Customer Reviews

Schumann: Fantasy, Op. 17; Liszt: Transcendental Etudes, Nos. 5,8,10,11,12

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I had the chance of being at Avery Fisher Hall in NY for a concert where Kissin performed this repertoire. After ending with "Wild Jagd" we held him on the stage for 5 encores... The Shumann may lack a little more instrospection in the final movement, but the first two are amazing for his power and projection which reminds me the Horowitz 1965 performance. And the Liszt is just out of this world. Chasse neige is almost scary, and Harmonies du soir has all the bell effects you can imagine and more. By all means, reviewing this recital is total pleasure. Trust me, this is awesome playing.

All of Kissin's abilities, including his implausible, supernatural technique, are beautifully displayed in the horrifically difficult solo piano pieces recorded on this compact disc. The recording heavily surpasses the work of Horowitz, Arrau, Richter, Ashkenazy and/or any other accomplished pianist that has ever lived. The Schumann work is fantastically interpreted with all of the continually consistent saturated emotion Schumann himself would have intended. Kissin makes the last transcendental etude, "Chasse-Neige," the most powerful, dramatic short recording that has ever been produced. It is superbly dazzling. The longest of the etudes, "Harmonies du Soir," is performed with a growing feeling, which starts out subtly, flourishes about two-thirds of the way through the piece and finally ends ever so delicately-a feeling that Liszt was so very partial to, in that piece, and would have greatly enjoyed. Another etude, "Feux Follets," greatly demonstrates Yevgeny's technical abilities. That piece is played with the utmost amount of controlled excitement obtainable to human nature. Liszt's tenth etude in f minor, also included on this compact disc, is a mystical dream with wonderful musical expression. Lastly, the "Wilde Jagd" etude is performed, from the first instant, with a type of wild, exploding marvel only Kissin is capable of. This piece, my favorite of the recorded pieces, is executed with utterly impeccable timing and phrasing. Yevgeny brings out an extreme amount of orchestral color and power in this piece particularly. Kissin's recording of "Wilde Jagd" makes all of the other professional solo piano recordings of this piece, and any other solo piano recording for that matter, seem very amateur. There are several other great recordings of piano music on the market today, although this album is most definitley one of the finest I have come across. This recording has helped me to establish the obvious fact that Kissin is certainly, by far, the most incredible pianist in the world. In this recording, Kissin shows that he is a true genius who magically coats the soul with mysterious musical harmonies. This recording is priceless and essential for every music collection.

This is perhaps one of Kissin's better CDs. I loved every performance on this CD, except for the last movement of Schumann's Fantasy in C where he quickly rushes through the supposedly beautiful ending. I've had the privilege to see Kissin play this entire program on this CD at a recital in L.A. It was an amazing affair. His powerful performances of the Liszt Transcendental Etudes is remarkable; especially the F-minor etude & Harmonies du soir. Kissin's virtuosity is showcased to the max in this CD. I would definitely get this CD now!

This is an amazing recording, filled with emotion and virtuosity. Don't let the young age of the pianist put you off, nor be overly concerned with technical nit-picking. Just listen.

For many years, my own favorite modern pianist has been Alfred Brendel, but you must hear what Kissin is able to achieve.

This recording continues to fill me with awe and optimism... for the subtle beauty created by Schumann and Liszt, and for the miracle of talent embodied by Kissin.

Ok lets do a very quick simple excercise - blindfold yourself and think of Arrau as X. Listen to the fifth etude " Feux follets". Then listen to Kissin (Richter and Berezovsky if you wish). You will notice that Kissin plays it about 4 times faster and with more precision (and in my opinion also beautifully though this point is not necessary to get my message across).
Only in the most Orwellian of Orwellian worlds can you call Arrau's performance better than Kissin. The main point of these pieces by Liszt is to show command and virtuousity at the piano (and even an argument as to some type of emotion that Arrau has that is lacking in the Kissin would be real embellishment).
Now don't get me wrong... not all pianists have to have superb techniques. But when it is blatantly obvious that Y pianist has a superior technique to X pianist.... there are a number of implications as far as I am concerned:
1. a pianist with a noticeable lesser technique will most likely never be considered a mega pianist. I am sorry but there are just too many good pianists out there who have a combination of technique and other attributes.
2. Said pianist should avoid pieces such as Chopin and Liszt etudes and pieces that display virtuosity.
3. When running comparisons, in the framework of reviews or talk, discrepancies in technique must be pointed out and illuminated.
No different is done with gymnasts in the Olympics... no matter HOW elegant they are....if they make technical mistakes they lose out from the get go.

