen]

lisita is a creature tortured by education technique by all price of loosing or never having the possibility of gaining or finding soul

[HomerJ666]

absolutely agreed, she's awful

[caricama]

she was. listen to her more recent recordings. you can see improvements in interpretation.

[meredith218461]

This is a truly tumultuous piece and Richter of course spendidly meets the challenge.

[atherleyboy]

I agree with Liptonater. Lisitsa's interpretaion is mechanical and monotonic - charateristic of too much 'technique' without the depth of understanding of the music. Richter's control of tone, clear phrasing, dramatic climaxes, demonstrate his superb poetic vision. No comparison i'm afraid!

[Martel211996]

@atherleyboy i agree with you about Listisa's interpretation. I use some of richter's ideas in my interpretation. Would you care to take a look on my channel? That be great

[magomezga]

I don`t understand the issue Richter-Lisitsa. They are outstanding interpreters....and... sometimes their approach to pieces and tempo is quite similar. Not in this op., but certainly thay choose faster tempos; what is more interesting is that both of them give slower tempos in unexpected works. This Etude in Ricter`s case, and Für Elise in Lisitsa's case. Many YT discussions are just nonsense

[Liptonater]

far better then Valentina Lisitsa's

[revorrah]

@Liptonater amen

[Desmonddd2002]

@Liptonater hers is WAY too fast for this majestic etude.

[yossikguitar]

@Liptonater

really no comparison

[MrUnforgiven066]

@Liptonater you really need those thumbs up dont ya

[macmarklemore]

Superb.

[pangaea611]

most clear and best i've heard so far.

[CliftonTeGreat]

Look at Valentina Lisitsa's

[konzolmester]

Machine.sorry.

[anonymousQ45]

the accents at the beggining of each phrase are brilliant. this etude is driven by interpretation. it can sound like love or it can sound like war depending on the pianist.

[bravoMisirlou]

wow!

[OzzyKingofKings]

I love Richter's Chopin etudes! But there's an even better live recording of Richter (I believe it's from his time in Prague) that puts this one to shame in its visceral, raw power.

It's the reading that I feel best exemplifies "Chopin the Conqueror."

[advisorC101]

I'd love to hear that recording. Richter LIVES the music!

[marmasiotis]

to advisorC101

It is so true what you say. This piece is alive when he plays it.

[advisorC101]

He has such a deep sound, and he understands how Chopin felt. Anyone who dares to call this mechanical playing has immature tastes.

[JCruz0587]

i prefer the horowitz interpretation. I find Richter's interpretation of chopin etudes too mechanical for my taste.

[AlmaSchiwago]

best interpretation ever!!!!

[Octavin2]

awesome

[don25710]

me,i just like the music.

[lewars1912]

@don25710 lol

[MENCESSE]

maleficent RICHTER

[rachghr1]

suave

[billyguns2]

Richter, Cortot and Backhaus rule in this piece; many great pianists completely miss the mark here, failing to bring out the melody and over-articulating the arpeggios.

[123mortimer456]

You are exactly right. But what I don't understand is why. With world-class pianists the problem is obviously not lack of technique. And some of the interpretational errors - like Arrau's pointless thrashing of the arpeggios - are just hard to fathom. Cortot explains it all rather nicely in his edition of the Chopin etudes. So why do only those three really "get" the piece?

[billyguns2]

Perhaps it is because these three pianists were also great musicians.

[debussy84]

So now your implyimg that the other great pianists weren't true musicians?? Here's a crazy idea, maybe all the other greats got it and those three didn't. Cziffra owns this version.

[billyguns2]

You have a problem reading plain English: I said, "...these three pianists were also GREAT musicians," which in no way implies anything. Many other pianists were fine musicians, but for me Backhaus, Cortot, and Richter were among the GREAT musicians who also happened to be pianists. You obviously have issues.

[debussy84]

You said that IN RESPONSE to the guy who asked why other world-class pianists with no problems with technique choose to thrash the arpeggios, so the implication is there.

[billyguns2]

The implication is only in your mind and was not my intention. My goodness, I guess I'll have to look at everything I write with extra careful attention in the future, taking care to foresee any possible misunderstanding on anyone's part. What is your problem? Do you imagine yourself superior to everyone, having to be "right" at all costs, and judge of the Universe? You need help.

[debussy84]

No need to worry. Your only mistake was substituting your own judgement for the judgement of many great pianist's who you say "missed the mark", LOL!

[billyguns2]

Who are you to tell me what my "mistakes" are? When are you moving in so you can monitor my every statement and judge my every thought? You must be a trial to those around you.

[debussy84]

Every thought..? Can one say paranoid?? Your the one that posted the same thing on almost every clip of this etude. So you refuse to concede that Arrau, Cziffra, ect. knew more than you. So be it.

[billyguns2]

There is no having a sensible dialogue with you. Get a life.

[debussy84]

There was when i dominated your pathetic argument about needing to be educated to hear someone's interpretation. Predictably, you had no answer for that. "I was taught to make the piano sing". BWAHAHA, Atleast try to be a man.

[billyguns2]

I don't need to be educated; I HEAR other interpetations, and I have my likes and dislikes. If being a man is resorting to name calling, insullts, and always neing jusgemental and "right," glad not be one by your example. Yoru are a provocative, nasty piece of work who must be the bane of your long suffering frinds' and family's existence. Do you live in a cave somewhere, doing strange rituals? Are you a steretype of a lesbian dominatrix?

[paganiniGOGO]

This is the first time I heard a reference to S and M in a chopin video.

[credman]

Welcome to Youtube. ;)

[paganiniGOGO]

yeah, only youtube

[himitsunosallychan]

Hello!

Nice to see you here because I feel we can talk and share ideas.

Now I may be totally wrong, and my tastes, for which there is no accounting, immature. But I will venture to disagree.

One of my favorite versions happens to be Arrau's. I know it is an unpopular version with many music-lovers, but I think it is a collossal interpretation, and it took a Claudio Arrau to come off with it.

I much prefer it to this Richter, and to be perfectly honest, I do not care much for Cortot.

[himitsunosallychan]

I for one find it annoying when the base and top notes are overworked (especially as in Cortot's) because of its singsong effect. Like riding on a swing.

For me, what is delicious in this beautiful piece is the vibrating chords. The piano must always be vibrating ferociously. And to get that effect, all the notes must be played as evenly as musically possible. All the notes must be heard clearly. We do not lose the melody because of it.

[himitsunosallychan]

After all, we are neither deaf or stupid. We do not need to be constantly "reminded" what the melody is. (I am talking about accomplished musicians. I can easily imagine an amateur trying his hand at the Arrau approach, and what do we have but scrambled eggs!)

The arpeggios are not mere accompaniment, they are the piece itself. The difference between 25-1 and 25-12 I think is here. We hear the song echoing through the vibrating chords.

[himitsunosallychan]

Arrau brings this out more than anyone else (although there are a few slips), with his sparing use of the pedal, and moreover, his almost non-legato touch.

Of course, Backhaus and Pollini bring this out too, Backhaus more than Pollini, but I feel I "see" the piece as it really is when I listen to Arrau's.

Now I'm ready to listen.

What do you think?

[credman]

Well, the arpeggios can be pretty in their own right. I think adding just a few bars of unpedaled, totally "exposed" arpeggios in the middle of this performance could be very effective and refreshing.

[iguarni]

ocean big and big like the talent of this genius!! Sviatoslav we miss you!!!!

[hansmeyer111]

yes

[houp83]

beautiful!!