This is fabulous, supernatural, inimitable piano playing. There's technique, taste, musicianship, individuality. No wonder Hofmann and Rachmaninov praised this great pianist.
Wow! it's as if he was composing them as he played. Stunningly improvisational, romantic, breathtaking inner voices in the op. 23 no. 5. The preludes sound fresh and new, not the war horses they are assumed to be. What a great musician.
I met Benno's nephew some years ago. He told me that his father wanted him to play the piano, but he didn't take to it. His father used to ask "Why can't you play like your uncle Benno?" The question is: Why can't we ALL play like uncle Benno? ! !
Alas, Benno's daughter, Tanya, also could not get far with the instrument. There is a story that when she was a girl, one time when she was practicing he came over to her and took her hands in his and gently said "This machine is not for you." She went on to become one of the most highly regarded theatre set and costume designers of her time, an artist of renown in her own right. His nephew, also Benno Moiseiwitsch, became a highly regarded physicist with whom I corresponded once--a very gracious man...like his uncle. He told me that as a child he used to hear his uncle and his father playing piano duets together, wonderfully.
It is the first time for me to listen to this pianist. In a word a perfect combination of the highest technique and the innate lyricism. Stable tempo and comfortable tempo rubato, precise and clear touch, appropriate dynamics, all are superb!
@@Bashaleya1 -- As "Notaire2's" Gonzo Attorney, allow me to reply but without engagement or attribution: "One senses that Moiseiwitsch's Lyricism was never imparted or taught but springs forth rather from some pre-natal burrowing of myelinated cells into the consciousness of the emerging precocious toddler." You're welcome.....from Acapulco!
Fabulous playing…Moiseiwitsch's mastery of the structure of each piece, the way he "builds" the dynamics, his wonderful handling of the voices, the wonderful clarity and luminous sound (even with the aged recorded sound), as well as that warm tone of his that would not be possible with many of the instruments of today but were with those pre-war Steinways…all of this is second to none. I think the only recordings of these works in the same class as Moiseiwitsch's would be those by Rachmaninov himself.
I'm relieved to hear that I'm not entirely alone in missing the old Steinway sound. Today's sound is hard and metallic at anywhere above forte, and most of today's pianists seem happy to make a big clangorous noise. Regarding the B minor sonata, the middle section dynamics here are very different from Rach's score, and I heard that Rachmaninoff heard and liked Benno's way with it. After all, Rachmaninoff changed other composer's scores to a far greater degree. I agree with all of your comments.
I entirely agree with your assessment of contemporary Steinways. The New York-made Steinways of the earlier 20th century had far more color variety than the Hamburg Steinways, which have a one-size-fits-all "piano diapason" sound. Unfortunately, current New York Steinway pianos are now manufactured along the Hamburg tonal model. They are even sharing workmanship and materials such that the previous tonal distinctions between Hamburg and New York instruments are lost. Finally, current prevailing studio recording practice favors a close microphone setup that paradoxically seems to homogenize the sound palette and available harmonics of the newer instruments. For all of these reasons I almost invariably prefer older recordings such as these by artists like Moiseiwitsch who had the understanding and the resources of intimate touch to harvest and realize the spectrum of color the older instruments afforded.
Listening again, I think he is becoming one of my favourites as well. He is self affacing, yet his wonderful musical personality informs every phrase. And his technical mastery is absolute. I remember reading that Josef Hofmann told a colleague to watch him!
When Benno was a schoolboy, he took the blame for a fellow pupil's misdemeanour. As a result Benno was dismissed from the school. His father didn't quite know what to do with him, and sent him to England where Benno's older brother was already established in business. His brother took Benno to Guildhall to audition for a place there. After the audition, instead of accepting Benno as a student, they declined to enroll him. When his brother asked the reason why, he was told "We can't teach him anything, he knows it all !! So started his career as a concert pianist at age fourteen. I came across a newspaper cutting fom exactly that period, It read " Wonderboy" pianist Benno Moiseiwitsch played a piano concerto entirely from memory at Birmingham Town Hall !!
