Rachmaninoff Concerto No1 minus orchestra

[pietalpha2]

8 people with straying fingers, or "cloth" ears"?

[AlexandreJdB]

I like your T-shirt!!! ^^

[SwimingPoooooL]

Brillant

[scout6686]

Sooo epic

[anonymous176932]

im so silly..... i thought 'minus' was the name of an orchestra.......

[plish09krish]

eww...steinway. i thought you were better than that valentina

[OriginalBasaliskos]

@plish09krish I personally prefer the sound of Bösendorfer myself, but Steinways are top quality pianos and there is absolutely nothing wrong with them. Keep silly comments like that to yourself.

[voolare]

2:35 to end... One of my favorite climaxes in piano literature, so beautifully played!

[slapmyfunkybass]

i want to hear this woman play jazz

[Palnatoke77]

The white man only, is capable of creating music like this, a fact left loonies don't like; LOL

[madeddi]

@genierenee1029 Bosendorfer piano sounds SO much better though.

[voolare]

I forgot there was no orchestra

[Niodo]

My favorite Rach concerto. Exquisite playing.

[IxENESxI]

Now we can stop saying that there is no good musicians out there.We just have to look a bit harder because Rolling Stone magazine doesn't profit from putting Rachmaninoffs picture up and it's all about money these days.My it's been hours since I've been listening to Valentina.I can say for sure that I'd never get sick of her music and the passion that she plays it with.Thank you for approving my friend request.I am honored...

[CarcassRot]

Do you have some sort of process for memorizing entire pieces of music? It seems that your knowledge of piano arrangements is vast and unending.

[amonluxor1]

See...perfecto. Better without the orchestra. 

[Makedonwow]

Never before has a seemingly random striking of keys sound so stunningly beautiful.

[outterspaces]

I actually loved this more than any version with orchestra :) ... It's like a grand concerto for solo piano! :)

[Maratonias]

sometimes it seems like the camera doesn't get the speed of her hands! o.o

[gerardbedecarter]

Beautiful playing.

[runescapeaddict111]

So much dissonance :3

[Therachh3]

this is so hardcore! 

[SertavisSaviPianist]

Beautiful :D

I will play this, I have to play this, it is a need, yup, a GREAT need.

[appistogramma]

dont like the piece  but she's more than ok

[LeslieWarrior]

"I HAVE NO MUSICAL TALENT, NOR SKILL. NONE AT ALL."

Time to accept it and just give up.

I really can't play anythinG. But still, I'll keep on loving music.

From now on, just LISTENING to it would be enough.

Whew! Just felt like loosing it all up after hearing such a good piece.

[Srength4life]

She makes me feel like I'm horrible at piano.

[divyx]

Hate clipping in the videos :( But totally immense performance, again.

[JoeTownley]

Valentina is simply the best. I mean how many concert pianists would do this for her fans!

[tarek11]

Fantastic !

I wish you recorde schumman and chopin concertos that way without orchestra, it would be so beautifful !!! please !!

[nerovonmagidda]

I think there is a mistake at 1:30, that dosnt sound correct. But still amazing.

[seto1994]

@nerovonmagidda

Valentina doesn't make mistakes. EVER

[Martel211996]

3:14-3-24

How do you possibly manage to keep your hands to relaxed and not make any mistakes?

[PianomanRay]

OMG!!!!!!! You played this piece so gracefully and quickly that i was jus waiting for the moment for u to mess so i can bang on you, lol but u didnt and i commend you. I was lost a bit towards the middle as if there was a measure or two skipped.

[jonprak]

Steinways are toooooo sharp

[acorntechnique]

@jonprak Brittle top end notes.

Rachmaninov would sound so much better played on a Bosendorfer

[RediForKing]

Yeah I hate Steinways. They are TOO overrated.

[AbartsWorld]

Watchout that a sting wont break off your piano!

Just kidding. But could that happen? You play this with so much power.

[TheSophster1234]

you are AH-mazing. It looks like you sped yourself up in the begininning your hands were moving so fast!

[RcteChile]

Is there sheet for this exact video?

[MrSAINT235]

she was playing so fast in the start that you could see were her hand left off

[magor665]

you are the best!

[ThePianoshinobi]

what an amazing practice

cant you record yourself playing prelude rachmaniniff op3 nº2??

