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  • One word ... DAMNN !!!!

  • BRAVO !

  • Yeah!!!!! Beauty, simpathy and extreme virtuosity. The perfect combination. Amazing woman. 

  • This is actually Rachmaninov's personal signature piece. Really, the group of pianists who can play this well -is extremely small. Ashkanazy is the king, but Lola gives a 9 out of 10 performance. In a good hall, this is everything that classical music delivers. It is transcendent. Pazdravlyau Lola. Bravo!

  • Lola Astanova...she doesn't play classical piano...she attacks it....

  • how long does it usually take you to learn something like this?!!!! >.<

  • lol look at that wall on her left...did she punch it with raw furry after practicing this hard ass piece forever??? I know I would

  • @jerdawg553 That's probably where some goon shoved the piano. Those things are heavy and have a lot of momentum. As far as Lola punching something out, I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of her temper and I'm the goon that shoves around the piano.

  • what passion!

  • Pretty and talented woman - rare cocktail

  • Now THATS what I'm talkin about ! YEA!!!

  • Teach me your ways!!!!

  • Truly amazing... I am speechless

  • powerful and unique performance!

  • Bravo!!!

  • very amazing i have been playing the piano since i was six and i can play sonata but not this well :) very nice

  • omg awesome :-)

    Better in 1911 April format :D

  • omg awesome :-)

  • Hamelin plays this in Super Virtuoso

  • i want to marry you

  • she is goth ! :/

  • I played this sonata for a junior recital in conservatory. I LOVE your second subject! Very dreamy and convincing. I do prefer the original version lightly embellished with Horrowitz's bass fifths and alternate bass line on the last page, but I can see how this version could help both the listener and the performer cope with the fatigue brought on by Rach's younger effulgence. Have you tried the original version? The dreamy departure before the coda might be good with your 2nd subject ...

  • Лолла - преклоняюсь перед вашим совершенным талантом. Ваша игра великолепна. Так держать.

  • Excellent

  • One of my favorite pieces. All I can say is...WOW! Volodya would have been proud!!

  • This is an INCREDIBLE, virtuoso pianist. I would really like to see the 21 people - who disliked this - to spend the long years and hours in the practice room....that it takes to get to this level of musicianship.

  • marry me?

  • Lola, your playing is simply amazing. I admire you, and one day hope to play as well as you. But, you're awesome! You make my Piano playing look like a piece of crap.

  • Lola you're a hottie

  • Her sense of dynamic contrast is really in another realm. And how many other pianists play from memory? AND she has perfect pitch. Besides being fun to watch...

  • For those of you who are interested, I believe Ms. Astanova is playing the original version of this Sonata, not the one that Rachmaninoff shortened before he died. I'm not sure where she obtained this version, but I believe it is still published somewhere...perhaps Russian sources. She is certainly a magnificent Rachmaninoff pianist..Although I think she could slow it down just a little. I can read through this work, but I could never play it at full tempo. Perhaps that's why I like it slower?

  • @sanjosemike This is actually the Horowitz version. Find the score at vkgfx.com/

  • @sanjosemike  This IS NOT the original version. Even Van Cliburn makes some chabges to his so-called original version. The original version is not as good as this 1931 hybrid,

  • jeeesus

  • but i will

  • I comment so i never have to search for her again.

  • The beauty of the ivory keys contrasted with ebony...and the beauty of the pink flesh contrasted with that sexy black outfit.....this sure ain't the 'Lola' that The Kinks were singing about! Her incendiary playing ratchets it up to fever pitch. Lola baby, if you really want a challenge and the perfect musical vehicle to match your personailty, tackle Ginastera's Piano Concerto No 1, particularly the 4th movement. Together you will be an unstoppable force.

  • hey your name and last name sound russian. are you russian?

  • this is sickkkk

  • hell yeah

  • how long would it take to learn this?

  • @westrokker well for a normal pianist 2 weeks :D or less

  • @mosen17 ha ha, yea right. there'sprobably not many "normal" pianists in the world that can play this , let alone in two weeks..

  • damn this girl is pretty hot.

  • @Dswitzer16  no shit sherlock

  • Awesome! I love Rachmaninoff. He's my favorite!

  • i love your left hand... that likes the hardest part of this piece lol. wicked job Lola =)

  • such control

  • such controll

  • valentinalisitsa learn the virtuosism

  • she missed a note.

