Lugansky Prokofiev 2nd Concerto (pt 2)

[RadawouedSEB]

Very nice and powerful interpretation.

For the lovers of this concerto, I also recommend Elisabeth LEONSKAJA and her mighty interpretation. Check it out

[LeCourlisCendre]

For me the gloomiest and best performance of this concerto ever is by Severin von Eckardstein from Queen Elisabeth Piano Competition 2003. Check it out as well!

[GeoJDr]

Very nice. Thank you for posting. My favorite recording is Gutierrez!

[poll6666]

Yuja's version of the cadenza always leave me with tears in my eyes, this one.. nothing. Something's missing but can't put my finger on what it is.

[ferromaggie]

@poll6666 Mmmm... Sound quality? XD

[jhoward1957]

@poll6666 Check out the Bronfman performance of this cadenza. Electric!

[fikradas]

Is it me or does does this Prokofiev concerto sound less coherent, more confused, as everything is disconnected than the Rachmaninov concerti do?

[ferromaggie]

@fikradas Formally... I guess

[TheSwordsweeper]

@fikradas It's not confused, it's... magmatic.

[fikradas]

@TheSwordsweeper ... No I mean that at some moments I have the feeling that Prokofiev wanted to write more notes than he actually did, so he left some "gaps", and because of the technical difficulty, it seems a real pain to bring out the melody in a good way.

But it sounds great anyway :)

[cuteshox]

Wow! That was a long Cadenza!!!

[adrenalinerush45]

Why is it that at the ending of the cadenza colossale that the brass always seem to be a little off, and in some cases, pretty badly off? I mean the accented d minor arpeggios should be able to show where the beat is.

[ThesimpleSoldier]

Oh my God thanks so much @TheClaux97 ;)

[Abzzzolut]

@AustinMonster24 always. Ashkenazy is awesome in everything he plays

[stabernz]

Demons fighting for a new soul at the gates of hell is what this is about. Just mindblowing stuff... The complexity of emotion portrayed in this music is impossible to beat.

[Drunk3nFist]

@stabernz Wow! Where did you hear this from? I really would like to read more on this! This music really does have the power to conjure images of hell and its demonic fury! Sublime Prokofiev!

[ozoshah]

i have found a "movie moment" when at 5:28 the shot passes from the whole orchestra to the pianist's hands. the right hand seems to want to bend the keyboard, then it vanishes to recomparing at 5:37 with grace. cool.

[Martel211996]

At one point during the cadenza I felt that Lugansky would just rip the piano to shreds! AMAZING

[risktakerdaito]

He takes apart the arpeggio which many pianists use their right hands into the both hands. 3:47 -

Rational playing.

[bagdad4]

@risktakerdaito oh youre right! that is a good way of doing that. Im trying to learn this at the moment and ive been struggling with that thanks for pointing it out :-)

[risktakerdaito]

@bagdad4

Welcome for your comment!!! I think Lugansky is a good pianist. I appreciate his musical talent because he has good technique and score reading skill, too. He always uses his technique for playing the piano beautifully not for showing himself off.

[risktakerdaito]

Do you practice this piece? It is such a difficult piece, isn't it?

You are also a good pianist and such a hardworker:-)

Good Luck!!

[demosj]

The cadenza sounds like a crew of pianists.

[Robotman42]

Body language and facial expression is TOO neutral. He should act a little if he needs to.

[Asgoodasgod]

His playing may be a bit more cautious than Berezovksy's but this man is simply a phenomenal pianist! Over the top!

[chrisb0000]

sometimes I hear the melody but sometimes I feel teribble when listening to prokofiev... I don't know why...

[katchum]

Ashkenazy's version has the best orchestra +sound of all of them.

[jcasbell]

nice performance, but the interpretation's definitely not a favorite. some spots could've used a little more technical refinement too

[ProkofievRules]

Not enjoying it.

[bluesyboypete]

I dont think this performance measure in musical vigour and passion to that of berezovsky.

[Asgoodasgod]

I wonder if Prokofiev was actually able to play this...

[COCOONFABULA]

He could

As well as Lugansky I don't think so

[Bachlives2]

@COCOONFABULA  I have heard that Prokofiev could play some pieces that he wrote that other people couldn't play

[COCOONFABULA]

Really ? Prokofiev said that he couldn't play this properly. He said that the 4th movement was quite hard for him and couldn't play the big chords jumps flawlessly

[Bachlives2]

@COCOONFABULA Prokofiev never write his music thinking if anyone else could play it in mind. Even when commissioned. He was really only concerned if he could play it. He was an absolute Prodigy

[kuglagerfeld]

BRAVOOOOOOOONIKOLAY!

