work and work and work and work all fucking day then i come here and listen to her play this beautiful classics and for a brief moment everything just melts away. the noise just fades and she makes me go places where everything is just fine.
Jorge Orozco For those who might be interested, Ashkenazy has finally recorded this Sonata along with the Variations on a Theme of Chopin. It's not here on UA-cam however....yet, hopefully.
The more I listen to other recordings of this piece the more I appreciate what Lisitsa did here. The whole sonata form makes more sense with the faster tempo she chooses to maintain, it really glues everything together and unleashes all the hidden power in this deep work.. wow.. I have yet to find other recordings on UA-cam that match this, I'm so happy she decide to post it
The very first time I saw this video I fell in love with that sonata. Now, some months later, after buying & hearing many different recordings, interpretations of this sonata, one thing becomes very clear to me: Valentina, your version is by far the best version. You are genius!
strangely i find some sort of structure , especially in this one, it feels like an anchor to me, maybe an interpretation of that chaos that you speak shown in a way that makes sense? i don't know..
Sure, we get it... you take pride in worshipping yourself as an atheist. We'll all have our judgement day whether you realize it or not. Let's just rephrase my previous comment to be meant for reasonable people who can recognize the source of mankind's talents. Have a good day my fellow Rach lover 😊
Stalker Stomper please guys. The church is at the end of the street. You can go there to practice your religion, but do you really have to bring it to youtube?
Lisitsa makes everything she plays sound as if I am hearing it for the first time! Such clarity where so many others muddy the waters - and such subtle highlights of sound. I love her paying. She has 're-discoved' the Liszt Totentanz for solo piano almost single-handedly. Simply brilliant in all respects.
No other composer made the piano sound like Rachmaninoff. His music took the instrument to its absolute limits. Maybe the fact he was so insecure about his talent is what helped to make him so great. Valentina is about as close to a Rachmaninoff reincarnation as we could possibly ask for. I've never heard anyone play Rachmaninoff better, at least in the modern era. At the time the master himself lived, recording techniques weren't too good so we were not able to document his playing as well as I wish we could have.
With close ties to students and friends of Rachmaninoff, such as Benno Moiseiwitsch, Gina Bachaur, Vina Barnden, Abram Chasins, Vladimir Horowitz, Constance Keene, I can honestly say that in this piece, Valentina captures just what Rachmaninoff was looking for, but then again it represents some of the most difficult management of a kaleidoscope of sonorities that far transcend just the playing of notes, but rather about how to replicate an entire ocean of water, churning with endless subtleties of undercurrents, and then to give it a sense of direction. The real problem with playing this piece is that one has to have a mastery of technique, and a pair of ears combined and working harmoniously, heretofore like none other, and that is what Rachmaninoff had, and almost no one else quite comes close to getting there except for Valentina. Then again, playing this piece at another time, or even just a few minutes later from the first performance, could be as unpredictable as that aforementioned ocean of water or the kind of wind currents inside a maelstrom, with entirely different tides and undercurrents coming into play. One note played out of place in this piece, makes it become just a bunch of meaningless notes, but with everything in place, the notes blend into a sweep, that takes piano playing to the far horizons of total sonority, and stretching the complete limits of what a piano can do, and very few pianos are even capable of this. You will hear that in every single second of her playing this piece. I personally think that this was one major factor that caused Rachmaninoff to have so much stress and uncertainty throughout his massively creative life, to have this surreal and cosmic jewelry of creative sound dangling right before his eyes and in his creative mind, and not being able to completely capture it, and that somehow, he was presented with this very special but elusive stream that has no boundaries, and didn't have but one lifetime to try to show it to humanity. Maybe, if there is another side to an afterlife, this conflict and uncertainty can be codified into total understanding and realization, or I would hope.
One seldom hears Rach played so well...and with such expressiveness! Valentina, you have, amazingly, managed to surpass my personal favorite, Vladimir Ashkenazy, as one of the best interpreters of Rachmaninoff. Bravo!
So as we all know , She is a Bosendorfer artist . Those are some AMAZING pianos and share the space of " BEST PIANO EVER " with Steinway . I must just say that this Steinway is truly 1 in a million . Valintina + this beast = ..... well , " there is no use in trying to explain music in words... " ~ Martha Argerich
A teacher said in 1978 that SR was the most underrated 20th c composer, and predicted eventual recognition. SR was less optimistic himself, but today the verdict is clear: all it took was Val's unparalleled dedication with her unique abilities, attached to matchless expression and the most generous character, in order to get inside SR's music. "True art is like red-hot, boiling lava held in check by seven plates of armour," Sofronitsky said, and he's right, but Val's Ipod is just blazing.
Wonderful playing. This sounds great on my headphones, full range and dramatic. Your work takes my breath away, how wonderful to be alive with you there!
Maybe I didn't hear enough interpreters on this sonata, but she's the only one I heard who maintains a total sense of unity to the piece; she takes the listener by hand through the sonata like Virgilio leads Dante through the Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradiso. Thank you Maestro Lisitsa, now I understood this composition and from now on I won't think "too many notes" anymore, when listening to this masterpiece!
