Vladimir Ashkenazy Chopin No.1 etüde

[m3gtrtopdriver]

In the film the Vital Juices Are Russian Ashkenazy played a beautiful piece just before the etude scene. Anyone know what it was?

[tesamears100]

Screw that!

[33brave33]

it's a fantastic piece of music...and the video is great too....

[dlfunky1]

he (vlad) makes a study into a beautiful piece of music his technique and musicality is second to none and of course chopin is just a genius.

[Cap7a1n0bv10us]

Chopin was a real Bach enthusiast, but he was not overtly influenced by him: rather, Chopin created something entirely new with his music. He is an original, perhaps the most original composer of the 19th (or, for that matter, any century) - more to the current point, Ashkenazy did his outstanding genius justice with this magnificent interpretation.

[Raed103]

What an amazing etude!

[e4e5sf3sf6]

I love how his body moves sideways as he is reaching for the higher and lower notes :) Excellent performance.

[culturehorse]

Thanks for posting what film/documentary is this from I wld like to see its entirety. Thx agn..

[risefromashesinmouth]

how dare you!! you six people that didnt like this video.

[libetta]

see you on thursday vladimir

[BenMcCormack91]

Personally, I never thought Chopin was a good composer. That being said, I don't think his music is bad. I just think that it is by virtue of the pianists that play it that it is made to be good or bad.

Ashkenazy is one of those few pianists who make me enjoy listening to Chopin. He's a phenomenal musician and a phenomenal pianist.

[shadecross]

@BenMcCormack91 Chopin not a good composer?? how can you say that, if you say that for liszt and his rhapsodies ok... but chopin really knew how to use the harmonics and melodies to evoke different emotions just listen to his ballades... i think he was a fantastic composer carrying on the spirit of Bach and Beethoven

[nmvdw]

Why would Liszt be a bad composer?

Chopin is a very good composer.

[shadecross]

@nmvdw no i didnt say liszt was a bad composer, his sonata for example is genius, i just dont think his rhapsodies are the most sophisticated compositions ;)

[BenMcCormack91]

@shadecross How can I say Chopin was not a good composer? You do exactly what I do in reverse - you give your opinion without justifying it. You think Chopin was great, just like Bach and Beethoven. I think Bach and Beethoven - and heck, Liszt, even - were far beyond anything Chopin ever came close to accomplishing.

We have both articulated our opinions. Yours is not the same as mine. I realize that. Live with it.

[KhagarBalugrak]

@BenMcCormack91, LOL...Chopin was a great composer, in the same vein as Bach. His music is far more beautiful and refined than Beethoven's, and far more moving than Mozart's. His output, admittedly, was much, much less...but this doesn't change the fact that the quality of his pieces is up there with Bach. Chopin was sick with tuberculosis for much of his adult life, and died young...hence, his small output.

[BenMcCormack91]

@KhagarBalugrak Understood. My opinion is really subjective, so you might as well know where I'm coming from. A lot of Chopin's pieces tend to have a song-like feel, where there is not really much counterpoint so much as a distinct melody and accompaniment. I personally prefer the tightness and sense of inevitable forward motion of a really well-written contrapuntal piece. Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Mahler, Shostakovich, and Britten are my favorite composers for that reason.

[JohnEBPiano]

@BenMcCormack91 You really don't understand Chopin if you think his music is so far from Bach. He was most strongly influenced by Bach, and alot of his pieces are quite counter punctual. Listen to the preludes, etude op. 10 no. 4... Any deep study of a Chopin piece reveals a close association to Bach.

[BenMcCormack91]

@KhagarBalugrak That being said, there are some Chopin pieces I love. His shorter pieces - Ecossaises, Preludes - have the sort of focus that I really love in my favorite composers. I just don't always enjoy all of his pieces - some seem a little too improvisational for my personal preference, and I feel less moved by those. That's all.

[lilly763]

@KhagarBalugrak :I think it's ridiculous to categorically call Chopin "more beautiful and refined than Beethoven" or "more moving than Mozart". These things are a matter of preference. I love Chopin, Mozart, and Beethoven for different reasons. It would be impossible for me to choose one that is "better" than the others because they each had their own unique style. So please, don't state opinions like that as though they were fact.

