Chopin Competition 2010 - Yulianna Avdeeva - Ballade no4 in f minor

[ilovetcpjg]

A very insightful and intellectual performance. Well done!

[boshboshluv]

She doesn't feel the core spirit of Chopin. She studied the score very well but she is not one of the best Chopin artist.

[ilovetcpjg]

Very touching and convincing performance!!! Brava!!!

[davidhertzberg]

Poignant and beautifully played, a very convincing performance, among the best I have heard.

[brandon485]

10:14, O.O

[classicaladmirist]

personally i think this is a good performance. she's playing with musical genuine and quite spontaneous, especially at the rage part near 10:55 the end. This is a piece about love, and i felt her hope and disappointment when in love.

[pianomangabe]

who ever can play it better can criticize all they want...

[stycklapich]

sdf

[stycklapich]

"the winner of First Prize of the 16th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition" ?????

Cette interprétation n'a aucun sens... Les rubatos qui sont plus des "dégueulendos" qu'autre chose, les phrasés étranges, les accents qui n'y sont pas, je comprends pas qu'elle ait eu le prix chopin !

Je préfère ce morceau joué "A tempo" plutôt que de l'entendre comme ça.

[samcandy64]

“Avdeeva has a very deep understanding of the score, the kind of relationship to the score which no other pianist in this competition had. She looked into the score for her creative ideas. It was the source of virtually everything she did and she was also one of the most consistent competitors throughout the event,” - Kevin Kenner

[teftae]

A few nice phrases here and there... but overall lack of momentum, tension and sincerity. Whatever passion she conveys here is not of Chopin's spirit at all. Weird rubato, tonality and random accents all over the place. I agree with most of the negative comments here. This woman does not deserve first prize.

[samcandy64]

I agree that the bitter criticism is rooted in something personal and emotional, rather than rational and aesthetic. I think the level of competition was very high in 2010, but Yulianna clearly deserved the first prize because of her technical brilliance plus the emotions communicated in stunning original interpretations, especially in the third stage. In particular, the Op 27 Nocturnes and the b flat minor sonata were so very impressive.

[xiuje87]

she didn't practice so hard for all her life to have all these terrible criticisms about her. have more empathy since we are all pianists who work hard.

[BassicStorm]

i love her temperament

[Rouzbeht]

odd performance. very predictable rubati. overly sentimental and at times harsh sound for Chopin. The left hand octaves in the coda felt too "careful". I wish I had heard more musicality and instead of all the right notes.

[bernardgoossens]

@Rouzbeht It is interesting how different people can feel the same piece different. Maybe you like the performance of Ingolf Wunder more. He played the same piece in the first round of the Chopin Konkurs, you can find it on the site. But he plays Steinway, she Yamaha. Maybe you will like it more. Personally I have the feeling that Chopin would not be able to play his ballade better than she does.

[Rouzbeht]

@bernardgoossens wow....bold statement! so you're saying you like Avdeeva's interpretation better than Cortot's or Joseph Hoffman's? or even pianist of a newer generation like Stephen Hough?

but I guess that's the beauty of arts. if it speaks to you then enjoy. But I think we shouldn't let the standards of a good performance get lost in an era that perfectionism seems to win over artistry.

[bernardgoossens]

This is just.......... WOW

[mpakos18473]

@Thepianofan.

I agree. Surely Yulianna played this ballade better than Anna.

BUT for an undefined reason I like Anna's rendition more than this one.

I listened both many times and every time fell the same : although Yulianna is superrior technically and flawless, I prefer Anna

It must be the sincerity she has in her rendition totally.

The same for the etude op. 25 n. 11

[ThePianofan86]

No sincerity here, just the notes and good phrasings. Very arrogant playing, I don't like it. Ms. Anna Fedorova is on the contrary a perfect example of sincerity and genuine musicianship. That is what music should really be about. Shame that this woman won this competition. This is an insult to the music of Chopin IMO. That shows one thing : competitions do not always reward the ones who really should gain recognition.

[Alkana544]

Far better than Wunder in this ballade

[BerlinguerEnrico1921]

Decisamente insopportabile già dalle prime battute!!la musica non va avanti!ogni minimo elemento viene sottolineato con un rubato e tutto ciò produce un effetto "mozzarella filata" degno della migliore pizza napoletana!so che con questo commento mi sono meritato il linciaggio o la gogna in pubblica piazza,ma penso che chopin sia elegante e raffinato,ma non effeminato!non è musica atta agli orgasmi della mimica facciale del 90%dei pianisti o alla loro funambolica e autocompiacente gestualità!!

[pierchopin]

@BerlinguerEnrico1921

questa ballata è bellissima, un capolavoro. Ma è anche una delle opere piu' celebrali di chopin.

l'ho studiata tantissimo, ovviamente non ho la pretesa di insegnare niente a nessuno, e non sono certo nella posizione di farlo, ma trovo questa interpretazione decisamente troppo pesante ed esageratamente enfatica.

l'interpretazione giusta non esiste. ma questa proprio non la digerisco.

[beautyandtruth09]

Ingolf Wunder's version is better.

[Paulland30]

La amo....... es perfecta..

[Ingot49]

i cant identify with her rubato and expression, unfortunately

love hofmanns version

[galapz]

@Ingot49 it really doesn't matter if you can identify with her rubato or expression. But you should try to learn something here and you have a lot more practicing to do on you etude and nocturne.

[Ingot49]

@galapz the op 67 no 4 mazurka by avdeeva sounds great though, like a modern rubato still very good

[galapz]

@Ingot49 it really doesn't matter if you can identify with her rubato or expression. But you should try to learn something here and you have a lot more practicing to do on your etude and nocturne.

[Yulian9935]

Best Ballade ever!!!=)

[KlassikFan2007]

Absolutely fantastic playing. I am deeply impressed!!!

[sovlfrja]

why does she play it so dry??????

[mx19idlewilder]

@sovlfrja

because there's 'yamaha' word written on piano. and she's just like yamaha... and wunder is like steinway.

[anonymousQ45]

alot of jealous comments here

[gustavoreis38]

Sometimes she resembles Judith, Alan's ex- wife on Two and a Half Men TV show.

[113AMG]

Boooooooring

[anonymousQ45]

she looks just like chopin

[zurzica51]

@anonymousQ45 yeah! Chopin's nose! she play the Chopin's works very nice but.. i gess something is missing..

[anonymousQ45]

@zurzica51 and also a bit like Keri from a show called King of Queens

[MuzaPiano]

I think any of you won't dare to say that you understand more than Martha Argerich does,will you?:))

[TheFryderyk1]

@MuzaPiano agree with you

[gcaee]

no comments...... (sigh)

[acortot]

would prefer she played a bit less aggressive and obvious but she's ok at narrating.. which isn't bad

[pouetpouetpinpon]

I said once about this piano piece "I will never dare to say I can play the piano until I can play Chopin's Ballade #4".

Chopin's writting has everything. And much more. Inexpressible.

[99hoolio]

Can't say this exactly blew me away.

[tieroz]

make 1000 rubatos here and there and you'll win the chopin competition :)

[ericsteph]

@tieroz I totally agree with you,

i'm really disappointed in this last competition!

when i compare this to other past winners like argeirch pollini or zimerman, i'm wondering a lot of things!!!!

[MrTheCrusaders]

@tieroz you said it so right, thats exactly what she was doing. Again, she really has bad taste

[golfnten1]

She is absolutely brilliant ! !