Hey mate, thank you for appreciating my smallest efforts. I am glad also that there are still people who know to distinguish real treasure from the past. There are many good Russian pianists, like Lugansky or Lisitsa, still young, but potentially musical giants in history. Ofc not all can be great figures, so don't be too harsh on them:-) From music and art in general, we need to learn tolerance. Hope you have a good day!
There are several recordings on CD of this piece: - Naxos Historical 8.111537, - Music & Arts CD-858 (2 CDs), - Great Pianists Nr. 20 (Philips-RCA-EMI) 456 751-2, - Performers in comparison (The Piano library PL 296). Please let me know if you would find any others, I try to collect all Cortot recordings, I'm a great fan.
As Daniel Barenboim once said ''Cortot found the expressive opium in music''. Even in his later years (Sadly he did carry on too long) these magical elements of phrasing and cantabile remained alive in his playing. It has to said that he should not have given this performance at that late of his career, sadly it misrepresents his illustrious legacy.
You must see a german movie called "vier minuten" (2007 or 2008)an amazing version of this (but completely revisited...) Thankyou for this song! I will try to give you the link.
Did not know before that this existed. Sound quality is even better than many others! For me as Cortot fan of old, it is interesting to compare his interpretation with a recent one from George Li (pianoloverok). Will he, who is still so young, one day reach the same level of mastery? Dinu Lipatti once held the same promise.
C'est exactement ce que je voulais dire. Cortot avait un message à transmettre, des émotions, et tout cela vaut bien plus qu'une perfection technique souvent illusoire.
Dear Mozart99900; Regarding your interest in "horizontal" and "vertical" manners, let me address you to Robert Lee Frost who said: "Dancing is a vertical expression of a horizontal desire."
Oh, it's probably not necesary, but still I would like to mention my gratitute to Truecryt who has continously been sharing with us his impressive collection. Due to the fact I am not good at PC, I only upload something when there is really an important rendition missing but which I happen to have, like the Richter's Valle d'obermann or the Abegg Variation of Haskil. Will try better though:-)
I'm happy for the safety of you hair... you're definitely not going to lose any... Don't be "sad" for Toscanini, - your sorrow is baseless. Thank you for the tip ("to keep reading") - I will definitely continue to do so. Reading helps writing too... Isn't it funny how people don't like to follow their own suggestions?
@sa324003960 What's wrong with it? Cortot is possibly the greatest pianists of all time. I personally think he plays this incredible musically well. Who cares about the wrong notes and such?
Alfred Cortot was known as producing many wrong notes in all of his performances, indeed. He never was a "technician". However he was rather known for his great sense of musicality. Not to say that at these times, people were not used to CDs/DVDs remastered/computerized perfection. Playing with wrong notes did not prevent him from being a famous pianist.
Take a look at all the comments left here, you are perhaps the only one who don't like this great performance. Yes Cortot didn't always follow scores, yes he had very special rubato, and he made quite a lot of wrong notes, especially at his late days. So what? He had taste, incomparable phrasing and timbre. All he played was surprisingly fresh and even with wrong notes, we know what he wanted to express.
To say the truth I don't understand your comment (probably you didn't understand mine either...). "German composers for Germans"? No need to argue with such views...
There is some logic re "Germans (or Russians, or French) suppose to feel their own music *better*". Still this "theory" works only to the certain point - Richter and Gieseking have played French music probably better than French pianists, Toscanini conducted Tchaikovsky and Beethoven as good as Russians or Germans, etc. Your question about "who is the Boss?" simply doesn't make much sense. Composer is a creator, but performers are co-creators, - both need each other.
Dear Mozart99900; You're clearly crossing the line of the civilized dispute here. Not only your musical views are somewhat doubtful, but you make far stretching political, national and racial attacks. European pianists are not fascists, Asian pianists are not the beacons of musicianship for the whole world, Russian female-pianists still can play pretty darn good and prostitution has nothing to do with it. BTW Americans have great and unique performing traditions. Calm down and enjoy the music.
P.S. It's "professional" people like you who ruin the music art today, turning it into something mecanical and standard. When I see comment like yours, it makes me bad mood. But, ok, I apologise for being verbally rough.
Dear Mozart99900; 1. Listen Beethoven's 7th with Toscanini. 2. Don't use pseudo-scientific terminology - it makes your arguments even more ridiculous. 3. Talking about "charlatans" - the case is actually opposite to what you trying to imply. 4. I suspect normal people would rather see you as a perfect imbecile.
The best performance here in YT. Cortot is the best pianist of the history. Thank you for sharing.
I've heard this piano concerto yesterday and I fall in love, such a beatifull pice
Grandissimo CORTOT...interpretazione unica, emozionante!
Hey mate, thank you for appreciating my smallest efforts. I am glad also that there are still people who know to distinguish real treasure from the past. There are many good Russian pianists, like Lugansky or Lisitsa, still young, but potentially musical giants in history. Ofc not all can be great figures, so don't be too harsh on them:-) From music and art in general, we need to learn tolerance. Hope you have a good day!
