Pletnev Documentary Film (part1) 

2:11 Mr.Pletnev: "This is Burgstadt, it's a great place! One needs just to go there to visit. Beethoven had a lot of Alpine nature in his music, the same mountains, the same feelings. I adore mountains! Tchaikovsky didn't like mountains. He called them "petrified convulsions of Nature". 3:22 "I do not like cold!" Pletnev was born in the north part of Russia, in Arkhangelsk. He doesn't like cold, but likes the woods. He finds nature of Sweden, Finland attractive because of it's grandeur. He mentions Siberia's beautiful lakes and the woods (taiga). He loves all that very much. 4:34 Pletnev conducts the Swan of Tuonela by Sibelius in Moscow, 2004. 5:07 His mother is being shown and Pletnev talks very warm about his mother, saying that she is a very unique person. He often feels that his mother is younger then he himself. His mom is a pianist. Pletnev was saying that she didn't give him any lessons, but at the same time she always gives him lessons. 5:4The young Pletnev plays the Album for the Young by Tchaikovsky. His mother tells the story of how she ended up in Arkhangelsk. She became an orphan, and was adopted by her aunt and brought to Arkhangelsk. Her cousin was in the military, but at the same time he was very artistic and once danced the ballet. 6:37 Pletnev says that his father was a very good musician. He played the bottom accordion and has devoted all his life to this instrument and the music. 7:14 There is a photo of his father or maybe of Pletnev himself playing the bottom accordion. His father had endured a hardship: he had to walk a long distance in order to learn the instrument and the music. It all happened in the Russian rural area near the city of Yaroslavl. 7:21 Bach/Busoni Chacone was played in New-York, 2000. Pletnev continues to talk about his father, how he grew up listening to his father's music and solo concerts. 8:39 His father considered Bach/ Busoni Chacone to be something very special in his life, the music of a big importance. His father included it in his every concert, he kept working on it, changing it, editing it. 8:51 The photo of his family. His father was a modest man, too shy, but the talent he had was the real one. 9:20 Mr. Pletnev plays the 5th Piano Concerto of Beethoven with the orchestra. 10:12 He tells that his father had been invited to the Kazan State Music Conservatory. The whole family moved to the Kazan-City near the Volga-river. 10:28 There are the photographs of the very young Pletnev with various music instruments. His mother says that from the age of 9 months, Pletnev was already musical and reacted to the sounds of music. 11:14 Pletnev plays the 3rd Piano Concerto of Beethoven in Montre, Canada 2006. Pletnev- while being a child- literally lived in the Music Conservatory (Kazan). Every day he roamed it's corridors, he could enter any room and listen to and observe the orchestra which rehearsed there and etc. 13:02 The young Pletnev: "The genius must cultivate a donkey in himself!". By that, he means a constant work with the donkey stubbornness in order to improve one's own work. Without that any great achievements in music are just impossible! 15:10 His mother shares her memories as to how it was difficult for them to relocate from Kazan to Moscow (which is nothing new to the Russians, as Moscow was and is the capital of USSR, now Russia. It had about 10-15 million population. It was a very desirable place to live, people were trying to get there, that's why it was restricted to settle there permanently, unless you were born there or had an apartment / house.) I guess, that the reason they had to move there was that Mr. Pletnev had been accepted to the Moscow Central Music school, which was and still is one of the elitist, the best music school for talented children in the whole USSR/Russia. Thousands talented students have competed to get accepted there. Usually, young people after the graduating from that school would go right to the Moscow State Music Conservatory, one of the top music colleges in the world. 15:38 The video shows the center of Moscow, the Red Square, the parade. 16:00 There is the photo of some pupils of the Moscow Central Music School. Mr. Pletnev says that his class was the school of Yegumnov and eventually was a school of Beethoven and his traditions. Beethoven had taught Carl Czerny, Carl Czerny had taught France Liszt, France Liszt had taught Zilotti, Zilotti taught Yegumnov, Yegumnov taught Glier and Timakin, who was even his assistant in the class. And finally, Professor Timakin was Pletnev's teacher. 16:27 Professor Timakin is on the screen. " Evgeny Michailovitch Timakin was the remarkable person", says Pletnev. Everything Timakin was teaching was explained in a simple way, but was authentic, true. "Music is being born right here on the tip of the finger, as a flower that grows at the top of a plant ", Timakin says at 17:12. Pletnvev plays Sonata C-Major Mozart, Moscow, 2006. Pletnev says that there are people who stay students, they study and study, but there are people who are teachers like guru in India. In his opinion, Professor Timakin belongs to the category of teachers because Pletnev continues to learn from him up till now. The principle of Timakin's school was: to have the same approach either to simple steps or to complicated playing, and as a result of that all his students received from him the gift of free, effortless piano playing. 19:41 Pletnev plays the Kreisleriana by Schumann, Moscow, 2006. 21:10 Pletnev discusses the creation of the Perpetual Mobile. Pletnev has had a hobby of drawing various machinery, he had an interest in engineering since the childhood and liked to read the Russian famous science fiction children book by A. Belyaev "Hyperboloid of engineer Gahrin". 22:02 Mr.Pletnev conducts the 9th Symphony of Beethoven for Deutsche Grammophon company ( German recording label). 25:27 Pletnev has always been interested in math, but especially in physics. He talks about physics, he is curious about the possibility of finding one whole theory of physics though combining the Einstein physics with the quantum mechanics. He quotes Albert Einstein:"..What is divided by God is difficult to put together".

