Incredible performance. Staggering technique, speed and accuracy. But most important of all, an expressive and emotional performance. Best performance I've heard.
That was so lovely. Such expression on his face- as if he's listening for the piano to tell him which keys to hit next. This guy is now one of my favorites.
The amazing thing is to realize that Liszt could play and compose this in the middle of the 19th century when pretty much only he could play it. now we have wonderful pianists like Berezovsky who are able to bring this incredible music to live performances all over the world.
Some comments disgust me. It's a live performance on stage. You should see his face. I just want to see people who wrote these comments play a piece like that, in the same conditions of temperature, stress ... So please shut up and enjoy this ''anormal performance'' ... that is the respect
Absolutely right, and it does not add to anyone's "cool" with youtube being alive even if they say they never read commentary or watch their own videos. In regards to your comment I must say mistakes are a unique part of any live performance, and they make the experience UNIQUE. I'm sure any professional artist whips themselves over mistakes but one is a perfectionist at a level to achieve. There is no lip sync here, no Madonna concert, no bullshit, this is the real deal and he is the best pianist ever. IMHO!
Yeah, I know. Anyone knocking this guy is just ignorant anyway. He's a remarkably talented pianist, and he's doing something which most people, including the ones insulting him, can only dream of doing. There's nothing wrong with how he looks, he's simply seen putting in alot of effort, which it definitely takes to play a piece like this the way he played it. And he's sweating because he's sitting under hot lights while working hard. And the way he played this piece is amazing and sounded fabulous
You should see Trifonov playing the “transcendental studios” from Listz and see how he is sweating and drops falling down. Nobody says nothing while the interpretation is perfect . Please be polite
watching his hands puts me in amazement what they are capable of. in this vast universe, in our little corner of reality, we can make things that only we understand. feats of time and energy that no computer or machine can reproduce with such subtle variation. my mind is blown...
If you disliked it, let's hear yours.... LIVE! Of course, there is always this and that, that so and so does better, especially in the studio. And while it's good to know what we like and who is our favorite, to do better than Boris, in front of a hall full of people, represents a whole other dimension.
His hands...They mirror the feverishness of the piece and by the end of the piece it seems like they have been possessed themselves. Brilliant in both technique and in bodily expression.
Probably because it's so incredibly difficult?... lol. Most pianists tend to express themselves a certain way when they are playing a difficult passage of music in a piece. If you look closely you'll start recognizing patterns.
I was indeed commenting on the difficulty, I just find it amusing. Most pianists just get a look of intense concentration in the trickier areas, but Liszt inspires some truly beautiful facial expressions ^_^
Indeed! My teacher, when he plays Liszt, or anything difficult for that matter, tends to tuck his chin into his neck, making it appear he has a double chin. On top of this he is also making the "deer caught in the headlight" look of fear! It's rather amusing.
He plays this much less fluidly, much less "romantically," than I'm used to. But I very much like his approach, which is quite daring because it makes his playing more exposed and mistakes stand out a bit more than they would otherwise. Still, what an astonishing performance! Really quite something.
I think there is a misconception that Romantic style performance is somehow "fluid"/"flowy", if you listened to recording of performance done by the late romantics like Rachmaninov, their style of performance is pretty aggressive and often noticably fast than their sheet music suggests. So in general I'd say that to have Romantic performance would be a very overt, aggressive, and passionate one, especially for a piece like this. Now I do understand you probably just meant "romantic" rather than "Romantic" but i just thought i'd make the distinction anyway
@@nikolauswilliams3124 100% this piece is about pushing it to the limit to showcase technical capability. It loses much of it's appeal when played slower and romantically
I don't really understand how people claim he doesn't play passionately, I believe he plays very passionately, and if anyone were to ever claim that I didn't play a piece passionately, I would be upset. Putting all that time and effort into learning and playing a piece; you can't help but be emotionally involved in whatever it is that you are playing.
