This is a very special piece for Beethoven lovers--and not only because the choral finale prefigures the 9th symphony. During Beethoven's entire career as a pianist he was renowned for his improvisations, which were, by their very nature, not written down and thus lost to us. But certain of Beethoven's compositions give us a clue to what they might have sounded like: the first movement of the "Moonlight" sonata; the Fantasy opus 77; and the unaccompanied piano introduction of this piece--and Kissin is outstanding here, his timbre and musicality brilliantly suggesting a Beethovenian cragginess along with a convincing improvisatory ethos.
don't forget Beethoven's cadenzas for piano concertos as well as late piano sonatas, those have a lot of improvisatory moments, yet at the same time Beethoven always creates a definite structure and a clear system after introducing any improvisatory theme or motif
When I was first discovering classical music back in 1991 I recorded this on VHS from a PBS broadcast. It included the Overture and Incident music to Egmont as well. What a fantastic introduction to both monumental compositions!
El mejor homenaje al genio de Beethoven en su 250 aniversario, la magnífica interpretación de Abbado-Kissin-Filarmónica de Berlín, el coro y los extraordinarios solistas. La fantasia coral, sin duda, es una obra impresionante antecedente a la colosal 9 Sinfonía. Gloria a la memoria de Ludwig van Beethoven y gratitud a sus geniales intérpretes.
Hace mas de dos años escuchè esta versiòn en la emisora de la Universidad Javeriana de Bogotà y desde entonces la he buscado por internet pero no la habìa encontrado hasta esta noche. He escuchado muchas otras versiones (Baremboim, Bernstein, Argerich, etc) pero indudablemente esta interpretaciòn de Claudio Abbado es inigualable.
Excelente versión, la mejor, con este joven pianista.....gracias mil por compartirla, el pianista da ciertos matices que no los escucha uno en otras versiones. Felicidades KISSIN !!!!!!
I love this video and often return to it. When I was young and studying piano, I heard this piece of music with Rudolf Serkin and immediately fell in love with it. I look at Beethoven as a philosopher and I love all the great things his music says to me.
Mi abuelo estudió dirección, intento inculcarme sin éxito la música y lo cierto es que aunque nunca me gustó estudiarla, me llegó a mi una forma muy concreta de escucharla y disfrutarla. Para mí la versión de Baremboim es genial, hasta ahora mi versión favorita era la de Bernstein, pero hoy escuchando la versión de Claudia Abbado, es con esta con la que me quedo. El Piano es ligero como la seda, sus dedos se desplazan muy suaves. Es increíble. La diferencia que veo con las otras versiones es la nitidez de sus notas y parece como si hubiese tiempo entre las notas para escuchar la siguiente. Es la primera vez que escucho y me da esta sensación, el trio coral principal dan las notas exactas y me gusta recalcar lo bien definidas que están las notas en conjunción con cada palabra. El instrumental, marca la diferencia en la definición de la cuerda y la fuerza de los instrumentos en percusión y viento, algo que en anteriores versiones no he escuchado y pese a que encuentre mucho mejor definido el sonido orquestal y lo oiga más fuerte, no hace desentonar el equilibrio entre instrumentos vocal y viento. Gracias por subir este vídeo. Es una delicia musical.
I remember well the night this was on PBS. I was blown away with the playing and singing. Just amazing. I have the recording on DG and treasure it. This is the sine qua non of Choral Fanstasies, in my opinion. The rest of the concert was magnificent. The chorus is sublime. And this hall is so fine. Abbado and the BPO and company played their hearts out for these mostly former East Berliners, who needed a beautiful moment as they were going through a hard time recovering from the Communist nightmare.
I just posted how I recorded it on VCR from that same PBS broadcast! This was a treasure, my introduction not only to the Beethoven pieces performed, but the performers as well!
I really like the piano part in this recording. Sound is very clear and you can easily grasp all the notes. When I see such blurry image, I'm afraid it could affect the recording, but this one is of good quality. Kissin made it sound powerful and the piano leads the orchestra when they play together.
Yo cante está obra en los años ochenta que delicia cantarla y escucharla, siento que Beethoven está presente cada recinto del mundo cuando hay una obra de Beethoven el está ahí porque ese fue su propósito pasar sus obras en generación en generación Beethoven está vivo siempre
You should list the other important participants that contributed to the splendid success of this performance: Cheryl Studer, soprano Kristina Clemenz, soprano Camille Capasso, mezzo-soprano John Aler, tenor Hiroshi Oshima, tenor Friedrich Molsberger, bass And last but not least, the RIAS Chorus
Why is it so seldom, that this masterpiece will be performed life.....wonderful performance....this is definitely one of the best performances beside Daniel Barenboim's fantasia 2 years or so ago.....
È un’opera di Beethoven “ immediata” nel senso che porta abbastanza velocemente alla conclusione del pensiero musicale!! Quindi una concentrazione non eccessivamente prolungata. È la di può gustare anche in ritagli di tempo.
The pianist is great though a bit rushing in some parts for me, the orchestra really good in t soloist parts of some sections; but not as fluid, coesa and powerful as it should be from min 13 on...the final is perfect alltogether, voices and choir fantastic
Breaking this ingenious Music with advertising is perverse - pure cultural fascism, pure contempt of human beings - an insult to Beethoven and all creative people.