Chopin: Polonaise Op.53 (Heroic)

[D4rkxD4rk]

This is very hold! But i still prefer argerichs version :)

[TheDiana1806]

Gran interpretación de Doña Elena Kuschenerova

[CastilleCastillac]

This lady plays it like a man. In a very virile manner. Just is should for this piece. This is the reason why I keep her in my favorite.:-)

[muzicazoid]

What grand presentation!

[SuperMiquelle]

great sense of rhytm and dynamics...might be the best Polonaise Heroic interpretation i've evre heard, indeed.

Maestoso...bravissimo!

[stratproject]

I give her 5 stars. She's terrific ! Strong with full feeling. I love her accent at the tender part ,

[luffe2006]

There are so many russian world class artist we don't know of - well a few: Sofronitsky, Horowitz, Richter, Aschkenazy, Gilels. I just put Kuschnerova on my list. She is great!

[luffe2006]

Wow, this lady is dancing, what a great artist (she got balls)

[luffe2006]

Wow, this lady is dancing, what a great artist

[HigherWisdom]

I can't help but imagine that Chopin might be looking in and smiling gleefully.

[robertslistening]

She has good technique for power. Almost sounded like a man with that finger power. I listen to a lot of different pianists. Most of the good one's can play a piece with minimal mistakes. It's really the interpretation. The tempo, pedalling, accents, rubato, phrase shaping, articulation choice, that make the difference. Personally, I think there is always a best speed for a piece. This was excellent. I think it would sound best with studio quality mixing and reverb though.

[dominicbalabat]

5:03 - she just picked her nose and made balls out of it... BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

[fujomojoDOJOSIAYA]

3:34 - 4:31 Jiggle jigge jiggle.

[dragoonrose]

wishing I'd be able to playing like her in 5 years time :)

[schmitty135]

Not up to par. Phrasing needs some work. You should hear my neighbor's kid play this ballade.

[nicoparedes]

hermosa obra musical

[poesimo]

Que interpretación tan espléndida de una pieza tan hermosa

[izomerjedendelta]

damn she's ugly

[kicka64]

@izomerjedendelta

it does NOT matter!!She´s playing good!!

[dgaranin]

@izomerjedendelta Classical music is about listening, not eyeballing.

[SquealingGucciPiggy]

@izomerjedendelta Moron!!

[SquealingGucciPiggy]

@izomerjedendelta You might have the looks, but I bet you have zero talent :)

[trvbaker]

So, Kuschnerova´s not stunningly beautiful! Guess what, in the classical music world it DOESN´T MATTER! What´s important is her incredible talent.

[davidbarcelos]

THIS IS AMAZING=) GREAT PIANIST......WHO DISLIKE IS COMPLETELY INSANE

[yellsome]

this is amazing!!

[PatToscano]

Elena Kuschnerova rules !

[ASAngelo]

Magic!

[wwiinncc]

one of the best performaces on yt!

[01NICO08]

Great!

[88ThePianist]

She rocks on this one.

[JonbeshTV]

FANTASTIC

[VIRIATO1942]

I understand exactly what you say Jasus85.

Only a Polish can "feel" the full meaning of the Polonaise for it was written for and and about Poland, Frederic Chopin's motherland he so much loved, especially while in distant Paris. This beautifull piece of classic piano music has a special patriotic significance to the people of Poland who has been through very trying times during their history. So they are bound to understand better the deeper meaning of this brilliant piano work.

Very moving !

[GianlucaPoliti]

@VIRIATO1942 Idotic - Horrowitz is russian, explain that sir.

[dgaranin]

@VIRIATO1942 I don't like this way of thinking because it allows automatic judgements.

[norb1937]

@VIRIATO1942 I like halushki and kapusta.

[mariadelosangelesroc]

ME ENCANTA-GRACIAS

[AlfieNoakesOhHo]

Well anyone who criticises this better be a friggin expert, because this is just lovely and i admire her great talent

[stephanisafag]

satan

[AllegroDemolish]

This is very nicely played. No kidding.