Now, back to Ashkenazy's brilliant performance... =)

[KhagarBalugrak]

@lilly763, its not ridiculous at all. There is such a thing as objective beauty. Beethoven often wrote in huge, overbearing unisons in both his piano and orchestral pieces, and liked clumping up all the voices in the bass quite often. Beethoven's music also usually lacks lyricism - his melodies are sub-par, at best. Now Chopin could write great melodies, and voiced his music evenly across the keyboard (or orchestra), which produces a beautiful and refined sound.

[lilly763]

@KhagarBalugrak : You are honestly going to tell me that Chopin's orchestrations are "objectively more beautiful" than Beethoven's?! Chopin is wonderful, but his orchestration is frankly boring. I love listening to his piano concertos, but they are torture to accompany because the piano does everything. Beethoven's symphonies and concertos contain some of the best orchestration of all time... But I really shouldn't waste my time arguing this point. Your musical narrow-mindedness doesn't harm me.

[KhagarBalugrak]

@lilly763, LOL, BEETHOVEN's orchestrations are the greatest? Yes, alot happens in Beethoven's symphonies and concertos, but so much of it is ugly: harsh, loud octaves, abrupt changes, and generally belligerent, egotistical, and contrarian qualities to most of his music. Chopin's orchestrations might be torture to play, but at least they sound wonderful when played well. This isn't narrow-mindedness, but analysis, which you have failed to accomplished in terms of Beethoven's flaws.

[dragmio]

@KhagarBalugrak Beethoven practically invented orchestration. Noone ever did nor every will come close to him in that respect. You have to give him that. Today when we say "an orchestra" we mean"Beethoven's orchestra".

[dragmio]

@KhagarBalugrak Not to mention that entire Chopin is variations on Beethoven's sonata Pathetique. Chopin's music is beautiful and never boring, but he wasn't an originator. He was a follower, a brilliant one, but a follower nevertheless...

[KhagarBalugrak]

@dragmio, well, the "progress" of the last few centuries has led classical music into its sorry state today: ugly atonality, banality, incoherence. So as for the originators, on the whole they have done more harm than good, since the classical music being written today is so ugly.

Not all change is good. Change can be good or bad. For instance, Hitler was extremely politically innovative...but was that innovation a good thing?

[hfdmozart]

let us please listen to your latest pieces....Mr."De"composer???

[BenMcCormack91]

@hfdmozart I gave an opinion of Chopin. Someone attacked it. I responded by saying that it was merely an opinion. I acknowledged that it was an opinion. And now you're talking to me as if, purely by giving an opinion, I am a hypocrite.

The discussion is over, and has been for two months. I'm sure you think calling me a "de"composer was profoundly witty. Just like my opinion of Chopin, your opinion of your own wittiness is your own, and you'll excuse me if I don't really feel like arguing.

[flic71]

Che bello che era Ashkenazy da giovane...

e che bravo che è...

[alexander92648]

wow!

[HolyMotherofGrid]

I think Chopin meant this "study" as an exercise in how to separate great pianists from mere poseurs.......Askenazy takes up the challenge and masters it awesomely!!!! The man is a TRUE legend.

[alleyenfuego]

BS.

[meredith21846]

Ashkenazy makes the formidable challenges of this etude look like a simple five finger exercise. A giant among pianists despite his diminutive frame.

[cattleman6420012000]

This is magnificent playing.

[MarioCavaradossi]

Omg. This man is so amazing. He is not very tall and his hands not very large, and yet he tosses off these 10ths like they are nothing. So amazing and so inspiring.

[tfman15]

So would you say that a 6'5" pianist would do well learning this piece? (of course referring to myself lol)

[MarioCavaradossi]

HA! Well, if you have large hands, you might be at an advantage learning the piece! The 10ths are formidable.

