Rachmaninoff: 9 Etudes-Tableaux Op.39 (Lugansky, Hayroudinoff, Sofronitsky)
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- Опубліковано 1 сер 2024
- Rachmaninoff's second set of Etudes-Tableaux is, if anything, even fuller, more finely textured, and darker than the first. If you have not heard of Hayroudinoff (whose critically celebrated recordings are mostly familiar to Rachmaninoff/Tchaikovsky specialists), then you must listen to this, for his playing is spectacular. Lugansky is superb, as always, but Hayroudinoff brings a glorious warmth and vigour to his playing. Where Lugansky often veils the music with impressionistic filigree (a perfectly legitimate approach, as these are study-pictures, after all), Hayroudinoff often (but nowhere near always) opts for clarity and a rhythmic consistency that is extremely compelling. And it goes nearly without saying that his command of timbre and characterisation is excellent. As a treat, I've also uploaded three oldish performances from the Soviet-Russian titan Vladimir Sofronitsky, which really need no description.
A brief description of each Etude-Tableaux follows. Rachmaninoff probably never meant for the specific images underlying each Etude-Tableaux to be publicly known, but he did disclose a few of these to Resphigi in his letters (Resphigi was orchestrating some of the Etudes-Tableaux, and Rachmaninoff thought he could help out), and I mention the relevant image in the description where possible.
No.1 -- A swirling, almost unhinged thing that's vibrating in an odd near-constant climax.
No.2 -- "The Sea and the Seagulls". An impressionist masterpiece, with the LH figurations mimicking the lapping of waves on a shore. If you're an observant listener you'll pick up the Dies Irae running right through this piece.
No.3 -- An incredibly complex Etude-Tableaux, tone-wise: while it starts off sounding angry and frenetic, there are moments of violent sublimity scattered through the piece.
No.4 -- A charming cross between a hopak and gavotte, with lots of harmonic colour.
No.5 -- Possibly the dramatic peak of both the Op.33 and Op.39 sets, in turns passionate, tumultuous, despairing, and somber. The technical difficulties, huge as they are, are matched here by the musical rewards. If you thought Horowitz was the master of this piece listen to Sofronitsky's recording. Richter said a lovely thing about this piece: “Although I love listening to it I avoid playing such music as it makes me feel completely naked emotionally. But if you decide to perform it, be good enough to undress”.
No.6 -- "Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf". A brilliant study in jagged contrasts. Again, you must listen to Sofronitsky playing this.
No.7 -- If No.5 is the dramatic peak of the Etudes-Tableaux, this might be the emotional nucleus of the sets: a march transforms into a cacophonous blaze of the composer's much-loved bells.
No.8 -- A lyrical meditation on double notes, featuring some very beautiful counterpoint. Rachmaninoff quotes from Scriabin's 5th Sonata near the end.
No.9 -- A march, but then calling this a march does it a serious disservice. The counterpoint is ingenious, the harmonies striking and lush, the range of colors employed breathtaking. Can't imagine a more perfect way to end this set.
Lugansky:
No.1 -- 00:00
No.2 -- 03:03
No.3 -- 10:04
No.4 -- 12:37 [Outside of Prokofiev, yet to encounter a more dramatic gavotte than this.]
No.5 -- 16:15
No.6 -- 21:31
No.7 -- 24:16 [L. handles the climax unbelievably well: 30:18 - 31:03]
No.8 -- 31:58
No.9 -- 35:13 [The build-up beginning from 37:49 is glorious]
Hayroudinoff:
No.1 -- 38:53
No.2 -- 42:18
No.3 -- 48:45 [H. makes this piece sound deeply melodic, something which I thought was impossible]
No.4 -- 51:43
No.5 -- 55:32 [I love how H.deliberately understates the opening a little, before unleashing that massive recapitulation at 58:15]
No.6 -- 01:00:18 [Note H.'s accents in the LH]
No.7 -- 01:03:08
No.8 -- 01:09:45 [A nice contrast to the dreamy vapour of Lugansky's rendition.]