Better than many masters.

[dgaranin]

@AllegroDemolish Ha-Ha, Kuschnerova is one of the biggest masters of the piano, so it is no surprise!

[uzuki8106]

i love this performance :D :D I can't stop listening to it haha :D She did a phenomenal job

[Choltik]

There`s nothing wierd in her look its normal

[lawinnn]

...Strangely, I'm slightly aroused.

[alboradadelgrazioso]

the glory of being polish in one beautiful song, interpretted perfectly!

expressed exactly the way chopin would like it to be..

bravo!

[mathemagician1986]

amazing!

[snegalin]

impressive!

[lllllllllllllll88]

Awesome!

[arthue99]

amazing ;-.) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Spaniard1955]

I think Chopin would be pleased with her interpretation of his music. I also think she is  one gorgeous lady.

[kawaijo]

It's really beautiful, Amazing!!

[dantizzle]

everyone has something to criticize about.. but remember, when you point your finger at someone else, at least three of your own fingers are pointing back at you.

[59Nanette]

BEAUTIFUL!!

[thegenealogist]

Truly heroic, awesome!

[chapchapman]

Beautifully written masterpiece and brilliant performance :D

[bennypapd]

That was The Best I've seen or heard, gave me goose bumps, I would drive to NYC to hear her in concert anytime not much going on in NC.

[dgaranin]

Please, listen to other Elena Kuschnerova's recordings in my channel!

[geertdehoux]

She"s a good pianist, but this performance isn't actually SO good...

I'm sure she'll agree.

[K189T]

"Forget all the other versions"? I admit she's great. Check out Bernard d'Ascoli too (the name of the video is "chopin polonaise heroique") and tell me your mind ;-)

[LastPlacePianoPlayr]

She rocks

[PianoTHIS]

She's good, but TOO MUCH DAMN PEDAL! Most people play with too much pedal and it sounds so muffled and mushy. She's one of them. I heard her play Chopin's Revoultionary etude so well, fastest speed ever, but too much damn pedal. Otherwise, she'd be AWESOME!  Except for that buster brown look from my grandma's day. lolzzz

[geertdehoux]

@PianoTHIS

I don't think there is too much pedal.

Opus 10 nr. 12 is something else, but this Polonaise needs a great sound.

[olegpush]

Brava!

[Christian170978]

Kuschnerova ist der Wahnsinn! Mich wundert, dass diese große Pianistin nicht mehr Beachtung in der internationalen Musikszéne bekommt. Viele andere, die bei EMI und Grammophon unter Vertrag stehen sind Zwerge gegen Sie!

Nichts bei Ihr ist übertrieben. Alles was Sie macht, macht Sie mit Geschmack, Stilsicherheit und einen fulminanten Technik! und Musikalität!

Ihre Romeo-und-Julia-Suite von Prokofiev und Ihr Bach ist einfach kaum zu toppen!

[Kapomafioso]

PEOPLE!!! human's charm is omissible, this music...it will eternally be with us, all imagists, stop commenting on her appearance! Every one will be once old (only way to prevent it is to die as a young), and maybe also ugly, but this is material point of view, this music and interpretation, it will never be "ugly" or "old"...beauty isn't everything!

[robertslistening]

Amusing at 1:35:43. Those damn cameras! ha! ha! I agree, the piano sounds great. The recording isn't as well done as it could have been though. Nothing wrong with her playing...sounds great...perhaps a little mistake here or there, but overall excellent performance.

She has some other rather interesting virtues also. Ha! ha!

[opridilol]

Flawless and perfect performance.. But still, i'm polish...

and must say that i like Rubinstein's interpretation much more. Why? IMO, he understood the soul of this piece better. probably, BECAUSE he came from Poland - just like Chopin.

[geertdehoux]

@opridilol

Although this music is quite difficult to play well, it wasn't a "perfect" performance.

Did Arthur R. "understand the soul better" ? How do you know ? Because he was Polish, like you ? Come on...

[opridilol]

@geertdehoux

like I ve written above - IMO. In My Opinion.