[munkybrain]

this piece induces a very tired right forearm. maybe that's just my bad technique

[DualThunder]

no it does. When i first learnt it i couldnt practice for more than 20/30minutes a day. but slowly i worked my way up. practice on a heavy piano to build up arm and wrist muscles. also invest in the Cortort editiion of the etudes as there are many exercises that will help tendon and muscle development. eg. hold down C, D, E, F, G in the RH, and then one by one, repeat each note 8 times. this will relax the hand and arm and will help in the development of your playing. also learn it from memory.

[arisbajan]

it may be bcuz proper technique tells that it should be the rotation on the arms that produces the sound (arm weight drops while finger rests on key)..not the pushing down of the fingers...ur arm really should not be tired or hurting at all.

[munkybrain]

rotating of the arms you say.. thanks. if i can't fix the fatigue problem i'll have to drop the piece as piano's not my first instrument and i've not had a lesson lol

[arisbajan]

aw...dont give up.. im sure you'll get

[burobbi]

i had this problem too. yup technique is incorrect. Chopin's etudes require the use of the whole arm, not just finger technique, like czerny.

use the arm & wrist and guide the fingers into position rather than just stretch and use finger power to hit. keep fingers firm (not loose) but flexible and practise each set of 2 bars in different ways to gain comfort in the more awkward positions.. then it will be much better.. hope it helps! (:

[cattleman6420012000]

This is a magnificent live encore. Vladimir Ashkenazy played amazingly.

[Liblibido]

I get tired just watching this--this video induces CTS

[nada1004]

ABSOLUTELY HOTTTTTTTT

[tenminutesgone]

He is absolutely stunning

[dionysosnomad]

Ashkenazy certainly is one of the most breathtaking pianists in history. I especially love him playing the Rachmaninow PCs. Incredible!

[bontempo01]

Is this at the Calouste Gulbenkian auditory in Lisbon???

I already said it in another version of this video, the performance is so perfect that it's breathtaking. Technical prowess without any gratuity, but exclusively serving the music. How to turn probably the less "exciting" of the Chopin Etudes into a masterpiece that one cannot get tired of listening to.

[cattleman6420012000]

I think this was an encore at the end of a very successful all Chopin concert in Belgium.

[jegspillerpiano]

he makes it look so serious and painful. showing off is foremost, the music is second.

[etude12]

Jegspillerpiano

Yeah! Who would find this piece challenging?! You clearly do not play this!

He is putting all of himself into this- throwing his entire weight into the keyboard. He is fully in the service of the piece, which is why (if you can tell) it sounds amazing and is considered a monumental recording.

If you want to accuse someone of being melodramatic, go insult Lang Lang. Or, even better, practice more and learn some respect and humility- don't flaunt your judgemental ignorance.

[lospazio]

It's so funny! I think there's not a single video of a pianist playing anything, under which I don't find a comment saying that someone else plays it better.

[GeorgeChopin1849]

That's because it's Youtube, and nothing is good enough for the members of youtube.

It's like a democracy.

Oh, and this is played extremely well. Ashkenazy's a fantastic pianist

[kolozs3]

@lospazio Agree with you. Why in hell don't they just listen, enjoy, and respect one of the possible interpretations? And why in hell should anyone listen to Chopin if he doesn't like him? There are so many other funky shits he can listen to, without bothering other people.

[alenazavadika]

@lospazio only martha argerich



[principecalaf]

wow!

[Ihi92]

Lol..

"we are going to go.. now"

haha

[callenishss]

i just want to say that idil biret has a more sophisticated touch and more control than ashkenazy even though ashkenazy is more colourful and dynamically interesting

[cattleman6420012000]

Vladimir Ashkenazy is an absolute expert on these etudes.Remember he made that famous recording of these in Russia in about 1959.Gillels had great respect for Ashkenazy's ability I read.Also this was an encore of a very successful concert in Belgium.Brilliant live performance as is usual for him.

[acbobo69]

chopin could reach an octave and 4

Fact.

[Krikko0rs125]

bellissimo!

[ibclappin]

her face goes from surprised to just being in awe.

[DanUSC818]

My God! He is so wonderful then and still now...Love his talent!

