Maria Yudina plays Brahms: 3 Intermezzos, Op. 117 (1/2)

[klizmun1]

But despite all that her playing of the texture in the first one and her displaying the felling of anguish in the second was very touching.

[klizmun1]

I was waiting for her to relax a little and let the music, the melody flow, but she never did. Second one was the same…. I feel that these pieces are more simple( in a wise sense of the word) than she is trying to make of them. I felt that she wanted to prove something, maybe that she is playing them differently, that she found some rhythmical key to them that she was trying to teach us of. (continue...)

[klizmun1]

I listened her interpretation with interest. I cannot say that I enjoyed it. Will try to explain the reasons. First I found her rhythm… rubato (would not call it distortion:) unusual, even intriguing and was ready to follow her in it. But then I felt that she cared about this finding of hers so desperately and tried to show it to us so importunately in every single motif that it became a gimmick for a gimmick’s sake. (continue...)

[pyroprince78]

I wish musicians like this were still alive. Yudina had so much to say.

[takezoaudio]

she makes it her own. i enjoyed it.

[bottegadiarsetlabor]

Grandioso! Grazie!

[wnxg4nd4lf]

Something mutilated/distorted is unpleasant/ugly. For some reason Yudina's version of these intermezzi is anything but unpleasant or ugly. It might be somewhat eccentric but at the same time is intriguing and beautiful. Artists of that caliber have the right to take such initiatives and provide us unusual but enjoyable interpretations. Gould (oh i love him so much!) spoke about this matter. There's a video here with him talking about his interpretation of the A major Mozart sonata. check it!

[Pierinopasquotti]

In questa musica tutto il cuore di Brahms, uomo buonissimo che aiutava tanti giovani musicisti e assistette Schuman sul letto di morte. Grazie per questa bella musica

[proudmarie]

Grimaud's interpretation sucks

[Gianpik]

Trovo che chi ritiene di essere più esperto di musica abbia poi maggiori pregiudizi perché una certa interpretazione non corrisponde a certi stereotipi. Io credo che occorra ascoltare con il cuore. L'interpretazione della Judina non lascia spazio a sentimentalismi, come qualche altra (anche quella di Rubinstein). Dentro ci sono, per me, una purezza e forza virile. C'è qualcosa che commuove: il riemergere di un evento, di un volto che ha riempito la solitudine dell'esistenza.

[vincenzoattingenti]

bruttissima interpretazione, deforma lo spirito di Brahms il finale , l'ultima pagina del primo inetrmezzo storpiata, il secondo è pura isteria, la mano destra completamente separata dalla sinistra; Suono questi intermezzi da anni ma non mi azzarderei mai a pubblicarli su You Tube

[riccard789]

ma che caz2o dici, è un'interpretazione stupenda

[TheHanslick]

Her Interpretation is just horrible! Had she done nothing it would have been better

than this distortion of rhythm. Poor Brahms! If you happened not to be musicians

try to listen H. Grimaud (or Katchen, bur Grimaud has better sense for Brahms´

music). Generaly speaking, Russians (esp. those older ones) should not Brahms, it is a blasphemy.

[truecrypt]

@TheHanslick

Generally speaking one shouldn't generalize so broadly...

Music will survive with or without another "Hanslick"...

[Galiah13]

@TheHanslick Mary Yudina^s peculiarity was that she stood out amongst the pianist by finding new messages, undiscovered yet, in well-known compositions during all her life. She performed many compositions in the way that was different from what was accepted, and it astonished even such great musicians as Henry Neuhaus and Sviatoslav Richter. One must listen more Yudina^s playing in order to understand her interpretation better. She was very unordinary and very deep person...

[AnnMarry19]

marvelous...

yudina is amazing

[cmonclair27]

There's something in her interpretation of no.1 I like a lot. I'm no musician, but she makes it sound emotionaly heavy.

[sg1741]

Just my personal opinion: I think the way she played this piece wasn't melodic at all.  When I play this I accentuate the melody more with the natural intonation of the measures.

[truecrypt]

and what is "natural intonation of the measures"?

