Echoherb My thought exactly when I first heard this many years ago, and still of the same opinion; there's nothing like it for combining intellect with power
That cadenza... The genius behind it is the fact it's so difficult. Every pianist seems to be fighting for their life, giving it such a sense of desperation and hopelessness. Then the orchestra comes in and just WOW
The line between what we are used to call classical music and jazz becomes thin, especially in the first movement. This is really incredible extreme music, with Mr. Petrov in total control of it; few pianist will come near to it. Sometimes I come back here and always I am in great surprise, both for the colorful music and the brightness of the piano.
Frédéric Chopin Come on mate...Chopin even claimed himself that his concerti aren't anything special and I'm saying this as someone who knows literally every work published in his lifetime
I am only becoming acquanited with P recently (and I'm 50). Wish I had heard him earlier. He is without doubt the pinnicle of 20th century musicianship emotionally and technically. I'm a huge Shos fan with his perfect capturing of the bleakness of Soviet Russia and mystery, and Stravinsky with his shocking ballets and Noces, and Mahler's giant symps, but P is like the Bach of the 20th century: note rich, masterful melody, iron clad harmonic drive and consistently producing supremely high quality work one after another in all musical fields; and with a genuine and unwavering commitment to a dissonant and melodic personal language. I think the care he takes with all instruments, the combinations, the sonorousness he can get from dissonance, and the extensive development of melody themes is almost Wagnerian. This concerto is a brilliant example. And if all this wasn't enough you have to turn to his personal journey. He managed to hold (mostly) true to his 'difficult' style despite huge opposition at times (including from his mother, student friends "P can't write 3 correct notes in a row") and (frankly) not a very successful career, putting up with rejection and knowing he needed to keep going. And then he does, with so many virtually flawless masterpieces, in unexpected areas as well ... sonatas, some chamber, a cello concerto!, film music, choral works, songs,). I wish he had had some more success in Paris and lived after Stalin: he deserved it and we would have had more symphonies, piano sonatas and most likely chamber work, maybe a final opera. So much more we would have had. Makes what we do have that much more valuable. This concerto was written at an astonishing 22. Makes you realise what a genius the St P conservatory had on it's hands when P said in his notes at the age of 14 that he was so disinterested in the harmony classes. He had sufficiently mastered classical & romantic harmony, had established a whole new language by 17.
When I saw this live for the first time I was transported to another world. Such power from both Piano and orchestra. Only this and the Rach 3 have had such a profound impact live.
Just superlative in every way. Petrov's playing of course is incredible but also let's not forget the orchestra which I thought was also outstanding and of course the genius mind of Prokofiev who was able to compose such a thing. People talk about the Rach 3rd has being difficult. This is every bit as difficult if not more in some ways. Such a constant need for power and energy. The piano barely gets a break and consistently scary difficult.
I've always held that Rach is the superior songwriter, in that his more memorable melodic phrases (while difficult) usually require a less intuitively percussive and physical approach - Prokofiev on the other hand is more about dissonance, inflection and timbre, often times calling for extreme physical demands of stamina and rhythm. I think this concerto is specifically meant to showcase such traits
It does but actually the whole concerto is an earthquake. This is incredible, both the composition and the recording. You rarely hear something like it.
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That is the best part of the whole concert. Emotion pure! Fantastic preparation by full stop at 9:54. Never heard this in that way. Well done Mr. Petrov!
I first heard this concerto back in the early sixties; Malcolm Frager featured it on his program when he won the competition in 1960 in Brussel, Belgium. It was considered unplayable at the time and most pianist avoided it. There is an old recording of Vladimir Ashkenazy playing this piece, but then, few others. Ashkenazy's rendition is blisteringly fast. John browning's ( later ) is great as well. For me however, It is Frager. The sound of the piano is thick and deep. Which is just right for this particular work. A welcome turn around after multiple hearings of Prokfiev's third in in C major; Now, a number guys are programing the second. It can be played. A lot of practice and patience.
I trawl around listening to only the cadenza of this greatest of piano concertos, and this is definitely one of the most lucid renditions of it I have ever heard. He took the arpeggios a little tentatively it sounded like, but he was really tracking the throughline of the cadenza's logic. Consequently, I had to listen to the whole thing. Loving the savagery in the third movement. Sometimes the polite people have to round off Prokofiev's edges and that's always a mistake.
This is an amazing playing by Nikolai Petrov the piano sound is second to none.Only one who have more colors with his piano sound is Ashkenazy his recording.Also the furious one by Alexei Sultanov.The old master Yakov Zak many thinks his the king Prokofjev 2 player
Does someone know any familiar pieces? The Piano Concerto 2 is some piece of music I cant get enough from. It'll left me speechless everytime I hear it in it's full glory.
Unfortunately, there is nothing like this piece of music that exists in the piano repertoire or any other musical medium for that matter. However, even though it is a completely different style, the Barber Piano Concerto will likely evoke some of the same feelings that this does (with less 'romanticism', at least Prokofiev's version of it). Other suggestions would be: Medtner - Piano Concerto No. 2, Tcherepnin Piano Concerto No. 1, and Rzewski's solo piano piece The People United Will Never Be Defeated.
