I wished i knew the notation he used from 1:40-1:50. I think it was beautiful. So what if it's not the way others believe it should be. Only the best can play at this level. He earned the right to do it his way.
Great pianist, TERRIBLE interpretation. However I suppose Liszt encouraged that kind of thing... also I shouldn't judge his interpretation. Not my place. Regardless, Argerich played this piece to perfection.
Hungary has nothing to do with gypsies, though gypsies represented in great numbers in hungary they are not natives, actually the native hungarians have lost of problems with them.:(
some information about Franz Liszt (List). ..you can find in the book...Miroslav Demko: Franz Liszt, compositeur slovaque (google.books).. just search!
This is nice. I don't usually like Cziffra - I just plain hate his transcriptions, but that's not what this video is about, so I won't discuss that - but this is very good. He's not always the most-expressive pianist, though his technique is great. This may just be a perfect recording, though.
If you want to listen to a "master record" just search for one. You can find enough. Its special and uniqui because he was Cziffra. Just listen how he gives the real hungarian gypsy effects in the piece. That is why its so goooood.:)
This is the worst version I've ever heard. The beginning was way too fast. No technique...just plain "how fast can I play this and sound cool." And what happened to the tempo changes with the octaves? He plays the same all the way through...fast. Wow. I would have thought I'd hear a masterpiece but this was horrible.
You say you played the piano for over 16 years and you sound like some 12 year old sitting behind the computer thinking hes the best because he can play Mozarts Turkish March Sonata.
The answer to all your " assumptions" is simple. Its called a interpretation. And if you didn't like it , why would you come on here and say its horrible? No one wants to hear it. Go somewhere else. We Cziffra fans, fans of a REAL muscian fillied with musicality and technique do NOT want to hear your silly comments
12 years old...haha...that made my day. If you can't play anything but the Turkish March then I'm beginning to understand your frustration. You are just another ignorant, close-minded Cziffra fan. Indoctrination by others but have no opinion of your own. Btw, I came on here looking for a good verison of this song and this wasn't it.
First off , I am a student in Vienna. Soon to be a pianist so I play alot more complicated things than that little Sonata. Second , you call me a ignorant close minded Cziffra fan when in fact you know nothing about me , and you have no right to make such a statement about my person. I have a opinion of my own. A very good one. If you came here and looked for a good version and you didn't like it.. its called clicking to the next video and not trolling instead.
You sir, have no idea about music then. Theres no such thing as "way too fast". Its the power of his interpretation , and if you don't like it stop trolling.
The octaves can be played in many ways. Argerich plays them fast all the way as well. Yes he does play them fast all the way through and I love it that way because it gives the Friska more exciment. You did hear a masterpiece only you have corks on your hears.
If you consider "Cziffra" great...then all the power to you. I personally didn't like this interpertation. If you don't like my opinion about your omnipotent Cziffra then don't read it. It's that simple. I've been playing music for a very long time and I have the right to say what I said. It's a horrible version of this song. Though to each his own.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion , and I do troll sometimes because some things are just plain terrible to me.. but the simple thing is move on and not make bad comments about the second best pianist the world has ever seen besides Horowitz. " It's a horrible version of this song" excuse Mr. Pianist that hs played for 16 years , wheres the lyrics?
Yes everyone has their own opinion and I will stand tall to mine.
@contagious6969 at least if you have really been playing music for a very long time..you would have used the word piece..not song..for this piece of music.
Get a life and start getting some piano lessons and you will know how big Cziffra was.
You have to be big enough to know how small you are.
Thanks for the intellectual lesson however just because I don't use the same vocab as you means that I haven't played for years??? Ok...I understand the logic. Lol. Go bother someone else with your inane logic.
Also one last thing, Cziffra is known for his amazing technique. Its true his musicality was not as good sometimes but is technique was never questioned. Of course , I assume you can do a better job if you can make a statement like that?
Its great that you play the way you play because everyone takes music differently. Thats why.. you should understand that instead of trying to make a statement , just say it as a opinion. Maybe stick a 'I think' (?) , He's not just playing fast. He unleashes a very emotional lassan. Its his interpretation.., you don't like it.. then just go on and not make stupid , comments.
You are entitled to your opinion. I have the right to say what I will about his interpretation and that is that it was horrible. I've heard many versions of this song and have played it myself and I simply do not like this version. If you don't like my comment, don't read it and don't remark on it. I was leaving a comment about what I thought of the video so that others don't have to waste their time listening to it.
usually i dont really like how Cziffra plays , but i like his hardcore style here :) in fact its my favorite playing of this rhapsody , its a pitty for the quality though
általában nem tetszik ahogy játszik Cziffra de ez kivétel , ezt ő játsza a legdurvábban , én is így szeretném játszani ezt egy nap :) .. kár hogy tényleg gyenge a minőség ...
Well when you plays octaves he uses this technique ( I assume I have not seen the fingering ) 1 -5 , 1-4 , 1-5 , 1-4. He switches them and the advantage is that you can play octaves quicker without making your hand hurt.
@MEPLUSMEEQUALSME I think that conventionally, you usually use that particularly with black notes - 4 plays black keys, 5 plays white keys. Quite helpful.
