Evgeny Kissin

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
Few recent prodigies have endured like Evgeny Kissin. His technique is flawless, he articulates both notes and expression with a maturity beyond his years, and his romantic repertoire is some of the best available. Celebrated here as part of Philips's Great Pianist series, Kissin easily demonstrates his prowess. The first half of this set is dominated by Liszt interpretations. The Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 leads off the disc and is loaded with punch, while the Spanish Rhapsody brims with a true energy and confidence. The second CD, all Prokofiev, reveals the early talents of Kissin. The Visions fugitives hardly sound like they came from hands not old enough to drive. A live Carnegie Hall performance of Prokofiev's Piano Sonata No. 6--the same piece he chose to play at the age of 15 for the International Tchaikovsky Competition--delights. From the opening notes, it's apparent that Kissin has a grasp of the piece and it's no wonder it's still a staple of his concert performances. --Jason Verlinde

Evgeny Kissin, Music, Mikhail Milman, Michel Lethiec, Franz Liszt, Sergey Prokofiev, Carl Tausig, Claudio Abbado, Vladimir Spivakov, Berliner Philharmoniker, Moscow Virtuosi, Evgeny Kissin, Yuri Gandelsman, Boris Garlitsky, 20th/21st Century Sonata/Sonatina for Keyboard, Chamber, Chamber Music & Recitals, Classical, Classical Artists, Classical Music, Concerto, Etude for Keyboard, Keyboard, Keyboard Work with Descriptive or Unclassified Title, March for Keyboard, Mixed Chamber Ensemble with Keyboard, Nocturne for Keyboard, Piano Concerto, Rhapsody for Keyboard, Transcription for Keyboard

Rachmaninoff: Concerto No. 2; Etudes-Tableaux
Average customer rating:

Young pianists should avoid Rachmaninoff No. 2

mediocre C-minor

Powerful Rachmaninoff

Kissin & Rachmaninoff

Fantastic

Rachmaninoff: Concerto No. 2; Etudes-Tableaux

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Chopin: 24 Preludes, Op. 28; Sonata for Piano No. 2, Op. 35; Polonaise, Op. 53

Chopin: The Four Ballades, Berceuse, Barcarolle, Scherzo No. 4

Chopin, Volume 1

ASIN: B000003EUT
Release Date: 1993-08-10

Tracks:

Concerto No. 2, Op. 18 In C Minor: Moderato; Allegro
Concerto No. 2, Op. 18 In C Minor: Adagio sostenuto
Concerto No. 2, Op. 18 In C Minor: Allegro scherzando
Etudes-Tableaux, Op.39: No. 1 In C Minor
Etudes-Tableaux, Op.39: No. 2 In A Minor
Etudes-Tableaux, Op.39: No. 4 In B Minor
Etudes-Tableaux, Op.39: No. 5 In E-Flat Minor
Etudes-Tableaux, Op.39: No. 6 In A Minor
Etudes-Tableaux, Op.39: No. 9 In D

Customer Reviews:

Young pianists should avoid Rachmaninoff No. 2.......2007-06-29

Even keyboard supermen, if at a tender age (like 16), should avoid some repertoire that require more depth and life experience.
A typical piece of such sort is Rachmaninoff's No. 2 Piano Concerto. Don't think that it is so well known that even jazz players improvise on it that a kid could bring the music out alright.
I am not a diehard fan of Kissin, or of any pianist.
Honestly, the showmanship of young Kissin is rather inapt for this piece, demonstrating his lack of technical control, plus the fact that he and Gergiev are scarcely in sync in this recording.
I regret that people do not have the guts to say this straight out (except the only honest reviewer of March 2006).

mediocre C-minor.......2006-03-27

To put this streight Kissin doesn't understand Rachmaninov's music at all. He makes mistakes high-school students at Moscow conservatoire are tought to avoid at a very early age. I don't mean that my understanding is inevitably right, tastes are different in the end.
However some pieces sound so bad, you can't help feeling sorry for the pianist. His rubatos lack elementary taste. His pedal is a disgrace and at times a disaster! In the end amazing second concerto sounds cheap and pitiful.
If you want to listen to a beautiful interpitation, get Richter's.

Powerful Rachmaninoff.......2005-09-24

Because Rachmaninoff's music mirrors the Russian culture, I have often noted that no one plays Rachmaninoff like a Russian. Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 and Etudes-Tableaux, played by the Russian Evgeny Kissin, is unparalleled in mastery, beauty, and power. The album begins with one of the most sensitive interpretations of Rachmaninoff's second piano concerto that I have heard (on par with Vladimir Ashkenazy's, a fellow Russian). Kissin understands the flow of the piece from beginning to end. As a result, he builds the tension by accentuating the rich chord progressions that fill the piece. He then resolves that tension with the precision of a story-teller and the sensitivity of a master artist. Though the music stretches the ability of even the greatest pianists, Kissin plays through the difficulty in order to paint a landscape of musical progression. He hears and invites his audience to hear the intricate sub-plots that recur all throughout the work. Perhaps Rachmaninoff's most famous composition is married with a true master artist.

The album ends with six powerful Etudes-Tableaux. Once again, Kissin hears and emphasizes both the predominant theme as well as the innumerable sub-themes, often overlooked by lesser musicians. My favorite is Etude-Tableau No. 5 in E-flat minor. This extremely difficult piece builds tension through increased dissonance until a lofty climax. That dissonance almost becomes unpleasant to the ears, creating an atmosphere of extreme melancholy. I imagine that tension mirroring the inner turmoil that an individual experiences through a difficult time of life. But when that tension and internal cacophony can get no greater and the person is at the point of breaking, grace comes! The beauty of the resolution is far more beautiful against such a dark backdrop. And any person who has been through difficulties can fully enter into the emotion of the music. And anybody who is currently experiencing pain and suffering can take hope, even from this music, that resolution will come.

Kissin & Rachmaninoff.......2005-03-14

If one asks what the most striking reality in this CD is, I would without a doubt show the recording date (1988) and the year (1971) Kissin was born in. This interpretation of Rachmaninoff's 2nd concerto is just "too much" for a young man at his 17s. Apart from the technical brilliancy, Kissin shows us that he feels the music in his soul. The Etudes-tableaux are unique in their own way, and Kissin's recordings are among the best. Notice the savagery in No. 1, the beauty in No. 2, and the melancholy in No. 5. Brilliant performances. Highly recommended.

Fantastic.......2004-08-10

Kissin has outdone himself here. The clarity of the solo piano passages are absolutely fantastic. This is pure Rachmaninoff. It's to bad that the booming force of the orchestra seems to sometimes drown out the piano in some places (e.g. climax of the 1st movement). Anyway this is not a recording to miss, I highly recommend it. One of the top recordings of the Rachmaninoff 2.

Evgeny Kissin: Beethoven, Franck, Brahms

Average customer rating:

Perfection dimmed, but there's still much to enjoy
the brahms is truely a pleasure
Great memory of recital with some of these works
Fascinating
Phenomenal!

