Horowitz in Leningrad - 1986 (Apr. 27) live concert

[@annikan.351]

Please correct the error: it was not the "Winter Palace", but the Great Hall of the Leningrad Philharmonic. I was 12 and was lucky to be there with my parents and to hear this unforgettable concert live. I will never forget the Etude in C sharp minor by Scriabin that is unfortunately missing in this recording. There are many recording by Horowitz playing this Etude and they all are genial, but THAT performance was absolutely soul-burning. Everybody was crying. Maybe one day somebody will find another pirat-version of this concert and hopefully Scriabin will also be there. The day after the concert Horowitz was supposed to go and visit Kharkov where his sister Regina lived, but instead of Ucrainian SSR he flew directly to New York and no one knew why. The people have not been informed about the explosion in Chernobyl, in Leningrad we have only heard that "something happened", but what exactly - even those who has had relatives in Ucraine not really knew the situation. Only after the traditional big manifestation on the 1 of May (under the "nice" radioactive rain, but obviously we did not know it) the Soviet people was finally informed about the Chernobyl catastrophe and then we have understood why Horowitz left USSR on April 28. Thanks God, he did not go to Kharkov.

[@chrisandersen5635]

I have this on CD. Better than Moscow, no cameras and live broadcasting. He sounds more relaxed in this, and i thought the same reading description about it being in the Great Hall. Also, if I remember, I have to look for disc, but I believe this performance was largely for students. Plus, this different program simply suits Horowitz more.

[@rogerpianoking1945]

I first heard him when he did the Moscow concert back in the 80s at my dads house. I went out and got the music for that concert and try them and have a go. That’s how much he influenced me. I wished I could of gone to one of his concerts, but you will never forget you lucky person.😀 He was a genius and I have not heard anybody come close to his playing technique. Will there ever be another Horowitz, probably not, but I really hope there will be in the future.

[@olgarogach8868]

Dear Annika N. Reading your comment put me to tears. I was there as well. It was the Great Hall, you are right. I attended using counterfeit ticket, created by my then boyfriend, who had a real one for himself. I had two choices: to get to the concert, or to be captured by militia. Miraculously I got to the concert! The "ticket" was a masterpiece. You couldn't tell that it was a fake. We were standing tight like herrings in a can. But it was worth it.

[@sergiomonterisi27]

His sister Regina died some months before his arrival in Russia. He only could meet his niece, he had seen as a baby when he left his Homeland

[@annikan.351]

@@sergiomonterisi27 Yes you are right about Regina. But it is 100% that Horowitz has planned to go to Kharkov the day after the concert in Leningrad, I was there when he mentioned that in his artistic room after the concert.

[@robert0schumann]

Very happy to have found an Horowitz addicted...all the people should know and love great artists. Thank you for this!

[@dantefiorentino3612]

Many thanks for uploading this. I often wondered why it hadn’t been released commercially.

[@Dan1099ilo]

bad quality unfortunately

[@parukita9228]

Polonaise is so vigorous, Mazurkas are so poetic.Great performances.Thanks for this upload.

[@JoeandAngie]

Bootleg Vlad? Just like my other favorite...Led Zeppelin! Wonder if one of V's man roughed up the recorders like Peter Grant, et al?

[@chrisandersen5635]

Funny!! Maybe if Wanda had still been alive, but this was released after her passing, and the program is different from Moscow recital. Still, funny🎶😊

[@brtherjohn]

Played extraordinarily well, considering. Despite a minor memory glitch in the Rach encore, this is one of his best live performances of the polka. Even the Chopin polonaise is better here than in many other of his later live recitals.

[@Kennedy--tu4cf]

I absolutely agree. Maestro Horowitz was in top gear!

[@annikan.351]

Please do not call Rachmaninov "rach"! It is humiliating and insulting.

[@alexanderizbitser5964]

@@annikan.351 Perhaps, it's written under influence of 'Bach"?

[@annikan.351]

@@alexanderizbitser5964 Ну, когда высококультурная американская нация начнёт кликать Баха "бач" так же, как они с лёгкой руки какого-то олигофрена начали звать Рахманинова "рач", то можно будет с уверенностью сказать, что конец света действительно наступил.

[@alexanderizbitser5964]

@@annikan.351 Видимо, поэтому Рахманинов предпочёл американскую нацию всем прочим.