Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No.2 in G minor, I - Cadenza

[rgresham01]

No idea why the video cut out when it did but ruins the cadenza



[MozartK365]

is that harder than the cadenza of rach 3?

[TheClaux97]

@MozartK365 They are more or less the same level, I think...

[ThePianoLad]

he has very stiff hands, but nice performance :)

[Emersonmusica]

Fantástico! realmente, esse Prokofiev é muito lindo !

[cenagangluan]

1st movement is the only movement I like from Prokofiev PC2,,,,,

this cadenza is so amazing...

[TheRachmaninoffFan]

1:41 the violin player in the back is smiling at this I think lol

[JonRob2109]

How annoying to cut away from the pianist, it's the Cadenza and the only artist playing. Let's show the view from the back of the piano more!!!

[The1976spirit]

0:29 is the climax of the cadenza, of the whole movement.

YundiLi doesn´t climb the mountain (of the Sith) to see the whole catastrophy.

Volker Banfield is the one and only who understood what this musik is talking about!

[iansquared3]

@The1976spirit no way man! how can that be the climax! the climax is right at the end of the cadenza when the orchestra comes back in! spectacular!

[The1976spirit]

@iansquared3 col pugno

[LoftyProduction]

rachmaninoff piano concerto no 3 1st movement Cadenza... anyone? haha.

[nihil1]

I can't get tired of 1:08 and so on...

[TheCriticPiano]

Carpal-tunnel syndrome anyone? Great piece. Extremely dissosant, but gorgeous in its own respect. I admire Prokofiev, had the most dynamics and very powerful Russian composer.

[edmondrachmaninov]

Yundi Li is an amazing pianist, and he conquered this concerto with his own style.

thumbs up

[rocker4213]

i thought seiji ozawa conducted this...

[Ellinidara]

One of my favourite piano-piece fur orchester.

[armediatv]

I love u!

[katchum]

The place in the score where it says "with effect" doesn't seem to have effect played by Yundi Li. I think the best performance of that part is by El Bacha.

[artymowycz]

prokofiev had written some of the strangest music i have ever heard. by the way, why is there no video of yundi playing rachmaninoff? can't find anything =(

[ChrisWatch]

This cadenza is on a whole different level especially in Yundi li's hands.

Reminds one of a Tyrant in the midst of chaos in all that reigns. The colors are of Steel. This was made for a large concert with a large audience that are waiting to devour all these damn cords in fullfillment or lust to tear one down.

If you don't like his playing go find the other 1000 people who play exactly the same way than sit here and critisize this amazing pianist. NO one gives a damn about your volume.

[marcohorowitz8]

unfortunately Yundi was worried about this super-human cadenza, and it shows in his playing.

[tommy9882]

It doesnt have a melody but I can't stop listening to it.

[Bachlives2]

@tommy9882 It actually does have a recurring theme...

[Asgoodasgod]

Not to my liking. Sorry. He's slamming the piano real hard. That's for sure...

[Enerkhan]

Not bad, but as usual (having seen and heard many performances of the cadenza, I prefer Vinnitskaya's to everybody else's. Although Yundi Li certainly matches her in passion, he gets a bit carried away in it into too much rubato, although it's not that bad. Good performance, but Vinnitskaya evokes more inner passion and transfiguration in my heart.

[Hervinbalfour]

I agree with you wholeheartedly!

[ekphooldomali]

This interpretation of this masterpiece does not hold together at all. It is rough and unimaginative, sloppy and crude.

[Woskob]

I am just curious to see what you think is the ideal interpretation. I mean, I am not a dedicated fan Yundi Li, but I find this interpretation unique and I guess "Prokofievish". The interpretation definitely does have rhythmic liberties. Generally I think that this piece, unlike pretty much all the other concertos (especially the 5th), gives more Freedom to do what he wants. Typically in most dramatic solos (or cadenzas), there is more artistic freedom, obviously it should sound dramatic.

[ekphooldomali]

Hi Woskob. I am assuming you are asking me? I have no ideal interpretation, but I have an ideal approach. I like the music to be expressed broadly, with intelligence as to its flow and motivic character. I do not like important musical ideas to be lost in the "passion" of the moment... at least not in a piece like this. A Chopin Polonaise, sure! But the Prokofiev 2nd concerto? Never. He is unsettled, and the performance sounds the same. There is no relentless, purposeful development. Control!

[bluerisk]

Absolutely!

[amenhotep69]

Interesting interpretation. The approach does have a ring of the19th century, but that wouldn't have been so unusual at the time the composition was written. There were moments of clarity in the iteration of the main theme which often gets missed in many performances.

[einmarmor]

I think he play this 20th music work with a 19th way, Prokofiev should be more like piano percussion， rather than a traditional melodic music. He is more suitable for 19th piano works.Maybe he can try some works like Brahms and Beethoven. I am very looking forward to his Beethoven interpretation.

[chopinlove90]

I agree. that is what I said.

he has shown chopin, lizst--mostly romanticism music since chpin competition

but he is not playing beethoven, bach ....etc

I saw him play brahms piano concerto no.,2

of course , the repertory is different every pianist,

but as I am yundi li supporter,

I want to see his another performence

[Sim882]

This concerto isn't musical. No wonder classical music died in the 20th century. Give me Beethoven/Brahms any day

[skryabyn]

This is the most "musical" prokofiev- what, by the way, is your definition of "musical?"