1-4, even on black keys is a stretch and twist, do that for a few pieces and you'll be very tired. Using 1-5 on octaves, if you let Gravity do the pushing is much more efficient, and especially in pieces like this, efficiency is everything.
@assfuck15 Interesting. I get tired pretty quickly using 1-5, because I tend to start relying on my forearms for the force. If I use 1-4 just on black keys, I find it helps me transfer the energy quicker. And no; if you're doing it right and your hands are big enough, there won't be any of that stretching, twisting, or fatigue your talking about.
Plus, letting gravity doing the pushing is probably not the best way to describe proper technique - ex. Horowitz' hands barely leave the keys.
I'm 54 and I can't play this. There are no easy pieces. When you are older, you'll understand this. All pieces have musical challenges, not just technical challenges. Can you play this Rhapsody as well as Cziffra?
Young and arrogant! It's good for you if you can play it at eleven (I strongly doubt it) but it certainly does not make the piece easier...look at the end and tell me it's not harder than any part of fantaisie impromptu for example, which is already a challenging piece...well was it simply zealous boasting or underestimation? I hope it's the second one
Um. He really dose play it. If you would only bother to click his name and um.. look at the video. So next time please don't insult someone when you even don't know anything.
liszt wrote a lot of his pieces with the intention to take everything out of the pianist. that means, go wild and crazy sometimes...sadly he also simplified most of his pieces to make them playable for the "rest". too sad. I would give my right arm to see liszt going crazy on the hungarian rapsody or better on the grand galop chromatique! but cziffra I guess is still the closer to to liszt then any other pianist.
I disagree with you here. Horowitz came from a different tradition and improvisation and changes were part of this. He always wanted to be a composers so he made changes or "improvements" as he saw fit. He did things in good style. You may disagree with what he did.
Yes you are right , but you have to understand the simple thing it what " I " thing what he did maybe I made it a bit unclear , and I do not want to say that he was a bad pianist but his "improvements" are not liked by me :)
I don't always agree with the"improvements" or improvisations done by Horowitz.. Marc-Andre Hamelin does his improvisation in HR2 and I don't like it. Volodos does his improvisation in these HR 13 and I much prefer Hamelin's changes. Sometimes I like the" improvements' or "improvisations' of a performer and sometimes don't. It depends on how stylish the improvement or improvisation is and how much it either adds to the piece or detracts from it.
it looks like his fingers just live on their own.I wish I could have fingers like that.flying over the piano with such a confedence. like liszt's hands were reborn in cziffra...hahaha
At 1:49 this guy improvises the part just before the Presto, and it sounds bad and excessive compared to how its written. He also adds two chords at the ending, also excessive. I think this guy is just trying to show off. I think Horowitz and more recently Martha Argerich play this piece better.
oh really? I have the music in front of me and can play the piece (but not any comparison to this level of playing). Go ahead, pull the music out and read along you will see what I am talking about. have you even listened to Horowitz or Argerich play it?-there is actually a video here on youtube comparing them. In that recording and other recordings Cziffra plays the piece better than here but I still prefer the other two interpretations. You should listen to Horowitz play the last few pages!
of course you are not able to play it like Cziffra.otheriwse you would be one of the most famous pianists of our time. I guess you are just like all the other pianists(me incl.)who play most of the music on a normal level. that cziffra improvise is normal for him and makes him the unique pianist he is.he is not pretending to be the compser, he plays the idea he has about the music.watch the vid again.doesn't his fingers look like galloping horses?
well, "reductive cat" should reduct his claws ahah, cziffra is showing off in a way that is very musical and not just for show, so its not "bad" or "excessive". and i think horowitz might have less difficulty at the end of the piece, but just becus of the ending chords where Cz slows down. no biggy. but I'm not gonna say Horowitz plays it BETTER, that's for opinion's sake, and for opinions sake, i like both.
Cziffra doesn't slow down on the ending chords. He is keeping tempo. Everyone else just speeds way the hell up there for some reason, which I honestly don't like much.
ya, he keeps tempo as tight as it gets, i just meant the very end, the chords at the end of the octave scale in both directions, the chords (top and bottom of piano) don't seem to go as fast as the rest of the "feeling" of the piece (speed) if that makes any sense.
Cziffra's playing is very impressive in it's virtuosity. His improvisation is interesting, but I don't find it tasteful. I prefer the mastery that Horowitz and Argerich have of playing expressively- their use of dynamics, tone and rubato is amazing. I find Cziffra sounds somewhat mechanical in his playing compared to the other two.
reductivecat: you have made some excellent points.
It's all preference people. Why compare anyway? Enjoy what you like. Live and let live. Rachmaninoff once said that Moiseivitsch played his music even better than he himself did.
I love this spontaneous playing. his cimbalom effects are different from the 'live' French performance also on this site. terrific octaves. exciting as Liszt Rhapsodies should be.
His hands almost look animated at the friska, this is truly a great piece played by a great preformer, he made it seem so easy, yet I have a lot of difficulty with it.