[fashionista157]

yupp the vladimir ashkenazy whose playing i love lol...precision AND passion :)

[DesAbends]

I love his wife's face expression when he starts to play the étude: a sacred moment is occurring.

[MiguelTicona]

es la mejor interpretacion que hay aca en youtube, de este estudio. Me gusta la claridad que tiene, el recatado tempo, los juegos con el pedal y los no-golpes hacia los agudos, le salio muy bien, incluso los movimientos de la cabeza, porque no hayque olvidar, que las actuaciones son importantes puesto que si no me lo quedaba escuchando en casa, voy a tratar de imitar su interpretacion a ver como me sale(al piano claro)

[54spiritedwill54]

grandissimo Ashkenazy, uno studio di Chopin magistrale, come tutti dovrebbero suonarlo

[classics90]

he was nervous when he played that. because he said "Im going to go now"

[rusz]

i've played this in my first year at the university. very difficult with extensive finger strech!

[NordicHealer]

Excellent! Played with great power, even control and passion to the end without fatigue...no small feat. I wasn't sure he was going to be able to do this Etude so extremely well cus the piece has very wide arpegiated 10ths and Mr Ashkenazy has very small hands.

[bewth]

not to mention very strange stretches between certain fingers. theres one part where you have to play thumb - c, index - f, ring - c (an octave higher than the original) and the next f with the pinky (so a stretch by a fourth just between fingers 4 and 5). a stretch of an 11th arpeggiating up. ridiculous.

[NordicHealer]

I know exactly what you mean. I labored over this piece for many months before I was able to perform it live and I am blessed with Very Large hands. I can reach a 12th. I can play chords like C-G-C-G. But still this piece is exhausting to play at break neck speed to the end without loss of power. Its very easy for your hands to tighten up on you.

[thunder1909]

You can reach a 12th? That's unbelievable, I think Horowitz was only able to reach a 10th or something (I mean freely, not stretching). But that's really crazy, your hands must be so big. Do you reach the 12th freely, or with a lot of stretching of your hand?

[NordicHealer]

I reach it on the edge of the keys, but I can also play 4ths and 5ths within those perameters.

[AngelinaTaylor]

A 12th!??! Oh I hate you. Haha. I can reach a 9th. I worked on this etude for 2-3 weeks before performing it in a competition and I'll never touch it again.. so difficult for small hands.

[ownage1810]

that's funny, because supposedly chopin had really small hands. a friend went to poland to see a cast of his tiny digits and his heart, the lucky bastard. anyway, i heard he could only reach and octave, or, like you, a ninth. chopin's technique must be flawless if he can play this with his tiny hands.

[alabama1895]

I can reach a 10th.

[dreamingareality999]

That's amazing. I can only play a 9th (and that's with pulling my hand down below the piano and stetching my hands to the very tips).

Rachmaninoff could play a 13th.

[claudine009]

even though he has small hands, he can also play a very beautiful rachmaninov!

[bewth]

those staccato pianissimos!!! brilliant! im working on this etude right now and am burning with envy.

[cattleman6420012000]

This was an encore at the end of a very successful all Chopin concert in Belgium. This is a fantastic performance.

[Ihi92]

I see He was very nervous when he played that

[cattleman6420012000]

Ihi92. I have the video of this. The audience were chearing loadly and he just went out and played this magnificent encore.He was extremely famous worldwide at this time quite rightly and he was renowned for having one of the safest pair of hands. A Polish pianist made that remark about Ashkenazy and Polini.

[friendlyfinch]

Having a safe pair of hands is not exactly a compliment. It cuts both ways.

[cattleman6420012000]

It depends on how you interpret the comment friendlyfinch. I heard him plenty of times live and he was truly magnificent.He moved me musically and my friends so much and he had a great deal of musical flair and amazing energy.I love his playing of this piece and his Rachmaninov Preludes and the 2nd Sonata recording are astounding.

[znanto]

splendid

[riccardobini]

Spettinante!!!