I don't understand Russian at all, but I've watched this film 10 times so far. Never get bored of it! Such a beautiful movie. Love Mikhail.

потрясающе...настолько глубокий человек...качества потрясающие, ум, интеллект...какая ясность сознания!..Волшебник во всех отношениях...

The TRUTH in all of his music making is just astonishing... He works VERY hard at getting to "IT".... and obviously a life labor of pure passion and LOVE...

What a wonderful film. What a giant musician is Michael Pletnev! What a bright individual! Thank you so much. Totally in love with this person.

ОГРОМНАЯ БЛАГОДАРНОСТЬ ВСЕМ КТО СНЯЛ ,СОХРАРИЛ И ПОКАЗЫВАЮТ ПО ИНТЕРНЕТУ.👏👏👏👍👍👍💐💐💐

The recording of the Barcarolle is excellent and one of the best I have ever come across. Such poetry and elegance.

True. Pletnev once said that being a composer himself,he knows that what a composer can convey in music is only an idea so what he as a performer is interested in is the motive of the composer to compose a piece. He said a nice sentence that was something like the essence of making music is music coming from the performer's heart to the hearts of the listeners,not necessarily giving an exact performance. He only takes liberties when he is convinced that it is in service to the composer's idea.

I am glad you like Pletnev on Chopin's first concerto so much. I felt the same. Pletnev's performance is magical and can hardly be put into words. It is not possible to play this concerto better than Pletnev. Each note so full of meaning, of such tenderness and expression. His "piano" is the most beautiful I have ever heard; nothing about silence but such a presence, directness and depth on every note. Indescribable. He is a transcendalist.

I listened to the 24 Chopin Preludes with Pletnev today at the public library for 1 hour.He is more of a deep musician than I had realized.No facial contortions, but everything flows from his heart directly to his fingers.(Like Horowitz).Someone criticized his left hand in #16 but I interjected that his right handed legato was the most exquisite that piece has ever known.Watching Pletnevs face is very revealing in that he is a complete artist to the very fiber of his being.

Pletnev: Strangely, but I don't feel my mom as I am supposed to. I feel her as a much younger person than I am. She is a pianist. Did she teach me as a child? No, she didn't. But she teaches me now, everyday, including today. My father played button accordion. Chaconne by Bach was his favorite piece. He was a professor at Kazan conservatory. His mother is saying that her son started to react to music at the age of approximately 9 months.

Pletnev: I am only a wheel. The driver is someone else. I am only watching how I am being driven on the road. My attempts to step aside from the main road failed. The fundamental thing is to realize what is your road. Yakov Vladimirovich Flier was his teacher. When Pletnev participated in 1978 Tchaikovsky contest he wore Flier's toxido. His mother says: Music for Michail is as natural as breathing.

Definitely! I really hope he will play this concerto again in public, as well as all Rachmaninoff concertos. He is a genius at the romantics.

I got the same feeling when I listened to Richter playing Schubert sonatas. I was never a fan of Schubetr until I heard Richter who made me understand the genius of this composer. The A major sonata I mentioned, especially the 2nd movement, is one of the most beautiful pieces ever composed.