I was so lucky to have heard Benno as his son Boris married my mother - and I fell in love with Rachmaninov's beautiful sublime "Russian" big romantic soundscapes, my step dad Boris had reel to reel magnetic records of his father Benno which I loved listening to. Re Benno's arrival into the UK was around 1906 in Russia - I think there were anti Jewish pogrames happening in Russia so Benno was sent to the UK via Odessa when Benno was only about 6 or 7 years old at time. Another interesting fact is that he did spend some time during the Blitz in London teaching young ladies at a certain palace how to play piano.
I have played and recorded the complete Preludes, and thought I played them very well. After hearing these five, I must reconsider. No one plays 23.5 so lightly and beautifully. Pure eloquence. They are breath-takingly exquisite. Rachmaninov and Moiseivitch take 32.5 faster than I like, personally, but it does, in fact, work. I would like to hear 32.4 in e minor, but maybe not. I would probably quit piano forever! 😭
Thank you very much for posting these wonderful renditions of these Preludes. Benno wasn't only a great pianist - he was a great musician too. I don't have patience for "great pianists" who are not good musicians. But there are several with very famous names!... Well, I don't wish to shock peoples feelings, so I won't name quite a few: I simply don't listen to them - however much the praises and the howls of their admirers... Shared on Google+
I simply love these interpretations from Moiseiwitsch, he finds such a rich dynamic range. The inner voicing for example highlighted in the central section of the G minor Prelude creates an ideal counterpoint to the treble theme, something rarely achieved by contemporary pianists. His performance of the great Bminor prelude was of course legendary and much admired by Rachmaninoff.
Rachmaninoff said that Moisiewitsch played his music better than he himself. Listening to this, it's not hard to understand why! And he was so much at one with the piano.....
john schlesinger right Rachmaninoff said he preferred Benno’s recording of his second concerto over his own recording. I heard Benno play it in Portland, Oregon in the 50’s. The best I’ve ver heard it played. like Horowitz Benno moves his piano around for the best acoustics , I was in the first row balcony and the Keyboard was almost directly under me I shall never forget it.
I think this is also in part because Rachmaninoff was so self-doubting and critical, but for sure Moisiewitsch's interpretations of these works are so ridiculously good that it's hard to imagine them being played any better.
Dame Maqura Lympany played in 1948 in Australia at the same time and got attention only for substituting for fravelweary Ginette Neveu who was too tired for her first concert. She played Rachmaninov Concerto no.2 in Cm.
Thanks much for the upload, but it would be helpful to have the dates of the recordings, especially the two different versions of Op. 32 No. 10, as Rachmaninoff particularly esteemed Moisewitsch's playing of Op. 32 No. 10. The citation of a Milhaud work from a Naxos album is obviously an error.
mikael kenner perhaps you could help me clarify. my ears tell me that the n°10 prelude is not repeated but rather an entirely different performence of the work. Is it possible this discrepency is the result of n°10 being remastered in two different ways? For example, compare the first n°10 recording measure at 9:44 to the same measure in the second recording at 14:29. The first recording seems to have great depth and warmth that the second lacks...
incontrario motu exactly, many scores have slightly different versions and sometimes not so slight ;) and yes there are muliple recordings of the same piece if it was recorded live... this is a nightmare in discography... i go through it since i am working on a CD releases of digital remasters... ok which performance, on what date, where, etc... since with the recordings from about 1915 to 1980 especially the older ones various discographies have different references. also there is some scarce source of anything that can be transferred and remastered... moiseiwitsch and gilels are 2 of my favorites.... ck out on my channel for remasters of both... some are not totally complete... that is for the cd releases. btw, you (incontrario motu) have posted some decent transfers... nice to hear for a change
+GooDVibeZz In a bit of talking Moiseiwitsch does on this B minor prelude, e.g. watch?v=h5XzPta3KdE, the keyword "return" is mentioned as what Rachmaninoff had in mind. If we assume Moiseiwitsch's story is true, and considering Rachmaninoff was an self-imposed exile, he probably realised the chance of actual return ever was very dim. To me, with that, the "return" as theme for this prelude becomes not something warm and happy, but something described more by longing, frustration, pain, darkness, and most of all the cold of loneliness felt in the deepest of one's heart. To me, and with the above in mind, the second version is the better of the two.