Only fantastic and astonishing ! L'une des plus belles oeuvres de Liszt sous les doigts de l'un des premiers grands lisztiens - même encore aujourd'hui... Une interprétation inégale à pleurer !!!!!
Nice Recording. I still prefer the 1950's recording by Horowitz. The excitement in the finale is absolutely electrifying, where Horowitz starts slowly but by the time it reaches climax all hell breaks loose. Some might not consider it very musical but who cares, what an adrenaline rush
It should be obvious that Cziffra has a way "tossing off" the most difficult pieces. Listen to his Chopin Etudes- he plays them with such a bandon and accuracy as though they were Czerny, for which he has been criticized. I like his spontaneous improvisations in the Liszt Rhapsodies- better than the Horowitz transcriptions- Cziffra rules!!!!!!
The only pianist around 2day that deserves 2be thought of in the same breath may be Evgeny KISSIN. For Cziffra was a sacred being in the annals of pianism. Everything he played seemed as childs play. Thee most natural player we have record of. Truly an astonishing improvisor and remarkable tone and temperament. Makes HOROWITZ look like an idiot.
You people that negatively criticize this performance are trying to turn art into science, GIVE IT UP! This performance was incredible. Apparently with hyper critical piano critics perfection is in the eye of the beholder; though I think a lot of people would agree with me and say that there really isn't a perfect performance, so leave it alone. :)
oh that's not true! i actually can play this one, so be sure it's not the most difficult! i've studied some of them (6th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th). in my oppinion the toughest are 2nd and 9th (i gave up playing this one), after these, maybe the 12th, and then the 6th (this one). the others are quite manageable... :)
Its actually one of the better constructed Rhapsodies, next to the 2nd Hungarian Rhapsody in popularity, difficulty depends a good deal on the assets of the individual technique, hand size. Octaves are easy for some and challenging for others. Many of the other Rhapsodies are more difficult but not as musical or programmed as these 2. I think the 2nd H.Rhap. is more difficult and most musical needless to say famous as well.
A piece is not measured just by its technique,but what it has to say,and the master composers knowledge that it is inside. Only one person played rhapsody 6 perfectly and that is Alexei Grynyuk,in my hungarian eyes and ears.
whoever says he cheats is a complete dumbass, you can't cheat on a frickin' piano, u just play, and if it sounds good, congratulations, jesus, retards these days
yes he may attack the piano, but that fits in the meaning of "rhapsody". I'm a Hungarian and I feel every note played. it is Played "from the guts"
Cziffra is a milestone, he is the one to compare to when Liszt is played. Another Liszt pianist milestone is Ervin Nyiregyházy, but seldom recordings were made by him.
Alot of pianists can "outplay" them but I'm sure no one can "outsmart" them
What did you mean cheat? Your supposed to play every black note octave with 1-4. And if your good enough like Cziffra, he can do 1-4 on white notes perfectly also, (and faster). When I used to play this piece, I would play it slower then build up to presto. But Cziffra does like double presto lol
It's not the fact that he alternates between 4 and 5 on the repeated octaves that's cheating but that he seems to be omitting the thumb at times on these very octaves to make it easier to play faster.
So let me guess, switching fingers on repeated notes, or using one finger to hit two notes, or sliding off a sharp to hit the next note is cheating also. Give me a break
My god - If I hay just one quater of his talent...And by the way, that monologue at the start was absolutely right...I personally consider No.6 to be the hardest out of the 4 I have learnt. I didn't even attempt it until I had had a fair wack at No.2. I am absolutely hopless at the start (D flat maj) - but have nearly got the Allegro (B flat maj). I mustn't have been doing it right, because last week, trying to play it that fast screwed my wrist up!
cziffra's a lion
jhardknox 3 weeks ago
I wished i knew the notation he used from 1:40-1:50. I think it was beautiful. So what if it's not the way others believe it should be. Only the best can play at this level. He earned the right to do it his way.
itsjustnopinionok 3 months ago
For a moment i thought i saw 4 hands on the keyboard.
itsjustnopinionok 3 months ago
(two words) Byron Janis ;)
DICACIO1 5 months ago
4:56 he made a Remix.
Stebanick 6 months ago
that was genuinely disappointing...
GMForced 6 months ago
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Great pianist, TERRIBLE interpretation. However I suppose Liszt encouraged that kind of thing... also I shouldn't judge his interpretation. Not my place. Regardless, Argerich played this piece to perfection.
576969sbunivedu 8 months ago
Comment removed
576969sbunivedu 8 months ago
LOL @ 6:05 you can clearly see the expression on his face on how strenous those octaves are!
svensuperman789 8 months ago
Hungary has nothing to do with gypsies, though gypsies represented in great numbers in hungary they are not natives, actually the native hungarians have lost of problems with them.:(
csakegyvid 8 months ago in playlist Liszt playlist
@csakegyvid
what a stupid remark!
donaldowitz 3 months ago
Am I the only one that finds this sloppy? Maybe I'm just so used to Argerich's interpretation.
OriginalBasaliskos 11 months ago
@OriginalBasaliskos Amen. Lol. He improvises WAY too much. I can't handle it. Argerich is a genius. I listen to her recording of this often!
