@KievanTiger, I agree that it is used as an excuse, but I don't think this is an awful performance. I don't believe in black and white, good and bad...there are grey ares, which tradition and history teach us...everyone has a perspective...I think a performance that everyone agrees on is one that is probably not very good
I've noticed that as Horowitz got older, his hand position and the plane of his wrist got much flatter (and his shoulders seem much more rigid). But the amazing part is he can still churn out that same fire and passion. Inspiring...
@meiji274 I don't know about the changes over time, but you're right about his flat fingered approach. The only other person I've ever seen play this flat fingered is Dianna Krall.
I agree with john mark, liszt is know for never playing anything the same twice, quite often his music is only scantily notated and is MEANT to be played and interpreted by the artist reciting the piece....I think too many people get carried away with virtuosity as the be all and end all, it isn't ,music is communication first and foremost, if you don't convey the emotion and intention of the piece you've missed the point entirely, not matter how perfectly you hit the notes
That's actually why I feel like we haven't had a "good" composer in awhile (I mean, one who writes more in a classical style for piano). I guess times are changing too, but....still. It just seems as though people are so worried about 'ruining' pieces that are already so 'perfect'. And perhaps that's why we have so many wonderful concert pianists with us than composers...
This is the very secret and core of playin a good Liszt, the capacity of being declamatory, of giving time for the phrases to breathe and tell their tales.
sublime ascoltare tanta elegante saggezza attraverso note così dolcemente diffuse dallo scorrere di sì sapienti dita su tal fortunata tastiera...meraviglia per occhi e udito...anticamera di libera fantasia...illimitatamente paradisiaca...omaggio alla bellezza e sensibilità dell'anima,,,
Could someone please help me out? I am looking for the score for this piece and i keep getting versions with a complety differant beginning. I don't know if there are two versions or what. So where can i find this exact version? because i really want to learn it. And of course, HOROWITZ ROCKS!
in his expression i see, that there is no difference wheter 500 people are listening or 1 million are listening or noone. his calm expression makes me think, that he is not actually playing but watching to something happeing far away from himself. thus this seems timeless, because he could as well be dead. very impressive, very forcefull
@tweriovnzxclb Thats very bad if you ask me. you are narrowing your point of view, There's more pianist that deserve attention, such as bolet.. perhaps you are already used to this version, because you heard it from horowitz first, BUT, hearing it from other legends such as a bolet (Who was not very well known) it's like hearing it again, a new experience of new feelings, even if the composer already give feelings to the song, different pianist put their feelings into it, and give a new meaning
@tweriovnzxclb I have downloaded this version but with respect,the Horowitz Moscow vintage is not the player he was when the eminent critic Neville Cardus called him "The greatest pianist dead or alive". For me Brendel is the finest interpreter of Liszt's piano works,particularly the pieces inspired by the Italian sojourn.He understands the romantic and quasi religious sentiments the composer felt as no other pianist.
Someone forgot to tell Horowitz that a piano was not a singing/legato instrument. He colors the piano tone in a manner similar to the great soprano Claudia Muzio
John: of course everything Horowitz does is interesting; but although I find this breathtaking, don't you think it's just a bit too self-indulgent and lacking inner cohesion? For me, Kempff gets this piece just right.
@65attila Of course, Horowitz is a titan. One may quibble with this or that point interpretively; but clearly this is a master at work. In fact, Horowitz mentions certain singers whose legato and tonal color he tried to imitate in his playing; the great tenor, Anselmi, for one. Your comparison to Claudia Muzio is very apt. Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful performance, and thanks to Sissco for the post!
@meltzerboy Battistini was among the great singers whom Horowitz revered (more about the extent of Horowitz's devotion to Battistini is mentioned in my reply to John here on this page) and who significantly influenced his style of playing. Jacques Chuilon's biography of Battistini mentions about this.
@dantitustimshu Yes, I knew Horowitz was inspired by Battistini's singing, but hadn't realized just how much he admired the singer and how great Battistini's influence was. Thanks for this fascinating information.
@65attila Horowitz drew inspiration from a number of great singers, and it's worth mentioning that Mattia Battistini was a significant major influence. During his temporary retirement between 1953 and 1965, he devoted a lot of time appreciating and studying Battistini's recordings. He invited friends for evenings of Battistini's records and even tried to persuade RCA producer John Pfeiffer to remaster Battistini's records for release. Thanks to John for sharing and Sissco for posting.
From this "Wiki" it was possible Horowitz heard Battistini in Russia.
.
"Beginning in 1892, he early established himself as a great favourite at both the Imperial theatres at Saint Petersburg and Moscow, the Marie and the Bolshoi, and returned to Russia regularly for 23 seasons, touring extensively, using Warsaw as his base.
By 1986 Horowitz represented pretty much an out of favor style of playing. His playing had the freedom and sense of song that Padereski and Rosenthal had at the turn of the century. His playing was arcane to a new generation of critics but audiences still loved him. I tend to react positively to the freedom of artists both vocal and non-vocal. Horowitz technique transcended chronology,
why must people be so dogmatic about "the way a piece should be played", as if there is such a thing...did Liszt play his pieces the same every time? No...it's called interpretation, and tradition, and music...Lipatti and Horowitz and Arrau are all beautiful, in their own way...they ALL play it THEIR way.