I usually like to pair this (and #3) with Stravinsky. After that, it's really an open question as to where you end up. Usually stepping forward and going more modern is easier at this point than heading back.
This recording is astonishing. You were lucky to be there, bucc, this rendition has set a standard. mr. Petrov goes right to the core. Well he is Russian too..........
Nikolai Arnoldovich Petrov nació en el seno de una familia de músicos rusos ilustres, entre ellos, el reconocido bajo Vasily Rodionovich Petrov, que pasó veinte años como solista en el Teatro Bolshói, donde se formó musicalmente con estrellas tales como Shaliapin, Antonina Nezhdanova y otros grandes cantantes de ópera. Comenzó sus estudios de piano en la Escuela Musical Central del Conservatorio de Moscú bajo la batuta de Tatyana Kestner en 1961 y posteriormente, entre 1962 y 1968 entró en el conservatorio como tal donde recibió clases de Yakov Zak.1 Petrov compartió escenario con los principales directores de Rusia, tales como Evgeny Svetlanov, Kiril Kondrashin, Yuri Temirkanov, Gennadi Rozhdéstvenski, Arvid y Maris Janson, Pavel Kogan, y muchos otros. Tocó junto a la Orquesta Sinfónica de Nueva York, la Orquesta Nacional Sinfónica de Washington, la Orquesta Sinfónica de Los Ángeles, y las orquestas europeas más prestigiosas como la Filarmónica de Berlín, la Sinfónica de Londres y la Orquesta de AHK. A lo largo de su carrera Petrov editó unas veinte grabaciones en disco en el sello Olympia del Reino Unido y en el sello ruso Melodia, entre otros. Trabajó como profesor en el Conservatorio de Moscú. También fue el presidente de la Academia Rusa de las Artes, el presidente de la sección de la música del consejo presidencial sobre cultura y las artes; así como miembro del comité ruso del premio del estado. El 1 de octubre de 1998 creó la Fundación Filantrópica Internacional de Nikolai Petrov.1 Murió el 3 de agosto de 2011, a los 68 años de edad, a causa de un derrame cerebral en Moscú.2 Repertorio[editar] El repertorio de Petrov incluye alrededor de cincuenta conciertos solistas y cincuenta y cinco conciertos acompañado de orquesta. Muchos de ellos como solista en funciones de la premier de Moscú y en otras ciudades a través del mundo. Asimismo ha interpretado tres conciertos de Bach, todos los conciertos del piano de Beethoven, incluyendo la Fantasía coral, todos los conciertos de piano de Rachmaninov, incluyendo el estreno de la primera edición del Concierto n.º 4. Petrov preparó junto a la organista Ludmila Golub el programa "Música francesa para piano y órgano", que fue elegido como el mejor programa musical de 1996 por la revista Musical Review. En el mismo año también fue elegido músico del año. 1 Premios y reconocimientos[editar] En 1962 ganó la medalla de plata en el primer Concurso Internacional de Piano Van Cliburn en Estados Unidos. En 1964 conquistó la medalla de plata en la Concurso Internacional Musical de la reina Elizabeth en Bruselas. En 1986 la Académie Balzac le concedió su Grande Medaille d'Or por las excelentes interpretaciones que había hecho por todo el mundo de obras de Berlioz, Beethoven y Liszt. En 1991 fue laureado con la condecoración Artista del pueblo de la URSS. En 1993 se le concedió el Premio Estatal de la Federación de Rusia. En 2008 obtuvo la Orden de Honor de Rusia.
Not even close, Prokofiev's most Rachmaninov-like work more like. The third and fifth concertos are much more original, not to mention countless works in other genres. I'd say the sonata for violin & piano or the 8th piano sonata are prime candidates for the best thing he ever wrote
I would add to that (while I respectfully disagree and think this is one of the best piano concertos ever written, and Prokofiev's best with the 5th and 3rd being very close tie as you mention), Piano Sonata No. 6 and the underrated No. 4 could also have cases made for them. (No. 4 includes some of the best counterpoint used in contemporary piano literature in the 2nd mvt.).
I must thank you very much for your efforts to put the scores on with the music. I think it's extraordinary to find a channel like yours where so much effort is put in for us to be able to study the scores while listening.
I am SO SORRY....I would have SCREAMED MY GUTS OUT when that was over! What was the rest of the audience reaction? What you let us hear was such a let DOWN! Of course then, I was positively MESMERIZED!!!!!!!!!
Wow... just wow... First of all, the thing could have been written yesterday, since it's a such a perfect mix of romanticism and modernity. Second, the soloist's technique and his endless intensity give this a full expression of the anguish Prokofiev must have felt, during the composing process, over a colleague's suicide. As a younger man I found the first movement unduly harsh and ugly, and now I realize it's just brutally honest. Oh, and this just happened to be a live performance. Whatever's in the tap water in Stockholm, I want it if it will make me a spiffy performer too.