I'm 12 and i have to play it in an exam of the 6th grade

[kutibotond]

beautifful piano ... you could fall in love with the design alone

[pmg150]

V...what do you think about Rach´s Suite # 1 for 2 pianos? I bet you would rock with it...would broadcasting his concerto without an orchestra mean you could be open enough to give a thought to uploading any fragment of the suite? as an invitation from your eager youtube audience... ; ) or is it something propostrous to ask given the 2 pianos required?

[christophermanners]

shes definately one of the best rachmaninoff pianists alive, if ever!

[richclayderman]

god bless your hands

[wborgstro]

You bring tears to my eyes every time I hear you play. OMG, but you are WONDERFUL. Bravo

[348Frate]

Why do you play those chords so fast..I know you can play fast...but take in the beauty of all those fat chords! I almost didnt like it. Try it , seriously, I think you will enjoy it better. I do. Listen to Richters version, wonderful. you are a fine pianist.

[RenanGarciaMoura]

She is Practing, not playing for orchestra.

[rachmoneynov]

i agree with frate... your technique is wonderful, and i admire you for that, but rachmaninov clearly states that part of the cadenza as "allegro moderato" and "maestoso". like frate said, you got to savour those magnificent chords, and how beautifully rachmaninov constructed it, and transfer that beauty and genius to your audience. leif ove andsnes did exactly that, and he moved everybody's heart.

[ThaPianoPlaya]

:D She is the PERFECT person to play Rachmaninoff. She brings so much emotion, skill, and passion to every piece. Rachmaninoff would be proud.

[brtnfink]

Brilliant is the word.

Immense gratitude to share all your performances, it's a splendour for all the senses.

Valentina Lisitsa, thank you so much.

[gouloum2222]

i wonder if its possible for a female pianist ( who is talented enough) to have the same kind of technique but with small hands...

hmm noo actually i guess the effortless technique is for big hands. :) Mrs Lisitsa is a freak of nature i mean such big hands for a female it's really rare.

[richclayderman]

the size of the hands doesn't matter much

but they should reach at least an octave.

[jamerzuh]

You are absolutely brilliant, its like you almost don't need the orchestra. :]

Also what type of camera are you using?

It has good quality but it seems like it can't keep up with your hands! haha

[kleinerpogo]

only high speed cameras could record her amazing hands :D

[JimmyXXL]

very enjoyable :)

[VideosAlcides]

Valentina, esta é a página dos pedidos...

Aí vai o meu, com muita fé: você poderia postar a Consolação nº 3, de Liszt?

Por favor... please!!! Please!!! PLEASE!!!

Seria fantástico ouvir as interpretações dessa obra de indescritível beleza dos dois maiores virtuoses do piano: Horowitz e Lisitsa!!!

De qualquer forma, agradeço pelo privilégio de poder dirigir-me a você.

Obrigado pelo seu precioso tempo, Valentina!!!

[Requiemx181]

Amazing

[JosephKrammer]

Valentina:

I beg you, please make a full version of the Bulgarian Rhapsody 2.

Please, please... :)

JK

[Epithom]

It's Hungarian Rhapsody #2, but still

it'd be extatic, to hear it.

Love you, and your music, Valentina.

Tomasz

[gouloum2222]

(lol bulgarian xddd). it's already done. in one of her cds she plays the hungarian rhapsody n 2 ^^

[JosephKrammer]

Beautiful, just what my soul needed

[NicolaiRM]

Valentina, you are amazing. Thats all I want to say

[jmitri]

I think it's pretty amazing he wrote this when he was only 19.

[ValentinaLisitsa]

He did not - the piece was completely redone in 1917.

[musicpiano14]

но главные темы остались в первозданном виде.

[TheAlcolade]

@ValentinaLisitsa

I like both the original cadenza and the revised one, "somebody" should combine the two somehow like Watts did for the 3rd concerto, haha

[ilovefazioli]

@ValentinaLisitsa Amazing, as always!!! BTW, you say that Bosendorfer are good pianos, but have you ever performed with a Fazioli? If so, what do you think? I did once and i found it extraordinary!