  • She surely hasn't her tendons pasted to each other, that's one of the reasons her fingers go so well!

    Nevertheless, I hope she won't damage her machine by overburdening her wrists...!

  • Ok,.....I hate to cheapen the performance....but I wanna go on record saying that was ummm hot.......I don't think she had time to learn how to cook though....hahaha (joke)....incredible!!

  • I am in love with this woman

  • i think im in love

  • @westrokker & YOU, a married lad! As my Yiddisha grandmama would say, "Oye, da shame!"

  • @zuzulo56 its just a figure of speech, ha ha!

  • @westrokker Quite...I was just teasing you AND applauding your honesty. Another lady to admire is Trixie Friganza ("GREATEST STAGE ACT EVER").

  • I just love it when the quality of the piano matches that of the Player....

  • Wow, completely amazed at this performance! Rachmaninoff will always be superb so long as there are pianists like lola! :L 1:30 onwards is a beautiful passage. Thank you so much.

  • this is so funny :-D

  • Old Soul

  • i just threw up in my mouth..

    sick

  • You were born to play Rachmaninoff.

  • Read the history of this piece. It is all you need to know about R in 6 minutes.

    The entire sonata is the most Epic piece ever written by him. It is my fav piece of music period. Very few pianists in the world can pull this off. It is 90+ on the difficulty scale. Ashkanazy is the benchmark recording of this.

    Lola- You were flawless. Sure, you have youthful exuberance and attack...and could have eased up a bit, but this is your version...and it is sublime. You are a goddess my dear!

  • Rach is one of my favs

  • That was seriously amazing.

  • omg her hands look like spiders! not anything wrong with that, it shows that you are, fast!......AND talented :D

  • That's awesome Lola and your so beautiful!

  • She fancies herself a virtuoso lol. So humble.

  • haha i love how the two top rated comments on a video of classical music contained fucking and bitch. (: in a tasteful way though.

  • Man that was fantastic!!

  • Her fingers look like hyper little spiders! That is so tight.

  • @shess0501 yes she sure could!! probably 20 more years!!!>>> haha....and ps >> wheres your international debut on utube as well?? and when can i attend your beloved concert????..my gifted one from god???..

  • Sounds a little messy, but definitely great potential and technique!

  • @quarrelsomeness If shes messy then you must be god... Im messy too!!!

  • Oh gosh, you are definitely being subscribed.

  • Awesome. You should try Rachmaninoff's Prelude in G minor

  • just playing the notes no heart

  • Amazing! She plays the piano really well

  • I FUCKING LOVE YOU FOR THIS!!!!!! oh my god. :)

  • shes hot.

  • This one really is nice. in the spirit, precise, interesting from start to finish and almost no galina vale mimics when you would expect a ton!!!!!.... still i would punch her in the end. but hey she's young she has time to learn and what nice breast!

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  • I've never heard a piece like this. It's so captivating and amazing.

  • One word- EPIC!

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  • All good intentions here, but, this is definitely sped up. Notice her head's movements throughout, unnatural and sped up. Why speed it up anyway?

    Regardless, she has mind-blowing talent, wow.

  • really good playing. just as a side note, i think she went to my college

  • @randyluo84 Rice Univ.?

  • As a guitarist, I feel like such a peon watching this.

    Its music that is just too much for my instrument. Its hard to even wrap the mind around it, and get it all. But I keep trying - I love the Rach. She plays with such feeling too...magnificent.

  • excellent work...truly inspiring in many ways!!! The art of a true musician on display...

  • this video has been sped up

  • You couldnt even program a computer to play any better..

    Beautiful!

  • OMG! Again, brilliant

  • that was sexy

  • It never ceases to amaze me how many fabulous pianists there are who can play this very difficult work. With no "pounding" great attention to details and very little necessary sustenuto pedal. And keep the melody line flowing. Ms. Astanova...miraculous. Rachmaninoff would be proud. sanjosemike

  • The eighth of the left ........ a miracle! You are delicious!

    Love it

  • That Steinway is amazing!!! The woman as well. But wow,

  • @pokerguy17 Yes, that's right ..... probably something most of us would have missed without your particularly brilliant articulation. :-)

  • O_O <- My expression all through that lol. Beautiful!