Why are we arguing about Jazz vs. Classical? I'm a Classical musician turned Jazz musician, and I'm in the process of learning this song right now. Both are so broad, unique, and enjoyable that a simple comparison of which is better is just silly.
So characteristic of Berezovsky! Very "different" or "odd" but really brilliant! He sure knows how to produce a really "crisp" sound, doesn't rely heavily on pedals, actually barely uses them, also very interestingly "odd" phrasing.
I always find the transition from the first third into the slow waltz section at 2:30 to 2:55 to be so incredibly hard to play. its like the first section gets me all riled up and i dont the slow section romantically enough.
I have learnt this piece, and I found the most challenging section that beginning at 6:55 with the leaping-to -8ves rh. I always splashed one or two notes; so it is refreshing to know that I am in more exalted company. He does miss alot of other notes as well, but I suspect he decided to throw caution to the wind to give that "devilish" flair. Most disconcerting for me, however, is that I find his touch too heavy in the more delicate passages...almost "thumped". He does a much better "Mazeppa" in my view.
@Laudan08 I know. Hamelin is definately a supervirtuoso too. But Hamelin is more like a robot. He just plays all notes correctly without single mistakes, which I really like. But I think Berezovsky has more passion when he's playing.
I wouldn't say easy...but I get what you mean. I swear the most impressive parts of the song he nailed, while other simpler sections he messed up on. This guy is a beast, no doubt about that.
@EnviedCure776 So true! Nuages Gris = Malice Through the Looking Glass! I usually equate Nuages Gris to a subdued Funeral Fog or Blashyrkh actually. And Trauervorspiel und Trauermarsch is totally classical black metal as well :P
I found an amazing live by a young japanese (Shunta Morimoto PTNA 2018 version). He has the same rythm, a bit more clearer and regular, more intense. So I understand and I also like the live of berezovsky, more dynamique than rubinstein for instance
Then you would absolutely LOVE the pianists of "Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli" and "Art Tatum". They are legendary for their incredibly motionless technique and producing some of the best sounds to ever come out of the piano. The first time I heard both pianists, I laughed at how perfect they were and then laughed even more at how stupid perfect their technique is! They're incredibly and you should definitely check them out.
Liszt actually nailed Mephistopheles' character with this piece. Most people interpret him as an embodiment of evil and sin while actually he's just an asshole that tricks people for fun. Maybe not a very pleasant person but by no means evil, the playfulness of some passages here reflects this perfectly.
@maxdesp I, too, thought that Berezovsky is channeling Liszt directly when he plays LIszt, any Liszt piece, but especially these concert pieces like the 1st Mephisto Waltz.
Mephistopheles is the 7th prince of hell, not the devil himself. The scene of the piece, as described by Liszt, is that Mephistopheles and Faust are walking along and they come across a wedding. Mep. snatches a fiddle from one of the musicians and begins playing a seductive tune, while Faust dances with one of the maidens. The sound of the fiddle gets fainter as Faust and his maiden dance further into the woods.
@twooffour It's a fantastic performance... but I'm not sure if she goes against the composers remarking. It does start allegro, and then in the later section - does say poco a poco accelerando until it gets to Presto. However, you gotta admit - she seems to bring a phenomenal life to each piece she plays.
@karazh i'm referring to the "if u can play it u can, if not practice.." part of your comment, because according this statement, playing it shittily is exactly the same as playing it well. and by the way, ARCT is in CANADA. not america.
GREAT INTERPRETATION! Love Boris with Liszt! With Mephisto Waltz, he obsesses me and shows me some other world! Brilliant pianist! Have my musical orgasm, ha, ha! The sound is great and very powerful!
I urge you to listen to the superhuman Mephisto performance of Mikhail Pletnev, if you haven't already. Totally stunning. However, Berezovsky's performance is also very good.
@evifnoskcaj No... you've mistaken momentum for showing off... She takes it at a speed that builds the emotional intensity to it's highest point without going against the composers markings. And as I piano player, I can safely say her technique is sound and of incredible accuracy, and dexterity. Yes her fingers may be flat - but she can play like no other.