[Schakowski]

@ValentinaLisitsa

You are the very, very best I ever heard.. since 30 years.... even better than Argerich or Rubinstein. Do you know Ivo.. ? His kind to play piano i like too, but you are even better in tempi, inspiration and soul.

Wish you a happy new year!

From good old Germany

schakowski@me.com

[tommyquality]

@jmitri Embarrassing. 

[bfeyalcin]

@jmitri he wrote"The Bells of Moscow" when he was 19. (I think)

[weirdsome]

this cut, and really bad vut at 1:22 ruins the whole song :(

[TheKawai]

omg that is sick!

[MusicStudyMan]

Note for people over 20 : Nowadays "Sick" can mean "brilliant".

[liberal0irony]

I love Rachmaninoff... You get to use the entire length of the piano not just the middle three octaves!

[Leidenschaftlichzwei]

vincenzo scaramuzza

[Bacchiano70]

Great, great, great. Thank you.

[natichili]

beautiful sound

[brukomura]

Beautiful play, nicely done! Not even the video can follow your hands... :)

[codonauta]

From 1:09 we can get a musical gesture that Rachmaninoff used in the second Concerto too.

[codonauta]

I imagine how complex is the score of that for reading and memorizing.

[rojo2081]

Fabulous performance. Thank You.

[stagesix6]

scary!

[happyboy86]

Her rachmaninov recordings are so amazing, it fits her perfectly...

[pianodesu]

Wow I like the sound of the piano and powerful valentina's playing :) . The only thing which sounds weird is reverb :O.

[OblateSpheroid]

Is it possible to put the whole piece up?

[luliant]

Impresionante la agilidad con que interpreta este cncierto¡¡ Son un regalo de la vida tanto el compositor como la pianista. Donde quiera que estén Felicidades a ambos¡¡

[FourtySven]

feel like some parts were a little rushed

very good thou

[rocklikeluda]

quiet down

[cafity]

I've watched in HD but i almost don't see your fingers at the first chords!!! AMAZING, I'm (one of) your number one(s) fan(s lol)!!!

[mrcpawlus]

What an extraordinary pianist. Concert #1 and Rachmaninoff wrote it when he was 18.

[mrcpawlus]

The selection is parts of Rachmaninoff's piano concerto #1 and was written by him when he was 18 years old. Valintina's playing is extraordinary.

[chrisb0000]

this concert is really extraordinary something like a great film soundtrack or something... and you Valentina - you play as always P E R F E C T!

[horarenka]

Great....awesome !

[miranda746]

That wuz crazy awesome! Great job!

[NuovoCurioso]

Sei troppo grande Valentina ...mi togli il respiro ...sei fantastica....

I love you......w la Musica classica....

[NuovoCurioso]

....peccato che non è tutto intero ma frammenti...

grandiosa la mia Valentina....brava....sei un tesoro !!!!

[loves2listen]

this cadenza is in my opinion one of the most beautiful and passionate music ever written. and what a pleasure to hear it this way. your playing always gives me something i've never heard before. thanks a lot for posting this! and please keep posting!

[IranSanches]

she is a real genius.........doesn't need an orchestra at all!

[itsanthonyhere]

What the **** microphone do you use for a recording like this???

[PicturePilot]

Your technique is even far beyond the sound that it's producing.

Upon close observation, I've noticed that on 3:40 and on 3:43 you literally "back-hand" the keys with your right hand just prior to striking the chord, all within the blink of an eye.

I've never seen anyone attempt to use this method to accurately produce their objective.

God, you're simply amazing! Did you sell your soul to acquire this skill? I mean, how ever did you learn to play this way??!!!

[atek1234]

I would wager she practiced lots, rather than selling her soul.

[genesisgerios924]

i hope i have a hands like you but I HOPE I HAVE A GRAND PIANO!!! waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!

[thepianovirtuoso]

The hands thing is something most people who are new to piano think matters, if you above 13, then your hands are most likely strong enough to play extroadinarily difficult pieces such as Rach 3 or Mazzeppa, playing the piano is all in the mind, if your mind can take the difficulty of playing hard pieces, then you can play those pieces (unless you're really young, too young to play pieces requiring strength)

[huyt8]

i have a grand piano

[Maroonmug59]

Kudos to you for playing Rachmaninoff's 1st Concerto. It's far too underplayed, and such a lovely piece of music. Not to mention how well you're playing it.

