Gavrilov: Chopin Ballade No 1 in G minor

[IBRAHIMpianist]

Wonderful version!!! I love him...

[maegangaw]

@erekleification I dunno if your referring to the song, but ya Chopin was once said by this major pianist to be excessively ornamental and trivial- so just anyone who's reading this, "too much drama" is a valid argument. But ya, I really enjoy Chopin and (personally) don't find his music to be that way like at all, but still haha.

[erekleification]

too much drama....

[12100SHELDON]

Most adamant of all the interpretations. Gavrilov is the Ferrari amongst all the Ladas.

[jdFranny]

Beautiful.

My favourite!

[mbastur]

Браво! Апокалиптичная интерпретация.

[boohellokitty]

Outstanding...

[concertviolinist]

nice work great performance

[ichkdg2]

I agree with you but you can still try zimerman's,other style which is still remarkable as this ver.

[lutang15]

Das ist streckenweise so wunderschön,dass mir die Tränen kommen Ich wünsche jedem Menschen auf der Welt an dieser Musik teilhaben zu können

[cynic150]

Full of faw Russian passion! Also very sensitive and musically thought out, with great contrast and drama.

[drcmaysV2]

6:57 - 8:49 IS FLIPPING AMAZING!!!

[889michael1]

@drcmaysV2 oh yes!

[mvs13I2]

people if you hate Justin Bieber and want to bring him down just simply don't mention his name he truly does not deserve such fame. Fame to an immature kid like him is like giving a new born, money as a gift, sure it has value in our society, but does he know how to use it? This generates greedy bastards that end up killing themselves because of all the crap that going on in their lives and portraying a different reality, their life as a whole is scripted. Fame should not be a goal. NEVER!

[nonlososelamo]

Absolutely the best version, faster and more powerful than all the others....

[newgeorge]

i love his tempi.

[13loodLust]

Thumb up if you are the 66666th viewer

[mdeonx16]

7:16 reminds me of Alkan's Scherzo Diabolico, AMAZING STUFF O.o

[PriNathShow]

i want to download it can you get me a link?

[ThoughtGazeCarlos]

It's a shame that many times I click on a Youtube link for some superb performance, like this one, and read hatred underneath the video window whilst listening to the music. I suppose great music will always attract debate but maybe I'm expecting too much in wishing that people would think before launching into childish criticism of genius-level talents like Gavrilov. He could have played a Chopin work backwards and still made it sound musical :-) Music is more than the dots on the page!

[LukeMD]

Best ever. 

[bdub1]

best version i've ever heard..hands down

[LiquidT0]

6 justin beiber fans.

[13loodLust]

@LiquidT0 7 Horowitz fans.

[SofiieeWinter]

i agree this is the best version on youtube, by far, and probably one of the best recorded :)) hes amazing

[Elicgt]

The technical difficulties don't hold him back so he can concentrate on his own feelings when playing. Beatiful.

[ijustretired]

Truly a prodigy of Richter. Every note held is well thought through

[aurelus]

Love this ballade:))) Chopin is one of the best composers ever. :) so dinamically varied and full of emotions...

[TheSilentSon]

Wonderful!!!

[GanniBark]

very thin, intelligent, musical interpretation.

Gavrilov-genius in this music

[whipsplash1]

F.C. amore, mit liebe, l´amour...

[vivacecilia]

One of the best pianist vith a magic sound !!!!!

[Lawchew]

that was amazing.

[betolala]

best version i'd hear..

[ann03071874]

@betolala Try Kissin

[betolala]

@ann03071874 not even close pal.. sorry.

[Cerpth]

@betolala Check this one: /watch?v=RQk3Zh71dGA&list=FLNG­nBcVwaON_j9Ufe7Gw0PQ&index=28&­feature=plpp_video

[olivia8836]

wonderful.

[Erfolgsrezept01]

Wow...

[realcityonfire]

who is he?

[MortalAndKnowingIt]

an astronaut

[mdoub]

a cosmonaut, to be exact

[moutardinsky]

are you sure that it's Gavrilov's version, because it really seem like Beneditti's version ...

[theblueknight99]

I don'y think so.. compare the rhythm and yhe intensity of the scale 2,32 then the nuances in all the other parts of this Ballade. after all, I love them both

[rvn10rvn17]

not benedetti's version for sure

[liu868]

very sure its played by Andrei Gavrilov...

