For me, dear Luciano, it is simply UNBELIAVABLE how this man (or any other human being, for that matter) could play such an overused, superknown, inflationed Concerto (which he had played hundreds of times) and STILL make it sound as if it was the first time you heard it. Pure magic, the "secret" of timeless music making that we all covet, and yet remain the precept of the VERY few... Go on listenting, my friend!
Shura was a great friend of mine and we went to many concerts together (he introduced me to Horowitz in London after his last recital) but I still find it a shame that he had to break the first chords. It's sounds very unnatural to me. His technique was phenomenal and in my opinion he was one of the last great pianists who could perform pretty much anything, but those chords!!!
Literatura-Violin Trivium-Quadrivium To be honest, Cherkassky was not the only legendary pianist to break first chords. Ashkenazy too, and Moiseiwistch, not only a legend of the piano but also composer's close friend, often chose that way to play the beginning of the concerto
I am sure Shura could grasp those cords as he had very large hands. Rachmaninoff himself had exceptional large hands so he could grasp almost every cord he wanted. There were also pianists like De Larrocha who solved this "her own way" by just leaving out some notes.
@@pghagen You are wrong. Shura didn't have big hands. He couldn't stretch the very awkward tenth at the beginning. When the Db is added to the chord it is very hard. Most people play the two notes in the middle with one finger. It is tricky
Rachmaninov breaks the opening chords in his own recording, however, Shura does it in a rather quirky and unnecessary manner!! I met him a few times, he was a friend and admirer of my teacher, Irene Kohler, he would on occasion play through some of his programmes for her.
Dear Shura, I still mis him on the concertstages of this world. RIP🎹🙏
Nice to see Villa Senna in Switzerland where Rachmaninoff lived.!
It's from another world...
I'm agrre Luciano
agree
For me, dear Luciano, it is simply UNBELIAVABLE how this man (or any other human being, for that matter) could play such an overused, superknown, inflationed Concerto (which he had played hundreds of times) and STILL make it sound as if it was the first time you heard it. Pure magic, the "secret" of timeless music making that we all covet, and yet remain the precept of the VERY few... Go on listenting, my friend!
Yes, it is ;-)
12:53 Rach would be proud of that cough
Shura was a great friend of mine and we went to many concerts together (he introduced me to Horowitz in London after his last recital) but I still find it a shame that he had to break the first chords. It's sounds very unnatural to me. His technique was phenomenal and in my opinion he was one of the last great pianists who could perform pretty much anything, but those chords!!!
Literatura-Violin Trivium-Quadrivium
To be honest, Cherkassky was not the only legendary pianist to break first chords. Ashkenazy too, and Moiseiwistch, not only a legend of the piano but also composer's close friend, often chose that way to play the beginning of the concerto
@@literatura-violintrivium-q9952 He only did it because he had a limited span (as did Ashkenazy). It wasn't written that way
I am sure Shura could grasp those cords as he had very large hands. Rachmaninoff himself had exceptional large hands so he could grasp almost every cord he wanted. There were also pianists like De Larrocha who solved this "her own way" by just leaving out some notes.
@@pghagen You are wrong. Shura didn't have big hands. He couldn't stretch the very awkward tenth at the beginning. When the Db is added to the chord it is very hard. Most people play the two notes in the middle with one finger. It is tricky
Rachmaninov breaks the opening chords in his own recording, however, Shura does it in a rather quirky and unnecessary manner!! I met him a few times, he was a friend and admirer of my teacher, Irene Kohler, he would on occasion play through some of his programmes for her.
May I ask what is the house at 10:30?
It's Villa Senar, Rachmaninoff's house by Lake Lucerne in Switzerland, still owned by the family
@@horbridge321 As in "Se" (Sergei), "Na" (Natalie - his wife), and "R" (obvious)!!!!