there is something about this piece that brings out a special kind of demonic intensity in some pianists. Watching Bronfman and now Lisitsa, who I think might be even better, is just a joy
This piece of music is such an interesting thing to hear and comprehend in its complexity ,how it can throw you back to 1920s straight after ww1 atrocities and how people started deconstructing everything making of chaos art and of what was considered art up until then chaos. Truly fabulous how the anarchy becomes the reaction the order of society and how both combined together make a world. Great job Valentina, very dynamic interpretation.
The tempo is just right, not rushed as in so many other interpretations. The dynamics and accenting are brilliantly conceived and in all other respects this interpretation is one of the finest I've ever heard of the dozens of versions I have. I find no criticism at all. Bravo! While Lisitsa may love Rachmaninov she should at least record all three "War Sonatas" and maybe even all nine Prokofiev sonatas. Maybe that will happen on Naxos or some other label one day. I'm hoping.
Man, twelve years since I first saw this... time flies! Incredible performance, one of the best, but what I remember most is the intriguing and heartfelt description. I'd never known that context, and it sure as hell made me view this piece differently. And the amazing thing is you can hear those words in this performance as well... violent, brutal, even spiteful. Brilliant stuff.
On RUclips I have listened to a dozen interpretations of this encore piece a selection which seems like a 'rite of passage' for most concertizing pianists today. From the slow style of Gigory Sokolov & Younggun Kim to the hyper kinetic Martha Argerich. All have merit but to my ears the most 'sensible' style is that taken by Ms. Lisitsa who presents the composers musical ideas not as an expression of their pianistic abilities but rather to convey Prokofiev's deeper meaning. Her performance to my ears is also absent pedantry and filled with the passion inspired by the music itself.
Also agree - her playing seems to display her understanding of the piece and what the composer was trying to express, on top of her phenomenal pianism and artistry.
My initial reaction upon hearing Lisitsa for the first time was 'This young lady is Richter re-incarnated!' It was some years ago and she never failed to dazzle me with her uniquely fresh rendition of (mostly) the romantic piano literature ever since. Yet, here Maestra Lisitsa has done the unimaginable. She has surpassed the unforgettable Richter himself (one should bear in mind that it was no other than Richter who actually premiered this masterpiece). Lisitsa has reached an entirely new level of supreme pianism. In a word: MAGNIFICENT!
Hi Valentina, I just want to say one big THANK YOU for sharing such high-quality music with the world. Uploading your performances on RUclips is a great way of breaking social barriers and prejudices, and a step towards popularizing 'academic' music. Not only that but you are also a FANTASTIC PERFORMER. I also just noticed that you add an introductory text to your music, it is great to have the artists perspective on her/his work. Once again THANK YOU :)
I've played this over and over again since coming across it last week. Simply stunning. Every note and every dynamic perfectly executed. Unforgettable. Thank you.
I was reading your summary as I was listening to you play. I am not sure if this is just my mind making things happen, but as I read your words the music you were playing seemed to match the passage I was reading. Uncanny. It wasn't until I reached the very end: "Face it -- what you feel is not enthusiasm at the irrelevant display of virtuosity" that I noticed I was holding my breath. And I didn't start breathing until after you stopped playing. Wow. Thank you for sharing your amazing talent, compassion, artistry -- GENIUS -- with us. Your playing truly touched my heart. ♥!
We were fortunate enough to see this performed in Toronto at Koerner Hall last Sunday afternoon. She also performed Johann Sebastian Bach, Beethoven, Schubert and Frederic Chopin. She is a fantastic virtuoso and very focused on her performance! it will not be forgotten!
the absolutely stunning performance aside; your written description of this piece gave me shivers... one can see that you think about life and our perverse habits as a society that claims to be "civilized" while all we seem to express are motions of working mechanisms controlled by faceless dictators. i would love to talk with you as i have almost never met anybody with such a clear, unbiased view on our society as displayed in that short description of prokofievs masterpiece
Without the presto this piece would not not be precipitato! Valentina, you put so much understanding into this movement so that I feel as though I am there, witnessing the unending onslaught of the tanks, their movement towards the enemy being hammered out at a constant speed with guns firing all the time. A splendid interpretation as well as a dazzling display of your wonderful technique. And, may I say, a piece for which the Imperial Grand is very well suited! Thank you.