[lovesGenet]

Strong finger work and listen to when right hand becomes staccato he does this in his early recording .I dunno what makes this man a superstar.He was always a sexy,masculine player ,direct little charm.But why do all those who really know count him as the top.Most pianists can play this not difficult etude as well.i won't compare but what is so special about him?

[gerryrains]

Just for the heck of it, I'm going to throw in an interesting commentary between Richter and some of his friends. It concerns Richter and Gavrilov. It's in Russian, but it has English subtitles. In YouTube go to: *Suite in E major (Fragment)*. Thanks to cattleman6420012000 for this video.

Gerry

[canman5060]

A very brilliant play but seems to be a bit mechanicious and sound like a virtuoso exercise on finger dexterity.If it is polished a bit will be better.

[dgontar]

It should sound like an exercise on finger dexterity because that's what it is.

[mukaria373]

it's an ETUDE - zhat means you show what your fingers are able to... think over it and then decide again whether he has made a brilliant concert piece out of it

[friendlyfinch]

Good God, another poor soul that thinks that Chopin's etudes are just finger exercises. That's nice that you think a piece of music that happens to bear the name 'etude' needs no interpretation or is intended just to show off.

[gerryrains]

Not at all. I just compare him to Gavrilov or Rubinstein, and find him lacking something that they have. If I give them five stars, then I can't give Ashkenazy five. Since 4 1/2 (my choice) is not available, I had to go down to four stars. On a scale of one to ten he's a nice solid nine where the true greats rate ten. There's certainly nothing wrong with that. Had he not gotten into conducting, he would have been a better pianist (more practice time).

[friendlyfinch]

I give him two stars for being a mechanicus.

[mukaria373]

ridiculous.. seems like friendlyfinch never has touched a piano - i don't said that it's a pure finger exercise. considering how hard it is to play that piece i have rated him 5stars. i know many pieces played by him and he never has shown even a little weakness.

[friendlyfinch]

What does my comment have to do with touching a piano, scheisskopf?

These are your words: it's an ETUDE - zhat means you show what your fingers are able to.

That's not what an etude is for. Ashkenazy seems to think so. If you like Ashkenazy so much, you should make some MIDIs of your favorite piano pieces that Ashkenazy doesn't play. They'll sound just like Ashkenazy.

[ibclappin]

actually mukaria373 is right about what an etude is. if you listen to this many times you'll start to understand the music and enjoy it. this is very complex music believe it or not, just like everything else chopin wrote. the simplicity of it creates the subtlety that distinguishes the potency of chopin's music.

[friendlyfinch]

ibclappin, what the fuck are you talking about? I mean that in all honesty? Are you presuming to tell ME, who has played all of Chopin's piano music, including such shit as the Bolero and the various fluff variations, how to understand Chopin's music? Are you talking to ME? Are you talking to ME???

[FredeGF]

dude, calm down..

btw, he has the insanest pianissimo!

[CliffX]

Yeah, he sucks.

[gerryrains]

Come on commenters. This was a fine four star performance, but it doe not approach five stars. It is much too unemotional to rate five stars. There are far better versions out in the CD world, but I am not aware of what is on YouTube.

Why argue? :-)

[Liblibido]

unemotional?

[gerryrains]

Compared to Richter, Gilels, Oborin, and Gavrilov, all of whom (IMHO) rate 5 stars, and even Yundi Li who rates 4 1/2 stars, yes, I think so. But then it's all a matter of taste, right? :-)

[gerryrains]

I forgot - I left out Rachmaninoff, Alfred Brendel, and Jorge Bolet. I am quite sure that I have left many other out, but they are not at the tip of my tongue. :-)

[gerryrains]

Liblibido,

I'm afraid that I'm going to have to pull rank on you.  I'm sixty and with the exception of Rachmaninoff I've heard every one of these pianists live (even Yundi Li). It's an opinion, but for me, after having heard them all, Vladimir Ashkenazy comes in dead last. To think that a compressed YouTube video can compare to the live performance is absurd.