@johnmarkpiano Amen. I agree totally. If everyone interpreted all pieces the same, we would be terribly bored! It's everyone's individual style and intepretation which is what keeps music alive. Otherwise, we'd all be crying out of irritation and wishing they were different.
Horowitz c'est Horowitz, quoi qu'en puissent penser les uns ou les autres. Quant à dire que vous préférez Liszt, c'est le Liszt véritable ou celui de votre imagination. La critique est facile...
While I've been a Horowitz fan for a very long time, I find this performance puzzling. While it certainly has its moments of Horowitzian magic, if you listen with the score in front of you, you start to scratch your head. For example, the rhythm of the opening is completely distorted. There are places where the dynamic is the opposite of what Liszt asked for, e.g., the "cantabile con passione senza stentare" section, marked 'f', played 'p'. I much prefer Lipatti and Bolet in this masterpiece.
If you are a Horowitz fan, I'm pretty sure your aware that he can read the dynamics on the sheet music.
This is Horowitz's interpretation, and he certainly made it his own, so in that aspect I sometimes regard this as an entire different piece from the one played so beautifully by Bolet. Both however deserve 5/5 :)
@GodHandPresents Ignoring your ridiculous first sentence, I will partially agree with your second. Horowitz sometimes willfully ignored the instructions of great composers, and essentially "recomposed" their pieces. Given a choice between Liszt and Horowitz, I'll take Liszt. What he plays here is the "Horowitz arrangement" of Liszt's great work and I don't much like it. It isn't particularly well- played, either. This is far from the best of Horowitz, in my opinion.
@donaldcallen If you are going to admit that Horowitz knows the piece yet plays it for contrasting effect, then don't critique Horowitz as if he meant to play exactly what was on the sheet.
I understand that older "folks" seem to put emphasis on the sheet music, but in this case Horowitz put emphasis on his own emotions rather than Liszt's, giving the entire piece a much shakier and dynamic feel grasping the ambiguity of Petrarch's original sonnet.
@GodHandPresents It would be a lot better if you knew what the hell you were talking about before you start lecturing others. First of all, older "folks" tended NOT to be literal about the score, meaning pianists of Horowitz' time. They are much stricter now about textual fidelity.
Secondly, you have completely missed my point. I am not saying, as you thought, that Horowitz tried and failed to be faithful to the score. I'm saying he willfully decided to ignore it, as he frequently did.
@GodHandPresents Continuing, Horowitz sometimes thought he knew better than great composers. Sometimes he was right, the Rachmaninoff 2nd Sonata being an example. He asked Rachmaninoff for permission to make changes, it was granted, and Rachmaninoff liked what he did.
In this case, permission was obviously not possible and this listener does not like what he did. This piece is extremely well-written, and needs no "help" from Horowitz or anyone else. Lipatti, Bolet, and Arrau prove it.
@donaldcallen good posts. I'm happy you posted something that I could learn from this time, however in my personal opinion Horowitz's version is much more aesthetically pleasing.
P.S. I figured if i posted some comment regarding your age you'd reply with more substance, so please disregard the cum hoc.
One thing I must concede, though: finding something to sing in the descent around 3:20 and doing it like that is the mark of a genius - which anyway, we all know Horowitz was.
Sometimes there is only Horowitz! His earlier recorded version of the Sonetto 104 has a little more bravura - this one more nuanced 'color' if you will. For me, he simply owns this masterpiece! I love it so. For those who also love it - Dinu Lipatti's version is also very very great imo...
the man shouting bravo at the end of the performance does so at a nod from horowitz, it is done to inform the audience that they may now applaud, he's not just some random guy.
i've heard arrau, horowitz, brendel and bolet play this, and none even come close to horowitz's depth of emotional expression. he plays so much with the tempo and takes so many liberties that the piece becomes something else entirely, something no other pianist can imitate.
It's not a tv show - they don't need someone to tell them when they can applaud. It's a musical audience - many of them will know when the end is reached.
Youtube is famous for silly remarks but really, yours will take some beating
Beg to differ: I think the "bravo" bit was good. The man shouting that somehow embodies the sense of homecoming that Howoritz's moscow trip was so much about.
Absolutely amazing. Literally no physical movement whatsoever on his part, yet so full of passion and emotion. Such flat fingers, yet so, well, amazing! I don't see how anybody can possibly say anything negative about Horowitz's interpretation.
i thought music was supposed to be from your heart, not to be played 100% how it is on paper. Seriously, just enjoy the piece. He plays with his heart, that's why it is so great.
Can't anyone see past the technique that is perhaps not as good as when he was young, and hear the wonderful musicianship. He played with such emotion and compassion here. And what a sweet man. I still have tears rolling down my cheeks to hear this master who has now gone on to his great reward. He got to play this concert in his homeland and then died shortly after. The critics should all learn from him. What a remarkable and humble man. He is sorely missed . I say to hell with the pianimals.
