I can't believe all that glorious sound is coming from one piano and 2 hands. This is the stuff that legends should be made of. This is my new favorite piano work. Beautiful!!!
Its not even the size of the fro that makes it what it is. Its the menacing, yet majestic bobbing motion accentuating the more powerful parts of the piece that gives it its untold powers.
This is by far the best piece of music ever written, nothing contains more different timbres like mussorgsky's pictures at an exhibition. Ravel don't had difficult work - it's amazing how easy it is to imagine how it could be played by an orchestra...
There is always that one man who just has to be the one to sneak in the first "Bravo" or "Brava!" :) But what a great performance! Kissin always delivers.
In contrast to other performers of Pictures, Kissin illuminates every note, chord, trill, and scale. Voicings and balance are always under control. In other performances, the Gates of Kiev often sound like a blur or blizzard of notes. Kissin makes sure you hear everything. We can reflect on the genius of the composition without the perfomer's interpretive ticks or deficiencies getting in the way. Bravo!
i know nothing about pianist, but it looks to me this guy is the man, the best interpretation of this marvelous peace, i konw nothing about history of music but it looks like this is one of the most important pieces ever written...
I think if Ervin Nyiregyhazi had ever played that piece we would've seen it on a whole different level. However, Kissins performance is flawless, powerful, emotional, just brilliant!
this is absolutely amazing. i have goose bumps every time i hear/watch this suite performed by kissin. i am sure i would be crying had i been at this performance. i agree with the previous poster; this is utterly epic. so profound. so classy. so perfect.
There is no other way to perform PIctures at an Exhibition besides on piano. No orchestration will ever be able to capture the true soul of this piece.
Various performers have put their own touches on the piece; changes to how it sounds, leaving out movements (usually a promenade), or other such changes. I have one where during the long held notes at the very very end (3:18 to end), the player tremlos the held notes instead of just holding them, presumably to compensate for the fact that the pianos' sustain doesn't compare to, say, an orchestra. Not sure if I like it or not, but there you go.
I love this version. Concerning the orchestrated version, I've found an excellent one recently on RUclips: a live performance with E. P. Salonen and the Philharmonia at the Proms.
Great performance, Kissin is really awesome!! But I agree with volodya75, Richter's interpretation it's absolutely amazing, the best in my humble opinion!
I agree with you Evan. This is the one part of the piece that needs the low brass and percussion hits (cymbal, bass drum, timpani) that the piano just can't produce. I have to agree with pianist927 about Bydlo though. Some of the pictures could go either way. I can't decide whether i like Baba-yaga on piano or orchestrated. Maybe somebody should arrange it for piano and orchestra! there's an idea for you..
@MrTiagoCCosta I love this piece, too. And this is my favourite performance. I cannot agree with anything you said. This performance wasn't just force, listen closer. And while you are at it, read the sheet music, which in some parts even says "with full force". This rendition is beauty. I'm very happy. Thanks.
Evgeny Kissin spielt Mussorskys "Bilder einer Ausstellung" wie kein anderer Pianist so ausdrucksstark und dabei so leicht und unbeschwert. Leif Ove Andsnes war auch sehr gut mit seiner Interpretation. Aber Kissin ist einfach überragend gut.
Could anybody help me? As you all might probably know, Kissin performed live at the Grammy's Awards in 1996 (I am not sure the year) and I love the piece he played but I don't know what it is called and the composer...if anyone knows please tell me. It is for sure a well known piece. Thanks!!!!
@CaseyRocky Arguing who the best pianist ever was is like arguing who the richest millionaire is: it doesn't matter, they're all rich, or in this case, really goddamn good piano players.
it's just a scale really really fast with a lot of pedal. The bells section before it, and the big chords after are way harder. And cooler, in my opinion, but to each his own.
Man I've listened to so many arrangements for piano that are orginally orhestrations. I've gotta say that this really works here but you are rigt, though, that it is really good if not far more better for orchestra, specially in the Jukka-Pekka Saraste version...
@Nguli34689 I do also enjoy Johnny Cash's cover, I think it's success over Trent Reznors lies mainly in his more main stream nature, NIN is a bit odd for most peoples tastes haha.
@MrTiagoCCosta I have to agree with you, his playing is quite tough. I don't understand why he would interpret it as such, but it are his emotions, I just hope he understands that this wasn't the definition of force, it was the definition of banging on a piano. (no offense to the performer at all.)