Bravissimo, Petrov! This is one of the top 3 performances of this monumental masterpiece. The concerto has such hair raising bravura that even Richter, Horowitz and Argerich wouldn't go near it. Less than 5 pianist in history can do it justice. Especially the atrociously difficult cadenza in the first movement. Petrov is flawless.
Richter could most definitely play this. However, after hearing the Bolet recording in the 50's, he declared that no other pianist need to record the work again. Of course, Bolet takes the cuts, which makes it less ideal for today's standards. Have you heard the Baloghová recording? If not, I'm quite sure she'll make your short list.
Historically, dotted eights and sixteenths were often used as a shorthand for a bracketed triplet containing a quarter followed by an eighth. I do not know for certain what Prokofiev's intentions were, but technically there is a precedent for what Mr. Petrov is doing here.
Chad414 is correct. While historically it was true that dotted rhythms were a shorthand way of notating triplets, such is the case in Bach, that is certainly not the case in 20th century music. If you look throughout Prokofiev's other works, you'll see he has no problem notating triplets when his intentions are such, and dotted rhythms when his intentions are such. Furthermore, the fact that he notates triplets in the LH, actually makes the case that it is suppose to be dotted, seeing as he made the distinction in what he wrote. Lastly, had he wanted them to be triplets he would have written the RH in 12/8 as well, which he clearly did not. 4/4 is a simple quadruple meter, while 12/8 is a compound quadruple meter. The reason 4/4 is simple is because the beat is divided by divisions of 2. The reason 12/8 is compound is because the beat is divided by divisions of 3. Prokofiev knew this and was intentional in what he wrote.
To me the first movement's closest relative is Bach's c minor Passacaglia and Fugue - they both take a simple theme and turn it into the pinnacle of human achievement.
Ok, so wow, just wow! I wish classisal music would be so cool than it was in my childhood, or is time changes? I do not want to live at another time, this music is so mesmerising
Now that I have heard about 20 performances, unfortunately Mr. Petrov gets bumped from the top 5. This new generation has much more virtuosic technical facility (not necessarily artistic). This is now standard repertoire and competition material. 30 years ago only a handful of pianist would even attempt it and no one expected a pianist to learn this concerto. 40 years before that the Tchaikovsky was considered unplayable by some. Times have changed and I love it:)
Not true! The best beautiful colorful piano sound players are Really=Wilhelm Kempff Emil Gilels Artur Rubinstein Radu Lupu Vladimir Ashkenazy! Todays pianist do not have the sound! More Powerful Louder than Petrov=Mikhail Pletnev Supernova Explosion Power!( Prokofiev piano concerto no 1 by Pletnev!) The Second Loudest pianist was Lazar Berman! The most Genius=Sviatoslav Richter Solomon Cutner Grigory Sokolov Maurizio Pollini Alexei Lubimov Stanislav Igolinsky! The majority of todays players are so cold and boring! Top 5??
I guess its becasue he is palying in the really traditional way. I read an article said that after WII, most of the symphonies played fastger and faster than before, even Karajan's Bethophen is 25% faster than some older versions. But prokofiev is a hidden master who do not show himself too often in the public and may also live a old style of life I guess, that's why most of his interpretation sounds slower but more graceful and full. I mean, I prefer hus style for sure, we shall walk slower and wait for our soul.
22:46 is a funny unintended effect, for a few secs the theme starts in ppp, followed by the actual start of the final mvmt. Mvmts 2 & 3 too slow for my taste.
It is so beatiful! How was it possible that such composers visited this planet? After sertain point they all left us alone.. Prokofiev and Khachaturian were the last ones
Try Paisiello piano concerto no 4 Georg Anton Benda Harpsichord concerto b Minor ( we want The piano version) JS Bach Piano Harpsichord Concerto 1052 My favourites Are Chopin piano concerto no 2 Brahms 1-2 Rachmaninov 1 Mozart 22
Sorry, what mistakes. Can you please point out exactly by bar and note just one mistake where he either played the wrong note or the right note at the wrong time. These are the only objective mistakes. Everything else is subjective
Petrov is very good, but his left hand vamp at the very beginning is too prosaic, and doesn't support the right hand melody. The opening should be played "narrante" -- narrating -- meaning telling a story.
In regards to the Prokofiev 2nd concerto; By guys are playing this piece, I mean chicks and dudes as well. Yuja Wang just eats it up, Like she does with anything she tackles.
It wasn't Prokofiev's intention making this piece so difficult. But he knew how he wanted this piece to sound like and the only option to make the piece sound like that was making the piece difficult like hell.
It's a great question. When he wrote it he had not planned to make it difficult, and then as the music started to take shape he realised where it was going he had to follow, even through he was frustrated by what was happening. The piece had a life of it's own and he just had to write out what was coming out. CPE Bach said his father had the same problem.
+Banana Hunter Pro He's setting up an important motif that occurs throughout the entire first movement, he probably should keep it in. If you need help finding it elsewhere, listen for it in the orchestra right after the cadenza (piano solo).
Flexyhandz You're absolutely right! When I commented, I'd only listened to this a few times. Now its a year on, I've had time to properly hear the sophistications in the piece and its such an extraordinary work. I suppose it's too great and complex a concerto to judge on a few listens...