No.9 -- 01:13:05 [A must-listen: all of H.'s pianistic strengths are on display here.]
Sofronitsky:
No.4 -- 01:17:05 [R. skips the second repeat]
No.5 -- 01:19:33 [Listen do this. Seriously: if you listen to no other recording of no other Etude-Tableaux, you should listen to this.]
No.6 -- 01:24:12 [Probably still the most exciting rendition I've come across.]
you need a prize for most thoughtful/poetic/informative/intellectual video description
+christine tan i second that
honestly, keep up the good work. I seriously adore your channel and your analysis.
He has enough with the youtube monetization Iguess, not even the longer videogame streams have a that number of spots.
@@fakelove7272 do you realise he gets no money from this because of copyright? the label of the artist puts ads on and they get the money
@@breakthrough673 the pianist lol
No. 7 is so special. The soundworld is terrifying. And the climax is among his most epic!
My favorite. It needs to be played a specific way to sound ok and remove a single note the entire piece would fall apart. It’s such a hidden gem.
I was in a mental hospital when I found this so now this reminds me of the chaos going on inside my head every time I listen to it. I don’t mind the feeling it gives me.
Я все понимаю. Но тебе лучше слушать Моцарта.. Не надо вызывать хаос в голове музыкой Рахманинова. Она сложна. А хаос ты уже пережил...
all three pianists are very big interpreters, but Lugansky plays so that you do not like to hear another pianist after him. Unique!
Listen to Richter though
Yes Lugansky is such a perfect balance of everything!
i. Actually I like Hayroudinoff sometimes more
It's sad Sofronitsky's recording is old, because it's the better of all three to me.
lugansky is the rachmaninoff interpreter
There are times when I listen to Rachmaninoff and I just cry, not only because of his beautiful music, but because of the tremendous difficulty. XD
Lol, well-played (no pun intended).
He is the god who let's our hearts dance and cry and in the same way makes us laugh and sing. It's a feeling that I every time recept with big joy as a heavenly gift. Thank you for your indescribable wonderful music, dear beloved and adored Sergei Rachmaninoff ❤️❤️❤️
the skill of these people is simply insane
(Self Reference for phone)
Lugansky:
No.1 -- 00:00
No.2 -- 03:03
No.3 -- 10:04
No.4 -- 12:37
No.5 -- 16:15
No.6 -- 21:31
No.7 -- 24:16
No.8 -- 31:58
No.9 -- 35:13
Hayroudinoff:
No.1 -- 38:53
No.2 -- 42:18
No.3 -- 48:45
No.4 -- 51:43
No.5 -- 55:32
No.6 -- 01:00:18
No.7 -- 01:03:08
No.8 -- 01:09:45
No.9 -- 01:13:05
Sofronitsky:
No.4 -- 01:17:05
No.5 -- 01:19:33
No.6 -- 01:24:12
Abhi Chakladar z
Thanks a lot!
Gracias Maestro
Thank you. 👌
Thank you!
Rachmaninoff’s scores are like art work. So many lines and notes, very intricate and tricky to read
Lines and notes are the easiest part of it; look at all those accidentals and polyrhythms!
This is why I prefer baroque pieces: there usually aren't that many signs
@@tuluppampamto listen to or to play?
@@levonkeijner1092 to play, but I prefer to listen to later music
I really appreciate the work you do each time you upload a video. Listening to different interpretations of the same piece is a very enriching experience and I'd never heard of Hayroudinoff but the moment I discovered his playing of no 5 and 6 I fell in love with him. Thank you so much for your effort and beautiful descriptions :)
Every now and again, away from the 'pianicity' and the complexity of his compositions, something ethereal and deeply soulful will drift in. Him and Bach - on another level.
Sublime. Each pianists' rendition is a totally new experience. Thanks for this!
To be honest, I am fond of Rach. His brutal, sometimes irony-sharp, music transfigurated into such tenderness... It's breathtaking. And his gipsy, gipnotic elements, ohhh. I love u, Sergey Vassilyevich😍
Can we talk about how epic Lugansky’s No. 3 is??
