Wow... so many mistakes. I know this is very, very, very difficult to play, and most pianists can't play this Cadenza accurately. But I don't see the point for playing it in public if you have no command of this piece at all...
Art is disciplined passion. There is no excuse for slamming keys or missing entire passages. Toradze yells and shouts, and all the poetry of Prokofiev are lost in his cacophony.
I have the Toradze recording of the Prokofiev piano concerts and the 2 is the BEST interpretation ever... I never heard such marvelous interpretation like this one from the recording with the Kirov Orchestra...
But this one is kinda horrible! OmG...
I believe he wasn't very willing and ready when recorded it. I believe in Toradze's virtuosity, he's a great pianist, indeed.
Full marks to Valery Gergiev for successfully heaving the LSO onto this train wreck at the end. But even he must have thought 'WTF'. Wrong notes are not the only problem. Start of the main G minor arpeggio colossal section the left hand was often inaudible. Pauses at 2:20 and 2:48 both not in the score. Nor are most of the notes he played just after the cadenza. Supporters of this musician must admit that there is a line between passionate music making and just plain weird.
Amateurs! Anyone who does not see the fire and the passion--beneath the occasional wrong note, to be sure--of this wild man's playing fails to see that the piece was, after all, written as a response to the suicide of his friend Maximilian Schmidtgof, particularly this violent cadenza. Bravo Toradze, boo to the stupidity of the haters here. There is not a more powerful tribute recorded. We need Toradze more than we need--well, name just about any boring pianist with a career. Toradze rules!
if you want the composer's intention -- listen to a recording of the composer playing his own piece -- i would guess that would be the best example of an intention
It touches me the most of all versions of the cadenza second concerto of Prokofiev!!! Congratulations, Toradze, hope to meet you one day, I am completely in love with Prokofiev, I also played a lot.. Again my honest congratulations, I don't have words!!!! Ramona M
It's so terrible.True he is a good pianist ,but as for this prokofiev No.2,he missed the composer's intention and made so many mistakes.I was very astonished to hear such a terrible expression. even though you want to play passionately,there is a limit, I think
I mean the composer's intension is what is written on the score of this piece.This performance is far from that at least. and, what I think is most regrettable is the fact he made many mistakes of notes. Would you know the audience's opinions about this perfomace?
...not sure how it's "supposed" to sound seeing as I recently discovered Prokofiev.
I have watched it a few times now and sonically/artistically I like this piece allot already and this rotund fellow seems to be playing the sh*t out of it.
I happen to really like this mistakes or not. The guy comes across sincerely if not actually angry.
Correctness is one thing, and passion, excitement, risk is the overwhelming other! This was a great performance of the concerto: Toradze's opening was spine-tingling - quite the most moving performance by any artist. The cadenza is full of hate, strength, ferocity against all that is precious, academic and non-Russian! As one BBC commentator said T. belongs to the great Russian 'truck-driver' tradition of pianists. But the beauty comes through the stronger for it.
having heard lugansky and kissin at the proms. i`m afraid this performance does not match up. I was at this performance and was very dissapointed.the cadenza was dreadful.
It's something of a feat to completely and absolutely garble up tempo and dynamics of this famous and marvelous piece, while simultaneously making SOOOO MANY HORRIBLE MISTAKES with both hands. However, to do all of this right in front of the general public is a sign of a very robust attitude indeed, think Die Hard or Mission Impossible in the Concert Hall. This cadenza could well compete for the coveted worst-performance-of-youtube prize.
I'm sorry but having heard all of Prokofiev's recordings of his own music, read his diaries where he writes of the time of composition of this and other works and owning the scores and many, many outstanding recordings of this work by such artists as Gutierrez, Ashkenazy, Krainev, Poistnikova, Henriot-Schweitzer, I must come to the conclusion that this is nothing but a con...! And before anyone says I'm also just sitting at a computer scratching my balls, I also happen to play this work.....
