Aldo Ciccolini plays Liszt - live 2005

Aldo Ciccolini was a few weeks shy of 80 years old when he gave the second half of this recital in the summer of 2005. He had had a public presence since winning the 1949 Long-Thibaud Competition, and by the 1970s was already well-documented on record. Yet there's a special presence around this pianist as he is one of very few to transform his playing at the end of his life and to finish at the very zenith of his creative ability.
We're talking about someone who debuted on stage during the war, yet who reached an artistic peak as Wifi spread among us. It's probably a unique development. In fact how often do you encounter a pianist who not only maintains their facility into later life but who develops creatively in that time and goes out on top? Sofronitsky would be one example. In the late 1950s his playing became freer and more impassioned, and at the very end of his life he was playing better than ever. However he was only approaching 60 at the time, and though racked by self-doubt, he wasn't restrained by old age. At 80 years old Argerich has almost miraculously maintained her quicksilver reflexes. Yet unlike Ciccolini, her interpretations and the quality of tone as character in the music have not developed into that age. Sokolov and Pletnev may offer a comparison, but perhaps only a tenuous one as both pianists were stunning from the beginning, whereas I feel Ciccolini developed in a way which is almost counter to life's clawing intent - from excellent but one of many in the beginning to special and inspiring by the end.
Perhaps the clear message from all of this is that Ciccolini is nestled among the greatest pianists on record. He just managed to get there in his own way and in his own time - not so much an Indian summer as an extended aurora in a frightful, closing winter.
Six Consolations
00:00 - 1
01:09 - 2
03:41 - 3
07:41 - 4
10:02 - 5
12:00 - 6
14:46 - Funerailles
27:42 - Mephisto Polka
32:46 - Wagner-Liszt Liebestod
40:39 - Rigoletto Paraphrase
Encores
49:07 - Schubert Kupelwieser waltz
52:51 - Manuel de Falla Ritual Fire Dance
58:01 - Chopin Prelude op. 28 no. 7

[@anandsamuel1978]

What a amazing performance to pay tribute to Liszt one of my favourite Composer!

[@TomTom-xp2jb]

Saw Aldo in Vancouver with the VSO at the QE theatre in the seventies. Great performance!!! Thx for the post! 👏

[@rymantesimaitis663]

💖Astounding!!! To hear Ciccolini play is musically to die for...just love the 🎶, profound...moving and beautiful 😍 🙏

[@brittopiano]

Ciccolini was a great artist. A beautiful description about his development until in his late years. Undoubted is an accomplishment for very few musicians.

[@catherineanstett126]

Quel souvenir Aldo Ciccolini! Chez lui, dans son "living room" sur ce piano. Mon professeur et lui étaient amis. J'ai joué Villa-Lobos (Impressoes Seresteiras) qu'il jouait avec tant de sentiments sans oublier l'âme brésilienne. Il était un homme très discret qui n'a jamais cherché la célébrité, et s'est consacré à ses élèves surtout. Quelle belle interprétation.......

[@MartinVanBoven]

What a wonderful and insightful analysis @ADGO.

[@user-sk4kd7ob2b]

Ох,я слушаю это невероятное исполнение в третий раз. Продолжу завтра.Влюблена. Спасибо. Ночь.

[@radovanlorkovic3562]

Ciccolini setzte die Latte von Vollendung höher als bisher, in jeder Hinsicht. Es ist wie eine Interpretationsstunde: so sollte man Klavier spielen!

[@philiprostek]

What a wonderful post and analysis. Such truly great Liszt playing - then art and life emerge seamlessly. Thank You.

[@militaryandemergencyservic3286]

I heard this man play the two Debussy books at Wigmore hall. I almost went to sleep during the performance, coz he played those soporific preludes so well (great pianist!)

[@antonini94]

soporofic preludes? ahah but wtf

[@hauhao9078]

Wonderful

[@navrozelalkaka8457]

stunning

[@user-st7fb2ty3u]

All of the pieces on the Liszt are colorful and beautiful. They remind me of pictures. Thank you so much.

[@user-og9vr7py1b]

Прекрасное исполнение! Нежно и чувственно.

[@alfonsobertazzi5867]

That's very interesting, my very first exposure to Ciccolini was through his EMI album with a very similar programme (the 2 Legends instead of the transcriptions). The cover portrayed him spotting a gold bracelet (whose rattle was clearly audible in the octave passage of Funerailles!).

[@JanWeinhold001]

Wonderful music and and an evenly wonderful text homage, thank you ADGO!

[@ADGO]

Cheers Jan.

[@dhollandpiano]

In the 60's and 70's Ciccolini played everything super fast and clean. I sort of hated him because it was unmusical. I have watched the video with Beethoven and Schumann concertos and this Ciccolini is my newest fave, right up there with Maria Tipo. Thanks Adgo for presenting the new Ciccolini.

[@sector_prince]

Очень ценный для меня канал. Светло. Благодарю

[@ADGO]

Спасибо

[@Libercapitum]

CUANDO EN LA NIÑEZ, se escucha una pieza tan fina y delicadamente interpretada como lo hace este exelente pianista, hay en la pureza de la percepción, una escritura indeleble del tema escuchado y en la mente limpia lo comprendido y sentido toma un lugar perpetuo. Sin embargo, cuando se escucha la misma pieza, en los años postreros, de manos de un intérprete mayor...es toda una vivencia descubrir en los nuevos matices que la experiencia de dar tanto amor hecho sonidos ha ido generando, que se comprenden mucho más conceptos y sentimientos sembrados en la partitura por el autor... y la audiencia de un concierto se transforma en una conversación de hermanos, donde el pensamiento es cómplice, y el sentimiento es uno solo. Libercapitum

[@clairemarco1859]

I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU MEAN ADGO

[@user-bf3mr8mp4u]

アルド先生、スコラスディックな曲をありがとうございます！🍀🎵💅

[@briankopinsky]

Wonderful, unique playing. Great technique. Ciccolini plays with such creative confidence. Where did this concert take place?

[@ADGO]

It was in France.

[@albertoraposo6522]

Comovente! Bem-haja! De Lisboa, com um abraço,, Maria do Carmo Vieira

[@hanskulainen]

I was listening Fujiko Heming playing this piece last night.

[@duckisfaction]

Who cares

[@hanskulainen]

Hi, ADGO! How old was he on this performance?

[@christianvennemann9008]

About 80, since he was born in 1925.

[@ADGO]

It's in the description Hans - I wrote it for a reason.

[@metteholm4833]

Try listening to his performance of Beethovens piano concert No.3 - 1n 2011. Top notch!

[@yoshikatayama6799]

@@metteholm4833 Thanks. I was listening No.3 with the Kanagawa Symphony...don't know if it's the same one you mention, but I was totally amazed with his playing!

[@hanskulainen]

Thanks in advance, ADGO! Having problem with commenting.