576969sbunivedu 8 months ago
His hands were just like *SNAP* !!!
MultiBlackPiano 11 months ago
audio is outta sync
yoboss1049 1 year ago
HOLY SHIT
levap7287 1 year ago
i like the piece its good
Super121293 1 year ago
what a speed... OMG.
karolakcp 1 year ago
the piano was so muddy.
MasterMorty 1 year ago
some information about Franz Liszt (List). ..you can find in the book...Miroslav Demko: Franz Liszt, compositeur slovaque (google.books).. just search!
vittu22 1 year ago
This is nice. I don't usually like Cziffra - I just plain hate his transcriptions, but that's not what this video is about, so I won't discuss that - but this is very good. He's not always the most-expressive pianist, though his technique is great. This may just be a perfect recording, though.
BenMcCormack91 2 years ago
I agree
akagrin 1 year ago
This is the most amazing recording I have ever heard. Bravo Mr Cziffra - and thank you YouTube!
TheLondonNewYork 2 years ago 3
If you want to listen to a "master record" just search for one. You can find enough. Its special and uniqui because he was Cziffra. Just listen how he gives the real hungarian gypsy effects in the piece. That is why its so goooood.:)
maci25 2 years ago 4
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This is the worst version I've ever heard. The beginning was way too fast. No technique...just plain "how fast can I play this and sound cool." And what happened to the tempo changes with the octaves? He plays the same all the way through...fast. Wow. I would have thought I'd hear a masterpiece but this was horrible.
contagious6969 2 years ago
you have no idea what good music is then
chron123 2 years ago
thanks for your opinion but I've been playing the piano for over 16 years...but thanks youtuber.
contagious6969 2 years ago
You say you played the piano for over 16 years and you sound like some 12 year old sitting behind the computer thinking hes the best because he can play Mozarts Turkish March Sonata.
The answer to all your " assumptions" is simple. Its called a interpretation. And if you didn't like it , why would you come on here and say its horrible? No one wants to hear it. Go somewhere else. We Cziffra fans, fans of a REAL muscian fillied with musicality and technique do NOT want to hear your silly comments
ClassicMusicOnly 1 year ago
12 years old...haha...that made my day. If you can't play anything but the Turkish March then I'm beginning to understand your frustration. You are just another ignorant, close-minded Cziffra fan. Indoctrination by others but have no opinion of your own. Btw, I came on here looking for a good verison of this song and this wasn't it.
contagious6969 1 year ago
First off , I am a student in Vienna. Soon to be a pianist so I play alot more complicated things than that little Sonata. Second , you call me a ignorant close minded Cziffra fan when in fact you know nothing about me , and you have no right to make such a statement about my person. I have a opinion of my own. A very good one. If you came here and looked for a good version and you didn't like it.. its called clicking to the next video and not trolling instead.
ClassicMusicOnly 1 year ago
Cziffra has some good interpretations don't get me wrong but I didn't perfer this one. Get over it. My opinion has been stated. That's that.
contagious6969 1 year ago
You sir, have no idea about music then. Theres no such thing as "way too fast". Its the power of his interpretation , and if you don't like it stop trolling.
The octaves can be played in many ways. Argerich plays them fast all the way as well. Yes he does play them fast all the way through and I love it that way because it gives the Friska more exciment. You did hear a masterpiece only you have corks on your hears.
ClassicMusicOnly 1 year ago
If you consider "Cziffra" great...then all the power to you. I personally didn't like this interpertation. If you don't like my opinion about your omnipotent Cziffra then don't read it. It's that simple. I've been playing music for a very long time and I have the right to say what I said. It's a horrible version of this song. Though to each his own.
contagious6969 1 year ago
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion , and I do troll sometimes because some things are just plain terrible to me.. but the simple thing is move on and not make bad comments about the second best pianist the world has ever seen besides Horowitz. " It's a horrible version of this song" excuse Mr. Pianist that hs played for 16 years , wheres the lyrics?
Yes everyone has their own opinion and I will stand tall to mine.
ClassicMusicOnly 1 year ago
@contagious6969 at least if you have really been playing music for a very long time..you would have used the word piece..not song..for this piece of music.
Get a life and start getting some piano lessons and you will know how big Cziffra was.
You have to be big enough to know how small you are.
XPKpianist 1 year ago
Thanks for the intellectual lesson however just because I don't use the same vocab as you means that I haven't played for years??? Ok...I understand the logic. Lol. Go bother someone else with your inane logic.
contagious6969 1 year ago
then..maybe after so many years of playing..isn't it the right time to get a professional teacher?
XPKpianist 1 year ago
Also one last thing, Cziffra is known for his amazing technique. Its true his musicality was not as good sometimes but is technique was never questioned. Of course , I assume you can do a better job if you can make a statement like that?
ClassicMusicOnly 1 year ago
I play the way I play. This song has feeling and depth...not just play as fast as you can. If you like that, then like I said before to each his own.
contagious6969 1 year ago
Its great that you play the way you play because everyone takes music differently. Thats why.. you should understand that instead of trying to make a statement , just say it as a opinion. Maybe stick a 'I think' (?) , He's not just playing fast. He unleashes a very emotional lassan. Its his interpretation.., you don't like it.. then just go on and not make stupid , comments.