Yes, best performance of this piece!
Eddie Hutchence *Sure...*
Not so much as №5
Maybe and No. 8 is?))
@@iXNomad epic in a sense of musical poetry I guess.
Hayroudinoff no. 5 is giving me chills. Thanks for sharing this video!
1:00:18 - This is the best rendition of this piece.
Thank you so much, those recordings are truly outstanding !
The bass that lugansky does at 15:52 is unbelievably insane
Your notes are amazing--thanks so much for the commentary!!
Yes, it's very interesting finding out more about musical pieces through notes like this.
Returned to this today for meditation. Thank you much for such thoughtful notes. Everyone who loves Rachmaninov knows Lugansky, but Hayroudinoff is incredible and must look him up!
No. 2 is so haunting, so atmospheric. It sounds *lonely* to me. Waves lapping on a deserted beach, grey water against grey sky.
Tim Ward Grey water against a grey sky is perfect for that.
It reminds me of Ravel "Oiseaux tristes". Still they're different pieces but you can feel this lonely, floating atmosphere.
Lucas Machado I agree with that. The ravel piece really makes me feel a certain way if I’m not in a right mood. It’s so desolate at times.
Coincidentally Tim, the piece was actually named by Rachmaninoff (or at least by Respighi, the orchestrator to whom Rachmaninoff told the inspiration behind several of these etudes) as 'The Sea and The Seagulls'.
I don't know whether you were unaware of this or were simply planning on using this as a fallback in the case that anyone disagreed with you, but if the former is the case, I think that's a true testament to Rachmaninoff's compositional genius.
@@maxpayne354 I knew the title (AXK mentions it in the intro, even if I didn't), but you're right, the piece is a real work of genius.
tank you so much for uploding and your description of the music.
Lugansky's no.2 is so incredibly well delivered that it genuine sounds like he's making up the music on the spot, and it creates such a poetic subtlety.
Fr it almost make it sound like a counterpoint piece in some parts, or just as if he was playing like he was speaking/talking and not like he was reading already composed piece
I can play no.2, but I can't play that. It doesn't even sound like the piece anymore, it's transcended it.
Great descriptions--thank you for teaching me something new about these incredible pieces. No. 8, especially Ruth Laredo's recording, is unsurpassed for me: the mystery, joy, and tragedy of our existence distilled into 3 minutes of aural sublimity.
Among all the best classical content inside all the youtube! Congrats!!
These piano pieces are very emotional.
I like to listen to the second, "sea and seagulls", in perfect, silent darkness; the central part makes me think of a wounded bird whirling before crashing into the sea, but still fighting against an invisible enemy. The last notes are sublime.
The Days of Wrath is the third study, the end of which reminds me of a heart in agony that ends up fainting
Something I will note - I first really began to love this set a couple months ago, and wasn't really grabbed by the Sofronitsky recordings. I came back today to try them, and now I understand why you love them so much. MAybe it's just me, but I had to listen to the pieces many times before I could appreciate the mastery he displays. Thanks as always, your work is much appreciated!
I have a dream that one day I can play all the Rachmaninoff’s piano sonatas and etudes!
U better learn from the 8th etude of how to compose chinese/japanese/korean classical music! as well as from debussy and the number of other european masters of more modern era
i wanna learn all liszt etude one day before i die
@@fredericchopin6445 yep
This is one of the greatest works of art from start to finish, and without a doubt the greatest set of etudes written for the piano
When I am at my lowest point in life, this music really fits my mood
If one-tenth of one percent of the videos on UA-cam exhibited as much care, passion and thought in their publication notes the world would be a much better place. Thank you and well done.
Fred Schwarz lmao ur profile pic
dude im not sure about the entire world, i feel like global warming is a more pressing issue
UA-cam would be a much better place - not sure about the rest of the world!!
Communism is good
@@orb3796 Absolutely. I mean except for the 100 million dead people, failed economies and prison states. But you've got to take the bad with the good.
That no.2 really hits different at 12am in a dark room
Thank you for introducing me this masterpiece.