. . . Репетиционный ПРОЦЕСС ОЧЕНЬ ИНТЕРЕСЕН

I just listened to Pletnev play the Chopin 1st Concerto.It was a revealation and like hearing the music for the first time.He brought tears to my eyes.Like he personally knew Chopin and studied directly under his guidance.Thank you for this info.Someday I hope you will hear the triangle in the last movement of Rachmaninoffs 1st Concerto. Libor Pesek is a fool to have left it out but Pletnevs pianism is still transcendental.

Very well put.I knew Pletnev was very unusually gifted way back when he started his contract with Virgin Records so I bought them all.Rubinstein said music is a 6th sense.I believe Michael Pletnev is proof of that statement.

Tchaikovsky's 2nd piano concerto is absolutely awesome but rarely performed because of its tremendous difficulty. Pletnev is one of those who are able to master it :) Concentrating on sound quality is the last thing I do while listening to Pletnev. I own live recordings which sound like Pletnev plays down a well but I don't care at all. Everything I hear is heavenly music making.

Pletnev: A genius must cultivate a donkey into himself: without constant work,without determination achievements in art are impossible. He draws a succession: Beethoven, Cherny, Liszt, Ziloti, Igumnov, Flier, Timakin, Pletnev. Igumnov said: complex things are based on simple, once one understands this principle he will master the freedom of playing on piano.

I know Russian and I watched it... well not 100 times but at least 5 times. It's such a wonderful video and Pletnev is an amazing musician. And by the way below there is translation of Pletnev's sayings into English which might help you to learn Russian.

Роскошный фильм, спасибо!

Один из немногих, ныне живущих гениев, как мне кажется.

Потрясающий человек!Какой Мастер!

Pletnev: Beethoven is an Alpean, mountain sensation in music. I adore mountains. Tchaikovsky didn't like them. He called them "petrified convulsions of nature". Petrified or not I like them. I hate cold. Music of Sibelius is not just cold but power of nature, Sibelius is a sensation of lakes, forests, woods. My father was a shy man, perhaps, extremely shy. But he was a real musician, a real talent.

There is an unofficial Michael Pletnev website.I am happy that he has re recorded the tchaikovsky symphonies 4 & 5.Last night I watched him play the tchaikovsky 2nd Piano concerto.Truly a miracle to say the least.ive been writing reviews for amazon.com for many years and always give Pletnev high marks, but most people are more concerned about sound than performance.Thank God here on youtube there are some real musicians.I love Cladio Arrau on "Krakowiak'

I know Rubinstein with the 2nd concerto.His playing of Chopin is very precise and close to the score.But Pletnev's Chopin,especially his concertos,did impress me much more.I certainly don't want to overpraise this artist,he doesn't really understand Mozart in my opinion,for example but his Chopin concertos are absolutely priceless and incomparable and open dimensions nobody will ever be able to reach.What he does with the secondary theme of the first concerto is above what everyone else does.

Pletnev is a genius, and geniuses are always subject to controversy, but I really wish he would stick with Russian composers or romantic music as in his superb Sibelius renditions.An all Ravel program would also be most welcome.But if he quits playing the piano publicly it may be hundreds of years before anyone might be able to replace his transcendental pianism

Excuse me that it took me so long to answer, I was absent for a week. I just listened to Horowitz playing the two Mazurkas and I was overwhelmed by his deep understanding of the music. Horowitz, like Pletnev, has the rare ability to make the piano sing and is a true genius at the romantics.I wish to hear his op. 68,4. Please listen to Richter playing Schubert's Sonata D664. Even if you are not a fan of Schubert, this might change your mind. Richter understands Schubert like nobody else ever did.

Здравствуйте! Мне нравятся больше именно документальные фильмы.

his WALDSTEIN is incomparable

I just listened to the Volodos recording, thank you for your suggestion. Yes, it is gorgeous and I consider it one of his best transcriptions, it hardly sounds like a transcription because Volodos phenomenally well knows about a piano's capacities and the result is an incredibly atmospheric sound with all sorts of colours and nuances. When I listened to his Rach I was hardly impressed at all but this is phenomenal. Pletnev's Tchaikovsky transcriptions are gorgeous, too and prove his genius.

"Симфония номер 9" для симфонического Оркестра, Хора (?) -- Ода "К РАДОСТИ ! ! ! " ( Я давно НЕ слушала, простите !). Спасибо за ЗНАКОМСТВО с СЕМЬЁЙ Михаила, с Его Родителями ! ! ! Очень интересно !

