The Legendary 1984 Moscow Concert

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
Recorded live at the Moscow Conservatory, this is a truly legendary performance. Any experienced veteran could be proud of it; that a boy of 12 should possess the necessary technique, the musical understanding and maturity, and the sustained concentration, is almost beyond belief. Reveling in his own limitless virtuosity, Kissin seems to be playing with--as well as on--the piano with elfin grace and delicacy; yet his command of the keyboard--his warm, singing, powerful, varied tone--are only tools for expressing his spontaneous response to the music. Chopin's piano concertos are both popular favorites, but the first is more melodious, lyrical, and ingratiating. Kissin obviously delights in its dreamy poetry, exuberance, and mischievous wit, but also has an innate feeling for the dark, foreboding melancholy of the somber, dramatic second one, whose many virtuoso passages he dispatches with stunning ease. The rhythms sparkle, the melodies soar, and perhaps most remarkably, the phrasing, liberties, and transitions have a perfectly balanced, natural poise that is rare even among seasoned performers. There are three short Chopin pieces as encores. --Edith Eisler

Tracks:

Piano Concerto No. 1 In E Minor, Op. 11: Allegro maestoso
Piano Concerto No. 1 In E Minor, Op. 11: Romance. Larghetto
Piano Concerto No. 1 In E Minor, Op. 11: Rondo. Vivace
Piano Concerto No. 2 In F Minor, Op. 21: Maestoso
Piano Concerto No. 2 In F Minor, Op. 21: Larghetto
Piano Concerto No. 2 In F Minor, Op. 21: Allegro vivace
Mazurka No. 40 In F Minor (Op. 63, No. 2)
Mazurka No. 49 In F Minor (Op. 68, No. 4)
Waltz No. 14 In E Minor, Op. posth.

Amazon.com essential recording

Recorded live at the Moscow Conservatory, this is a truly legendary performance. Any experienced veteran could be proud of it; that a boy of 12 should possess the necessary technique, the musical understanding and maturity, and the sustained concentration, is almost beyond belief. Reveling in his own limitless virtuosity, Kissin seems to be playing with--as well as on--the piano with elfin grace and delicacy; yet his command of the keyboard--his warm, singing, powerful, varied tone--are only tools for expressing his spontaneous response to the music. Chopin's piano concertos are both popular favorites, but the first is more melodious, lyrical, and ingratiating. Kissin obviously delights in its dreamy poetry, exuberance, and mischievous wit, but also has an innate feeling for the dark, foreboding melancholy of the somber, dramatic second one, whose many virtuoso passages he dispatches with stunning ease. The rhythms sparkle, the melodies soar, and perhaps most remarkably, the phrasing, liberties, and transitions have a perfectly balanced, natural poise that is rare even among seasoned performers. There are three short Chopin pieces as encores. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

A truly legendary- historical performance/ recording!.......2007-01-13

I mean talking generally who doesn't love to listen to child-prodigies playing the most demanding compositions that exist among the piano repertoire. And not only that, Yevgeny Kissin has all the necessary attributes (maturity, technique, lyricism, etc... etc...) to perform those compositions. I am aware that he doesn't reach Martha Argerich's caliber with this performance, but in my humble opinion I am convinced that this is a exiting, breathtaking, unparallel performance! Imagine how Chopin himself would react if he had the ability to watch/listen this kid playing his 2 concertos in a night with such a flawlessness. Proof of a genius this performance for Yevgeny Kissin!
Now there is a demand/complaint I want to share with you: This performance was recorded back In March 1984. BMG took this content under the license of Firma Melodiya and digitally remastered it (sound quality is very good by the way). Sony Classical GmbH released a CD from Kissin's 1987 Tokyo recital. Between years 1984-1987 Kissin performed numerous recitals that Firma Melodiya recorded & released. I really hope that BMG is going take the license for this content form Melodiya and release those things!!

For the musically curious.........2004-11-24

Studying the E minor concerto myself, I've gathered a couple recordings, I discovered I already had Martha Argerich's, so I bought a 'must' for Chopin recordings...Rubinstein's.., and fell upon Kissin's, actually I've heard about Kissin long time ago and this infamous recording, so ok! Into my amazon shopping cart you go

Like Martha, Evgeny made me cry in both 2nd movts and sad/slow parts in the other movts......no not because my heart was deeply touched, ..the complete opposite! I cringed when he simply rushed and sped the tempo, but I do excuse him since afterall he was only 12! Although I felt he did a bit better in the F minor's 2nd movt feeling-wise.
Ok, but I have to admit, as a 16yr old, I am more than jealous of his phenomenal, breathtaking technique .... Since at 12 I was playing Mozart's K.488, yeah...I was impressed, that he played BOTH concertos, by heart, with a major orch., no messups,
Zhenya pretty much went through every young musicians' fantasy.

I haven't heard other recordings of him 'older', I wish he would record these two concertos again now, at 30, and see if musically he plays how Chopin slow, sad melodies are supposed to be played!

And in the 3rd movt of the E minor, his turns on the what I call, 'the easy parts', how can I explain, where the hands are unison the short little melody, he does the turn like before the beat or something, it sorta bothered me! I dunno why, maybe b/c I've been hearing Martha for so long, which is how Id play it anyway.

Overall, for the musically curious, you should buy this recording, who doesn't wanna hear prodigies play anyway? I do wish to watch a video of this performance though, it'd be 10 times more interesting.
The one who mentioned the coughs, I was expecting more noisyness, it wasn't too bad, I only heard 2 or 3 in need of lozanges.

A remarkable recording.......2002-04-18

Although perhaps not the artistically most striking interpretation, this record is outstanding, really for two reasons: The recording technique is excellent, you really feel as if you were sitting in the concert hall, and secondly, the slightly naive but straight-to-the-point playing of Mr. Kissin. Despite the fact that I am not a fan of his recent recordings, this one (especially the first concerto) is enormously satisfying.

The Legendary Performance...well, it is good!.......2001-07-02

As an amateur pianist myself, I have enormous respect for professional musicians, having played many of the same pieces that they play. In the case of this recording, I have enormous respect for a mere boy of 12 years who is performing 2 (yes 2!) of the most challenging concertos in existence. To make it all worse he is doing it well! Though Kissin's 12 year old recording lack's the developed maturity - and passion - that he brought to the performance of the same pieces in Lincoln Center for his American Debut,it is a remarkable achievement for a 12 year old, and one of the reasons I recommend this recording so highly. The other reason - it's just a plain good recording. Though Argerich's recording, recenty re-released, is certainly more interesting, I would say that this recording is a must own, because of the sheer technical wizadry that Kissin displays as a 12 year old. Also, in the less romantic movements (the non-largo movements, i.e. stay out of movement #2 in both Concertos) Kissin's youthful enthusiam brings interesting color that deserves a listen. This is a must own recording...if for no other reason than to stare at the little boy so obviously in command of the piano on the jacket cover and gasp in amazement.

Kissin's Phat.......2001-06-27

I ain't never heard beats like this. Evgeny Kissin ain't afraid to tell da 'hole world how it be. If you don't already have this phat disc in yo' collection you betta get to steppin' cause these beats are representin'.

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