Try Kissin's version on his Schubert-Liszt cd. Purposely conservative 1st section, profound seductive middle section (with those 2 mischievous, tip toe, devil dance intrusions), finally in the recapitulation of the 1st and middle section themes he just unleashes it, like entering a demonic vortex.
@RediForKing Look at Mr. Hamelin. He has starred a Japanese documentary about himself, and it's called "Supervirtuoso", it's here on RUclips. But, Berezovsky makes me giggle when i hear this. It's orgasmic, exactly how Liszt planned it.
@skumbriawtomacie Great comment! Nowadays there are a lot of "great pianists", but there are few musicians! Listen to Rubinstein's permormance! I like this very much too!
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
back in school i used to live and breath this piece hoping someday i could play it.. Berezovsky just inspired me all over again
Nice
And have you played it ;)
It's the obsession of my life
Incredible performance. Staggering technique, speed and accuracy. But most important of all, an expressive and emotional performance. Best performance I've heard.
That was so lovely. Such expression on his face- as if he's listening for the piano to tell him which keys to hit next. This guy is now one of my favorites.
Cool
The amazing thing is to realize that Liszt could play and compose this in the middle of the 19th century when pretty much only he could play it. now we have wonderful pianists like Berezovsky who are able to bring this incredible music to live performances all over the world.
E Thalberg, Chopin, Alkan? Solo per citare Parigi/la Francia.
@@umegghjuils étaient forts en art, les français, à l’époque.
Most interesting interpretation I've ever heard! Awesome.
Some comments disgust me. It's a live performance on stage. You should see his face. I just want to see people who wrote these comments play a piece like that, in the same conditions of temperature, stress ...
So please shut up and enjoy this ''anormal performance'' ... that is the respect
Absolutely right, and it does not add to anyone's "cool" with youtube being alive even if they say they never read commentary or watch their own videos. In regards to your comment I must say mistakes are a unique part of any live performance, and they make the experience UNIQUE. I'm sure any professional artist whips themselves over mistakes but one is a perfectionist at a level to achieve. There is no lip sync here, no Madonna concert, no bullshit, this is the real deal and he is the best pianist ever. IMHO!
Yeah, I know. Anyone knocking this guy is just ignorant anyway. He's a remarkably talented pianist, and he's doing something which most people, including the ones insulting him, can only dream of doing. There's nothing wrong with how he looks, he's simply seen putting in alot of effort, which it definitely takes to play a piece like this the way he played it. And he's sweating because he's sitting under hot lights while working hard. And the way he played this piece is amazing and sounded fabulous
You should see Trifonov playing the “transcendental studios” from Listz and see how he is sweating and drops falling down. Nobody says nothing while the interpretation is perfect . Please be polite
Amazing performance. I love this piece. And it really gets to the best part in this video at around 6:03
No I think the best part is 6:38
100% agree
watching his hands puts me in amazement what they are capable of. in this vast universe, in our little corner of reality, we can make things that only we understand. feats of time and energy that no computer or machine can reproduce with such subtle variation. my mind is blown...
If you disliked it, let's hear yours.... LIVE! Of course, there is
always this and that, that so and so does better, especially in the
studio. And while it's good to know what we like and who is our
favorite, to do better than Boris, in front of a hall full of people,
represents a whole other dimension.
Here this is a reply to your comment, you should be triggered right?
7unb
Incredible pianist, amazing musician!
BRAVO!!! This was magnificent!! I truly enjoyed listening to Berezovsky's piano expertise. It touched my inner soul.
What I like about Boris is that I don´t always like him. Sometimes I adore him. Sometimes he provokes me. That´s the beauty.
Such an insane piece!
It is flabbergasting when you see someone playing it live. It seems rather impossible to move your hands at that speed.
His hands...They mirror the feverishness of the piece and by the end of the piece it seems like they have been possessed themselves. Brilliant in both technique and in bodily expression.
James Yan Yes, I noticed it, too, but could not express it as well as you did. Very good!