True, I am Polish. And I find motives from Chopin close to my heart.

If you're looking for a objective cryterion for 'understanding the soul' - sorry, nothing to find. Just a matter of taste.

[geertdehoux]

@opridilol

OK, if you like Rubinstein's performance so much, it's your personal right to do so.

Personally I think he often played it much too fast, which is not typical for a 'Polonaise'. But he was Polish and I'm not, so... ??

Therefore I like for example Brailowsky's recording more: it sounds heavier and less fast.

A cordial greeting,

Geert Dehoux, pianist.

[Androly]

Fantastic.

[moneyleaker]

Out of the several interpretations I've listened to on youtube of this piece, I like Elena's best. Nice & strong.

[someoneinusa]

This is kind of ironic...

Russian pianist playing a composition in which Chopin, a Polish patriot is rebeling "musicaly" against Russian rule.

This is what Schuman, called; "cannons and guns dressed in roses" :)

[TaMan666]

@someoneinusa ,

Don't generalize... Russian pianists have nothing to do with those Russian looters from Chopin's time. Don't group people by their nations...

I'm from Poland I don't think that Russian pianist can't play Chopin.

[SnieznyAniol]

Hej, nikt nie mowi, ze nie moga, tylko, ze to troche ironiczne :).

To czego tak ciezko kiedys zakazywano sluchac (nie mowiac juz o graniu), dzis gra wielu Rosjan.

Oczywiscie, ja sie ciesze, ze docenili Szopena (to fakt - musieli by byc glusi, zeby go nie docenic :)).

[SnieznyAniol]

Couldn't tell this better.

[jasus85]

@someoneinusa I agree!

[koolmuk108]

@someoneinusa Make love not war

[simipiano]

Bravaa :)

[magy357]

simply flawless!

[freeqwerqwer]

Whoever tuned this piano and voiced it did a splendid job. As for her playing, I'd say that she has her own unique style.

[MyKawaiiPeach]

Hearing other pianist's interpretations of Chopin's music is fascinating, but I do wonder what Chopin himself sounded when he played his pieces.

He probably played them with all the perfection, grace, and beauty in the world!

[jasus85]

@MyKawaiiPeach Chopin was in France for the most of his life and all his music is about Poland, he could not back home, he could not back to his beloved Fatherland. Polish pianists understand what he mean. Other pianists don' t feel in the same way. They are technicly good, but they don't know what mean "Poland" for polish people. Simple.

[dgaranin]

@jasus85 Why don't you post this comment to many famous non-Polish pianists playing Chopin, if it is so simple? You could get much more feedback there than here.

[miliona1re]

Pollini is not polish but he made a very good version.But i will wonder all my life how Chopin was playing his polonaise.

[jasus85]

This is a terrible performance.Only Polish pianists are able to play it in right way. Like Rafał Blechacz.

[SlaveOfGod1993]

your such a racist

[javito1208]

you are an ashole, hijo de perra no sabes apreciar l abuena musica.

[BizzMarki]

how does this not get 5 stars?.. sure its not rubenstein or horowitz but its still incredibly good and worthy of 5 stars!

[fromheretoglory]

Brilliant,...

[danielito1979]

By far, by far my favorite version of this piece. Ms Kuschnerova, you are trully the pianist I respect the most. This is what music is about, no just playing the notes as clean as possible. I love your music

[SteveAndrewLangford]

Fantastic performance, 10/10.

[danielags16]

she should be in a Pantene commercial........her hair and her performance definetly fit the "you can shine"

[zykonxt]

Wonderful, spirited and assured performance!

[traceyjc]

bravo!

I learned this piece recently but cant play it nearly as well!

[dmcII]

Wow ! Amazing performance.  This piece is an absolute killer for mere mortals (like me) but she makes it look so easy.

Bravo !

[NuovoCurioso]

Ottima ed intensa interpretazione del Grande Chopin!!!!

Brava!!!

[martin460123]

Exelente!!!!! Bravo!!!!!!!!!!!

[bulgarotangra]

wonderful ! It simply takes you.