Hayroudinoff is great, but it's Lugansky who makes me feeling addicted to this music. For me, Nikolai Lugansky is currently the best pianist in the world
Radim Tichý et tellement charmant humain
IMO he only does his best at playing Rachmaninoff's pieces
@@iliyajavadian few years later I have to agree.
@@geuros I've never thought a user who commented something 3 years ago would respond now omg
@@iliyajavadian :-)
Thanks for your commentary, so valuable for young pianists
Love the left hand phrasing in 1:45, well done Lugansky!
The greatest in the entire history of music.
OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD!!!! I've been...
So I've always been so frustrated by these Etudes, because they...I don't feel like I've been able to find good recordings of so many of them. LIke they seem like they have a ton of potential, but they're tough interpretive puzzles, and I've been just REALLY unhappy with so many of these. and *I* can't freaking control them well enough to make them sound like anything.
I haven't listened to them all, but the Hayroudinoff recording of 39 3 makes this whole thing worth it by itself!!
Thanks!!!
I dont know why but Im in love with hayourdinov's performance of etude no.3 its sounds very "harsh" and delicate at the same time
Beautiful playing. Thank you. Extra- ordinary. !!!!!! Well recorded, as well. And, thank you all!!! Moi
You're awesome.
What a sound, I love this set more than op.33 and played No. 9. It is great fun! PS: Anyone else who just melts at the D minor over E-flat at 34:11?
The No. 8 E-T is truly the most luxurious and dreamiest piece I've ever encountered. I would assume that award would go to Scriabin or Debussy, but Scriabin's say 8th sonata is more "ghostly" than dreamy, and Debussy is more "hazy" than dreamy. The colors just astound me every time.
Слушаю впервые. Потрясена...Благодарю исполнителей. Бесподобно, музыка пронзает насквозь. Благодарю создателей канала за эти записи.
Why is none talking about No. 8?!
What a gorgeous thing!
My favorite ❤
Same here
luganskys perfomance on the second etude is pure lightness
op.39 no.7 sounds like a wild dream
Great playing. Thank you.
I like it Rach etude op.39 no.1
It so mystic!
JoonSeo LEE Agreed bro)
Wow! Sofronitsky was truly an amazing pianist!
Omg no 5, 6❤ beyond incredible!
This is eternal beauty!
Lugansky's #7 has that spiritual quality of dynamism, intensity and and out of this world vibe.
Rustem Hayroudinoff - diskovery and revelation! "something which I thought was impossible" - your truth! - Thank you!!!
Simply extraordinary and all encompassing imagination.
Hot damn, that opening movement is something out-of-this-world! I feel like I need to follow along at a quarter the speed just to comprehend whats going on at any given moment. Absolutely stunning performance.
Matthew Passage 00:55-1:10 is just awesome. It baffles me the harmonies he comes up with.
My piano teacher from Indiana recorded the entire Etude Tableaux, and I've practically memorized how the music is played by him for years, but it only took one listening to realize a better interpretation like on this video.
the change of tone at 10:48 is so good
You are spot on about S's thrilling playing of No 6
I am pretty ignorant to the nuances of classical music have never heard these etudes before. But Lugansky's playing on No 4 (especially the end) is so effortless, it feels without thought, and each note joins the next in such unison and feeling of connectedness, it's really amazing. Something about it resonates so strongly and I miss that feeling with other versions.
How do you it's Lugansky?
love to hear it
You're really not kidding about the buildup in #9 -- I was listening to this in the background and had to check what I was listening to. Absolutely massive.
this music enriches the soul ,
i love sofronitsky's interpretation, he is bringing up the unheard parts
Outstading!
Thank you :)
29:31 I can not even. chills
Восхитительное исполнение шикарных, сложнейших этюдов Рахманинова. Браво!
How does one even compose music like this?? It makes so little sense to me yet it makes so much sense at the same time. Rachmaninoff truly was a unique composer and musical mind.