Richter is totally awesome. I really wasnt in the mood for Schubert when I sent that last comment.If I was living on a desert island I would have to get all of Richters recordings.

P L E A S E Could someone take pity on those who don;t understand and P L E A S E add ENglish subtitles ?

Мудрый человек. Wise man.

I am glad you like Pletnev's rendition of the preludes.Your sentence "everything flows from his heart directly to his fingers" describes his playing perfectly.Yes,in this respect he's similar to Horowitz.I just listened to Rodriques playing Rach.I am speechless,such temperament but awesome sensibility when needed,just like Rach himself.I searched for him on amazon and he recorded mostly Rach.I'd love to hear his op. 32.Maybe I'll buy that CD.Thank you for your suggestion,he is truly outstanding.

ЗДРАВСТВУЙТЕ ! . . . холод, . . . Миша НЕ терпит ДУШЕВНЫЙ холод Людей ! ! !

I am happy that you are satisfied with Pletnev unconditionally.No two people can agree on everythoing.Volodos on the Rach 3 is very interesting, but Pletnev with Valery Gergiev conducting is infinitely better musically.The bottom line is when Pletnev thinks he knows better than the composer, I cant stand to listen to him.But when he does not think he knows better , he is superb.I am not familiar with his Scarlatti,My absolute favorite composers are Rachmaninoff , Chopin and Liszt.

Pletnev: Music takes our time, our inner space and our thinking. Music that is liked by the majority of people today is needed for shaking and cheering them up, like an electric shock is good for the galvanization of a frog. Leskov says "life is school", no,life is the hell. There is no hell beyond this life, because this life is the hell. Hell and School. I can even imagine that those who misbehave in this life will be sent back to Earth, to live again, as a form of punishment.

the cadenza from the 2nd Piano Concerto of Tchaikovsky

I know. The video/recording of the Paganini Rhapsody is beyond all description and alone would be enough to proof Pletnev is an absolute genius. Please listen to Pletnev playing the Chopin concertos. You'll be blown out.

It's also available on YT. I' glad you like Askenase's rendition. I own a CD set of him playing most works by Chopin. He is superb. Pogorelich was born for Gaspard. I wish Pletnev would record it. Unfortunately, there are many incompetent reviewers on amazon going overboard with their criticism on Pletnev, especially in the country I live. If someone buys a CD by Pletnev, he has to expect that what Pletnev does will be unusual.

Thank you, for me it is very interesting also. Yes I know these Preludes. They are such beautiful miniatures. The etudes are mostly also great. I just watched Horowitz with the 8,12 etude and I was speechless. I am glad he does not play it so fast. When he plays it it makes me forget this piece is an etude, it is just pure music. There was a magnificent live recording of Pletnev playing the 24 Preludes on YT. A pianist you have to listen to is Ida Czernicka playing Chopin. Totally magnificent.

I only own a recording of Pletnev playing the 2nd movement of the Brahms concerto, which is very frustrative. What he does is awesome.And yes, in this video Pletnev conducts the Swan of Tuonela.I agree the Carnegie Hall recording is totally gorgeous, though the Beeth. was not quite up to what others did with the piece. However, the Scherzi are a miracle.His Chopin is out of this world, just magical and breathtaking.Have you listened to Pletnev's performances of the concertos?Incredible.

pletnevs new recording of tchaikovsky's Symphony #4 is excellent.Much more vibrant and energetic than his earlier recording on DG.I wish his Beethoven Symphonies were available individually.

Миша Плетнёв НИкогда НЕ заслуживает и НИкогда НЕ заслуживал, чтобы Его кто-либо,чем-либо ОБИЖАЛ ! ! !

Yes. Earl Wild is a fantastic musician. I own recordings of his Rachmaninoff concertos and they are outstanding. His Rach 2 is among the best I have ever come across. I will definitely listen to his transcriptions this evening. Please listen to Pletnev's live recording of Chopin's four Scherzi in Rome, available here on the RU-vid. Pletnev is in top form and totally in the spirit of the composer.

The performance you refered to is certainly beautiful. You commented on a video of Gilels playing Chopin's second sonata. The performance is totally amazing and inspiring. His imagination and musical intellect are incredible. I love Pletnev's rendition of this sonata too (Virgin Classics), though at some parts it seems to fall into pieces. You know it?