[baril007]

What a beautiful Legs!

[nonane]

that part at 4:09 where her hair goes flying: lol awesome! love the passion

[greob]

Good recording, as usual thanks to the japanese...

Good performance!

[virr23]

I feel sorry for those who laughed on her 'wierd look'...these people dont know how to appreciate music...they don't know what is music...and i feel sorry for the music to have this kind of listeners...

Kushnerova played very well...it is not an easy piece to play, but she did it so well...

WELL DONE!!!

[ElnorsMagicValley]

@virr23 I feel shame for those people, lets just let them being in their MTV world, they'll never get to know what we reached with our souls ;)

[pianor91]

@virr23 I don't get this; what's 'weird' about her look? Looks perfectly normal to me.

[dgaranin]

@pianor91 @virr23 was referring to much older posts made by people who watched classical music for the first time in their lives and expected a classical pianist to look like a party girl.

[norb1937]

@virr23 She does'nt look weird. Lady Ga Ga looks weird.

[norb1937]

@virr23 She does'nt look weird. Lady Ga Ga looks weird. In fact she is a hladney Jeftsina.

[FreakyFeline88]

she's amazing!!! :D

[IzualTheClown]

Beautiful performance, she looks so relaxed, possesed by the melody.

[TheMurderousOnigiri]

mickyh234: "disregard of Chopin's initial intentions" How dare you? And perhaps YOU do know the intentions of Chopin? To inform you Chopin's dead, it is his music which is alive, and every pianist can interprete his music freely. Some people should be ashamed of their comment. I don't see what "hahaha" we can say at 4:06, she is totally in her music, and at least she's not sweating as some male musicians do when they play. I like her version of the heroic, she is quite convincing.

[Hervinbalfour]

It always amazes me that YouTubers will make comments about artists or people that they would never have "the balls" to say to someone's face. This woman is not ugly. No she is not a supermodel but come on people. We are supposed to be listening to her music. Secondly this woman is no amateur. Check out her history. Watch the 86' Tchaikovsky Competition. She is an excellent artist. It wasn't the best performance imo but it wasn't horrible. Listen to her interpretation of Petroushka.

[norb1937]

@Hervinbalfour Some people on youtube have mental problems. Thats why they make irrational comments.

[andrewb773]

Very nice, but Rubinstein is still the definitive performance for me. Rubinstein plays it with such command he makes it look simple. Here, the Polonaise is still ruling over the performer ever so little, as it will with 99% of all pianists.

[Argentinoylatino]

look at 3:55

[MartinChosenHero]

look at 4:06 hahaha

[otonanoC]

This music is quoted on the ship in a SNES game called  Final Fantasy III. Someone should post a video showing proof. I don't have the video editing prowess.

[Daborgh]

Nice Legs too ...

[plylyshyn]

That is my all-time favourite chopin piece. And she does it 100% justice. Amazing.

[S4sando]

screw horowitz... she is the piano jesus

[mickyh234]

Actually, her technique is somewhat diminished by what can only be described as over-enthusiasm and a complete disregard of Chopin's original intentions. Listen to Ashkenazy and Pollini and you'll see that they are always careful not to let enthusiam, adrenalin and a desire to play as fast an as loud as they are physically able override technique and the direction on the music.

[liberaTV]

perfetta esecuzione!!!!!!!!!

[sergej992]

l'ho ascoltato tutto, e mi pare che qui la stiano sopravvalutando....

[metalfucker82]

Okey, a few mistakes, but beside that is it amazing... She is incredible fast too.

[metalfucker82]

Mistakes??? Are you crazy? This is AMAZING... Love the sound on the piano also.

[CIACHciach]

She makes too much mistakes...

[ihaterunescape]

you make mistakes in your grammar, so i wouldn't be talking....:P

[revilo178]

hahahahaha

[maxherment]

she is a miracle

[dungheap123]

this vid would be like 100 times better if this was a young chick playing the exact same way.Her rendition is divine. Oh, and same camera angle too!

