Rachmaninoff Prelude in g sharp minor op 32. #12 HQ

[tyleralex1231]

Absolutely beautiful So much passion in her playing!!I have studied this-hard study

[Eleoner]

see horowitz playing

[Misspianogoddess]

Wow. Just wow. Amazing. Thank you for a beautiful Interpretation of this piece

[MrFtrancoso]

Thanks for this wonderful moment.

[Diffomega]

The devil sold his soul to her...

[Maria1703Berlin]

W U N D E R K I N D :o)

[enilegnave21]

Ok... so the dress was a little much for some... and the camera work too corny for other... so???? then please close your eyes and be transported by your remaining senses!!!!

[Remy16121993]

@enilegnave21 lol if i can remember right, valentina says, this dvd never gets in the stores because of this dress .Thats why we have the great youtubevideo here ^^

[smellmyfingure]

she just didnt sell her soul to the Devil........she sold everything she owned to be this good!!!!!!

[evalongorialover]

Performance, Big Plus

Dress, Minus

[adamdcFaN]

@evalongorialover Yeah the performance is wonderful, but the corny camerawork and the princess dress... not a strong point.

[pianoloveandgod]

@antispectral couldn't agree more!

[superman5212]

This is perfect. Everybody just take your jealousy home and be quite.

[meredith218461]

Superbly done, why have I not encountered this this outstanding young pianist before?. This performance can stand with the best.

[LadyRavencide13]

sooooo........pink!!!

[chopinlover49]

Until today I had never heard of this great artist. I cannot imagine how she is less than famous world-wide. I have listened to all the great pianists of the past 75 years and she is up there with the best of them. I will now look for her recordings. Wonderful!

[ggalexhutchings]

nice as always, although i really loved helene grimaud's recording of this. was on an all rach disc from 10 years ago or so, the section from about :40 to about :50 in that recording is an absolute miracle. but it's splitting hairs with this caliber of musician.

[antispectral]

Technically excellent, but this song needs more emotion, more rubato, it is such a widely varied piece, coming deep from the heart, it's played here much too fast and loud in parts without enough contrast and variance in speed and amplitude. At least that is my interpretation, and I know it subjective. Great voicing, especially when there are countermelodies going on. And excellent ending.

[kreesu]

@antispectral what's voicing? ive tried researching it on the internet but all i can find are references to piano tuning and chord composition.

[oysterboy22]

@kreesu voicing means thinking about how to best show the voice(s) in a piece also known as the melodic line(s). so if you just have one melody at a time, good voicing means bringing out that melody so we can hear it. if you have more than one melody at a time then you have to decide which one you should play louder / how you can make sure we hear both melodic lines. e.g. starting at 1:00 there's a melody in the right hand, but the left hand also has a beautiful line, she brings out both well

[Prestothemusic]

Amazing. Just amazing......

I would have liked it if they made Lisitsa play in a dark room, not a bright room wearing a pink, sparkly dress. XD

In my opinion, this piece sounds better in the dark, but I guess they were trying to imitate a "heaven" atmosphere with all the bright white and pink dress making Lisitsa an angel.

[hjzitc2010]

beautiful!!

[tacothunder]

Seeing you perform live has been added to my list of 'Shit to do before I die'.

[cnmgdiao]

I cannot find a exact word to describe her beauty and pretty music!

[SHELWATHEN]

i LOVE the hesitation. i equate it with emotion.  lovely performance!

[EpicNoodle1]

Actually its spelled Rochmonanifoffifoff FOOOL.

[Kaggypants]

@EpicNoodle1 Try ергей Васильевич Рахманинов, あほうくん。

[lkseedorf]

Well played but heavy on the pedal and a little to the bottom (or depth) of the key when needed. Horowitz remains the master at this piece. His touch and pedal are perfect.

[EuphoricDan]

@lkseedorf

Horowitz is likely to remain the master of many pieces for some time =)

[pffffffff454]

@EuphoricDan

horowitz gnagnagna. Do you feel music from hara? If don't don't bother...

[pianistconductor]

@lkseedorf That's rich.... you attempting to give lessons to Valentina Lisitsa.

[tomekkobialka]

I just LOVE her pink dress.

[XEA6L]

The beginning reminds me of Gaspard de la Nuit......

[XEA6L]

@XEA6L Ondine, tht is...

[juliejuulie]

Will you play Ballade 2 by Chopin ?