A gorgeous piano piece beautifully played.
I doubt liszt was this good. Absolutely flawless technique. FLAWLESS!! And what an amazing rendition! 1000/10
Probably better
If you think this is flawless, then watching Liszt play would probably give you a heart attack.
This has sooo many mistakes though? Flawless has a real meaning you know
every pianist who plays Liszt's Mephisto Waltzes has an expression of panic as they play.
Probably because it's so incredibly difficult?... lol. Most pianists tend to express themselves a certain way when they are playing a difficult passage of music in a piece. If you look closely you'll start recognizing patterns.
I was indeed commenting on the difficulty, I just find it amusing. Most pianists just get a look of intense concentration in the trickier areas, but Liszt inspires some truly beautiful facial expressions ^_^
Indeed! My teacher, when he plays Liszt, or anything difficult for that matter, tends to tuck his chin into his neck, making it appear he has a double chin. On top of this he is also making the "deer caught in the headlight" look of fear! It's rather amusing.
Check out valentina's version. She was as relaxed and cool as a cucumber. That woman is a goddess.
trifonov
Liszt the master of technique. this work of his is amazing with fast tempo and different melodies
I think all of you are so much more pianists than Berezovsky, and will perform this difficult masterpiece in a better way
thats stupid. Doesnt have to play better than him to criticise his playing
Insane :/ This piece is so hard I laugh nervously just hearing it due to the sheer difficulty :/
bravo sehr schön.¨!!!!!!!!!!
He plays this much less fluidly, much less "romantically," than I'm used to. But I very much like his approach, which is quite daring because it makes his playing more exposed and mistakes stand out a bit more than they would otherwise. Still, what an astonishing performance! Really quite something.
I think there is a misconception that Romantic style performance is somehow "fluid"/"flowy", if you listened to recording of performance done by the late romantics like Rachmaninov, their style of performance is pretty aggressive and often noticably fast than their sheet music suggests. So in general I'd say that to have Romantic performance would be a very overt, aggressive, and passionate one, especially for a piece like this.
Now I do understand you probably just meant "romantic" rather than "Romantic" but i just thought i'd make the distinction anyway
@@nikolauswilliams3124 100% this piece is about pushing it to the limit to showcase technical capability. It loses much of it's appeal when played slower and romantically
This is a long it’s so long wow you are amazing
I don't really understand how people claim he doesn't play passionately, I believe he plays very passionately, and if anyone were to ever claim that I didn't play a piece passionately, I would be upset. Putting all that time and effort into learning and playing a piece; you can't help but be emotionally involved in whatever it is that you are playing.
9 years late, but i agree. hope this last decade has treated you well.
he gives a wonderful jazzy feel to the beginning. i love his interpretations
Hes also a jazz musician. I think he improvises every night at some nightclub
wow amazing
i like it
how he plays ,reminds me when i was younger, great job my friend!
Un de mes plus beaux cds!!
Why are we arguing about Jazz vs. Classical?
I'm a Classical musician turned Jazz musician, and I'm in the process of learning this song right now. Both are so broad, unique, and enjoyable that a simple comparison of which is better is just silly.
I think he probably has the best technique of all pianists today. He some kind of super virtuoso.
Staccato touch from 5:20-5:50 is really brilliant.
Whoa, I have a bit of experience in fast play and still find this impossibly hard... well done Amazing Berezovsky.
i just don't understand how is it possible
+Anna-Rose Bélanger 20 years of playin, last 10, 10 hours a day? :)
Nah,I learned this piece in 8 months pretty good(i do a couple of errors) by practising 1 hour a day
Francesco Tavaglione link?
It's not
russian piano training! course every single day + talent
A wonderful performance of a difficult piece before an audience that actually knows how to listen.
So characteristic of Berezovsky! Very "different" or "odd" but really brilliant! He sure knows how to produce a really "crisp" sound, doesn't rely heavily on pedals, actually barely uses them, also very interestingly "odd" phrasing.