I would love to hear what Pletnev does with the Brahms 2nd Piano Concerto.I have Richter, Gilels and Pollini on DVD but my personal favorite so far is Andre Watts with Bernstein.Pletnevs encores at the end of his Carnegie Hall Concert are totally breathtaking and evoke memories of young Horowitz.Thank you the info.

Pletnevs arrangements for solo piano on Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty are priceless.I forgot to mention that when Virgin records folded, I doubled up on the CDs of Pletnev that were truly priceless, 2 copies of the Pathetique Symphony, 3 Tchaikovsky Piano Concertoes (2 copies of each) 4 copies of Rachmaninoffs Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini and 2 copies of the Rach 1.(Concerto) I havnt bought his Rach 1st Symphony yet I am certain it is superb.No pianist plays everything perfect.

yes.I would love to hear his live recording.I just listened to Stefan Askenase.A superb musician and beautiful technique.His Polonaise opus 44 is tremendous, but he needs a 9 foot Steinway with a real light action.Horowitz , Hofmann and Pogorelich are still the masters on this piece.Pogorelich on Gaspard de la Nuit is total genius and pure magic.Only Volodos and Argerich can one buy safely without reading reviews first.

A leading critic once said if Beethoven were alive today, his own interpretation of his music would be frowned upon as innacurate.He probably never played a piece the same way twice.There is a 1954 recording of Chopins 1st Concerto with Rubinstein/Wallenstein and the LA Philharmonic which you must hear.At the end of the 1st movement, Rubinstein accents the 12th third in that cascade of thirds, which maintains the beat.It will spoil you forever.I believe its now on the Naxos label.

Yes,Byron Janis is great. I love his Rach 2.Thank you for your suggestion, Scriabin's piano concerto is absolutely magnificent and at first does not sound like him. It is a gorgeous concerto with a beautiful middle section. Krainev is fantastic, too, playing with all sort of colour and refinement. YT did not allow me to watch the video of Ugorski playing it. Pletnev should perform this piece, too, it would be magnificent under his hands. I will also try to listen to the Rimsky Korsakov concerto.

I will make a special trip to the library so I can hear Pletnevs 4 Chopin Scherzi in Rome.I have his Carnegie Hall recital and his encores are transcendental pianism at its finest.There are many pianists playing Earl Wilds transcription of Gershwins "The Man I Love"when this happens the pianists from either Russia or China are usually superb.On my channel I chose a young Chinese woman who plays it superbly.China may become the cultural center of the world in the next few decades.

Swedish tenor Gosta Winbergh with Claudio Abbado on Deutsche Grammaphon in Abbados first recording of Beethovens 9th Symphony is an absolute desert island must have.Winbergh will spoil you forever.He was born for this piece and this performance.I love Pletnevs fast tempos in the Pastoral Symphony comparable to my favorite Toscanini, but I would buy it individually.Not in a box with all nine.Have you heard Mahlers orchestration of the 9th?

Yes, yes. They are priceless and he was so young when he wrote these transcriptions. He is the only one who can play them really well. You know his piano arrangement of parts from Shchedrin's Anna Karenina? He played it at the 1978 Tchaikovsky competition. I think his recordings for Virgin and Melodia belong to his best. The Tchaikovsky concertos are gorgeous under his hands. Tchaikovsky has always been his favourite composer and this very special affinity is clearly noticeable in his renditons.

Gilels is one of my favorite pianists.I saw him play Beethovens Appasionata Sonata when I was a boy.I will definitely listen to Vocalise but have you heard Earl Wilds transcriptions of Rachmaninoffs songs into piano solo arrangements?Earl Wild also has a gorgeous transcription of Gershwins The Man I Love which sounds like Chopin.You must check it out.

Yes. Richter is certainly incomparable. In my opinion he is the only one who knows how to play the last movement of D958. Please listen to Gilels playing Rachmaninoff's vocalise transcription. I think you will like it.

9th Symphony is Joy. Joy and Paradise are similar. Both are appreciation of God. All religions have one thing in common - not to harm others. Consciousness is our pitchfork. One's doing against the consciousness will be punished by one's consciousness. Such a thing like Russian soul. It's a big thing. It is able to embrace the whole world under the favorable circumstances.

Pletnev: His favorite book was Hyperboloid of Engineer Garin by Alexei Tolstoi. Love for technical things, charts, diagrams. A few attempts to make his own Perpetuum Mobile.