Gutierrez is pretty good, in my mind more or less the 'definitive' version. Although I wouldn't say this performance is representative of Toradze's typical caliber. Do check out Toradze's studio recording; it's a lot cleaner. :)
Manbrighton, I agree with you completely......almost! I wouldn't have thrown Nicole Henriot-Scheitzer's name in the mix if I were you. She didn't even play this cadenza, but, in favor of expediency and an easier way out, she simply skipped it! If Munch were not her uncle, she may never have made it to "black disk!" Nuff said.
PrinceRostislav, I agree that it is a shame the cadenza is cut (not skipped altogether as you mention) but it was a cut sanctioned by Prokofiev with whom she prepared the concerto. Many composers of that period (including Rachmaninov's famous cuts in his third concerto) sanctioned cuts purely for the purpose of recording. Hers was still pre 33 1/3, later re-issued on LP. I agree the cut is frustrating but the remaining playing is still better than he-who-shall-not-be-mentioned...! ;)
No cut in this concerto was ever sanctioned by Prokofiev. As far as I know Henriot-Schweitzer never met Prokofiev. Her debut was in 1948--Prokofiev died in 1953 in the Soviet Union. I'm not sure Henriot-Schweitzer ever traveled to the Soviet Union around that time. Her version of the Prokofiev 2nd was not bad, but her rendering of the cadenza was poor.
nothing? this man has a point, and if you knew anything about prokofiev's music, you would not say anything. toradze has a huge career and plays with major orchestra, meanwhile you sit at your computer and scrach your balls
nah, thats nothing.. nothing to say, nothing to hear out of it... just a mass and giant wave of overwhelming loudness and dissonance--- gave me nothing
The best playing on recording out there of this work is pianist HORATIO GUITERREZ under Neeme Järvi. Once you've listened to this, I dare you to come back and tell me this Toradze farce not laughable.
while I also find the Gutierrez recording pristine, and while I do prefer most of his performance over Toradze's (including the cadenza runs in the collasale), I actually find Toradze's atonal ending to be quite uniquely done and it's something I've never heard before, esp the left hand during the hemidemisemiquavers
Yes, I know exactly which section you're referring to. I have Toradze's complete prokofiev concerto as well and I'm familiar with his rendition. And yes, there are parts such as that cadenza ending before the tutti is quite appreciable, though generally I do not prefer his overall slow tempo at all. Try Michael Beroff's as well. Now that's a Prokofiev style right there.
WHY DID HE BREAK THE FLOW AT THE END OF THE CADENZA ???? RIGHT BEFORE THE RETURN OF THE ORCHESTRA ?? such a waste after this astounding performance...
Toradze is Georgian, not Russian. As Georgia is former Soviet Union state, most people in the west consider Georgians as Russians,actually that is incorrect opinion. Though, Toradze's style is of Russian piano school, that is why his performances of Russian composers' works are outstanding.
Toradze sounds like he was having an off day. I love his playing of this piece (I saw him play this in NY a few years back and have a live recording taped off the radio which is even better than his commercial recording) but something doesn't seem quite right at this performance. I'd love to see the whole film nonetheless. Thank you for the post.
The South Beach diet is definitely in order for Toradze. He misses notes, slurs passages, and yet...because he is so idiosyncratic, HE'S EXCITING! AND FAT!
Wow... so many mistakes. I know this is very, very, very difficult to play, and most pianists can't play this Cadenza accurately. But I don't see the point for playing it in public if you have no command of this piece at all...
TheRaff1975 7 months ago
cool!
petrouchka2011 9 months ago
Art is disciplined passion. There is no excuse for slamming keys or missing entire passages. Toradze yells and shouts, and all the poetry of Prokofiev are lost in his cacophony.
BrackenClelk 10 months ago
Some many experts here, and so little expertise...
dsamogray 10 months ago
This is terrifying! I don't completely agree, but everyone interested in this piece should hear this!
sonarrat 11 months ago
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I have the Toradze recording of the Prokofiev piano concerts and the 2 is the BEST interpretation ever... I never heard such marvelous interpretation like this one from the recording with the Kirov Orchestra...