I love this piece so so much
Boris the best!!
I always find the transition from the first third into the slow waltz section at 2:30 to 2:55 to be so incredibly hard to play. its like the first section gets me all riled up and i dont the slow section romantically enough.
The best teacher for the piano
Brillant playing! Thanks for uploading
quite clearly one of the best things ever.
It’s amazing
El mejor sin dudarlo, the best
I have learnt this piece, and I found the most challenging section that beginning at 6:55 with the leaping-to -8ves rh. I always splashed one or two notes; so it is refreshing to know that I am in more exalted company. He does miss alot of other notes as well, but I suspect he decided to throw caution to the wind to give that "devilish" flair. Most disconcerting for me, however, is that I find his touch too heavy in the more delicate passages...almost "thumped". He does a much better "Mazeppa" in my view.
watkinder that part is no doubt the hardest
Big Boris certainly pushed himself to the limit with this one. His speed is incredible! Certainly a risky performance
These things are dangerous to play
ehehehe At 8:58 he looks at his hand and he's like : "seriously ? you didn't have a lot of things to do..."
Молоток Березовский! Ничего плохого не могу сказать! Красавец!
the best mephisto waltz
Yes, Berezovsky is an extremely talented pianist. And, I love this piece. I love Liszt's piano works
André laplante's is good too and in a far better sound quality
Dimitry Shishkin performance is pretty good too
No the best is [André Laplante]
@@hadrieneverard8121.......Yes best Quality !!!!
the best interpretation !!
@Laudan08 I know. Hamelin is definately a supervirtuoso too. But Hamelin is more like a robot. He just plays all notes correctly without single mistakes, which I really like. But I think Berezovsky has more passion when he's playing.
He made it look very easy...
I wouldn't say easy...but I get what you mean. I swear the most impressive parts of the song he nailed, while other simpler sections he messed up on. This guy is a beast, no doubt about that.
sigalig I think messed up is a strong word
@@sigalig 1qqqq++qq++
@@РоссийскаяФедерация-б4я “messed up” for berezovsky standards is playing a single wrong note lmao
@@РоссийскаяФедерация-б4я he completely messed up the octave leaps
BEST PERFORMANCE!!!!!
WHO DISLIKED THIS PIECE OF PURE EPIC!?
@EnviedCure776 So true! Nuages Gris = Malice Through the Looking Glass! I usually equate Nuages Gris to a subdued Funeral Fog or Blashyrkh actually. And Trauervorspiel und Trauermarsch is totally classical black metal as well :P
incredible performance...
It’s a triumph!
I found an amazing live by a young japanese (Shunta Morimoto PTNA 2018 version). He has the same rythm, a bit more clearer and regular, more intense. So I understand and I also like the live of berezovsky, more dynamique than rubinstein for instance
내가 일곱 살 때 마스터 한 곡인데, 다시 들으니 추억 돋네....
네??
열일곱이 아니라요??
진짜요?!?
Then you would absolutely LOVE the pianists of "Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli" and "Art Tatum". They are legendary for their incredibly motionless technique and producing some of the best sounds to ever come out of the piano. The first time I heard both pianists, I laughed at how perfect they were and then laughed even more at how stupid perfect their technique is! They're incredibly and you should definitely check them out.
Bravo!
Liszt actually nailed Mephistopheles' character with this piece.
Most people interpret him as an embodiment of evil and sin while actually he's just an asshole that tricks people for fun. Maybe not a very pleasant person but by no means evil, the playfulness of some passages here reflects this perfectly.
is there a studio recording for this piece by him on iTunes ? This is just beautiful best rendition!
Mexico. Alta dificultad. 🤚🤚. 💐☑️ 🎹. Exelente. 😅.
@maxdesp I, too, thought that Berezovsky is channeling Liszt directly when he plays LIszt, any Liszt piece, but especially these concert pieces like the 1st Mephisto Waltz.
Amazingly well played.