Horowitz was given a gift that few musicians receive - the ability to grow his entire life through. The early Horowitz was a firebrand and a titan of piano technique, the middle Horowitz was a master interpreter and a painter in piano tone, the late Horowitz played with a sublimity and a knowing calm, so full of emotions, tears on the keys.
lamoryalyefrance, I disagree.. I think if Horowitz wanted to play this piece correctly he could have, but I feel that the way he plays this invokes much more emotion than any other pianist. In my opinion, this is the best interpretation of any of the Sonnetsof Pertrarca and is one of my three favorite interpretations in general by Horowitz (others being Chopin's Ballade in Gm, and Liszt's HR #2)
This piece is so beautiful (...the response to Chopin's nocturnes!!) so romantic (I am one!)... second only under Claudio Arrau's rendition (Z2Cn3u8VIw0).
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lamoryalyefrance.. i do agree with you.... i mean this really isn't incredible playing on his part.... then again he was really really old here and probably should be allowed a little break given how many of his performances were as close to perfection as anyone's going to get.
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And I took lots of flak for my opinion! In this particular playing, he simply does not play very well. But it is interesting to see how he has been Deified so that no matter what he does, it must be amazing...
I haven't played this piece nor have I studied a score of it so I can't say whether he is playing wrong notes or such but what I can say is you don't here many pianists who play such beautifully phrased melodies. If I could play like that ever, especially when I am over 80 years old, I would be very happy.
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@davidemusica86 this is the worse performance I've ever seen or heard of this. It's absolutely horrible to my ears. That's why I call him Horriblewitz..
Al di là delle imprecisioni dovute all'età, è sempre magico ed emozionante sentire Horowitz suonare, soprattutto per IL SUO SUONO, assolutamente unico!!
Oh, shit! He is so jazzy.. I absolutely adore his imperfection!!!! He "could" play it "right" if he wanted of course.. he just does'nt need it, he felt something else on the moment.
Las obras de Listz son bellísimas, románticas y apasionadas, sin embargo es curioso que los maestros actuales no les den tanta atención, según la autorizada opinión del que tal vez fue el mejor intérprete de Listz, Claudio Arrau. A propósito, considero que la versión del maestro Horowitz es hermosa, pero la versión del maestro Arrau es sobrecogedora e insuperable.
sdfgdsgfsdfg, How was Horowitz the last romantic pianist? Numerous other pianists, like S. Bunin are Chopin specialists, and understand other Romantic composers' music very well. What makes Horowitz so special that we have to consider other pianists "not Romantic"? Just because he was born at the end of the Romantic Age it doesn't mean he understands Romantic music more than any other pianist in the world. Don't get me wrong, I'm a great admirer of Horowitz.
gorgalsi - you find it unexpected to hear Liszt from Horowitz?? Where have you been? Horowitz has been regarded as the greatest of all Liszt interpreters since at the latest 1932, when his epochal recording of the b minor Sonata was released.
The only "mistake" here is YOU making such an IDIOTIC comment. You probably' can't even play chopsticks let alone a piece of music only the true masters can play, especially with the world watching as it was this concert.
Thanks for posting! I was amused by the description in Info section. Probably it is a joke. Brendel can not play two bars of any piece the way Horowitz does(which is not to say that Brendel is bad:))
Stop for a second, close your eyes, and listen to how amazing this piece is written. All the layers. It's one of the most beautiful things to have graced my ears
shit!! i 1 2 watch his fingers at 2:37!!!
Chiewkovsky 2 weeks ago
lol this music is gay as fuck, the guy playing it looks like a fagot
ZzonkedMCFC 1 month ago
@ZzonkedMCFC Cool story bro
firefws 1 month ago
This is incomparable interpretation!
g7727 2 months ago
@KievanTiger, I agree that it is used as an excuse, but I don't think this is an awful performance. I don't believe in black and white, good and bad...there are grey ares, which tradition and history teach us...everyone has a perspective...I think a performance that everyone agrees on is one that is probably not very good
johnmarkpiano 3 months ago
amazing pianist........ :0
brearleyhb 3 months ago
divine ... ))'
Gejeson 3 months ago
I can't help it...Horowitz makes me cry every time...
chobeethaninov 6 months ago 3
I've noticed that as Horowitz got older, his hand position and the plane of his wrist got much flatter (and his shoulders seem much more rigid). But the amazing part is he can still churn out that same fire and passion. Inspiring...
meiji274 6 months ago
@meiji274 I don't know about the changes over time, but you're right about his flat fingered approach. The only other person I've ever seen play this flat fingered is Dianna Krall.
flythrough123 5 months ago
its out of sync.... and its really annoying
geoper2 6 months ago
You ve gotta love that chord at 3:09
COCOONFABULA 7 months ago
I agree with john mark, liszt is know for never playing anything the same twice, quite often his music is only scantily notated and is MEANT to be played and interpreted by the artist reciting the piece....I think too many people get carried away with virtuosity as the be all and end all, it isn't ,music is communication first and foremost, if you don't convey the emotion and intention of the piece you've missed the point entirely, not matter how perfectly you hit the notes
tinyteishy 7 months ago
@tinyteishy
That's actually why I feel like we haven't had a "good" composer in awhile (I mean, one who writes more in a classical style for piano). I guess times are changing too, but....still. It just seems as though people are so worried about 'ruining' pieces that are already so 'perfect'. And perhaps that's why we have so many wonderful concert pianists with us than composers...