Evgeny Kissin: Beethoven, Franck, Brahms

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Chopin: 24 Preludes, Op. 28; Sonata for Piano No. 2, Op. 35; Polonaise, Op. 53
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Carnegie Hall Debut Concert
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ASIN: B0000064YB
Release Date: 1998-03-10

Tracks:

Sonata Op. 27 No. 2 'Moonlight' in C Sharp: Adagio sostenuto
Sonata Op. 27 No. 2 'Moonlight' in C Sharp: Allegretto
Sonata Op. 27 No. 2 'Moonlight' in C Sharp: Presto agitato
Prelude, choral et fugue: Prelude
Prelude, choral et fugue: Choral
Prelude, choral et fugue: Fugue
Variations On A Theme By Paganini, Op. 35 Book 1: Theme
Variations On A Theme By Paganini, Op. 35 Book 1: Variation I
Variations On A Theme By Paganini, Op. 35 Book 1: Variation II
Variations On A Theme By Paganini, Op. 35 Book 1: Variation III
Variations On A Theme By Paganini, Op. 35 Book 1: Variation IV
Variations On A Theme By Paganini, Op. 35 Book 1: Variation V
Variations On A Theme By Paganini, Op. 35 Book 1: Variation VI
Variations On A Theme By Paganini, Op. 35 Book 1: Variation VII
Variations On A Theme By Paganini, Op. 35 Book 1: Variation VIII
Variations On A Theme By Paganini, Op. 35 Book 1: Variation IX
Variations On A Theme By Paganini, Op. 35 Book 1: Variation X
Variations On A Theme By Paganini, Op. 35 Book 1: Variation XI
Variations On A Theme By Paganini, Op. 35 Book 1: Variation XII
Variations On A Theme By Paganini, Op. 35 Book1: Variation XIII
Variations On A Theme By Paganini, Op. 35 Book 1: Variation XIV
Variations On A Theme By Paganini, Op. 35 Book 2: Book II/ Variation I
Variations On A Theme By Paganini, Op. 35 Book 2: Variation II
Variations On A Theme By Paganini, Op. 35 Book 2: Variation III
Variations On A Theme By Paganini, Op. 35 Book 2: Variation IV
Variations On A Theme By Paganini, Op. 35 Book 2: Variation V
Variations On A Theme By Paganini, Op. 35 Book 2: Variation VI
Variations On A Theme By Paganini, Op. 35 Book 2: Variation VII
Variations On A Theme By Paganini, Op. 35 Book 2: Variation VIII
Variations On A Theme By Paganini, Op. 35 Book 2: Variation IX
Variations On A Theme By Paganini, Op. 35 Book 2: Variation X
Variations On A Theme By Paganini, Op. 35 Book 2: Variation XI
Variations On A Theme By Paganini, Op. 35 Book 2: Variation XII
Variations On A Theme By Paganini, Op. 35 Book 2: Variation XIII
Variations On A Theme By Paganini, Op. 35 Book 2: Variation XIV

Amazon.com essential recording

A wizard of technical control since his prodigy days, Kissin simply uses this as a foundation to probe the depths of such core repertory items as the ones on this collection. It takes a truly subtle musicality and grasp to make the endlessly recorded Moonlight sound fresh, but Kissin has the goods, pulling the carpet from underneath and making you really notice, with his unsentimental, steady tempo, how unsettling Beethoven's harmonic fluctuations are in a first movement of startling inwardness. Kissin allows the middle minuet to blossom within the sonata's larger nightscape, while he pushes the finale's cri de coeur to its heaven-storming edge. He likewise traces the late-19th-century gothic labyrinth of Franck's Prelude, Choral et Fugue with an absorbing blend of delicacy and power. But the real highlight of this disc is the gloriously brilliant intensity Kissin brings to the Brahms Paganini Variations. Listen to how he parades a dizzying, dazzling series of moods--from caressing introspection and bone-crunching, steely chords to the giddy cross-rhythms of Book II, Variation 7--to match Brahms's magnitude of invention. This is pianism of the first order. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

Perfection dimmed, but there's still much to enjoy.......2006-03-18

By the time this CD came out in 1997, the musical world was hanging on to every note played by Kissin, a prodigy and a genius above reproach. Then everyone's collective heart sank as the Moonlight sonata unfolded in a plodding, uninspired way--for the first time perfection was dimmed. Sadly enough, it has continued to. Kissin's talent shines by fits and starts now.

On this CD the Beethoven must be passed over with some embarrassment, but the Franck is compelling and the Brahms, as everyone else has noted, is superb. Over the years Kissin's interpretation of Schubert and Schumann, once two of his best composers, has begn to suffer from coarseness, and his once incomparable Chopin has turned to grandstanding. Luckily, we have many earlier recitals to enjoy, and one hopes there will be a return to greatness from this unique musician.

the brahms is truely a pleasure.......2003-07-13

i agree with many of the other reviewer that the brahms variations are very special and real treat at the hands of kissin. the paganini variations are also well recorded by an artist named Ivo Janssen along with some other equally fine variations by brahms in case you are looking for an all brahms album(i am not sure if that cd is still in print)

Great memory of recital with some of these works.......2002-02-17

Just showing off really: Kissin played the Franck a few years ago in a recital in Rotterdam and ovewhelmed his audience with his rich, mature interpretation. And I managed to visit him afterwards in his artist-room where he was very shy but charming in his reaction to the praise he received.
This recordings ddoes such memries complete justice, even is the Beethoven is unusually mediocre for Kissins level. But who's complaining?

Fascinating.......2001-01-15

Evgeny Kissing is one a young Piano genius. In this cd you will find a deep Beethoven, Franck and Brahms. To each of those three pieces Kissing brings his own ideas, virtuosity and a clear and sharp sound (very sharp for a recording!) of his piano. therefor one can expect to get here an intelectual advanture.

A very recomanded cd.

Phenomenal!.......2000-05-11

For many, this recording would be a revelation: the storm of emotions in Moonlight puts Kissin's account in a class of its own, the subtle intensity of Franck's Prelude, Choral and Fugue comes across as a colorful singing narrative, and Brahms's staggering Variations on a Theme of Paganini finally get the involvement and attention they deserve. Kissin is a poet at the piano, but his technique is beyond words - he uses incredible accuracy and tonal clarity as a supporting means of expression. The name that comes to mind of a pianist that possessed this kind of combination is Sviatoslav Richter, however Kissin engages in even more interpretative ventures, making his versions immediately unique.

This CD is a definite jewel; even if you have these pieces on other recordings, I would still recommend you get this one. Interestingly, I think, the program here was arranged with intent. After Beethoven's Presto Agitato literally "shakes your world" one is ready for reflective, sophisticated Franck. And then Brahms's heart stopping Paganini variation will send you on a journey through the world of cascading melodies and intriguing and even whimsical twists and turns. This CD is guarantees to provide hours of listening enjoyment, for every time you play it, there will be something previously undiscovered waiting for you. RCA did a fantastic job of recording: the sound is real and spacious.

