I'v known the piece for 65 years. Heard everyone who is or was anyone play it, have recently learned and recorded it myself, but I have NEVER hard ANYthing even REMOTELY as flat out WONDERFUL as this frankly MIRACULOUS live performance Shura shed LIGHT on Brahms' masterpiece as no other performer has in my long experience as a listener and as a pianist. The quality of his technique remains unsurpassed. The astonishing INSIGHT, VISION and vivid IMAGINATION he possessed were secnd to none. One of the greatest of the all-time greats here shown at his absolute BEST. What a JOY to behold, even though it is tremendously humbling to those of us Also-Rans who've devoted our lives to the piano.
This is the best of the THREE Cherkassky perforances of this work available now on UA-cam. He was never less than "excellent," but THIS was an INSPIRED reading, if ever there was one. The fugue in particular is most fully realized here in all its power and glory. In other performances it seemed a bit dry and lacking in vitality, especally toward the end. HERE it is simply magnificent.
One of the great Cherkrackers Experiences!Every hairyvation takes on a character,a life of its own,yet the overall flow is uninterrupted.The pianistic variety is fabulous,Brahms has rarely sounded so colorful,no instant is allowed to pass uneventfully.As so often,this stirs the fondest memories of the QEH,where time stood still until the terrible moment when Cherkassky's last encores faded and one had to exit to face the world once again.My own two hands were there adding to the applause!
I'v known the piece for 65 years. Heard everyone who is or was anyone play it, have recently learned and recorded it myself, but I have NEVER hard ANYthing even REMOTELY as flat out WONDERFUL as this frankly MIRACULOUS live performance Shura shed LIGHT on Brahms' masterpiece as no other performer has in my long experience as a listener and as a pianist. The quality of his technique remains unsurpassed. The astonishing INSIGHT, VISION and vivid IMAGINATION he possessed were secnd to none. One of the greatest of the all-time greats here shown at his absolute BEST. What a JOY to behold, even though it is tremendously humbling to those of us Also-Rans who've devoted our lives to the piano.
There are a few other great renditions of this work available (though not many!) This one certainly belongs in that company.
This is the best of the THREE Cherkassky perforances of this work available now on UA-cam. He was never less than "excellent," but THIS was an INSPIRED reading, if ever there was one. The fugue in particular is most fully realized here in all its power and glory. In other performances it seemed a bit dry and lacking in vitality, especally toward the end. HERE it is simply magnificent.
splendid
Magnificent.
One of the great Cherkrackers Experiences!Every hairyvation takes on a character,a life of its own,yet the overall flow is uninterrupted.The pianistic variety is fabulous,Brahms has rarely sounded so colorful,no instant is allowed to pass uneventfully.As so often,this stirs the fondest memories of the QEH,where time stood still until the terrible moment when Cherkassky's last encores faded and one had to exit to face the world once again.My own two hands were there adding to the applause!
Marvelous rendition of this difficult masterpiece.
Simply astonishing! One of the greatest performances that I've heard of this or any work.