No one would dispute the fact that Cziffra was a master of virtuosity and a wonderful showman. But more people should know that his virtuosity was always in musical context and that he was also a very thoughtful musician. This is what separates Cziffra from his many shallow followers.
One bad example... One day, I heard a young Hungarian pianist, who was also a professor at the Liszt Academy of Music (!). I still remember the tragedy of his playing the "Wiener Soiree" arranged by Grünfeld. Often loud and shrill, with the loss of the Viennese waltz atmosphere, it was like the BOMBING of Vienna, and I covered my ears and thought of the horrors of World War II, which I had only seen on film! To me, he is an evil follower...
I mirabolanti e divertenti pot-pourri viennesi di Cziffra...il virtuosismo elevato a iperbole...non ho niente contro Cziffra e le sue guasconate...la sua colpa, a mio avviso, è di aver figliato una serie di imitatori, contribuendo ad affermare un pianismo in cui assumono un ruolo imprescindibile l'effetto spettacolare, i numeri da circo, in cui il virtuosismo non è più inteso come mezzo ma come fine...
Who cares about them? Every great personality has had epigones, see Liszt. Also, I don't think imitating is a sin. Quite contrary, one learns by imitating.
@@gaiusflaminius4861 L'imitazione di un modello è un tirocinio inevitabile in ogni percorso artistico. Ma deve essere una fase transitoria verso lo sviluppo di una personalità. Ma questo oggi succede molto raramente (direi mai)...Inoltre, l'imitazione di Cziffra si riduce a una banale riproduzione dei suoi aspetti iper-virtuosistici. Questo ha provocato uno sbilanciamento di valori estetici in generazioni di pianisti venuti dopo di lui, ossia una esagerata esteriorizzazione del gusto musicale, della platealità tecnica (lo stesso si può dire in generale degli imitatori di Horowitz)...
@@gullivior General musing. Theory doesn't match practice. Are you a performer? I already got that you abhor becoming the second Horowitz or the second Cziffra. You have symphonies in you.
But not everyone is Cziffra and does not have his means. The copy is always bad French Mais tout le monde n'est pas Cziffra et ne possède pas ses moyens. La copie est toujours mauvaise
I feel like he focuses more on the athleticism of his piano playing than on musical expression. I wonder how many times a week his piano needs to be tuned.
I understand how you'd feel that way but Cziffra fans do not listen to him for athleticism alone. All of those pianistic devices are colours - Cziffra was a unique master painter of pianistic colour. There has never been a musician that sounds quite like him... even ones who try to play these arrangements seem to miss the point. They end up sounding just as you describe - athletic without the music. Cziffra, by contrast - is so vivid and full of colour that I come back to his recordings time and time again to be dazzled by the depth of musical expression in them. The abundance of nuance and subtlety becomes more and more apparent of repeat listens.
Assolutamente in disaccordo con Lei. Il virtuosismo eccelso di Cziffra non è mai fine a se stesso. L'ho udito più volte dal vivo, e la sua qualità di Musicista brillava!
No one would dispute the fact that Cziffra was a master of virtuosity and a wonderful showman. But more people should know that his virtuosity was always in musical context and that he was also a very thoughtful musician. This is what separates Cziffra from his many shallow followers.
One bad example...
One day, I heard a young Hungarian pianist, who was also a professor at the Liszt Academy of Music (!).
I still remember the tragedy of his playing the "Wiener Soiree" arranged by Grünfeld. Often loud and shrill, with the loss of the Viennese waltz atmosphere, it was like the BOMBING of Vienna, and I covered my ears and thought of the horrors of World War II, which I had only seen on film! To me, he is an evil follower...
Exactly my thoughts.
Thank you for having expressed them so brillantly!
I mirabolanti e divertenti pot-pourri viennesi di Cziffra...il virtuosismo elevato a iperbole...non ho niente contro Cziffra e le sue guasconate...la sua colpa, a mio avviso, è di aver figliato una serie di imitatori, contribuendo ad affermare un pianismo in cui assumono un ruolo imprescindibile l'effetto spettacolare, i numeri da circo, in cui il virtuosismo non è più inteso come mezzo ma come fine...
Ma di chi stiamo parlando? Di Cziffra! Moriremo passatisti!
Who cares about them? Every great personality has had epigones, see Liszt. Also, I don't think imitating is a sin. Quite contrary, one learns by imitating.
@@gaiusflaminius4861 L'imitazione di un modello è un tirocinio inevitabile in ogni percorso artistico. Ma deve essere una fase transitoria verso lo sviluppo di una personalità. Ma questo oggi succede molto raramente (direi mai)...Inoltre, l'imitazione di Cziffra si riduce a una banale riproduzione dei suoi aspetti iper-virtuosistici. Questo ha provocato uno sbilanciamento di valori estetici in generazioni di pianisti venuti dopo di lui, ossia una esagerata esteriorizzazione del gusto musicale, della platealità tecnica (lo stesso si può dire in generale degli imitatori di Horowitz)...
@@gullivior General musing. Theory doesn't match practice. Are you a performer? I already got that you abhor becoming the second Horowitz or the second Cziffra. You have symphonies in you.
Thank you for sharing, breathtaking performance.
Excelente interpretación, sobretodo desde el punto de vista técnico. Todo un despliegue de maestría, mayormente de digitación.
Si può anche dire che ha provato i limiti del pianoforte come nessun'altro mostrando effetti che possono ricordare le performance di Liszt.
But not everyone is Cziffra and does not have his means. The copy is always bad
French Mais tout le monde n'est pas Cziffra et ne possède pas ses moyens. La copie est toujours mauvaise
¿Qué año es esta grabación?
1956-1958
I feel like he focuses more on the athleticism of his piano playing than on musical expression.
I wonder how many times a week his piano needs to be tuned.
I understand how you'd feel that way but Cziffra fans do not listen to him for athleticism alone.
All of those pianistic devices are colours - Cziffra was a unique master painter of pianistic colour.
There has never been a musician that sounds quite like him... even ones who try to play these arrangements seem to miss the point. They end up sounding just as you describe - athletic without the music.
Cziffra, by contrast - is so vivid and full of colour that I come back to his recordings time and time again to be dazzled by the depth of musical expression in them.
The abundance of nuance and subtlety becomes more and more apparent of repeat listens.
De acuerdo 100%@@Stevie-Steele
Assolutamente in disaccordo con Lei.
Il virtuosismo eccelso di Cziffra non è mai fine a se stesso.
L'ho udito più volte dal vivo, e la sua qualità di Musicista brillava!