[Liblibido]

I admit that I haven't heard this piece played by all of the pianists like you have. However, maybe unemotional is not the correct word, for certainly from his mannerisms he's incredibly emotionally invested in his interpretation, at least the way I see it. I'll listen up a bit and come back. Perhaps there's a disconnect between the emotion he exhibits in the body and the way in which he infuses it into the piece

[gerryrains]

Liblibido,

Unemotional may well not be the right word. You're right about that. It's just that the performance somehow doesn't do anything for me. Maybe there is a better word. It also may be true that, having heard all of them live, I am simply biased against Ashkenazy. I didn't say that I had heard all of them play this piece, just that I had heard all of them play live. If you haven't heard of Lev Oborin, he was the other half of the David Oistrakh duo, among other things.

[cattleman6420012000]

At one stage lev Oborin was Ashkenazy's teacher.

[AngelinaTaylor]

That's interesting.. so how would you rate all the pianists you've heard live?

[friendlyfinch]

When have you heard Brendel play the Chopin Etudes? Interesting that you mention Lev Oborin. I didn't think anyone remembered him.

[gerryrains]

As it happens, my 61st birthday is Wednesday. As to Lev, I wrote part of the Wikipedia article - the part about Khachaturian.

Everybody is misreading my previous statement. I said that I had heard all of those pianists play live (except Rachy) - I did not say that I heard them all play Chopin Etudes. Actually though, I did hear Brendel play many of them during a performance in 1978 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC.

[gerryrains]

I was relatively naive then, and thought that a seat in the rear orchestra would be satisfactory. Bad Guess! Fortunately, at intermission six inches of snow had accumulated, later becoming 24". After the mass exodus (~90%), the ushers said, take any seat that you want. I listened to the great man (Brendel) from dead center 12th row. It was then that he played this piece. What an experience!

[gerryrains]

If you accept the Gavrilov CD of Chopin etudes Ops. 10 and 25 as a benchmark (I do) then that is the definition of five stars. Good as Ashkenazy is, there is a definite gap in quality between the two. Hence I give Ashkenazy four stars. BTW if you go to Amazon dot com, find this CD, and then click on *New and Used* you will find this masterpiece available for $5.16. Do not confuse this with the mediocre YouTube video by Gavrilov. :-)

[gerryrains]

If, as I do, you worship David Oistrakh, then you can hardly fail to develop an interest in the David Oistrakh duo (Oistrakh and Lev Oborin) and the David Oistrakh Trio (Oistrakh, Oborin, and Sviatoslav Knushevitsky). I must have at least fifteen CDs in which Oborin is either the soloist, or playing with David Oistrakh. IMHO Oborin is an almost totally neglected pianist of the first order.

[gerryrains]

I heard the three of them in London in either 1968 or 1969. Lev Oborin played the Khachaturian Piano Concerto, then David Oistrakh played the Khachaturian Violin Concerto which was written by Khachaturian specifically for Oistrakh. After the intermission they played the Beethoven Triple Concerto and they finished with one of the Mendelssohn piano trios. I think that this was the best live performance that I have ever heard.

[smithsherman]

This is a marvelous transformation of a beautiful kaleidascopic effect to one of an automatic jackhammer...with the lyricism

of a heavy Tiger Tank leaking oil all over the road. Only digital clocks surpass him for mechanical piano automation. It's directed to those who prefer canned food to fresh.

[revilo24]

thats the most interesting and well thought out comment ever written! check out my videos and leave one there too, please.

[ownage1810]

you're no poet. being verbose creates those insipid prolixia of yours which are so jarring to hear let alone read read. what you lack sir is economy in words and any wit and panache for the matter.

[ownage1810]

and please you are too much a hypocrite to simply discredit those with equally valid views as yours, no discredit to the others. for you sir are the one restrained by the trammels of that limitted purview of yours.

in short please cease your noisome posts and quit expecting people to proselytize into your narrowminded opinions.

[zkool5]

I like that last sentence of yours haha. It does boggle my mind why someone would want to eat canned food, especially FRUITS!

[eligarf]

its better than any videos you have uploaded shithsmearman! but an interesting comment ;)

[Nodame2006]

Brilliant performance. Thank you for sharing this.

