Nicolas Economou: Franz Liszt - Piano Sonata in B minor

Nicolas Economou gives a brilliant performance of Liszt's Piano Sonata in B minor, which demands superb virtuoso skill. Recorded live from the Kongressaal, Munich.
Franz Liszt - Piano Sonata in B minor
I. Lento assai - Allegro energico - Grandioso
II. Andante sostenuto
III. Allegro energico
Watch the whole concert: • Nicolas Economou plays...
Nicolas Economou (Greek: Νικόλας Οικονόμου; 11 August 1953 - 29 December 1993) was a Cypriot composer and pianist born in Nicosia, Cyprus. A precociously gifted pianist, Economou came to international attention at the 1969 Tchaikovsky Competition when he was 16. After studying at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow he eventually moved via Düsseldorf to Munich. From his base there he established himself throughout Europe as a concert pianist, composer, arranger, conductor and organiser of music festivals. In December 1993 Economou was killed in an automobile accident in Cyprus while driving at night in thick fog.

[@MorbidMayem]

I forgive him all mistakes. He understands the spirit of the piece like no other.

[@1389Chopin]

Its the quintessential example of mistakes don't matter. His sound like the belong - if only we could all be so lucky. But yea - he nailed the characterization

[@andreasandreotti4492]

What a performance!!! What a loss to die so young, Apollo has for sure taken you in his arms and we keep your spirit alive dear Nicolas.

[@joshyman221]

@Mookie Spindlehurst the belief of God not existing is because there's no evidence they do exist.

[@joshyman221]

@Mookie Spindlehurst Sorry you don't understand. You don't need evidence proving nonexistence. What you really need is evidence proving existence (or at least suggesting existence). There is nothing scientific and repeatable that suggests there is a God. Let a lone the fact that God is completely different in different cultures, that contradict each other and clearly can't all be right. Here's an example: suppose I claim that there is a spaghetti monster lord that creates all your dreams and lives under your bed but is invisible and doesn't interact with you in any other way than giving you dreams. Can you prove it's non existence? No? then guess it must be true! YOU HAVE NOTHING!

[@johnswimcat]

Brilliant, simply brilliant. How sad he's gone but how lucky we are to have people like this in our world

[@Highinsight7]

(shoot... I didn't know he was gone... and I just found "him"... very sad... he plays the way I LOVE to hear the piano played... very few now adays....)

[@user-tc7mf4mj6w]

Accidente automovilístico.. ​@@Highinsight7

[@rosemaryhemingway4577]

Crying is what I am doing listening to his middle section!!! Soooo beautiful

[@Musicforever3000]

Incredible Performance! Economou was such a genius!

[@SebastianWill]

Wonderful! No glitter, pure music!

[@mariapap8962]

Exactly!

[@mirnamiglioranzi6641]

Nicolas Economou ,una esecuzine indimenticabile ! grande emozione .Ricordiamo questo straordinario pianista scomparso troppo presto .Grazie Maestro ...

[@alexrosatitorino]

Extraordinary!! He plays Liszt like no other.

[@capefox8321]

An astounding performance...

[@cristinabadea4267]

Well done as usual...God, he was a genius!

[@shupingwang3392]

A wonderful way to remember this exceptional musician.

[@lashamartashvili]

Absolutely incredible performance! I never get tired listening this for several hours a day. For Liszt, Economou was what Gould was for Bach IMHO.

[@harlemqnext4919]

a sample way to such a skill-challenging piece like this is the best access to our spirit. bravo!

[@lotrekdesign7965]

Easily one of the greatest pianists of all time. I had no idea about him until a week ago. I'm stunned...

[@johnswimcat]

No, I'd never heard of him either. What a talent. How lucky we are to have people like this on our planet

[@dvdgrog]

My very thought. His involvement with the music is total and riveting.

[@user-tc7mf4mj6w]

Dejó este mundo a los 40 años...En 1993.

[@Highinsight7]

@@dvdgrog so connected and genuine...

[@pianoman0609]

A great pianist!

[@1389Chopin]

@6:46 - that right hand descending line - never heard it before. Bravo

[@seanr0e]

Unglaublicher Naturgewalt!...I saw him in Munich in the late 80s...never forgotten it..

[@mariapap8962]

How lucky you've been!

[@mirnamiglioranzi6641]

Nicolas Economou ,musicista pianista appassionato ,non dimentichiamolo la sua esecuzioni della sonata di Listz è la più emozionante mai sentita .Un uomo un artista con straordinarie qualità. Profonda sensibilità è una grande mancanza nel mondo della musica ...grazie di tutto Nicolas 🌺

[@mirnamiglioranzi6641]

...Liszt ❗

[@mirnamiglioranzi6641]

Liszt❗

[@nancywang7912]

such a heart felt interpretation. very different from others.

[@peterectasy2957]

Astonishingly superb, i loost my mind to listen this performance

[@carmenmarin6977]

Allå donde estés, GRACIAS!!!

[@rebeccatrimikliniotou618]

Absolutely Divin thank you Nicolas

[@NoahJohnson1810]

great performance

[@milton3204]

you sure

[@jimmy_0221]

Extraordinary!!!!!!

[@mourgoukos]

we want more videos from Nicolas..

