Festival de Santander 1983 Gran Orquesta Sinfónica de la RTV Soviética Dir.: Vladimir Fedoseyev Solista: Alicia de Larrocha Concierto grabado en directo de TVE - Video BETA
Alicia was a pianist who seemed so comfortable with any type of repertoire- everything she touched turned to gold!! So wonderful to hear this fabulous performance!
Alicia de lá Rocha foi minha professora de Piano na Espanha. Eu fui o Primeiro prêmio de piano do Brasil, a última aluna de Marguerite Long em Paris. Eu tenho uma mão enorme e nunca consegui fazer nem a metade de que ela conseguia com a menor mão de pianista que já encontrei. Suely Maria Coelho de Rosselli
Lo mejor de ella es que no acelera el tiempo, toca cada nota en su tiempo perfecto, para algunos sin pocas luces parecera que tiene menos talento que aquell@s que lo hacen mas rápido, pero Alicia fue es y sera siempre única
Completamente de acuerdo, incluso en los acordes del inicio los hace tan uniformes que cuesta notar que los está arpegiando, cada nota tocada conscientemente y las octavas perfectamente ligadas( como muy pocos lo saben hacer) , los crescendos bien ejecutados, los ritmos, en fin la perfección.
I saw Ms Larrocha play this at the Hollywood Bowl in one of the box seats on the keyboard side and I remember thinking exactly what I thought when I heard Ilana Vered do the Rachmaninoff 3rd at the Music Center: "How do such tiny hands play such difficult music so magnificently?" I asked Ms' Vered that question after the concert and she replied modestly, "Well, we do what we can do."
La maestra Alicia de Larrocha, siempre maravillosa, sus impecables ejecuciones son un alimento espiritual invaluable e inolvidable- Muchas gracias por compartir esta joya.
Las manos de Alicia, el humor de Alicia, la humildad d Alicia... yo también creo que fue la mejor pianista española del siglo pasado, la magia que pone en la danza andaluza de Granados me hace sentir más español que nunca...¡ y ese Rachmaninoff!
She was amazing indeed! Heard her many times in the Netherlands and will never forget those concerts. Many thanks to her daughter Alicia who did so much work uploading many of her recordings
No recording evidence of many of them. Rach's few recordings are clunky and strange. One does not need to compose for an instrument to be a master performer. It's my opinion. Deal with it. :)
You are wrong saying she never compose... She did (mostly for piano) but were childhood and youth compositions that she never intended to make them public. Recently, her heirs have published them. The whole collection of short works is called "Pecados de juventud" (Sin of youth). Anyway, I do not think it has anything to do with being a great pianist with having composed or not. I also believe that, above all, in art, there is no "the best". In my opinion, she was ONE of the best.
Before she passed away I saw her perform at The Opera House in Seattle..she played Mendelsohn songs without words....it was so beautiful I just sat there and wept through her performance ...She had this incredible singing tone..she also had the idiosyncrasy of using some of her fingers on sustained notes in a vibrating fashion as if she were getting a vibrato from a violin string. It was very beautiful to witness this as she played ~ I will never forget the performance !!1
What a pity that so many historical AdL recordings have such bad sound quality. Here, the violins sometimes sound like a cheap accordeon playing, the balance does not favor the piano enough, and there are strange glitches in the tape. But not to complain... at least we have this and nothing can distract from AdL's fabulous playing and musicality. As for many people, Alicia is my all-time favorite pianist. She could do anything, and everything she did was perfection. She'll be missed forever.
The first two movements were a tad slow for my taste but beautifully played. The 3rd movement was A.D. at her very best. Amazing the steely power in those small hands of hers. She was so fabulous.