Thank you Valentina for unearthing these gems. I was first utterly astonished by your piano solo interpretation of Liszt's Totentanz, now I see that you keep bringing the good word to UA-cam. Never stop! We're all begging you!
Valentina, beautiful work and you should post the entire sonata! I recently discovered sonata 1 after loving Helene Grimaud on sonata 2. Can't stop listening to all versions of this wonderful piece, and looks like Rachmaninoff's piano sonata 1 is finally being seen for its beauty and power, more artists are playing it (who can, it's not simple). I have to laugh at people who say, "I can't get Rachmaninoff, I've tried but just can't"----well, don't, leave it to us fans. I think his work is getting more and more attention. He revised much of his works while other composers started others, and he also had to earn a living in the US as an exile from Bolshevik Russia to support his family. He became one of recording's top pianists and was also a conductor, even wrote choral works. A complex and intelligent person, interesting bio he has; his music is full of melody, harmony, polyphony, and shows his great knowledge of music theory taught in Russia. He was not understood in his time as a composer but now he would be surprised to see his popularity---or maybe he does, from another dimension!
Ms. Lisitsa- While I might take personal exception to your handling of the some of the directions for tempi in the score, your conception here is bold, daring, courageous and mysterious. The playing is nothing short of wonderful, even overwhelming. You have the perfect tonal palette for this kind of repertoire. Thank you so much for casting a spotlight on what is an unfairly neglected piece here in the West, and doing great justice to it.
The best i've yet heard from VL, a really considered and well-played performance, and the piano sounds much more harmonious than usual. Exceptionally expressive; Rach Son1 needs this advocacy. Thank you.
It's so beautiful how you express the emotion threw the music. It almost makes me want to cry when I hear some of the pieces you perform, and not because they are terrible... good grief Ms.Valentina, you are like my Ipod, I listent to you non-stop and I always tell myself I will be determined to perform some of the pieces you do one day :)
I just had to turn off the bloody TV for a while. After watching the sad news for the last day now, this is such a wonderful thing to remind myself of how beautiful the world can be. I sure hope Val comes back to Seattle and does this entire Sonata. You can bet I'll be there.
I remember the first time that I heard the First Sonata I was shocked that its first movement alone is longer than the entire Second Sonata. And it took me several hearings before I warmed to it. Now I love the First Sonata more each time I hear it. What a glorious masterpiece!
Janne Seppänen Yes, you are right. Note that Ashkenazy is playing the original 1913 version of the Second Sonata; the revised version of 1931 that's played more often is roughly 6 minutes shorter (e.g., Kobrin under 20 minutes). And Lisitsa's first movement of the First is quite fast; the Howard Shelley version (he recorded the complete piano works) is over 13-1/2 minutes. As to the length of the score, comparing the two in the International Version, the Second in its entirety is 30 pages; the first movement of the First alone is 25 pages. So technically, you are right. The first time I heard the First Sonata, the first movement sure felt longer than the entire Second. But now I love the first. Anyway, thank you. I stand corrected.
Valentina ha un grande dono.. riesce mente, mani e cuore a entrare nelle corde di un pianoforte e in quel preciso momento.. è io pianoforte a raccontare ogni sfumatura dei compositori che lei interpreta egregiamente. Personalmente a me Valentina. Fa sognare emozionare e pulsare il cuore...la sua arte pianistica è ad ogni brano.. a prescindere da quale compositore lei suggerisce su tasti bianchi e neri...ha un deciso e romantico stacco dà tutto ciò che di orribile ci sia al mondo si di fuori della musica. Questo suo perché è ciò che a me da ancora oggi un senso. Tanti anni fa studiai anch'io pianoforte...ma oggi...nel mio mondo di cinquantenne... ascoltando lei quasi sempre...nei miei momenti più privati...si che la musica... specie questa.. classica e potente...non potrà mai essere distante da me seppure io abbia erroneamente ed irreparabilmente abbandonato il mio pianoforte. Valentina mi ricorda la bellezza e la meraviglia la gioia e il motivo per cui da uomo mi emoziona ascoltare Arte Pura.
I was unfamiliar with this piece, having heard only Sonata #2. Since hearing this reading of Sonata #1 I heard Lugansky play it. He is a brilliant pianist and I love his work, but Val nailed this one so completely that anyone else must be judged to be in her shadow..
I can not stop watching this video ! it is Love ! it is not just "playing " the piano ...unbelievable , she is touching our mind by touching the piano....Piano Sonata or Symphony for orchestra or whatever form or texture it is...this is an unbelievable unity between human and music, as if she is the spirit of the piano ! Bravo.....!
Valentina I absolutely adore you! Please come back to Colorado very soon! I was at your concert with the Rach 3 and Schuberts great and the Boetcher opera Hall. Absolutely stunning! Thank you for a night I will always remember! A true virtuoso, you are one!!!
What an incredible musician you are! I'd never try touching a Rachmaninov piece because I wouldn't want to disrespect his memory with my clumsy fingers. Just watching your perfect technical skills conquer this piece is amazing. I turned to playing violin from piano at age 9 because I could not play music with two hands at once.; just like I can't play guitar and sing at the same time. Great rendition, that was one of the most beautiful and skillful piano performances I have seen.