moisevich is one of my favorites next to gilels, pogorelich, argerich... i did a digital remaster of the delius concerto its on my channel "mikael kenner".... and 3 from gilels.... i would like to convert these into stereo digital remasters if i can found out the origin. this sequence started out with the c# minor and then the g minor... 2 of my favorites.... the 3d prelude here he plays like scriabin... but then it is similar... but your recording repeats preludes.. so not really impressed at all
This is fabulous, supernatural, inimitable piano playing. There's technique, taste, musicianship, individuality. No wonder Hofmann and Rachmaninov praised this great pianist.
Wow! it's as if he was composing them as he played. Stunningly improvisational, romantic, breathtaking inner voices in the op. 23 no. 5. The preludes sound fresh and new, not the war horses they are assumed to be. What a great musician.
You really captured it with this comment. He is so in his element in these pieces.
War horses? So tht´s why Harpo marx used it in "A day at the races". Try a google search for "Wreckmaninov. Harpo Marx". It´s wonderful :-D
STOP! It's the return...
The ultimate pianist who transcends the instrument and becomes a non-pianist, the anti-virtuoso.
And what a poet and songbird!
I met Benno's nephew some years ago. He told me that his father wanted him to play the piano, but he didn't take to it. His father used to ask "Why can't you play like your uncle Benno?" The question is: Why can't we ALL play like uncle Benno? ! !
I would have asked back : "why can't you play like your brother Benno?"
Alas, Benno's daughter, Tanya, also could not get far with the instrument. There is a story that when she was a girl, one time when she was practicing he came over to her and took her hands in his and gently said "This machine is not for you." She went on to become one of the most highly regarded theatre set and costume designers of her time, an artist of renown in her own right. His nephew, also Benno Moiseiwitsch, became a highly regarded physicist with whom I corresponded once--a very gracious man...like his uncle. He told me that as a child he used to hear his uncle and his father playing piano duets together, wonderfully.
After years of hearing wretched renditions of these often-played works, it's a joy and relief to hear the beauty and drama in this music. Thank you.
It is the first time for me to listen to this pianist. In a word a perfect combination of the highest technique and the innate lyricism. Stable tempo and comfortable tempo rubato, precise and clear touch, appropriate dynamics, all are superb!
notaire2 -- I like Richter and Weissenberg here as well.
Agreed, except why "innate"?
@@Bashaleya1 -- As "Notaire2's" Gonzo Attorney, allow me to reply but without engagement or attribution: "One senses that Moiseiwitsch's Lyricism was never imparted or taught but springs forth rather from some pre-natal burrowing of myelinated cells into the consciousness of the emerging precocious toddler." You're welcome.....from Acapulco!
Fabulous playing…Moiseiwitsch's mastery of the structure of each piece, the way he "builds" the dynamics, his wonderful handling of the voices, the wonderful clarity and luminous sound (even with the aged recorded sound), as well as that warm tone of his that would not be possible with many of the instruments of today but were with those pre-war Steinways…all of this is second to none. I think the only recordings of these works in the same class as Moiseiwitsch's would be those by Rachmaninov himself.
I'm relieved to hear that I'm not entirely alone in missing the old Steinway sound. Today's sound is hard and metallic at anywhere above forte, and most of today's pianists seem happy to make a big clangorous noise. Regarding the B minor sonata, the middle section dynamics here are very different from Rach's score, and I heard that Rachmaninoff heard and liked Benno's way with it. After all, Rachmaninoff changed other composer's scores to a far greater degree. I agree with all of your comments.