ClassicMusicOnly 1 year ago
You are entitled to your opinion. I have the right to say what I will about his interpretation and that is that it was horrible. I've heard many versions of this song and have played it myself and I simply do not like this version. If you don't like my comment, don't read it and don't remark on it. I was leaving a comment about what I thought of the video so that others don't have to waste their time listening to it.
contagious6969 1 year ago
OH my goodness. He's doing for 4-5 on those repeated octaves! That's insane!!!
evifnoskcaj 2 years ago 4
This is too showy for Cziffra, and that's saying something.
evifnoskcaj 2 years ago
This is so clean, it's almost too perfect.
yellingLoL 2 years ago
6:33-6:35 ! I can't keep up !
GMoralesRCflight 2 years ago
seriously, that's intense!!!!!
Canonindxxx 2 years ago
usually i dont really like how Cziffra plays , but i like his hardcore style here :) in fact its my favorite playing of this rhapsody , its a pitty for the quality though
általában nem tetszik ahogy játszik Cziffra de ez kivétel , ezt ő játsza a legdurvábban , én is így szeretném játszani ezt egy nap :) .. kár hogy tényleg gyenge a minőség ...
kutibotond 2 years ago 4
whats the advantage of playing octaves with 1 - 4?
loolwhut 2 years ago
You save time, and speed cause you can hit another one right after 1-4 with 1-5:P if you have a big hand it will help you a lot, if not keep on 1-5:P
MrToulis93 2 years ago
Besides, since 4th finger is longer, when playing octaves on black keys, you can hold thekeys easier.
fcGroup 2 years ago
Well when you plays octaves he uses this technique ( I assume I have not seen the fingering ) 1 -5 , 1-4 , 1-5 , 1-4. He switches them and the advantage is that you can play octaves quicker without making your hand hurt.
MEPLUSMEEQUALSME 2 years ago 16
@MEPLUSMEEQUALSME I think that conventionally, you usually use that particularly with black notes - 4 plays black keys, 5 plays white keys. Quite helpful.
BenMcCormack91 2 years ago
I'm gonna have to disagree with you there, Ben.
1-4, even on black keys is a stretch and twist, do that for a few pieces and you'll be very tired. Using 1-5 on octaves, if you let Gravity do the pushing is much more efficient, and especially in pieces like this, efficiency is everything.
assfuck15 2 years ago
@assfuck15 Interesting. I get tired pretty quickly using 1-5, because I tend to start relying on my forearms for the force. If I use 1-4 just on black keys, I find it helps me transfer the energy quicker. And no; if you're doing it right and your hands are big enough, there won't be any of that stretching, twisting, or fatigue your talking about.
Plus, letting gravity doing the pushing is probably not the best way to describe proper technique - ex. Horowitz' hands barely leave the keys.
BenMcCormack91 2 years ago
He's switiching between 1-4 and 1-5 for maximum speed and clarity.
DanielAdam1994 2 years ago
je suis sans paroles.......trop beau....
annemariepaule 2 years ago
i can see him now doing finger weights
galihauli 2 years ago 3
alucinanteeee!!!!!!
juanderacing88 2 years ago
6:52 to 6:57 is BRILLIANT!
tomekkobialka 2 years ago 6
6:20 omg!!!
rinaldino90 2 years ago 2
his technique is great, his improvisation is even better !!
lizarthopinsky 2 years ago 3
Cziffra- wonderful playing.
Troybeallad 2 years ago 5
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virtuosomusician 2 years ago
I already finished it and I will be giving a concert on the 5th of August in Warsaw , Poland ;)
ClassicMusicOnly 2 years ago 3
I'm 54 and I can't play this. There are no easy pieces. When you are older, you'll understand this. All pieces have musical challenges, not just technical challenges. Can you play this Rhapsody as well as Cziffra?
carnivalcruiserbill 2 years ago 2
Young and arrogant! It's good for you if you can play it at eleven (I strongly doubt it) but it certainly does not make the piece easier...look at the end and tell me it's not harder than any part of fantaisie impromptu for example, which is already a challenging piece...well was it simply zealous boasting or underestimation? I hope it's the second one
funfor1life 2 years ago
Um. He really dose play it. If you would only bother to click his name and um.. look at the video. So next time please don't insult someone when you even don't know anything.
ClassicMusicOnly 2 years ago
he changed many things.. that's not the original version
v4liumfrance 2 years ago
Wow! You just found that out!?
ClassicMusicOnly 2 years ago
wow..i have to learn this song soon.. :( its gonna be so hard
happykid888 2 years ago
Trust me , if you know how to play good octaves , your home :)
ClassicMusicOnly 2 years ago
Cziffra - one of the history's giant here proves it!
