Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Ivo Pogorelich - turning around??

I was about to post this in the "49 minute Liszt Sonata thread", but then figured it deserved a thread of its own.

Just last night, I came across the below Youtube video - the most recent of anything we have seen of Pogorelich. It was from a Brussels recital 2 weeks ago.

Is may be just me - but this is the first of his playing I've heard in a decade when his tempos are picking up, and he seems to be getting "over" his rut. The ideas are more convincing, and the lines have more momentum. The Mephisto Valse finale is WAY better than the one posted a few years back. Listen for yourselves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foaQ9HNYCSQ

I agree! -- assuming that's him. (The only reasons I raise any doubt are that it's so much better, and so much more......'normal'
.....and, that I don't find anything online about a recent recital in Brussels. I'm not much doubting it, but I'm not totally assuming it either.)

There are 'things' we could still say, but yes -- this is much, much better, and in many respects IMO it's terrific.

edit: I did find a mention on this Facebook page, and (I think) a review of that recital and a Chopin concerto from the next day over here but I can't tell for sure because it's in French.

.....here's one of those free internet translations (let's try to withhold our laughter) -- I'm posting it because I figure that at least for now it's better than nothing:


An art to the frontièresde deconstruction. In osmosis with Tabachnik and its troops. Critical music

In this week of Easter (spring vacation), deserted by musical life, two concerts did sold out to Flagey, both of them places under the banner of the pianist Ivo Pogorelich. This one produced itself in recital Thursday (we there were not), and in concert with the Brussels Philharmonic placed under the direction of Michel Tabachnik, Friday. An important party of the public having taken places for the two evenings, the second bruissait again of the echos of the first one: "Masterly", "exasperating", "distressing" according to sensitivenesses, in any case, out norms and captivating (to the etymological direction of the term: impossible of itself there to subtract).

With the Concerto n° 2 of Chopin to the program, the concert of Friday was supposed to present the artist under a day more policé, more predictable, in any case subjected to the dialog with the orchestra. One will note that it not some was anything.

The concert had opened on "Verklärte Nacht" of Schönberg, a work of youth postromantique of the kind that does not poorly, but that, built in a movement (22 minutes) and intend for the only ropes, asks a perfect meticulous, not only for "to ring", but to create and to maintain dramatic tension that the crossing. Despite the reputation of the desks, despite the energy (compensatory?) boss, one did not there arrive.

Unheard-of tones

But, doubtless, the musicians they reserved themselves for the continuation. The arrival of the pianist - that seems to have known health problems - had of what to scare: urgent his score against him, hesitating on the itinerary to follow to clear a way to the piano, passing long moments to adjust the place and the height of his feasts, as well as the just distance with his page turner (a hero), it is necessary for him already to lean on the concern of Michel Tabachnik to accomplish this first step. The orchestral prelude extended the threat, the entry of the piano, marked by an unpublished suspension, fails to release the chaos, and nevertheless it not some will be anything, because at the same time that the quirk of the tempos, accents, rubato, silences, arose unheard-of, rich, powerful tones, magnificently orchestrated, innervated by a gushing inspiration, turn to painful tower, offended, appeased. The Larghetto, taken, on eggs, by a totally connected boss to the soloist and the orchestra to his boss, results in an exceptional tension before arises the dance - liberating in this case - final Allegro. Did the pianist savor the ovation of the public? Not sure. But that it was able to express himself freely through this intensely divided concerto does not do doubt.

After this Chopin of all the dangers, Stravinski resembled almost to a walk of health Michel Tabachnik known his "Bird of Fire" as if it had written it, it directed evidently memory, holding every sound, every entry, every musician at the end of his look and of its hands. And it was sudden the enchantement, the spirit of fantasy and of poetry, tension and the mystery. Discover a work as one dreams it, that has also his charm.


While we wait for our members who know French, what can we get from that..... (besides laughter)

-- The reviewer wasn't at the solo recital.
-- The general impressions of his playing, I think, were mixed: some very good things, some of his quirky stuff. But I can't tell at all whether the quirky stuff was felt to be real bad, or more like the Pogorelich of old (which some also felt to be real bad but it wasn't like how it's been in recent years).

Try putting that back into Google Translate (or whatever you used to get it) and translating back to French, and then change that into English again, and so on. Let's see how ridiculous it will get.

Perhaps our dearly beloved BruceD - retired high school french teacher extraordinaire - could graciously give us the gist =D

(This may be repetitive as I just saw the google translation above but did not read it.)

The aticle, posted on April 8th, states that Pogo gave 2 concerts, one on Thursday and the other on friday (thus probably the 4th and 5th). The author attended only the friday concert. It consisted of chopin concerto no 2 and followed by Schoenberg's Verklärte Nacht. With the Brussels Philharmonic.
He says that the entry of the pianist on stage was nearly scary: he held his score close to his heart and seemed to hesitate and err about before getting to the piano, spent much time adjusting the bench and the distance between him and the page turner (described as a hero).
The critic describes some odd (bizarre) tempos, accents, rubato and pauses, but also rich and powerful sonorities, a leaping inspiration alternating between pain, revolt and release. (it is no better in the original French).

The public apparently was very pleased but it was not clear if the pianist appreciated it. Though there was a feeling of intense communication through the music.

Both performances were sold out.

Rough translation.

If you ask me, I would say he's a brilliant artist. But my opinion is not important at all, he's definitely breaking a lot of prejudices and habits when it comes to listening and experiencing music today. I believe he's a valid artist because he has mastered the craft of piano playing long ago which gives him the right but also the capability to take it to the next level. If you listen to his performances as if you've never heard the piece before you would find some incredible moments of true genius and a deliberate and very detailed concept. Perhaps this video I've come across could present his opinion: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMnjDsEwdx0 .

He played Liszt sonata then too, it seems:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXK7n5OxZ7U

I'm just beginning to listen to it now. I wish the recording quality was better..

It reminds me of his recording of it of the 90s (was it? or earlier?)

Both of those videos are listed as Private.

Oh no! Sorry to hear that. They were recently available...perhaps Pogorelich himself got word of this thread and ordered them shut ... he famously is a very private person

I wish Pogo would play more Bach. I love his Bach more than anyone else's. His 2nd and 3rd English Suites changed my life.

Pogo if you are reading this, please more Bach!

Is the world ready for a three-hour Goldberg Variations?

I don't know much about Ivo, nor I care to learn a lot...

But if the above stands true, he most definitely picked the wrong career then!