I listened to Krakoviak,which I had not heard for a long time.Krakoviak is terribly neglected.It is a gorgeous work of the young Chopin that is already revealing many musical aspects so typical for him.I hear melodics and rhythmic inspired by Polish folklore but they don’t show up in original, they sound more like a melancholic remembrance. Krakoviak does not come close to Chopin’s piano Concertos in their coherence but it still is a beautiful piece worth listening. I wish Pletnev would play it.

Another Scriabin Etude with Horowitz you should hear is opus 42 no. 5 "Affanato".Here on youtube I just listened to it, along with another performance by Sviatoslav Richter, but Richter just doesnt have that Horowitz magic.This is one of Scriabins mid period works, and it is stunning.I will hear the Chopin Preludes and no 15 tomorrow at the library.

I have Richters recital in Sofia where he plays "Pictures at an Exhibition" and several Schubert Impromptus.His Schubert Impromptus are definitive,leave all the competition in the shade, and make everyone else sound like an amateur.

I really like Yevgeny Kissin in the Schumann Fantasia in C. I am curious have you had a chance to hear "Krakowiak" which I wish were played more often in major piano competitions? It is not surprising that only the Tchaikovsky and Chopin piano competitions produce truly great pianists with legendary capabilities.

The conductor with Pletnev in the Chopin 1st is great.He follows Pletnevs tempos with a religious fervor.e bay has a bunch of Pletnev DVDs from Russian sources not on the NGSC format.I would love to hear him do the 4 chopin Ballades.When I first heard the 1st Ballade in G minor, I was 14 years old, and I couldnt sleep for several days after that.it was the stunning Horowitz 78RPM recording.I will try to compile a list of all Pletnevs DVDs from e bay and let you know.

Yes the Scriabin Piano Concerto is a neglected masterpiece.Pletnev had an all Scriabin CD on Virgin where he plays the 24 preludes opus ll.I believe you would love it, and it also got great reviews by several leading magazines.I love the Rimsky Korsakov Piano Concerto too.Byron Janis has a recording of Chopins G minor Ballade that is fantastic.Have you ever heard of Santiago Rodriques? I feel about him the way you feel about Schmalfuss.

No you are absolutely correct, just like I have 20 recordings of Rachmaninoff's 3rd piano Concerto, each one offers something very special, but Cliburn and Janis seem to be ahead of everyone else both musically and technically.I am certain Schnabels Schubert is quite fabulous as is also Radu Lipu.But if I could only have one recording on a desert island it would have to be Richter.

Pletnev likes physics, mechanics, technical drawings, Perpetuum Mobile. People of Beethoven's, Tchaikovsky's magnitude can't help but feeling their destiny. That's why Beethoven, for instance, didn't commit suicide. Chopin was very sick and toward the end he was detached from this world. When he wrote his preludes he was already in the world of transcendent. "I knew you have already died" - said once Chopin to his closed ones. Mazurkas - are music of his early youth.

I will listen to the Rachmaninoff/Ormany version of the first concerto and pay attention to the triangle. I agree a DVD with the Chopin concertos would be wonderful. There is a live video recording of Pletnev with the 24 preludes,which he plays very singingly and dreamy - absolutely awesome. Each one more beautiful than the last. And there is a mazurka (17,4) on the RU-vid which is more than disturbing - in a positive way. I cannot describe his playing,it has to he experienced to be understood.

You may be correct.I have most of Artur Rubinsteins early Chopin recordings on Naxos which I like very much, but Richter , Horowitz and Krystan Zimerman are probably my absolute favorites playing Chopin although on the Preludes and Etudes Lugansky has recieved tremendous reviews from all 3 leading magazines.I love Murray Perahia on the Ballades.Have you heard him? Also hear Lugansky play the etude no 8 in F major opus 10.Superb and in Pletnevs class in my opinion.

Thankyou Darima - one dat maybe the whole thing will be translated. Maybe I could even get himself to do - if he could be bothered, or in the mood. Some hopes.

I agree.And yes,Yundi Li certainly is worlds apart from LL.He is a very good Liszt player. His Chopin performances are afresh but they have to grow a bit. On the RU-vid there is a recording of Chopin's first ballade by the largely unknown pianist Peter Schmalfuss,a student of Gieseking and Kempff.I believe his is one of the best renditions of this ballade ever given and it would be interesting to know what you think about it. Pletnev never plays a piece the same way twice.He's very spontaneous.