Rachmaninoff's late music was surely something else. It was a depart from the classic lyrical romantic style and he had matured fully as a composer. It's this stuff that you don't find elsewhere.
You sit on a piano for hours, waiting for your idea to come, while experimenting with what you already have. Then continue until you are able to string things together.
I will definetly learn the first one.
Thanks for upload.
Some parts of no.3 reminded me of Scriabin's 4th sonata and something of middle- and late-Scriabin's style in general (rugged rythms, descending staccato arpegios in left hand). Hayroudinoff makes it incredibly well, this is the first rendition I totally like. But Lugansky's tempo is much more allegro molto. It would be interesting to hear Sofronitsky play this one, he could hold both tempo of Lugansky and clarity and melodiousness of Hayroudinoff I believe.
About no.6 - there is an outstanding on my opinion performance of it by Natalie Schwamova here on youtube.
2 3:03 море и чайки
5 16:15 ми бемоль минор
6 21:31 волк и красная шапочка
7 24:16 до минор
Ооо спасибо
Good job, thanks
Etude no. 8 invokes a cold, modern and surreal feeling to me that stands out from the rest, hence why it’s my absolute favourite short piece of Rachmaninoff and of any composer (the climax and the later scherzando section are just captivating). Just wondering, does anyone know of any pieces that are similar in tone to this one?
It's so unique nothing comes close
Scriabin
I’d recommend Rachmaninoff’s Op. 32 No. 2 and Op. 33 No. 4 - both have that same kind of cold, wintery quality with cool harmonies to them! And then I’d also recommend Chopin’s G Major Nocturne, Op. 37, No. 2, which I think inspired Rachmaninoff a great deal for these pieces (particularly in the harmonic turns, like the parallel major/minor move he uses a few times)
This video deserves an absolute award for the easily understandable and thoughtful description. Seriously, it introduced me to etudes I would’ve otherwise skipped. I am a little sad though, if hyped up sofronitskys playing of no 5 so much and I listened and the audio was so bad I couldn’t even really hear any of it’s characteristics under the microphone overload. Regardless, Thank you so much for you incredible work with carefully picking and describing this set of etudes! Much love!
who cares about audio quality? Just enjoy the music as is. Sofronitsky's recordings are definitely superior
@@DynastieArtistique I prefer when it sounds good! The mic is so peaking and choking so bad it’s not even fun to listen to. Talent like that is wasted on such a bad recording
@@chocolatechipbleach8341 the talent was not wasted at all, on the contrary, it was used to its full potential. This was a the tech Sofronitsky had at his time and the tech he used, and thank god he did because we get to hear his masterful playing today. When I hear his recordings I don’t hear the audio quality, I hear the playing itself, and that’s more fun than anything I’d need. My perspective might apply to not everyone but at the same time I’ve learned that you can enjoy it with enough listening to old school recordings
Briliant! Both two interpretion of 39-1 are wonderful, but in my taste Lugansky's rachmaninoff always have special power to attract my ears!
Listening in nighttime, fantastic! On Scriabin comments, Rach and Scriabin were music classmates. When Scriabin died (strangely due to infected sore of lip!), Rach traveled around Russia performing Scriabin's compositions to raise money for his widow and children.
Fantastic 💥⚡️✨
When Ashish says Lugansky handles the climax on no 7 really well whst he really means is Lugansky stopped playing and became the music for a moment because that was a freaky climax.
太好听了，太伟大的作曲家！
The way the satisfying blaze of No. 3 gives way to the No. 4’s gallivanting irks me. I love both but that particular shift in tone just makes me huff. Has anyone else felt this?
I think a tremendously underrated aspect/texture that R. utilizes (and uses more often as he ages, along with his other signature techniques like bells, marches, chants/chorales, and his famous heartwrenching melodies) is The Swirl (fast, "chittering", chromatic, jagged, "spiky", "almost atonal" swirls of notes that typically sweep up and down the piano. In the lower register, extremely dark and menacing; in the upper register, light, but still with a certain darkness, like dancing on hot coals). For example,
-Op. 39 No. 1 (the viciousness!!!)