Perfection!
paulotav2 2 years ago 16
Comment removed
kempff95 2 years ago
liszt wrote a lot of his pieces with the intention to take everything out of the pianist. that means, go wild and crazy sometimes...sadly he also simplified most of his pieces to make them playable for the "rest". too sad. I would give my right arm to see liszt going crazy on the hungarian rapsody or better on the grand galop chromatique! but cziffra I guess is still the closer to to liszt then any other pianist.
blabThebla 2 years ago 6
Horowitz ruined HR6 as he did the HR2 I used to like his HR 2 and 6 but now I understand they are bad , he destroyed them.
ClassicMusicOnly 2 years ago
I disagree with you here. Horowitz came from a different tradition and improvisation and changes were part of this. He always wanted to be a composers so he made changes or "improvements" as he saw fit. He did things in good style. You may disagree with what he did.
carnivalcruiserbill 2 years ago
Yes you are right , but you have to understand the simple thing it what " I " thing what he did maybe I made it a bit unclear , and I do not want to say that he was a bad pianist but his "improvements" are not liked by me :)
Eryk
ClassicMusicOnly 2 years ago
I don't always agree with the"improvements" or improvisations done by Horowitz.. Marc-Andre Hamelin does his improvisation in HR2 and I don't like it. Volodos does his improvisation in these HR 13 and I much prefer Hamelin's changes. Sometimes I like the" improvements' or "improvisations' of a performer and sometimes don't. It depends on how stylish the improvement or improvisation is and how much it either adds to the piece or detracts from it.
carnivalcruiserbill 2 years ago
What a brilliant virtuoso and refined musician!
NormanicusDiabolicus 2 years ago
i will argue that he was the greatest pianist in all of history.
wnsbug 2 years ago 2
here is what we (hungarians) were, and what we will be again soon, hopefully
azigaziKerengi 2 years ago
The best pianist,, ever
BodomHeart17 2 years ago
I'm getting tendinitis just watching this.
BMWmotorrad14 3 years ago 3
Cziffra = BADASS
JoshuaSethComposer 3 years ago
Flawless.
snowm0nkie 3 years ago 4
it was alllllllll PERFECT ,,,, its a pitty at the and xd
hjiuhfhrehui 3 years ago 3
Georgie's PISSED!
Nice.
damagnan 3 years ago
Commentaire élégant et raffiné.
antoinezygfryd 3 years ago
Vous le savez!
damagnan 3 years ago
tout ça c'est un péché de jeunesse!
antoinezygfryd 3 years ago
say what?
kypooh904boo 2 years ago
May not be the hardest but still needs great technique
derefis 3 years ago
Amazing
My0wnMelody 3 years ago 3
This song (Thompson ver) was revised in the famous 'Thompson Piano Etude' as any pianist can play.
haruhyoubyouno 3 years ago
it looks like his fingers just live on their own.I wish I could have fingers like that.flying over the piano with such a confedence. like liszt's hands were reborn in cziffra...hahaha
blabThebla 3 years ago
At 1:49 this guy improvises the part just before the Presto, and it sounds bad and excessive compared to how its written. He also adds two chords at the ending, also excessive. I think this guy is just trying to show off. I think Horowitz and more recently Martha Argerich play this piece better.
reductivecat 3 years ago
u have no idea waht u r talking about...hahaha!horowitz plays the hungarian rhapsody better than cziffra?hahaha
blabThebla 3 years ago
oh really? I have the music in front of me and can play the piece (but not any comparison to this level of playing). Go ahead, pull the music out and read along you will see what I am talking about. have you even listened to Horowitz or Argerich play it?-there is actually a video here on youtube comparing them. In that recording and other recordings Cziffra plays the piece better than here but I still prefer the other two interpretations. You should listen to Horowitz play the last few pages!
reductivecat 3 years ago
of course you are not able to play it like Cziffra.otheriwse you would be one of the most famous pianists of our time. I guess you are just like all the other pianists(me incl.)who play most of the music on a normal level. that cziffra improvise is normal for him and makes him the unique pianist he is.he is not pretending to be the compser, he plays the idea he has about the music.watch the vid again.doesn't his fingers look like galloping horses?
blabThebla 3 years ago
see my reply comment above (misplaced)
reductivecat 3 years ago
well, "reductive cat" should reduct his claws ahah, cziffra is showing off in a way that is very musical and not just for show, so its not "bad" or "excessive". and i think horowitz might have less difficulty at the end of the piece, but just becus of the ending chords where Cz slows down. no biggy. but I'm not gonna say Horowitz plays it BETTER, that's for opinion's sake, and for opinions sake, i like both.
SCHneiDen777 3 years ago
Cziffra doesn't slow down on the ending chords. He is keeping tempo. Everyone else just speeds way the hell up there for some reason, which I honestly don't like much.
VikingBerserker 3 years ago
ya, he keeps tempo as tight as it gets, i just meant the very end, the chords at the end of the octave scale in both directions, the chords (top and bottom of piano) don't seem to go as fast as the rest of the "feeling" of the piece (speed) if that makes any sense.
SCHneiDen777 3 years ago
Cziffra's playing is very impressive in it's virtuosity. His improvisation is interesting, but I don't find it tasteful. I prefer the mastery that Horowitz and Argerich have of playing expressively- their use of dynamics, tone and rubato is amazing. I find Cziffra sounds somewhat mechanical in his playing compared to the other two.
reductivecat 3 years ago
I disagree.