It's a real pleasure to watch you playing.

[nebuler1]

Well done, beautiful playing.

[bronzeantique]

great

[amikonyan]

pink really doesnt suit her... ,)

[smotherdinsyrup]

You know to me GRADES DONT MEAN A DAMNED THING. Do you know why? Because your being graded against someone that wrote that song. If you want a real grade then write your own music. Stop playing everyone else's. Cover musicians are cover musicians even if their classical musicians. I love Valentina, great player, but at the end of the day she didnt write anything she really plays. Write your own music and you'll end up Rachmanioffs talent, not the person that mearly coverd Rachmanioff.

[atlantisforce]

@smotherdinsyrup ridiculous, there are performers and composers.

Some brilliant composers can't even sing. So singers interpreter their pieces and bring it to us. Imagine all singers dead and left us only composer.

When it comes to piano, suddenly performance means nothing now?

[adamdcFaN]

@atlantisforce Many composers are also fantastic performers. In fact, composers are some of the best performers.

[anakinz0r]

@smotherdinsyrup yes... those god damn posers living off of Rachmaninoff's name, they should be shot for playing his pieces!!1

[mattotubeo]

@smotherdinsyrup troll

[EpicNoodle1]

@smotherdinsyrup Rochmonanifoff probably couldn't play that well.

;)

[pianopro9]

@EpicNoodle1 That comment would be more effective if you spelt his name right

[NielloEd]

@EpicNoodle1 khm... WHO?

[maestrojimbo]

@smotherdinsyrup You are obviously ignorant and under-educated, judging from you bad use of the English language. What do you mean "cover" musician- that's not a term musicians use. Stick to your pop culture bullshit and get off the classical channels. These are not called "songs" , idiot.

[robby35us]

@maestrojimbo so much negativity near such beauty.... :-(

[Seleuce]

@smotherdinsyrup So we have to forget about all the fantastic music ever written because "musicians shouldn't cover anymore", as you call it and we may only listen to music performed by it's maker? Or compose and play it yourself only? What the heck... I think you are taking the word "absurd" to new dimensions.

[usernamepx86]

I believe that she is an angel yes, because angels incarnate to do great missions like her, revealing the greatness of the wonderful God's creation. Certainly a special God's soul to all music lovers admire.

(Pietro SkyLight - Student of keyboard playing from Brazil)

[akanhakan]

Rachmaninoff played with much grace and elegance...

[Kekshuster]

I admire the way she does the runs in the left hand from 0:50 to 1:00. It's so "light", so "no problem"-like. But then I think this and other parts of her interpretation (not to forget the dress) do not fit Rachmaninoff. I am no specialist but I don't think Rachmaninoff was a princess. She plays lovely but this way it isn't the very piece I knew before and love.

[predoje]

pink is just not her color ... and its very stupid to play this composition in pink color...

[lewars1912]

@predoje >>>>lol

[Pianoastrid]

@predoje You're quite right. But I wouldn't say its stupid, just inappropriate. Anyway, she played this piece wonderfully, as always. =)

[piano361]

the most beautiful things in this video beside valentina is the grand piano and the sounds which it is abel to produce

[ooosanteooo]

@piano361 its a steinbach right ??

[vulcan1429]

You cuoldn't ask for more from a human...only an Angel could do better...but then again, does it realy matter at all?

[ThePianoApprentice]

I can play the right hand and the left hand fine, just not together lol

[Desireyso58]

Hola Ángela! Didier.

[ellis51773h]

it looks like that piano really takes a beating :P you can see the keys are not in a perfectly straight line at 0:02 :P

[bloodsongbook]

@ellis51773h wonder what the piano looked like after Beethoven played :~)

[styflersmom]

Mr.Rachmaninoff +Valentina are kissing my ears!

[decyb2]

i love the left hand in all rackmaninoff's pieces.

[juliejuulie]

We have no choice, we can only love her !

[Inattuale]

Lugansky plays this definitely better

[diegowsanchez]

everything about this video is beautiful

[Ryanshinobi]

Wow! Wow! Wow!

[sanguinewolf24]

amazing, it seems like shes playing with her eyes closed a lot of the time

[TheHarmonyandmelody]

love it

[Yanecita1986]

My Goodness, she plays with such assurance and musicality. She truly owns the pieces & she plays with such gusto, you can tell she truly enjoys performing. I couldn't comment on her Rachmaninoff Prelude in G minor op.23 (she performs in a red dress) Please go watch it!! Its amazing the ease with which Lisitsa plays those repeated chords, and in the slow section the way she brings out the counter voices. Agh! I just love her playing! Thanks for posting it!