It is Precipitato because time signature is 7. So it antecipates one beat. Conveying this is not a matter of tempo, but of antecipation, an anxious way of playing.
This lady was absolutely incredible. I once heard, if I recall correctly, Lang Lang perform the Precipitato movement (piano sonata #7, Prokofiev) on RUclips but never like this! This was mind boggling.
Wow ! Ich bekomme immer noch kalte Schauer davon , wenn ich Lisitsas Darbietung dieses Werkes - in zeitlichen Abständen - wieder anhöre und ansehe . Thank you so much , Valentina L. !
I appreciate your willingness to explore the darkness of human nature through music. Please don't take your audiences' applause as enthusiasm for war or violence, but rather, as an affirmation of the power of art. Your work on this piece, as with everything, is breathtaking.
Prokofiev said that the keys of the piano should be hammered. He didn't like those "soft" pieces from Debussy, for example. Valentina got it. Impressive!
+Bruno Piccinin Interesting!! I recall reading that Bartok said the piano "is a beast that should have it's teeth knocked out" or something along the lines of that.
slateflash i wondered why i hate this music...and then read this comment of yours. i love the composers he apparently he hates and prefer softer music. this makes sense now
I have listened to this at least 50 times in a row, sure it may not measure up to other pieces (this is my favourite interpretation), but I love the energy, and the camera actually makes this piece so much more darker and a sinister feel than the piece is
why are people constantly comparing her to other pianists? yes, sokolov plays this amazingly. But write that comment on his video! I thought valentina played just as well, with a different approach for excitement.
I was moved beyond words by this performance. It truly shows the madness of war, which starts off courageous, like, it's all gonna be heroic and adventurous. But there's so much pain, insanity and chaos. I can see it in your face at a certain point. It's like even the "upbeat" parts become tragic. There is no turning back, one must partake... then it becomes almost ironic, or childish in a way. Like, we do this to ourselves... - for what? Also, to top it off learning this piece must have been a battle in its own right haha. Classical music at its finest! Thank you so much Valentina for this beautiful rendering, which was just the most powerful thing.
A very interesting interpretation of this piece! I find your playing of it to be the best, but as I read your description I was a bit surprised, because I had always listened to this sonata with an ear I carried over from Shostakovich, that this was an almost therapeutic attempt to cope with the horrors surrounding the artist who is powerless to change things, and as such mock the atrocities, insult the masters, warp the march of war in a way where you get to vent and deal with the emotions they force upon you, by detaching yourself from the situation and sarcastically channelling that energy into something you can live with. Perhaps most audiences don't listen to it like that and take the satire at face value when they cheer, but I cheer out of relief for getting to channel in such a more self-reflective and tolerable way emotions I would otherwise recoil at and sink back from in defeat for being assaulted by such destructive forces.
Very insightful historical perspective, I'd never thought of this movement that way before. And you play it at the perfect tempo! I love this sonata, and hopefully I'll begin learning it next semester.
Absolument exceptionnel ! Tout y est ! Au delà des compliments, la musique !! Absolutely exceptional ! Everything is perfect ! Beyond compliments...music !!
Listen to young Cyprien Katsaris and you will get shivers as with no one else except maybe young Ashkenazy in his EMI LP): he perfectly expresses the "precipitato+ hurry/ rush" aspect as wished by Mr. Prokofiev and all the violence and anxiety to be found in this War Sonata.
Very good. Tempo-wise Valentina's is in the middle of the pack. Hard to say who's "best" on this. Sokolov's, while slower than most, has incredible power and energy. He must set a record for most vertical arm motion! Others like Argerich are much faster and amazing in that respect. But in the end I think Valentina's tempo is my preference. The videography on this performance is the best I've seen and really enhances the excitement.