Even better, some say...
I entirely agree with your assessment of contemporary Steinways. The New York-made Steinways of the earlier 20th century had far more color variety than the Hamburg Steinways, which have a one-size-fits-all "piano diapason" sound. Unfortunately, current New York Steinway pianos are now manufactured along the Hamburg tonal model. They are even sharing workmanship and materials such that the previous tonal distinctions between Hamburg and New York instruments are lost. Finally, current prevailing studio recording practice favors a close microphone setup that paradoxically seems to homogenize the sound palette and available harmonics of the newer instruments. For all of these reasons I almost invariably prefer older recordings such as these by artists like Moiseiwitsch who had the understanding and the resources of intimate touch to harvest and realize the spectrum of color the older instruments afforded.
Moiseiwitsch is my favorite pianist. Thank you.
...and one of mine...
Listening again, I think he is becoming one of my favourites as well. He is self affacing, yet his wonderful musical personality informs every phrase. And his technical mastery is absolute. I remember reading that Josef Hofmann told a colleague to watch him!
мой тоже
A stunning and powerful performance of Rachmaninov, plays these preludes SUPERBLY!
Magisterial! And the tone always warm, typical of the Leschtitzki school in which he was trained.
His interpretations are so unique! beautiful.
When Benno was a schoolboy, he took the blame for a fellow pupil's misdemeanour. As a result Benno was dismissed from the school. His father didn't quite know what to do with him, and sent him to England where Benno's older brother was already established in business. His brother took Benno to Guildhall to audition for a place there. After the audition, instead of accepting Benno as a student, they declined to enroll him. When his brother asked the reason why, he was told "We can't teach him anything, he knows it all !! So started his career as a concert pianist at age fourteen. I came across a newspaper cutting fom exactly that period, It read " Wonderboy" pianist Benno Moiseiwitsch played a piano concerto entirely from memory at Birmingham Town Hall !!
Oh, thanks so much for that bit, Borretski!
It adds nicely to his fine life-story. How I
wish he'd had ten more years allotted him.
I was so lucky to have heard Benno as his son Boris married my mother - and I fell in love with Rachmaninov's beautiful sublime "Russian" big romantic soundscapes, my step dad Boris had reel to reel magnetic records of his father Benno which I loved listening to.
Re Benno's arrival into the UK was around 1906 in Russia - I think there were anti Jewish pogrames happening in Russia so Benno was sent to the UK via Odessa when Benno was only about 6 or 7 years old at time. Another interesting fact is that he did spend some time during the Blitz in London teaching young ladies at a certain palace how to play piano.
I have played and recorded the complete Preludes, and thought I played them very well. After hearing these five, I must reconsider. No one plays 23.5 so lightly and beautifully. Pure eloquence. They are breath-takingly exquisite.
Rachmaninov and Moiseivitch take 32.5 faster than I like, personally, but it does, in fact, work. I would like to hear 32.4 in e minor, but maybe not. I would probably quit piano forever! 😭
Thank you very much for posting these wonderful renditions of these Preludes. Benno wasn't only a great pianist - he was a great musician too. I don't have patience for "great pianists" who are not good musicians. But there are several with very famous names!... Well, I don't wish to shock peoples feelings, so I won't name quite a few: I simply don't listen to them - however much the praises and the howls of their admirers... Shared on Google+
I simply love these interpretations from Moiseiwitsch, he finds such a rich dynamic range. The inner voicing for example highlighted in the central section of the G minor Prelude creates an ideal counterpoint to the treble theme, something rarely achieved by contemporary pianists. His performance of the great Bminor prelude was of course legendary and much admired by Rachmaninoff.
GENIUS ! PHILOSOPHER OF PIANO
Rach's first prelude makes me think of Russian choral music.
Sublime!
