@kloiq I think your opinion is quite wrong. This piece "MUSTN'T last more than 50 seconds"???
So what's ideal? 48 seconds? 45 seconds? Ridiculous!
The great Martha Argerich plays this at lightning speed and yet takes 53 seconds. Incredibly virtuosic and in my opinion too fast - some of the phrases & harmonic progressions are a bit lost. Lim Dong Hyek does about 50 seconds but only as a showcase for his virtuosity.
Zukhov is slow here, anything around a minute or a bit more is about right.
Igor Zhukov is one of the most remarkable, intelligent, and talented pianists of the 20th century. I have heard him play both Chopin and Scriabin live and it was a transcendent experience. To genuinely understand his genius, seek out his recording of Tchaikovsky's 2nd Piano Concerto with Rozhdestvensky and the USSR RTV Large symphony Orchestra. Breath-taking!
A slower tempo at the start gives the performer the breadth to communicate the relentless torrent effectively with the required dynamics and, allows for the performer to step up the pace where indicated for the closing bars. A triumph!
wtf :-D listening to this is like watching a spider walk whose leg motor neurons have been rearranged, trying to work it out as he goes along. the pattern is lost- the motion is so halting it's forgotten. trying to bring the rhythm of the left and right hands into conciliation causes odd lurches. repair surgery is needed :D 'interesting' certainly applies
This performance has such a provocatory approach! The beginning chords are played at lightning speed, with no pedal Then an incredibly slow and marcatissimo tempo.
This performance reverses the order of the 2nd and 3rd notes in the right hand! The slower tempo lets me enjoy the intricate and wandering melody more than the faster recordings, but in this case the performer still is only scratching the surface of the expression and storytelling that are available in the piece. It sounds to me like a collection of notes, like a series of words pronounced clearly but communicating nothing. There's a story inside this piece and he missed it.
Igor Zhukov is probably one of the world's greatest pianists ever. I was lucky enough to see him perform Chopin live once and I've never found anyone to match him, live or on recording.
Cortot called this prelude : "La course à l'abîme" (the race to the abyss). This is far too slow to express this idea. Here we have notes played very carfully (he speeds up to the end) but without real expression.
With due respect, it is not required of an interpreter to "express [the] idea" of Cortot, who himself was just an interpreter. They are on equal footing here and Zhukov through his performance obviously doesn't agree with that opinion. Using the term "real expression" doesn't help your argument either by implying that only one interpretation can be "real". In fact I am not sure why you are listening to other pianists as you seem to believe that this prelude can be played only one way.
First, I do think that Cortot is a far more inspired Chopin player than Zhukov.
Second I certainly don't think that there is only one way to play a work. But for this prelude I find Cortot's idea very well adapted to this prelude.
Cortot was a much more recorded Chopin player than Zhukov, who in terms of major pieces only played the op.28 Preludes and the third sonata (which is remarkable, dark and brooding). Cortot's idea of this prelude, like his idea of the 24th prelude, is very eloquently expressed. He was a great pianist and a great teacher. Zhukov's Chopin bears no resemblance to Cortot's nor to anyone elses in recorded history, which is what makes it so remarkable and, it has to be said, so divisive.
I listen again to this prelude by Zhukov, and finally I find his reading quite interesting and also expressive. This reminds me Vladimir de Pachmann in the etude op.10 no.1, who plays also quite slowly compared to the usual way of the most famous interpretations but gives a new lighting to this etude with the quiet liquid flow of his arpeggios.
@rigel48 It seems the whole point with this interpretation is that he takes it so slowly at the beginning and then accelerates abruptly at 1:00. Like it or not, it creates a very original and interesting interpretation (even though Chopin might have turned in his grave). Also, mark the left hand at 0:35-0:45.
@kloiq I think your opinion is quite wrong. This piece "MUSTN'T last more than 50 seconds"???
So what's ideal? 48 seconds? 45 seconds? Ridiculous!
The great Martha Argerich plays this at lightning speed and yet takes 53 seconds. Incredibly virtuosic and in my opinion too fast - some of the phrases & harmonic progressions are a bit lost. Lim Dong Hyek does about 50 seconds but only as a showcase for his virtuosity.
