CHERKASSKY STRAUSS-SCHULZ-EVLER 'ON THE BEAUTIFUL BLUE DANUBE' 'LIVE' 1990 SCRIABIN ETUDE ENCORE.

SHURA CHERKASSKY BRINGING ELEGANT VIRTUOSITY AND OLD WORLD CHARM TO SHULZ-EVLER'S DAZZLING CONCERT ARABESQUES ON STRAUSS'S 'BLUE DANUBE WALTZ.' HIS ENCORE - SCRIABIN'S ETUDE IN C SHARP MINOR OP.2 NO.1 IS FULL OF RUSSIAN MELANCHOLY.

[@richardwhitehouse8762]

Charm is a much underrated gift amongst musicians. It requires so many different, sometimes seemingly opposite, skills not least technique allied to taste and a distinct personality that is never at odds with the music. Cherkassky had it in spades and it always illuminated whatever he was playing.

[@rich8037]

Hear hear! I wonder how many conservatoire professors ever use the word 'charm'...

[@Hyramess]

I can't get over the spacious, gracious nature of his playing and the compelling beauty of his piano SOUND. He plays this death-defying beast with all the insouciance and laid back improvisatory character of a celestial cocktail pianist. In this regard he closely resembles Hofmann. Listening to him is sheer joy.

[@tishhill9561]

Hyramess How well you've said it

[@ianboard544]

Didn't he study with Hofmann?

[@ladivinafanatic]

@@ianboard544Yes he did.

[@doGreatartistsgrowontrees]

No one today, sorry to say, not even the most gifted of the gifted in the international circuit, can come close to approaching this level of technique, musicality, grace, and aristocracy in combination. No need to say it is music making cultivated during a different era. And no wonder as Cherkassky was a student of none other than the immortal Josef Hofmann. Thank you for uploading.

[@republiccooper]

Listen to Pletnev. You may change your mind. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eXyUlGmLodyZZ5o

[@meredith218461]

Cherkassky retained his magic right to the last.

[@p1anosteve]

Master of tone production and use of the pedal.

[@piano345]

Yes - a wonderful performance in every way - in particular his luxurious tone quality which is never hard or metalic even in fortissimo passages.

[@germancardoso3587]

WHAT AN ASTOUNDING PIANIST HE WAS !!!! HE WAS INCREDIBLE !!!!!

[@willemboone7912]

I heard him play this live around the same time and it was simply the best performance I have ever heard of it, I can't remember any young pianist who could have bettered him! Everything was there: the technique, the sound, the charm, the magic..... A truly unique artist!

[@NOSEhow2LIV]

This is miraculous for me,as it's one of the rare pieces i never saw him perform,over many years of ShuraFidelity!At 81years he still gets the magic,the recounting of a story with colors&textures,even if not all goes completely to plan.The velvety touch and spontaneous wit are intact.Truly Late-Romantic Art.The bonus of the Scriabin is wonderful.And what a unique figure,mincing his way off the stage like a naughty baby who's just done something forbidden on the piano!He had his fun,so do we!

[@odilereneleau3464]

Splendid rendition played by maestro Shura Cherkassky .Thanks a lot for your choice as ever dear piano 345 !

[@piano345]

He lived in London and it's a great pity that the BBC and others didn't film some of his 'live' recitals. We have to be gratetful for what we have. Fortunately, he was still an excellent player in his later years probably because he practised the four hours a day recommended by Hofmann.

[@piano345]

I couldn't have said it better myself. It's good to hear from another Cherkassky admirer. All the things you say are so true. I never saw him play the Schultz-Evler but he was wonderful in the Strauss/Godowsky Wine Woman and Song and Tchaikovksy/Pabst Eugene Onegin which fortunately I did see him play. We will never see his like again.

[@piano345]

Yes such charm and wonderful tone. The style of a bygone age.

[@keithjohnson5874]

His tone is always so rich and colorful, and he plays music like this so elegantly. I also always loved his Wein, Weib, und Gesang recording.

[@piano345]

Yes I agree - and what a beautiful tone quality.

[@Artisticer]

Simply, purely gorgeous.

[@Steinwaygrande]

Stunning is an understatement !

[@piano345]

Indeed - full of Russian melancholy as are his Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff performances. A unique artist.

[@giannisgiannakos3589]

A discovery for me! thanks!

[@pghagen]

Amazing pianist. He was the only one who played works like this. He was 81 here. He was buried on Highgate cemetery east side in London. Still miss him on the concert stages of this world.😢🎹☀️👏🙏

[@shilloshillos]

PURE MAGIC!

[@meredith218461]

Yes indeed, his Scriabin Etude is simply ravishing. In fact I think I prefer Cherkassky's account to the famous Horowitz one.

[@meredith218461]

You describe perfectly Cherkasskys winning interpretations of such repertoire. He certainly represented that golden age of piano playing - alla Hofmann, Friedman, Moiseiwitsch and of course the great Rachmaninoff.

[@Snafuski]

I'm amazed.... Those stubby hands.... And that phenomenal sound.... I heard him with Rachmaninoff's 3rd....

[@piano345]

Yes, a great pianist and always the quality of tone. I uploaded his Rach 3 from a 1960s Prom. I also heard him play it London in the 1970s.