  • AMAZING!

  • You are simply amazing. I love you.

  • Loved this. Taught me much!!!! Faved and 5ed!!!!

  • I can't even pretend to play that fast !!!

  • It looked like you were going to crump after the last notes, are you feeling alright? Please don't hurt'em, Hammer.

  • goddamnit get a better microphone, please :)

  • you and me perfect combo.

    I play piano .

    good looking.

    into applied math+quant. finance.

    :) In my dreams I know.

  • @scout6686 You two against the world, huh? awe.

  • nice playing!

  • good job Lola,I have heard to another edition of this sonata...i don't know which version is original.

    comparing to Helene Grimaud ,Lola's dynamics are too loose for example in 1:03 Lola played like a loosened march,but grimaud playing sounds so terrific ,like death is near you and is coming to you.

    overall, i liked Lola's technique more than her interpretation!

  • ive listened to all 3 movements and i really like her interpretation of it.I always liked horowitz,s version best but she really plays it great.she deservs alot of respect.This is one of the more difficult pieces out there.

  • sorry, are those elbow pads?

    haha

    mm beautiful stuff though

  • @ massoukin

    you made me look bad. This is her post dummy

  • i think im in love lol

    great performance learning next

  • she looks like a hot vampire seductress... you know those vampires are good with the pianos.... damn she is hot... i swear its like interview with a vampire all over again...

  • yea she does kinda suck, i mean, shes no chopin (whatever that means to whoever reads this). ugh... let me put it this way. can she play something ELSE?! this song sounds so damn jumbled. i can't make sense out of it!!!! AAARGGHH!!

  • @TheMasterDigimon Chopin is the composer. so i don't think you should be commenting if you don't even know that Chopin is a person. and there are parts where its supposed to go that fast.

  • @TheMasterDigimon Obviously you know nothing about classical music... don't comment on something if you don't know anything about it.

  • don't worry man, you just gotta take some time to listen closely... it's the piece she's playing, not her. the rachmaninoff sonata she is doing is known as being notoriously difficult and complicated. with this sort of music, enjoyment can be an acquired taste.

  • another thing is that this is third movement of a sonata, so you're hearing the end of a development of a theme... you gotta listen to the first two movements to actually understand the point of this one. it is pretty intellectual,

  • that is good advice.

  • IGNORANT!

  • play chopin scherzo 3

  • She is so good.

  • Please don't get me wrong -- I'm in love with her, talent and all.

    BUT, doesn't she favor the bass in many passages? I think her dynamics are a bit forced -- more technique than soul. (Not even God is perfect) Now that I've said that, let me say this: to get a better rendition, you'd have to program it note by note into a computer. Lola can tickle my ivories any day. She wouldn't bother, I know, because my piano isn't even close to a Steinway.

  • her hands look powerful... it really is too powerful...

  • Beautiful AND talented. :)

    Excellently crisp and clean interpretation, but also very expressive. *hits subscribe button untill it explodes*

  • Although I don't really care for the "bad ass" attitude, she is a phenomenal talent possibly approaching Argerich.

  • Lola, Great playing as usual! I hadn't before listened to your version of this particular piece. Nice job!

    I have a question. I know you play a Steinway but I'm curious about your opinion of Bosendorfers. Have you ever played one? I have & I like their superb tone. Bosendorfers were one of the 2 preferred pianos of Liszt. He said the quality of them was to such a high standard that it was 1 of only 2 piano brands which could withstand the power of his playing. I see your power too! "Rach" on!!

  • You took the words...you know. The low end is much richer on the 'dorfer, which I feel is better-suited to the "Rach 'n Roll" attitude you seem to be conveying here. Nice work (and I do mean work)!

  • Holy sh*, this girl is out of this world talented! I just got back from a recital of the Director of Music at Rice University and this girl is on par with what he was playing tonight. Kudos!!!

  • Wow! What phenomenal talent. A crisp technique and passionate interpretation. Thank you for sharing your brilliant performance. I've just become a Lola fan.

  • beautiful performance! and that's a very beautiful piano!!!! gosh!! so lucky!!!

  • she deserves more views!

  • gifted lady

  • LOLA! Oh my goodness! I have heard FEW performances of this piece that rival Horowitz's legendary take on it! You're bravura is quite a marvel to behold! Wonderful wonderful! and thank you!!!!!!!!