[Deutre08]

A litle bit boring no?

What about Gutierrez interpretation?

[MrAsungot]

What do you think of the Yundi Li interpretation of this piece?

[Deutre08]

I don't like it at all (excuse my succint englinsh). I don't like Lugansky interpretetion as a reference. Thas why I said what I posted

[bluesyboypete]

quite boring, actually. Berezovsky's version is far better.

[afertyus1000]

what about vinnitskayas?

[syuzik712]

Even after I've listened a lot of versions this one stayes as my favorite ))

Какое-то в нём есть благородство наполненное в высшей степени драматизмом,приэтом абсолютно целостно и едино. невероятно! Прям до слёз пробирает каждый,каждый раз :)

[MrStrav81]

The new Kissin recording's cadenza is the best I've heard by far. At least for the cadenza.

[CuriouserNCuriouser]

In bliss now.  Thank you.

[zurzica51]

listen toradze too..

[kempff95]

@zurzica51

yeh , he is awesome.......

[vincentws03]

mistakes!

[perezfrank05]

MY GOD THIS IS AMAZING. THE BEST!!!!!interpretation ive heard i love lugansky!!!perhaps one day ill play as good as he.

[CanisLupusSolitarius]

This is strange : How can I "answer" someone and have my comment stated as something completely new?

[akkadian4eyes]

Horatio Gutierrez's version of the solo cadenza ain't bad either.

[pianofforte]

A Concert piano player is a Piano player with can do this concert.

[ozoshah]

the fact is simple: it needs to play the arpeggio during the hands crossing part nitid and "a tempo". he does it.

[ThomasJBromley]

I don't like his playing here, I know he is famous, and that he is very good technically, and what he does is clear, well thought out and well executed, but his playing doesn't move me at all. Its too dry and calculated and lacks the spontaneity and raw passion that is so important.

If you want to listen to a REALLY good performance of this concerto, I would recommend hearing the Ashkenazy/Previn recording or Anna Vinnitskaya's performance from the Queen Elizabeth Competition.

[hansmeyer111]

So, this is really a question of taste. For my taste, this music is sooo full of dramatic it self, that when also the pianist extra passion adds, it seems rediculus. I find this almost intellectuell performance a highlight, because of the nature of the music it self, and because of the aesthetic values af our time.

[Hervinbalfour]

Anna Vinnitskaya's interpretation was phenomenal wasn't? That has become my favorite.

[Darklord12356]

Also try Ashkenazy's as I feel that his is the 'ultimate' interpretation. :)

[Hervinbalfour]

I do like Ashkenazy but if there are two versions which are better. Richters and Bronfman's. I am going to give his interpretation a listen.

[Darklord12356]

I wasn't even aware that Richter played this concerto...must...find it....

[Yellottwe]

@Darklord12356 Richter never played this concerto. Only the first and fifth.

[ThomasJBromley]

Umm, Richter never played this concerto...

[Hervinbalfour]

Actually you are right! Thank you soooo much for the correction. As a kid I had many many "old school" vinyl albums of Richter. I went through my collection and realized that it was the 1st and the 5th that I had recordings of.

[kartoonstew]

How can you make statements like 'richter never played this concerto'? I'm sure at some point richter played this somewhere... he must've... he was so close with prokofiev after all... Perhaps you do have research that I do not...

[ThomasJBromley]

Well of course Richter may have played through the piece at some stage or other, but as far as i know, like the 3rd concerto it was not part of his repertoire and there are definitely no recordings available of him playing the piece.

[LesterWong2]

Kartoonstew, Richter led a very detailed list of his repertoire and performances. (As another example, we KNOW for sure, that he never performed, publically at least, Rach's 3rd.)

[loboris1995]

@LesterWong2 He nevered played the 5th of beethoven,and the moonlight sonata either,he sais that too much people played it so he doesn't have toi,he also doesn't like to preforme very famous pieces and never recordes and integral(except bach and shostakovich preludes and fugues^^)for the liste of Richter repertoir:book,the enigma ^^

[vincentws03]

oh shut up, arguing on words like that, does it matter? Just listen.... the cadenza's amazing

[SamuelFeinberg]

True, the third isn't in Richter's discography. He played with Karel Ancerl a great, thrilling first, though. It's on a CD coupled with two other gems. First, the rendition of the second concerto I love the most. Played by Dagmar Baloghová, Karel Ancerl and the Czech Philharmonic. With a focus on colour, lyricism, interaction between soloist and orchestra, and an excellent sense for climactic development. And second, a witty version of the Classical Symphony.