+PBR Streetgang I just finished reading an article that pianists, through their practice, develop the two-handedness required to play. I too thought there was no way I could get my left hand moving fast enough but my teacher convinced me I could and I have through practice. You have to learn to shift your focus as you play. It takes tremendous will at first to make it happen but it can be done and through practice the ability strengthens each time. I'm now taking violin too now, which I at times think is incredibly difficult.
@@Mary-nl9uy after you learn both and can play them slowly together, it's just automatic. I've never gone near the violin, it seems like an incredibly difficult trombone (like playing 5 at once)
The music is very visual to me - like a hike into the wilderness on a secluded trail, perhaps with passing storms? There are so many textures to imprint on my listening - so that the "trail of notes" become familiar quite readily. Beautiful performance.
MANY NUANCES OF GREAT AND TRANSCENDANTAL ART CANNOT BE DESCRIBED BY THE USE OF WORDS, UNLESS THE ART IS POETRY. VALENTINA HAS THIS QUALITY WHICH CANNOT BE ACCURATELY DESCRPBED FOR IT´S SUPURB CAPACITY FOR TRANSMISSION OF THE MOST AESTHETIC OF MUSICAL COMMUNICATION. OTHER GREAT PIANISTS, TOO, CAN PLAY THIS WELL. BUT VALENTINA HAS THIS QUALITY WHICH CANNOT BE DESCRIBED IN THE USED OF LANGUAGE WORDS ONLY. BUT WE ARE THANKFUL AND BLESSED TO EXPERIENCE HER GIFT TO US. THANKYOU. RON
I have a dear friend from Dortmund. In fact, he has returned home to Germany this very day. :( If only I was able to come see you with him in April. That would be the best thing ever. Greetings from Finland!
Ms. Lisitsa, I'm not an important person at all... I just wanted to let you know that this a wonderful, wonderful performance of Rachmaninoff's Sonata no. 1. Please take it as the best comment possible when I say that it is equal with the out-of-print Alexis Weissenberg recording on Deutsche Grammophon. The way you brought out the 'Dies Irae' theme from 04:50 to 05:24 was masterful. Also, the gentle middle parts of the first movement (with the intertwining themes) is done very beautifully. It's as if people only know Rachmaninoff's 2nd sonata; I wonder why the 1st doesn't get as much attention? But thank you for keeping it alive and energetic. Sincerely, A Long-Time Fan
Funny how I read through the comments the under-attention this piece has. It was, for me, one of the first of Rachmaninov I heard and definitely the one that made me fall in love with his vision and work. As for the performance of Ms. Lisitsa : absolutely stunning as always.
Valentina playing Rachmaninoff. It just doesn't get any better than this. As always, you take my breath way! Thanks so much for sharing this performance with us.
i wanted to hear you play this on a good recording. thanks for this! have been listening to it for hours and will continue to do so for days to come i foresee love you!
Wonderful!!!!!!!!!! I'd never heard this piece before and loved it immediately. Wow!!!! I am so glad you are sharing your performances with us on You Tube. Thanks again.
You need to come to the Detroit area! :D Your playing is so wonderful. It would be so great to hear you live. I love how you can combine speed and technique with such emotion. It's truly beautiful.
i wish i could hear it in a concert hall the moving power is spellbinding and mesmerizing ms VALENTINA LISTISA HAS LIFTED TO HIMALAYAN HEIGHTS .stunned into silence by RACHMANINOFF and MS LISTISA she is totally consumed and consuming REGARDS TO BOTH
thanks for your reply and encouraging me. I'm really confused about what to become, as my mood and my opinion about music and composing changes all the time. I'm an IB student and at the moment I study Econ, Physics, Chem and etc...However, my passion is music, performing and composing as I have been playing for 8 years and am a distinction Trinity grade 8 piano graduate. Sometimes, this passion gets faded away when I listen to jazz or any other beautiful and complex form of music like hers!
I bought the Rachy CD from Amazon, along with a couple others Val has done. WOW!!! Just WOW!!! These are permanent additions to my collection. Worth every penny.
So beautiful.... his 3rd Concerto is related isn't it- or this work to the 3rd concerto themes. Thank you for sharing so much of your music with the world and relating to us mere mortals and wannabees of the piano with your wit and humor.
My hope is that Valintina's playing will speak for itself and we can avert our attention from her regretful Tweets about her homeland armed conflict and sorrows. Her depth of insight, her skillful playing, the depth of her feeling for her repertoire are things for the world to enjoy and learn by. Brava, Ms. Valintina! I look forward to hearing you play in person.
This piece like the Hammerklavier is as difficult for me to listen too as it appear to play. I don't think I'm alone and that is perhaps the reason it is more obscure than this symphonies and concertos. But thank you Valentina for giving us something to dig into.
Wonderful, reminds me of my childhood, listening to my parents Rachmaninoff recordings over and over again because they were more enjoyable than the music on the radio.
Those critics were idiots. Guess they wanted schlock. His two sonatas are some of the most powerful music out there. That build in the first movement, gads, what a ride!
