Oscar Levant Plays Chopin Etude in C# minor op.10

[namelessrevisited]

"You took the words right out of your mouth." Oscar Levant.

[petie32]

I am torn with Levant. His later work was so decimated by drugs and alcohol and nothing he did after about 1955 was recordable. He was fun to listen to and he did have a certain humorous twist but the piano was gone.

[lilypondlane]

@petie32 Levant received electrical shock treatments for depression that left him with impaired coordination and memory.  I have also heard, but cannot confirm, that he had the start of Parkinson's Disease. A sad end to a wonderful talent.

[Barbapippo]

Incredible.... there are many famous classical pianists who play this etude much worse than Levant!

[retrogamerdave]

@Barbapippo yeah, and there's a handful who play it better, too- with less pedal!!

[lilypondlane]

Many thanks for posting this.  I had never heard Levant play this before. I think he did a magnificent job. A thrilling piece of music to hear performed so beautifully.

[hitomineko]

I love it <3

[VariationsOnNoTheme]

Oscar Levant! A unique genius! When I listen to his artistry, I recall Robert Schumann's famous proclamation of Chopin: "Hats off, Gentleman, A Genius!"  And so it was with Maestro Levant. His 3 books make excellent, and sometimes painful reading with reagards to his personal life; the inner tortures he suffered. Ah! I can so relate! Thank you, Oscar!

[k9fank9fan]

Astonishing.

[cfwpiano]

A little heavy handed, but truly unique. The way he plays with tempo is really interesting. Great performance!

Sadly Levant is soo underrated. :(

[MissRosie89]

Miraculous, thanks so much for posting. Such a shame more people today don't know about this remarkable man.

[stephenjoeagi]

One of the best versions of this etude. Very clean, elegant and fast. Levant was without doubt a great virtuoso.

[MoronPianist]

he plays this better than valentina, smoother, cleaner and quieter (because chopin was weak, he played very quiet according to people who listened to him...) I seen his hands, his technique is so smooth, he doesn't make so many unnecessary moves, very quiet hands and nimble fingers. Awesome pianist!

[downtoearthwildguy]

this is fine

[Danishpianist]

woot!

[moloch49]

"Superlative" and "Oscar Levant" are synonymous - that was fabulous rendition of Chopin!

[puchalaka]

Chopin is the god of piano...

[ciscokidd08]

He and Rachmaninoff.

[JamesMir11]

Can't forget Franz Liszt there...excellent composers, certainly very challenging as well.

[questiviez]

i've played some Rachmanioff

[ciscokidd08]

oh yeh me too defo..Prelude in C Sharp Minor is what i WAS working on lmao!!

[camaysar222]

Levant wrote well. His autobiography is titled "Memoirs of an Amnesiac". He wrote some great insider stuff about Hollywood film composers, too. Interesting man.

[jghancockjr]

Somewhere I read that Paderewski told him he

was wasting his time.  I remember seeing him

on a Jack Paar show coming apart when playing

a Debussy piece, very sad. His recording of

the Rubinstein PC 4 was good.

[Largo64]

By the time Levant was on the Paar show he was already pretty much out of it. He was what older generations called "dissipated." As Paar was interviewing him one night he seemed to be dozing off. Paar nudged him, and he lifted up his head, peered out through squinted eyes, and knocked the audience dead with a witty riposte that showed that his brain still worked even if his body didn't. Levant was a brilliant man.

[jghancockjr]

Levant was a very funny man. His "Memoirs of an Amnesiac" was a good, if short, read. I liked your (Largo 64) recent short YouTube bit on atheism.

[meanwiddlekid]

I guess that's pretty damn good considering his hands never moved.

[Sepharite]

Hahaha.

[GayPlaywright]

His recordings of the Khachaturian and Rubenstein concertos were superb.

[weikko79]

What, he recorded the Rubinstein concerto too? When? Where?

[fyncara]

Thanks for posting this. It's wonderful to hear and to remember him.

[biegel88]

You know, it's quite impressive. He had fingers, and a mind. he brings out voicing that is there and not often heard. A bit heavy-handed, but very well done!

[kasyapa]

many creative moments here - thank you for it.

[bikiniyes]

Thank you so much for all the hard word it must take to keep this website going. And these rare old gems are our connection with heritage. Sincerely, William Cook Phd Sonora CA 95370

[Beckmesser2]

I appreciate your comment

[weikko79]

I find it hard to believe that my comment has actually received six thumbs-down. As it happens, I'm something of an Oscar Levant fan myself. But c'mon, who do you people think he was, a friggin' Richter or a Horowitz??

[Largo64]

Sometimes he seemed a little sloppy to me, too, although I liked him a lot. George Gershwin must have appreciated his technique. The Concerto in F was written for Levant.

[ipmoic]

Not a member of "Whiz Kids" seque69, but he was the most outspoken and wildest member of the panel on "Information Please"--perhaps the most erudite and entertaining question & answer program in the history of radio.

[ipmoic]

Can't totally agree with lovesGenet. I think this playing shows a lot of personality--his! He was neurotic and manic yet he was still able to keep it under control here--pretty amazing. In a few years he lost his edge and, without it, slowly stopped playing concerts professionally. A shooting star of talent that burned too hot and intensely.

[seque69]

I believe he was an original member of the Whiz Kids a radio show of youngsters who answered questions on the quiz show.

[weikko79]

No, he was in "Information Please".

[lovesGenet]

Surprise ! He played and had musical ideas no matter what others say now about his generation .Funny and sad probably .Hope  hemade a lotta money.Not really much personality .Hofmann ,Lhevinne ,Horowitz the man at this period.

[1singlet]

He probably deserved better than he got, from Hollywood. That's where I've seen his performances- movies. Nice recording. Thanks.

[fyncara]

I agree wholeheartedly!

[pianoenthusiast11]

great pianist!