[sg1741]

By the way I should've said that I was only referring to the first intermezzo b/c I think the rest is very well played. Ok so me? I really love impressionism but for me I wouldn't do that here. Because I think this piece has the verses so separate that each verse must be accentuated as if the piece were a natural "classical" melody (i.e. verse, subverse and reverse). But don't take me for it. I haven't played anything past early romantic era so I am very close minded hence "just my opinion"

[Lukecash12]

I respectfully disagree, and take on the same question as truecrypt. What exactly is "natural intonation of the measures"?

[goodguysdoll]

@sg1741 what on earth is "natual intonation of the measures?" you're just as crazy as half of these posters.

[ClassicalMusicReview]

God,Stunning! What a prayer and evocation of such love,understanding and empathy radiating out to all things.This is not 'Brahms'.It's a psalm of undying nurturing sustenance to all who happen across it.

[caijpp]

Who is shameless now? What would Pjio think when she reads that? You'll make her resurrect just to ask for your forgiveness.

[freshechidna]

I don't understand why she speeds up so much in the part before the B section.

[lastnaturemistake]

Why I didn't discover Yudina sooner?

she was a legend.

[Galiah13]

She prefered such interpretation (kranke rytmic, slow tempo etc.) "Nicht eilen? tief denken, deep feeling".

[bernardocarmopiano]

She used to play with a strong sense of poetry, her deep interpretations were ever originals and concepted like great sense of pain and geniality. Thanks a lot for posting.

[mandyschulz]

bei dem rhythmus (117/2) kann man schon seekrank werden,von den weiteren eigenmächtigkeiten ganz zu schweigen - wie ist das möglich?

[markformusic]

very logical and personal music making. Me likes!!

[suzettegm]

Takes some getting used to. But the more I listen to her the more I'm starting to appreciate her. There's something hauntingly beautiful about this Brahms. thanks again, truecrypt!

[goodguysdoll]

@suzettegm yes, there is something hauntingly beautiful about "this Brahms"...It's called BRAHMS. 

[suzettegm]

@goodguysdoll Haha, fair enough!

[rachm06]

very strange interpretations @.@

[palcsi]

This is one of the most unusual interpretations of these works that I have ever heard. Thank you for you frequent postings.

[Galiah13]

See the replay from bernardocarmopiano. Its pure truth!

[organman52]

@palcsi First of all, 'interpretation' does not exist. And secondly, this is a mutilation/distortion. Don't you HEAR that?

[truecrypt]

@organman52

This is an interpretation of the highest degree. Could be difficult to accept, but to say "this is mutilation/distortion" is outright stupid. Yudina was genuinely unique, deep and spiritual musician. Whatever she did in music was a reflection of her extraordinary character and talent. You have a right not to accept her vision, but at least have a decency not to insult something you have no idea about.

[organman52]

@truecrypt Yes - a 'relfection of her extraordinary character and talent' but definitely not a reflection of Brahms. Anyone who accepts her 'vision' is just as blind as she was.

[truecrypt]

Dear organman52,

There is blindness and there is blindness. Great oracles were blind and they could see deeper and farther than others... No wonder Yudina's "blindness" ignites such a fury in your soul! She sees something you don't...

[organman52]

@truecrypt It is your right to believe whatever you wish. I will honor Brahms and his music, you will never understand what that means.

[truecrypt]

@organman52

I only wish you could honor Brahms and his music by doing something more productive than labeling Yudina's interpretation as "mutilation/distortion". As for who understands or not... time will show.

[Noshirm]

@truecrypt Oh dear....the organman strikes again...pure invective is all he has to go on. It's always the titans of the keyboard who seem to take the worst possible pounding from these hacks...fortunately, the likes of Yudina have a body of work that speaks for itself. But he does esteem YOUR work, Andre! One of your posts of Schumann has been favorited by the organ grinder! (:-D) That should serve to reduce the severity of the opprobrium he is due for his inanities as scribbled here. No?! (;-D)

[palcsi]

@organman52 I'm always reminded of blind wine tastings when there's a dispute about musical interpretation. Someone will say they think the wine is balanced and delicious, and another will say it's out of balance and awful. De gustibus non disputandum est.

[organman52]

@palcsi Well I am out of your league here - I cannot tell the difference between cooking wine and a bottle which costs 10K - and I do not want to know.