This composition has been labeled as "unplayable". 🤯

Nikolai Rubinstein once said: "A wonderful piece, but very difficult - only a few will be able to master it." Since then, this composition has been labeled as "unplayable". 🤯 Its difficulty has led to the creation of numerous ossias (alternative passages) and made it popular as a virtuosic masterpiece. 🎹
This toccata theme, with its powerful chords and folkloric repetitions, draws inspiration from the Caucasus. I absolutely love folklore elements in classical music, especially when they are as rhythmically enchanting as this. ❤️
I had the pleasure of performing this composition live in Macedonia in July this year. Have you ever tried to play it? 🎶
#balakirev #islamey

[@Algorox]

Amazing performance. You are very underrated!

[@tarikeld11]

The clarity! 👏

[@j.dstumpy3566]

One of the great pianists alive today!

[@KaikhosruShapurjiMedtner]

Nice fast tempo and clean performance.

[@peridunham6672]

amazing!

[@a-ramenartist9734]

Beautiful, I will add this to my playlist

[@kajafirke]

Wow 😮

[@ShaunakDesaiPiano]

Finally, a pianist who actually uses the sostenuto pedal for this passage, which completely begs for it.
edit literally a minute later: also Frank Dupree’s Kapustin performances are the best ever.

[@FrankDuepree]

I use the middle pedal and catch the first chord ;)

[@upside_you_mop]

Good playing but wow u have amazing hair

[@FrankDuepree]

Hahaha I went to the hairdresser just a few hours before the concert

[@DarwinLoupoc]

The score make me think that its scientifically impossible to play the piece

[@m0ment219]

This is great, but in my opinion, no performance tops Berezovsky's