-Op. 33 No. 5
-high register parts of Op. 39 No. 6, though it is interspersed with other things so it doesn't feel like a continuous swirl
-2nd movement of Sonata 2 climax (with E minor bells, and cascading sheets of the main "Fibonacci 1-1-2-3-5" motif, pouring down until it hits the very bottom of the keyboard, and then swirls back up into oblivion)
-beginning of 3rd movement coda in Sonata 2 (I commented in that video that those runs sounded like "ripping the notes out the keyboard")
-Variation 15 in Op. 43 Paganini Rhapsody
-Woodwinds in 2nd movement of Op. 45 Symphonic Dances
-Fast parts of 3rd movement of Op. 40 Piano Concerto 4
And perhaps some from earlier, though they feel a bit more "grounded"/"tonal":
-Op. 16 No. 2
-Op. 32 No. 6 (F minor prelude)
-Op. 23 No. 9 (Eb minor prelude)
-the fast C minor bit before the 2nd subject in 1st Movement of 2nd Piano Concerto
I contrast this with Op. 39 No. 3 which opens with fast and chittering high register notes, but those sound more like bells than Swirls. Though in the development/middle of Op. 39 No. 3 there are plenty of Swirls.
I am reminded of Chopin's 2nd sonata 4th movement, "chromatic moaning"/"winds whipping through gravestones".
----------
When I listen to Prokofiev, I am often blown away by his melodic and harmonic inventiveness (e.g. the melody evolves/leaps in a direction that I would never had had the imagination to take it, or the harmony changes in a way that is crazy on paper, but brilliant in the ear). Rachmaninoff's melodies are much more straightforward (more "motivic"), but it is in his Swirls that I again marvel at music and texture that I would never had had the imagination to create (that I didn't even know the piano could make, before I heard R.'s writing).
That's a really nice observation!
0:25 Theee hardest double thirds configuration ever 🥲
It’s not that bad
2:09 is worse
@@lucajack007i never got that far 🙃
Beautifully
Rachmaninov has a great sense of counterpoint. What is your favorite Etude of this Op. 39? (write a comment below)
One of the greatest sets of etudes ever from a musical perspective.
Definitely!!!
Can you upload your ave Maria when you finish it?
@@mitchell-bt3tj yes of course! I was just practicing some arpeggios to tack on to the end since im only learning the first half. Right now I'm also working on Chopin etude op 9 no.1, HR2 lassan, and the revolutionary etude.
@@JG_1998 nice
@@JG_1998 rn I’m working on Chopin ballade 3 and Liszt etude 10
@@mitchell-bt3tj damn you must be really good!
Unglaublich die drei Interpreten und die Musik.In Russland auf dem Dorf damals.DAS SIND DIE KLÄNGE,die Rachmaninov im Dorf u. auf dem Land zu hören bekam.Absolut schön.
Incredible mastery and mystery Rachmaninoff had! Number 5 is wonderful especially but all are beautiful.
Thank you Kumār ;-)
This music was composed during WWI. I think it's edifying to think of it as expressing much of the horror of that war.
Not only that but these etudes were written during 1917 times, and as you know those times were very harsh for Russia, protests, revolutions, civil war, dethroned Nicholas II… and Rachmaninov had enough and left Russia. These etudes were the last one he wrote in Russia, and in my opinion they represent all of the turmoil and bustle that happened during those times, and how the composer felt.
Gorgeous !!!😄😄😄😄
It's frightening that anybody can actually play these pieces !!
Lol. That's a great way of putting it.
The middle section of No. 5 is demonic!
No. 6 is a wild ride too. Little Red Riding Hood!
Yeah, that one is downright disturbing.
Yeah. It's amazing!!
Much agree with Ashish, #6 by Sofronitsky best for "Little Red Riding Hood" I've ever heard!
Ein Heiliger, auch einer der Edele Und Grosse Seelen...