I got to see (and meet briefly afterwards) you in concert with the Florida Orchestra (the first night at the Straz Center) and it was the most amazing concert I've ever been too! I can't wait to see you in concert again! :D I'm glad I can keep hearing your performances on youtube!
That would be certainly fabulous! I would be in attendance without a doubt! I hope to see it happen very soon!! Thanks for your wonderful talents, you inspire me daily to practice hard!!
Bad hair day : bien que (although) votre chevelure soit magnifique, vos interprétations sont d'une qualité tellement exceptionnelle qu'on oublie vos cheveux et que toute notre attention se reporte sur l'écoute de cette répétition de la sonate "Les Adieux", ou de cette extraordinaire interprétation de la 1ère sonate de Rachmaninov : quelle délicatesse dans le toucher dans les "piano", quelle puissance dans les "fortissimo", quelle superbe nuanciation... Bravo ! J.-P. H.
Dear Valentina, you are so great artist with so much emotions in your playing! For me you are the best performer of Rach!! Bravissimo and look forward to other new videos of you!
I highly recommend watching Denis Matsuev play the 3rd Concerto. He's been inducted into the Rachmaninoff Foundation by Alexander Rachmaninoff (Sergei's Grandson) and was trained for his music on the composer's piano. Mr. Matsuev knows unknown pieces of Rachmaninoff's music which are also findable on UA-cam. I only suggest this because he plays the Cadenza in movement 1 (along with the rest of the piece) very dramatically and doesn't seem to rush through it the way Olga Kern does.
This is such a wonderful interpretation and piece. I am so moved. Why do you think this piece was almost forgotten? It so emotional. Thank you so much.
KEVIN, YOUR LOVELY C.I.A. WOULD BLOCK HER PERFORMANCE IN MINNESOTA AS SHE DEFENDED THE CRIMERA REFERENDUM TO SEPERATE FROM UCRAIN AND RETURN BACK TO MOTHER RUSSIA. THEY BLOCKED A NUMBER OF HER CONCERTS EVEN IN CANADA BECAUSE SHE MADE A TWEET ABOUT UCRANIAN-RUSSIAN POLITICS. SHE DISCOVERED THAT IN USA THERE IS NO FREEDOM OF SPEECH, EXCEPT FOR THOSE NOT WORTH LISTENING TO LIKE HILLARY ETC.
Thanks for all the info on the piece. I love back-stories for composers! I also love how you play. Your very posture, and hand movements seem to be so smooth and always characteristic of the piece you're playing. You are a true virtuoso Valentina!
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
At a party:
"Oh you play piano? Show us a little piece!"
And she plays this
lol
"Ok, i"ll try. But i have not played for a while...."
work and work and work and work all fucking day then i come here and listen to her play this beautiful classics and for a brief moment everything just melts away. the noise just fades and she makes me go places where everything is just fine.
Are you on drugs ?
Jorge Orozco Well said...what's life all about eh????
Jorge Orozco For those who might be interested, Ashkenazy has finally recorded this Sonata along with the Variations on a Theme of Chopin. It's not here on UA-cam however....yet, hopefully.
+J Joe Townley i'll check it out, thanks for the tip !
***** Its possible haahahaha, aromatherapy and al green sounds like the perfect setup for a sexy date with a blonde pianist genius :P
The more I listen to other recordings of this piece the more I appreciate what Lisitsa did here. The whole sonata form makes more sense with the faster tempo she chooses to maintain, it really glues everything together and unleashes all the hidden power in this deep work.. wow.. I have yet to find other recordings on UA-cam that match this, I'm so happy she decide to post it
The very first time I saw this video I fell in love with that sonata.
Now, some months later, after buying & hearing many different recordings, interpretations of this sonata, one thing becomes very clear to me: Valentina, your version is by far the best version.
You are genius!
If you need to understand how from the chaos the beauty of the world was born - listen to Rachmaninoff.
strangely i find some sort of structure , especially in this one, it feels like an anchor to me, maybe an interpretation of that chaos that you speak shown in a way that makes sense? i don't know..
If not though, listen to God who created him.
Stalker Stomper On God's non-existent megaphone we can all hear. He says "Wazzzzzup" all day. So annoying.
Sure, we get it... you take pride in worshipping yourself as an atheist. We'll all have our judgement day whether you realize it or not. Let's just rephrase my previous comment to be meant for reasonable people who can recognize the source of mankind's talents. Have a good day my fellow Rach lover 😊
Stalker Stomper please guys. The church is at the end of the street. You can go there to practice your religion, but do you really have to bring it to youtube?
Valentina is one of the reasons that I play the piano. She is truly amazing.
Lisitsa makes everything she plays sound as if I am hearing it for the first time! Such clarity where so many others muddy the waters - and such subtle highlights of sound. I love her paying. She has 're-discoved' the Liszt Totentanz for solo piano almost single-handedly. Simply brilliant in all respects.
82 people were so overcome with emotion they missed the like button
Wow. She can make Rachmaninoff seem effortless.
wcsxwcsx You are rude
This piece is extremely underrated in the piano repertoire, and you @ValentinaLisitsa have inspired me to learn and perform this sonata. Thank you
No other composer made the piano sound like Rachmaninoff. His music took the instrument to its absolute limits. Maybe the fact he was so insecure about his talent is what helped to make him so great. Valentina is about as close to a Rachmaninoff reincarnation as we could possibly ask for. I've never heard anyone play Rachmaninoff better, at least in the modern era. At the time the master himself lived, recording techniques weren't too good so we were not able to document his playing as well as I wish we could have.