[mdoub]

one of the finest performances of this ballade on the YouTube

[DaBossk]

7:10 omfg i wanna learn how to play that fast part so bad... its such a cool tune

[rainbowfeather]

I have just heard this...you are brilliant!

Every note is a poem to my heart.

Your feeling is what I feel. Amazing.

Thank you....I shall continue forever to listen to you.

[igor073]

Great Master

[manuelo0230]

omg the best version i've ever heard, honestly i dont like 4:35-4:39 but the rest is ok, its amazing

[mdoub]

it's the way it should be played, but no one really executes it with such lightness and ease

[ISMAPUNK]

wow...........................­..

[horsepj]

I found this version on an old Melodiya record about 15 years ago and fell in love with the piece. I still think his version is the best.

[dzeljpiano]

One of Fryderyk Chopins mastercompositions :)

[sclyfes1212]

I'm in love with those words... and notes :D

[piano10192]

i'm playing this for my recital =]

the extremely dumbed down version of it though lol.

i love this song.

[rosenpwn0rt]

ahahaha

[turkification]

man i love this piece!

[caspiman]

Might be an instersting version, but for my taste too much overweighted with excessive compulsiveness, breathlessness and nerves. This is much more histery, than ballade.

[contardo83ll]

can you play this?

[ConcertPianist]

yup. lol... can't speak from him though.

[umegghju]

I like this version, but my favourite is the one of Pollini (an old record from 60s if i don't mistake). I think it's quite similar with this, but i prefer Pollini's one at the last part, i can hear Polish folk music in it.

[Sixpasher]

Really great version...

[Belamus]

This is by far the best version of the ballade that I've seen on youtube. Gavrilov was definitely a piano god in his younger years.

[10151080w]

later on he became a bit strange

[13loodLust]

how so?

[10151080w]

I think the KGB forbid to leave the Soviet Union and this together with the pressure to succeed made him somehow mad. From what I know he was even committed to an asylum.

After this time .... his playing became .... not as gorgious as it was.

[ticfortea]

ladies and gentlemen , master at work !

[voolare]

It's the first time I hear G play Chopin and I must say I'm positively surpirsed. I was expecting a technically great finale and not expecting much from the rest. Instead I found a wonderful ballade, played with taste, control and ofcourse perfect technique. I didn't like much the finale because of the loud left hand and because the pauses in the ending were held for too long and I feel he lost the momentum and the build-up work he did up to then.

[Besugo54]

magic hands for a heavenly music

[JoseAndresNavarro]

Es la mejor versión que he escuchado de esta pieza. Felicidades.

[juanbosco31]

dedico esto a Mariablanca de Pujadas destacada pianista.

nacida en Barcelona Spain. Repertorio de Mariblanca de Pujadas

[CestLaVieBIN]

Better than Horowitz's rendition.. about this piece.

[contardo83ll]

chopin did not play the piano...the piano played him which is why his music is so geniune and pure... this is probably the best rendition ive ever heard of this piece

[s4life]

Gavrilov is by far my favorite chopin interpreter

[cattleman6420012000]

Andrei Gavrilov is a magnificent pianist.He sounds so vital and fresh.I am a huge fan.

[greggs58]

I tried to play this one, but until he goes faster,it becomes a lot harder, and I can't follow

[lovesGenet]

Gavrilov is maybe the most bizarre and fascinating pianists we have . Richter says interestings things about him but dont ever compare anyone to HOFMann. I dont think there will ever be recorded performances with his personality or mechanism.the greatest musician,technician,personlity­.HE HAD IT ALL! I hope there is a Moseiwitsch rec of this somewhere. cant wait tihear Francois!!!

[cattleman6420012000]

Andrei Gavrilov has amazing talent and freshness. I heard him very recently live in a very demanding work and he was truly fantastic.

[chad410]

I like it when he doesn t try too hard. Chopin is full of polyphony which he realy brings out

[filexfilex]

Excepcional interpretacion,musicalidad exquisita,hace auténtica poesía de esta balada. El sonido por otro lado es hermosísimo

[Tekhelet75]

This one sounds closest to the scene in The Pianist. I tried listening to the others on YouTube but none came as close. This guy play it well. Full of emotion in it.

[trschaefer]

Apparently some have pre-concieved notions (mostly negative...) about Gavrilov as a pianist in general. I find his interpretation of this Ballade to be transcendent. BRAVO!

[paulostroff99]

Nice playing,but not at all in the same class as Hoffman and Michelangeli. Then again-how many are?

