That Cortot's Kreisleriana should have so few viewings, compared to many modern interpretations, is truly disheartening. It is also indicative of how this extra, magical element which turns an excellent pianist to a great master eludes the vast majority of people who listen to classical music. To my mind, a great master creates a multi-dimensional universe, so rich and full of detail, versatility, with as many different colours, emotions, eloquent and convincing ideas and suggestions, as we could not have imagined beforehand. This universe is primarily deferent to the composer and also characteristic of the interpreter's unique musical personality but in a way so natural and unpretentious, which comes out as inescapable (as opposed to mannerisms aimed at sounding ''different'' or ''original'' in a fabricated way). In this sense, Cortot, Haskil, Grinberg, Godowsky, Backhaus stand in a realm of their own. It's just sad to me that so many people prefer a video featuring a high-end, audio-visual production, live or not, to a however old recording with a crackly sound, yet tantamount to a glimpse from heaven.
What a brilliant comment! Your ideas match mine. A transcendental interpretation opens up an unknown dimension and takes us there for an indescribable experience where we are momentarily detached from our reality and forget even our own existence.
To quote Cortot on his own playing 'more wrong notes than anyone else...and more right notes than anyone else'. YES, on both counts...a superb account of this music and thanks to incontrario motu for sharing this with us all. We should start a great CORTOT ON THE NET fanclub.
00:00 - Äußerst bewegt (Extremely animated), D minor 01:59 - Sehr innig und nicht zu rasch (Very inwardly and not too quickly), Bb major 08:20 - Sehr aufgeregt (Very agitated), G minor 11:45 - Sehr langsam (Very slowly), Bb major/G minor 15:27 - Sehr lebhaft (Very lively), G minor 18:16 - Sehr langsam (Very slowly), Bb major 21:49 - Sehr rasch (Very fast), C minor/Eb major 24:01 - Schnell und spielend (Fast and playful), G minor
This is my favorite performance of this piece. The meno mosso section in the third mvt. (Sehr aufgeregt) is one of the greatest moments in recorded classical pianism.
Really fabulous, wide range of dynamics and characterized by lyrical approach. Alfred Cortot..I admire him very much! Wonderful sensitive piano playing with great raffinement and creative imagination.
Just gorgeous. One of the best Kreisleriana's ever recorded. One of the things I so love about this piece is that it plays differently in the hands of all great pianists. Mysterious, quirky, extremely beautiful -- each pianist has his take. But Cortot manages all those elements with exceeding clarity and subtlety. That he leaves you wondering what the piece is, and is about, is his ultimate triumph!
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! The best performance of Kreisleriana that I have ever heard in my life. Bravo Alfred! I believe I read somewhere that his possible sympathy for the Germans in WWII could be a reason why his magnificent performances are not more appreciated today.
Impeccable musicianship with all the mature refinement of sound and sensitive balance between expression and reserve that Schumann demands. Beautiful. Bravo!
"impeccable" does not makes sense, there is not one unique direction of distinguished musicianship; musicianship and impeccable are separate and unmixable worlds.
Klare und gut artikulierte Interpretation dieses fein komponierten Meisterwerks im idealen Tempo mit durchsichtigen Klänge aller Tasten. Bestimmt die beste Kombination der höchsten Technik und der angeborenen Lyrik. Die Tonqualität ist auch unglaublich hoch als eine Aufnahme von mehr als achtzig Jahre vor. Echt unvergleichlicher Pianist in den Vorkriegsjahre!
Cortot brought a wonderful interior poetry as well as exuberance to Kreisleriana. This legendary artist had a special affinity for Schumann, his wonderful story telling in Kinderszenen is another example.
Das ist rhythmisch und nicht metrisch! Die Musik wird hier plastisch, drei dimensional, der Sound fantastisch differenziert. Großartige Interpretation. Danke fürs veröffentlichen!
Cortot is to Chopin what Schnabel was to Beethoven. We owe him a pianistic technique that influenced many stars including Haskil, Lipatti, Perlemuter, Ciani ... Like Horowitz, his music was not perfect but always creative and never boring.
Великий пианист, Великий человек заступился за юными Липати и Микеланджели в разные годы на международных конкурсах пианистов когда их незаслуженно оставили без всяких наград другие члены жюри вроде уродливого Артура Рубинштейна, которые в подмётки не годятся этим ГЕНИЯЛЬНИМ ПИАНИСТАМ, Альфред Корто был кристальной души человек и пианист!!!
Микеланджели получил свою седьмую премию на том конкурсе, где победил Эмиль Гилельс, а третье место занял Яков Флиер. Так что не надо говорить о том, что Микеланджели "засудили злые члены жюри". Кстати, там в жюри были Робер Казадезюс, Вальтер Гизекинг, Эмиль фон Зауэр. Просто АБМ тогда был не в состоянии соревноваться с другими великими. На следующем конкурсе Микеланджели уже победил без вопросов, но там у него не было достойных соперников. А говорить, что Артур Рубинштейн ничего не понимает в музыке или "урод" (это вместе с Казадезюсом, Гизекингом, фон Зауэром) - это просто недостойно культурного человека.
Cortot play Schumann , his Carnaval op-9 , Papillons op-2 , Kinderszenen etc are incomparable also Yves Nat , Clara Haskil but for one time ( j dont Like Horowitz ) j must say that Kreisleriana by V Horowitz ( recording 1975 ) are the Top of piano , this grandioso piano is perhaps not the best spirit or Schumann but piano of Horowitz is so beautiful that for me the Kreilerianas are Horowitz ( recording 1975 ' )
Horowitz studied with Cortot when he was in Paris did you know that? I think Horowitz was much influenced by Cortot although he never spoke about it. Cortot did show his interpretations of Chopin etudes at Moscou conservatory and I am sure Horowitz did listen carefully.
Cortot and his sickeningly jarring, self-indulgent rubato have always driven me up the wall and I have absolutely no idea why he gets stanned so hard. Not only was he a Nazi sympathizer, he played like one too. The man apparently *had no fucking clue* what rubato even is, it's like he thought it was just a matter of whimsically varying your tempo or something. No, god dammit, no, when you play with rubato you have to respect the piece's momentum, you can't just vary your tempo however the fuck you want as if the music doesn't have any motherfucking inertia, otherwise you're just violently jerking it back and forth like some smoothbrain alternately slamming the brake and gas pedals in stop-and-go traffic, it's fucking maddening. 2:16 I mean, are you kidding me? Who is this appallingly sloppy? Who the fuck hits a sour note in that passage of all passages?
You hit a sour note with this ridiculous critique of one of the finest interpretations of this work on record. Look around Steven; you're a minority of one in the comments section of this recording. I'd love to hear your recording of it. Only I can't find it on RU-vid.
@Jemand Anderes I think this guy's fantastic. His sense of meter is impeccable--and surely, Schumann demands such a faculty, with his comically-specific tempo markings. Trushechkin here strikes an ideal balance between organic fluidity and steady pulse. He's also got the Schumann locks, those help too. Thanks for sharing.