Evgeny Kissin & James Levine: The Carnegie Hall Concert
Average customer rating:

Two pianists playing from different planets

Energetic Schubert, with impressive partnering

SUBLIME TOGETHERNESS

Evgeny Kissin & James Levine: The Carnegie Hall Concert

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by Schubert | Schubert, Franz | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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Evgeny Kissin Plays Chopin

Vienna Recital

Memory [Includes Bonus CD]

Horizons - Leif Ove Andsnes

ASIN: B000E1JOU2
Release Date: 2006-02-07

Tracks:

Fantasie in F minor for Piano Four Hands, D940
Allegro in A minor for Piano Four Hands, D947, "Lebensst
Sonata in C Major for Piano Four Hands, D812, "Grand Duo"; Allegro moderato
Sonata in C Major for Piano Four Hands, D812, "Grand Duo"; Andante
Sonata in C Major for Piano Four Hands, D812, "Grand Duo"; Scherzo: Allegro vivace
Sonata in C Major for Piano Four Hands, D812, "Grand Duo"; Allegro vivace
Characteristic March No. 1 in C Major, D968b
Military March No. 1 in D Major, D733

Customer Reviews:

Two pianists playing from different planets.......2007-05-17

I heard this exact same concert live in Boston two days before this concert was recorded in NYC. As someone who knows and loves Schubert's four-hand music, especially the Fantasy in F-minor (one of the greatest pieces of music for piano ever composed), I have to say that this concert was a complete disaster. The problem is that Kissin and Levine aren't remotely on the same page (or planet) in their approach to the music: Kissin plays with real passion and sensitivity, and Levine plays as if on Prozac--no real highs or lows, just a lot of notes played loud and soft as required. While they sat at two different pianos because of Levine's girth, it was an appropriately figurative statement also, because of the unbridgeable gap between their approaches. Sadly, I can not recommend this recording at all. If you are interested in Schubert's Fantasy in F-minor, make sure you hear the performance by Emil and Elena Gilels, which pretty well blows all others away. Perahia and Lupu also have recordings of the other four-hand works that are recommendable.

Energetic Schubert, with impressive partnering.......2006-05-03

I imagine this concert could be the only time that Schubert's four-hand piano music, which was intended to be played at home, filled Carnegie Hall. Levine and Kissin are stars, but the big surprise is their unanimity--it's nearly impossible to tell on this CD which one is playing the first or second part. I heard not a single slip in ensemble. The music is self-recommending to Schubertians, since every work is a masterpiece (the F minor Fantasy is all but obligatory on such programs).

As to style, Kissin and Levine don't tiptoe around, which is gratifying--they take a forceful, energetic appraoch, and their tempos tend to be brisk. At times the phrasing lacks inwardness, but it's incredibly hard to bring out both the poetry and the strength of Schubert's piano writing. Britten and Richter came closer in their live recordings from the Aldeburgh Festival (BBC Legends), but Levine and Kissin are still first-rate. I am not fond of two-paino music (as the pieces are played here, rather than at a single keyborad), finding it too percussive, but this CD kept my attention from beginning to end. Lots of applause before and after each item, by the way.

SUBLIME TOGETHERNESS.......2006-03-01

Piano music for four hands played an integral part in Schubert's compositional output. (Robert Schumann thought very highly of Schubert's compositions in this genre). He composed like music throughout his very short life. This recording contains works from the last years of his life and it certainly contains some of his best compositions for the piano-I really think that the Sonata for Piano 4 hands in C major, D 812/Op. 140 "Grand Duo" was really a symphony for two pianos. Whatever it is, Levine and Kissen give it a splendid reading! To me these works are far more than mere "housemusic" (or music known as music to be played exclusively among friends at evening gatherings in the home). As a piano major during my college days (many years ago) I played (not well) many of Schubert's piano works for four hands (with other piano students). I remember liking and enjoying them immensely. Since that time, Schubert's piano music for four hands has sort of disappeared from my "musical radar". This release is very welcome indeed. Hearing these works played by musicians of the caliber of Evengy Kissin and James Levine is phenomenal. (I simply ADORE the first number--Fantasie in F minor--it's achingly lovely)

Evengy Kissin and James Levine recorded this album "live" at Carnegie Hall in New York in 2005. Musicians of this acclaim don't' get together often to play this kind of music. Therefore, I would call this "a once in a lifetime" recording. Kissin and Levine play these wonderful works splendidly. Their playing reeks of almost a "second sense" with each other. They are always together as if anticipating each other's next move. There is a keen sense of rhythm, beautiful tone and dynamics. BRAVO! I really don't expect, in my lifetime, to hear these works played again as well as they are played on this album-it's is really amazing.

For some divine piano playing by two master musicians, buy this disc!

Rachmaninoff - Vocalise / Rachmaninoff, Moffo, Kissin, Galway, Tomita, Swenson, Asawa, Luboff Choir

Average customer rating:

The great Vocalise
Wonderful
Wonderful
A wonderful example of truly great work
Compelling to the ear!

Rachmaninoff - Vocalise / Rachmaninoff, Moffo, Kissin, Galway, Tomita, Swenson, Asawa, Luboff Choir
Sergey Rachmaninov , American Symphony Orchestra , Philadelphia Orchestra , Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields , National Philharmonic Orchestra , New Symphony Orchestra of London , St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra , Leopold Stokowski , Yuri Temirkanov , Charles Gerhardt , Isao Tomita , Morton Gould , Anna Moffo , Ruth Ann Swenson , Vladimir Spivakov , Brian Asawa , Evgeny Kissin , James Galway , Norman Luboff Choir , Victor Babin , Sergei Bezrodny , and Warren Jones
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00004SB08
Release Date: 2000-04-04

Tracks:

Vocalise
Vocalise
Vocalise
Vocalise
Vocalise
Vocalise
Vocalise
Vocalise
Vocalise
Vocalise
Vocalise
Vocalise
Vocalise

Customer Reviews:

The great Vocalise.......2007-03-10

It's very interesting to hear this beautiful piece on many versions and combinations of instruments, so we can compare them in a very easily way by playing only one cd.

Wonderful.......2001-12-30

This is clearly one of the greatest melodies of all time, and it certainly deserves the unusual distinction of being the subject of this CD. The different interpretations are fascinating. Listen for the subtle differences in orchestration--it's like getting a master class on that topic as well as on song interpretation. The only disappointment is that Clara Rockmore's haunting Theramin version with Nadia Reisenberg at the piano is not included.

Wonderful.......2001-12-30

A wonderful example of truly great work.......2000-08-16

On this CD you can find different arrangements as well as just different performances of this truly great Rachmaninov's work. Do not be suspicious about how it is really possible to withstand something 13 times in a row! You will be surprised and glad that you have this CD! This work not just allows different interpretation - it allows different moods and emotions. One of the tracks is the actual Rachmaninov's recording - where he conducts the Philadelphia Orchestra. Brian Asawa is absolutely marvelous on the 5th track. Spivakov, who I really like, probably takes a bit too fast tempo, but intonation and phrasing are so beautiful! Playing late romantic music is sometimes very challenging in a sense, that you have to show all the emotions but at the same time you can not take it too far, especially Russian music. This CD gives the outstanding example of balanced understanding of music core. Every performance is distinct and prominent.

I can also recommend to listen to Rachmaninov own performance of his preludes - among 5 different versions I have his one is the best.

Compelling to the ear!.......2000-05-15

Rachminoff clearly shows off his ingenious talent with the piece. A piece that has overwhelmed singers and listens with such passion that can easily be expressed with no words. This recording is one of the very best and it's great to relax to as well as use for a reference when singing this elegant masterpiece.

