Nyiregyhazi unleashes the full force of his fury

Erwin Nyiregyhazi playing a rare work by Blanchet ('In the Old Turkish Harem Garden'), in his own free version, preceded by a few words by Gregor Benko. Nyiregyhazi was probably the loudest pianist in history (even Horowitz doesn't quite compare) despite not having practised or owned a piano in many years. You can see why his fingers were frequently known to have bled during performances. Pianism doesn't get much more intense than this. Anyone interested in his erratic life (in which he had ten wives) should look for Kevin Bazzana's biography. 'Lost Genius'

See the following link for some audio recordings. The Gretchen mvt of the Faust symphony is essential listening for anyone who believes that 'all he could do' was play loud:

http://www.fugue.us/Nyiregyhazi_discography-3_E.html

Category:

Music

Tags:

• classical
• piano
• romantic
• erwin
• ervin
• nyiregyhazi
• fortissimo
• blanchet
• franz
• liszt
• vladimir
• horowitz
• loud

[Gamma1734]

Its a beautiful piece but its funny that blanchet just wrote a simply 'f' towards the end of the piece, you also play one single note alone, not octaves.

[cziffra1980]

@Gamma1734 I find the original ending rather ineffective, after the thicker textures earlier in the piece.

[PrincessDesert]

That was NOTHING demonic and powerful. I'm not saying he doesn't know how to play, but people that don't know how to play sound exactly like that and think it's sophisticated.

[cziffra1980]

@PrincessDesert I've heard plenty of enthusiastic thumpers but I've never heard anyone produce this type of sound, during my years of teaching.

[PrincessDesert]

@cziffra1980 Maybe I over judged, It's cool sounding, but it sounds exactly like what I do when I improvise on the piano with my saxophonist following me along. Improv to me is like searching, to find and miraculously run into techniques and melodies that I will find worthy of writing down later after I hear our recorded "gibberish." After being trained by Cziffra's student, I'm a perfectionist, therefore every note heard has to be carefully&well chosen in my opinion.

[cziffra1980]

@PrincessDesert Maybe in terms of the NOTES he plays, but if you can produce the actual SOUNDS Nyiregyhazi can in Mosonyi's funeral march, I should be pretty damned surprised.

[Hexameron]

I don't know... I read Bazzana's biography, but I don't sympathize with him. He may have been a melancholy and troubled figure, but he enjoyed a lot of luxuries and abilities that some of us could never experience.

The guy had sex with more women than most of us ever meet in our lifetimes, he had a photographic memory, perfect pitch, and he could drink alcohol excessively and experience enhanced motor skills and pianism as a result. I'm envious...

[alexongcs]

I completely agree! 99% of modern Players today are BORING!

[JoeTownley]

I'm ashamed to say I don't know what this is?

[DrMerkwuerdichliebe]

I can sense that full force. Even in mono.

[kasyapa]

PrincessDesert - nobody sounds like nyiregyhazi. the heart-wrenching diminuendo at 0:52-0:53 at the mighty forte at 1:04 alone are unique.

[Martel211996]

Loud doesent mean good..

[Ianthe22]

@Hexameron The person you are describing is almost like the person Kim Jong il propagandists describes:D..

[GuestAtSea]

@PrincessDesert I don't know... I think I have to side with Schoenberg on this one (check out what he has to say about Nyíregyházi.)