Kissin: Rachmaninoff Études-tableaux op 39 no 1

[chobeethaninov]

Kissin's playing grabs you from the very first note. Calling him a genius is far too small a word for such a pianist!

[baxuashvili]

listen to André Previn when plays thats etude

[letstradeshoes13579]

truly THE BEST interpretation...rachmaninoff would've been delighted

[mylovelylittleone]

Sensitive, daring, bright! Bravo!

[jackylen57]

Magic interpretation !!!!

[clyvemontague]

He was 16 when he recorded this

[clyvemontague]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[0702990890042]

just perfect...:)

[lovesGenet]

it's a great etude fingers rise over each other logically with a careful enigmatic bass.Its difficult and played well it just eats up all da registers of the piano.a different soundworld from his earlier preludes,more chromatic full of harmonic netherworlds.the textures are wonderfully managed here.The variety and constant line here is fabulous .Kissin makes music and paints a world scary for its lack of conclusion

[jewish1972]

pero k feo es!, y ya podia peinarse! Estos musicos, geniales o no, k se creen genios, semidioses, estan tan absorbidos x su propio mundo k olvidan todo lo de+. Aunk, desde luego, toca maravillosam.

[cattleman6420012000]

Fantastic playing and interpretation.

[thejazztenor]

excellent, very clean

[sabonaalkan]

This is so good, it cannot be matched. I'm trying to learn this piece (despite the intimidating performance here) and find that the RH line sounds frenetic and disjointed. Other pianists play the RH line much quieter than Kissin (it sounds better too when i do this), however he plays it so clearly and smoothly. Amazing.

[TheSaxyBandGeek]

What do you mean, RH line? Just curious, thanks :)

[TheSaxyBandGeek]

Nevermind! Right hand lol I'm retarded :P

[ljoekelsoey4]

i cant say i am a fan of argerich, at least of her chopin, to me she rushes everything slightly, undoubtedly though she is a fearsome talent.

[rvn10rvn17]

i agree with you but her 'a bit rushing' sonata 3 mov 4 is just splendidly spectacular

[anaklasis]

This Étude must be impossible to play...

[Hervinbalfour]

Kissin is not my favoroite pianist because at times he can come across as dry in his playing. But this recording of this difficult Etude is one of the best to ever be recorded. Kissin captures the whole "drama" of the piece from beginning to end! Great interpretation.

[sugarve]

Il suo capolavoro!!!!

[lllmeng]

Everything he plays can withstand the thorough examination of musical interpretation, tone qualities, technique, style and charm. It is not a bold statement. We only have one Kissin in our time.

[lllmeng]

When I play something, Id get on Rhapsody and listen to 20 different recordings time after time, then decide whose Id use as a reference. Often time, I choose Kissins along side of perhaps Horowitz and Rubinstein. Kissin is a true musical genius. His laser beam touch, pure bred Russian pianism, perfect technique, security, beautiful lyricism, and extensive repertoire really make him the best pianist of our time.

[ColtonBrook]

...and Stephen Hough??

[lllmeng]

Kissin is the greatest living pianist

[mikxer]

he gets pwned easily by martha alegrich

[cattleman6420012000]

I heard a recital by Kissin in Dublin some years ago, he was truly incredibly good.

[keyboardmaster82]

that's a bold statement my friend

[pornstudsim]

Amazing, I love the way kissin plays he's my favorite pianist

[staystilljason]

The piece reminds me of Chopin's 12th Prelude in Ebm...

[staystilljason]

*14th

[fcyemoo]

style.....

[ArturoAlejandroS]

I don't know why but I can't imagine the romantic Russia like I can with almost every work of Rachmaninov.I imagine the russian revolution,disturbs in Petrograd,the violence of Lenin,civil war,etc.

Amazing and fantastic piece,maybe the most modernist thing that he composed ever,more than 4 concert,3rd symphony,symphonical dances.Simililar to Prokofiev,but never him,I imagine Rach in front a piano,confused after the dramatic momemts of Russia and then he began to play this mad and great music.

[matthew1722]

You are right, this is very modernistic. The Rachmaninoff Etude Op. 39 No. 6 is probobly the most modernistic piece I've heard of his. There's an amazing interpretation of it from Valentina Lisitsa posted on here. Maybe you've already seen it?!?!

[kalduglun]

I am often wondered to see how artistic talent, and/or intellectual one, does shape not only mind but also someone's physical appearance -:)

In Mr Kissin's case it is particularly striking.

[PeacfulJoh]

This recording is from Kissin's Rach-2 CD when he was 18! All 6 of the etudes on that CD are amazing. He tends to get carried away in performance, however. Too bad, because this would be absolutely heavenly to hear live.

[Grigor99]

I generally like most of what Kissin plays and it goes without saying that he has one of the premier techniques out there today, but I also feel that sometimes his playing is a bit on the cool side, however other times it's better. I've heard both from him. This is a very passionate rendition.

[horatiodreamt]

There was an excellent recording of both sets of Rach's etudes-tableaux made in the 1960s by Juilliard professor Beveridge Webster. I wish it was still available. It was the most balanced yet powerful interpretation of the etudes I've ever heard.

[loayove]

kissing.. one of my most favorate pianists of all time!!

[toomash]

This recording is Kissin at age 14.

[ljoekelsoey4]

thats just sick. how can you play this well at the age of 14! with feeling and all, never heard any other kid that age play anything as difficult as this as well as this.

[freshwater12]

Kissin is simply fantastic.

[Rusalka1975]

Hey people, if one of you have this piece with Nikolai Lugansky, I will be greatly apreciated you post it. It will be great day.

[killerbiene243]

Kissin is amazing at this piece.

[dianarotari]

This is the best performance I've heard. I like his way of starting the phrases in piano, so quiet. He makes a good accelerando at the end.

He is great!!!

[voolare]

in my opinon there's a better one, still by Kissin, played in 1987 in Tokyo; perhaps with not this kind of refined dynamic contrasts, but with more passion.

[panstfution]

thats one thing i think Kissin lacks in many of his pieces. passion.

but his technique is so perfect it outweighs it.

Kissin is still too good.

[paulvanvulpen]

Amazing! I think Vladimir Ashkenazy to be the only one who played it better.

[cattleman6420012000]

Thanks very much for letting us hear this. i love Kissin's playing.