But this one is kinda horrible! OmG...
I believe he wasn't very willing and ready when recorded it. I believe in Toradze's virtuosity, he's a great pianist, indeed.
AveCezar 1 year ago
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AveCezar 1 year ago
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AveCezar 1 year ago
Clown, leave the piano alone idiot!
fabioso82 1 year ago
Io Toradze se lo incontro in macchina cambio strada.....my gosh..... :-O
TheEngraver 1 year ago
@TheEngraver ahahah Povero Prokofiev!
massimiliano123123 1 year ago
HORRIBLE...HORRIBLE...LA ORQUESTA, EL PÀNISTA...HASTA EL DIRECTOR...NO SÉ QUE L PASÓ A VALERY GERGIEV.......:S.......MUY MALA VERSIÓN
jorgeandresossa 1 year ago
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BoristheONEandonly 1 year ago
go home - practice ! 1st the technique, after that start working on things like energy, passion, atmosphere... and then go out to play !
BoristheONEandonly 1 year ago 2
someone call in the tuner... and regulator!
logosthedestroyer 1 year ago
Full marks to Valery Gergiev for successfully heaving the LSO onto this train wreck at the end. But even he must have thought 'WTF'. Wrong notes are not the only problem. Start of the main G minor arpeggio colossal section the left hand was often inaudible. Pauses at 2:20 and 2:48 both not in the score. Nor are most of the notes he played just after the cadenza. Supporters of this musician must admit that there is a line between passionate music making and just plain weird.
parsifal3142 1 year ago
power is nth unless u know how to control it...
if this were played in a competition, he would have scored an unclassified score.
plus, seriously, he needs to practice his scales and arpeggios...
the cadenza was a complete mess.
AllegroDemolish 1 year ago
is he drunk? and i mean that in both a good and bad way....
skryabyn 1 year ago
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skryabyn 1 year ago
Amateurs! Anyone who does not see the fire and the passion--beneath the occasional wrong note, to be sure--of this wild man's playing fails to see that the piece was, after all, written as a response to the suicide of his friend Maximilian Schmidtgof, particularly this violent cadenza. Bravo Toradze, boo to the stupidity of the haters here. There is not a more powerful tribute recorded. We need Toradze more than we need--well, name just about any boring pianist with a career. Toradze rules!
klavierspieler72 1 year ago
Bravo Maestro!
GeorgianFlag 1 year ago
if you want the composer's intention -- listen to a recording of the composer playing his own piece -- i would guess that would be the best example of an intention
roo159 1 year ago
Now this is how it should be played
dancingdiplodocus 2 years ago
Highest Class of Performance!
marhomist 2 years ago
POWER!!!!!
totusmundusagit 2 years ago 7
thats my dad
fifasoccer945 2 years ago
the Best player of Prokofiev's music. Proud to Be Georgian. ONly a real georgian can play with so much passion and brilliance...
Bravo Maestro
gugunchik 2 years ago
It touches me the most of all versions of the cadenza second concerto of Prokofiev!!! Congratulations, Toradze, hope to meet you one day, I am completely in love with Prokofiev, I also played a lot.. Again my honest congratulations, I don't have words!!!! Ramona M
papanoche 2 years ago
vava toradze rad chagvyare am dgeshi ?
Tamaziko 2 years ago
there are some interesting things going on, but I think it may be tooo much,
fullyfatty 2 years ago
LOOOL..... it is teeeerrriiiibllleeee!!!!
Skull951 2 years ago
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maserati1986 2 years ago
It's so terrible.True he is a good pianist ,but as for this prokofiev No.2,he missed the composer's intention and made so many mistakes.I was very astonished to hear such a terrible expression. even though you want to play passionately,there is a limit, I think
maserati1986 2 years ago
What is the composer's intention?
mgigena760 2 years ago 2
I mean the composer's intension is what is written on the score of this piece.This performance is far from that at least. and, what I think is most regrettable is the fact he made many mistakes of notes. Would you know the audience's opinions about this perfomace?
maserati1986 2 years ago 2
listen to his studio recording, much more accurate and delicately prepared. :)
beyond9001 2 years ago
@maserati1986 In the score is written "COLOSSALE".
masamune81 1 year ago
why dont you goto proms and play some prokofiev for me?
