Serge Prokofieff, Toccata, op. 11 performed by Vladimir Horowitz (Audio)

[Gflapcamel]

@ckorn123 - sorry to bother you again, but just a thought: the raping of Mozart rendered in musical form needn't necessarily be horrible. Unless, of course, you are raping him the wrong way.

[Gflapcamel]

@ckorn123 - I know you were probably being quite serious - you sounded real upset - but your comment had me laughing uncontrollably. See, I too knew someone who composed something horrendous. He played it for me and, because I was his friend and could not lie to his face, I said to him, Johann, this Symphony is garbage. As in get it out of here, and don't ever violate my ears like that again.

[BANCROFT161]

EXCELLENT INTERPRETATION!!! ALWAYS FROM VLADIMIR HOROWITS, BUT THIS TIME HE HAD HUNGER BECAUSE IT'S NOT A COMPLETE VERSION,  IT MISS SOME MEASURES FROM 177 TO 187 AND HE PLAY IN HIS VERSION FROM THE MEASURE 176 AND HE PASSED DIRECTLY TO 189 !!!! BUT HI'S AMAZING ALWAYS.

[SwePianoholic]

What an astonishing performance- compared to other pianists hammer-like beating.

[cattleman6420012000]

This is an unbelievably great recording of this piece. Incredible to hear this 1930 recording.

[007captainobvious]

THE recording of this Toccata. Horowitz sooooo beats Argerich.

[RobinLSL]

Too fast. Skips one of the best sections of the piece (probably because he can't physically play it). Sounds like a wash of notes. Idiotic D minor chord at the end.

I really have bile fascination for Horowitz.

[killingppl]

@RobinLSL You opinion against a million others is really minuscule because I find this interpretation different I like it.

[paste42]

@RobinLSL what's a bile fascination?

[RobinLSL]

@paste42 Actually it's not exactly Bile Fascination (forgot the caps the first time apparently. They're important since it's a WikiWord kindof). It's just that I often go and look at Horowitz stuff even though I pretty much know in advance that I won't like it. I do somehow enjoy finding stuff I don't like in his playing though I also try and find stuff I like...it's just much harder.

And yeah Bile Fascination is just another trope, see it on tvtropes.

Some coincidence meeting you there paste!

[paste42]

@RobinLSL I thoroughly like Horowitz, although I prefer his other recording of this piece.

Yeah, I was like hey I know that guy!

[jamieschofield7]

@RobinLSL Well can you play it???? Horowitz wanted to be a composer before he was a pianist! remember that! I think many people have 'bile facination' for your empty criticism i mean what qualifies you to make that decision that its an idiotic d minor chord at the end? Can you even play it at all? and if so can you play it like this? If you had the capacity to play it like horowitz does then fine... but otherwise you're not qualified to make that comment about the speed!

[RobinLSL]

@jamieschofield7 I think I play this piece better than this, yes.

The d minor chord is idiotic because it's absolutely not in the spirit of the piece. Prokofiev clearly aimed for an unharmonic "BANG" at the end. Nothing in the final page is in D minor, it's just "in D". And Horowitz adds a super out-of-place dramatic chord to end this "mechanical" piece... it just defeats me how he could find that right.

[Ckorn123]

@RobinLSL There is NO WAY that you can interpret this piece better. I checked out some of your performances on your channel....they suck. Your 4th Ballade is fucking ugly and so is your Liszt. Horowitz OWNS this piece, it's clear. Prokofiev was still alive when this recording was made!!!! You would think a loser "anime-fantasy" interpreter would understand spontaneity in performance. You fucking raped Mozart with that ugly ass jazz fantasy. Fuck off and don't diss Maestro Horowitz.

[RobinLSL]

@Ckorn123 what do you think of Olivier Cazal, the guy who plays on the "sferrault" Youtube channel?

[Gargantupimp]

@Ckorn123 "">Taking criticism of Horowitz seriously"" Why? He has been the most highly lauded, famous, and highest paid pianist for the past hundred years, after he died piano died, his status has reached that ultimate legendary point to where one can no longer criticize horowitz but only admire and study H. in hopes of somehow attaining a fraction of the perfection he possesed.