It seems to me 20th century is quite underappreciated. Everyone knows Beethoven and Mozart, they know the moonlight sonata, fur elise, eine kleine nachtmusik. Not a lot but a decent number know Rachmaninoff but the likes of Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Stravinsky? Even less! This is extremely saddening. These composers wrote brilliant music, so much philosophical insight to be obtained(Props to Valentina on her enlightening analysis :) )
I think it's because for example eine kleine nachtmusik is quite easy to sing or hum. Imagine humming Prokofiev's 7th. Anyway I think Prokofiev is quite well known to wide public, I'm sure almost everyone knows some of his tunes (eg Montagues and capulets theme), nonmusicians cannot appreciate his piano sonatas... they just cant. With Medtner it's whole different story I'm sure even within musicians he's quite unknown. Yet his music is hauntingly beautiful
Valentina... what can I say... you're simply marvelous! I didn't know anything about the inspiration behind it - the Tank Attack. But it all makes sense now. I heard the sound of battle horns, seismic rumbling, and unleashed chaos at the end with a final pure major resolution. (at least this is what goes through my mind when I "play" it - you play it - I don't know what I'd call what I do to it!) Playing Bach and Beethoven is like going to Church - Prokofiev, the Amusement Park (!) I love Prokofiev - and you too! and loved your video where it is clear your arms are way, way too long (!)
Valentina, it was such an honour seeing you perform this live at Koerner Hall on the weekend :) It was even better that I got to meet you after! You're such a lovely person and I really look up to you. It was so nice to see that you're so humble, and so engaging with all your fans. P.S. I was girl with glasses, white tshirt and heels and I asked to get my picture with you xD (I wonder if you remember me!)
What a Magnificient performance!!!!!!!!!!!!! just uncomparable and indescibable. Dear Valentina, you are far far faaaaaaaaaaar above in the altars!!!!!! you need not give an explanation to any body!!!!! you just create music dats it Dear valentina. keep playing. am listening to this when am running a high fever with 105 degree temperature, but am feeling relaxed than taking paracetamol or antibiotics.
Loved your concert in Toronto on Sunday .So glad you could come ,and come back soon. Thank you for the background on #7( which I thought was great when you played it). Humans have some redeeming features but I have to agree with you....we are a vicious lot sometimes.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! Ever since i saw you perform live in my hometown i've wanted you to play prokofiev!!! This is AWESOME! Thank you thank you thank you!
This piece is very confrontational and I find that very alienating. "The Ballad of a Soldier" and "The Cranes Are Flying" are two good antidotes to this toxic music. They really do express a "courageous affirmation of life and love for all living things."
Apart from the wonderful playing, this is the best video production I've ever seen. My warmest congratulations - and my very best wishes for Christmas. Christos.
Valentina you're extremely nuts when you play this!!!absolutely ecstatic!!!excellent....!!!!!you make me jump off the wall!!!! thank you for inspiring me and all the young pianists around the world!
After hearing Lisitsa in this sonata, I would to hear her in the 6th and 8th sonatas. For that matter, if she recorded the entire cycle of Prokofiev sonatas, it might well be a landmark set. I think she plays Prokofiev as well as Rachmaninov or Chopin. She understands Prokofiev as few pianists do. She reaches beneath the surface to find greater expressive depth.
I just played this piece for my Jury this semester and I had never heard any one play it before till now and thank you for blowing me away yet again Beautiful Valentina!!
Wow that was great! Your playing of the piece was: imagery. The way your left hand hit the keys with such power and purpose while your right hand kept a safe distance quickly reacting.
"...what you feel is not enthusiasm at the irrelevant display of virtuosity." No it is not that! But listening to it I decide to practice it again. Some years ago I could play it. And my feeling was that of absolute frustration and the power to overcome this frustration. Actually, I nowadays even prefer the second movement. But now I will start again. It is actually a great pleasure to play it. I am not in sado-maso, but playing this movement seems to be an alternative to pure sadistic expression.
When a pianist like Valentina Lisitsa doesn't make a piece look easy, you know that the piece must be an absolute beast to play!
we need THREE HANDS to play those last 2 pages...
Even Val is straining a bit on this one! :-)
Wooohooooo⚡️
Sokolov does make the piece look easy!
@@ghoshneh and that's because he doesn't play it "precipitato", I'm afraid
there is something about this piece that brings out a special kind of demonic intensity in some pianists. Watching Bronfman and now Lisitsa, who I think might be even better, is just a joy
This piece of music is such an interesting thing to hear and comprehend in its complexity ,how it can throw you back to 1920s straight after ww1 atrocities and how people started deconstructing everything making of chaos art and of what was considered art up until then chaos. Truly fabulous how the anarchy becomes the reaction the order of society and how both combined together make a world. Great job Valentina, very dynamic interpretation.