There are several recordings on CD of this piece: - Naxos Historical 8.111537,
- Music & Arts CD-858 (2 CDs), - Great Pianists Nr. 20 (Philips-RCA-EMI) 456 751-2, - Performers in comparison (The Piano library PL 296).
Please let me know if you would find any others, I try to collect all Cortot recordings, I'm a great fan.
Thanks for sharing this!
Very personnal and poetic interpretation.
I don't mind the wrong notes.
Don't forget the conductor in your comments: Cortot is not playing alone.
Wow! Super!
As Daniel Barenboim once said ''Cortot found the expressive opium in music''. Even in his later years (Sadly he did carry on too long) these magical elements of phrasing and cantabile remained alive in his playing.
It has to said that he should not have given this performance at that late of his career, sadly it misrepresents his illustrious legacy.
You must see a german movie called "vier minuten" (2007 or 2008)an amazing version of this (but completely revisited...) Thankyou for this song! I will try to give you the link.
Did not know before that this existed. Sound quality is even better than many others! For me as Cortot fan of old, it is interesting to compare his interpretation with a recent one from George Li (pianoloverok). Will he, who is still so young, one day reach the same level of mastery? Dinu Lipatti once held the same promise.
C'est exactement ce que je voulais dire. Cortot avait un message à transmettre, des émotions, et tout cela vaut bien plus qu'une perfection technique souvent illusoire.
Dear Mozart99900;
Regarding your interest in "horizontal" and "vertical" manners, let me address you to Robert Lee Frost who said: "Dancing is a vertical expression of a horizontal desire."
please help me: from 6,13 It seems morricone's theme from "once upon a time in america" movie. What do you think?
Oh, it's probably not necesary, but still I would like to mention my gratitute to Truecryt who has continously been sharing with us his impressive collection. Due to the fact I am not good at PC, I only upload something when there is really an important rendition missing but which I happen to have, like the Richter's Valle d'obermann or the Abegg Variation of Haskil. Will try better though:-)
It doesn't work, but you can search [vier Minuten] , it is the final of the movie.
Favourite interpretation.. Besides Serkin's..
I'm happy for the safety of you hair... you're definitely not going to lose any...
Don't be "sad" for Toscanini, - your sorrow is baseless.
Thank you for the tip ("to keep reading") - I will definitely continue to do so. Reading helps writing too... Isn't it funny how people don't like to follow their own suggestions?
@sa324003960
What's wrong with it? Cortot is possibly the greatest pianists of all time. I personally think he plays this incredible musically well. Who cares about the wrong notes and such?
Das soll ein Chopin-Spieler sein? Das ist ein Schumann-Spieler :)
Alfred Cortot was known as producing many wrong notes in all of his performances, indeed. He never was a "technician". However he was rather known for his great sense of musicality. Not to say that at these times, people were not used to CDs/DVDs remastered/computerized perfection. Playing with wrong notes did not prevent him from being a famous pianist.
Take a look at all the comments left here, you are perhaps the only one who don't like this great performance. Yes Cortot didn't always follow scores, yes he had very special rubato, and he made quite a lot of wrong notes, especially at his late days. So what? He had taste, incomparable phrasing and timbre. All he played was surprisingly fresh and even with wrong notes, we know what he wanted to express.
I usually don't like much this concerto. But played so, I'm about to change opinion.
To say the truth I don't understand your comment (probably you didn't understand mine either...). "German composers for Germans"?
No need to argue with such views...
There is some logic re "Germans (or Russians, or French) suppose to feel their own music *better*". Still this "theory" works only to the certain point - Richter and Gieseking have played French music probably better than French pianists, Toscanini conducted Tchaikovsky and Beethoven as good as Russians or Germans, etc. Your question about "who is the Boss?" simply doesn't make much sense. Composer is a creator, but performers are co-creators, - both need each other.
Dear Mozart99900;
You're clearly crossing the line of the civilized dispute here. Not only your musical views are somewhat doubtful, but you make far stretching political, national and racial attacks. European pianists are not fascists, Asian pianists are not the beacons of musicianship for the whole world, Russian female-pianists still can play pretty darn good and prostitution has nothing to do with it. BTW Americans have great and unique performing traditions. Calm down and enjoy the music.
P.S. It's "professional" people like you who ruin the music art today, turning it into something mecanical and standard. When I see comment like yours, it makes me bad mood. But, ok, I apologise for being verbally rough.
Dear Mozart99900;
1. Listen Beethoven's 7th with Toscanini.
2. Don't use pseudo-scientific terminology - it makes your arguments even more ridiculous.
3. Talking about "charlatans" - the case is actually opposite to what you trying to imply.
4. I suspect normal people would rather see you as a perfect imbecile.
This is a terrible performance.