@cracanel1 it was perfect for me, just listen Muszorgszkij and enjoy the tunes. Don't listen like a teacher, just enjoy! Or play it better in front of hunders of people and upload it and show me that you can play it better than him. In that case I will believe it, but until your perfomance please don't write stupid comments. Thank you!
Playing Russian music requires at least some tempo variation...Kissin, a Russian, should understand this. I don't feel the grandeur that makes this piece so special.
You might not agree with me but I find Kissin's interpretation of this "childish" and "bangy". Elena Kuschnerova has a nicer bell-like tone and is more mature in my opinion.
My dear (sir or lady), I have listened carefully... I've listened carefully to this piece as performed at Carnegie Hall by Horowitz, Pollini, and others. I've performed it myself. (Sadly, not at Carnegie Hall. More like Gus's Ale House in Brooklyn!) It is my opinion is that the orchestral version is far better suited to the musical content. Do you think Chopin's B-Minor scherzo would sound better played on a Glockenspiel? Sometimes the medium is important.
Interesting... I am a tremendous fan of both versions, but I think that the Great Gate of Kiev is one of the movements where the difference is most in favor of the *orchestra*, mostly because of the closing notes. The fact that the piano's notes decay and orchestral instruments almost all can hold their notes roughly indefinitely makes the ending (about 3:18 in this video to the end) of the piano version sound... empty... to me in comparison.
Too much banging in Kissin's performance, all too forceful and too hard. If you compare this with Barry Douglas on youtube (his legendary 1986 Tchaikovsky competition performance after which all Russians, including Kissin, started to play "Pictures"), you will hear the difference.
Great performance. Thanks. But I'm sorry, this just doesn't work nearly as well for the piano as it does for orchestra. Ravel, Rimsky-Korsakov were right.
ehhh! Ok so he's good. But I've heard better versions. I don't understand why some guys like to delay every note to the extreme. I guess that's what they call interpretation but it if you know what the melody is supposed to sound like bugs you. Ok you can all give me the thumbs down now.
I can't believe all that glorious sound is coming from one piano and 2 hands. This is the stuff that legends should be made of. This is my new favorite piano work. Beautiful!!!
a performance like that, if heard in person, would probably make start to cry from the sheer epicness and amazingness of it o:
Kein Pianist hat je Pictures at an Exhibition so phantastisch interpretiert und gespielt wie Kissin.Ein großer Dank an einen wundervollen Pianisten.
This incredible master musician should conduct every orchestra worth conducting. He could do it blindfolded.
Its not even the size of the fro that makes it what it is. Its the menacing, yet majestic bobbing motion accentuating the more powerful parts of the piece that gives it its untold powers.
This is by far the best piece of music ever written, nothing contains more different timbres like mussorgsky's pictures at an exhibition. Ravel don't had difficult work - it's amazing how easy it is to imagine how it could be played by an orchestra...
This whole performance mesmerized and brought me to tears at the end. This is music !!!! Thanks Kissin !!!
凄すぎて、ゾクゾクするほど素晴らしい。やっぱりキーシン最高👌👌🎶🎶大好きです。❤️❤️❤️❤️有り難うございます。🎶🎶✌️
What an exceptional piece of talented pianist musicianship! That was so splendid on my ears.
Every time I listen to this, I want to go all the way to my own piano and play it myself. It's one of the most powerful pieces I've ever heard.
There is always that one man who just has to be the one to sneak in the first "Bravo" or "Brava!" :)
But what a great performance! Kissin always delivers.
There is nothing else beyond this genius. I can t even think of Martha Argerich playing this master piece like him. I love him !!!!
I know class when I hear / see it, and this is it - superb.
In contrast to other performers of Pictures, Kissin illuminates every note, chord, trill, and scale. Voicings and balance are always under control. In other performances, the Gates of Kiev often sound like a blur or blizzard of notes. Kissin makes sure you hear everything. We can reflect on the genius of the composition without the perfomer's interpretive ticks or deficiencies getting in the way. Bravo!
Baba Yaga and la Grande Porte de Kiev are absolutely fantastic.
i know nothing about pianist, but it looks to me this guy is the man, the best interpretation of this marvelous peace, i konw nothing about history of music but it looks like this is one of the most important pieces ever written...