This is my favourite interpretation of this piece. Stunning.
The tempo is just right, not rushed as in so many other interpretations. The dynamics and accenting are brilliantly conceived and in all other respects this interpretation is one of the finest I've ever heard of the dozens of versions I have. I find no criticism at all. Bravo! While Lisitsa may love Rachmaninov she should at least record all three "War Sonatas" and maybe even all nine Prokofiev sonatas. Maybe that will happen on Naxos or some other label one day. I'm hoping.
Man, twelve years since I first saw this... time flies! Incredible performance, one of the best, but what I remember most is the intriguing and heartfelt description. I'd never known that context, and it sure as hell made me view this piece differently. And the amazing thing is you can hear those words in this performance as well... violent, brutal, even spiteful. Brilliant stuff.
On RUclips I have listened to a dozen interpretations of this encore piece a selection which seems like a 'rite of passage' for most concertizing pianists today. From the slow style of Gigory Sokolov & Younggun Kim to the hyper kinetic Martha Argerich. All have merit but to my ears the most 'sensible' style is that taken by Ms. Lisitsa who presents the composers musical ideas not as an expression of their pianistic abilities but rather to convey Prokofiev's deeper meaning. Her performance to my ears is also absent pedantry and filled with the passion inspired by the music itself.
I fully agree. Before I knew Valentina's performance, Sokolov was my favorite interpreter of this piece.
Hans Hartmann Her ending in the last few measures is a little muddy in the base line but still the tempo brings out the spirit best to my mind.
Also agree - her playing seems to display her understanding of the piece and what the composer was trying to express, on top of her phenomenal pianism and artistry.
I agree. With all the percussive effects, she manages to maintain it as music.
One of the very best version. Not too slow, not too fast, just right. Very clear, all notes are here. Strong when it must, soft when it should.
I’ll always remember this song from gran turismo 5
You generate an intensity which stops Time and compels attention !
To say that the ending is jaw-dropping is still an UNDERSTATEMENT !!
That`s how the piano lost it`s virginity..... Amazing., A really love your passion in music Queen Valentina.. love from Philippines..
😂😂😂
My initial reaction upon hearing Lisitsa for the first time was 'This young lady is Richter re-incarnated!' It was some years ago and she never failed to dazzle me with her uniquely fresh rendition of (mostly) the romantic piano literature ever since. Yet, here Maestra Lisitsa has done the unimaginable. She has surpassed the unforgettable Richter himself (one should bear in mind that it was no other than Richter who actually premiered this masterpiece). Lisitsa has reached an entirely new level of supreme pianism. In a word: MAGNIFICENT!
Valentina - thank you for your no nonsense playing and thoughts - you're as unstoppable as this movement.
Hi Valentina, I just want to say one big THANK YOU for sharing such high-quality music with the world. Uploading your performances on RUclips is a great way of breaking social barriers and prejudices, and a step towards popularizing 'academic' music. Not only that but you are also a FANTASTIC PERFORMER. I also just noticed that you add an introductory text to your music, it is great to have the artists perspective on her/his work. Once again THANK YOU :)
No one else matches the way Valentina plays this precipitato! I Love the Greatest Pianist of our time, Lady Valentina!!!
She is my Classical idol.Wonderful playing.
She is one powerhouse of a pianist when the music calls for it. She is a consumate artist.
Absolutely incredible. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.
I've played this over and over again since coming across it last week. Simply stunning. Every note and every dynamic perfectly executed. Unforgettable. Thank you.
I was reading your summary as I was listening to you play. I am not sure if this is just my mind making things happen, but as I read your words the music you were playing seemed to match the passage I was reading. Uncanny.
It wasn't until I reached the very end: "Face it -- what you feel is not enthusiasm at the irrelevant display of virtuosity" that I noticed I was holding my breath.
And I didn't start breathing until after you stopped playing. Wow.
Thank you for sharing your amazing talent, compassion, artistry -- GENIUS -- with us. Your playing truly touched my heart. ♥!
Волшебница!)))
