CZIFFRA LISZT TRASCENDENTAL ETUDE IN F MINOR N.10

[maxbigazzi]

oh my god!

[forgottenbooks]

This is amazing! I wonder why I'd never heard much of his playing before.

[funduletz]

I just heard God playing piano...Amen.

[themimes92]

Fantastic! Seems so easy for him, bass note here, 5000 notes a second there. It's great!

What a grumpy audience! I think only one was smiling. Perhaps they were all piano students and knew they had just been destroyed.

[Vahan19901990]

un type qui maitrise bien un morceau de cette difficulte peut se permettre de ne pas etre l'esclave de la partition.. vous me comprendrez...Cziffra est un de ces musiciens.. ici il ya tout. la technique et la musicalité... que les profs des meilleurs conservatoires de paris se la ferment...et comprennent, car voila une interpretation et tous les eleves devrait jouer comme ca si ils maitrisent, car ca cest de la musique

[ykpatr]

Bardzo Bardzo Pięęęęęęęęęęknie Bardzo Najmocniej Kocham Muzykę

[maclotte1]

J'ai eu la chance de connaître Cziffra tout petit (1964 et 1978): c'était un être d'un immense talent, d'une immense sensibilité et d'une grande timidité. Il incarne sans doute l'une des plus belles histoires de fusion de l'histoire de la musique entre un compositeur et son interprète. Après, on peut ne pas aimer, bien entendu, mais ça ne change rien sur le fond. Où que tu sois Giorgy et pour mon père qui t'as rejoint, mon affection et ma nostalgie la plus profonde. Sébastien

[fabptitpom]

4 people are gay.

[xWatChYouRHeaDx]

lmao @ ppl trying to say there is a certain way to play any piece.. when ppl make expressions or are flashy they are doing it so they can be recognized for all their hard work. u think someone will pay to watch a computer play? they do it as business they need the money and fame. there is no one right way to play any piece for the actual composers are gone. And i'm sure the composers themselves would have said the same thing. The pieces are written as a challenge for your heart to make the music

[DAVIDFREDERICKROY]

I think if I had to choose I would like to play like this. The expression on his face shows me the feeling he brings to this piece isn't simply in the playing. I have listened to others and they just don't to seem to have any life. The sound here is wonderful. The modern pianists seem insipid. It's as if they are terrified of venturing into the realms of expression and emotion. Perhaps it's just me but most could be replaced by computers. Incidentally I think Liszt was mostly flash.

[otonanoC]

Sorry you Cziffra fans, but Kissin owns this etude.  I do like Cziffra's ending here a lot.

[yellingLoL]

If that's the only pianist you listen to, then that's what you'll think.

[ishoy123]

At this level, technique shouldn't be so much an issue for the pianist as compared to the musical quality of the piece. The best pianist isn't the one who can play the hardest piece, it's the one who can make the most music

[ClassicalOJazz]

Cziffra, always 10 stars!

Exceptional pianist.

[Thov67]

What a pity there are "only" 25 pictures per second, one cannot see properly his fingers! ;-)

[shela2]

Handsome Pianist and playing  lives forever..........

[chopinandliszt]

Cziffra truly had the character of Franz Liszt. Liszt liked to add cadenzas, chords, octaves, arpeggios when performing other composers' works. (Clara Schumann disliked this habit of his, saying that Liszt doesn't respect other composers' intentions) Cziffra's interpretation is truly interesting, but I personally like the conventional interpretations of Lugansky, Berman, Berezovsky better than this one.

[berlinzerberus]

the problem of cziffra is that he never had any technical difficulties in playing the piano.

he played first of all cziffra and than secondly the composer,he never had any drama,also this liszt etude sounds too simplemindedly and lightly.

one should listen to arrau by comparison.

[squishym]

I'll admit, he does often sound as if he's just messing around and testing out how fast he can play something or how exaggerated he can make his dynamics. Other times, when he really gets into it, he is unbelievable. There are parts I don't like in this particular performance - there are moments though - take the sweeping lyricism and buildup of emotion from about 2:54 to 4:05.

[shela2]

This Performance has a special everlasting magic.

[Paulo78180]

Magnifique la façon dont il fait ressortir le chant des premiers accords, fabuleux! contrairement à beaucoup de pianistes qui massacrent à mon goût les premiers accords en les enchaînant très (trop) rapidement !

[v4liumfrance]

best interpretetion

[Katiuszkasanda]

Mon étude préférée.Cziffra nous donne une interprétation passionnée,extrêmement lyrique,son piano chante.Merci!