Zukhov is slow here, anything around a minute or a bit more is about right.
videoreff 10 months ago
training?? wtf?? this piece MUSTN´T last more than 50 seconds, in my opinion!!!
kloiq 10 months ago
Igor Zhukov is one of the most remarkable, intelligent, and talented pianists of the 20th century. I have heard him play both Chopin and Scriabin live and it was a transcendent experience. To genuinely understand his genius, seek out his recording of Tchaikovsky's 2nd Piano Concerto with Rozhdestvensky and the USSR RTV Large symphony Orchestra. Breath-taking!
Balancement 1 year ago
Well, it's not Presto con fuoco. Not sure what this thing is.
demosj 1 year ago
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diletanttisme
apollonianclockwork 1 year ago
A slower tempo at the start gives the performer the breadth to communicate the relentless torrent effectively with the required dynamics and, allows for the performer to step up the pace where indicated for the closing bars. A triumph!
pianonymously 1 year ago
Remarkable!
MaverickMusican 2 years ago
i have one word to say... GULAG
pyroprince78 2 years ago
i love it!
kempff95 2 years ago
wtf :-D listening to this is like watching a spider walk whose leg motor neurons have been rearranged, trying to work it out as he goes along. the pattern is lost- the motion is so halting it's forgotten. trying to bring the rhythm of the left and right hands into conciliation causes odd lurches. repair surgery is needed :D 'interesting' certainly applies
20jazzfunkgreats 2 years ago
Non!
Troybeallad 2 years ago
This performance has such a provocatory approach! The beginning chords are played at lightning speed, with no pedal Then an incredibly slow and marcatissimo tempo.
voolare 2 years ago 3
This performance reverses the order of the 2nd and 3rd notes in the right hand! The slower tempo lets me enjoy the intricate and wandering melody more than the faster recordings, but in this case the performer still is only scratching the surface of the expression and storytelling that are available in the piece. It sounds to me like a collection of notes, like a series of words pronounced clearly but communicating nothing. There's a story inside this piece and he missed it.
jdm104 3 years ago
Igor Zhukov is probably one of the world's greatest pianists ever. I was lucky enough to see him perform Chopin live once and I've never found anyone to match him, live or on recording.
Balancement 3 years ago
What the heck!?
This is the weirdest recording out there!
FaustianKnight 3 years ago 4
He should have kept the starting tempo to the end. The close is a smear.
legamature 3 years ago
Where does this recording come from?
DF5JT 3 years ago
From you, of course. Thanks.
AntonioDGO 3 years ago
Cortot called this prelude : "La course à l'abîme" (the race to the abyss). This is far too slow to express this idea. Here we have notes played very carfully (he speeds up to the end) but without real expression.
rigel48 3 years ago
With due respect, it is not required of an interpreter to "express [the] idea" of Cortot, who himself was just an interpreter. They are on equal footing here and Zhukov through his performance obviously doesn't agree with that opinion. Using the term "real expression" doesn't help your argument either by implying that only one interpretation can be "real". In fact I am not sure why you are listening to other pianists as you seem to believe that this prelude can be played only one way.
AntonioDGO 3 years ago
First, I do think that Cortot is a far more inspired Chopin player than Zhukov.
Second I certainly don't think that there is only one way to play a work. But for this prelude I find Cortot's idea very well adapted to this prelude.
rigel48 3 years ago
Cortot was a much more recorded Chopin player than Zhukov, who in terms of major pieces only played the op.28 Preludes and the third sonata (which is remarkable, dark and brooding). Cortot's idea of this prelude, like his idea of the 24th prelude, is very eloquently expressed. He was a great pianist and a great teacher. Zhukov's Chopin bears no resemblance to Cortot's nor to anyone elses in recorded history, which is what makes it so remarkable and, it has to be said, so divisive.
AntonioDGO 3 years ago
I listen again to this prelude by Zhukov, and finally I find his reading quite interesting and also expressive. This reminds me Vladimir de Pachmann in the etude op.10 no.1, who plays also quite slowly compared to the usual way of the most famous interpretations but gives a new lighting to this etude with the quiet liquid flow of his arpeggios.
rigel48 3 years ago
He played the 2nd Chopin concerto, the 1st Ballade, 4th Ballade, second sonata.
DF5JT 3 years ago
@rigel48 It seems the whole point with this interpretation is that he takes it so slowly at the beginning and then accelerates abruptly at 1:00. Like it or not, it creates a very original and interesting interpretation (even though Chopin might have turned in his grave). Also, mark the left hand at 0:35-0:45.
lavroffcinema 1 year ago
Comment removed
nikolaimedtner 3 years ago