Average customer rating:

This Kid's Good!
Kissin and Chopin are a perfect match
Again?
How is Kissin doing today?
Kissin - Wisdom with Age

Evgeny Kissin Plays Chopin

Manufacturer: Sony Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Polonaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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Chopin, Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1
Evgeny Kissin Plays Brahms

ASIN: B000KX0I54
Release Date: 2007-01-09

Tracks:

Polonaise in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 26, No. 1
Polonaise in E-Flat Minor, Op. 26, No. 2
Impromptu in A-Flat Major, Op. 29
Impromptu in F-Sharp Major, Op. 36
Impromptu in G-Flat Major, Op. 51
Fantaisie-Impromptu in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 66
Polonaise in C Minor, Op. 40, No. 2
Polonaise in A-Flat Major, Op. 53

Amazon.com

Recorded live, this Chopin program featuring three Impromptus, four Polonaises, and the Fantasie-Impromptu has all the electricity of a performance. Kissin, who captivated the world two decades ago as a sensational prodigy, is today a spectacular pianist and compelling personality. His virtuosity is by now taken for granted, but perhaps most extraordinary is his uncanny ability to change mood and expression instantaneously and to pace and build up climaxes. This is a matter not only of technique but of emotional concentration and involvement, yet it would be impossible without his mastery of touch, color, and nuance. Kissin's tone is beautiful: he can make the piano sing in long, sustained lines and his runs are brilliant and fleet but perfectly clear. The left-hand octaves in the A-flat major Polonaise are a miracle of speed and feathery lightness. As always, Kissin plays with great expressive and rhythmic freedom, but his liberties are not as spontaneous as they used to be: though poised, they stay the same in all repeats and are often excessive, as if they had become entrenched through too many performances. There is no hint of the improvisatory quality implied in the title "Impromptu." Can it be that Kissin's former sense of freshness and wonder has fallen victim to the pace of his career? --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

This Kid's Good!.......2007-04-25

Just saw Kissin at Orchestra Hall in Chicago, in a recital that included works by Schubert, Beethoven, Brahms and Chopin. The house was packed, and he played eleven encores (lasting nearly as long as the concert!). I haven't heard the Chopin disk (and I'll buy it), but I can't imagine the performance differs that much from the one I attended. Watching Kissin play, the keyboard seemed to "melt" and become something pliable for his hands to mold. Can any other artist play that range of dynamics, achieve a seamless legato and flesh out the harmonies, regardless of the technical difficulties of a passage? I doubt it. The Chopin was the highlight. In my opinion, his playing was overly indulgent in the slow movements of the Schubert, for example, and this wasn't a factor in the Chopin. Of course, it's a matter of taste- but if you don't think Evgeny Kissin is the greatest pianist of his generation, just wait. After all, the images of Horowitz, Rubenstein and Serkin we carry in our heads aren't exactly those of fresh faced kids!

Kissin and Chopin are a perfect match.......2007-03-26

For sheer technical ability Kissin is still among the very best and when coupled with his sensitivity to this composer's works it is hard to do better.

Again?.......2007-03-07

I know it may sound outrageous, but I think we had enough of these pieces. Why would anyone bother - especially if one happens to be as gifted and distinct a pianist as Kissin - to churn out one more recording of, for instance, Chopin's Polonaise Héroïque, if not for easy and big profits? Taking into account that - just to mention a few - such towering figures as Rachmaninov, Argerich, Horowitz, Rubinstein, Pollini, Yundi Li and even Kissin himself in the recent past (1994, 2000) have already been there, some of them several times, I guess his talent would be much better served if he only decided to give less-known composers and/or works a chance. It's actually far more easy than it seems, it's ultimately just a matter of imitatio dei - why not follow the steps of God himself who's out there committing to record works by Sorabji, Kapustin, Villa-Lobos, Alkan and even Godowsky's complete Études (which are basically Chopin boosted to higher voltages)? God has broken the path; it's time for the creatures to follow it. Now, if you don't even know who God is, I really feel sorry for you. :)

This recording suffers from the same problems and handicaps as many others which are put out in hundreds by the record companies: it adds nothing, absolutely nothing new to our understanding of these pieces. Kissin is neither original nor daring; he's utterly conventional, and his playing resembles that of many other pianists who tackled the Polonaises before him. And, truth to be told, I guess we already have the whole gamut of possible and plausible interpretations of these pieces; the whole ground has been very well covered. If you like aristocratic readings of the Polonaises, well, you have none other than Rubinstein; if you want to feel all their power and grandeur, Martha Argerich will send chills down your spine; but maybe you're a more introverted person who'd rather listen to an intimate account of these otherwise ''little epic pieces'' - well, here you've got none other than Horowitz! And there are many, many others who are worth listening to. There's no doubt Kissin's talent - i'm not one of those who think he's all hype. He's a serious, gifted and wonderful pianist who's still very young and hopefully will get to blossom to his fullest potential.

How is Kissin doing today?.......2007-03-01

It's been a great pleasure to follow Kissin from child prodigy to adult superstar, even though along the way there have been stumbles so far as musical growth goes. This live Chopin recital from 2004 earns raves here at Amazon and with the audience, which goes crazy at the end, but The Gramophone hated it, calling Kissin's four Polonaise performances "the most lugubrious on recrds." (They don't feel that slow, and it must be said that KIsssin takes all repeats.)

The pianism here is phenomenal, it goes without saying, in everything technical that could be imagined. Tone and touch are mesmerizing, control is superhuman, and so on. Since Kissin produced two great live Chopin recordings from Carnegie Hall for RCA, it's great to have new works in this recital from the Verbier Festival in Switzerland, which seems to have become a favorite among top-flight musicians.

I admit to being a bit uncomfortable with Kissin's current status; he is so prodigious that there's a risk of overpowering Chopin with dazzle and display. The Polonaises are not among Chopin's intimate works, yet they are so individual that interpreting them is dfficult. Pollini's only failure on CD in Chopin, as far as I'm concerned, was his overly aggressive disc of the Polonaises. Kissin is more flexible and yielding, and his forte inerjections aren't harsh. Therefore I like these versions very much, and the 'Heroic' Polonaise is particularly appealing in its rhythmic freedom.

If only the Impromptus sounded more spontaneous--as the Amazon reviewer says, maybe some of the wonder has gone out for Kissin. There's a veneer of impersonal expertise here--compare Kissin's readings to Yundi Li's on DG, who seems more personally involved in the poetry. The Fantasy-Impromptu is arresting, yet I miss the younger Kissin's freshness. We'll jsut have to see where this supreme pianist is headed. In sum, this is one of his best recent outings.

Kissin - Wisdom with Age.......2007-02-03

First off, this is a fascinating all-Chopin recital, and a worthy addition to the ever-growing Kissin discography. I recently read a less than enthusiastic editorial review of this record on another website (written by Jed Distler) which criticized Kissin's use of rubato (amongst other things), saying that it was somewhat sporadic and seemed to be without rhyme or reason. I can't say that I agree. The rubato which Kissin uses is totally compelling, and really helps to shed new light on these oft recorded pieces. Here we have Kissin melding the innovative and aristocratic playing of Arrau and Perahia, with the stone cold accuracy of Pollini; in other words, downright great Chopin playing.

I have been listening to Pollini's recording of the polonaises for years, but as soon as I heard op. 26 no. 1, I was in awe. It was as if I was hearing a completely new piece of music. The "heroic" polonaise, op. 53 gets a white-hot presentation; and although no one for me can match Horowitz in this piece, Kissin really gives a wonderful and distinctive performance. The impromptus are comparable to Perahia's famed recording, with Kissin giving each one an exact, yet heartfelt interpretation. The only weak-link for me was the impromptu op. 51 , which seemed to get a somewhat cold and straightforward performance; but this a minor weak spot, and should be a deterrent to none.