Brilliant performance...and a very insightful commentary. Thank you for not just being simply an entertainer, but an educator as well!!
Valentina has great notes and great notes to go along with them, played and written.
We were fortunate enough to see this performed in Toronto at Koerner Hall last Sunday afternoon. She also performed Johann Sebastian Bach, Beethoven, Schubert and Frederic Chopin. She is a fantastic virtuoso and very focused on her performance!
it will not be forgotten!
Wow! The massive energy required here is incredible. :)
I LOVE PROKOFIEV!!!!!
the absolutely stunning performance aside; your written description of this piece gave me shivers... one can see that you think about life and our perverse habits as a society that claims to be "civilized" while all we seem to express are motions of working mechanisms controlled by faceless dictators.
i would love to talk with you as i have almost never met anybody with such a clear, unbiased view on our society as displayed in that short description of prokofievs masterpiece
La Divina VALENTINA!!! Gran ejecución de la sonata! Te Amo Valentina!!!
Without the presto this piece would not not be precipitato! Valentina, you put so much understanding into this movement so that I feel as though I am there, witnessing the unending onslaught of the tanks, their movement towards the enemy being hammered out at a constant speed with guns firing all the time. A splendid interpretation as well as a dazzling display of your wonderful technique. And, may I say, a piece for which the Imperial Grand is very well suited! Thank you.
It is Precipitato because time signature is 7. So it antecipates one beat. Conveying this is not a matter of tempo, but of antecipation, an anxious way of playing.
This lady was absolutely incredible. I once heard, if I recall correctly, Lang Lang perform the Precipitato movement (piano sonata #7, Prokofiev) on RUclips but never like this! This was mind boggling.
Wow ! Ich bekomme immer noch kalte Schauer davon , wenn ich Lisitsas Darbietung dieses Werkes - in zeitlichen Abständen - wieder anhöre und ansehe .
Thank you so much , Valentina L. !
a most beautiful performance..a very special pianist, ..thank You so much..John Rapp
На одном дыхании!
I appreciate your willingness to explore the darkness of human nature through music. Please don't take your audiences' applause as enthusiasm for war or violence, but rather, as an affirmation of the power of art. Your work on this piece, as with everything, is breathtaking.
I never get tired of watching this video, so amazing!
Wow.. what a performance. You are one with your instrument. BRAVO!
Prokofiev said that the keys of the piano should be hammered. He didn't like those "soft" pieces from Debussy, for example. Valentina got it. Impressive!
It's funny that Debussy and Prokofiev are both my favorite composers rsrsrs
+Bruno Piccinin Interesting!! I recall reading that Bartok said the piano "is a beast that should have it's teeth knocked out" or something along the lines of that.
slateflash i wondered why i hate this music...and then read this comment of yours. i love the composers he apparently he hates and prefer softer music.
this makes sense now
nezkeys79 Prokofiev wrote plenty of soft music.
Debussy non popular is infinately complex. People only know of Debussys Greatest hits. But much of his music is extremely enigmatic
A super performance and a super recording too!
I have listened to this at least 50 times in a row, sure it may not measure up to other pieces (this is my favourite interpretation), but I love the energy, and the camera actually makes this piece so much more darker and a sinister feel than the piece is
Everyone appreciating the music
Me and the gamers having the process of car making in our mind
Brava! Not just the performance, but the RUclips description as well. Much love and peace to you, Valentina!
why are people constantly comparing her to other pianists? yes, sokolov plays this amazingly. But write that comment on his video! I thought valentina played just as well, with a different approach for excitement.
I was moved beyond words by this performance. It truly shows the madness of war, which starts off courageous, like, it's all gonna be heroic and adventurous. But there's so much pain, insanity and chaos. I can see it in your face at a certain point. It's like even the "upbeat" parts become tragic. There is no turning back, one must partake... then it becomes almost ironic, or childish in a way. Like, we do this to ourselves... - for what? Also, to top it off learning this piece must have been a battle in its own right haha. Classical music at its finest! Thank you so much Valentina for this beautiful rendering, which was just the most powerful thing.
Amazing! Great interpretation of the 7th sonata!
