In today’s blog post, I’d like to share with you a performance by legendary Russian pianist Sviatoslov Richter of Chopin’s Etude in C# minor, Opus 10, No. 4.
I will not say much here as the playing speaks for itself, but each of the many times I have watched this, he seems to play even faster than I recall. The technical brilliance is just phenomenal, and as always, he plays with such fire an abandon. I love how he throws his handkerchief on the piano right before he begins, and at times seems to almost rip the keys right off the keyboard!
I encourage you to explore other videos of Richter’s playing on youtube, and to check out a wonderful documentary about him called, “The Enigma.” It talks in detail about his life, has interviews of him, and a collection of fantastic footage of his playing. In fact, this youtube video is taken from the documentary.
One other note of interest: One of Vessy’s piano teachers was Sequeira Costa, also a legendary pianist who knew Richter, and sat with him on the jury of the famous 1st Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow when Van Cliburn won.
Welcome to our blog! We’re excited about sharing our thoughts about music and the piano with you through this venue! We’ll cover a variety of topics including some of the following:
Sharing performances of great music from some of our favorite performers with tips on what to listen for.
Talking about practicing! We’ll give tips for parents and students, and discuss in detail our recommended approaches to learning music quickly and efficiently.
Technique will be discussed. Approaches, hurdles, common misconceptions, and useful exercises.
Anything else music and piano related that we think our students might find interesting or informative.
For this first blog entry, I want to talk about Evgeny Kissin, and in particular his performance of Alfred Grünfeld’s transcription of Johann Strauss’ Die Fledermaus.
For me, watching this is pure enjoyment and admiration. The arrangement is virtuoso style, the familiar melodies are a joy, and it’s overall a great showpiece. Kissin’s technique is phenomenal as usual. I particularly love his crystal-clear fingerwork, and finesse with the pedal. He tends to pedal on the dry side, and that coupled with his detached-style passagework gives his performances a clean, crisp sound that I appreciate tremendously, and find lacking in so many other pianists.
I’m also partial to his interpretive style. I find his melodies extremely well-voiced and beautifully shaped, and his appassionatta-style playing powerful.
If you’ll follow the video along with me, I have a few specific thoughts along the way:
0:07 – Here at the very beginning of the piece is that super clear, detached playing I mentioned. The staccatos are razor sharp, and it makes for an opening that, while quiet, is still energized. It immediately captures the audience’s attention.
0:15 – Crazy-fast octaves! Here is a set of them for the right hand, making up a diminished seventh chord. If you note the time at the bottom, he plays them from 0:15-0:16 – 12 octaves in about 1 second, maybe slightly longer. He repeats the same passage at 0:28 with the camera on his hands.
0:32 – As any of my students will tell you, I’m a big fan of scales. It is something I introduce early with students, and something we continue to learn, improve, and perfect for years. Yes, they’re boring and tedious to practice. Very often I’m asked, “why do I have to practice scales?” Although there are a number of important reasons that I usually explain, you’ll find the answer right here. This D-flat major scale is awesome! Other super-fast, clean, even scale passages can be found in the section beginning at 2:49. You’ll notice Kissin barely slows the tempo down at all to accommodate all the scale notes – a remarkable feat considering the tempo!
0:42 – This is the actual beginning of the waltz after the introduction, and I generally love the way he plays it. But if I have one small criticism, it’s that I feel he can stretch the beat slightly more in the style of an authentic Viennese waltz. That is, rush to beat 2, delay beat 3. I’m splitting hairs here because he sounds terrific, but I find his pulse a little too steady for my taste. I would like a little more give and take, a little more playful quality in the Viennese style.
1:11 – On his last chord here, listen closely for the note F in the left hand. He voices it louder on purpose, and sustains it after the chords dies away. That note then steps up to G-flat at 1:14 while modulating to a new key. Love the transition, and attention to detail. Beautiful voicing and shaping here in the new section.
1:48 – Super difficult to make this section sound so easy. Playing these chords as lightly as he does allows him to play them faster, and to give direction to the repeated chords, so they don’t sound labored.
2:15 – My favorite section in the whole piece. Just gorgeous! Close your eyes, sit back and enjoy. The best part is the approach to 2:28.
4:14 – Transition into the final section of the piece. Huge chords, fast octaves, scales, tons of bravura – overall great fun!
I could wax on about a zillion more details but am hoping to keep my readers from falling asleep. Speaking of which, it’s late, and I’m headed out. Will write more soon on a different topic. Cheers!