keetner 6 months ago
I think this is awesome music to listen to the rain falling. Try it!
stephen2000306 9 months ago
his capacity of going from a superb fortissimo such as 2:30 to the most calmed pianissimo in 1:32 is unparalleled... !!
dacorsua 10 months ago
This is the very secret and core of playin a good Liszt, the capacity of being declamatory, of giving time for the phrases to breathe and tell their tales.
royalmacneal 11 months ago
Way much Better than when his body was younger ..
dancingwithoutwords 1 year ago
In this piece IMO Horowitz makes the best of other pianists sound like excellent students.
65attila 1 year ago
(5:41 -->5:59) mil veces/thousand times/千回
O____O
napoedge 1 year ago
Wiiii mi maestro por fín me puso esta obra :) daré todo mi esfuerzo para tocarla muy muy bien!! es bellísima!
colibrisilvestre1 1 year ago
sublime ascoltare tanta elegante saggezza attraverso note così dolcemente diffuse dallo scorrere di sì sapienti dita su tal fortunata tastiera...meraviglia per occhi e udito...anticamera di libera fantasia...illimitatamente paradisiaca...omaggio alla bellezza e sensibilità dell'anima,,,
bruccheri70 1 year ago
Could someone please help me out? I am looking for the score for this piece and i keep getting versions with a complety differant beginning. I don't know if there are two versions or what. So where can i find this exact version? because i really want to learn it. And of course, HOROWITZ ROCKS!
AmericanCars101 1 year ago
@AmericanCars101
Various versions as explained on the IMSLP page. This video is the Années one.
andyhowlett 1 year ago
Pardon me: a Kick-Ass performance!!
And at this advanced age.
Scary.
4mithrandir 1 year ago
exelente
goldberg847 1 year ago
the difference between horowitz and all other pianists, who play this, is: 1:53, 2:37,
44STYLE187 1 year ago 6
in his expression i see, that there is no difference wheter 500 people are listening or 1 million are listening or noone. his calm expression makes me think, that he is not actually playing but watching to something happeing far away from himself. thus this seems timeless, because he could as well be dead. very impressive, very forcefull
torrededama 1 year ago 3
By far this is the best interpretation of this piece. Use of pedal and creation of colors is amazing.
gbshalev 1 year ago
Oh, well..... I already know this will be my favorite interpretation without having heard any of the others.
tweriovnzxclb 1 year ago
@tweriovnzxclb Thats very bad if you ask me. you are narrowing your point of view, There's more pianist that deserve attention, such as bolet.. perhaps you are already used to this version, because you heard it from horowitz first, BUT, hearing it from other legends such as a bolet (Who was not very well known) it's like hearing it again, a new experience of new feelings, even if the composer already give feelings to the song, different pianist put their feelings into it, and give a new meaning
lesengir 1 year ago
@tweriovnzxclb I have downloaded this version but with respect,the Horowitz Moscow vintage is not the player he was when the eminent critic Neville Cardus called him "The greatest pianist dead or alive". For me Brendel is the finest interpreter of Liszt's piano works,particularly the pieces inspired by the Italian sojourn.He understands the romantic and quasi religious sentiments the composer felt as no other pianist.
illyiarto
illyriato 1 year ago
Awesome! TY.John
paulostroff99 1 year ago
Someone forgot to tell Horowitz that a piano was not a singing/legato instrument. He colors the piano tone in a manner similar to the great soprano Claudia Muzio
65attila 1 year ago
@65attila
John: of course everything Horowitz does is interesting; but although I find this breathtaking, don't you think it's just a bit too self-indulgent and lacking inner cohesion? For me, Kempff gets this piece just right.
saltburner2 1 year ago
@saltburner2
I will listen to Kempff. VH was a personality as was the composer of this music,
On those terms VH's performance might have been more what Liszt had in mind.
It is conjecture but a tinge of history and knowlefge of Liszt's pesronal way with his oen and other's music s involved.
But subjectively - this perfomance completely disolves me emotionally.
Regards-John
65attila 1 year ago
@65attila Of course, Horowitz is a titan. One may quibble with this or that point interpretively; but clearly this is a master at work. In fact, Horowitz mentions certain singers whose legato and tonal color he tried to imitate in his playing; the great tenor, Anselmi, for one. Your comparison to Claudia Muzio is very apt. Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful performance, and thanks to Sissco for the post!
meltzerboy 1 year ago
@meltzerboy Battistini was among the great singers whom Horowitz revered (more about the extent of Horowitz's devotion to Battistini is mentioned in my reply to John here on this page) and who significantly influenced his style of playing. Jacques Chuilon's biography of Battistini mentions about this.
dantitustimshu 1 year ago
@dantitustimshu Yes, I knew Horowitz was inspired by Battistini's singing, but hadn't realized just how much he admired the singer and how great Battistini's influence was. Thanks for this fascinating information.
meltzerboy 1 year ago
@65attila Horowitz drew inspiration from a number of great singers, and it's worth mentioning that Mattia Battistini was a significant major influence. During his temporary retirement between 1953 and 1965, he devoted a lot of time appreciating and studying Battistini's recordings. He invited friends for evenings of Battistini's records and even tried to persuade RCA producer John Pfeiffer to remaster Battistini's records for release. Thanks to John for sharing and Sissco for posting.
dantitustimshu 1 year ago
@dantitustimshu
From this "Wiki" it was possible Horowitz heard Battistini in Russia.