I just listened to Valentina Igoshina play Rachmaninoff's Prelude in B minor and it is the best performance of that piece I have ever heard.I also listened to Richter play Schuberts Sonata D644 and was bored to death.If you are interested in music that does not bore me hear Lugansky play the 4th Moment Musicaux in E minor from Rachmaninoffs Moments Musicaux opus 16.Igoshina's Chopin Waltz in C# minor uses the sustaining pedal too much.My undisputed favorite on that work is Horowitz.

Thank you Darina but this would be a mammoth undertaking.

One addition to my comment: If you listen to Richter's Schubert D664, please do also listen to the Russian pianist Valentina Igoshina with Rachmaninoff's Prelude in b minor (op. 32,10). Her rendition is absolutely gorgeous and overwhelming. Major labels should pay more attention to her.

Yes, I know Richter on Chopin's preludes. I have listened to a live recording of a few of them and yes, they are absolutely marvellous and certainly different from Pletnev's. Both renditions are beautiful in their own ways. I am also familar with Biret's renditions, which are nice, too but they don't come close to Richter's or Pletnev's. Chopin's Polonaise op. 44 is an absolute masterpiece. I own a recording of Ashkenazy. The way he plays the trill in bar 10 is absolutely godlike.

Thank the Lord.I only pray now that he gives us some CDs or DVDs with Rachmaninoffs music, Ravels or Liszt..As much as I admire Pletnev I really dont think he understands Beethoven.The 2 Brahms piano Concerto's however should be right for his awesome pianism.The Sibelius I am hearing right now couldnt be more beautiful.Thank you for the excellent news.

There are several DVDs of Pletnev not on the NTSC format.Beethoven Concerto no. 3 and Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 1 Did you know there is supposed to be a triangle in the last movement of the Rach 1?Only Ormany with the composer and Ashkenazy with Thibaudet include it.The triangle keeps the beat while the piano plays "Staccatissimo" totally breathtaking.

It would be a mammoth task - so don't bother yourself. I knew him quite well at one time when he came to England and I went to Lugano but, being an introvert, he would not tell me about his life - just shrug it off with some comment that would mean (not true of course) it wasn't interesting.

ОЧЕНЬ ЖАЛКО ЧТО ТАКИЕ ПЕРЕДАЧИ НЕ ПОКАЗЫВАЮТ ПО ТВ.

I know this etude and it is one of my favourite Scriabin etudes. I will listen to Horowitz later when I have the time. He is always marvellous at Russian music. His Rachmaninoff 3rd piano concerto has always been the best for me, along with Pletnev and of course Rachmaninoff himself. You know the video of Horowitz and Pletnev in Klin?

@MJBKing got it. Thank you so very much!

I didn't know so, Thanks for the interesting info. I know those recordings. There's also an incredible Paganini Rhapsody by the young Pletnev, available here on YT on the Russian channel Irina67able. Incredible. Have you watched the complete video of Pletnev at the Tchaikovsky competition 1978? What this pianist was able to do with his instrument at only 21 borders on a miracle.

Richters last movement of the Schubert Sonata D644 is awesome.I really wasnt in the mood to hear Schubert yesterday.Richter is totally at one with the music however.

Have you read the other comment? I made a writing mistake, I was thinking of Askenase, whose rendition of the op. 44 is stunning. It's available here on YT, too. However, Ashkenazy and Pogorelich are also great at this piece. Pogorelich is unbeatable at Gaspard. What exactly do you mean by unpredictable?

Also hear Van Cliburn play Schumanns "Widmung" here on youtube.Cliburn is in top form, looks and plays like an angel.Pletnev is actually a "medium" in my opinion, that can tune in on Chopins, Tchaikovsky's and Rachmaninoiffs vibration.Its when he occasionally forgets hes a medium and thinks he knows more than they do, that the critics nail him.Cliburn is a total artist, and one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century.

There is a summary of Pletnev's saying at the bottom of the comments page!

Thanks for doing so! You mean the "Russian performing art" edition? These videos are available here, too. Yes, a recording of all four ballades would be gorgeous. I own a live recording of Pletnev playing the ballade in g minor, which has some unique qualities. My biggest wish is to listen to what he does with the Polonaise-Fantasy, of which I know was playing it in recital several times. I believe he is one of the few pianists who is able to comprehend the depth of this late work.

the Chopin Mazurkas opus 59 #3 and opus 30 #4 with Horowitz are both here on youtube.100 years from now nobody will have heard of Volodos or Pletnev , the former does not seem to understand large scale works like the Brahms 2nd or Rach 3.The latter has unfortunately got a reputation for being unpredictable.Pletnevs account of Chopins 3rd Sonata is a good example.

