Horowitz plays Schumman Toccata op.7

[MrLieblingsessen]

No one has ever played this perfectly. Except for cziffra.

[Fraitzen]

@MrLieblingsessen I like his interpretation more than Cziffra`s. This has more control and shades

[MrTIRILLY]

Difficile de faire mieux pour cette Toccata;

[legendbach]

Legendary!



[edgarardonherra]

This interpretation is so Monumental is almost scary!

[sdweaver2008]

If Schumann had composed nothing else for piano he would still be a great composer for the instrument. As for Horowitz' performance, it is breathtaking in its clarity, but above all in his understanding of its structure. The final bars are so great - Schumann 'lounges back', relaxing into a romantic, dreamy reverie, after all of those notes!

[elainebmack]

I never understood the appeal of this piece until hearing this performance. Every line is as clear as a bell, not a mad rush and blur of notes like every other performance I've heard.

[TheLipmannToy]

How come there were 3 unlikes??

[sophkin651]

is it possible to teach myself this?

[sam0xin]

@sophkin651 Yes ! But composing....NEVER !!!!!

[4785689]

the last notes are super...

[Tiberius1919]

horowitz is very good! He plays very clear and the performance is very good.!!!!

[pinkfloyddwc]

wow... just listened to cziffra's performance and it was so much more robotic than good ol horowitz ... this is awesome

[ReturnOfTheStienway]

i like the way you can hear so much clarity in all the voices and textures. so many people i hear play this play all the fingers the same volume

[kasyapa]

ReturnOfTheStienway - that's the magic of the romantic approach - the richer voices/voicing.

[brassmonkeyjew]

How hard is this to play?

Hopefully it's not one of those impossible ones only piano robots can play...

[ayso78]

@brassmonkeyjew You can find the score at imslp.org. The piece is notoriously difficult for its thirds and octaves, among other things--you need wrists of steel for this.

[Tsotne16]

The way he starts the theme in the left hand ( 0:43 ) and then makes a contrast... is just heartstopping

[jghancockjr]

A specialite de la maison and the best overall performance we could hope to hear. See my comments

about his 60s performance of the Op 10 No 8 Chopin

Etude, played with similar insight.

[mdeonx16]

This is spine tingling!!!!

[cynic150]

This is fast but full of joie de vivre, limitless joy. He has hit the nail on the head. You feel he is being musical first, not just trying to impress.

[dhdw6]

I have played this piece for years. Today's pianos are "too good." In Schumann's day, on an upright salon piano, with mediocre felts and inconsistent pedal depth, the piano would have sustained without the use of pedal at all! But today, the piece is blurry with pedal (Horowitz) and percussive without it (Pogorelich). Perhaps a more "worn-out" instrument would honor the intent of the composer better....

[daniel15671]

Maybe just a brush of pedal, say depressed about 1/16th of the way, would add the extra resonance without the pronounced blur.

[Buldaner]

You're absolutely right. This rendition is too blurry and Pogo's is like getting blasted with hail. I still prefer the latter, however.

[uhartchristian]

no Schumann would have liked to have a better piano and his piano wasn t that bad you describe. His wife did play on the best pianos in europe, He had his music in the head and new all good pianos too. Then Pogorelich just don t respect the text written down by Schumann thats all. Horowitz does respect any detail!!!!!! There is the difference

[petie32]

Both Richter and Horowitz were giants. Richter was unsurpassed when speed and power were called for, but he could play the slower pieces superbly. He never got this one right though. Horowitz was for clarity, subtlty, musicianship and this piece he did perfectly. Pegorolich is his equal here.

[salviati]

Petie32, I would not detract one iota from the miracle that is Vladimir Horowitz. But I note with pleasure your kudo to Ivo Pogorelich's dazzling performance of this work, which can be found here on youtube.

[uhartchristian]

you should have a look at the toccata Schumann by Lhevinne here on youtube and by Ciffra too before making conclusions too quick....

and you should learn this piece yourself, you would recognize that Horowitz does respect the volotny of Schumann best

[hjchang87]

Now I know why Horowize is great...:-)

Each melodies clearly and contrastly to running, mixing in such beautiful way.

