Customer Reviews

Evgeny Kissin Plays Chopin

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First off, this is a fascinating all-Chopin recital, and a worthy addition to the ever-growing Kissin discography. I recently read a less than enthusiastic editorial review of this record on another website (written by Jed Distler) which criticized Kissin's use of rubato (amongst other things), saying that it was somewhat sporadic and seemed to be without rhyme or reason. I can't say that I agree. The rubato which Kissin uses is totally compelling, and really helps to shed new light on these oft recorded pieces. Here we have Kissin melding the innovative and aristocratic playing of Arrau and Perahia, with the stone cold accuracy of Pollini; in other words, downright great Chopin playing.

I have been listening to Pollini's recording of the polonaises for years, but as soon as I heard op. 26 no. 1, I was in awe. It was as if I was hearing a completely new piece of music. The "heroic" polonaise, op. 53 gets a white-hot presentation; and although no one for me can match Horowitz in this piece, Kissin really gives a wonderful and distinctive performance. The impromptus are comparable to Perahia's famed recording, with Kissin giving each one an exact, yet heartfelt interpretation. The only weak-link for me was the impromptu op. 51 , which seemed to get a somewhat cold and straightforward performance; but this a minor weak spot, and should be a deterrent to none.

Any new Evgeny Kissin CD is bound to do well (in terms of selling). The reason for this is that Kissin really brings something new to everything he does, and this is evidenced through every one of his past records. He has a distinct tone that he extracts from the piano, just as Horowitz, Gould, Arrau, and many other of the greats did. You could always tell without looking when they were playing; I believe this is true of Kissin as well.

So, all in all, this is a great recital - truly stunning Chopin playing which would be a great addition in anyone's collection. As for the detractors, who say Kissin's better days have passed him by, well, hopefully this recital will help them reassess their position.

Having been known for his performances of Chopin, Kissin's newest Chopin album doesn't fail to deliver. This album focuses exclusively on Chopin's Polonaises and Impromptus, including the popular Fantasie Impropmtu.

Being a young man of obvious talent, Kissin's technical ability is plenty abundant and thus gives each piece a smooth and organic quality that is sometimes missed from pianists of lesser technical ability. His beautiful tone compliments his playing greatly creating a more serene atmosphere in the slower and darker pieces as well as a prideful and heroic sound in the Heroic Polonaise.

If you enjoed Kissin's Chopin Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 disks, chances are you will enjoy this one immensly!

It's been a great pleasure to follow Kissin from child prodigy to adult superstar, even though along the way there have been stumbles so far as musical growth goes. This live Chopin recital from 2004 earns raves here at Amazon and with the audience, which goes crazy at the end, but The Gramophone hated it, calling Kissin's four Polonaise performances "the most lugubrious on records." (They don't feel that slow, actually, and it must be said that Kisssin takes all repeats.)

The pianism here is phenomenal, it goes without saying. Tone and touch are mesmerizing, control is superhuman, and so on. Since Kissin produced two great live Chopin recordings from Carnegie Hall for RCA, it's great to have new works in this recital from the Verbier Festival in Switzerland, which seems to have become a favorite venue among top-flight musicians.

I admit to being a bit uncomfortable with Kissin's current status; he is so prodigious that there's a risk of overpowering Chopin with dazzle and display. The Polonaises are not among Chopin's intimate works, and each is so individual that interpreting them is dfficult. Pollini's only failure on CD in Chopin, as far as I'm concerned, was his overly aggressive disc of the Polonaises. Kissin is more flexible and yielding, and his forte inerjections aren't harsh. Therefore I like these versions very much, and the 'Heroic' Polonaise is particularly appealing in its rhythmic freedom.