Too much composer did it like Beethoven or Liszt...
no,you are so wrong,Do you know medtner and scriabin?
Richter, Lugansky, Gilels Horowitz, Ashkanazy..............SILLY COMMENT
@@geofffreeburn868 Why?
With close ties to students and friends of Rachmaninoff, such as Benno Moiseiwitsch, Gina Bachaur, Vina Barnden, Abram Chasins, Vladimir Horowitz, Constance Keene, I can honestly say that in this piece, Valentina captures just what Rachmaninoff was looking for, but then again it represents some of the most difficult management of a kaleidoscope of sonorities that far transcend just the playing of notes, but rather about how to replicate an entire ocean of water, churning with endless subtleties of undercurrents, and then to give it a sense of direction. The real problem with playing this piece is that one has to have a mastery of technique, and a pair of ears combined and working harmoniously, heretofore like none other, and that is what Rachmaninoff had, and almost no one else quite comes close to getting there except for Valentina. Then again, playing this piece at another time, or even just a few minutes later from the first performance, could be as unpredictable as that aforementioned ocean of water or the kind of wind currents inside a maelstrom, with entirely different tides and undercurrents coming into play. One note played out of place in this piece, makes it become just a bunch of meaningless notes, but with everything in place, the notes blend into a sweep, that takes piano playing to the far horizons of total sonority, and stretching the complete limits of what a piano can do, and very few pianos are even capable of this. You will hear that in every single second of her playing this piece. I personally think that this was one major factor that caused Rachmaninoff to have so much stress and uncertainty throughout his massively creative life, to have this surreal and cosmic jewelry of creative sound dangling right before his eyes and in his creative mind, and not being able to completely capture it, and that somehow, he was presented with this very special but elusive stream that has no boundaries, and didn't have but one lifetime to try to show it to humanity. Maybe, if there is another side to an afterlife, this conflict and uncertainty can be codified into total understanding and realization, or I would hope.
One seldom hears Rach played so well...and with such expressiveness! Valentina, you have, amazingly, managed to surpass my personal favorite, Vladimir Ashkenazy, as one of the best interpreters of Rachmaninoff. Bravo!
So as we all know , She is a Bosendorfer artist . Those are some AMAZING pianos and share the space of " BEST PIANO EVER " with Steinway . I must just say that this Steinway is truly 1 in a million . Valintina + this beast = ..... well , " there is no use in trying to explain music in words... " ~ Martha Argerich
A teacher said in 1978 that SR was the most underrated 20th c composer, and predicted eventual recognition. SR was less optimistic himself, but today the verdict is clear: all it took was Val's unparalleled dedication with her unique abilities, attached to matchless expression and the most generous character, in order to get inside SR's music. "True art is like red-hot, boiling lava held in check by seven plates of armour," Sofronitsky said, and he's right, but Val's Ipod is just blazing.
Wonderful playing. This sounds great on my headphones, full range and dramatic. Your work takes my breath away, how wonderful to be alive with you there!
Maybe I didn't hear enough interpreters on this sonata, but she's the only one I heard who maintains a total sense of unity to the piece; she takes the listener by hand through the sonata like Virgilio leads Dante through the Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradiso. Thank you Maestro Lisitsa, now I understood this composition and from now on I won't think "too many notes" anymore, when listening to this masterpiece!
Thank you Valentina for unearthing these gems. I was first utterly astonished by your piano solo interpretation of Liszt's Totentanz, now I see that you keep bringing the good word to UA-cam. Never stop! We're all begging you!
Cannot wait to see you in concert again !!
God, I was convinced that #2 was Rach's major sonata. But his 1st also has, maybe not so well understood, eternal beauty. Long live Rachmaninoff.
9:35 sooo muse, butterflies and hurricanes
Valentina, beautiful work and you should post the entire sonata! I recently discovered sonata 1 after loving Helene Grimaud on sonata 2. Can't stop listening to all versions of this wonderful piece, and looks like Rachmaninoff's piano sonata 1 is finally being seen for its beauty and power, more artists are playing it (who can, it's not simple). I have to laugh at people who say, "I can't get Rachmaninoff, I've tried but just can't"----well, don't, leave it to us fans. I think his work is getting more and more attention. He revised much of his works while other composers started others, and he also had to earn a living in the US as an exile from Bolshevik Russia to support his family. He became one of recording's top pianists and was also a conductor, even wrote choral works. A complex and intelligent person, interesting bio he has; his music is full of melody, harmony, polyphony, and shows his great knowledge of music theory taught in Russia. He was not understood in his time as a composer but now he would be surprised to see his popularity---or maybe he does, from another dimension!
Ms. Lisitsa- While I might take personal exception to your handling of the some of the directions for tempi in the score, your conception here is bold, daring, courageous and mysterious. The playing is nothing short of wonderful, even overwhelming. You have the perfect tonal palette for this kind of repertoire. Thank you so much for casting a spotlight on what is an unfairly neglected piece here in the West, and doing great justice to it.