Any new Evgeny Kissin CD is bound to do well (in terms of selling). The reason for this is that Kissin really brings something new to everything he does, and this is evidenced through every one of his past records. He has a distinct tone that he extracts from the piano, just as Horowitz, Gould, Arrau, and many other of the greats did. You could always tell without looking when they were playing; I believe this is true of Kissin as well.

So, all in all, this is a great recital - truly stunning Chopin playing which would be a great addition in anyone's collection. As for the detractors, who say Kissin's better days have passed him by, well, hopefully this recital will help them reassess their position.

Average customer rating:

Fantasy

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000NVJMS2
Release Date: 2007-04-10

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Auf Dem Wasser Zu Singen
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Hungarian Rhapsody No.12 In C Sharp Minor, S 244

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Chopin: 24 Preludes, Op. 28; Sonata for Piano No. 2, Op. 35; Polonaise, Op. 53

Average customer rating:

Try Ivo Pogerlich to Catch the Spirit of the Preludes
Great Artist, Great Performance
Turning the Chopin 2nd Sonata into the "Appassionata"
Exciting pianism.
Wonder!

Chopin: 24 Preludes, Op. 28; Sonata for Piano No. 2, Op. 35; Polonaise, Op. 53
Frederic Chopin
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00002DE5F
Release Date: 2000-02-08

Tracks:

24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 1 in C major
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 2 in A minor
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 3 in G major
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 4 in E minor
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 5 in D major
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 6 in B Minor
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 7 in A major
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 8 in F-Sharp Minor
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 9 in E major
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 10 in C-Sharp Minor
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 11 in B major
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 12 in G-Sharp minor
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 13 in F-Sharp major
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 14 in E-Flat minor
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 15 in D-Flat major
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 16 in B-Flat Minor
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 17 in A-Flat major
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 18 in F Minor
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 19 in E-Flat major
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 20 in C Minor
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 21in B-Flat major
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 22 in G Minor
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 23 in F major
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 24 in D Minor
Sonata No.2, Op. 35, in B-Flat Minor: Grave ; Doppio movimento
Sonata No.2, Op. 35, in B-Flat Minor: Scherzo
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Sonata No.2, Op. 35, in B-Flat Minor: Finale : Presto
Polonaise Op. 53, in A-Flat Major

Customer Reviews:

Try Ivo Pogerlich to Catch the Spirit of the Preludes.......2006-04-25

Kissin sounds as if he is in a rush.
Incidentally, this haste is not necessarily related to speed per se.
Pogorelich plays each Prelude at about the same nominal time, but he brings out a depth and lyricism lacking in this recording which may say more about Kissin's inner torment than about the message of the pieces.
Comparing the two is as if we were to juxtapose a mature master with an impatiant child.
See for instance the stark disparity in nuance in comparing Preludes no. 8, 16, 24 and of course 4 played by Pogorelich and Kissin respectively.
It goes without saying that Evgeny Kissin is a true prodigy and virtuoso who has brought us much joy (and for this we must be grateful), but here he misses the message.
Ivo Pogorelich and Claudio Arrau have captured the soul of Chopin in its tragic, true beauty. They have surrendered themselves to it in utter, complete devotion.

[...]

Great Artist, Great Performance.......2006-02-20

Kissin is clearly one of the best pianists, perhaps the very best, to come along in recent years. He deserves the sobriquet, "the new Horowitz" although he is unique in his own right. His facility with the preludes is inspiring. However, I like a piano that has a mellower sound than the one on this recording. In some instances this one seemed a little too brilliant or lacking in overtones so as to detract a bit from the enjoyment of listening to this wonderful artist. Regardless, I'm happy to own this recording.

Turning the Chopin 2nd Sonata into the "Appassionata".......2005-11-08

In their different ways, both Pollini and Kissin play Chopin's big works, like the Second Sonata, as if they were Beethoven. On this CD Kissin enlarges the frame of the sonata to fit the Appassionata--and I excitedly went along. Carpers should remember that Horowitz distorted Chopin far more than Kissin ever could. RCA's inside-the-lid piano sound is unrealistic but adds to the thrill. Passage work like this can be heard only once in a lifetime. Five stars.

But the Preludes are another story. The world was once entirely on Kissin's side. Ten years ago he was considered an insightful, sympathetic Chopin interpreter who had a marvelous sense of touch to go with his world-dominating technique. (The evidence of his instinctive gifts is there from a Tokyo recital on Sony, made when Kissin was fifteen.) I don't hear that inspired interpreter in these Preludes, which despite dazzling moments are ham-handed and coarse. No more than anyone else do I know the reason for this change. We will have to hope that this adored artist steps back from the precipice of showmanship and begins to play with his heart once again. Three stars.

Exciting pianism........2005-01-20

This third Kissen Chopin recital to be issued certainly provides some exciting pianism. It is hard to imagine how ten fingers can be coordinated to produce the rippling effects in Prelude 3, the whirlwinds in Prelude 8, the headlong galloping in Prelude 16, and the terrifying swirl of sound in the Sonatas's finale. It is also hard to imagine how much one would need to pay in order to sit in such close proximity to the piano as it is recorded here. Never have I heard the three repeated notes at the bottom end of the keyboard sound as powerful as they do at the close of Prelude 24.

Chopin offers much more than opportunities for technical display, however, and few of these additional components are evident here. The tears below the surface of Prelude 4 are disregarded, the cantilena of Prelude 6 is more mechanical than vocal, and the Sonata's Scherzo is rushed rather than refined. Most successful is the Sonata's "Funeral March" - something I thought I never wanted to hear again. Perhaps the enforced slow tempo allows Chopin's voice to come through.

The engineers have captured the tension and excitement of Kissen's performances, but I am not sure that he has captured the essential refinement and eminently patrician qualities that typify Chopin's music.

Wonder! .......2004-12-16

Great!

I have never heard such "Finale.Presto" from his "Funeral Sonata"!! It's hallucinatory voyage through what is unknown for human beings. Amazing use of pedal and surpriseing tecnique, creating spectral, nightmare-like vision of the "after death". Amazing, really amazing! Kissin (and Chopin above all) express the inexpressible.

Schubert: Piano Sonata in B-flat; Schubert-Liszt: Four Songs; Liszt: Mephisto

Average customer rating:

Only 1\2 bad
Very mixed bag, but the Liszt is astounding
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Terrible

Schubert: Piano Sonata in B-flat; Schubert-Liszt: Four Songs; Liszt: Mephisto

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0001XAN8U
Release Date: 2004-05-04

Tracks:

Molto Moderato
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Amazon.com

It's hard not to be impressed by Kissin's immaculate pianism here, his lovely singing tone captivates while the finger-popping pyrotechnics of the Mephisto Waltz are dazzling. Kissin's interpretation of Schubert's great B-flat Sonata stresses the lyricism without understating its tragic elements. The opening theme, pocked with little pauses and left-hand ominous rumblings, is wistfully stated, and the clarity of the first climax testifies to Kissin's masterful technique. In some hands the first two movements can sound unvaried but here they're differentiated in tempo and mood. Kissin doesn't flinch from the music's daringly slow tread--the pair take almost 35 minutes, or almost as long as some performances of the entire work, yet Schubert's "heavenly lengths" never outstay their welcome. The song transcriptions are drop-dead gorgeous, not to be missed. But the Sonata is the main show and while Kissin's performance is highly recommendable, don't miss those of Arrau, Rubinstein, or Kempff, among the great older masters who have tackled this work on disc. --Dan Davis END

