Customer Reviews

Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition / Ravel: Valses nobles et sentimentales

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'll go ahead and agree with Amazon that the Mussorgsky is a bit slow. "Ill Vecchio Castilo" and the catacomb movement in particular just drag on and on. However...

The Ravel is an absolute delight. Never has "Valses" been so "Sentimental." Every phrase is given the utmost care, and the true beauty of the music is brought out. While Porgelich's interpretation of these simple pieces sometimes borders on ambient, he somehow manages to drag the melody out of it...just when you think you're lost...

Anyone who would like to hear a fresh interpretation should pick this up.

I should start by saying that I first heard of Pogorelich only four years ago when 3 pianists were staying with us as guests for the annual Verbier music festival. One evening, I asked "who is the best pianist in the world today?", expecting an interesting discussion with a variety of viewpoints. To my surprise, all three (age range 16 to 30) agreed on Pogorelich - especially since I had never heard his name. One of my guests had a CD of his, which I promptly played, and it was instant conversion! I now have every one of his recordings.

My two favourites are the "Pictures", and Chopin's 2nd piano concerto. I can see why some tradionalists complain that his style is ideosyncratic - it is! - but what he brings to the music is innovation and sheer beauty. It may sound heretical to say it, but I believe he is able to play the music the way it should have been composed, but wasn't. Improve on Chopin, or Mozart, or Mussorgsky? Impossible? But it's true, if 'conventional' renditions by other artists are indeed more faithful to the composer's own intentions. The proof is in the listening. Suspend your preconceptions, open your mind and your ears, and bask in the glory of his wonderful sound!

This is one heck of an album! Sure, IVO plays with the tempos alot, but his pianism is of a highly adventurous caliber, and his interpretations are never careless.

Also, the sound on this disc is more than adequate; actually one of the best recorded pianos I've heard on disc. I have no idea why the sound receives any negative marks here.

I don't think Ivo Pogorelich is interested in paying homage to anyone; not composer nor pianists past. But his approach does have the adventurous spirit of someone like Glenn Gould; if you can tolerate the guy, this makes for one exciting musical experience. Yes, it sounds like he is playing to please himself, rather than to placate an aesthetic or snooty audience. But I admire his chutzpah.

Whether you are accustomed to hearing the orchestral or original piano version of "Pictures," this version will amaze you. Pogorelech brings something fresh to everything he flawlessly interprets - correct to the score but yet his own invention. Don't miss this experience. Close your eyes and as you listen and you can actually see those museum pictures. A masterful performance of unrivaled depth.

Altough I consider the Croatian pianist Ivo Pogorelich to be perhaps the greatest living pianist, I can't uncriticaly endorse this recording. I have heard Pogorelich play both these works in concert, mark my words, it was phenomenal. My problem here is the recording quality. After Pogorelich recorded the Liszt sonata he was criticized for having chosen a sound that was too close to the piano, too direct in other words, without any projection. I didn't mind so much because it allows one to hear each note clearly, and to enjoy Pogorelich's great tonality. In this recording, as with the recording of Chopin's scherzos which came a year later, the listener feels as if he is located at the back of a church. The projection of the sound is too distant, notes become mudled together and lose their definition. During some cascades of sound the blending of notes is so great that you lose all sense of melody. What a shame, for Ravel's first waltz would so benefit -with its sharp, rythmic performance- from a close microphone, and yet it is too clamy sounding to be really enjoyed. I hope Mr. Pogorelich returns to the sound quality of his earlier CD's. I find the latest releases deny us the oportunity to enjoy fully what makes him great.

Mr Pogorelich gives a well articulated and clear version of Mussorgsky's Pictures, however, the expansion on phrases doesn't make sense. All of his playing is a Masterclass of technique and talent, it would be simply much better if the music could be left as the most important part of his creation. Ivo is one of the greatest pianists of the century, he should be just "Ivo " and not "Il Divo".

This recording permitted me to listen in on Modest's visions of his friend's paintings and to ubderstand how Rimsky Korsikoff and others turned them into an orchestral triumph.

A reference CD with superb sound quality and

a reference interpretation as well.

(The gentlemen complaining about the sound

should get a decent Hifi and familiarise themselves

how a piano sounds!)

This recording is outstanding in every way. It's definetly one of the best pictures avaliable. Sometimes I don't agree with Pogorelich but he's fresh and new. Higly recommendable.

A terrific performance, marred by Deutche Grammphon's recording engineers. Pogorelich does breathes new life into the work, only to have his vision diminished by cloudy, experimental sound engineering. Sadly, the same can be found in Pletnev's recording of Prokofiev on the same label. Mid range chords are lost, the sound levels are inconsistent. Casual listener's using their car stereos, such as perhaps the last reviewer, will not notice the problem. Serious fans of the artist and of classical music, who realize that each note in interpretations such as these is essential (and who know there will likely never be another recording for posterity), have to be sadenned.