De la rocha was incomparable in the Spaniah repertoire. I was very fortunate to hear her earlier in her career. She had an unerring solidity combined with the Spanish style that no one has equalled
Great pianist! Today one hears Volodos, Luganski and even Kissin and raves about it! But Larrochas' and Argerich's versions are amongst the very best Rachmaninoff ever played! And this is not pedal effect, like so much of today's playing turns out to be... tnis is real playing, with perfect phrasing of both hands, pedal and also nevar afraid of peaving it out, and so much else, not to be forgoten! Russians produce an enormous sweeping effect, but none of them, apart from Horowitz (Russian???), Gilels or Richter are capable of that much refinement and perfect polish like Larocha's, for instance...
luiz g What are you talking about when you say “pedal effect”? Most modern pianist use short and choppy pedals or no pedal, so they can sound “clean”. Almost no one follows the pedaling written by the composer.
Because Volodos, Luganski, and even Kissin, despite being technical wizards and excellent pianists in their own right, are not on the same caliber of musicianship as Alicia. She’s on another level, like Richter and Gilels, whom you rightfully mentioned. Alicia, Richter, and Gilels, and dare I say Richter especially, were bona fide artists, not just elite pianists. Volodos, Luganski, and Kissin may some day mature enough to be equally great, or they may not.
The beginning of the piece is the best I have ever heard and it resembles the beginning of the piece performed by Sergei on one of his original recordings. Although it is slower than this one and than the interpretation of the Berlin Philharmonic with Karajan, I prefer it to the others because, in my opinion, it is more in keeping with the spirit of the work than a faster interpretation, in the style of current pianists who seem to want to demonstrate the mastery of their technique. Alice por siempre. Entre las más grandes.
Not sure why we compare Yuja with ADL. They are very different artists with a different approach to piano playing. I personally love ADL’s piano playing immensely. I still treasure her Chopin preludes / concerto no 2 which I bought 25 years ago. I am yet to hear another version of the prelude that moves me so much. As to yuja, I must say she will grow into a great artist.
At 34 y.o. Yuja is in the league of far older pianists like Alicia, Martha, Evgeny, Vladimir, Alfred. Even the composers themselves probably like the way she vivifies their masterpieces like Beethoven's Hammerklavier, Ravel's Scarbo. Even Ligeti or Schubert are revealed under her flying fingers.
Gran pianiista !!!! En cuanto a preceia con la famiilia , con acompañamiento desde el principio ,a escoger su profesio ,el dia de su primer dia de trabajo ,como solo quede yo ........me acompaño el piano no pude hacer una vida sosial ,cuando ya tuvieron fuertes sus alas lse fueron del nido del que no quiero salir porque no las tengo alas ,pero soy feliz porque hice bien mi trabajosisimo trabajo ( valga la redundanci ) LINDO DIA ,este concierto es de mis favoritos .Gracias
One of my favorites. Would love to have heard her live in a fine hall, and certainly with a different orchestra and conductor. Second rate presentation of a first rate artist. After all, it is a piano concerto. Maybe it's the poor quality of the recording that bothers me the most.
You are completely right. She is so superlative in every way.The bad sound and intrusive orchestra try hard to diminish the performance but she still shines.
+nyc2cal De Larrocha is my favorite pianist, though I hesitate to compare professional artists anymore... But this here is a truly special performance, indeed.
+TJFNYC212 Unfortunately I heard that performance also and it was just awful (including the music, which is junk in my opinion). I would pay close attention to how much energy ADL puts into this performance, with her whole body to get the right sound.
Alicia was a great great pianist.... I got to hear her so many times in NYC I consider myself blessed ..... seeing her sitting at a Steinway Concert grand was like seeing a small women driving a Mack Truck with great ease
The first time I have heard Alicia de Larrocha playing Rachmaninoff's Second Concerto. Wonderful, particularly the second theme, first and last movement. Almost no technical difficulties, even moments of virtuosity can be noticed. But the orchestra is awful!
These pianists from early 20th century (De Larocha, Magda Tagliaferro, Gina Bachauer, Rubinstein and others) used so big hand gestures. I don't understand this, since they don't change the sound.
I'm a pianist & know this woman is astonishing. Heard her in 1973 & looked at the programme & thought She can't really play these huge pieces. Wow she made me cry.
Alicia was a pianist who seemed so comfortable with any type of repertoire- everything she touched turned to gold!! So wonderful to hear this fabulous performance!