  • don t be stupid!

  • It isn't... I've seen her live. She is indeed that good.

    I have not seen you live but you are indeed a dumbass.

  • 3:36-3:46 is awesome

  • @xalspaero

    Although it took only :30 into the song to convince me to subscribe, you're right that 3:36 is extraordinarily dazzling.

  • you're a dumbass

  • This chick can play the piano!!

  • you're amazing!

  • Enough to make Rachmaninoff sit up and take notice !!!!!

    What a talent--and so beautiful to look at. A delightful combination.

  • I can tell you've been influenced by Alexei Sultanov. Same ascending/chromatic octaves in the bass at the end (rather than the recurring B-flat). Good choice. You play this piece very well.

  • Are you sure she is being influenced by Mr.Sultanv ? I knew Sultanov Personally, and I recall him Doing the ascending/Chromatic due to the Vladimir Horowitz Arrangement.. :-).... Vladimir Horowitz owns this piece, even Rachmaninoff himself said he approved of how Horowitz re-edited this sonata. :-) Alexei Did this Horowitz/Rach sonata both in 95, 96 and 97 In Japan Live. :-)

  • Wow, Rarescores, I'm glad you're such an expert. Jesus. Can't anyone just make a comment (meant to be a compliment to this young lady, by the way) without people jumping on it, turning it into an argument, and using it for an area to a) brag about knowing Sultanov and b) trying to show their "VAST" knowledge of the piano world. Lay off. Lola, you're a great pianist. It's unfortunate that the piano world can be so fricking obnoxious, though.

  • Nono, I think you read me wrong Darling! Most of this transcript is from the Vladimir Horowitz Arrangement, and Knowing Dace and Alexei Sultanov personally, Alexei was inspired by Horowitz where as he played this from 1995 to 1997 in Recitals. :-) Sorry if I have offended you. Best Regards. Lola you are a Master at the Piano. Keep up the great work!

  • Her Skryabin was a revelation .the Rach sec sonata feel her playingleaves it sounding disconected and too variouslytextures compelling narrative that it is.She i sstill very youngIf Gergiev is playing with her she obviously has musicalityevrything .Horowitz ,VanCliburnand Berezovsky,Collard are only recs I haveof it Weissenberg and VanCliburn esp are fabulous.Berezovsky somehow doesnt move mehis Corelli and Rach-Chopin var are out of  this world.Gavrilov must have a 2nd sonata somewhere.

  • the technical control and accuracy that you display in this sonata are astounding. also, your playing of the softer portions is very impressive --- lovely sound. in the louder parts, i think that you bang way too much. your attack of the bass is extremely aggressive, resulting in a very harsh and brittle sound. what's more, when your bass is loud, it tends to overshadow everything else, which is i think something undesirable. it would also be good if you could tone down your arm flailing.

  • I don't mind the flailing in that it does not affect the music. The "harshness" may be attributable to poor recording quality. (Whereas in a studio, the sounds are equalized, enhanced and modified (quote unquote).

    It's hard to compare live Youtube performances with amateur recording quality and manipulated CDs.

  • sick !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Whew! I have chills right now....I love Rachmaninoff and I love your passion girl!!

  • I think this IS THEEEE Horowitz Transcription of the Sonata Yes? :-) Way to go Lola!!!!

  • i hateee watching her fingers, they make my head hurt haha, she like plunks in some parts and flows in other parts hahaa, i love how she plays

  • I love how she ended it, she made that piano her bitch. LoL

  • @216kingDavid1 no she's showing her tits, terrible performance

  • I love it. Your very talented. My question for you is how do you play so fast?

  • You should play Beethovan's Piano Sonata no.17 Alegretto...I think you would do great on it =D

  • dramatic much?

  • Stupendous! You're so fast! Sometimes your left hand sounds a bit too heavy, usually when you're hitting octaves with it. That certainly wouldn't stop me from paying to see you live, though. Keep rockin' the oldies.

  • Beautiful...

  • meow

  • I saw it.... then I saw it again.... and I still don't believe my eyes.

  • wow... Never thought Rachmaninoff could be sexy ;)

  • what an odd song..... makes it all the more difficult.

  • AYA HIRANO

  • how long did it take you to learn this???