[kwastormayt]

One must hear performances like that to understand

[AlzateContraElPastor]

Vladimir Ashkenazy, a son of Frederic Chopin. Great!

[the2dmin]

ashkenazy is the benchmark of chopin, in my opinion. His renditions are very true to the score, whilst still having his unique feeling showing through. i particularly love his recordings of all the studies op10 & 25

[nufenenpass]

grandissimo Ashkenazy, uno studio di Chopin magistrale, come tutti dovrebbero suonarlo

[PianoCriticsKiller]

Ashkenazy is one of my absolute favorits too!  I LOVE his interpretations. They are ususally so unique, expressive, and creative. He's one awesome dude.

;)

[AlzateContraElPastor]

Impresionante. Una interpretacion muy original, con un manejo increible de los colores, y una tecnica impecable.

[piano6861]

Great performance. He makes the piece interesting to listen to.

[mrpossibilities]

Ashkenazy is my favorite classical piano player

[ConFuocoPiano]

Thanks for posting this fabulous performance. Do you know how old he is here?

[LeoPianogirl]

oooouh...only one wrong note O_O

[BlueRose222]

genius!

[loosewrists1]

Oops, sorry for the grammatical lapse in my previous comment; the sentence should read, "...Ashkenazy's Chopin is AMAZING & in a class of its own", as the possessive form of "it" takes no apostrophe.

[loosewrists1]

I agree with rockisgood1861; Ashkenazy's Chopin Ballades are amazing.. Come to think of it, so are his Scherzi & Barcarolle... Come to think of it, so are his Sonatas & Concerti... Hmm, come to think of it, all of Ashkenazy's Chopin is AMAZING & in a class of it's own. He was (& is) a phenomenal Chopin interpreter without peer & a phenomenal pianist among the best ever... my opinion.

[swatz25]

yep, one of the best pianists ever...

[newyorker13212]

" It's hot"

[Crafanso]

I think ashkenazy's pianistic ablilitys are great but I don't think chopin's music suits him. HIs interpretations of rachmaninoff are great though, but with Chopin I have to say Zimmerman is the best I'v seen on youtube.

[awatkins69]

He's friggin' good.

[TFSBird]

1) your statement it far too general. At first ,his play might seem wonderful. Nevertheless, some musically more subtle pieces as e.g. Chopin's Mazurkas suffer from Ashkenazy's very direct approach. In comparison with real interpretations they are unmasked as poor emotional expressions.

2) Dont take me wrong, I really like Ashkenazy. Not only many Chopin recordings (I don't count this one in), but most Beethoven Sonatas and Schumann works are excellent.

[afertyus1000]

my fave performance

[zorbazig]

A mountain river of pearls...

[rockisgood1861]

You guys ought to hear the Chopin Ballades by Ashkenazy. Amazing. Thanks for the vid too.

[ihrtmusic12334]

My parents knew Horowitz. I sadly did not because he died before I was born

[swatz25]

i still know Horowitz...i watch him everyday on youtube....

[sagalat]

Absolutely compares favorably with Richter.

[thechopinfan]

I know Ashkenazy very well. He is a fantastic pianist. Somtimes he'll come to my house to teach me some tips.

[MartinaFromPoland]

reallly??? :)

[BrucknerEnthusiast]

thechopinfan: Really? You can't be serious. Maestro Ashkenazy (that's his official title) kindly wrote the introduction for a 400-page book about Shostakovich which I edited and which was published in UK/USA last year, but if he asked me to play for him I think I'd just collapse and die on the spot with horror.

[JayGrime]

so amazing!!!

[maxi937]

Excellent.

[zorbazig]

brillantissime !!!

[rockisgood1861]

Latin?

[gugunchik]

he is amazing

[yousashatube]

Thank you so much for posting this. Means a lot to me.

[Bruce88keys]

I heard Ashkenazy in both Books of Chopin Etudes Op 10 & 25 @ Carnegie in 60's-was the most amazing concert. Thanks for this video.

[cattleman6420012000]

This is absolutely fantastic playing.

[cattleman6420012000]

Thanyou very much for showing this.