I'm fully entertained...fully entertained...^^

[gdiv22]

[I have always thought this performance as being THE STANDARD to which I compare other performances to.]

It's an unusually lyrical, cantabile interpretation, no question about that. But I prefer Pollini.

[kempff95]

he have an extriemly ACTIVE fingers............

he take all the notes at his hands.

once he said : " i a general who give the command to my horseman".

he like a line at the jungel THE KING OF PIANO ART!!

[shubus]

I have always thought this performance as being THE STANDARD to which I compare other performances to. I know of no other interpretation with such clarity of architecture, incredible dynamics and discovery of hidden detail which continue to amaze after many hearings.

[GaryPansey]

Notice how he brings out the syncopations... it's not just a "spinning wheel" "perpetuum mobile" piece in the hands of a Master! This is definitely his piece: excellent dynamics, melodic contrasts and playful/cheerful atmosphere.

[julakidze333]

This is very good coincidence to two genius of the music! Thank you dededeglouts to this greate video!!!

[HTTPCore]

Richter is not better or worse than Horowitz. They are just different.

[Fallansig]

You know I was thinking, why are there so many who think one pianist is better than the other, but than I realized, most like both, but the ones who like one better are jerks who can't shut up about it and refuse to ever see that the both are pretty good. Do you think if these two pianists got together, they'd argue on who's better? hah!

[Leubald]

for me horowitz is the only one who is able to make real music with this very difficult piece... si i think it's musically much more sophisticated than richter's recording

[kajohada]

...also really amazing:))

[MrFullService]

I agree that the Richter 1959 recording is the musically and technically best recording of this piece I've ever heard. Horowitz is just too "tricky" (and sloppy) for me.

[rabengeraun]

Horowitz was like a coiled spring; part of his genius. One so wanted him to play faster but the bounder knew that less is more!

[damnthatissocool]

Wow, this is breath-takingly controlled and clear, beautifully voiced, imaginative, and yet exciting. Incompoarable as always, this recording puts to shame the pianists of today such as Kissin and Lang Lang. (Kissin raced through this piece at Carnegie Hall like an angry spoiled child; it was too fast, inarticulate, and unmusical.) Long live the art of Vladimir Horowitz !!!

[Oblomov18]

you are right but I think that the Richter version recordered in 1959 is the best.Listen to it.

[krastavitza]

comet is too late, but i can't keep silence. Richter play this like a knight, like carpenter. terrible!never expect such kind of roughness

[HTTPCore]

agree.

[sam0xin]

@damnthatissocool overall Kissin & Lang Lang & ME....deeply do NOT care about your comment ....they have their sold-out concert halls in ANY COUNTRY at ANY CONTINENT !!!! Recently I had a luck to listen Lang Lang live in Westwood Los Angeles , performances of Schubert Sonatas were realized by stunning virtuosity , WISDOM & PASSION ! I'll tell you more Horowitz was NOT PERFECT at any time...no one is perfect...EVEN GLEN GOULD !! EVEN RICHTER !!

[wantrice]

@sam0xin For not caring you sure wrote a lot in response. Just enjoy the music.

[sam0xin]

@wantrice I'm enjoining now silence of damnthatissoCHEAP...it means he(she) is agree...

[sam0xin]

@damnthatissocool p.s. & the fact that you just blindly overrated this version by saying "CONTROLLED & CLEAR..." says itself that you were not CONCENTRATED YOUR ATTENTION in what should be perfection in general WITHOUT comparison to any one & just showed YOUR MEDIOCRE LEVEL as a Judge in Art of Pianoforte...

[oinetakoa]

I like it. It has fantasy and the tempo is good. Always the arpege fa la do fa fa with the chords, without the middle notes, only octaves

[istreba]

c'est la meilleur version avec celle d'emil gilels, qui existe au monde

[paulostroff99]

Great! Bravo! TY.

[music4cisum]

best Schumann toccata ever!

[00Diego00]

waht was the year of this recording ????

cause i ve heard one from 34 and its GREATTTT, if you con post it it wold be great, i think this one is earlier for the sound, but thanks.

[mathpianist93]

Horowitz doesn't play this as fast as Cziffra for interpretative reasons; therefore I prefer this interpretation but I still like the one Richter did.

[EilisErina]

ah splendid!thank you!