![]() She has recorded on DVD all 24 Chopin Etudes, which means that she has learned and played all 24 Chopin Etudes, and also that she has kept them all so well in her repertoire that she could (and did) record them all on one DVD.Ģ. If I'm reading Sam correctly, that is what seems implied in his gentle slap on the collective wrist.ġ. It makes classical music seem like elitist entertainment, and its adherents like snobs for whom nothing is quite good enough. I can't quite escape the feeling that one of those reasons is the hypercritical cannibalism ( ) often on display on forums like this. There are many reasons why classical music appeals to a small (and increasingly smaller, alas) group of people. Very nice and very different from Kissin's, particularly the opening. Ignore the fog machine and screaming fans. I also like this, completely different rendition: In terms of speed, I've never heard it played faster. Here is one of my favorite interpretations of La Campanella: The reason I bring all this up is this: I'm not sure hers is the example I would use for "proper technique". She also looks a little stiff on the last octave recapitulation, and it sounds that way, too. I have to use 1-4-5 also, and it's a bear. Evidence for this support comes at 2:45, when she uses 1-4-5 instead of 1-3-4. It's MUCH easier that way, but I know the 42 stretch can be extremely hard. She only plays the top note in the descending line. But she simplifies some of the most difficult passages (possibly because her hand is too small, I'll give her that). That link was broken, so I went to this one: I'm not crazy about the way she plays this musically (I prefer Yundi Li's best) but I still find it helpful watching her- technique is clear. I was really mesmerized watching her hands, and I even picked up a few tips on fingering in her rendition of La Campanella: ![]() You can learn more about Valentina at her website: , and will find many more examples of her playing at her YouTube channel: /valentinalisitsa.I must admit though, I think she has great technical control. What they got instead was a thoughtful, poignant rendering of this hackneyed Bagatelle, one that demonstrates just how beautiful it can be when played by a true artist. You will hear some surprised laughter as she begins to play, as the audience was undoubtedly expecting one of her trademark virtuoso encores, not a student recital piece. Valentina’s fourth and final encore was Beethoven’s well-known “Fur Elise”. It is unmistakably Russian in character, and very majestic. The attentive reader may recall that this prelude was featured on this blog in September in a memorable performance by Emil Gilels. Prelude in G minor by Sergei Rachmaninoff Obligingly, the young virtuoso complied, and after four bars he was perspiring profusely! When he had finished this astonishing performance, someone wistfully asked that he play a simple piece by Schumann, such as “Traumerei”. He kept this up for quite some time without as much as a drop of perspiration on his brow. The most difficult music seemed to flow effortlessly from his fingers. A young virtuoso once came to the famous piano class of Theodor Leschetizky in Vienna, and upon being asked to play, stunned everyone with a phenomenal display of virtuosity. Vladimir Horowitz, for whom “Traumerei” was a signature piece, once related the following incident as a gentle reminder to anyone who might think that slow, lyrical music is easy to play. She plays it beautifully, and it was this performance more than any other that convinced me of her artistry. “Traumerei” means “Dreaming”, and this piece is as different as possible from the virtuoso showpieces that Valentina Lisitsa is known for. ![]() This kind of knuckle-busting difficulty is Valentina Lisitsa’s bread and butter, but as we will see in a moment, she can also play with exquisite sweetness. “La Campanella” (“The Little Bell”) is the third of six “Grandes Etudes de Paganini” by Liszt, all of which are based on compositions by the great 19th-century Italian violinist and composer Nicolo Paganini, and all of which are notoriously hard to play. Her first encore was by Franz Liszt, who was himself an admirer of Grieg’s concerto. They called her back for no less than four encores, each of which reveals a different aspect of her artistry. After thrilling to her brilliant performance of Grieg’s Piano Concerto, the audience in Seoul was in no mood to let Valentina Lisitsa leave the stage.
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