Caa
This is the best version of this piece by anyone ever.
The best i've yet heard from VL, a really considered and well-played performance, and the piano sounds much more harmonious than usual. Exceptionally expressive; Rach Son1 needs this advocacy. Thank you.
It's so beautiful how you express the emotion threw the music. It almost makes me want to cry when I hear some of the pieces you perform, and not because they are terrible... good grief Ms.Valentina, you are like my Ipod, I listent to you non-stop and I always tell myself I will be determined to perform some of the pieces you do one day :)
She is absolutely fantastic on this piece! ❤
The mystical qualities of this brilliant performance are a joining of Rachmaninov and his greatest living interpreter, the great Lisitsa.
Wow, amazing piece of art. Absolutely love it! Thank you for sharing the description.
I just had to turn off the bloody TV for a while. After watching the sad news for the last day now, this is such a wonderful thing to remind myself of how beautiful the world can be.
I sure hope Val comes back to Seattle and does this entire Sonata. You can bet I'll be there.
Valentina the Queen Midas!!! Everything she plays become precious in her hands!!!
I remember the first time that I heard the First Sonata I was shocked that its first movement alone is longer than the entire Second Sonata. And it took me several hearings before I warmed to it. Now I love the First Sonata more each time I hear it. What a glorious masterpiece!
Janne Seppänen
Yes, you are right. Note that Ashkenazy is playing the original 1913 version of the Second Sonata; the revised version of 1931 that's played more often is roughly 6 minutes shorter (e.g., Kobrin under 20 minutes). And Lisitsa's first movement of the First is quite fast; the Howard Shelley version (he recorded the complete piano works) is over 13-1/2 minutes. As to the length of the score, comparing the two in the International Version, the Second in its entirety is 30 pages; the first movement of the First alone is 25 pages.
So technically, you are right. The first time I heard the First Sonata, the first movement sure felt longer than the entire Second. But now I love the first.
Anyway, thank you. I stand corrected.
Valentina ha un grande dono.. riesce mente, mani e cuore a entrare nelle corde di un pianoforte e in quel preciso momento.. è io pianoforte a raccontare ogni sfumatura dei compositori che lei interpreta egregiamente. Personalmente a me Valentina. Fa sognare emozionare e pulsare il cuore...la sua arte pianistica è ad ogni brano.. a prescindere da quale compositore lei suggerisce su tasti bianchi e neri...ha un deciso e romantico stacco dà tutto ciò che di orribile ci sia al mondo si di fuori della musica. Questo suo perché è ciò che a me da ancora oggi un senso. Tanti anni fa studiai anch'io pianoforte...ma oggi...nel mio mondo di cinquantenne... ascoltando lei quasi sempre...nei miei momenti più privati...si che la musica... specie questa.. classica e potente...non potrà mai essere distante da me seppure io abbia erroneamente ed irreparabilmente abbandonato il mio pianoforte. Valentina mi ricorda la bellezza e la meraviglia la gioia e il motivo per cui da uomo mi emoziona ascoltare Arte Pura.
I was unfamiliar with this piece, having heard only Sonata #2. Since hearing this reading of Sonata #1 I heard Lugansky play it. He is a brilliant pianist and I love his work, but Val nailed this one so completely that anyone else must be judged to be in her shadow..
Valentina, thanks once again for posting an amazing performance!
Sublime... It's 23:03 here after an enjoyable sunny Thursday. Am outside still on my patio listening to you on YT. Life is good. Thanks Valentina.
This is by far the best interpretation that I've heard
Beautifully played. Closed my eyes.
I can not stop watching this video ! it is Love ! it is not just "playing " the piano ...unbelievable , she is touching our mind by touching the piano....Piano Sonata or Symphony for orchestra or whatever form or texture it is...this is an unbelievable unity between human and music, as if she is the spirit of the piano ! Bravo.....!
Valentina I absolutely adore you! Please come back to Colorado very soon! I was at your concert with the Rach 3 and Schuberts great and the Boetcher opera Hall. Absolutely stunning! Thank you for a night I will always remember! A true virtuoso, you are one!!!
Magnificent and certainly one of the most honest pianist I ever heard.
Your performance is absolutely amazing. This is the first time I appreciate this sonata, thank you for posting.
Браво Валентина!Фантастично изведено са много емоција.Ово ми је једна од омиљених соната,а Рахмањинов од омиљемих композитора! Хвала ти на овоме❤️❤️❤️
I dare to say that this is Rachmaninoff's best work and this is the best performance of it
What an incredible musician you are! I'd never try touching a Rachmaninov piece because I wouldn't want to disrespect his memory with my clumsy fingers. Just watching your perfect technical skills conquer this piece is amazing. I turned to playing violin from piano at age 9 because I could not play music with two hands at once.; just like I can't play guitar and sing at the same time. Great rendition, that was one of the most beautiful and skillful piano performances I have seen.