.
"Beginning in 1892, he early established himself as a great favourite at both the Imperial theatres at Saint Petersburg and Moscow, the Marie and the Bolshoi, and returned to Russia regularly for 23 seasons, touring extensively, using Warsaw as his base.
65attila 1 year ago
@65attila
I think it is almost certain that Horowitz heard Battistini in Russia.
And it is interesting that Batt. made his first records in Warsaw in 1902.
I've also wondered whether he heard Richard Tauber as Don Jose in Paris in 1922. After all, his Carmen Fantasy is dedicated to Monsieur Tauber!
[And Tauber and Batt. appeared together in Traviata and Masked Ball in Vienna in November 1924: Mascagni conducted the Traviata!]
saltburner2 1 year ago
@saltburner2
By 1986 Horowitz represented pretty much an out of favor style of playing. His playing had the freedom and sense of song that Padereski and Rosenthal had at the turn of the century. His playing was arcane to a new generation of critics but audiences still loved him. I tend to react positively to the freedom of artists both vocal and non-vocal. Horowitz technique transcended chronology,
65attila 1 year ago
Marvel. Thanks for this.
mariadelamor21 1 year ago
i just try to play the same piece
... horowitz is a god
44STYLE187 1 year ago
the more I listen to this the more beautiful it becomes
TomPField 1 year ago
Diel rim tu se?
DenebWallace27 1 year ago
try closing your eyes while listening
dingo454545 1 year ago
Alucinante!!!
Alurji 1 year ago
@ keelan111: very true...thats pretty much the perfect description of him.he was not only a great pianist but also a real musician.
The1825 1 year ago
is this a transcription? the intro seems different in a lot of ways
bulboflight 1 year ago
wow, the power, and strength, and expression.
raven1234 1 year ago
diel rim tut se.
ytrewg56 1 year ago
it's impossible play so fantasic....it's incredible the colour
sonodavide 1 year ago
My favourite peace...
44STYLE187 1 year ago
We must crucify the 7 people that didn't like this... and then eat them
AGAG789 1 year ago 3
Anche se non suona le note è musicalemnte così bello che non si può che apprezzare *_*
TipheretV 1 year ago
why must people be so dogmatic about "the way a piece should be played", as if there is such a thing...did Liszt play his pieces the same every time? No...it's called interpretation, and tradition, and music...Lipatti and Horowitz and Arrau are all beautiful, in their own way...they ALL play it THEIR way.
johnmarkpiano 1 year ago 18
@johnmarkpiano Amen. I agree totally. If everyone interpreted all pieces the same, we would be terribly bored! It's everyone's individual style and intepretation which is what keeps music alive. Otherwise, we'd all be crying out of irritation and wishing they were different.
Physdelicdreaming 1 year ago
@johnmarkpiano
This is a magical performance as is Egon Petri's . I think some people
get confused and scared when every performance does not sound the same.
Great post and thanks-John
65attila 4 months ago 3
Happy 189th birthday Horowitz!
1023george 1 year ago 2
i checked the whole song with a score
every note is prefect
and the complicated parts wer palced just amazing!
Myyadda1 1 year ago
I love this... Soooo amazing... Horowitz was one of the greatest pianists ever.
tigertolyy 1 year ago
Magnificent!!! Bravo!
karlad12 1 year ago
3:17... So beautiful.
rustyspo0ns 1 year ago
2:25-2:57 is wonderful!
Volerto90 1 year ago
Horowitz c'est Horowitz, quoi qu'en puissent penser les uns ou les autres. Quant à dire que vous préférez Liszt, c'est le Liszt véritable ou celui de votre imagination. La critique est facile...
MarioLubenov 1 year ago
While I've been a Horowitz fan for a very long time, I find this performance puzzling. While it certainly has its moments of Horowitzian magic, if you listen with the score in front of you, you start to scratch your head. For example, the rhythm of the opening is completely distorted. There are places where the dynamic is the opposite of what Liszt asked for, e.g., the "cantabile con passione senza stentare" section, marked 'f', played 'p'. I much prefer Lipatti and Bolet in this masterpiece.
donaldcallen 1 year ago
If you are a Horowitz fan, I'm pretty sure your aware that he can read the dynamics on the sheet music.
This is Horowitz's interpretation, and he certainly made it his own, so in that aspect I sometimes regard this as an entire different piece from the one played so beautifully by Bolet. Both however deserve 5/5 :)
GodHandPresents 1 year ago 2
donaldcallen 1 year ago
@donaldcallen If you are going to admit that Horowitz knows the piece yet plays it for contrasting effect, then don't critique Horowitz as if he meant to play exactly what was on the sheet.