[xxxvsxxx]

One trouble I saw with some pianist was that their hand kept hitting notes at the sides.They were lucky,hardly any of the audience were experienced (it was a small performance performed for 4 classes in my school in that room,assembly period)But some people heard it

[laundrylint]

Oh my god. And I thought Argerich's performance was fast.

[tahirthebad]

ah yes, the proper interpretation has emerged.

i think prokofiev should always be as fast as possible with the little inflections and some banging, thats why richter excels.

but seriously though, this man horowitz must've had a piano in his ancestry or something.

can a piano make kids??

apparently.

[cattleman6420012000]

This is a fantastic performance.

[xcomposerpianistx]

It's not just about of being fast...it's about an incredible superb technical mastery. at that speed no other pianists can make you listen to each single note like he does. He barely uses the pedal, there is a "natural" legato that comes out from his fingers that it's unmatchable. Among the pianists of any time, there's no one that impress me more than him. And he has a wonderful musicality. The best pianist i ever heard.

[hailkayy]

How can one go that fast ?

[cattleman6420012000]

This very early Horowitz recording done in London ( I have the CD ) is absolutely unbelievably brilliant. At the very start he even makes every note sound so effective.

[cattleman6420012000]

It is interesting listening to this 1930 recording and compare it to his 1947 recording. the playing is quite different. This is taken a lot faster. To be honest, I think Horowitz was not conceited. Pictures are and were always doctored. He actually had a wonderful sense of humour. In 1930 he had to sell himself to make sure all the seats were filled at the next concert. I read, that in London they didn't make too much fuss until they heard his Rach3 Concerto, then they went mad.

[BachScholar]

This is by far the fastest recording ever, even faster than Argerich by a full half a minute. It's great, no doubt about that. But is faster necessarily better? I think a slower speed would enable the ear to pick up more details. As is, it just sounds like a huge wash of notes.

[BachFong11]

Excuse me sir. Excuse me. It is common knowledge that he has left out a whole section in his recording of this work. Thank god you are a Bach scholar and NOT a prokofiev scholar otherwise you would have realized that. Long live Argerich.

[jessicaminahan7480]

did he add that last solid d min. chord at the end or what?

[visualpiano]

@jessicaminahan7480 yes you are right~ it's a D minor chord. but it seems the flatted third (F) is not that emphasized in this piece. In my opinion the whole piece is fulfilled with atonality except for the 3 D minor paragraphs. I'm think what will the piece sound like if it ends with a Dm7#9.

[jessicaminahan7480]

wow...that's all I have to say. I've been listening to a lot of different performers play this piece because I'm learning it, and I really love his interpretation.

[2ndAveLine]

I also like the juxtaposition of the 2 pics- the first looks extremely arrogant and haughty. The second, he's not only looking at us but through us, as if we're simply not up to his level, haha.

[jessicaminahan7480]

very true. makes me feel very inferior

[classicalcurrell]

@jessicaminahan7480 - listening to old 30's & 40's recordings of Horowitz & ultimately realizing I would never be that good definitely got me down, lol. When he was younger, he has a look that exudes complete mastery over the instrument! He is most definitely the greatest I have ever heard, & I've heard a lot.

[cattleman6420012000]

@2ndAveLine It was the crasy way they had to make the pictures all those years ago. Staying still for ages and having to look a certain way. The picture was doctored to look a certain way at that time. Horowitz actually had a wonderful sense of humour later in life.

[classicalcurrell]

@2ndAveLine - I agree with you, 2ndAveLine. It appears in all his earlier recordings that I've seen pictures of, he has this look as if he has "completely" mastered the instrument. Of all the recordings of the great masters I've heard, (and they're all great), none of them rival Horowitz.

[2ndAveLine]

He officially retired this piece- no one else makes this as hair-raising and electrifying, no one.

[cattleman6420012000]

Very well said 2ndAveLine. I totally agree with you.

[berlinzerberus]

..terrific played by horowitz in his early period,precise rhythmically and very clear in articulation and the tempo is really breaknecking!

[kempff95]

awesome !!!!!

[cattleman6420012000]

i have listened to many recordings. This playing is so moving and his approach is so effective. Even the way he plays the first lot of notes is incredibly musically effective. He always had an amazing drive and deep sense of rythm.

[kempff95]

indeed!

[cattleman6420012000]

This is far the best recording of this piece. It is so exciting.

