BaL 29.01.22 - Rachmaninov: Piano Sonata no. 2 in B flat minor (Op. 36)

[Ein Heldenleben]

That was EH's reply to BBMmk2's query on the lack of comments to the thread. One might say that there are at least estimable traversals she didn't mention, and any that manages just to play all the notes and shape them coherently is going to be worth a listen in such a complex and rich work. Freddy Kempf gets a thumbs-up above from Barbirollians and it's on my shelves, along with the old CBS Horowitz, Ashkenazy and John Ogdon. The old argument about whether there is such a thing as a 'best version' of any work is surely particularly acute in this sonata.

Exactly. I have the Trpceski - amongst others - did it even get a mention? The Horowitz live I just don’t like. For all the talk of his magnificent “top note “ tone I just think he hits the keys too hard* - no wonder he got RSI …..and as for being impressed by the ovation I just think US audiences do that when they’ve paid top dollar. Still think he’s an amazing pianist in all sorts of other ways. That end of career Standchen on his home piano ..,now that’s poetry.

*I see the Lento of the 1968 Carnegie Horowitz recording includes a string break ! He plays the Lento so beautifully I’m changing my mind .
Just also been listening to his 1975 Carnegie of the finale . Has any one ever hit a bass string so hard ? His left hand little finger must have been solid steel

[Alison]

Even more absolutelys this week.

[Bryn]

Even more absolutelys this week.

Totally!

[jayne lee wilson]

Even more absolutelys this week.

Thats a shame. Rather addicted to the term myself. I think I picked it up off of NYPD Blue...

****

Not heard the BaL. Was much commented on re. original/revised? Back in the day, often hearing/taping off-air, I formed a strong preference for the wilder, more fantastical original... Let it Go, Let it Go! Let the Storm Rage On!

[Bryn]

Thats a shame. Rather addicted to the term myself. I think I picked it up off of NYPD Blue...

****

Not heard the BaL. Was much commented on re. original/revised? Back in the day, often hearing/taping off-air, I formed a strong preference for the wilder, more fantastical original... Let it Go, Let it Go! Let the Storm Rage On!

Indeed, it was discussed throughout.

[jayne lee wilson]

Indeed, it was discussed throughout.

Thanks for that..... I'll give it a go then....

[Barbirollians]

I thought probably the worst BAL it has been my misfortune to hear . Playing the Kocsis snippet entirely out of context - his major crime appearing to be that he was not Russian. Let alone a complete failure to mention the high rating the recording received elsewhere including as a previous BAL winner . As for Andrew ZmcGregor’s endless and unnecessary agreement with what she said…

I found both her favourites a bit sickly sweet. Then again when she did a BAL of The Second Piano Concerto Lucy Parham was highly dismissive of Richter .I have a vague memory that she recorded it for the Classic FM label which was panned by critics - I could be wrong and it was another British pianist.

It seems I was wrong there were Ravel Concerto and Schumann Concerto recordings one described as disappointing and the other as too polite . Judging by more positive Gramophone reviews her forte may be collaborations of music and poetry.

[Alison]

Presenter and guest seemed fond of each other I thought.

[Barbirollians]

Presenter and guest seemed fond of each other I thought.

They can be found gushing over each other’s contributions on Twitter

[BBMmk2]

Who won?

[Ein Heldenleben]

Who won?

The review - Lugansky

The Twitter love in - dunno . Just don’t have the energy to even look at it.

One tip - the Kreisleriana on the Horowitz 1968 Carnegie recital is magnificent.Is he , as well being as the loudest (clangiest?) pianist in history, also the undisputed master of the pianissimo?

How he shapes phrases at that dynamic level is beyond comprehension. Is he breathing on the keys ?

He also does that soft playing in the Rachmaninov Lento as well as spectacularly breaking a string (low A ?)
What a pianist !

[Keraulophone]

...the Horowitz 1968 Carnegie recital is magnificent. Is he, as well as being the loudest (clangiest?) pianist in history, also the undisputed master of the pianissimo?
How he shapes phrases at that dynamic level is beyond comprehension. Is he breathing on the keys ?
He also does that soft playing in the Rachmaninov Lento as well as spectacularly breaking a string (low A ?)
What a pianist !

Really magnificent.
Yes.
Probably, or doing something similar; with an unusually flat hand position.
Unique pianism.

Those long (Sony) boxes of VH CDs are endlessly entertaining.

[gradus]

The review - Lugansky

The Twitter love in - dunno . Just don’t have the energy to even look at it.

One tip - the Kreisleriana on the Horowitz 1968 Carnegie recital is magnificent.Is he , as well being as the loudest (clangiest?) pianist in history, also the undisputed master of the pianissimo?

How he shapes phrases at that dynamic level is beyond comprehension. Is he breathing on the keys ?

He also does that soft playing in the Rachmaninov Lento as well as spectacularly breaking a string (low A ?)
What a pianist !

Russian school pianists seem to cultivate tremendous left hand power as well as that mighty little finger but Horowitz could play with the utmost simplicity too, witness his affecting performance of the Schumann Arabeske from the 1967 Carnegie Hall recital. I believe that his distinctive sound was in part due to the way he had the technicians voice his piano.

[Braunschlag]

I’m sure I read somewhere that he did indeed have his own Steinway custom voiced. Nevertheless, as Heldenleben says, those pianissimos are almost inaudible, the Traumerie encore from 1965 is another good example. From the same concert the Bach Toccata, Adagio and Fugue blew me sideways (even with that clunker within the first couple of bars). I used to play that on the organ and I never listened to an organ version after I’d heard VH, same goes for Nun Komm . He seemed to make it so much more musical.
I didn’t get around to my 10 favourite pianists but he’d have been number 1 anyway.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Russian school pianists seem to cultivate tremendous left hand power as well as that mighty little finger but Horowitz could play with the utmost simplicity too, witness his affecting performance of the Schumann Arabeske from the 1967 Carnegie Hall recital. I believe that his distinctive sound was in part due to the way he had the technicians voice his piano.

Yes from the Schoenberg bio I remember it wasn’t just the flat fingered technique that Keraulophone rightly mentions . He used got the techs to use low key weight which means less finger pressure and in theory quieter sounds. I also believe he was a keen hammer head lacquerer . The trouble for mere mortals is less tone and dynamic control - but not a problem for the master.
I can’t get the Kreisleriana out of my head. The greatest ever Schumann pianist ?