[@NOSEhow2LIV]

Thank you so much for these posts;even in the pieces i heard already from him,it's always like a first time - a new listening!I also saw him in Strauss/God WWSong &Tchaik/Pabst among so many others.I just wish the video-vogue epoch had arrived years earlier to catch him at his peak,but the qualities found here largely compensate.Nothing beat being there as he played,and that's what we'll never have again;a great gap in my soul....

[@MrInterestingthings]

i knew about hofmannn from chasins book so since1975 as a ten year olld i should have found a way to hear s.c. but i never did . cant remember arrau in beethoven#4 so i guess it doesnt matter. his playing really has more charm than anyone.his attention to sound and his musical spirit are magical!

[@vova47]

So beautiful,first piece made me think of Godowsky and his devilishly difficult Strauss's Waltz transcription that Hoffman has learnt after hearing just couple of times. I used to think Horowitz owned that Scriabin's Etude - not so sure anymore...... This elegant style has gone forever, sadly.....

[@ralphmace5494]

WHAT A REDICULOUW, SHITTY PIECE. SUCH A WASTE OF TIME TO LEAN AND TO LISTEN TO. says [e-mail]

[@yaserthe1]

Original while simpler, is more pleasent to the ear.

[@user-ir7yu3br4j]

Wunderbar!!!

[@piano345]

Perhaps only Horowitz equals Cherkassky's variety of touch, colours and shadings. Thanks for all your interesting comments.

[@claudioparrella183]

In questo tipo di repertorio Shura esprime il meglio

[@GregHarradineComposer]

Just scintillating! Thanks for sharing.

[@arleendaguro7421]

Wow..how i wish,i could watch you play live...very nice performance!..

[@jonashasageremtkjrjensen]

He's dead, unfortunately

[@tatsunkawitko]

Wow!!!

[@MrInterestingthings]

there is never any percussion in his sound. pure wizardry.

[@yamazaki4902]

美しい。

[@laputa6464]

No-one, no-one can play like that today.

[@piano345]

Yes as you know, piano tone and cantabile were essential to Cherkassky's art. He came from an era when the performer was just as important as the composer. None of your Urtext score puritanical ideas from Shura but rather responding to what lay behind the notes and expression marks. He was always a very spontaneus player with all the risks that involves and more especially in concertos accompanied by unimaginative conductors.

[@patriciacollinsjones7417]

Such a wonderful performance......compare Josef Lhevinne's for a totally different impression (also wonderful) of this very difficult work.

[@rattywoof5259]

This story may be apocryphal but I like it. Cherkassky was rehearsing the Rachmaninov 3rd concerto, and at one point the conductor stopped the rehearsal and said 'Mr. Cherkassky, why did you play that passage so fast?' With a beatific smile, Cherkassky replied 'Because I can!'

[@charliecrcc3859]

Braaaavo!!! This piano tradition was fantastic, I think the great Stephen Hough is a true succesor of it.

[@Daniel_Ilyich]

This is a slightly different version of the Strauss-Schulz-Elver Blue Danube performed by Pletnev on KZbin.

[@isaksigurdssnnhungnes624]

Scriabin etude - 10:18

[@shilloshillos]

so that they can be individually searchable.

[@neferazure]

A cat that could play? A mouse that could waltz? Love this Tom and Jerry episode, that's what this version reminds me of. Beautiful interpretation of this song, Cherkassky! :) :) :) :) :)

[@carnivalcruiserbill]

This is a beautiful interpretation for sure but this is not a song. Where are the words? Instrumental pieces are not songs. Cherkassky was a wonderful pianist. I was fortunate to hear him live.

[@neferazure]

Bill Teichman Not every song has to have lyrics. Quit being obtuse. It IS a song.

[@RazorIance]

I understand Bill may be pedantic on this but a song indeed by definition a piece of music intended to be performed by the human voice, so in technicality he is absolutely correct.

[@SpaghettiToaster]

N. A. It's not a song.

[@jeanjoubert3074]

In Cherkassky's hands it is at least a song.

[@josephhapp9]

That is how to play the piano.

[@johnschlesinger2009]

This reminds me of Lizst's remark about Henselt: "I too could have had those golden paws". Cherkassky was extraordinary: the pianism was always immaculate, to the very last. And no grimaces, almost no body movement, unlike so many.

[@shilloshillos]

I wonder if you should split this video and get the Scriabin etude uploaded separately.

[@vremeplov4047]

GRANDE PIANIST !!!!

[@ladivinafanatic]

Cherkassky is the last great pianist. We don’t hear this kind of playing nowadays.

[@reachmehere5]

@9:40 Looks like the guy wanted an autograph. He makes a writing gesture, but it probably would have been better if he handed him a pen.

[@alixpaillet6097]

Hello Sir, do you know where I can find an HQ version of this video ? (even an audio ?) I can't find it anywhere else ? Thank you !

[@piano345]

Sorry Alix - I obtained this video from Japan many years ago. The audio at least on my computer sounds very good.

[@alixpaillet6097]

Do you think you can send it to me by email or wetransfer ?

[@piano345]

For what reason?

[@piano345]

Please visit my Facebook page dedicated to Shura Cherkassky.

[@HankDrake]

Suave...

[@MrInterestingthings]

most pofessional could never manage what he does in the scriabin. the voicings sound impossible.and the touch and phrasing merit close scrutiny.

[@yaserthe1]

The additional notes add nothing. Stick to original. Beauty in simplicity This is pointless though technically amazing complexity.