😒😒😒 and you think she knew this song before she was born?.. Practice my man.. Play it if you want, rachmaninov is not gonna die again 😁😁
+PBR Streetgang I just finished reading an article that pianists, through their practice, develop the two-handedness required to play. I too thought there was no way I could get my left hand moving fast enough but my teacher convinced me I could and I have through practice. You have to learn to shift your focus as you play. It takes tremendous will at first to make it happen but it can be done and through practice the ability strengthens each time. I'm now taking violin too now, which I at times think is incredibly difficult.
@@Mary-nl9uy after you learn both and can play them slowly together, it's just automatic. I've never gone near the violin, it seems like an incredibly difficult trombone (like playing 5 at once)
I am in absolute awe...
Love this, beautifully played is an understatement -- a piece truly for a concert hall on a Steinway grand.
Absolutely amazing! Thank you so much! I do not think I have heard anyone as talented for a long time!
The music is very visual to me - like a hike into the wilderness on a secluded trail, perhaps with passing storms? There are so many textures to imprint on my listening - so that the "trail of notes" become familiar quite readily. Beautiful performance.
MANY NUANCES OF GREAT AND TRANSCENDANTAL ART CANNOT BE DESCRIBED BY THE USE OF WORDS, UNLESS THE ART IS POETRY. VALENTINA HAS THIS QUALITY WHICH CANNOT BE ACCURATELY DESCRPBED FOR IT´S SUPURB CAPACITY FOR TRANSMISSION OF THE MOST AESTHETIC OF MUSICAL COMMUNICATION.
OTHER GREAT PIANISTS, TOO, CAN PLAY THIS WELL. BUT VALENTINA HAS THIS QUALITY WHICH CANNOT BE DESCRIBED IN THE USED OF LANGUAGE WORDS ONLY. BUT WE ARE THANKFUL AND BLESSED TO EXPERIENCE HER GIFT TO US. THANKYOU. RON
I was fortunate enough to see her play this piece live last night. Watching the music flow through her was a joy. Exquisite talent. Thank you!
I have a dear friend from Dortmund. In fact, he has returned home to Germany this very day. :( If only I was able to come see you with him in April. That would be the best thing ever.
Greetings from Finland!
Your technique is just amazing and near to perfection!
Some feelings and emotions cant be described with words, only music.. Valentina did it. Thank you very much
Ms. Lisitsa,
I'm not an important person at all... I just wanted to let you know that this a wonderful, wonderful performance of Rachmaninoff's Sonata no. 1. Please take it as the best comment possible when I say that it is equal with the out-of-print Alexis Weissenberg recording on Deutsche Grammophon. The way you brought out the 'Dies Irae' theme from 04:50 to 05:24 was masterful. Also, the gentle middle parts of the first movement (with the intertwining themes) is done very beautifully.
It's as if people only know Rachmaninoff's 2nd sonata; I wonder why the 1st doesn't get as much attention? But thank you for keeping it alive and energetic.
Sincerely,
A Long-Time Fan
veryangrystorks if you like classical music you are important person
Anyone who is listening to Rachmaninoff's Sonata no. 1 is an important person.
Funny how I read through the comments the under-attention this piece has. It was, for me, one of the first of Rachmaninov I heard and definitely the one that made me fall in love with his vision and work.
As for the performance of Ms. Lisitsa : absolutely stunning as always.
Valentina playing Rachmaninoff. It just doesn't get any better than this. As always, you take my breath way! Thanks so much for sharing this performance with us.
I know I loved this piece because I found myself smiling as I watched. Thank you!
i wanted to hear you play this on a good recording. thanks for this! have been listening to it for hours and will continue to do so for days to come i foresee
love you!
Wow..powerfully played, didn't know this Rach piece before.
Wonderful!!!!!!!!!! I'd never heard this piece before and loved it immediately. Wow!!!! I am so glad you are sharing your performances with us on You Tube. Thanks again.
You need to come to the Detroit area! :D Your playing is so wonderful. It would be so great to hear you live. I love how you can combine speed and technique with such emotion. It's truly beautiful.
i wish i could hear it in a concert hall
the moving power is spellbinding and mesmerizing
ms VALENTINA LISTISA HAS LIFTED TO HIMALAYAN HEIGHTS
.stunned into silence by RACHMANINOFF and MS LISTISA
she is totally consumed and consuming
REGARDS TO BOTH
How have I only just found this piece >.
thanks for your reply and encouraging me.
I'm really confused about what to become, as my mood and my opinion about music and composing changes all the time.
I'm an IB student and at the moment I study Econ, Physics, Chem and etc...However, my passion is music, performing and composing as I have been playing for 8 years and am a distinction Trinity grade 8 piano graduate. Sometimes, this passion gets faded away when I listen to jazz or any other beautiful and complex form of music like hers!
I bought the Rachy CD from Amazon, along with a couple others Val has done.
WOW!!! Just WOW!!! These are permanent additions to my collection.
Worth every penny.
So beautiful.... his 3rd Concerto is related isn't it- or this work to the 3rd concerto themes. Thank you for sharing so much of your music with the world and relating to us mere mortals and wannabees of the piano with your wit and humor.
My hope is that Valintina's playing will speak for itself and we can avert our attention from her regretful Tweets about her homeland armed conflict and sorrows. Her depth of insight, her skillful playing, the depth of her feeling for her repertoire are things for the world to enjoy and learn by. Brava, Ms. Valintina! I look forward to hearing you play in person.