S4sando 2 years ago
Did my opinion make you angly? I'd like to know what you think of this performance.
maserati1986 2 years ago 3
Some interesting things here, but quite a lot of straight out banging too
Grigor99 2 years ago
the weakest colossale part i've heard!
ficolossale 3 years ago
...not sure how it's "supposed" to sound seeing as I recently discovered Prokofiev.
I have watched it a few times now and sonically/artistically I like this piece allot already and this rotund fellow seems to be playing the sh*t out of it.
I happen to really like this mistakes or not. The guy comes across sincerely if not actually angry.
tinrooflighthouse 3 years ago 2
This is not good...
parule 3 years ago
Correctness is one thing, and passion, excitement, risk is the overwhelming other! This was a great performance of the concerto: Toradze's opening was spine-tingling - quite the most moving performance by any artist. The cadenza is full of hate, strength, ferocity against all that is precious, academic and non-Russian! As one BBC commentator said T. belongs to the great Russian 'truck-driver' tradition of pianists. But the beauty comes through the stronger for it.
Contrappunto 3 years ago 8
having heard lugansky and kissin at the proms. i`m afraid this performance does not match up. I was at this performance and was very dissapointed.the cadenza was dreadful.
brahmsandpissed 3 years ago
It's something of a feat to completely and absolutely garble up tempo and dynamics of this famous and marvelous piece, while simultaneously making SOOOO MANY HORRIBLE MISTAKES with both hands. However, to do all of this right in front of the general public is a sign of a very robust attitude indeed, think Die Hard or Mission Impossible in the Concert Hall. This cadenza could well compete for the coveted worst-performance-of-youtube prize.
noteworthiness 3 years ago
I'm sorry but having heard all of Prokofiev's recordings of his own music, read his diaries where he writes of the time of composition of this and other works and owning the scores and many, many outstanding recordings of this work by such artists as Gutierrez, Ashkenazy, Krainev, Poistnikova, Henriot-Schweitzer, I must come to the conclusion that this is nothing but a con...! And before anyone says I'm also just sitting at a computer scratching my balls, I also happen to play this work.....
manbrighton 3 years ago
That's what I've been saying all along. Toradze just doesn't have what it takes for this work. Guiterrez is king!
zkool5 3 years ago
Gutierrez is pretty good, in my mind more or less the 'definitive' version. Although I wouldn't say this performance is representative of Toradze's typical caliber. Do check out Toradze's studio recording; it's a lot cleaner. :)
beyond9001 3 years ago
Yes, I have his complete concerto set. Quite honestly, his sound was very laborous and "stuck".
zkool5 3 years ago
I do agree that he has those places haha
I think the ending of his cadenza was quite unique, I've never heard anyone approach it that way. *shrug* but yea lol
beyond9001 3 years ago
Manbrighton, I agree with you completely......almost! I wouldn't have thrown Nicole Henriot-Scheitzer's name in the mix if I were you. She didn't even play this cadenza, but, in favor of expediency and an easier way out, she simply skipped it! If Munch were not her uncle, she may never have made it to "black disk!" Nuff said.