[@luisfrodrimaz]

Impresionante! Valores técnicos soberbios y sensibilidad exquisita. Nicolas Economou fue un gran pianista nacido en Chipre en 1953. Estaba llamado a ser en uno de los que deberían ocupar los puestos más altos en su tiempo. Desgraciadamente murió en un accidente de automóvil, en su país en 1993, mientras conducía en una noche de espesa niebla. Una verdadera pena su muerte tan pronta.

[@charlesdavis7087]

Alls I got to say is: "Damn!" How dare this young titan pass in an automobile accident. He had a better left hand than Horowitz and twice the heart. What a crying shame. However, Dear Nicolas, where ever you are, don't stop practicing and maybe someday you'll come back to us with some of your own great heart-felt compositions. Sent with love to that very place where you are.... CVD

[@mkubacka]

+Charles Davis I agree. Pure musicality. What a shame, and only 840 views?! People C'mon

[@1Jouslyn]

Good to see the view count has jumped, but I have been watching this recording for years, probably a thousand of them are mine. It's pretty dumb how most folks have such a low capacity for complicated music, especially if it's of any duration greater than a few minutes.

[@LOFTmusicChannel]

Well, this one is only on KZbin since May 2015...

[@liedersanger1]

Actually, a lot of fudging in the left hand around 8:00. Much beautiful playing in the quieter passages.

[@dankg55]

Please don't compare anyone to Horowitz. Just don't.

[@steveanast1981]

Pure Magic!!!

[@republiccooper]

High octane performance.

[@classicalmusiclover4029]

RIP Maestro

[@asddfgfjhgjhu]

Amazing!!!

[@alegal752]

Una grande grande perdita ❤😇🎶

[@irenenaselli2429]

GRACIAS !!!

[@veranova6689]

Highly Poetical, true FINE ART. A very different CHOPIN - Powerful and purely manly, and so wonderfully, deeply romantic.. Great musician, rare artist.

[@771jlp]

liszt

[@da96103]

Short-sleeved T-shirt with jeans? The Yuja of his day?

[@mariapap8962]

Good one! 😂

[@theresalutostanski2193]

Maybe Liszt reincarnated.

[@johnswimcat]

Quite possibly. Definitely another genius

[@syourke3]

I can play this piece as well as Economou. I really can! But only in my dreams.

[@AlexanderArsov]

Fine performance of a work that requires a great deal more than "superb virtuoso skill". This Economou has, and he also has poetry and drama. What he lacks is grandeur and a sense of tonal beauty.

[@mitchell-bt3tj]

24:40

[@deutschlander85]

I'd love to by this on DVD or Bluray. Are there any plans to release it?

[@LOFTmusicChannel]

With Economou we only have this DVD, which we can also recommend very much: amzn.to/2hTn9FX

[@G0NZAL0666]

paul stanley...kiss

[@yanayrton]

A truly magnificent competition Bravo! Franz himself must be really proud to hear you superb Nicolas from infinity. He and his awesome musical legacy deserves so much! Go on semper. In the field of the precious discoveries for life, you should listen carefully to my award-winning composition "Awakening to life" 「生活に目覚め」 because it has the purest and only epic lisztian bravure concentrated in her single minute of expression.( full of intriguing pianistic impossibilities acording to the proeminent critics) Listen and you ll be touched deeply forever in your minds and hearts. >>> .ARS SEMPER.VITA PLENA. Yan Ayrton, young classical composer from XXI century > .ARS SEMPER.VITA PLENA. Yan Ayrton, young classical composer from XXI century

[@renelicht]

😍😍😍😍😍

[@Pianist_24680]

I think that he plays well

[@jahman514]

Anton Khazipov very well indeed

[@terryhammond1253]

His early death in a car accident is an incalculable loss to the glory of music.

[@thomasramdasvoegeli]

Saagenhaft.

[@blueessay9795]

24:55

[@ganjamozart1435]

He looks just like Jeff Goldblum.

[@dreamsdreams9493]

I adore Liszt's music. This sonata has had a profound influence in my life. Nonetheless, I must admit in all fairness that Brahms' piano sonata 3 (written and premiered when Brahms was 19!!) is a monumental and titanic work which easily overshadows Liszt's in terms of counterpoint, and melodic material.

[@dommyajd9033]

Have you taken your meds?

[@Scorpionthepianist]

S my D 😂

[@guillermobadellmadrid3116]

your comment is totally out of line and has nothing to do with what we are talking about here..

[@user-iz7ek7se1v]

팔근육 오진다..ㅋㅋ

[@wolfgang1626]

Sorry, am I the only one hearing the minor slip ups in the octave passages especially? Emotional performance indeed, but the balance between emotion and the intellect is key, as always.

[@giovannifosco7272]

8:00 so inaccurate

[@Greg-kz8ts]

I'm sure you're so much better. stfu

[@giovannifosco7272]

@@Greg-kz8ts lol

[@dvdgrog]

If that's all you have to say about this performance, then your statement is worthless.

[@maurovarrone3277]

Troppi errori.... Peccato...

[@mariapap8962]

One should be able to hear beyond "the correct notes" to recognize and appreciate such a fine interpretation😉

[@jacket3999]

Just what I was thinking

[@mariapap8962]

You must be one of those listeners that enjoys those perfect, robotic performances, if ALL you managed to hear out of this whole performance are the errors. This is not the place for you. Here it's about MUSICALITY and EXPRESSION

[@mitchell-bt3tj]

18:45