Grigory Sokolov: Brahms Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Händel, Op.24, Essen 2012

[@gwedielwch]

Variation 12 here is so beautiful - the balance of the themes so fresh. The whole set is alive with new insights.

[@polskapianist]

this is such a great performance, in general all at a slower tempo,that we are acustomed to hear,he is truly a great pianist,delicate, strong and thougtful and soulful,thank god for rach,,and sokolov.

[@Ms10061997]

Phenomenal performance, marvellous recording. Thank you.

[@m8a1x2]

Best pianist alive! Thank you so much for uploading!

[@hercbergsify]

A beautiful performance.!

[@gfweis]

When Sokolov plays, as is the case with Arrau, Richter, Michelangeli, and others, one is sure to hear a distinctive and penetrating reading. Here, the clarity is brilliant, exquisite. The piece is brought into a bright light.

[@robconnor718]

The Fugue is spot on for me, I've never heard Brahms' colossal texturing in this movement more clearly! Grigory does it again

[@TheJamesalden]

Wonderful performance...and the artwork adds a nice touch....Thank You!!....

[@Baddogphil]

Hard to imagine a better performance. At first, I thought he played the fugue too slowly, but then he brought out things in it I had never heard before.

[@ewallt]

Agreed. I heard things throughout I hadn't heard, and I know the piece very well. He brought out many counter melodies.

[@tatianaAnk]

Григорий Соколов виртуоз! Браво! Волшебные звуки.

[@KV4671]

Een zeer interessant pianist en leraar Sokolov G in dit opus voor iedereen die van het prachtige opus 24 van Brahms houdt. Veel veel heel veel is hier te vinden van wat Brahms ons wilde zeggen. Een standaard uitvoering net als die van Julius Kätchen. Pure muziek. Alles juist uitgevoerd in het juiste perspectief in dit opus met al zijn tegenstrijdige emoties en gedachten. Werk 24 van Johannes Brahms is één van de topwerken in de pianoliteratuur dat hij heeft opgedragen aan Clara Schumann en een mooier verjaardagscadeau is nauwelijks denkbaar

[@HaHoppe]

Sehr gute Aufnahmequalität! Danke!

[@IvanGreindl]

I find too that M. Sokolov's performance is very sensitive, in the composer's spirit.

[@josephlaredo5272]

Burnichon finds that Sokolov plays Brahms (and Schubert, Beethoven and Mozart) with too much rubato, which makes them sound "like Rachmaninov or Scriabin". An interesting subject for discussion! For me, he makes Brahms sound like Schubert here! But surely tthe great thing about Sokolov is that he always tries to get inside the music; he is never content merely to "play" or "perform" it. Yes, he can lapse into exaggeration, but rather that than the anonymous mechanical run-through we are made to put up with by the great majority of pianists. And in concert he is mesmerizing; only Volodos creates as much magic. Do hear them both live if you can.

[@gerardbegni2806]

It is essential to respect two things. First, let the auditor feel how each variation is related to the theme. But eah avraition has a specific character of its own, so a "closed world" has to be built in eachvariation. Dokolov succeeds particularly well in that task. So, wa have here one of the best versions of these variations,

[@zugzwang2007]

Brahms is full of rubato markings (he uses "hairpins" for that and writes cresc or decrescendo for dynamics). Very few pianists seem to understand this notation, but Sokolov is one of them and pretty faithful to it. If there is mannerism here, as complained of by Burnichon, it belongs to Brahms. And, in any case, Sokolov's playing is full of wonderfully observed details that go to make an imaginative whole. The fugue, in particular, is magnificently done - clearly textured and with a fine sense of direction.

[@pianojoe21]

wow...

[@elwisw]

Magnificent!

[@arturozeballos1]

uno de los pianistas actuales que mas mas agrada...bravo ...falto el si bemol en el bajo al finalizar

[@Oblomov18]

grande!!!

[@josephlaredo5272]

By the way, the finest recording of this work I've ever heard is that by Emanuel Ax. The CD was deleted a while ago, but you might still be able to find it somewhere. Do try; it's thrilling.

[@MrInterestingthings]

ere in this piece should there be thunder. It's got more light less sombre than usual Brahms piano works .the tempo is perfect and the piano sound is glorious .Var .3 's character rendered in truly Brahmsian style.Who else can play Froberger,Rameau and all the Russian classica with some conviction. I'm sure even Martha loves his playing and mind .

[@PMiss-gl8fy]

Ma chi cazzo se ne fotte di quel vecchio bagascione

[@lehrmandavid10]

I am going to take a stab at justifying a link between posting the Van Gogh painting, thus suggesting a link with the recording of the Brahms Handel variations. Brahms took a simple theme and created sounds totally unimaginable to Handel. We accept that we let him introduce us to his highly imaginative aural world, with scant regard for the conventions of the 18th Century. Similarly, Van Gogh took a landscape, in St Remy, and did not reproduce that scene with photographic realism. Again, we see the world through Van Gogh's eyes, not as we would. Hopefully we are enriched by a new way of interpreting the stimuli that prompted artists to offer us painting, variations on a theme, and for that matter in all art forms. That is what geniuses do. By the way, I would extend that idea to Sokolov's romantic, highly expressive interpretive playing of these variations. They may strike some as idiosyncratic, excessively romantic, and as is suggested below, too Russian and not this pianist's best milieu. But he dares to be original. That makes him brave, and worth hearing, for my ears. All originals-- Sokolov, in interpretation, Brahms in the aural world of composition, Van Gogh, in the visual world of painting. Thanks Auke J2 for this posting.

[@mzp3]

this is close to the top

[@c.g.marseille4510]

deze Muziek staat even ver af van 'gewoon' als de bomen van van Gogh afstaan van 'gewoon' ( of anders om )... schitterend dus !

[@dexterityhunter]

close? what kind of top are you referring to?

[@purplepeoplepurple]

Unfortunately, I find this difficult to listen to because of the piano (or maybe recording). The sound is thin, at times almost tinny. I want a full, resonant sound capable of filling the ears, capable sometimes of thundering. Certainly for Brahms.

[@cynic150]

What has Van Gough to do with Brahms?Very expressive playing. Perhaps a touch over-phrased...Russian style.