Customer Reviews:

Only 1\2 bad.......2005-11-11

It seems that everyone(a very small group of everyone in reality since no one cares about this kind of music anymore) is complaing about the tempo of the first movmt of Schub's final testament played by kissin. Tempo seems to be the ultimate focus of the amateur critic. I mean, the guy several blogs below(or above) wrote a paper with no issues beyond he played it this long while she played it that long.
Kissin does play this piece at a horrible pace, and the main problem with that, the reason Richter and kempff pull off their very different versions(in terms of length) is because they, while playing it at their chosen speeds, let the piece grow, because this piece, more than any other sonata I know, lives and dies with the players ability to make it an organic journey. kissin fails at this almost from the first step. It just doesnt seem to go anywhere, and I am a great admirer of Kissin, and do feel he has become the anti pianist to prof critics anywhere. This is not a young man's sonata. There is something, i do not know what it is, that a pianist needs to learn about life before he should, not can, should play this. Maybe it is because, like almsot every review here suggests, they believe that a slow tempo, or that playing anything slow, gives it more depth, piety, or that it somehow means more if you have more time to listen and think over it.
The main reason I do not enjoy Kissin's view of this piece is not the first mvmt, which seems to be everyones focus, but the second, which is the real gem of the piece. Really listen to it next time, man you will really hear something if you have never paid attention to this before. I was shocked when he completely destroyed the foundation he had built with the first mvmt going into the second. It was like listening to two different pianists, with two clashing views, again. this is not the music for a young man.
However, the Met Waltz1 is out of this world, really, out of this universe. He out horowitzs horowitz. this is the definitive version of this piece now, and the schubert-liszt trans are jewels of the lit and i am so pleased pianists are starting to record them more lately. Volodos, and Perahia both have released great discs with them and these are just as good if not better. For those looking to hear more there is a revelatory disc of Sofronitzky playing about six of them with several of the impromptus that is a ten star. I hope Kissin will record the Liszt Sonata soon, that is a good piece for a middle aged man, before they lose their chops, but have developed into something beyond a young man; Kissin is there in almost every sense of the word, but he is not even close to the D960.

Very mixed bag, but the Liszt is astounding.......2005-09-30

Despite the lengthy and fervent defense in the above review, Kissin's B flat Sonata starts off with a 22 min. first movement that collapses into a formless mess, in no way reflecting Schubert's molto moderato marking and allowing no contrast with the slow movement to follow.

After that, however, things improve greatly. The rest of the Schubert sonata is played with lovely lightness and extraordinary phrasing. The Schubert-Liszt song transcriptions are not as free and spontaneous as on some earlier Kissin CDs but are still masterful. And the CD is crowned with a Liszt Mephisto Waltz played with such stunning virtuosity that one doubts if any ohter living pianiist could equal it. Worth the price of the whole CD by itself.

Having offered this much praise, I must sitll echo others who have voiced their worry that Kissin has lost some of the artistic subtlety and depth he had ten years ago. We shall just have to wait and see what the future brings to this great pianist.

Kissin as a Pianist.......2004-12-17

Though Kissin is accomplished for his age, he is still a fledgling performer which was manifested in these performances. I do believe he gets progressively more profound in every release. However, Schubert's sublime masterpieces are a joy to listen to no matter who conveys them.

Another "one day" classic from Kissin.......2004-07-10

Reviewers of Kissin seem to have lost their collective minds, as sometimes happens when one comes untethered from reality. Oh so many reviewers refuse to reflect, reassess and admit that those they love simply aren't as great as they made them out to be: a crack here, a blemish there, a pervading dullness everywhere. Richter plays the first movement of Schubert's final sonata as if frozen in amber (25 minutes +), yet when he does so, Richter shows philosophical insight. When Kissin plays it, slowly yet spritely in comparison, critics remark his playing is so distended and ponderous that the first two movements have lost their arc.
Kissin gives a fresh, innovative reading of a piece and it's denounced as garish. Perrahia gives thoroughly modern, cold, distasteful interpretations of Chopin and everyone hails the ineffable qualities of his recordings.
Kissin exercises restraint and reviewers wonder aloud, "Where has the joie de vivre gone in his playing?" Yet when he pushes the envelope, Kissin becomes a portentous potentate with pulverising command but, by implication, not a shred of understanding of what he's playing. Richter unleashes fury when not called for, and his doing so serves to edify and break new musical ground.

And so forth. . .

I like both Perrahia and Richter (and also Kempff, Gilels, Arrau and company), but I have not fallen to hero worship as many critics have. Whereas critics make an attempt to understand pianists such as Perrahia and Richter on their own terms, no such attempt is made when reviewing Kissin's music - charitability is forgotten, lost, or discarded, and contempt, longing for what never was, and delusion merrily march in its stead.

The criticisms of his Schubert playing serve to prove mathematically that Kissin has unfairly become the red-headed step child of critics everywhere. As mentioned earlier, critics have chastised Kissin for his putatively distended, ponderous account of the first movement of the Schubert sonata. But his timing on the first movement is firmly in line with more recent recordings. Pollini, Perrahia, and Lupu play it in 18 to 19 minutes. Uchida and Sokolov top 20 minutes. Another popular criticism is that because he plays the first movement so slowly the sonata architectonically collapses under the oppressive weight of Kissin's artistic vision, since the second movement no longer stands in relief to the overly slow first movement as it should. This "structural" criticism is an interesting one, primarily because of how far off base it is. First, one could criticize all of the other performers listed in this post in the same way: Uchida, Sokolov, Richter, and Perrahia, to name a few, but no one dares mention that other vaunted pianists - whose performances of the piece have been positively reviewed - have played it at a similar tempo. Second, Kissin's playing of the second movement actually differentiates it from the first movement. He plays the second movement more slowly than nearly everyone else does, something he did for the express reason of contrasting the two movements and thus preserving the piece's structure and something the other pianists listed in this paragraph did not do, which - one would think - should have led reviewers everywhere to have apoplectic fits over the way in which these performers had single handedly caused the structure of Schubert's monumental sonata to come crashing down, but they didn't. Instead these nattering naybobs of negativism saved their criticisms for Kissin. But that's enough of defending Kissin: Kissin is more or less someone you love or love to hate; unfortunately for him, the latter is more often true than the former when it comes to his critics.

Having had a chance to witness Kissin perform this disc's collection at Carnegie Hall, I can't help but feel lucky. The Waltz is other-worldly. Sharp, beautifully phrased, wonderfully articulated, and skillfully narrated. The telling of the charming of Faust has never been so captivating.

After first hearing the third movement of Schubert's final sonata played by Kissin, it was weeks before I stopped replaying it for myself in my mind: glittering, ephemeral playing that speaks of the piece's surprising emotion and sadness - this was Schubert writing at the brink of death; all of this comes through. The first, third and fourth movements are all brilliant and I prefer Kissin's account, not by a long shot, but by a substantial amount, to other excellent recordings by the likes of Perrahia and Uchida.

The transcriptions are wonderful and having not heard other recordings I'll refrain from lavishing praise on them, but they really are outstanding.

This disc surely will not be recognized as an instant classic, but that doesn't stop me from believing it one day will, when a future generation of critics finally happen upon this disc's singular, definitive recordings of the Mephisto Waltz and Schubert's final sonata.