[michieldpiano]

I like it, it's different, passionate and interesting. But please Gavrilov do not play Ravel anymore!

[RRSA97]

@jero13595 What the hell is your goddamned problem?!

[MI6MI5]

michelangeli's interpretation is my favorite

[viensdestonie]

His interpretation of the pieces are usually nice. Revolutionary edutes was amazing....but in this one he didn't do a great job :(

[francorussie]

I listened to his "Revolutionary" here on YT and compared it to a number of performances by a number of other pianists: I am convinced his interpretaion is a disaster (though technically he had achieved so much, the distorted queer spirit spoils everything)

[viensdestonie]

maybe. but all other versions are too similar. His version, on the contrary, being slightly messy offers a certain feeling of passion. I believe the best way to play in public but not to listen at home...

[GeorgeMaxwellDuPre]

i rather like what Gavrilov does. His interpretations are somewhat more aggressive than certain other pianists,, but one must always remember that there are several good ways to interpret a single piece of music.

[francorussie]

Even as a cellist, your playing for instance. Then I also believe that not only cellist or pianist can be qualified to have a judgement. As to G's playing here , it is not as bad as in other videos here.

[francorussie]

Believe me I am perfectly qualified to have a judgement about interpretations and also I can be critical concerning Gavrilov ' s perverted understanding of "art"...

[cattleman6420012000]

francorussie.

Please put a performance of yourself playing this piece on youtube.I like others have no doubt you are qualified.

[francorussie]

You first :-)

[cattleman6420012000]

How can I be first? I'm a cellist.

[francorussie]

P.S. I'd rather say that we can not exactly assess Gavrilov 's performance problem unless we actually do know his personality (yes). His style is "tormented" as he is and currently, this style has just become unnatural. It is a "plastic" musician. Therefore the "sweety", "schmaltz", sugary or angry / nervous destruction of Chopin ' s and other great composer 's idea. Compare this fake...to the greatest performances of the 20 century... Horrible.

[mancabbroru71]

He plays Chopin like Scriabin. The matter with Gavriolov is 'too sweet or 'too stormy'. there's never a connection between the two things. No comment on the technical aspect.

[thunder1909]

I completely disagree. His style is quite amazing and unique. Gavrilov always changes his tone and colouring, always changes moods etc. He's just so creative, listening to him is just always so interesting. Many people say that he empasizes the wrong notes, plays too loudly there, too stormy or sweetly there etc, but there is nothing wrong with Gavrilov's playing. Gavrilov is just a man of many characters, which reflects in his music.

[magaloff1]

What a masterpiece about life, death, and love!

[Chopin1986]

7:10 till the end, it is just amazing. This speed but so clear!! GREAT!!

[sviatoslavberezovsky]

when he starts the second theme from 02:50, it is so simple and beautiful...

[OorvakanSar]

I think he plays great, but he emphasizes the wrong things and hits the notes too sharply. I mean the way he plays sounds like a wind up trinket box that just pierces the ears.

[cattleman6420012000]

I love his playing.

[Mexmind]

A geat piece of art...

[marcelmombeekeigen]

magic

[sviatoslavberezovsky]

YESSS!

[marcelmombeekeigen]

I can't help it, but I prefer performance's like this above richter's or pollini's style...

[francorussie]

marcelmom... your obsession with the grand and unique Richter is well-known. I tend to think you're quite close with Gavrilov at some level... or member of the same g club :-) As to Pollini, don't insult him.

[JulijaSteinway]

I like it so much! What a sound!

[verkhovensky99]

perfect

[teresahan1991]

now, i call that music!

[ibclappin]

this simple and innocent interpretation bringing out such great music proves that chopin's music should NOT be fiddled with! Mr.Horowitz!

[ljoekelsoey4]

how unlike gavrilov, he usually completley rapes pieces, breaking their pelvises and leaving them shattered and deluded on the ground, most unlike gavrilov indeed!

[nickdaquick06]

Thank you for posting this.....

[youeatnoodles]

greatest interpretion i have ever heard. Incredible.

[zaneintestine]

He is my hero. How is he now? Will he play piano again?

[virkur]

Having heard all the "greats" have their try with the Ballade in g minor, having read Chopin's letters, knowing Schumann, Mendelssohn and Liszt lurked about and knowing the history of the piano and piano playing at the time when this was published, I would say Gavrilov's interpretation most likely fits that milieu.

[cattleman6420012000]

This is wonderful piano playing.