VikingBerserker 3 years ago
reductivecat: you have made some excellent points.
It's all preference people. Why compare anyway? Enjoy what you like. Live and let live. Rachmaninoff once said that Moiseivitsch played his music even better than he himself did.
akagrin 3 years ago 3
Comment removed
Franciscanplaypiano 8 months ago
Why there is written "Polonaise No.2"?
klangmaster 3 years ago
Liszt was the man.
OorvakanSar 3 years ago 3
hey love the video. you said you had to weaken the quality for it to work- could you split in two but keep the quality high?
smeplanes 3 years ago
at the end is he trilling with his 4 and 5???
bethanylovesdan 3 years ago 2
i think he's alternating his fingers on the repeating notes. he does it in grand galop chromatique too
samt0rx 3 years ago
huh huh, don't even ask
OorvakanSar 3 years ago
five stars... aren t enough
Sillloow 4 years ago 14
wow very nice very very nice
bethanylovesdan 4 years ago 2
A GREAT PERFORMANCE.
paulostroff99 4 years ago 2
I love this spontaneous playing. his cimbalom effects are different from the 'live' French performance also on this site. terrific octaves. exciting as Liszt Rhapsodies should be.
piano345 4 years ago
wow he plays this even faster than alexei grynyuk
virtuoso18 4 years ago 2
His hands almost look animated at the friska, this is truly a great piece played by a great preformer, he made it seem so easy, yet I have a lot of difficulty with it.
UGC001 4 years ago
The octaves...awesome!!
felix0911176727 4 years ago 3
See my comment supra
papoune1905 4 years ago
Only fantastic and astonishing ! L'une des plus belles oeuvres de Liszt sous les doigts de l'un des premiers grands lisztiens - même encore aujourd'hui... Une interprétation inégale à pleurer !!!!!
papoune1905 4 years ago
Cziffra plays the ending of the Hungarian Rhapsody #2, just aded to YouTube.
mikecaffey 4 years ago
WOAH!
Ending So Cool
allyassault 4 years ago
Is this piece harder than Jeux d'eau by Ravel?
sarvejaji 4 years ago
The Friska is (thats the octaves)
UGC001 4 years ago
I just love watching Cziffra play - there's nothing as beautiful as someone who loves the music. You can just feel that he does.
CCNuck 4 years ago 2
beautiful tune miraculously played and looks very difficult
west1234 4 years ago
i like his improv-ish section at 1:37+
and his ending haha
beyond9001 4 years ago
lmao that looks hard
awatkins69 4 years ago
Nice Recording. I still prefer the 1950's recording by Horowitz. The excitement in the finale is absolutely electrifying, where Horowitz starts slowly but by the time it reaches climax all hell breaks loose. Some might not consider it very musical but who cares, what an adrenaline rush
HandsomeWJL 4 years ago
It should be obvious that Cziffra has a way "tossing off" the most difficult pieces. Listen to his Chopin Etudes- he plays them with such a bandon and accuracy as though they were Czerny, for which he has been criticized. I like his spontaneous improvisations in the Liszt Rhapsodies- better than the Horowitz transcriptions- Cziffra rules!!!!!!
Bruce88keys 4 years ago
The only pianist around 2day that deserves 2be thought of in the same breath may be Evgeny KISSIN. For Cziffra was a sacred being in the annals of pianism. Everything he played seemed as childs play. Thee most natural player we have record of. Truly an astonishing improvisor and remarkable tone and temperament. Makes HOROWITZ look like an idiot.
Bruce88keys 4 years ago
I'm playing this piece for a competition. The octaves are the BEST part!
MZfashionista 4 years ago
You people that negatively criticize this performance are trying to turn art into science, GIVE IT UP! This performance was incredible. Apparently with hyper critical piano critics perfection is in the eye of the beholder; though I think a lot of people would agree with me and say that there really isn't a perfect performance, so leave it alone. :)
neviander 4 years ago
holy crap.. that one handed run alone ... is so awful for me to even try.....
jojeta2 4 years ago
omg...that looks like it would kill the wrist >.<!! so good!! thx for posting~
littledustball 4 years ago
i've only heard a few of the hungarian rhapsodies, but this seems to be the most difficult, does anyone know how it compares to the rest of them?
pianogirl714 4 years ago
According to my piano teacher this one is the most difficult of them all.
HansRachid 4 years ago
oh no, this is the one i'm going to be learning!! i'm doomed.
pianogirl714 4 years ago
Your teacher is wrong and you should never listen to teachers anyway-
Bruce88keys 4 years ago
right... thanks for the insightful reply
HansRachid 4 years ago
oh that's not true! i actually can play this one, so be sure it's not the most difficult! i've studied some of them (6th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th). in my oppinion the toughest are 2nd and 9th (i gave up playing this one), after these, maybe the 12th, and then the 6th (this one). the others are quite manageable... :)
trms83br 3 years ago
The 9th is utterly horrific to play x_x all those thirds etc.