I don't read reviews on Pletnev's CD's anymore before I buy them.I think what he does is always interesting in its own way and therefore worth listening.How do you like his Scarlatti?Volodos is a great pianist with a superb technique.I visited his recitals several times.In my humble opinion his Rachmaninoff 3 is nice and forceful, romantic without becoming to sentimental but musically he could take more risks.I have never played the op. 44 but I think the trill of Askenase has something special.

Yes.He often plays around with tempi very much. Mostly on his studio recordings. On his Schumann CD the fantasy is extremely slow and incoherent. His live recording here is totally different, sweeping and mysterious and the best version of the fantasy I have ever heard. Do you mean the Mussorgsky studio recording? I only know a live recording and what he does with the pictures is a miracle. Towards the end of the Great gate to Kiew,he creates a bell sound by delaying the notes in the left hand.

I really hope he will release more Rach..I am astonished he did not record more than a sonata, the Corelli variations and a few etudes as he admires this composer so much. Ravel would also be great,it would be a miracle to listen to what he does with Gaspard or Miroirs.And more Chopin!He recorded 3 of the etudes and they were so interesting,never heared them that way. His Beeth. is excentric,even too much at times..But I feel it's always in service to music.BTW,I got a recording of his Brahms2.

Gilels plays more straightforward in the Scherzo. Pletnev plays around with tempi and dymnamics in the middle section but I like it. The first movement is maybe played a bit too laid back. His performance is not the ultimate to me but it is very dark and fascinating in its own way. It is a studio recording and I am pretty sure that live it would be more sweeping. I do not think Pletnev's ideas are idiotic,they are always intelligent.The question is if the composer's work is compatible with them.

That is an interesting thought. I own another recording of Pletnev's 24 preludes which is totally different. Maybe you might enjoy this more. Yes, the tempi mostly are slow. How did you like Pletnev's approach to the preludes in b minor, b major, f-sharp major and a flat major?

Subtitulos por favor.

That's interesting! Yes please listen to her, especially playing Chopin's 15th prelude (which, unfortunately, is incomplete here) and some Nocturnes and Mazurkas. The performance of the 15th prelude is so brilliant. You will like her if you like Schmalfuss. I will listen to Kedra. I believe it is a disgrace Pletnev did not record any Mazurkas by Chopin. There is a totally magnificent live recording on the YT where he plays the op. 17,4.

I think I know who you will like on the Chopin Fantasia opus 49 as well as the Mazurkas and Nocturnes.Please listen to Maria Joao Pires here on youtube.She is as great as Schmalfuss in every way.When Virgin went under I was worried Pletnevs priceless renditions would be forgotten so I doubled up on everything.Most people are primarily interested in sound and not performance.This is why Schmalfuss should have changed his name as Horowitz did..Please listen to Pires.She is magnificent.

I will make a special trip to the library so I can hear these items on Tuesday.I used to have an all Schubert CD by Volodos which got rave reviews but it was so boring I threw it out.I really like Valentina Lisitsa on Rachmaninoff.Her performance of the slow 2nd mvmnt from Rachmaninoffs 2nd piano Concerto is superb.You can hear it here on youtube.Have you had time to listen to Krzystof Moskalewicz play Chopins Krakowiak?

I will listen to Schmalfuss along with the chopin preludes played by Pletnev towards the end of the month when I know how many GBs I have used.Verizon allows 3GBs per month at $35.00 which is very nice.Richter gets excellent reviews on the preludes, have you heard him?I believe one must own several recordings of certain pieces to do them justice.There is a recording of Josef Hofmann on Naxos at age 34 playing the Chopin Polonaise in f sharp minor opus 44 (my absolute favorite Polonaise) superb.

I never rely on just one review.Usually I will check the top 3 magazines Grammaphone, Fanfare and American Record Guide.The 10th bar of opus 44 Polonaise I believe you may be using the wrong fingering because its not that difficult.I bought all Pletnevs Virgin CDs many years ago before reading any reviews, and wound up throwing half of them out.The other half in some cases are incomparable, but with Volodos and Argerich I never have to read any reviews because they are always superb.