PrinceRostislav 3 years ago
PrinceRostislav, I agree that it is a shame the cadenza is cut (not skipped altogether as you mention) but it was a cut sanctioned by Prokofiev with whom she prepared the concerto. Many composers of that period (including Rachmaninov's famous cuts in his third concerto) sanctioned cuts purely for the purpose of recording. Hers was still pre 33 1/3, later re-issued on LP. I agree the cut is frustrating but the remaining playing is still better than he-who-shall-not-be-mentioned...! ;)
manbrighton 3 years ago
No cut in this concerto was ever sanctioned by Prokofiev. As far as I know Henriot-Schweitzer never met Prokofiev. Her debut was in 1948--Prokofiev died in 1953 in the Soviet Union. I'm not sure Henriot-Schweitzer ever traveled to the Soviet Union around that time. Her version of the Prokofiev 2nd was not bad, but her rendering of the cadenza was poor.
ssprokofiev 3 years ago
nothing? this man has a point, and if you knew anything about prokofiev's music, you would not say anything. toradze has a huge career and plays with major orchestra, meanwhile you sit at your computer and scrach your balls
gugunchik 3 years ago
COMPLETELY agreed, this guy is obviously are terrible at deciphering music- screw u ichhabegross
iEnjoi 3 years ago
nah, thats nothing.. nothing to say, nothing to hear out of it... just a mass and giant wave of overwhelming loudness and dissonance--- gave me nothing
ichhabegross 3 years ago
Yo Neo!
HAHA
I somehow think John perry could play this much much better.
This is pretty shameful playing.
viking88viking 3 years ago
he reminds me of John Perry
NeoMalikov 3 years ago
The best playing on recording out there of this work is pianist HORATIO GUITERREZ under Neeme Järvi. Once you've listened to this, I dare you to come back and tell me this Toradze farce not laughable.
zkool5 4 years ago
while I also find the Gutierrez recording pristine, and while I do prefer most of his performance over Toradze's (including the cadenza runs in the collasale), I actually find Toradze's atonal ending to be quite uniquely done and it's something I've never heard before, esp the left hand during the hemidemisemiquavers
beyond9001 4 years ago
Yes, I know exactly which section you're referring to. I have Toradze's complete prokofiev concerto as well and I'm familiar with his rendition. And yes, there are parts such as that cadenza ending before the tutti is quite appreciable, though generally I do not prefer his overall slow tempo at all. Try Michael Beroff's as well. Now that's a Prokofiev style right there.
zkool5 4 years ago
in fact Beroff's the other other CD that I have haha!!
(i'm actually listening the Gutierrez version right now as I'm typing)
beyond9001 4 years ago
WHY DID HE BREAK THE FLOW AT THE END OF THE CADENZA ???? RIGHT BEFORE THE RETURN OF THE ORCHESTRA ?? such a waste after this astounding performance...
adistar 4 years ago
Toradze is Georgian, not Russian. As Georgia is former Soviet Union state, most people in the west consider Georgians as Russians,actually that is incorrect opinion. Though, Toradze's style is of Russian piano school, that is why his performances of Russian composers' works are outstanding.
portoxali 4 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
This kind of playing is utter crap and as a result, a total disservice to the art of the piano.
zkool5 4 years ago
Toradze sounds like he was having an off day. I love his playing of this piece (I saw him play this in NY a few years back and have a live recording taped off the radio which is even better than his commercial recording) but something doesn't seem quite right at this performance. I'd love to see the whole film nonetheless. Thank you for the post.
bsmusicd 4 years ago
ahahahahah 'zumthin' dun zeem quite right...
datruzepp 4 years ago
ugh
guillaumepilote 4 years ago
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!
diz ztylee
datruzepp 4 years ago
Toradze really doesn't hold back one bit.. emotionally, technically.. fantastic
guitarike 4 years ago 2
The South Beach diet is definitely in order for Toradze. He misses notes, slurs passages, and yet...because he is so idiosyncratic, HE'S EXCITING! AND FAT!
ArmchairPundit 4 years ago
I was there! I was there!
brucesan 4 years ago
not only is this weird and inaccurate and all over the place, it's kinda bad... i can see why it'd be exciting to some people, but, ugh.
daeviydt 4 years ago
Inaccurate? Care to say why?
mgigena760 4 years ago
@mgigena760
It is very inaccurate. Many mistakes. And the tempo is sloppy as well...
TheRaff1975 7 months ago