[tempodimarcia]

If anything, Liszt came closer to what would later be called "modernism" than any other composer of the period, late in his life with his last pieces. :x

[Daartan]

Certainly a beautiful take on the piece; regardless of whether or not it defeats the 'point' of an etude, it's very interesting to hear it with an emphasis on lyricism and feeling rather than bombastic speed and technical wizardry.

[bandong123456789]

i think vladimir ovchinikov is the best in playing the transcendental etudes dont you think so

[Tiszt]

i like his interpretation, adding notes by his own ideas likes the notes composed by Liszt!

[v4liumfrance]

the best one..

[ljoekelsoey4]

playing things too slowly is more difficult than playing things too fast, even i tihnk this is neither too fast or too slow for my tastes, plus i think his musical opinion carries more weight than mine.

[ManWithManyShurikens]

judging the part 3:40-3:50 hes pretty "in" to this piece. Hands down one of the best interpretations ever in my opinion.

[giangiman]

very intense and personal interpretation

[chopinlytlyt]

expressivly enough ,but too slow

[jacquesantonor]

Passion is defined by Oxford in their Compact Oxford English Dictionary simply as: "very strong emotion." It doesn't mean to start crying and dying on the piano, over-emotion can be quite nasty sometimes.

[cziffra1980]

So crying at the piano does not fit into the category of 'very strong emotion'. If you didn't like it then that's fine, but this is possibly the weakest attempt to synthesise a rational argument for what is simply your personal taste.

If you don't think Liszt approved of strong emotion then you should read up on him. I'd be most interested to see a quotation of him criticising excessive emotion (although I should amazed if one exists).

[AwesomeArpeggios]

Unfortunately, I don't believe the Oxford Compact English Dictionary has an opinion or any relevence to classical piano.

[GL3NE]

I do like Cziffra, but I don't think he really feels this song. It is to be played "restlessly," or so the general term "agitato" implies. I'm not saying it should be played like it originates from the firey depths of hell, but I think it should be performed with a little more "zeal."

[cziffra1980]

This does not sound 'restless' to you? Are you joking? Has anyone ever played this with a greater sense of alternating between pushing forwards wildly and pulling back it right again? If that's not the very definition of 'agitato' playing, then what exactly is? If there's a performance of this with an even greater sense of restlessness, I have certainly yet to hear it.

[terraflux16]

Magnificent.

[vscanzi]

I just... don't like his "over-rubato"

Sorry, it's my opinion.

[leomulder]

A little slow here, for his standard...

[nadyart]

He is great! He has feelings.Valentina is like a robot!

[pocoapoco2]

I hope nobody takes offence, but he really looks a lot like Bill Murray to me. I think it's the facial expressions. It kind of makes me crack up a bit.

[Amrpiano]

Inspite of the virtusic playing of Cziffra...He playes it so tenderly each note has it's special touch & his rubato is soul taking to high levels of Beauty mixed with passion & tears...In my whole life I never heared such a senstive natural super virtuso like him....May he be in rest in heavens

[ithaca1017]

As someone who studies literature of both Chopin and Liszt, I would have to agree that Chopin's work demonstrates more depth and complexity. Liszt's work is amazing, and he was the better virtuoso, but Chopin was the morw poetic...perhaps the most poetic ever on the piano.

[abhsifasligf]

I agree that Chopin was indeed, called the Poet of the Piano...and since was almost purely mechanical, Chopin does have a better reputation as a composer than Liszt...but try comparing their actual music sheets....take a look at Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsodies and Polonaises and compare it with any of Chopin's works first...maybe we would come into agreement..hehe

[ugnex3]

How about Chopin's Polonaises/Ballades vs any of Liszt's pieces? :]

[abhsifasligf]

hehehehe, It was never my intention to compare Liszt against Chopin..for both are prolific geniuses of the 88 keys..BUT It's really not a question of difficulty...as a pianist...I am truly impressed by one who could play any piece the way it should be played...the way the composer had in mind when he was writing it, if not better...and so far Cziffra was one of the only few who could do so.

[ugnex3]

Agreed! Some people really don't like his interpretation which I don't get at all. It seems so much more natural and fluid than straight tempo performances.

[abhsifasligf]

Most people don't like him mainly because they envy him...in my case...Cziffra has motivated me to become a better pianist. Inspiring is the appropriate term...i think...hehehehehe

[chopinandliszt]

abhsifasligf- What's your point? you're asking us to compare the scores of Liszt and Chopin. I'm not saying Liszt's music is not difficult, but many experts who overcame technical diffculties think pieces by Chopin are actually harder than Liszt's. Compare Chopin Ballade No.4 with Mazeppa. Most experts will say the Ballade is harder.

