Gregor Piatigorsky plays Finale from Don Quichotte (Strauss)

[ipmoic]

For those too young to have seen him live, he bolted onto the stage, past the orchestra, with the cello held like a sword over his head. Quite an entrance!

A huge man, with beautiful hands, and a sound like no other.

[muatlas]

Takes my breath away. Thanks for posting.

[maxreger100]

Heard him rehearse and play this live @ The Casals Festival in 1967.

He dwarfed his cello and the music.

Etched in my memory.

Pity the final chord is imperfect on this disc.........Reiner must have been furious!

[ChonQuahog]

From the point of view of pure expression, no cellist could ever touch Piatigorsky. Ivan Galamian (the pre-eminent violin pedagogue who taught many great fiddlers including Itzhak Perlman and others) and who played violin in the Bolshoi Theater Orchestra when Piatigorsky was the principal cellist there as a teenager said that he regarded Piatigorsky as the greatest string player in history. Incidentally, Piatigorsky died in 1976, not 1974 as the opening of this video suggests.

[65attila]

One of my favorite pieces of music played by a tonal and musical genius.

Thank you-John

[oakroom48]

Thank you so much for this lovely post! :)

[nyankothecat]

Woo.. what a warm tone.

Sorry my poor english.

[65attila]

@nyankothecat

Your English and statement are fine. For sheer tonal beauty

I think the cellist crown goes to Piatigorsky.