[silverbud]

Soft tone video filter, a rose coloured fairy. I propose her for the new Harry Potter film! Could beat Hermione by far. ;-)

[richclayderman]

hey God, thank you for sending her

[Kentodragon]

I actually do not enjoy this interpretation at all. It seems like she rushes through at the climax of the piece. She really missed the beautiful melody at 1:37.

[rebeccaannb1]

The way Valentina plays is very mesmerizing and moving! She has such a rare talent.

[piano0011]

hey guys! Just wondering if anyone would be kind enough to send me the sheet music for this or know where I could download it? Cheers!

[huttonism]

If you go to the wikipedia page for this piece you will find a link to a pdf of this

[ikemaster9]

imslp (dot) org

[4hm3dimr4n]

i'll send you a message

keep in in mind that it's not hard to find sheet music for just about anything

just google it =P

[Temptezt]

every piece older then, hmm I thought 50 years, doesn't have legal copy right anymore and is always legally and easy to pick up on about any site in google search

[IGavZI]

I'm loving the sharps in this piece... No other like it. Exceptional cover.

[yiyiku]

my favorite pianist! everything she does is just perfection

[musicfanBRA]

What a beautiful piece, sounds very much like Debussy. As for VAlentina, perfect, a genius pianist!

[justinphilm]

genius? I thought ''genius'' was for creative people who bring something new; Valentina sure is a good interpret but it does not mean she is a genius because of that. There's a difference.

[Fernandez218]

@justinphilm how about Glenn Gould then? everyone thought he was a genius. all he did was pretty much the same. Bach interpretations.

[jimraw1]

@Fernandez218 That's a little unfair to Gould. Although he was most famous for his Bach recordings, Gould also performed Beethoven on a number of occasions, as well as Ravel (his arrangement of La Valse is amazing), Hindemith, Brahms, Schoenberg and Mozart. If there is a flaw in Gould, it is his near total dismissal of Chopin, Listz and Schumann (well that and being a little insane). He was also an incredible arranger of orchestral works for piano (including some outstanding pieces of Wagner).

[silverbud]

@Fernandez218

That is nonsense. Gould simply disapproved of the music of the "romantic era", that is all. 

[marisasw]

@Fernandez218 Glenn Gould did a lot more than just Bach. Glenn Gould was a genius. He played Beethoven beautifully just like Beethoven was speaking to him from heaven. He also played Brahms, Mozart, Schoenberg and a lot more. However, Gould didn't really "love" the romantic period.

[LJBSasha]

How come is the Bösendorfer brand mentioned in the tags? Is that a Bösendorfer piano? I doubt it - the keyboard lid is really in the style of American Steinways!! [Also, it's their trade-mark printing that's less likely to be easily photographed.]

Otherwise, very good! [Also, a very nice dress!]

[RenanGarciaMoura]

Fantastic!

[BBaudelaire]

So elegant!

[richclayderman]

wow

[DropDeadModest]

This is such a beautiful piece and she plays it so well. I love you Valentina!

[looney1023]

i can play the childrens corner songs except for 4 and schuberts impromptu in e flat. do you think im ready to start this?

[thisisshuen]

Extraordinarily tempered and even.

[AlexLanch]

ОЧЕНЬ ДАЖЕ ХОРОШО! БРАВО!

[Griffin4prez]

She plays piano so effortlessly, and with emotion and beauty too. Such talent, nay, genius!

[arcturian627]

I've finished grade 8 quite a while back, and let me say, first and foremost, that...

GRADES DON'T MEAN A DAMNED THING.

I know many grade 8s who play with no emotion whatsoever, have no sense of volume control, and have only mediocre technique at best. That's because you don't need to be particularly exemplary to pass.

So don't talk grades... Talk videos of your own playing. That's the only way to earn my respect.

[angelflyinsolo]

She plays from her 4 or so maybe ( i don't remember) but in her 7 she already was pianist, like many other kids in special music school in Kiev.

[rocklikeluda]

What kind of grading are you referring to?

In Canada we have the Royal Conservatory...I'm curious to know what other methods of grading there are! =)

[WatchCharmedOnline]

@arcturian627

Lol. I agree, I hate it when people boast about their "grade". Then when I listen to them, they sound like shit.