Terrible.......2004-06-20

When I went to Borders, I had no intention of buying a Kissin CD, but when I saw he had recorded the Mephisto Waltz, it instantly went into my shopping bag. I smirked, and thought, this will be terrible.

Previously, I had heard Van Cliburn and Vladimir Horowitz play the Mephisto Waltz. Van Cliburn gives an extraordinary performance of a mix between the original and the Busoni transcription. Horowitz, gives a horrid performance of his "own retouching of the Busoni transcription". Kissin's recording ranks in between these. He uses rubato and ritardando's in all of the wrong places. He reads things into the score that should never have been done, and hopefully will never be repeated. He never decides on a tempo to use. The 2/4 bars are horribly slow. There is a specific tempo ratio given in the score relating the 3/8 to the 2/4, and Kissin ignores this entirely. There is then a set of measures of 3/8 again, and it returns to 2/4. At this point, the tempo marking is "presto". Even Horowitz isn't eccentric enough to mess this part up by playing it too quickly. Kissin COMPLETELY ignores every single bit of musicality he could possibly have and plays this well over 200 beats per minute. With a bit more terrible pianism, Kissin finishes off the piece at breakneck speed.

Needless to say, my premonition turned out to be true.

Kissin's Schubert fares no better. A disconcertingly slow tempo and exagerrated "musical ideas" come across as shallow and immature. Overall, it's a poor recording of the work, not understanding the emotional depth of such a piece. If you're looking for a recording of this, go to Schnabel or Horowitz.

Average customer rating:

Beuatifull & Sensitive Performance, Orchestra Sounds Great
Good performance ....but not extraordinary
An Amazing Performance of Rach 3
A show-off piece with a lyrical performance
Rach 3? No place to showcase your poetic & lyrical side

Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No.3, etc.

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000003FF0
Release Date: 1993-07-13

Tracks:

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Customer Reviews:

Beuatifull & Sensitive Performance, Orchestra Sounds Great.......2007-03-16

I was at the Shostakovich wing at Rhapsody and hit the play button for Symphony 8 and for some strange reason this concerto started playing. The info provided said merely that it was Rachmaninoff's 3rd piano concerto and did not give artist or orchestra info. This was my first time hearing this concerto so I am no expert, but I enjoyed it greatly! I have heard Kissin's performance of Tchaikovsky's first with Karajan and this concerto is quite a bit different. It is more beautiful and serene and a little moody at times and far less the emotional rollercoster that is Tchaikovsky's first PC. The Orchestra sounds beautiful too! The strings sound sooo sweet. I was enthralled enough by the playing that I wanted more info so I bipped over to Amazon. Kissin is well known for his play of Chopin and he brings a Chopin-esque touch to this concerto. Having heard his Tchaikovsky performance, I know he can bring down the house too when the music calls for it.

The piece, Vocalise, that follows the concerto is well suited to the mood of the concerto. Prelude 2 is a bit more spirited. Though this is a short piece, it is a real hoot. All the music on this disk highlight Rachmaninoff as a 19th century Romantic rather than a 20th century modernist.

Good performance ....but not extraordinary.......2005-12-28

I'm a big fan of Martha Argerich's Rach 3, and am, perhaps yet to come across a recording which surpasses her monumental 1982/w Chailly recording. Kissin here does pretty well, though I personally do not appreciate the slower tempi chosen by him..it just doesen't seem to harmonise with his own individuality as observed in his other recordings. Maybe his teacher had an (over)influence in this interpretation.
However, this recording has got arguably the best last 3 minutes or so ...the orchestra work by Ozawa is simply phenomenal and the ecstatic heights to which the coda is pulled and lured into is truly mesmerising. That was the only bit the slow tempo seemed to fit really well !
In all, its a good performance, but there are many better ones.

An Amazing Performance of Rach 3.......2005-09-06

I must confess, the first time I heard Evgeny Kissin's interpretation of this formidable concerto, I was left disappointed. At the time, Martha Argerich's recording was the best in my mind. Like many of the reviewers here, I felt Kissin's performance was painfully slow at the opening of the first movement, and especially so in the opening of the third. After hearing several versions of this concerto, I know longer consider Argerich's to be the best (It's still up there, though). Rather, I have learned to appreciate the more poetic version Kissin presents. Don't let other reviewers fool you; there are still plenty of fireworks in this recording. Kissin's performance of the cadenza in the first movement is astounding, huge sound and very passionate. The whole second movement has a great, sweeping sound, with perfect phrasing. And the third is flashy, but with a slower tempo. This solemn recording is exactly how Rachmaninoff envisioned it. Other great recordings of this concerto are by Mikhail Pletnev and Olga Kern (STAY AWAY FROM THE RECORDINGS BY LANG LANG AND DAVID HELFGOTT).

A show-off piece with a lyrical performance.......2004-06-09

Yeah, many of you are saying the Rach 3 should not be played lyrically. However, many of you are also inane. Rachmaninoff would turn over in his grave if he heard this. Sure, I like Horowitz's and Van Cliburn's performances better (but those are unbeatable), but I have certainly been a fan of this recording for a long time. The highlight of this CD is the ossia in measures 273 through 275 of the third movement. It's only symbolic of Kissin accepting the greater challenge, and tackling it quite mightily I must say. But, my point was that this piece can be played poetically and it can be played virtuosically. But Kissin accomplishes both. Maybe not as virtuosic as Cliburn or Horowitz, but certainly darn close enough for me.

And let us not forget the encores. The Vocalise arrangement is astoundingly spacious and beautiful. The B-flat prelude is one of the hardest he wrote, as I am learning a few of the Opus 23 ones. The ease with which Kissin plays those mind-boggling passages is obvious and the result: fantastic.

Rach 3? No place to showcase your poetic & lyrical side.......2003-07-03

Kissin displayed such abilities at an early age, it was hard not to imagine he would live his life at the top level virtuosity.

I bought Kissin's Rach 3 because I have never been impressed by Kissin; The quality of his playing is uneven, with the main problem that strikes me, is that he often seems to lack a sense of certain works as a coherent whole.

Kissen's Rach 3 has been around for 10 years or so, but I never got around to hearing it. I listened to it recently and was completely disappointed.

Kissen plays the entire work more or less understated. The conducting by Ozawa is outstanding in the sense it supports Kissin's approach to the work.

But Kissin's approach to the work is the problem. He plays slowly and softly, and I seems to me he is attempting to focus on the lyrical and poetic aspacts of the work.

A poetic, understated and lyrical and poetic Rach 3. Is Kissin kidding? This a work where the big boys and girls get a chance to show what they can do. Perhaps Kissin thought he found a legitimate new way to approach the work.

However whatever Kissin was trying do it didn't work. With the works natural emotional high points smoothed out, there was nothing left but a flat CD, that doesn't say a single thing new. I found it flat and boring throughout.

There are quite a few outstanding Rach 3 recordings out there, but this isn't one of them.

If you a Rach 3, the 1951 Horowitz studio recording, and the 1958 live performane by Van Cliburn jump to mind. A lyric and poetic approach is fine for many works but certainly not this one.