[skryabyn]

Ok You are right. these are all musical.why though, for example, do you not count Rach1 and Rach4,rhapsody, in your list of approved peices?Dont you realize if there was no rebellion, we'd just get more of the same romantic music.nothing against romantic music, but without any innovation, how can anything be appreciated? this prokofiev concerto is extremelyromantic in nature- esp. the frirst mvt: melodic, tragic, epic. if it rouses no emotions for you, i am worried about your emotional state.

[skryabyn]

even if you dont understand Prokofievs language, i find it quite arrogant of you to simply condemn his music. His excellent friend Max Schmidhoff commited suicide soon before this composition's completion and surely the tragic melody of rising seconds conveys some of the agony of this news. it is thus meaningful for anyone who has in his/her life such sadness, such tragedy.

it is hilarious that you say : "musical" concertos include. HAHAHA. you dont even say, "in my opinion."

[vincentws03]

you mean a piece with a beautiful melody? Shallow little boy; look deeper into the rabbit hole and you shall find Debussy interesting, there's way more inside that just the melody, it's the emotions

[yojukitomodele]

Yes, there is nothing musical in this concerto IN YOUR OPINION. And quite a traditional/laical opinion, let's say :)

[MIFFLISH]

Prokofiev is way better then Beethoven and Brahms combined.

[WichoWich]

How can you even compare? Two different times, situations and music background. I don't think Prokofiev or Rachmaninoff would have said this, and then I don't think you should...

[ChrisWatch]

Sergei Prokofiev comments on this; "It is so completely rewritten that it might almost be considered No. 4".[4] (The third concerto had premiered in 1921) It remains one of the hardest piano concertos to play."

[ChrisWatch]

This piece is very angry. It is very strange. Very fast and almost a bitter angry sadness to it. This is the revised version that Prokofiev did. He dedicated it to his friend that committed suicide. This piece, probably haunted him. Being booed by the audience. Atleast with Rachmaninoff they complained about it afterwards. And Rach didn't handle that too well. Stopped for a year, or two, before performing again. This piece is Prokofiev's true nature. The only way I want it played.

[Querfahrer69]

Nice and powerful--hard to play!!!!!!!

[allthewaythrough]

Incredible, you are not only my favorite pianist for Chopin, it's awesome to hear your contemporary music. I wish to hear more. Thank you so much.

[fionasapple]

Prokofiev is not contemporary as far as i understand.

[pianodesu]

I wish he could play the begging quiet and then make bigger culmination :(.

[pianodesu]

begging = beginning*

[gtyler7292]

this isn't the beginning of the cadenza though. this is about half way through.

[Hervinbalfour]

Honestly there was a lot going on here. I felt there was over use of the pedal. Just my opinion. However someone commented on the speed of the cadenza and I have to agree that this is the correct speed for the cadenza. I have been hearing a lot of slow interpretations that drag and this was not written to drag. But I have heard better.

[ChrisWatch]

I listened to about 20 random people playing this cadenza ashkenazy and bronfman and argerich and I'm surprised to see that they all play it is if they are sheet reading it. or playing a midi file of it on slow. Yundi li really got me into prokofiev thanks to this. As always Yundi taking the old natural flow route. but this one is beyound crazy. Tobad some of you can't enjoy music on any level.

[RabidCh]

Argerich never recorded this concerto.

[gtyler7292]

I wish she had...

[travian7346]

@RabidCh why?^^

[LittleArgerich]

@RabidCh but she can play this with one hand :D

[rurikrussi]

@RabidCh It would be interesting if Argerich recorded this concerto...

[migwombat]

@RabidCh Now I know what this world is missing...

[afertyus1000]

@migwombat try that on a casio

[fionasapple]

Argerich never recorded this :D and she never plays anything slow.

listen to Horacio Gutierrez. He puts this guy to shame

[ChrisWatch]

Sorry I meant to say Yujia Wang. Her and Argerich are my Favorite female pianists to watch on the keyboard :P.

[gtyler7292]

He was sloppy at times, but he played it at the speed that I think it's best played at, which is faster than a lot of cleaner performances

[cdpiano27]

NO, although I absolutely think Yundi Li is by far one of the best at Chopin , this is not good at all unfortunately. It is too fast, very little breathing, and just many notes played loud and fast. Vladimir Ashkenazy is still the absolute best at this piece. He lived closer to around the time of "goulag" in the Soviet Union. I am not entirely sure, but I believe this piece was written about one of Prokofiev's friend ready to be executed by Stalin. And this cadenza I think should depict that.

[gcaee]

i can't understand what he played......

but maybe a little disappointed......

i hope he can work in music more not just in

entertain

[TrevorKingKwong]

yundi li is not an entertainer - he is a pianist. listen to his music with the window minimized and you will hear true beauty coming out of the piano he plays on.

[tulilintu]

That isn't playing, that's hacking. :(

[dindan4]

o O

[brozors]

I hate to say this but his phrasing is not very good in this performance, especially the transitions. He didn't really let the music breathe. It also sounded as if he made a lot of mistakes.

[wLasky]

It was Prokofievs style to use ventured harmonies and dissonant chords. Maybe thats why you think he made a lot of mistakes !? difficult to hear.

[cisdolce]

damn...

what does he eat?

[brynbstn]

spinach?

[ficolossale]

colossale!

[fullyfatty]

To be honest, I don't wanna be rude or what, but I think he was a litle bit struggling in the Cadanza part with all the nites when he was performing. It is nice that he pulled it out. =]

Don't forget to make musical line also~

[evskimo69]

you would be struggling with this cadenza too if you had to play it. probably the most difficult cadenza in music literature

[bachelbel]

this cadenza is crazy!