If only the Impromptus sounded more spontaneous--as the Amazon reviewer says, maybe some of the wonder has gone out for Kissin. There's a veneer of impersonal expertise here--compare Kissin's readings to Yundi Li's on DG, who seems more personally involved in the poetry. The Fantasy-Impromptu is arresting, yet I miss the younger Kissin's freshness. We'll jsut have to see where this supreme pianist is headed. In sum, this is one of his best recent outings.

I first heard Kissin when he gave his Canadian Debut at Roy Thompson Hall. The young star we were hearing so much about was dedicating the concert to the memory of his idol, Glen Gould. As he walked across the stage his manner was filled with curiosity and wonder, his eyes glancing all around the great hall! Once his fingers touched the keys, this "youthful" look turned into a command of the keyboard, the command displayed by great artists! The Chopin CD takes off with the two Op.26 Polonaises. We are immediately grasped with virtually unparalleled tension and sonority, coupled to one of the most flawless techniques in instrumental history. The Impromptu in A flat, Op.29, has been played so frequently, but in Kissin's hands it is the little masterpiece Chopin intended it to be. The F sharp Impromptu Op.36 contains some interesting hints of variation form. The arabesques in the final section display Kissin's sensitivity and delicate handling of this florid writing. He conveys the left hand expressively, but not at the expense of the right. The Impromptu in G flat Op.51, is little played;it is one of those treacherous pieces; but again Kissin's fluency and technical freedom, make it sound much easier than it is.The Fantaisie-Impromptu Op.66 is the earliest of the series and can become less interesting played by some, yet Kissin carries Chopin tradition throughout this performance, displaying the elegance and charm of the semiquaver figuration; the middle section in D flat has the needed element of sentiment, without the sentimental salon style, that is so unbecoming to anything composed by Chopin.The Polonaise, Op.40 No.2 in C minor-a work that has lately fallen into undeserved neglect, carries an extraordinary amount of harmonic felicities. Kissin keeps the bridge work particularly stable, and the dark,somber character is successfully conveyed. The far end is a magnificent engineering feat and the result is a most poetical enrichment of texture. The final Polonaise, Op.53 in A flat reveals amazing harmonic asymmetry and then springs into rapid life.Kissin again commands our attention through all the triadic positions in forceful octaves; but again, it is the embattled stateliness that Kissin maintains throughout the polonaise rhythm, that positions this festival recital CD, as one of the most expressive and captivating displays of "true Chopin tradition."

Author: Raymond S. Vacchino M.Mus.(MT) A.Mus. L.R.S.M. Licentiate (honorary)

For sheer technical ability Kissin is still among the very best and when coupled with his sensitivity to this composer's works it is hard to do better.

Some two decades ago, Evgeny Kissin emerged on the international platform as the unmatched child prodigy of the famous Russian piano school. From his very first concerts, his dazzling virtuosity amazed audiences worldwide and allowed him to develop a top performing career. Still a teenager, he instantly became a piano superstar, being invited to perform along with the most famous orchestras in the world (such as Berlin, Vienna, New York, London, Sankt Petersburg or Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestras, `Philharmonia' London, Boston Symphony, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, London Symphony) under legendary conductors (among them Karajan, Maazel, Ozawa, Abbado, Giulini, Mehta, Muti, Barenboim, Sir Georg Solti, Ashkenazy, Jansons, Sir Colin Davis, Gergiev, Levine, Temirkanov, and many others). Prestigious international festivals have ever since hosted his sold-out recitals. Renowned labels have been restlessly issuing sparkling recordings featuring this uneven keyboard talent.