Tracks:

Ballade No. 1, Op.23 In G Minor
Ballade No. 2, Op.38 In F
Ballade No. 3, Op.47 In A-Flat
Ballade No. 4, Op.52 In F Minor
Berceuse, Op.57
Barcarolle, Op.60
Scherzo No. 4, Op.54 In E

Amazon.com essential recording

Ever since the start of his career as a sensational child prodigy, Kissin has displayed a strong affinity for the music of Chopin, in concert and on numerous records. Here he performs a program of substantial pieces: the four ballades, written several years apart and not conceived as a group, which nevertheless complement one another through their contrasts as well as their shared narrative and descriptive atmosphere; the lovely, peaceful berceuse; the swaying, rocking barcarolle; and the brilliant, witty Scherzo No. 4. Throughout, Kissin's effortless virtuosity, his beautiful, singing tone, his command of voicing, dynamics, touch, color, and legato are phenomenal; cascades of notes flow from under his fingers with the speed and glittering lightness of dancing waters; his build-ups achieve orchestral sonorities. Musically, he seems to have lost some of his irresistible earlier spontaneity; the dramatic nature of the ballades encourages exaggeration, and the liberties sound a bit planned. However, the berceuse is a simple, expressive lullaby; the barcarolle surges to a grand climax; the scherzo sparkles with humor--its middle part projects a plaintive, ardent yearning. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

More reflective, less impetuous, still great.......2005-11-01

Among modern versions, I think only personal preference divides Kissin's Chopin Ballades from those by Pollini, Ax, and Zimerman, although others would also add Perahia to the list (he's too tame and correct for me). Kissin was 27 when this CD came out, but his early virtuosic impetuosity--as evidenced in his 1993 Carnegie Hall Chopin recital, also on RCA--has been replaced with reflectiveness. In fact these are slower than average Ballades, a full minute slower in each one than Pollini.

Kissin uses this extra room to ruminate, and luckily his poetic nuances are sensitive and convincing. When a blast of virtuosity is called for, he certainly supplies it, but mercurial fleetness isn't much in evidence. The Gramophone went into raptures over this CD, and I did too when I first heard it. The approach is large-scaled, the piano is a fine one and well recorded, and there is every evidence of Kissin's mastery.

On relistening, though, I wish Kissin had been less deliberate. Ax shows more spontaneous passion, Pollini more intense propulsiveness and virtuosic elan. This is sitll a superlative example of how well Kissin plays Chopin and always has, ever since he was ten or twelve. Highly recommended.

Listen it without concept.......2005-06-03

I don't like writings like this but i can't help myself after reading previous reviews to express my opinion here. First to be said is that I simply love Kissin's interpretation of Chopin. But why: it is absolutely free of any so called 'romantic interpretations' or skills how to perform this music. Kissin is playng his own way and if you've got your own concept of "how to play Chopin" before, you may have to get lost in his playing. But for me it's like adventure or experience follow his mind (& fingers) playing this amazing music. It is so modern! If you know Brad Mehldau quotations of Chopin, you have to see this is very similar to it. Of course, Mehldau's playng is full of rhythm, but there is the same point: beautiful music comming from the past, which can be really contemporary - through 'contemporary' playing of it. Well, Kissin sometimes acts like punk in this delightfull process, but his playing still offers the 'GOING THERE AND BACK AGAIN' experience.
So please listen it carefully and (if possible), through away all your concepts before experience this music.

There is better.......2004-06-12

There are numerous reviewers saying that Kissin "opened their eyes to Chopin's unique talent" and such. Well, if Kissin could do that with this set of recordings, buy Horowitz's Favorite Chopin volumes and let your mind be boggled. This is how I feel whenever I perform a piece . . . mushy, condensed, unclear. The unknowledgeable audience does not have any idea that the performance could have been better, but it could have! Let me tell you, Kissin is fantastic technically, but absolutely incomparable to Horowitz or even many others.

Buy this if you really want to. Kissin's G Minor Ballade is restrained, something entirely unacceptable in Chopin.

The line between pianism and interpretation.......2004-06-04

Kissin, albeit having a fantastic technical arsenal, in this recording, uses it for purely pianistic effect. Chopin's lucidity; the way his music ebbs and flows, is sacrificed, and thus the recording fails to captivate. What one really needs, in my opinion, in the Ballades, is a sense of a tale. Chopin, like Schumann, can really tell a story in the Ballades.
Think of the second Ballade. The atmosphere on the surface is gentle, and lyrical. Underneath this veneer of calm, though, there is a slightly obsessive, darker undercurrent to the piece. Kissin, totally fails to evoke this physcological undercurrent, whereas someone like Arrau or Moiseiwitsch, or even Tamas Vasary, brings to this music simultaeneously a technical accomplishment, wholly at the service of the music. Schumann spoke of the second Ballade,

"the music would inspire a poet to write words to it," he said, ironically, considering its possible poetical inspiration as a piece of music

Would Kissin's playing inspire a poet, or is his approach to abstract, too fantastic?
The line between pianism and artistry is perilous. A performance can sound musically impressive, yet technically lacking and vice versa; the music can be too safe, too technically impressive to offer any hidden insights. Some pianists tend to distort the music, adding their own expression, their own dynamics... Kissin, unfortunately, for me, at the moment seems of this tendency, along, sometimes, with Horowitz.
Horowitz and Kissin (not all of the time) bend around with the music until it is moulded into their own labrynth, and violate the music. Chopin was said, like Schubert to have despised the thumping of virtuosos. Kissen needs to heed this advice!
Those who admire this performer, really ought to listen to the playing of Vlado Perlemuter, a real poet in sound. He mastered a whole spectrum of tonal perspective, as a means to an end, and his playing of Chopin and Ravel,like Schnabels' Schubert, at it's best was incomparable.

p.s I heard Kissen play at the Proms in London. He played Brahms 2. The performance was sickening. It's delivery was at breakneck speed, and had little if any artistic insight. To quote Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji (changing the original quotation's description of the music of an English composer with performer) his perfomance,

"underneath it's trumpery of Pinchbeck Brummagem-Benares nick-nackery, oozes with glutinous commonplace."Playing" (this is not Sorabji's word, but mine) like this always reminds one of those spurious "liqueur" chocolates grandly labelled "Grand Marnier", "Maraschino", Benedictine", leading one to expect the delicious gastronomic sensations, the incomparable marquis knows so well how to excite, but which are found actually to yield a horrid sickly sugary concoction- insipid and nauseating."

This reflects Kissin's style in a microcosm.

Buy it if you wish, but beware!!

incredible - but be careful..........2003-10-07

Kissin is a dazzling performer, and his versions of the ballades is essential for anyone building a library of classical piano music. However, Kissin, I'm going to venture to say here, is as unpianistic as Glenn Gould was. If Gould put everything under a microscope, Kissin approaches everything in panorama. Both are extremes, and both are perverse (which does not mean Gould wasn't a genius). Both pianists freely compromise a composer's intentions to fit their personal styles.

Kissin has a fluid, liquid-silver tone, and a dynamic range obviously geared to the concert hall. He makes things sound big and spacious. His technique is so sophisticated that he has driven himself permanently to some misty, rarefied plateau in the sky. The result is that sometimes you feel nothing at all has happened. His performances never touch the ground.

Having said that, it IS a lovely place when you're up there with him. But it's impersonal. People that buy this album that don't own any other version should equip themselves with something a little more standard while they're at it. I have an affinity for Arrau's ballades. With Kissin, you miss the close Chopin, the dear Chopin.

Anyway, No. 2 is absolutely frightening. Sometimes you wonder if he's playing the same music...

-Selah

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