Truecrypt plays Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition (4/4)

[LORDOFHELLL]

This is fantastic. Great job

[Alecs1950]

How much power, safety and sensitivity! Thanks for Mussorgsky true. I have often heard Ravel orchestrated version till now



[jimsamman1]

Congratulations 'truecrypt'. This is a sensational performance - inspired by Richter?

[truecrypt]

@jimsamman1

Thank you! The "problem" with Richter's performance is that one can't "shake it off" easily... Richter covers all aspects of this piece! I didn't try to replicate and copy Richter in any way, but my imagination and pianistic abilities are not strong enough to offer something radically new... plus I hate to be original in sake of originality. It's like being caught between Scilla and Haribda, i.e. avoiding both extremes - affectation and boredom.

[jimsamman1]

@truecrypt

Can see your point about Richter's performance being hard to 'shake off'. Interesting to see how you see the Scylla and Charybdis (this is the English spelling - where are you from?) of affectation (overinterpreting the music I assume you to mean) and boredom (the lot of a pianist practising through a long piece such as this). I think this is a common dilemma.

[jimsamman1]

@truecrypt

Continuing the earlier message. I find the solution to be for smaller pieces (say of 10 minutes or less) is to seek to iron out the technical matters first. This is an enjoyable challenge, but sometimes can be tedious if I don't have the skills to solve the challenge immediately. Once the various challenges are settled, then it is a matter of marrying the phrases into something meaningful. And then interpretation can shine through.

[jimsamman1]

@truecrypt

And with Richter's performance, what comes through is some of the torture he has felt in his life I think. I think some of my favourite pieces have some of this sense of resolution of suffering (e.g. Schumann Symphonic Etudes), even if that suffering is probably largely self-inflicted. Perhaps I will move back to something lighter - like some cheery Chopin or even Mozart. Again, I am grateful for you putting these performances out there. Apologies for the prolonged message.

[truecrypt]

@jimsamman1

I'm glad to provide some "food for thinking" and I do appreciate your "prolonged" messages! ;) Sometimes I'm also getting tired and overwhelmed with dramatic pieces, but strangely enough I can't get enough of them. Tragedy and suffering in music brings indescribable beauty and depth into our lives. May be it's just aberrations of my Russian/Jewish character... ;)

[jimsamman1]

@truecrypt

Agreed on the drama. I find the lighter stuff (which for me still has to have perhaps an underlying depth of thought or at least a playfulness of technical invention as with some of the Chopin Etudes without too much histrionics) a nice interlude, before revisiting the heavier pieces. There is a lot of colour to tragedy, and so many angles to play it. As for the Russian/Jewish - I'm 1/4 German/Jewish myself. I think this partly attracts me to that heavier style.

[jubjub2112]

@truecrypt Bravo! Very well done! This is one of my favorite pieces and you play it beautifully (my only suggestion, at risk of being too vague, would be to find a place to record it that has warmer acoustics, if you follow my meaning). But this is a minor complaint, to say the least! I'm glad you recognize your own limitations ( I am neither classically trained nor a musician so I can't hear them). Nice reference to The Police's Wrapped Around Your Finger!

[OzzyKingofKings]

Just listened through all these Pictures and enjoyed each one thoroughly. I must say, it's delightful to discover that not only is your channel a great resource for the biggest pianistic names of the recorded era (Sofronitsky is especially difficult to come by so openly these days; kudos to you for that), but also that you yourself are a fantastic musician as well.

[pianomanrsn01]

Don't believe for a moment that this is some non-professional pianist. It is such a popular recording piece, I cannot pick this out for sure but it sounds like Victor Merzhanov to me. In any event, this is someone that is an elite pianist, not some hacker that just sat down to play.

[truecrypt]

@ienjoymakingbeats

The answer to your first question is - I do! And pretty often... ;)

You may also like Prokofiev...

[LisztBusoni]

Hi!

Please, can You advise me to study the part from 5:39 onwards?

Thanks and sorry for the disturb.

Have a good Day!

p.s.: tou are good! ;)

[truecrypt]

@LisztBusoni

May be the *key* here is good fingering... Use 1st finger on low bass notes and be sure your LH moves by high arch trajectory. In piano playing the shortest distance is not always the most effective way to do things. Be sure you can play both hands separately! Good luck!