I understand that older "folks" seem to put emphasis on the sheet music, but in this case Horowitz put emphasis on his own emotions rather than Liszt's, giving the entire piece a much shakier and dynamic feel grasping the ambiguity of Petrarch's original sonnet.
GodHandPresents 1 year ago
@GodHandPresents It would be a lot better if you knew what the hell you were talking about before you start lecturing others. First of all, older "folks" tended NOT to be literal about the score, meaning pianists of Horowitz' time. They are much stricter now about textual fidelity.
Secondly, you have completely missed my point. I am not saying, as you thought, that Horowitz tried and failed to be faithful to the score. I'm saying he willfully decided to ignore it, as he frequently did.
donaldcallen 1 year ago
@GodHandPresents Continuing, Horowitz sometimes thought he knew better than great composers. Sometimes he was right, the Rachmaninoff 2nd Sonata being an example. He asked Rachmaninoff for permission to make changes, it was granted, and Rachmaninoff liked what he did.
In this case, permission was obviously not possible and this listener does not like what he did. This piece is extremely well-written, and needs no "help" from Horowitz or anyone else. Lipatti, Bolet, and Arrau prove it.
donaldcallen 1 year ago
@donaldcallen good posts. I'm happy you posted something that I could learn from this time, however in my personal opinion Horowitz's version is much more aesthetically pleasing.
P.S. I figured if i posted some comment regarding your age you'd reply with more substance, so please disregard the cum hoc.
GodHandPresents 1 year ago
@donaldcallen There's no way a rational human can dislike this performance, you are either irrational or you are troll.
Gargantupimp 1 year ago
@donaldcallen Assuming your not a troll, then you don't know very much about Franz Liszt.
Gargantupimp 1 year ago
One thing I must concede, though: finding something to sing in the descent around 3:20 and doing it like that is the mark of a genius - which anyway, we all know Horowitz was.
bontempo01 1 year ago
Better than Brendel but not better than Lipatti, IMO.
bontempo01 1 year ago
Is it just me or does this video appear a slight fraction out of sync with the music?
wonderlasting 1 year ago
In the hands of the master...
StainofPiss69 1 year ago 2
This comment has received too many negative votes show
is horowitz still alive?
greenbottle500 2 years ago
No he is dead...
killingppl 1 year ago
@greenbottle500 you son of a bitch how could you think that. jk i don't know why so many people dis liked your question
cmonneah 1 year ago
Sometimes there is only Horowitz! His earlier recorded version of the Sonetto 104 has a little more bravura - this one more nuanced 'color' if you will. For me, he simply owns this masterpiece! I love it so. For those who also love it - Dinu Lipatti's version is also very very great imo...
PhilPhilUSA 2 years ago 4
Liszt suits him very well: sometimes devil, sometimes angel
armusik 2 years ago 3
Comment removed
satsatur 2 years ago
Fantastic performance of a masterpiece !!!!
lamsalgado 2 years ago 4
the man shouting bravo at the end of the performance does so at a nod from horowitz, it is done to inform the audience that they may now applaud, he's not just some random guy.
i've heard arrau, horowitz, brendel and bolet play this, and none even come close to horowitz's depth of emotional expression. he plays so much with the tempo and takes so many liberties that the piece becomes something else entirely, something no other pianist can imitate.
Xenogfan43 2 years ago 3
@Xenogfan43
Interesting observation, with the "bravo" !
chiefthegreat 2 years ago
I have this dvd so i noticed, he does that at the end of every performance.
Xenogfan43 2 years ago
It's not a tv show - they don't need someone to tell them when they can applaud. It's a musical audience - many of them will know when the end is reached.
Youtube is famous for silly remarks but really, yours will take some beating
lsbrother 2 years ago 4
Obra-prima da literatura pianistica,nas mãos de um consagrado intérprete.
mercurio725 2 years ago 2
Does anyone know why it says that this piece is inspired by Sonetto 104. I thought Pace non trovo was Sonetto 134.
davidemusica86 2 years ago
great sensitivity
roperfecto 2 years ago
@roperfecto
No,104 is correct,as I play this piece practically every day ! By different interpreters,I hasten to add.
illyriato
illyriato 1 year ago
Beg to differ: I think the "bravo" bit was good. The man shouting that somehow embodies the sense of homecoming that Howoritz's moscow trip was so much about.
ledgehall 2 years ago 3
Fabulous playing by my hero Vladimir Horowitz. So magical.
cattleman6420012000 2 years ago 8
@cattleman6420012000 bravissimo, anche io la penso cosi
goldberg72 6 months ago
No doubt, Horowitz was a great artist, but this piece was made to be played by Claudio Arrau.
watch?v=Z2Cn3u8VIw0&feature=related
Ray0X0 2 years ago
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I totally agree!
Horowitz it's an incredible pianist but nobody plays this piece like Arrau
xherexmyxnamex 2 years ago
Arrau has incredible flexibility but also Horowitz is wonderful!
satsatur 2 years ago 3
I want to kill that douchebag...........he had no respect for the atmosphere...
crazycadenza 2 years ago
Great!
Emotional rendition.