This piece like the Hammerklavier is as difficult for me to listen too as it appear to play. I don't think I'm alone and that is perhaps the reason it is more obscure than this symphonies and concertos. But thank you Valentina for giving us something to dig into.
Wonderful, reminds me of my childhood, listening to my parents Rachmaninoff recordings over and over again because they were more enjoyable than the music on the radio.
now, this is how you treat a proper piano...thank you so much, Valentina!!!
that sudden change of expression in your heart at 0:45
Technique, perfectness and with great feelings...Thanks again Valentina !!
Beautiful, beautiful interpretation, Valentina
Those critics were idiots. Guess they wanted schlock. His two sonatas are some of the most powerful music out there. That build in the first movement, gads, what a ride!
May God give you a long and healthy life...People like you are truly rarities.
Beautiful interpretation and wonderful touché !
She is lost in the music everytime she plays the piano, no matter what piece. A true artist absolutely she is.
Dear Mrs Lisitsa.
I just would like to say that you are a inspiration!
Bravo! You gave me a moment of unforgettable beauty and intensity.
can,t stop listening again,and again,and again,,
I got to see (and meet briefly afterwards) you in concert with the Florida Orchestra (the first night at the Straz Center) and it was the most amazing concert I've ever been too! I can't wait to see you in concert again! :D I'm glad I can keep hearing your performances on youtube!
That would be certainly fabulous! I would be in attendance without a doubt! I hope to see it happen very soon!! Thanks for your wonderful talents, you inspire me daily to practice hard!!
Welkome back on UA-cam Vale. It's a pleasure for me to listen your new video. Charmin notes 3
I love so much this piece ! Thanks for the impeccable interpretation !! Merci 😍😍
What is there to be expected other than an amazing performance by Valentina!
Bad hair day : bien que (although) votre chevelure soit magnifique, vos interprétations sont d'une qualité tellement exceptionnelle qu'on oublie vos cheveux et que toute notre attention se reporte sur l'écoute de cette répétition de la sonate "Les Adieux", ou de cette extraordinaire interprétation de la 1ère sonate de Rachmaninov : quelle délicatesse dans le toucher dans les "piano", quelle puissance dans les "fortissimo", quelle superbe nuanciation... Bravo !
J.-P. H.
Чудово ... чудовий піаніст ... спеціальна музика ... (Етель, Бразиліа, Бразилія).
Wonderful ... remarkable pianist ... special music ... (Ethel, Brasilia, Brazil).
Magnifique ... remarquable pianiste ... musique spéciale ... (Ethel, Brasilia, Brésil).
Maravilhoso... pianista admirável... música especial... (Ethel, Brasília, Brasil).
awesome awesome awesome...
thank you for sharing this wonderful sonata !!!!
Dear Valentina, you are so great artist with so much emotions in your playing!
For me you are the best performer of Rach!!
Bravissimo and look forward to other new videos of you!
amazing, amazing, amazing. BRAVO! and now I long to hear it live...
More than playing... You actually feel the notes. It is amazing what you've done. My respects and congratulations to you.
I can only imagine the time that was put into this performance. Wow.
I highly recommend watching Denis Matsuev play the 3rd Concerto. He's been inducted into the Rachmaninoff Foundation by Alexander Rachmaninoff (Sergei's Grandson) and was trained for his music on the composer's piano. Mr. Matsuev knows unknown pieces of Rachmaninoff's music which are also findable on UA-cam.
I only suggest this because he plays the Cadenza in movement 1 (along with the rest of the piece) very dramatically and doesn't seem to rush through it the way Olga Kern does.
Simply beautiful. The emotion you place in your work is inspiring.
Absolutely awesome. A deep understanding of Rachmaninoff so clearly displayed.
This is such a wonderful interpretation and piece. I am so moved. Why do you think this piece was almost forgotten? It so emotional. Thank you so much.
Been enjoying listening to this all week, awesome piece, thanks!!
I've always loved the music of Rachmaninoff but she gives wings to it - a certian lightness that seems to be lacking in previous wonderful recordings.
Valentina Rachmaninoff's music was made for your hands...
Love it!
Valentina, please please please come to Minnesota (USA)!!! My life would be complete.
KEVIN, YOUR LOVELY C.I.A. WOULD BLOCK HER PERFORMANCE IN MINNESOTA AS SHE DEFENDED THE CRIMERA REFERENDUM TO SEPERATE FROM UCRAIN AND RETURN BACK TO MOTHER RUSSIA.
THEY BLOCKED A NUMBER OF HER CONCERTS EVEN IN CANADA BECAUSE SHE MADE A TWEET ABOUT UCRANIAN-RUSSIAN POLITICS.
SHE DISCOVERED THAT IN USA THERE IS NO FREEDOM OF SPEECH, EXCEPT FOR THOSE NOT WORTH LISTENING TO LIKE HILLARY ETC.
Thanks for all the info on the piece. I love back-stories for composers! I also love how you play. Your very posture, and hand movements seem to be so smooth and always characteristic of the piece you're playing. You are a true virtuoso Valentina!