[dbedford007]

Man I just love your playing! I have been re listening to this over the past couple of days.

[Fartingbellybutton]

Jerry The King Lawler!

[Ruchfun]

I think  that prejudices and don't want to listen suggestions of who has more experience ,can stop to grow and learn in a deeper way into a field as complex as this classical music.Understanding the love for a particular pianist remain :)

[Ruchfun]

When you compare such great pianist,at the end, the choise is determinated by feeleng that each of us has down with a given artist:so,for me,for example,best Rachmaninov and Liszt are Horowitz and Berezovsky,Scriabin is Sofronitsky,

Bach is Gould and so on.......But this don't prevent me from listening and maybe change my mind about other performers

purpose here in this channel and others.

[Ruchfun]

Your beautiful registrations leaves me speachless for their beauty!

Truecrypt,can I ask you a question?

What do you think of Horowitz's interpretations of this Mussorgsky's

masterpiece?

Because I love this virtuose but

in theese performances he does'nt

convince me much,perhaps because I compare him with Richter of Sophia1958; Perhaps I'm wrong, because I'm not

an expert,but only ones who loves classic music and I'd like to have your own opinion about this.Thank :D

[truecrypt]

Horowitz's Pictures are great, though I have reservations re certain liberties, some which are probably beyond Mussorgsky's intentions. I'm not against strong individual approach, but don't like when performer "bends" the piece to his/her own (and may be even selfish) benefit. Horowitz is brilliant, but I prefer less flashiness and more drama. I love Richter's interpretation! I also adore more intimate and incredibly creative Pictures by Moiseiwitsch!

[Pogouldiwitz]

Something that has interested me ever since I have read things about certain artist's lack of respect for the score and how some people criticize performers for taking liberties is whether the composer's intentions when creating music were generous or also selfish. I think most composers composed for themselves. Therefore, does a performer have to treat a composer's score as the gospel? My feeling is that taking liberties is more than okay if the performer has something unique to express.

[truecrypt]

As long as "liberties" serve the music, I have no problem with *tasteful* augmentations. I believe any performer should be able to execute text precisely first and *only then* he/she would deserve the right to "enhance" author's score. Surely Horowitz has this right! I feel Horowitz sometimes likes to show off his own brilliance for the account of the piece itself. After his performance I think - "what a pianist!", after Richter - "what a piece!"

I'm all for the uniqueness though...

[Pogouldiwitz]

There is wisdom in your words... However, I think that sometimes even a distortion of the piece, such as playing it much slower, playing detache when it says legato, or changing dynamics can actually bring additional clarity to the piece. I often notice, after listening to pieces performed by Gould, Pogorelich, Afanassiev, and other indulgent performers, that my perceptions of a piece change and I hear things I may have missed had I not heard them performed by the aforementioned rascals.

[truecrypt]

When we talk about exceptional performers, common rules usually don't apply or you should take such with a grain of salt.. All you say is correct! There is no clear line between change for a sake of music and change for a sake of showing off... Real individuality will always "glow through"... yet individuality "on steroids" always feels unnatural to me... Well, here we're getting into *individual preferences*! ;)

[Pogouldiwitz]

Thank you, kind sir. Thank you for indulging me ;-). Your individuality unquestionably "glows through," in a good way, in this piece.

[CeaserXIX]

@ truecrypt

Yes, that is the right way to describe the distinction: "what a pianist" : "what a piece".

[Jcolinsol]

@Pogouldiwitz

But never, ever, under any circumstances, consider the interests of the audience.

[h1hacter]

I love your playing of "The Hut on Hen's Legs (Baba-Yaga)" and also "The Bogatyr Gates ". Keep posting new videos of the other pieces you play. I would love to listen to them.

[addeex1]

I like the touch

[Kievest]

Magical, mysterious and majestic playing!

You make the piano sound like a full

orchestra!! Spectacular...Bravo!!!

[kaleidoscopio2006]

do u still play the piano?or in public?i´ll buy a ticket

[jubulalau]

God.

You're good.

[PhilPhilUSA]

Indeed beautiful!

[gjeacocke]

Whats the picture?

[truecrypt]

Those are actual Gartman's pictures.