Now in his thirties, losing none of his phenomenal technical skills but deepening his insight and enriching the musical side of his renditions, Evgeny Kissin is regarded as one of the major artists for ages, a soloist in great demand with all major musical venues where always his appearances are eagerly anticipated. The CD under consideration here is such an example, taken live from the Verbier festival in 2004, as Kissin offered to a great acclaim an all-Chopin programme comprising Polonaises and Impromptus. What one can note listening to this recording (mastered with great care for the sound by RCA Red Seal technicians) is that - coming of age - Kissin's playing gained a mellow grandeur proving a fabulous laying in the Chopinesque mood, a compelling sense of this wonderful music throughout. And, not last, a genuine pleasure to play such a great music. A vivid display of forces - consisting of bold arpeggios, daunting chords, incredible runs on the keyboard, a well balanced rubato - is put by Kissin in the service of this wondrous music by the Polish bard. The Polonaises effectively overwhelm the listener with fabulous tensions and glaring fireworks, interspersing prowess and grief solace in patriotic upsurges (how can be otherwise regarded the mighty and haunting Polonaise `Heroique' op. 53 with its uplifting themes). The Impromptus, on the other hand, are delicate confessions, rather exercises or playful explorations of sweet harmonies and fresh melodic lines. What a marvel the Fantasie-Impromptu in Kissin's hands!

Don't miss this enchanting recording by Kissin, a truly souvenir from Verbier Festival!

Great item for Chopin's music lovers. Kissin has a special relationship with Chopin's music. His first recordings of Chopin since he was a 13th years old boy show us a brilliant performing of beautiful music.

Just saw Kissin at Orchestra Hall in Chicago, in a recital that included works by Schubert, Beethoven, Brahms and Chopin. The house was packed, and he played eleven encores (lasting nearly as long as the concert!). I haven't heard the Chopin disk (and I'll buy it), but I can't imagine the performance differs that much from the one I attended. Watching Kissin play, the keyboard seemed to "melt" and become something pliable for his hands to mold. Can any other artist play that range of dynamics, achieve a seamless legato and flesh out the harmonies, regardless of the technical difficulties of a passage? I doubt it. The Chopin was the highlight. In my opinion, his playing was overly indulgent in the slow movements of the Schubert, for example, and this wasn't a factor in the Chopin. Of course, it's a matter of taste- but if you don't think Evgeny Kissin is the greatest pianist of his generation, just wait. After all, the images of Horowitz, Rubenstein and Serkin we carry in our heads aren't exactly those of fresh faced kids!

I know it may sound outrageous, but I think we had enough of these pieces. Why would anyone bother - especially if one happens to be as gifted and distinct a pianist as Kissin - to churn out one more recording of, for instance, Chopin's Polonaise Héroïque, if not for easy and big profits? Taking into account that - just to mention a few - such towering figures as Rachmaninov, Argerich, Horowitz, Rubinstein, Pollini, Yundi Li and even Kissin himself in the recent past (1994, 2000) have already been there, some of them several times, I guess his talent would be much better served if he only decided to give less-known composers and/or works a chance. It's actually far more easy than it seems, it's ultimately just a matter of imitatio dei - why not follow the steps of God himself who's out there committing to record works by Sorabji, Kapustin, Villa-Lobos, Alkan and even Godowsky's complete Études (which are basically Chopin boosted to higher voltages)? God has broken the path; it's time for the creatures to follow it. Now, if you don't even know who God is, I really feel sorry for you. :)

This recording suffers from the same problems and handicaps as many others which are put out in hundreds by the record companies: it adds nothing, absolutely nothing new to our understanding of these pieces. Kissin is neither original nor daring; he's utterly conventional, and his playing resembles that of many other pianists who tackled the Polonaises before him. And, truth to be told, I guess we already have the whole gamut of possible and plausible interpretations of these pieces; the whole ground has been very well covered. If you like aristocratic readings of the Polonaises, well, you have none other than Rubinstein; if you want to feel all their power and grandeur, Martha Argerich will send chills down your spine; but maybe you're a more introverted person who'd rather listen to an intimate account of these otherwise ''little epic pieces'' - well, here you've got none other than Horowitz! And there are many, many others who are worth listening to. There's no doubt Kissin's talent - i'm not one of those who think he's all hype. He's a serious, gifted and wonderful pianist who's still very young and hopefully will get to blossom to his fullest potential.