I have not yet heard a completely successful rendition of No. 7, I don't think neither of these two pianists understands the spirit of the piece in all its depth. For me studying this piece has been one of the most extraordinary experiences in life, it is a work that lets one (when thoroughly studying and playing it) into a truly otherworldly realm in a depth I have not met elsewhere in music (I don't mean there weren't other works that can do that too, surely there are some). A piece that can give you unique insights and change you.
For not a complete analysis but just a couple of remarks, Lugansky makes in the first part sforzandi that aren't written on the score and I don't understand them at all, there should not be such "shouting" (except for 26:04), that's nothing of the substance of the story being told there.
The whole section from _poco meno mosso_ (27:38) is commonly most misunderstood among interpreters in this piece and it is also by these two: Hayroudinoff, even more than Lugansky, thinks "OK, this where the étude begins" and takes it _'molto piú mosso'_ instead of what the score clearly tells. A totally unthinkable artistic choice. I think the challenge here is of course _not_ to play it fast (it isn't even hard to play fast at all) but to play it instead slowly, strivingly, languishingly, like a long, desperate wandering in the wilderness, lost and spiritually starving. (That is VERY hard to achieve pianistically.)
From there can rise a mighty and supernatural apotheosis and transfiguration (climbing to which starts at 30:19, stepping to a purely spiritual level at 30:29, "transfiguration" at 30:40). It just won't work with Lugansky's, let alone Hayroudninoff's tempo, eg. the chords at 30:29 are being just rushed through and they mean not much of anything, they won't "open the heavy gates to the heaven" of 30:40 (which is also rushed through!) so to say. The 30:40 part should feel like taking a look somewhere where a mortal being isn't allowed to go! It is not of this world.
Like the 30:40 part, already those 30:29 chords should feel irreal, shocking, in every way unbelievable and very powerful after the long pianissimo part. They won't do that if you haven't really been totally exhausted by this long, agonising "Dark Night of the Soul" wandering.
The job of the musician is always to make sense of the score and figure out which big picture to paint out of it, ie. what is the story that the composer has wanted to tell. The Op. 39/7 is so strange and one of its kind that it's maybe not surprising that it is rarely understood, maybe as it is thought of as an étude and typically played too fast. What it asks artistically and spiritually is as demanding as anything can be in the piano repertoire, it asks one to dive unbelievably deeply into its realm in order to construct it appropriately, highlight the right things and really make the story work.
And the answer, how to make sense of this music is not to try to make it easier or more comfortable to listen to in any way. It should be a shocking and exhausting and only in a very excruciating way rewarding experience to listen to this piece. Nothing of an easy listening. And no purely enjoying the musical content or "empowering oneself" but investigating one's spiritual inner and contemplating the sacred. (I would very rarely use this expression but I think, here it is appropriate.)
Lugansky understands the architecture quite well per se, but he is still hasting and doesn't take the time to make all necessary arguments meaningfully, so I just don't believe what he's saying. There's unnecessary anger, the "wandering" part isn't meaningful, the apotheosis isn't credible and thus the slowly fading and shriveling ending (as the "gates of heaven" close again) can't be truly abysmal, as it should, either. Of Hayroudinoff nothing much better to say, only the first part I liked better at times.
Why do you think so?
Sublime.
I learned the no. 3 for entering Conservatory of Paris... nice memories :)
what's up with the quarter note in the 3rd bar at 1:14:05?
24:16 Этюды-картины: op. 39: № 7 c-moll, Lento lugubre (подробно).
Thanks for putting together this great collection of recordings, with the fantastic description. It sounds like Sofronitsky omits some notes in the 6th, he plays straight chords in the right hand near the end of the presto section, I wonder if this was a deliberate choice or if he is playing from some other version of this work?
I find Sofronitsky's performance of this piece disappointingly erratic and untidy, although there is some really impressive fingerwork at times.
Another option to consider for these pieces is what's on record from Richter -- I think he really nails a couple of these pieces in ways that these guys don't. I was actually mostly underwhelmed by a lot of Hayroudinoff's renditions here, despite him putting out possibly my favorite recording of Rachmaninoff's preludes ever.
20:13 ここのdolceに萌えた