[AZazaxe]

Great!!! flawless

i like you so much because you remind of my piano teacher, Nonetta

[TytaniaJutrzenka]

You're genius.. I don't know, what else can i say... I love the way you're playing.

[dwanjc]

I feel a few of you people are missing the point! The point is that Valentina could play great on any piano, including this one. She is, without doubt, one of the greatest pianist I ever heard!!

[zielarzopl]

Now waiting for orchestra. Just speechless

[codonauta]

No! Forget the orchestra! . I don`t want with the orchestra, I like this way!. :o)

[bluebychoice]

It's interesting to hear this piece without orchestra. I now have a better sense of how colorful this concerto is.

[PicturePilot]

You have such incredible strength. How do you do it? I'm an average built, adult man and yet, I can't seem to strike the keys hard enough to muster half the sound that you so effortlessly and accurately produce.

I can't imagine the relentless determination, technique and passion required to perform the way that you do. I mean, you really know how to tame that wild beast!

So I ask myself, "Why am I trying so hard?! Why aggravate myself?! Why not just sit here and watch in disbelief?!"

[Hervinbalfour]

If you can't muster the sound out of your piano that you want then you need to develop the technique needed to create the thunderous power you need to obtain. Playing the piano doesn't require a whole bunch of finger/hand strength. Knowing how to incorporate the shoulders, arms and wrist and (even leaning in from the waist) into your playing is what produces the sound you hear here. Hope that helps. ;-)

[Vegetablesaregood]

So am I. You are simply incredable.

Rachmaninoff's composisions are the best ever.

[Tthirtyfour]

I'm your fan...

[NodameSpecial]

You play this better than me thats for sure

[mlkoln]

urgently this grand piano needs a technician and piano-tuner ...

... it sounds horrible!

[shrinkingglasses]

A Hamburg Syeinway! nice! much better than the bosys you use to play :P

[ValentinaLisitsa]

It is not a Hamburg Steinway, and it is pretty bad one - no match to Bosy at all.

[shrinkingglasses]

My bad! your'e right. I guess I saw some shine on it and thought in hamburg lol but yeah, it has square corners, so NY!

About Bosendörfers, we have the huge imperial (97 keys) in the concert hall at my conservatory. Well, the keyboard and pedals are great, but its sound is sooo bad! really awful, very mechanic on the treble and no power on the bass. I don't know what happened when it was built... And because of this I don't like them hahaha maybe I'll change my mind if I play a proper one.

[Hervinbalfour]

Maybe it's because your conservatory doesn' take care of it properly? IDK. I have played an Imperial before and talk about power! And that bass shakes the paint of the walls. I am sorry that your experience was not a good one. I have played on many Steinways back in the day and I don't like them at all. The pedals are loud and make a thud, the action is heavy and they are just overated. Mason & Hamlin, quite underated makes a superior piano to an American Steinway. (Hamburgs are incredible!

[LanfeustDeGlinin]

I'm just speachless... don't have any comment or word to say. It's just speaking by itself.

[ChrisWatch]

koo :P. I wish my headphones didn't break and lead me to listen with these cheap headphones today. I love this movement. The cadenza is epic. I loaded up a video of the original Cadenza played by Alexander Ghindin on my channel; and, I posted it to the revised version which that person plays very well too. I urge everyone to watch. Rachmaninoff plays it well too. Nice recording. I love these types of recordings. Very personal and real, I say.

[hotakutsuki]

wtf it didnt ended!

[mailmetoday]

Please don't use any 'F' Word. I know how you feel as to which she didn't post the complete performance but you should be thankful for her to post this and let us enjoy this outstanding performance.

[ACE29q]

I love when she film her videos!!!

[NodameSpecial]

I hope you learn liszt trancendental etude no.4 Mazeppa. I would want to litsen to it

[58pianos]

A technique to die for

[langliszt]

love this piano

[aakksshhaayy]

right, its a nice one

[Ellinidara]

I love this piece so much...

[poloventura]

This lady never ceases to astonish with her interpretation and un questionable technique. Bravo and keep them coming!

Thank you so much.