Rachmaninoff said that Moisiewitsch played his music better than he himself. Listening to this, it's not hard to understand why! And he was so much at one with the piano.....
john schlesinger right Rachmaninoff said he preferred Benno’s recording of his second concerto over his own recording. I heard Benno play it in Portland, Oregon in the 50’s. The best I’ve ver heard it played. like Horowitz Benno moves his piano around for the best acoustics
, I was in the first row balcony and the Keyboard was almost directly under me I shall never forget it.
I think this is also in part because Rachmaninoff was so self-doubting and critical, but for sure Moisiewitsch's interpretations of these works are so ridiculously good that it's hard to imagine them being played any better.
David (Moiseiwitch) et Goliath (Hoffmann), on n'a jamais fait mieux.
Dame Maqura Lympany played in 1948 in Australia at the same time and got attention only for substituting for fravelweary Ginette Neveu who was too tired for her first concert. She played Rachmaninov Concerto no.2 in Cm.
Magical!
Legend
Great op 32 no 5.
Thanks much for the upload, but it would be helpful to have the dates of the recordings, especially the two different versions of Op. 32 No. 10, as Rachmaninoff particularly esteemed Moisewitsch's playing of Op. 32 No. 10. The citation of a Milhaud work from a Naxos album is obviously an error.
quelle lumière
mikael kenner perhaps you could help me clarify. my ears tell me that the n°10 prelude is not repeated but rather an entirely different performence of the work. Is it possible this discrepency is the result of n°10 being remastered in two different ways?
For example, compare the first n°10 recording measure at 9:44 to the same measure in the second recording at 14:29. The first recording seems to have great depth and warmth that the second lacks...
Moiseiwitsch recorded it twice.
incontrario motu
exactly, many scores have slightly different versions and sometimes not so slight ;) and yes there are muliple recordings of the same piece if it was recorded live... this is a nightmare in discography... i go through it since i am working on a CD releases of digital remasters... ok which performance, on what date, where, etc... since with the recordings from about 1915 to 1980 especially the older ones various discographies have different references. also there is some scarce source of anything that can be transferred and remastered... moiseiwitsch and gilels are 2 of my favorites.... ck out on my channel for remasters of both... some are not totally complete... that is for the cd releases. btw, you (incontrario motu) have posted some decent transfers... nice to hear for a change
+GooDVibeZz
In a bit of talking Moiseiwitsch does on this B minor prelude, e.g. watch?v=h5XzPta3KdE, the keyword "return" is mentioned as what Rachmaninoff had in mind.
If we assume Moiseiwitsch's story is true, and considering Rachmaninoff was an self-imposed exile, he probably realised the chance of actual return ever was very dim.
To me, with that, the "return" as theme for this prelude becomes not something warm and happy, but something described more by longing, frustration, pain, darkness, and most of all the cold of loneliness felt in the deepest of one's heart.
To me, and with the above in mind, the second version is the better of the two.
Not repeated. Superb!
moisevich is one of my favorites next to gilels, pogorelich, argerich... i did a digital remaster of the delius concerto its on my channel "mikael kenner".... and 3 from gilels.... i would like to convert these into stereo digital remasters if i can found out the origin. this sequence started out with the c# minor and then the g minor... 2 of my favorites.... the 3d prelude here he plays like scriabin... but then it is similar...
but your recording repeats preludes.. so not really impressed at all
Incredibile, two dislike!!
Good Lord, MUST every single Prelude here be interrupted by TWO annoying ads? Are you getting lots of money for this outrage?
William Hicks I don’t get any money from any video I posted. It doesn’t prevent TH-cam or any right owner to do so
@@incontrariomotu I love the videos you post, and have never been subjected to ads like these before. ?
William Hicks Thank you!
I’m sorry for the ads, but once the video is posted there are a few things I can’t control
@@williamhicks2299 Get an ad blocker. You won't have any ads. I have no ads on my version with the ad blocker.
@@tobiolopainto Help me out please? What do you mean? Is it an app?