Vladimir Horowitz plays Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6 (live 1947, unreleased)

[@r.i.p.volodya]

I can only assume that those who cannot perceive the uniqueness of Horowitz' art must be in some way actually deaf.

[@_lifeofian]

I love how detailed and punctual his playing is. nothing gets glossed over or blurred.

[@Geniapianist]

Unreleased recordings are the best! You can hear the true artist! And his energy and talent is absolutely amazing!

[@vova47]

Deeply grateful for your upload, incredible playing!

[@snowcarriagechengcheng-hun3454]

Thanks for uploading!

[@johnschlesinger2009]

What really impresses me is not the fantastic octaves, but Horowitz's wonderful musical imagination and dynamics.

[@arthurhogan3047]

@Avrum Friedman: Thanks for that history on Willy Kapell. He was my idol on this instrument, and i came to know of Horowitz after he ( Kapell ) had died in that horrific plane crash. Willy wanted to study with Artur Rubinstein as well. He apparently got the same response. But he did listen to many of the recordings of these two giants. However, Kapell mirrored the Horowitz sound coupled with that strange tone he himself produced from the piano. Probably indicative of his ensueing doom. No one touches his pressing of Chopin's 3rd sonata in b minor. ' utterly monstrous!!!, Amongst other performances by him. Most performers of Rachmaninov's 2nd concerto treat it as a show piece for their virtuosity. Willy didn't; to him, It was Classical in its form. Witness the restrained ending in the finale. With Kapell, it is controlled, even and purely Artful. For me, it's the only way this concerto should end.

[@MyriamSchweingruber]

Sadly this was tampered with, suddenly at 4:08 the piano raises by a quarter note and the scratching noise from the record is completely different.

[@ClassicalPianoRarities]

That is likely a change when going from one side of an acetate disc to another. The entire recital was recorded in that manner and is available here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hKGrYoadeNRllZYsi=-10aeQeQ7P2hFLEH

[@arthurhogan3047]

@vladimir horowitz : To my knowledge, there is no recording or performance of William Kapell playing HR6. Of all the pieces he aspired to play after a Horowitz performance.This would have been one that he intentionally avoided; I'm thinking he would have dreaded exposing himself with those left handed octaves. He himself complained about difficulty with his fingers responding at times. The Tschaikowsky concerto is another one, octaves and all. Not that he couldn't have pulled them off, I just believe he didn't want to deal with them. I will always love Horowitz's playing over Cziffra's regardless. There is that something, Genius, that made Horowitz the very best. You can't hear it in other pianist. Because it just isn't there; Liszt's " Aubord Dun Source ". That Schubert impromptu in a flat minor??? ( sorry ) you know which one. No one plays it with his touch. Liszt's " Funeraiile ", speaking of left handed octaves. And on and on. Cziffra was more of ( not more than ) a technician, for fireworks if you will. Horowitz was both. And interpretively as well. In this department, Kapell was his match. Just listen to Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody no. 11 under his hands. Pure Art. Even Liszt couldn't have imagined it so perfectly.

[@ClassicalPianoRarities]

@arthur hogan There is a Kapell broadcast recording of the Liszt Rhapsody No 6…. from 1942. See link below: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aqmpqGVmfpWFZ9E Horowitz started programming this Rhapsody only by 1943-1944, although he may have programmed it in Russia in the record-setting 1924-1925 season… By the way, Kapell broadcast the Tchaikovsky concerto at least once, according to his pupil Jerome Lowenthal.

[@michaelboyd4233]

Horowitz could create more musical tension than Cziffra. Cziffra's "technique " was probably more all encompassing. But I started exploring other aspects of Cziffra such as his Jeux d'eau. A masterpiece of color . All my opinion, of course but I listen to them both a lot and appreciate their unique imprints in the history of pianism.

[@arthurhogan3047]

@@michaelboyd4233 : Hey, Michael. Thanks for your comments. My best buddy frequently mentioned Cziffra in our discussions about Horowitz. Although he preferred Horowitz over just about everybody else. After hearing Cziffra a number of times. For me, there is no doubt he was a ferocious virtuoso. My opinion. Both he and Simon Barere may have been stronger than Horowitz physically. But judging from the early recordings by Vladimir, say the Rockozy March and other Transcriptions he made. Who knows. Interpreting the works he performed, certainly placed him head over heels above the two of them. They were physical playing machines. Barere especially. Cziffra was in prison in Russia's Gulag. Which explains his super power at the instrument. Conditions in that environment were harsh from what I've heard and read. Merciless to say the least. As for Ravel's ' Jeau Deau '. We have no recording by Horowitz, thanks to Ravel himself. Horowitz swore off playing any of his music after the composer scolded him over his interpretation of one of his works. In the end for me. Horowitz's touch at the instrument, surpasses just about every pianist I've heard in my lifetime. And most of his power he produced with sparing use of the loud pedal. Fingers only, and flatter out. Not curled as most teachers encouraged their students to play the piano.

[@davidgray3684]

Lol did they (whoever did it) have to speed the recording up when the octaves came along? They're pretty fast already!

[@pastichemusic3568]

THE PIANO IS OUT OF TUNE 😑

[@pianoredux7516]

You are dead right, so it is.

[@susfranzliszt]

Kinda sounds like Martha Argerich.

[@lhiram23]

Argerich kinda sounds like Horowitz

[@ClassicalPianoRarities]

😎

[@Dave-io5pd]

Horowitz had a very unique ending, and Argerich never played that way...

[@susfranzliszt]

@@Dave-io5pd Argerich held the pedal too long at the end

[@arthurhogan3047]

Actually, the reverse is in order, her sounding like him. Since she patterned her performance after ( years of listening) Mr. Horowitz. She could match him note for note in this Rhapsody. But there, it ends. She never had his power. Or even that of William Kapell. And I had a young lady tell that to me. It was the Prokofiev 3rd concerto in which she shines. But Mr. Kapell's playing of this piece? Even Horowitz left off of performing it.

[@marcvilleneuve8831]

Argerich much better