Thanks.
koliatima 2 years ago 2
Wow, he really knows his piano. 5:17, he plays an accent, lets it go, then places his fingers softly on it again to hold it over.
nosniborceda 2 years ago
thats what Liszt asked for
artymowycz 2 years ago
Absolutely amazing. Literally no physical movement whatsoever on his part, yet so full of passion and emotion. Such flat fingers, yet so, well, amazing! I don't see how anybody can possibly say anything negative about Horowitz's interpretation.
coo1965 2 years ago 4
i thought music was supposed to be from your heart, not to be played 100% how it is on paper. Seriously, just enjoy the piece. He plays with his heart, that's why it is so great.
derning302 2 years ago 3
Quanto adoro Horowitz ... è il mio idolo, vorrei diventare come lui anche se so che è un'utopia!!!
nonnopic 2 years ago
Can't anyone see past the technique that is perhaps not as good as when he was young, and hear the wonderful musicianship. He played with such emotion and compassion here. And what a sweet man. I still have tears rolling down my cheeks to hear this master who has now gone on to his great reward. He got to play this concert in his homeland and then died shortly after. The critics should all learn from him. What a remarkable and humble man. He is sorely missed . I say to hell with the pianimals.
pgnorgan 2 years ago 6
Horowitz was given a gift that few musicians receive - the ability to grow his entire life through. The early Horowitz was a firebrand and a titan of piano technique, the middle Horowitz was a master interpreter and a painter in piano tone, the late Horowitz played with a sublimity and a knowing calm, so full of emotions, tears on the keys.
keelan111 2 years ago 72
lamoryalyefrance, I disagree.. I think if Horowitz wanted to play this piece correctly he could have, but I feel that the way he plays this invokes much more emotion than any other pianist. In my opinion, this is the best interpretation of any of the Sonnetsof Pertrarca and is one of my three favorite interpretations in general by Horowitz (others being Chopin's Ballade in Gm, and Liszt's HR #2)
GodHandPresents 2 years ago
This piece is so beautiful (...the response to Chopin's nocturnes!!) so romantic (I am one!)... second only under Claudio Arrau's rendition (Z2Cn3u8VIw0).
Ray0X0 2 years ago
An emotional rendition of a timelessly beautiful piece.
mcverlei 2 years ago 5
すばらしい
karuikoneko 2 years ago
i wonder how he can play so beautifully with those flat fingers?! just makes me cringe.
droftreeology 2 years ago 5
agreed
someoneisajerk 2 years ago
Hermoso, sublime, es la mejor interpretación de esta obra .
TheLeonardoSaez 2 years ago
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Tempi all over the place, sloppy playing, random volume changes, blurred pedaling.
Must be an aquired taste...
lamorlayefrance 2 years ago
So must your ego
decky1990 2 years ago
Ad Hominem attack - you confuse the issue (piano technique) with discrediting my character.
lamorlayefrance 2 years ago
It was more of an "Ad Hominem abusive".
Tempi all over the show = rubato.
Sloppy playing = arthritis/difficult piece?
Random volume change = expression.
Blurred pedalling = sense of mystery?
It's called interpretation.
decky1990 2 years ago 5
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lamoryalyefrance.. i do agree with you.... i mean this really isn't incredible playing on his part.... then again he was really really old here and probably should be allowed a little break given how many of his performances were as close to perfection as anyone's going to get.
lifeemusicelife 2 years ago
i agree with u
ilwmb 2 years ago 4
it probably is. :)
droftreeology 2 years ago 4
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Thankyou! Finally someone who agrees - Horowitz is overrated.
Haeronthegreat 2 years ago
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And I took lots of flak for my opinion! In this particular playing, he simply does not play very well. But it is interesting to see how he has been Deified so that no matter what he does, it must be amazing...
lamorlayefrance 2 years ago
I haven't played this piece nor have I studied a score of it so I can't say whether he is playing wrong notes or such but what I can say is you don't here many pianists who play such beautifully phrased melodies. If I could play like that ever, especially when I am over 80 years old, I would be very happy.
davidemusica86 2 years ago 16
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@davidemusica86 this is the worse performance I've ever seen or heard of this. It's absolutely horrible to my ears. That's why I call him Horriblewitz..
mrpcpro 10 months ago
@mrpcpro
Well, you have to consider he is pretty old in this video. In his prime, I'm sure he was unbeatable.
keetner 10 months ago
@mrpcpro i Know why. You hear this horribly because You have horrible ears...kkkkkkkkk
dukedome 10 months ago
@mrpcpro All right, then! Go ahead and let us see YOU play it better! Yeah, didn't think so.
shuswap97 8 months ago
Incredibly lush sound. What an incredible instrument the piano is when written for and played by masters of their craft.
muketah 2 years ago 4
Al di là delle imprecisioni dovute all'età, è sempre magico ed emozionante sentire Horowitz suonare, soprattutto per IL SUO SUONO, assolutamente unico!!
prodesica 2 years ago
I love Liszt music... a genius (if in hands of other genius, Arrau, even more!).
Nice performance by master Horowitz.
Ray0X0 2 years ago 2
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even as ugly as he is nigga must still get pussy
franpimpin 2 years ago 2
Best interpretation I've ever heard!