[FreddysHamster]

I want her wrists, so elastic :-)

[aakksshhaayy]

lol i'll take her skills then if you would rather have the wrists

[exanovaa]

I WANT THIS PIANO ! I WANT THIS AUDITORIUM

(i want these hands :D)

[kimnaturegirl]

gosh!~ I just enjoyed that so much.

[bignosedbiblicalbrot]

do you have a full version of this song

i would love to hear it

[Rotwatcher]

By all the powers she is an awesome artist. Sans pareil.

[bambee]

oh my FREAKING GOD!!!....She is awesome and brilliant....

[aazteq]

She is a real genius, she doesn't need an orchestra! never seen someone play like this, with such energy and talent!

BRAVO!

[fionasapple]

u need to see a bit more then ;D

[Mosotti]

oh dear, she doesn't really need an orchestra

[frederickfrederikfre]

Valentina LISZTA

[frederickfrederikfre]

Valentina LIZTA

[jleal2003]

Valentina is posible to buy One DVD of your Rachmaninov Works?

thanks!

[EcliptoSpa]

Amazing.

[jleal2003]

Que manera tan extraordinaria de tocar , muchas felicidades valentina

[MoonShaddows]

great :)

[ReturnOfTheStienway]

Wow!!! I love her playing so much. The cadenza was awesome, but it would be cool to see the rest of the 1st mvmt, or parts of the other 2.

[thomandy]

Love it :D 5*

Thomas

[fredjmp]

Lindo!!

[CaseyRocky]

good choice of piano. great sound.

[HwangMyungShin]

She understands the significance of pedalling, as well as the need to bring out the bass. She's not your 'bel canto' artist, and some may argue that her playing is devoid of this bel canto. But, she is an amazingly talented pianist, and is those 'scherzo' phrases, her deliverance, if you like, is clearly unmatched, and for a lady, her playing is very masculine, and puts many male pianists, who supposedly have a stronger, stockier build to shame. But she is very passionate. God bless

[ValentinaFan]

Re: 'bel canto' - I say she is - look at her video of Schubert Impromptu op. 142 No.3 B flat major.

Regards

[musicpiano14]

No one will play this work better than Sergei Rachmaninoff himself.

[Hervinbalfour]

No I don't know why people gave you a thumbs down. Out of all the recordings of that concerto his recording is still unmatched. It is still considered to be the definitive recording. His sense of timing, the way he brings out all the contrunpunctals and the grand power that he has still has yet to be matched. I am in agreeance.

[moh1666]

c'est très charmant

[mgsmgs2]

effortless. sublime. beautiful.

[paulbryanjavier]

Your hands are like water... so fluid and beautiful...

[ibv56]

Sublime!

[codonauta]

Why was the critique so hard against this concerto in the time of Rach? It`s amazing!

[micknudsen]

Wasn't the conductor (Glazunov?) drunk at the first performance?

[agrandb]

you´re talking about the 1st SYMPHONY

[codonauta]

Yes, it's possible. :o)

But the work which Rach composed after the hypnosis treatment was the second piano concerto.

[codonauta]

Drunk ?. I don't know. After the failure of this first piano concerto ( for the critique at least ) Rach got a big depression. He made a treatment with hypnosis, recuperated himself, and composed the second piano concerto.

If I am not wrong, this is the history.

[Hervinbalfour]

That was the First Symphony.

[Hervinbalfour]

I don't know why someone would give me a thumbsdown because I stated that Rachmaninoff went into depression over the failure/sabotage of his first symphony. Rachmaninoff wrote this at 16/17 I believe and he did not go into depression over it premiere because it was sucessful. People on here I swear. THE DUMBNESS!

[curzmg]

I thought that was his first symphony? No one will ever know but I think he did like the bottle. xXx

[remphi00]

Glazunov was the drunk-conductor of Rachmaninov's first symphony premiere.

This concerto was premiered with Safonov conducting and Rachmaninov as soloist.

[JUANCHOBIG]

Brillant! But I`d like to see the whole piece. Thanks any ways

[MaksutovCG]

unbelievable, this is superb, well done.

[georgecziffra]

This is a revised edition, editied by Rachmaninov later in his life. The original one he wrote as a student was very different from this.

[jonprak]

What's different about the first version from this one? Obviously, I've never heard/seen of Rachmaninov's first version of the piece.

[acadien79]

Its so wonderful! so much emotion. :)