[abhsifasligf]

Wow, I didn't expect a reply would come....after two years.hehe Views change, and in two years I've tried to expose myself more to both of their pieces...and I think I'd agree that some Chopin pieces are harder to play. But in the end, the juice goes back to the appreciation of an artist's expression of another artist's work. Every pianist is in their own right a pianist. hehe. Thanks.

[abhsifasligf]

I agree that Chopin was indeed, called the Poet of the Piano...and since Liszt was almost purely mechanical, Chopin does have a better reputation as a composer than Liszt...but try comparing their actual music sheets....take a look at Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsodies and Polonaises and compare it with any of Chopin's works first...maybe we would come into agreement..hehe

[ithaca1017]

Well, I'm currently learning Liszt's Hung Rhapsody #6 as well as a Chopin Nocturne (Op. 55, No. 2). Surprisingly, the "easy-looking" nocturne is proving more difficult than the "tough-looking" rhapsody. Now mind you I'm not yet playing the rhapsody at full speed, but the difference in difficulty is due to the subtle complexity in the nocturne melody--it will sound horrible until mastered, whereas the rhapsody is appreciated quite quickly.

[ugnex3]

The piano alone was not sufficient to reveal all that lies within him. In short he is a most remarkable individual who commands our highest degree of devotion."

[ugnex3]

More complicated in what sense? I believe there is a famous quote that even the great Franz Liszt gave a tip of his hat to Chopin, "Music was his language, the divine tongue through which he expressed a whole realm of sentiments that only the select few can appreciate... The muse of his homeland dictates his songs, and the anguished cries of Poland lend to his art a mysterious, indefinable poetry which, for all those who have truly experienced it, cannot be compared to anything else...

[FranzLiszt2]

Now I know how Liszt is more romantic and more complicated than Chopin, Ravel, Scriabin and Sorabji. And Cziffra here matches everything on the list that analyzes the what I call, the 'Liszt Factor'. Long Live Georges Cziffra!!! (Hopefully;;;)

[ugnex3]

More romantic and complicated than Chopin? Sir, I believe you are deeply mistaken. Go read a little bit on both composers before making such rash comments. :]

[abhsifasligf]

And, sir, I believe that you too have to do a little more than just reading. I don't know if you are a pianist, but being one I have seen both Chopin's and Liszt's compositions...and I certainly can say that Liszt's compositions are more complicated than Chopin's. But it's not the complicatedness is not really important....it's the beauty and passion put by the composer that really defines the beauty of music..Thanks for the time reading this...haha

[ugnex3]

That is just one quote but it was too long, I had to cut it. By the way, yes I myself am a pianist :] I doubt it gets any more romantic that Chopin, in the most profound depths of artistry in music.

[chopinandliszt]

FranzLiszt2- More romantic and complicated than Chopin, Ravel? Seriously, do some research. Ravel was a impressionist composer, not Romantic. Each composer has his own unique style. I read a bit of Liszt's biography and found that Liszt called Chopin a genius and almost always played Chopin's music or his own. What the heck is your "Liszt factor"? Is Liszt's music more complicated in terms of dexterity? How does that make him more romantic? Can't you be more specific?

[umcaca]

cziffra the BEST11!

[michieldpiano]

Cziffra made a totally different piece of this transcendental etude with his interpretation. I like it, the rubato's the use of dynamics and excellent use of pedal. With the repeated octaves he really gets that feeling of what Appossionato is.

[musicianlhj]

Truly Cziffra and amazing! Don't know he still exist or not...

[franzfr42]

Unfortunately he is dead more than 10 years ago...

[lipotito]

Excellent Brilliant. IN my opinion the best version i heard. Aguante Argentina Argentine...

[zhangensprachen]

Very true. This is really too bad. If pianists like Glenn Gould, Alfred Cortot, Artur Schnabel, and maybe even Cziffra auditioned for Juilliard these days, they probably wouldn't get in.

[rusz]

Of course they wouldn't AND WON'T HAVE THE INTENTION TO GET IN, they are way way way better than the 'great' teachers in the 'magnificent' Juilliard. LOL.

[Perkeno]

Interesting interpretation. He even adds notes to the piece LOL. If a pianist plays this way today, he'll get mauled down by the critics.

[OorvakanSar]

that's because there's nobody who can play like that and there is no repect today.

[eigenvector91]

That's because critics are not musicians, just pompous asses that resent the fact that no critic will ever be 1/1000th as revered as Cziffra, Horowitz, Richter, etc.

[Perkeno]

Agreed. Not all, but most of them are bitter and envious wannabe musicians.

[collyou2002]

FANTASTIC

[DaComme]

haahha juz 1 of da moz legendary vidz eva