[CanisLupusSolitarius]

If Richter played Prokofiev's second, his playing of the third would seem somewhat unnessecary

[SergeiReiter]

@ThomasJBromley are you sure?! He was surely capable..

[jcyl141104]

@ThomasJBromley not even at home in private???

[satyu131089]

@jcyl141104 depends dude...on whether an orchestra could have been accommodated into his house...

[AlejandroSanAntonio]

@ThomasJBromley I don't know if I'm telling the truth, but Richter never played this concerto because some people have already played it very very good. I repeat, I don't know if I'm good.

[BasileusR]

@AlejandroSanAntonio He said that about the third Rachmaninov concerto.

[AlejandroSanAntonio]

@BasileusR Ah ok! Thank you! :)

[P0L0K0P]

ashkenazy's is the best

[carlosr86]

I also like Ashkenazy's very much. I highly recommend Vladimir Feltsman's. It's amazing. Very powerful, great sound, articulation, etc.

[Darklord12356]

Really? I was debating whether I should watch him play the concerto at Walt Disney Concert Hall...now I'll definitely check it out...:)

[CanisLupusSolitarius]

I thought so too when I first heard it at12 (No Pun Intended) , untill I heard some other, younger pianists

[brynbstn]

The filming is beautiful, and so is the setting - wonder where it was. It's quite a different interpretation - such tenderness & beautiful tone. It's not perfectly architected, but it's still very enjoyable. I suppose Lugansky is a good Chopin player...

[solveaproblem]

BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall, I believe, not sure which year

[pianoplejer]

Masterclass!

[hayastanjan]

amazing i know the cadenza is a bit stretched, but i love it nonetheless. i listen all the time to this. Russian pro's. It would be interesting to hear Volodos interpretation of this...

[aznarro]

Superb.

The power of russian music.

[TheJoyfulPianist]

frightening

[irragno]

pauroso

[jrbcd]

This is a very fine performance - period. The melody is always defined. A demonically difficult thing to do.

[vassilievboris]

Complètement dingue !!! Ce pianiste est vraiment un surhomme !! C'est déconcernant le calme qu'il garde dans cette folie furieuse ! Bravo et respect !!

[VictorEremitatheBand]

AngelinaTaylor, you ignorant fool. When your opinion is factually wrong, then you can't have it. Geeze.

[ssprokofiev]

Name-calling is uncalled for. Ms. Taylor is entitled to an opinion. In fact, I agree with much of what she says: Lugansky is overly cautious. I've heard countless versions of this concerto and Lugansky's would not be counted among the better ones.

[boemserd]

I've heard better interpretations. At some moments it's kind of messy, but on the other hand, some (most) pieces are just ok.

[memorioso]

It is a pity that those of us who love music are forced to read comments like yours (at least whilst they remain amongst the last comments posted). "Some (most) pieces are just ok"? Give us a break...

[AngelinaTaylor]

I didn't like this interpretation at all.. It's dragging most of the cadenza for what I'm used to, and it seems very static. When it's loud it's just loud. There isn't movement. Most times it seems like it's not really going anywhere.

I know he's talanted, but his style is way too different for me :\ (Don't kill me, I'm allowed to have an opinion).

[IronBooger57]

I agree to a small extent as well. It is a very difficult piece to pull the musicality out of, and he could have been more restrained with the volume... he made his way to the triple forte fairly soon and had nowhere to go. I still very much liked the performance though.

[rodrigopardob]

try the Kun Woo Paik performance, with Naxos!

[TheJoyfulPianist]

absolutely stunning music

[slettis89]

wow! that made me shiver..

dropped by this concerto by coincicence and found it to be one of the best pieces I ever heard!

[IloveAlexisBledel689]

Lugansky is one of the best, along with Ashkenazy.

[Cissy97]

Beautiful touching: huantingly beautiful.

I must admit that this performance by Lugansky blows Yundi Li's to the dust!

Any one heard Li on his new DG album? The tempo is a bit too fast. Missed out a lot of emotional details.

Toradze is another great performer of this piece, a year later at the Proms.

[ssprokofiev]

I agree that Yundi Li is a bit fast in the second and third movements, and may also be somewhat cold in his interpretation overall. And Lugansky shows more sensitivity--but he also tends to be a tad on the cautious side. Both are good, but for sheer excitement Li may have the edge.

[befreit1020]

This is amazing! Wow! Bravo! I'm very proud of my coutrymen!

But seriously - his sound production is superb - rare thiese days - powerful but never banging.

[zummingsky]

I agree: his powerful sound is really great.. what a stunning cadenza!