[gjeacocke]

When you reply the icon showing the video with the picture is clearer(as it is smaller). I thought it would be (picture) but i did not want to assume...

[victorTBONE777]

absolutely magnificent!!! second best on YouTube after Mikhail Pletnev's version!!!

5 starz!!!

[grdzelli]

You are a great artist. Thank you.

[Appassionata90]

Magnifique!

[itoshudream]

I'm not only moved by all your rare precious music recordings for share, but also your own performance.

This piece is one of my best, I have heard a lot of versions, however, this one is one of the best.

BTW, my little son loves all those you share for us. He is absolute the fan of Rocial pianists.

[Eradicator00987]

I totally agree with you. Out of all the recordings I've listened too I keep coming back to this version.

[formenlehre]

You are creative, original, and brilliant. Enormous talent.

[lagbaring]

Very good, but who is this pianist Truecrypt? I only know a software with this name...

[swingballbros]

I think that's a little joke from the account user, as he doesn't want us to know his name (truecrypt being encryption software)

[CeaserXIX]

Ah, that must be the age difference: I interpreted -crypt in the sense of the ancient Greek word for crypt = kripti, a secret, holding secrets place.

[NTASGlobal]

Oh, My...A standing ovation!!!

[smithsherman]

With respect to Jethro...There is nothing wrong in "selling yourself".But what if he's just sharing it,interested in reactions?

[chad410]

how can people try to sell themselves when they make hardly enough to afford a holiday

[jethroreyes]

i really wish people wont try to "sell" themselves by posting their mediocre performances here.

[gerryrains]

jethroeyes,

This is hardly a performance by some fourteen year old beginner. Those ARE bad, although the performers may get useful feedback.

This is a very difficult composition being played by a professional who has been kind enough to share a few of his recordings with us. In addition, he had uploaded 230+ videos by the Russians greats of the twentieth century.

This is not a man trying to sell himself.

[Eradicator00987]

I really wish people won't post stupid comments like this one if they don't know what they're talking about. Mediocre performance... ya, whatever you say there buddy.

[smithsherman]

(It sounds like Kissin and Well Done)Sound antithetical.

[chad410]

I knew you d react to that comment that s why i said that.lol. you have no idea of the suffering of others...........I need take a dump now.....

[smithsherman]

Oh,You're so right!I just fell in that mess.

Can I watch?

[gerryrains]

OMG :-), you're praising Russian pianists who, to quote you, "God! These guys must have all had the same teacher and exchanged Schumann notes in the Conservatory Commode." That was the first one of your comments that made me laugh so hard that I could probably could have been heard a block away.

Seriously, you just stunned me! You have finally acknowledged the skills of a graduate of the the Moscow Conservatory. :-)

[marcelmombeekeigen]

not the way I "want to hear it", but I stay with one of my previous comments, it is very personal and worth to listen to. It opens new perspectives to interpret the piece...

[chad410]

sounds like Kissin. well done. it s the kind of piece where you need to be in a church to listen to it too.

[smithsherman]

This Hen is a Minister preaching sobriety in long sermons.Gerry will like that.БОГАТИР

leaves the "Facts" for the "Ghosts" again,

leaving me with a less unhappy Dimeanor.

On that day,you didn't have the Mo'Jo' goin' on...The Muses come and go...I know,I know...

[gerryrains]

SS,

It would have been easier on me if you hadn't thrown in that comment about me in Russian. Could you please translate that to English for me.

Gerry

[JASenior44]

Very well played! It's not clear to me whether you're a proffesional or a very very gifted amateur?! Where do you record and on what make piano? At home or in a studio?

5 stars...

[truecrypt]

About 20 years ago I paid $100 for 3 hours to rent an old but nice Steinway in a small church.

I used a portable Sony DAT and one single stereo Audio-Technica mic. Professional audio engineer "assembled" it, but there is absolutely no *editing* to pieces themselves. Recording has never been "published" and only several close friends have copies. Now it's all yours...

May be I shouldn't done it! ;)

[JASenior44]

Well I for one am glad you did.

Cheers!

[vstasov]

Absolutely gorgeous. Thank you so much. A spiritually rich and generous performance. I'm stunned.

[gerryrains]

Tres magnifique!!

[jero13595]

How old are you Truecrypt? And what do you work as? You play very well.