Sergio Aguilar It isn't one of the most important, but it certainly sounds grand.
The best artists will always have some major affliction, and art is their best way out sometimes...
I just had to write a paper on this piece! I can't believe I never heard it before then! It is sublime!
Merci à Moussorgsky comme à Kissin de nous faire entendre une si magnifique musique.
this is such a better version than a version done by someone in my school. This is superb!!
such glory and power! What a wonderful performance!
fantastic! i love his playing- amazing musician
i hope to be good enough to play this some day. it's going to take a looong time, but i'm going to get there.
this is brilliant.
The run-down just left me gasping. amazing.
2: 20 to 2:30 is just wonderful
he is excellent !!
someones who criticized him please give me
a reason !!
wish i could of been there,i would have been on the edge of my seat.,peace
bravo!!!!!!
I think if Ervin Nyiregyhazi had ever played that piece we would've seen it on a whole different level.
However, Kissins performance is flawless, powerful, emotional, just brilliant!
Acredito que seja o melhor pianista de todos, ele toca numa perfeição, algumas músicas melhor que os próprios compositores.
1:30 to the end is absolutely brilliant.
I have heard many performances of this, but none better
this is absolutely amazing. i have goose bumps every time i hear/watch this suite performed by kissin. i am sure i would be crying had i been at this performance. i agree with the previous poster; this is utterly epic. so profound. so classy. so perfect.
How nice.
There is no other way to perform PIctures at an Exhibition besides on piano. No orchestration will ever be able to capture the true soul of this piece.
WHEW!!! speechless.
Excellent -- suffers only in comparison with the immortal Ricther's live 1958 performance in Sofia.
The tempo makes it feel like the Great Revolving Door of Kiev at times.
＠◇＠）キーシン凄過ぎる！
何度見ても目が釘付けになってしまいます。
Various performers have put their own touches on the piece; changes to how it sounds, leaving out movements (usually a promenade), or other such changes. I have one where during the long held notes at the very very end (3:18 to end), the player tremlos the held notes instead of just holding them, presumably to compensate for the fact that the pianos' sustain doesn't compare to, say, an orchestra. Not sure if I like it or not, but there you go.
I love this version. Concerning the orchestrated version, I've found an excellent one recently on RUclips: a live performance with E. P. Salonen and the Philharmonia at the Proms.
Great performance, Kissin is really awesome!! But I agree with volodya75, Richter's interpretation it's absolutely amazing, the best in my humble opinion!
I forget what it was, but I heard the dynamics were crazy! I think there is a fortississississimo lol, or what translates to fffff.
good work
I agree with you Evan. This is the one part of the piece that needs the low brass and percussion hits (cymbal, bass drum, timpani) that the piano just can't produce. I have to agree with pianist927 about Bydlo though. Some of the pictures could go either way. I can't decide whether i like Baba-yaga on piano or orchestrated. Maybe somebody should arrange it for piano and orchestra! there's an idea for you..
@MrTiagoCCosta I love this piece, too. And this is my favourite performance. I cannot agree with anything you said. This performance wasn't just force, listen closer. And while you are at it, read the sheet music, which in some parts even says "with full force". This rendition is beauty. I'm very happy. Thanks.
OMG!!! very impressive!!!!
Evgeny Kissin spielt Mussorskys "Bilder einer Ausstellung" wie kein anderer Pianist so ausdrucksstark und dabei so leicht und unbeschwert. Leif Ove Andsnes war auch sehr gut mit seiner Interpretation. Aber Kissin ist einfach überragend gut.
@Guitrdude it's the best!
couldn't agree more, the ending sounds a little muddy to me, otherwise absolutely fantastic.
FABULEUX
That was really hard to read and really touching. Bravery.
exceptionnelle interpretation!!!!
Such Power
Could anybody help me? As you all might probably know, Kissin performed live at the Grammy's Awards in 1996 (I am not sure the year) and I love the piece he played but I don't know what it is called and the composer...if anyone knows please tell me. It is for sure a well known piece. Thanks!!!!
Piano version is surely the best :)
Not for case: it come directly from Mousorgskij mind
hahaha, your funny!!! Untold powers? xD
@Nguli34689 He didn't write Hurt, he covered it. Originally it was by Trent Reznor in Nine Inch Nails.