[alexmanzo19]

this is not horowitz!!!!! this is bullshit!!!!!!

this is terrible played, I have a horowitz recording and is incredible!!!! Cheack up ARgerich´s version and you could imagine how is Horowitz one.

[o0inge0o]

what reasons make u think its not horowitz? upload urs then.

[kasyapa]

another sound-world only horowitz could create. that's what must be understood about him - he takes the piece as a jumping-off place.

[feketepuss]

If greatness is a measure of how fast and loud you can play a piano, then this is probably a great performance. As a piece of musicianship, it is appallingly self indulgent and rides rough shod over the subtleties of Prokofiev's piece. I love the diabolic energy of early Horowitz, a great pianist but a pretty indifferent and self indulgent musician.

[cctunes]

Bullshit. You miss the whole point of Horowitz emulating the intent of the composer.

[transponster99]

Even though he is inaccurate in some places,

undoubtedly Horowitz is a legend. One of the most passionate performers. One question though: Why does he skip almost a whole page in this piece?

[aewanko300]

Probably due to the limitations of early LP discs.

[grandtwilek]

@transponster99 In which parts is Horowitz inaccurate?

I greatly admire his controlled velocity, rhythmic impetus, precision, and demonic energy. Horowitz never uses speed for its own sake, but uses it to convey the inner tension and electric energy of a piece.

[cattleman6420012000]

This is a truly incredible performance. Horowitz was unbeleavably famous and truly great during these early years.Toscanini thought he was the best there was.

[wildejag]

Isn't that amazing? Compare to Prokofieff playing this. Horowitz goes two times faster. This is almost impossible. Even he takes a small cut. One of the great reordings of all time. It makes chills run up my spine. Imagine being there for that performance. Way to go. It's important that people realize how great he was then. Most of the recordings people hear and identify with him are much later. And there were no videos back then.

[fionasapple]

i think i like his other performance better. i thought it had more emphasis on the notes that i liked. but still, Argerich is better suited for this. i would have liked her to put more emphasis on the left hand notes but overall, i really thought hers was MUCH clearer (not in audio quality, but the playing itself) and at the same time it's fiery and energetic. so yes, although Horowitz fans will probably vote me out for this one, it's my honest opinion & i really tried to favor this but...

[gerryrains]

It's such a shame that Horowitz plays Prokofiev pretty much as written while Argerich has the incredible ability (LOL) to recompose (perhaps decompose - pun intended) where she perceives that Prokofiev and all other composers have erred.

She should be playing jazz, where the ability to improvise is desirable.

[cattleman6420012000]

This is amazing playing and interpretation. So exciting.

[HerrNollie]

removed 3 times do to typing errors

to Gerryrains --- It would appear your musical education is a tad stunted. All the great composers/performers were praised for their ability to to improvise on the spur of the moment. Did you ever hear of the term CADENZA. Mock a miracle like Horowitz, Lhevinne, Hofmann, Rachmaninoff, Argerich when YOU can do better, moron.

[liszt73]

grandiosa!!!!

[chad410]

great

[cattleman6420012000]

This is incredible playing. No one excites me so much in this piece.He is so clever, he puts so much in to this. Even the very start has a mystic flavour.he uses so many clever effects. Wow!!

[cattleman6420012000]

Thanks very much for putting this on youtube, I so much appreciate it.

[cattleman6420012000]

I think this is even better than his later recording of this piece.

[pianovideo]

That is why I've posted it in response to that very example. They've juxtaposed the youthful Argerich with a middle-aged Horowitz. This is the work of 27 year old Horowitz. Thanks for the comment.

[karlakor]

Where did you get this recording? I don't believe I have ever heard it before. It's amazing not just for the speed and articulation, not only for the demonic sweep, but also for the clearly articulated inner melodies that no other pianist seems to notice. This is an unrivaled performance of the Prokofiev Toccata! Thanks for the post!

[classicalcurrell]

@pianovideo - I really appreciate you posting this on YouTube! Too many people these days don't understand how truly remarkable Horowitz was. They hear recordings of him in his later years & say things like, "why does everyone think he's so great?". Educating them with earlier recordings of Horowitz definitely helps. He has the singular ability to articulate virtually every note while playing at incredible speeds, with passion & musicality, that most pianists can't imagine! Bravo Horowitz!!