[dgaranin]

I think sexy looking young chicks cannot play such profound as Elena Kuschnerova but, probably, they could have a greater success with concert agents.

[hippolytos70]

She's a MILF; better than chick. I dream she's doing hard sex on me.

[prakaklef]

Elena is 100 times hotter than a younger "chick"!!

[dungheap123]

To each his/her own. :)

[yoyoyoitsjdo88]

prakaklef is right--the Horowitz version sounds pretty stiff in comparison to this version. This is incredible stuff.

[poulenc11]

Chopin lui-même n'y aurait mis autant de passion...bref une oeuvre mineure traitée comme une pièce majeure...

[prakaklef]

5 Stars & added to playlist. Actually lives up to your Hype! Beats the living Hell out of that damn Horowitz version that came up first on a search. And yeah she is pretty hot too.

[bulubulus]

Mierda!!! la vieja que joder me cago en la tapa

[jingalian]

She plays it naturally. I love it.

[Lonestarry]

She is quite talented - but her odd jerking movements of the head detract from the music. Also, as much as I hate to say it, I did here several wrong notes. But all in all - she can certainly hold her own with any other performer of this piece on You tube. Thanks for posting.

[prakaklef]

I like her head movements they convey passion.

But at 5:05 she picks her nose.

[callenishss]

lol thats jokes

[callenishss]

wow thats a nice rack mmmm. and i thought argerich looked hot playing this piece...

[prakaklef]

You can't see Martha's Hooters.

I love being sophistocated.

[callenishss]

martha is in a hot polka-dot dress!

[MilitaryGirl217]

SPECTACULAR!!!!

[squanto2]

I want her to have my babies.

[dgaranin]

Unfortunately, she is in love with the piano..

[viewbody]

I like her because, its not perfect, but, she plays like a real human being.

[fornello123]

chopin would hit it

[alexongcs]

She's a monster! I love her style.

[squanto2]

She is a total monster.

Did you see her play Limoges?

She is in love with the piano.

[alexongcs]

Thanks for your comment! Yes, I just watched it. She is definitely loving her piano like crazy!

[treegoner]

I think it is nice. But in some parts, I feel it is a bit agressive.

[goinggrayearly]

Certainly not A flat(s)

[mermaidwaves]

brilliant!

[rethaew]

Very good. I like her interpretation, she is very direct in her playing and likes to express the phrases completely with the melody flowing. Horowitz is a little to choppy and abrupt. He loses the flow for me. Onyl critism here is that I think I am hearing too many jazz notes (wrong notes that is).

[CoolPolar]

Beautiful!!

[magior329]

very good performance, but I give the edge to argerich's youtube performance. This is definitely better than rubinstein's

[kwnstantinos1]

This is extraordinary. By far the BEST performance on youtube!

[beryllium2]

well said!

[beryllium2]

GET THAT WOMAN A SPORTS BRA!!!

anyway, haha, besides the bouncing bosom problem, an excelent perfomance 5/5

[marrieter08]

her rendition is very beautiful!!!!

[elsnerr]

You play according to the name "Heroic".

Its a pleasure to hear your rendition

[enriyy]

geez: what a way sweet sound!

[spikedardens]

definitely one of the better renderings on youtube. more fire than the majority. bravo

[mermaidwaves]

she plays with passion !Fabulous thank you thank you!

[GrandPatzer]

She reminds me of Madame Maxim.

[lyghdha]

She is your wife, dgaranin, isn't she...

[dgaranin]

lyghdha, is it your most important finding about this video that you want to share with the world? Add a couple of words about rubato and pedal, to make it more musicological!

[HawaiianTropicZone]

She is almost a complete opposite to what I think Heroic should be played ... but God ... there's just something about the way she plays it ... its wonderful of another kind.

Bravo! Excellent! My fav so far of late is Blenchaz on this peice, but she's definitely up there too. Thanks for sharing!

Blechacz

[SELG88]

people here talk about rubato like if they knew what is

[dgaranin]

LOL! Another thing to talk about is the pedal..

[Jogab37]

just !BRAVO!