@CaseyRocky
Arguing who the best pianist ever was is like arguing who the richest millionaire is: it doesn't matter, they're all rich, or in this case, really goddamn good piano players.
it's just a scale really really fast with a lot of pedal. The bells section before it, and the big chords after are way harder. And cooler, in my opinion, but to each his own.
Man I've listened to so many arrangements for piano that are orginally orhestrations. I've gotta say that this really works here but you are rigt, though, that it is really good if not far more better for orchestra, specially in the Jukka-Pekka Saraste version...
@Nguli34689 I do also enjoy Johnny Cash's cover, I think it's success over Trent Reznors lies mainly in his more main stream nature, NIN is a bit odd for most peoples tastes haha.
wow.
A tribute to the greatness of the Russian spirit.
@MrTiagoCCosta I have to agree with you, his playing is quite tough. I don't understand why he would interpret it as such, but it are his emotions, I just hope he understands that this wasn't the definition of force, it was the definition of banging on a piano. (no offense to the performer at all.)
Ivo Pogorelich owns this work.
Danny B. He always owns.
I think I have decided: Evengy is definately my favourite pianist (next to Glen Gould, of course). Marvelous!
@keetner I mean it's easy to imagine wich instrument should play wich note, so Ravel could have done it an easy way, but he didn't...
@keetner Lol, haha, Ravel is a really good orchestrator.
Кто как не еврейская душа до донца поймёт и воплотит русского гения!?:))))))
@cracanel1
it was perfect for me, just listen Muszorgszkij and enjoy the tunes. Don't listen like a teacher, just enjoy! Or play it better in front of hunders of people and upload it and show me that you can play it better than him. In that case I will believe it, but until your perfomance please don't write stupid comments. Thank you!
The piano run at 2:27-how does one play that?
It's almost like the volume is covering a lack of precision. idk.
Playing Russian music requires at least some tempo variation...Kissin, a Russian, should understand this. I don't feel the grandeur that makes this piece so special.
he looks crazy xD
but he plays piano realy good
@Mattyb2001uk
Hay,
I would love to buy this DVD, could you please tell me the name of the DVD and where did you get it from?
Thankyou very much
You might not agree with me but I find Kissin's interpretation of this "childish" and "bangy". Elena Kuschnerova has a nicer bell-like tone and is more mature in my opinion.
My Video
Everybody listen to Elena Kuschnerova's interpretation! Kissin's interpretation is nothing compared to hers!!! Watch it!
where/when is this?
Guys where did this concert take place?
what about soviet union?
haha 5 star hair
does he ever miss a note??!!
That story would have been better left untold
whats he chewing?
beautifully performed. videography... not so much....
god, i wish he would have spent more time on the final chords
My dear (sir or lady),
I have listened carefully...
I've listened carefully to this piece as performed at Carnegie Hall by Horowitz, Pollini, and others. I've performed it myself. (Sadly, not at Carnegie Hall. More like Gus's Ale House in Brooklyn!)
It is my opinion is that the orchestral version is far better suited to the musical content.
Do you think Chopin's B-Minor scherzo would sound better played on a Glockenspiel? Sometimes the medium is important.
Interesting... I am a tremendous fan of both versions, but I think that the Great Gate of Kiev is one of the movements where the difference is most in favor of the *orchestra*, mostly because of the closing notes. The fact that the piano's notes decay and orchestral instruments almost all can hold their notes roughly indefinitely makes the ending (about 3:18 in this video to the end) of the piano version sound... empty... to me in comparison.
@3Gsquared You clearly know nothing about music, then, for it is his hair that gives him his great power.
i hate to say this but "shit-ty applause", just my opinion:)
I find it incredibly difficult to take him seriously because of his outrageous hairdoo...
Too much banging in Kissin's performance, all too forceful and too hard. If you compare this with Barry Douglas on youtube (his legendary 1986 Tchaikovsky competition performance after which all Russians, including Kissin, started to play "Pictures"), you will hear the difference.
Great performance. Thanks.
But I'm sorry, this just doesn't work nearly as well for the piano as it does for orchestra. Ravel, Rimsky-Korsakov were right.
ehhh! Ok so he's good. But I've heard better versions. I don't understand why some guys like to delay every note to the extreme. I guess that's what they call interpretation but it if you know what the melody is supposed to sound like bugs you. Ok you can all give me the thumbs down now.