Pironet 2 years ago
No one plays like Horowitz....
tomastrent 2 years ago 10
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Such a superficial interpretation. Bolet's version is FAR superior.
Haeronthegreat 2 years ago
ma lui era horowitz:adoro bolet!
goldberg72 2 years ago
Too bad Bolet has no line though.
TrackerAction 2 years ago
The top of the world!
88Woland 2 years ago
Oh, shit! He is so jazzy.. I absolutely adore his imperfection!!!! He "could" play it "right" if he wanted of course.. he just does'nt need it, he felt something else on the moment.
alexjrmarino 2 years ago 2
mi dispiace dirlo ..horowitz era un grande ...pero'm rubinstein a 96 rincorreva i treni e riusciva salirci!
goldberg72 2 years ago
Las obras de Listz son bellísimas, románticas y apasionadas, sin embargo es curioso que los maestros actuales no les den tanta atención, según la autorizada opinión del que tal vez fue el mejor intérprete de Listz, Claudio Arrau. A propósito, considero que la versión del maestro Horowitz es hermosa, pero la versión del maestro Arrau es sobrecogedora e insuperable.
Ray0X0 2 years ago
no movement whatsoever and yet ten times more expressive and musical than lang lang
StrmUndDrng 2 years ago 9
The last romantic pianist...Liszt would cry...
sdfgdsgfsdfg 2 years ago 22
sdfgdsgfsdfg, How was Horowitz the last romantic pianist? Numerous other pianists, like S. Bunin are Chopin specialists, and understand other Romantic composers' music very well. What makes Horowitz so special that we have to consider other pianists "not Romantic"? Just because he was born at the end of the Romantic Age it doesn't mean he understands Romantic music more than any other pianist in the world. Don't get me wrong, I'm a great admirer of Horowitz.
chopinandliszt 2 years ago 2
my favorite interpretation
flatulatingfetus 2 years ago 7
I enjoyed this video very much. But again another one that is out of synch.
lggerard48 2 years ago 3
jesus he looks old here. What a statement to the strength of the spirit.... or maybe he was just a tank. I love you horowitz
88alan8800 2 years ago 5
How old is Horowits in this clip?
a3k0ln24s 2 years ago 2
I believe that he was 82.
lggerard48 2 years ago 3
235
AChrisL 2 years ago
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Rewelacja ! Film.....!!!!!!
justap19 2 years ago
it is very strange to hear Liszt from Horrowitz..somehow unexpected,
gorgalsi 2 years ago
gorgalsi strange to hear Liszt from Horrowitz..somehow unexpected
--------------
Even some who are not great admirers of Horowitz acknowledge his great performances of Liszt even though he did not record a great deal of Liszt.,
65attila 2 years ago 3
I AM an admirer of Liszt!!
I love his interpretations and his style.
I just said, that it is strange for me to hear exactly Liszt from Horowitz..
gorgalsi 2 years ago 5
gorgalsi - you find it unexpected to hear Liszt from Horowitz?? Where have you been? Horowitz has been regarded as the greatest of all Liszt interpreters since at the latest 1932, when his epochal recording of the b minor Sonata was released.
123mortimer456 2 years ago
Difficult to believe but some folks think both Liszt and Horowitz were superficial.
This music and performance are amazing! !!!
65attila 2 years ago 2
Comment removed
marm847 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Do you know what jealous means?
marm847 2 years ago
Can they sense the deep envolving atmosphere that the music, and this interpretation make?
Wintersverd 2 years ago
Horowitz was so special throughout his very long life. Thank you so much for letting us hear this.Horowitz always moves me so much emotionally.
cattleman6420012000 2 years ago 2
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He's got a very musical interpretation, but I did hear quite a few mistakes.
I can play this son too. =)
abecedariandude 3 years ago
The only "mistake" here is YOU making such an IDIOTIC comment. You probably' can't even play chopsticks let alone a piece of music only the true masters can play, especially with the world watching as it was this concert.
John19182004 2 years ago 6
WOW even here it works so add &fmt=18 to the link and the clip will play in high quallity
peterviool 3 years ago
He sings with his hands,wonderful,makes you cry for how it is beautiful.
miliona1re 3 years ago 7
genius at its best, it doesn't get any better
neonpantheon 3 years ago 6
Thanks for posting! I was amused by the description in Info section. Probably it is a joke. Brendel can not play two bars of any piece the way Horowitz does(which is not to say that Brendel is bad:))
berlioz1830 3 years ago 5
Ahh, he plays those thirds and triads so smoothly. *_*
*Envious* :)
xoposo 3 years ago 3
Beyond Words.
saulboyjt 3 years ago 4
Merveilleux. 10*
givemetime123 3 years ago 3
Bravo Horowitz, I was greatly moved by the performance and left teary-eyed.
jpams 3 years ago 4
i just started learning this peice :s the music looks sooooooooooooo hard haha
dajolly99 3 years ago
Stop for a second, close your eyes, and listen to how amazing this piece is written. All the layers. It's one of the most beautiful things to have graced my ears
AcePro 3 years ago 4