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Denis Matsuev kills Grieg

Discussion in 'Pianists' started by techneut, Aug 16, 2012.

  1. techneut

    techneut Active Member Piano Society Artist Trusted Member

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    techneut, Aug 16, 2012
    #1
  2. pianolady

    pianolady Monica Hart, Administrator Staff Member Piano Society Artist Trusted Member

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    I think I'm going to be sick.....[​IMG]
     
    pianolady, Aug 16, 2012
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  3. pianoman342

    pianoman342 Member Piano Society Artist Trusted Member

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    Maybe butchers is more like it... :x
     
    pianoman342, Aug 16, 2012
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  4. richard66

    richard66 Richard Willmer Piano Society Artist Trusted Member

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    Has anyone taken a look at Grieg's original?
     
    richard66, Aug 17, 2012
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  5. techneut

    techneut Active Member Piano Society Artist Trusted Member

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    Sure have. This is a bit more slapdash, to put it kindly. I always though Matsuev a bit of a basher, and this really does not help :roll:
     
    techneut, Aug 17, 2012
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  6. andrew

    andrew Administrator Staff Member Piano Society Artist

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    That's the Ginzburg arrangement. It's not even especially difficult - just written to make it sound much harder than it is. Ginzburg was a great performer of Liszt paraphrases (amongst others) but I'm not especially convinced by his Rossini transcription either. It's saying something when I find an arrangement crude and vulgar.. :lol:

    Alternatively, Chris, I'm sure you'll just looove this:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHRBk8FtvAs

    A bit spooky, but very odd.
     
    andrew, Aug 17, 2012
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  7. techneut

    techneut Active Member Piano Society Artist Trusted Member

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    Arghh.... Cziffra :roll: Does this have anything to do with music at all ?
     
    techneut, Aug 17, 2012
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  8. andrew

    andrew Administrator Staff Member Piano Society Artist

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    Good question. Did the Matsuev?
     
    andrew, Aug 17, 2012
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  9. pianolady

    pianolady Monica Hart, Administrator Staff Member Piano Society Artist Trusted Member

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    He seems smug - I wonder if he knows he's getting bashed from people all around the world.
     
    pianolady, Aug 18, 2012
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  10. techneut

    techneut Active Member Piano Society Artist Trusted Member

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    Not at all, of course.
    It's just that people so dote on Cziffra and I never quite understood why - except for the outlandish virtuosity and insane improvisation skills.
     
    techneut, Aug 18, 2012
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  11. andrew

    andrew Administrator Staff Member Piano Society Artist

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    Two fairly good reasons there. Also, there are many virtuosi with a prediliction for fast, loud and little else. In many Cziffra recordings the fast bits are very fast, but the slow parts really are slow - he likes to maximise contrast. He's also capable of considerable delicacy when required. Of course his playing is a bit of an acquired taste and my repertoire preferences partly explain why I like him so much.

    In defence of Matsuev here (which is asking a lot!) it looks like he's playing at some sort of showbiz event, which probably explains the choice of something short, familiar and flashy. It's still pretty crude playing.
     
    andrew, Aug 18, 2012
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  12. techneut

    techneut Active Member Piano Society Artist Trusted Member

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    Yes I know, Cziffra could play beautifully on occasion. But by and large I consider him a circus artist of dubious taste. He just could not help himself exploding in six different directions at every opportunity.

    As for Matsuev, I bet the audience loved every note of it. We probably need to remember that people like Brahms and Albeniz were not beyond playing in bars to start with, and surely played to the gallery a bit.
     
    techneut, Aug 18, 2012
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  13. richard66

    richard66 Richard Willmer Piano Society Artist Trusted Member

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    You must remember that Grieg himself thought nothing of the Dance in the Hall of the Mountain King.
     
    richard66, Aug 18, 2012
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  14. rkazandzhidi

    rkazandzhidi New Member

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    Well one must understand that the audience he was playing for, was not a really musical one. I know personally that he is a famed celebrity in Russia, that can be compared to a Hollywood star in the United States. He comes on a lot on the Russian TV channels and news programs. He was clearly just showing off and messing around with the music. He was playing for music lovers, not critics or professional musicians. Not saying I agree with his playing, but its understandable.
     
    rkazandzhidi, Dec 6, 2013
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  15. techneut

    techneut Active Member Piano Society Artist Trusted Member

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    Sure, the people in the street do want their bit of circus, we don't begrudge them that. Many a well-respected artist will give in to that on occasion, it is very understandable. I just think he could have found something more worthy to do than just callously butchering a well-known piece. Then I prefer Volodos' merry romp with Mozart's Alla Turca march. Vulgar as it is, it is at least original and exciting, and equally jaw-dropping.
     
    techneut, Dec 6, 2013
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  16. Bachtoven

    Bachtoven New Member

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    Bachtoven, Jan 31, 2016
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  17. richard66

    richard66 Richard Willmer Piano Society Artist Trusted Member

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    A chap signs up in January and then in February writes his first and only post to tell us how Matuev is wonderful... Knowing what I know about this gentleman-pianist's affiliations in the non-muical world I am inclined to wonder... I would suggest Richard Jordan keep an eye out for characters out of Scandinavian folklore signing up.
     
    richard66, Feb 9, 2016
    #17
  18. Bachtoven

    Bachtoven New Member

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    1) I haven't seen many threads that interested me. And in general, this forum seems pretty dead, so I don't visit it often.
    2) What, exactly, do you know about my non-musical affiliations? I have no idea who you are.
    3) "Bachtoven" is a Scandinavian folklore character?
     
    Bachtoven, Feb 9, 2016
    #18
  19. richard66

    richard66 Richard Willmer Piano Society Artist Trusted Member

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    Hello,

    Not your affiliations: Matsuev's.
     
    richard66, Feb 12, 2016
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  20. Bachtoven

    Bachtoven New Member

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    That makes more sense!
     
    Bachtoven, Feb 13, 2016
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