[TomBarristerX]

@arcturian627 Having 20 clones log in to boost your rating is one way to lose the respect of most people.

[maxjamesorgans]

@arcturian627 If you did grade 8 and don't play with any emotion than you would have got a terrible mark in grade 8!

[hamstein]

@arcturian627 so true, so true. 

[tedbohne]

i agree with this person's assessment. Grades are merely one more attempt to compartmentalize humanity, more often wrong than right, and never considers raw talent.

[Symmetryful]

@arcturian627

You are so right. Just can't agree anymore :P I was very stiff after my grade 7 but I haven't done grades in ages but I'm better in terms of emotion now.

[TDCBro]

@arcturian627 i have a similar story, grades dont mean anything, ive only done my 6th grade but i know a few 8+ peices and when people are like, but you have only done 6th grade i bust out one of those peices then they realised they just got owned

[MertezAad]

@TDCBro Same here, I've learned many of Rach's pieces and am learning Scriabin but haven't taken my grade 6 exams yet. You can learn whatever piano pieces you want to ^^

[qetsfhxvnpolkmn]

@arcturian627 Why in the world would people want your respect?

[arcturian627]

@qetsfhxvnpolkmn I forgot the exact scenario, but someone in the comments section was fishing for respect by quoting his grades and stuff. This was my response.

As for why people would want my respect, I doubt it matters. People generally want respect no matter where it comes from. I don't know why, but eh.

[qetsfhxvnpolkmn]

@arcturian627 Oh.... sorry! You didn't direct your comment, so I assumed you were some stuck-up ass ^^"

[arcturian627]

@qetsfhxvnpolkmn oic. no worries. :D

[pulsarcolosal]

@arcturian627 that is true, people want to be respected by everyone.

[chrissykiwikwam]

9 years? :S

i passed my grade 7 in the space of 21 months :S

and nah, this is definately a grade 8

[teramike11]

This is transcendent. Also, please consider posting your performance of Rachmaninov's Oriental Sketch - so few play it with the power of Ruth Laredo. Can you?

[voskospedo]

hello i play piano more than 9 years..and i am on create7 and i play very good.....i am loveeeeeeee this prelude!!! what create must be to play it like this!? pls reply! thx!

[tedbohne]

You can almost see the snowflakes!  This was how Sergei Vasilyevich left Russia for the last time. I a sleigh (troika)

[PaperPlanes4138]

isnt it meant to be grade 7?

not sure

but in terms of grades.. probz in diploma...

[rapperscanttakeahint]

She's got nothing on Horowitz :)

and what on earth is she wearing?!

but yeah, pretty good performance. It's not an easy one to play convincingly

[Firetribe4]

That's because of her DVD...Black and Pink. I thik it's a quite cool idea...:)

[PaperPlanes4138]

shes wearing a pink dress...

[tedbohne]

This is true, Horowitz is DEAD.

[GermanoDeppe]

Great pianist, great technique, great interpretation.

[Querfahrer69]

Angel can't play like her. She is human. And she plays with pride.

[johlo05]

@Querfahrer69 shes just a piece of them and couldnt play like an angel without the angel who played first to be imitated.. :P

[erikota0127]

Like a Angel *-*

[flutepiano1991]

I like Feltsman's interpretation the best

[Galantski]

baboonmatters--Subliminal, too, because there's a lot beneath the surface! LOL

[belis9]

what a subliminal style!

[baboonmatters]

sublime, not subliminal

[zxcvuiop45]

love your nickname

[Angel94angel94]

Perfect! impeccable!

[friedhelmrss]

Genial**********

Friedhelm

[freeqwerqwer]

OMG there's a hamburger ad to the top right.

[5FoOtaCeofCLubS]

she makes it look so easy..

[58pianos]

Marvelous

[MusicDoLove]

Thank you for giving everyone the gift of Black and Pink.  Every track from it is heavenly.

[ValentinaFan]

I agree. We bought quite a few copies & sent one to relatives in Australia besides to other friends.

We've also watched two duo concerts (London, Brussels) of Valentina with Hilary Hahn and - luckily - the great Valentina herself - solo at the Wigmore Hall, London. We might forget many things from this life, but never that. It was stratospheric.

[FFRPianist]

Thank you so much for playing my favorite prelude!

[ACE29q]

amazing performance

Congratulations!!! =)