Haeronthegreat 3 years ago
could anyone explain why my comment was rated -1??? hahahaha
trms83br 3 years ago
Its actually one of the better constructed Rhapsodies, next to the 2nd Hungarian Rhapsody in popularity, difficulty depends a good deal on the assets of the individual technique, hand size. Octaves are easy for some and challenging for others. Many of the other Rhapsodies are more difficult but not as musical or programmed as these 2. I think the 2nd H.Rhap. is more difficult and most musical needless to say famous as well.
Bruce88keys 4 years ago
yes, you are right. and in that case, this is definately the hardest for me, cuz i am a small person so octaves are my biggest weakness.
pianogirl714 4 years ago
Then why play a piece one is not suited for?
Bruce88keys 4 years ago
because it's a great piece and i like a challenge. and i can do octaves well, they're just harder for me than other things.
pianogirl714 4 years ago
I agree. This piece is not that difficult. One of the easier ones in my opinion.
akagrin 3 years ago
A piece is not measured just by its technique,but what it has to say,and the master composers knowledge that it is inside. Only one person played rhapsody 6 perfectly and that is Alexei Grynyuk,in my hungarian eyes and ears.
konzolmester 3 years ago
Ill have to disagree about Alexei (but everyone has his own opinion on interpretations) but i agree with your previous analysis
derefis 3 years ago
whoever says he cheats is a complete dumbass, you can't cheat on a frickin' piano, u just play, and if it sounds good, congratulations, jesus, retards these days
malak789 4 years ago
That was breathtaking! His skill with octaves is amazing!
KarrotKun1 4 years ago
I love it!
dsamogray 4 years ago
okay, do you guys know if he could play the tenths during the middle section in the left hand, or he rolled it?
bonfiresky 4 years ago
I much more prefer the Argerich version. He is attacking the piano in many parts like it is his enemy...
axlpam 4 years ago
yes he may attack the piano, but that fits in the meaning of "rhapsody". I'm a Hungarian and I feel every note played. it is Played "from the guts"
Cziffra is a milestone, he is the one to compare to when Liszt is played. Another Liszt pianist milestone is Ervin Nyiregyházy, but seldom recordings were made by him.
Alot of pianists can "outplay" them but I'm sure no one can "outsmart" them
qetayuizv 4 years ago
What?
alexkonow 4 years ago 2
poignantpianist1, This guy don't cheat! It's pure skill and technique. Do you know who Cziffra is?!
Mattyb2001uk 5 years ago
well, i use cheat loosely
yes, it does take skill and technique to .... cheat
i do it quite frequently in this piece
poignantpianist111 4 years ago
What did you mean cheat? Your supposed to play every black note octave with 1-4. And if your good enough like Cziffra, he can do 1-4 on white notes perfectly also, (and faster). When I used to play this piece, I would play it slower then build up to presto. But Cziffra does like double presto lol
akagrin 4 years ago
It's not the fact that he alternates between 4 and 5 on the repeated octaves that's cheating but that he seems to be omitting the thumb at times on these very octaves to make it easier to play faster.
HansRachid 4 years ago
alternating 4 and 5 is not cheating, that's exactly what you're supposed to do!! that's like common knowledge.
pianogirl714 4 years ago
there is no tempo gradient. i dont think its effective to start the octaves presto and keep presto throughout the end of the piece.
also, i think cheats sometimes by disregarding the thumb in the octave
he also uses 1-(4-5-4-5-4-5-4-5) alternating between fourth and fifth finger to speed up his octaves
poignantpianist1 5 years ago
So let me guess, switching fingers on repeated notes, or using one finger to hit two notes, or sliding off a sharp to hit the next note is cheating also. Give me a break
Marcomedina 4 years ago
certainly not. i do it all the time. esp in rachmaninoff.
poignantpianist111 4 years ago
one of the best pianists the world has ever had.
Tacitus87 5 years ago 2
My god - If I hay just one quater of his talent...And by the way, that monologue at the start was absolutely right...I personally consider No.6 to be the hardest out of the 4 I have learnt. I didn't even attempt it until I had had a fair wack at No.2. I am absolutely hopless at the start (D flat maj) - but have nearly got the Allegro (B flat maj). I mustn't have been doing it right, because last week, trying to play it that fast screwed my wrist up!
flyboy172r 5 years ago
Does he also play Hungarian Rhapsody no.2 ? Do you have it?
kwastormayt 5 years ago
OMG! Amazing!!!
caligirl747 5 years ago
WOOW!!! That's impossible (or even not), he starts the octaves with highspeed 120 and goes up to 130!!! I can't have enough of cziffra...
Flo9o 5 years ago
lol, i have to perform this piece next week, and watching this made me feel like a piece of ...crap.
xliltwinkystarx 5 years ago
lol, i have to perform this piece next week, and watching this made me feel like a piece of... crap.
xliltwinkystarx 5 years ago
he is unreal!:)
gabrielg01 5 years ago
cziffra is soo good at improvising. i love his impro on this man its so gd
ace666999 5 years ago
good job :)
horselover5620 5 years ago
Awsome!!!
Perkeno 5 years ago
tiz betta WIZ embellizhmentz
n tru, diz iz 1 of da bez perfz eva
DaComme 5 years ago