7:41 oops, need to be one octave lower lol
Haha you noticed that too. Well his left hand is so quick, he was able to recover!
I didn't even notice. His playing is so good and it's such a minor unnoticeable slip, that it really doesn't matter
Allen Richards yes finally someone who understands that classical music rehearsals isn't just about playing perfectly all the notes
niemand niets Gads, great catch!!
there is no one better..
The CLASSIC!
Mephistopheles is the 7th prince of hell, not the devil himself. The scene of the piece, as described by Liszt, is that Mephistopheles and Faust are walking along and they come across a wedding. Mep. snatches a fiddle from one of the musicians and begins playing a seductive tune, while Faust dances with one of the maidens. The sound of the fiddle gets fainter as Faust and his maiden dance further into the woods.
Great Pianist!!
@twooffour It's a fantastic performance... but I'm not sure if she goes against the composers remarking.
It does start allegro, and then in the later section - does say poco a poco accelerando until it gets to Presto.
However, you gotta admit - she seems to bring a phenomenal life to each piece she plays.
@karazh i'm referring to the "if u can play it u can, if not practice.." part of your comment, because according this statement, playing it shittily is exactly the same as playing it well. and by the way, ARCT is in CANADA. not america.
Nodame cantabile brought me here:D
@2hyeok It's short for Mephistopheles, who's a devil who feature's prominently in Marlowe's version of Faust.
Great! He drawing picture by way of play the piano.
Una delle migliori interpretazioni del Mephisto no.1 assieme a quella di Ayako Uehara
GREAT INTERPRETATION! Love Boris with Liszt! With Mephisto Waltz, he obsesses me and shows me some other world! Brilliant pianist! Have my musical orgasm, ha, ha! The sound is great and very powerful!
@Frozentoes1 And Jack Gibbons. I'd like to see Berezovsky take a shot at Alkan's Concerto.
I urge you to listen to the superhuman Mephisto performance of Mikhail Pletnev, if you haven't already. Totally stunning. However, Berezovsky's performance is also very good.
What an incredible version! It's almost as good as Horowizt, but both still cower under the prowess of Rubinstein. This is somewhere in the middle...
Very good
@evifnoskcaj No... you've mistaken momentum for showing off... She takes it at a speed that builds the emotional intensity to it's highest point without going against the composers markings.
And as I piano player, I can safely say her technique is sound and of incredible accuracy, and dexterity. Yes her fingers may be flat - but she can play like no other.
Try Kissin's version on his Schubert-Liszt cd. Purposely conservative 1st section, profound seductive middle section (with those 2 mischievous, tip toe, devil dance intrusions), finally in the recapitulation of the 1st and middle section themes he just unleashes it, like entering a demonic vortex.
@RediForKing Look at Mr. Hamelin. He has starred a Japanese documentary about himself, and it's called "Supervirtuoso", it's here on RUclips. But, Berezovsky makes me giggle when i hear this. It's orgasmic, exactly how Liszt planned it.
The best !!!!
GREAT!
Brilliance
2:52 "damn, how am I going to deal with this badass modulation?"
2:52
I wanted to say I could play the first 10 seconds of this.... But the chord at 00:09 is damn near impossible.
Damn my small mortal hands!!!!
Awesome.
Unglaublich !
@1steadman1 you are welcome, I very respect Alexey's playing
Incredible performance! I just have one question, though: how did they get the sound so dry?!
Isn't la Roque outside?
Just to make a tiny correction: Rubinstein wasn't Russian - He was polish, as Łódź is a polish city.
Oh,very powerful!
Wow
@6:37 Very impressive... i love this..
@skumbriawtomacie
Great comment!
Nowadays there are a lot of "great pianists", but there are few musicians!
Listen to Rubinstein's permormance!
I like this very much too!
True. When I sort and organize my music, I classify Russian composers under "Eastern European" along with Poland, Czechoslovakia, Finland, Hungary...
@WaldemarKoszlowsky
No, that would be Misha Dacic. Look him up playing Rachmaninov's Polka Italienne.