Search - Ferruccio Busoni, Ludwig van Beethoven, Robert Schumann :: Bach-Busoni: Chaconne; Beethoven: Rondos; Schumann: Kreisleriana

A Profound Chaconne and Virtuosic Beethoven and Schumann

sawoodworth | Poughkeepsie, NY - United States | 03/27/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Mr. Kissin's playing of the Chaconne is simply astounding. Beyond his dazzling technique lies a reading of such power and brilliance as to convert even those skeptics who somehow continue to share Andras Schiff's distaste for Busoni's monumental transcription of the fifth movement of Bach's second violin Partita. Kissin's playing is bold, refined, and above all, sensitive. Clear fingerwork is combined with expert pedaling and an extraordinary dynamic palette to create what is surely the greatest recording of the Chaconne, surpassing even Rubinstein, Michelangeli, Pletnev, and Say (the latter two of whom I recently heard in concert at Carnegie Hall, New York, and the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Paris, respectively). Kissin's magnificent recorded career began as early as his moving and technically flawless reading of Schubert's Wanderer-Fantasie, absurdly criticized by an enormously inflated Gramophone Magazine critic as being philosophically (as well as technically) unconvincing and underdeveloped (I highly recommend this recording as well, especially for its touching account of the second movement, although the entire performance is nearly perfect). From the genius who produced that great recording has come this glorious Chaconne, certainly one of the most beautiful pieces in the piano repertoire.Kissin's account of the Beethoven rondos is accurate and utterly thrilling, as is his reading of Schumann's Kreisleriana. In the latter, the tumultuous opening is wonderfully thick and Kissin's playing reaches towering heights in the ninth movement (sehr rasch, a marking used repeatedly by Schumann, whose tempo indications seem to favor extremities, as evidenced by the almost-comical markings of the G minor sonata) where the fugal motif, commencing in the left hand, is executed with almost super-human speed and accuracy (I almost hesitate to highlight this aspect of Mr. Kissin's playing, given the propensity of critics to judge him unfairly based on his intimidating virtuosity alone). In short, this disc contains some of the most phenomenally scintillating performances of the recording age. That of the Chaconne, the crowning triumph of Kissin's ?uvre, will surely remain unsurpassed for years to come."

Cortot couldn't play like this even if he wanted to.

Mireille Wastwater | England | 11/25/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Seeing more manure contemptuously scattered around by people like Kalle Kuusava (one of the reviewers) who criticise Kissin, I feel obliged to write this. I have listened to many 'Golden Age' pianists, and many 'Modern' pianists and I fail to understand what some people have against wonders like Kissin. If Kissin plays 'straight' he is accused of being pianistic and not musical. If he lets his hair down and blazes through music, he is laughed at for being rash and showing off his technique. If he tries to defy his critics and plays extra musically, they claim he's playing self-centerdly and 'not letting the composer speak'. He is in a no-win situation. I could go on comparing the pianists of yesteryear with today, but this is meant to be a review of the CD. The playing is, as you'd expect, technically faultless. The way he plays the Chaconne reminded me of a cathedral for some reason. Sort of Franckian - grand. Like the rest of the recital, it is effortless and yes, it is musical. You shall not be disappointed if you buy this disc."

Amazing Depth snd Sensitivity

katerina5 | 09/01/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I recently realized that a certain style of piano playing has come to be popular in the last 20 years. Ever since the death of Gilels, Horowitz and other old-time greats, pianists from around the world have adopted a cold, impersonal but technically brilliant style. Recordings and performances run smoothly with every note played to perfection, but emotionally they leave no lasting impression. Evgeniy Kissin is perhaps one of the only contemporary pianists that touches the heart with his open style.
This CD shows his range in interpreting three composers of very different styles. Here's a brief description of every piece.
Bach/Busoni- I've heard Bolet and Pletnev play this exquisite transcription of a Bach Chaconne, and I have to say I prefer Kissin because he seems to capture the style. He captures the best of both Bach's Baroque and Busoni's Romantic and balances them very well.
Beethoven- This was played very well, if a little dry. I had a few complaints about the first Rondo, but Rage Over a Lost Penny was right on the mark, with so much humor in it!
Schumann- Sometimes I wonder how a pianist can go so deep into the music that he seems to bring out the composer's personality. Schumann was going mad towards the end of his life, and his instability comes across in Kreisleriana (written for a character in a Hoffmann tale). Kissin captures that madness perfectly. From agitated to serene, the listener can hear the many sides of Schumann's personality coming from Kissin's playing."