A very interesting interpretation of this piece! I find your playing of it to be the best, but as I read your description I was a bit surprised, because I had always listened to this sonata with an ear I carried over from Shostakovich, that this was an almost therapeutic attempt to cope with the horrors surrounding the artist who is powerless to change things, and as such mock the atrocities, insult the masters, warp the march of war in a way where you get to vent and deal with the emotions they force upon you, by detaching yourself from the situation and sarcastically channelling that energy into something you can live with.
Perhaps most audiences don't listen to it like that and take the satire at face value when they cheer, but I cheer out of relief for getting to channel in such a more self-reflective and tolerable way emotions I would otherwise recoil at and sink back from in defeat for being assaulted by such destructive forces.
Very insightful historical perspective, I'd never thought of this movement that way before. And you play it at the perfect tempo! I love this sonata, and hopefully I'll begin learning it next semester.
This video evokes how I feel with college finals coming up
En vivo es espectacular, tuve la suerte de escucharla ayer en vivo en el GTN de Lima, extraordinario!
Brutal and uncompromising. Such a mighty performance - as mighty as Richter - f... you're so great
I have to echo my own comment! Can't say it any better.
La migliore Pianista
in assoluto ❣❣
👏🎶🍀💎🏆⚘⚘
I'm unable to decide if your description of the piece or your playing of it was more brilliant. This is great stuff!!
Absolument exceptionnel ! Tout y est ! Au delà des compliments, la musique !!
Absolutely exceptional ! Everything is perfect ! Beyond compliments...music !!
Listen to young Cyprien Katsaris and you will get shivers as with no one else except maybe young Ashkenazy in his EMI LP): he perfectly expresses the "precipitato+ hurry/ rush" aspect as wished by Mr. Prokofiev and all the violence and anxiety to be found in this War Sonata.
Very good. Tempo-wise Valentina's is in the middle of the pack. Hard to say who's "best" on this. Sokolov's, while slower than most, has incredible power and energy. He must set a record for most vertical arm motion! Others like Argerich are much faster and amazing in that respect. But in the end I think Valentina's tempo is my preference. The videography on this performance is the best I've seen and really enhances the excitement.
Not only was your playing wondrous, but the accompanied writing thoughtful. Thank you so much!
It seems to me 20th century is quite underappreciated. Everyone knows Beethoven and Mozart, they know the moonlight sonata, fur elise, eine kleine nachtmusik. Not a lot but a decent number know Rachmaninoff but the likes of Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Stravinsky? Even less! This is extremely saddening. These composers wrote brilliant music, so much philosophical insight to be obtained(Props to Valentina on her enlightening analysis :) )
Don't forget that once you get past Barber in this country, less and less major works have been written for solo piano over time.
All because people can't stomach "dissonance". Smh
I think it's because for example eine kleine nachtmusik is quite easy to sing or hum. Imagine humming Prokofiev's 7th. Anyway I think Prokofiev is quite well known to wide public, I'm sure almost everyone knows some of his tunes (eg Montagues and capulets theme), nonmusicians cannot appreciate his piano sonatas... they just cant. With Medtner it's whole different story I'm sure even within musicians he's quite unknown. Yet his music is hauntingly beautiful
The best music cannot be hummed or will make you sound like an idiot if you attempt to hum it. It's true
Valentina... what can I say... you're simply marvelous!
I didn't know anything about the inspiration behind it - the Tank Attack. But it all makes sense now. I heard the sound of battle horns, seismic rumbling, and unleashed chaos at the end with a final pure major resolution. (at least this is what goes through my mind when I "play" it - you play it - I don't know what I'd call what I do to it!)
Playing Bach and Beethoven is like going to Church - Prokofiev, the Amusement Park (!)
I love Prokofiev - and you too! and loved your video where it is clear your arms are way, way too long (!)
Quel combat ! Et elle gagne ;)
What a fight ! And she wins ;)
Astounding camera work!
Brava! One of my favourite interpretations.
She is an absolute beast. Virtuosity with accuracy.
absolutly ..beautiful!..Thank You..John Rapp
oh this means different connotation today in 2022! amazing.
Valentina, it was such an honour seeing you perform this live at Koerner Hall on the weekend :) It was even better that I got to meet you after! You're such a lovely person and I really look up to you.
It was so nice to see that you're so humble, and so engaging with all your fans.
