New repertoire/programs of living pianists

i liken virtuosity as the ability to thrill an audience…that sensation that what the performer is doing is an acrobatic feat. the feeling you get when you watch cziffra play the galop.

it is possible, i believe, to perform artistically without virtuosity, in that there is no acrobatic element. no “omg how is that possible”. practically any “slow piece” probably qualifies, though in some cases the tonal control is so expert (as in horowitz) that there’s an element of physical virtuosity in there as well.

That being said, i call any great pianist in general a virtuoso, and people like cortot though people like to claim that he is technically imperfect, he’s a virtuoso in my terminology. so basically i agree with your statement.

for me great technique means sounding good, while great music means feeling good.

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:+1:

I wish more people would realise this

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Hmmm, well, he did get through all the Liszt TEs and Beethoven’s 111 admirably, even if they were not his default pianistic rep.

This could be awesome.

Lmao.

So thanks to vlad who introduced me to the jocko guy.

Just watched a bunch of his videos, discovered the joke, seems like an interesting guy.

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He gives really good diet advice too.

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I’m hoping for Horowitz.

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He’s so bony nowadays - bad for tone quality.

I heard on the Discovery channel he’s been seen in Argentina.

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Surprise surprise… Wang has again remade her 2020 recital program:

https://www.mccarter.org/season/2019-2020/pdps/yuja-wang/

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To me that looks like a scatter-brained program masquerading as something more than it is

I like it a lot more than what she advertised earlier. This has some logic to the structure too, even if it’s still pretty odd.

Galuppi/Bach - baroque
Chopin/Brahms - romantics

Scriabin - modernists
Ravel/Berg/Mompou - modernists
Scriabin - modernists

As I mentioned earlier today I’ve been all over late Brahms since Sokolov’s fall program so I’m delighted to see that, and I’ve always enjoyed her Scriabin. Furthermore hearing her in untranscribed Bach and Ravel/Berg/Mompou there will be fun. Best of all: no Liebestod.

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Randomly, has Trifonov played his Art of fugue program anywhere yet?

Also, has a recording ever surfaced of Levit’s Shostakovich Op. 87?

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@Kreso can probably answer this better, but I at least haven’t heard (of) it.

I have one or two friends who have taped Levit in Op.87. I’m not sure if I asked for the recordings, but can do so if you’d like to take a look.

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I’m definitely curious, but don’t go to any trouble on my account. It’s not something I’m dying to hear.

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Program

Baldassare Galuppi C major Sonata, first movement
Bach – C minor Toccata
Brahms – Intermezzo in A minor Op. 116 no. 2
Chopin – Mazurka Op. 67 no. 4
Brahms – Intermezzo in E minor, Op. 119 No. 2
Chopin – Mazurka Op. 30 no. 4
Brahms – Intermezzo in C sharp minor Op. 117, No. 3
Chopin – Mazurka Op. 68 no. 3
Brahms – Romance in F major, Op. 118 no. 5

–INTERMISSION–

Scriabin – Sonata No. 4 in F-sharp major Op.30
Ravel – Une Barque sur L’Ocean
Berg – Piano Sonata
Federico Mompou – Secreto
Scriabin – Sonata No. 5

hmmm, pretty cool prog.

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@iamcanadian Trifonov is starting The Art of the Fugue this February.

@xsdc I would be also curious to hear Levit in op. 87, but nothing urgent…

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this is actually a fucking awesome program haha

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glad she left the Bach… also curious how her scrib 5 will have matured now that her sound a little more complex and a hair thicker. Brahms and Chopin tho… ? I bet the berg good as well. Hope she recs then like last program, studio work not representative with this peniz.

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Yeah, exactly. I still think of Wang as an “entertainment” type of pianist (mind you, like Horowitz for instance) so Brahms might seem like an odd pairing, but there’s also a good amount of whole grain musicianship in her which serves her well in this kind of repertoire. I’m rather more suspicious about the Chopin Mazurkas I have to say. And Bach/Ravel are complete jokers in the deck - I have no clue what she’ll do with them.

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