The crux of all this is that we have to set a clear standard. The first thing that is imperative for a pianist is:
1. mastering the technique of a piece
2. not making mistakes (wrong notes) within reason.

ONLY AFTER this can we start to delve into the complex world of interpretation, musical intelligence, etc.

Don't get me wrong I am at times dissatisfied with Kissin because of his lack of insight/intelligence/expression (sometimes he is too quick, intense and bangy even when playing the nocturnes for example). I am sorry but the technique in the etudes here are beyond any other rendition that I have heard. Although the Schumann falls short I challenge someone to present a more technically brilliant and explosive rendition of these etudes than Kissin. In addition I would reccommend Richters performance in the famous Sofia Recital. Also Busoni recorded this in the 1920s.

Schumann's Fantasy is a difficult work to bring off. It's technically challenging, but there's not a bar of easy virtuosity. Kissin brings rare ardor and poetry to the first movement. Despite the elasticity of the pianist's tempos, the movement, which can easily splinter into sections, emerges as a whole. Kissin shows no fear in the middle movement march, and the treacherous coda is taken at breakneck (or perhaps I should say "breakfinger") speed. However, the final movement, a songful, slow piece, doesn't quite work under Kissin's hands. Some sections are a bit cut and dried, while others suffer from tempo fluctuations that seem inorganic. I can't help but wonder if this movement was cobbled together from several takes.

Kissin's performance of Liszt's Transcendental Etudes is appropriately virtuosic. He plays five of them, cannily selected and presented out of sequence for maximum effect. The fiendishly difficult Feux follets is tossed off with almost insolent ease, while he brings searching poetry to Harmonies du soir. I'd love to hear Kissin playing the full cycle of twelve, but doubt the pianist is an enthusiast of the complete recorded edition approach.

The sound is acceptable, but there's a slightly tinny quality to the piano tone.

A highly recommended recording. I have played Schumann's Fantasy and Liszt's Transcendental etudes, and have listened to numerous recordings, yet Kissin's performance really caught my attention. Dazzling technique with inspiring, refreshing artistry!!! A collection not to miss!!

A fantastic recording. The pieces are difficult to play but by Kissin, he masters it. The CD came this afternoon and I've played it 4 times already.

Every great pianist has developed certain mannerisms in their performance that some find inspiring, others annoying. Some reviewers think that these eccentric "interpretations" are subjets for criticism. But there was no one who took more liberties with the sheet than Horowitz who could make Beethoven sound like Chopin.

Kissin is an artist with tremendous technical ability and he does possess - at times - the necessarhy poetry to carry it off. I have several recordings of the Transcendental Etudes and have even played a couple myself. I have heard more poetic, more subtle and more singing interpretations but none with the sheer technical skills employed here. They are (pardon the pun) transcendent works for any pianist. My problems is that the CD advertised them as if one were receiving the entire collection when in actuality only five were present. The F-Minor was simply fantastic with all the crossing and intertwining of hands required.

The Schumann was a revelation and so very "Shumannesque" with all the Germanic rhythms and that peculiarly odd sense of melody and line.

"Come back, Shane"--I mean, Evgeny." Apparently the great Kissin has ridden away from his role as the ideal virtuoso, a lion of the keyboard with a poet's touch. Now his recitals are drastic ups and downs--the moments of coarseness and grandstanding outnumber those of finesse and beauty. On this CD from 1996, his Schumann Fantasy in C contains many examples of controlled abandon and inward feeling tied to supreme technique. But the tempo for the first movement is broad to the point of being mannered, and the third movement lacks poetry. Once you adjust, there is much to enjoy.

Even better are the demadning Liszt Transcendental Etudes. The piano is a supremely egotistical instrument, thanks in large part to Liszt's bombastic heroics. Kissin adds a touch of genuineness to his world-dominating technique. As a result, this is the most satisfying Liszt I've heard since Richter's great days. The Harmonies du soir alone would put Kissin in the pantheon. Indeed, only Richter surpasses him here, and that's only because Richter showed a more idiosyncratic personality, one large enough to overwhelm even Liszt's titanic ego. Will we ever hear Kissin in such form again? Time awaits with the answer.