P.S. I was girl with glasses, white tshirt and heels and I asked to get my picture with you xD (I wonder if you remember me!)
After two days now with so many best of the best .One thing I'm sure off .
You're the one with the killer heels.
Just have listened to this a few hours ago in Mexico City. You are AMAZING Valentina
Come again, please
What a Magnificient performance!!!!!!!!!!!!! just uncomparable and indescibable. Dear Valentina, you are far far faaaaaaaaaaar above in the altars!!!!!! you need not give an explanation to any body!!!!! you just create music dats it Dear valentina. keep playing. am listening to this when am running a high fever with 105 degree temperature, but am feeling relaxed than taking paracetamol or antibiotics.
Loved your concert in Toronto on Sunday .So glad you could come ,and come back soon.
Thank you for the background on #7( which I thought was great when you played it).
Humans have some redeeming features but I have to agree with you....we are a vicious lot sometimes.
Your words, like your playing, are magnificent. A hug to you from England.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! Ever since i saw you perform live in my hometown i've wanted you to play prokofiev!!! This is AWESOME! Thank you thank you thank you!
This piece is very confrontational and I find that very alienating.
"The Ballad of a Soldier" and "The Cranes Are Flying" are two good antidotes to this toxic music. They really do express a "courageous affirmation of life and love for all living things."
Thanks for sharing. I hope one day , play like you do. You're awesome.
Apart from the wonderful playing, this is the best video production I've ever seen. My warmest congratulations - and my very best wishes for Christmas. Christos.
Mindblowing as usual, Valentina. Thank you :)
I'd love to hear what you have to say about Prokofiev's other sonatas!!
Merry Christmas Valentina, Once again I have to say Bravo! to you. You are a tremendous artist.....Will
Valentina you're extremely nuts when you play this!!!absolutely ecstatic!!!excellent....!!!!!you make me jump off the wall!!!! thank you for inspiring me and all the young pianists around the world!
After hearing Lisitsa in this sonata, I would to hear her in the 6th and 8th sonatas. For that matter, if she recorded the entire cycle of Prokofiev sonatas, it might well be a landmark set. I think she plays Prokofiev as well as Rachmaninov or Chopin. She understands Prokofiev as few pianists do. She reaches beneath the surface to find greater expressive depth.
Brilliant as always Valentina!!!
I’m curious how this would sound on a pipe organ... Only way to make it darker. What a brilliant composition.
I just played this piece for my Jury this semester and I had never heard any one play it before till now and thank you for blowing me away yet again Beautiful Valentina!!
Gran Turismo 5 bring me here.
same my dude
Me too!
That's why it sounded so familiar even though hearing for the first time
Same!
BREATHTAKING.....!!!! simply breathtaking...
Bal, the amazing clarity and rhythmic control Lisitsa displays here actually makes this sound faster than it is.
Brillant composition, perfect playing.
Valentina Divina!!!
A fine, passionate essay, Valentina - thank you for expressing yourself in words as well as sound.
Ура! Победа! Валя, спасибо за игру...
Really amazing! It's perfect #7 Precipitato. I've never heard before.
Simply fantastic!!!
I've never heard the climactic ending played with such a level of savage ferocity and anger. Fine performance, Ms. Lisitsa.
This is class! Taking a like to the wild side of the piano world then Valentina? Amazing performance. :D
Wow that was great! Your playing of the piece was: imagery. The way your left hand hit the keys with such power and purpose while your right hand kept a safe distance quickly reacting.
so, so, awesome! thank you..John Rapp
"...what you feel is not enthusiasm at the irrelevant display of virtuosity." No it is not that! But listening to it I decide to practice it again. Some years ago I could play it. And my feeling was that of absolute frustration and the power to overcome this frustration. Actually, I nowadays even prefer the second movement. But now I will start again. It is actually a great pleasure to play it. I am not in sado-maso, but playing this movement seems to be an alternative to pure sadistic expression.
Boy, you just can't fault that! Amazing rhythmic control and clarity!!! And "preciptato" means rushed, hurrying. Which is exactly how this sounds.
Woaw, I like this dramatic music. I felt many good things. Fantastic paradoxe
Bravo!! Absolutely wonderful!
Amazing as always Valentina!
never tire of it thx