Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Valentina Lisitsa - Show Off!

I must admit though, I think she has great technical control. I was really mesmerized watching her hands, and I even picked up a few tips on fingering in her rendition of La Campanella:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=0TV1Np1VXKI

I'm not crazy about the way she plays this musically (I prefer Yundi Li's best) but I still find it helpful watching her- technique is clear.

Here is my review of Valentina Lisitsa.

1. She has recorded on DVD all 24 Chopin Etudes, which means that she has learned and played all 24 Chopin Etudes, and also that she has kept them all so well in her repertoire that she could (and did) record them all on one DVD.

2. She has learned and played, and maintains in her repertoire, all of the Beethoven Concertos; all of the Rachmaninov Concertos; all of the Chopin Concertos; both of the Shostakovich Concertos and 2 of the Liszt Concertos; 3 of the Prokofiev Concertos; 5 Mozart Concertos; and more.

3. She has on her website solo videos, which she recorded, of music that she learned and played by Chopin, Liszt, Beethoven, and Rachmaninov.

4. She has achieved, and maintains, world-wide fame as a concert pianist, travelling all around the world to play the piano for people who pay to hear her play.

5. She has a professional duo partner, with whom she performs concerts for people who pay to hear her play.

6. She has her biography on wikipedia.

How many of us have any one of those points to our own credit?

Yes -- there are others who have done the same. Yes -- there are others whose interpretations some of us might prefer. Yes -- there are others whose achievements surpass even those of Valentina Lisitsa. No -- these facts do not diminish her tremendous achievements.

Now to the original point -- how do you know that she does not care about the musicality and interpretation of her music? How do you know that all she cares about is technique?

And why, given her very tremendous achievements, does she not deserve her fame?

One does wonder, though, in some cases that if the person reviving a thread that is four years old had to go back into the archives to find it, why s/he wouldn't realise that the horse is already dead.

She doesn't have small hands though.

I once told a woman considerably older than myself that I tried to play the piano. She laughed out loud at me. I asked her what was funny about that. She replied, "People only learn the piano to show off, it's a "look at me" thing, that's all!"

I was literally speechless.

A great pianist and I am sure, a great influence on many amateurs for decades, if not centuries to come.

slipperykeys

Centuries might be a bit of a stretch to say at this point.. Liszt is barely getting there now.

Had they had the internet and YouTube hundreds of years ago then I think many pianists would influence others just as centuries old music is still influencing opinion.

Wouldn't we like to see Mozart Bach etc and hear them play their music?

We may have been surprised how poor they were, we just don't know. But people in hundreds of years time should be able to see pianists, thanks to such sites as YouTube.

Because of recent technological advances I see no reason why all this stuff won't still be around in hundreds of years, Valentina Lisitsa's performance of the Schubert/Liszt "Schwanengesang" is iconic and I am sure will be seen many millions of times for who knows how long?

I admit that is conjecture, but does seem possible.

I like her. She's got it; she should flaunt it.

mr_kitty: what's wrong with breaking the opening chords of Rach 2? There's a lot more to playing the piano and interpreting a piece than have hands big enough to play a tenth. It's hardly a reason to dismiss a performance. Ashkenazy breaks the chords and no-one has told him not to play Rachmaninoff!

I agree! I am all for freedom in music. Play the top notes of the chords with your nose for all I care. Why does it bother mr_kitty so much?

I don't want to argue with anyone, as I feel we all have our own sense of taste and are entitled to like, or dislike various interpretations or performances. However, I disagree with your opinion.

IMO Valentina is the best pianist out there. I am no expert when it comes to the piano as I am just starting to learn to play but I think I have a good ear and I can say that her playing is superior to a lot of other pianists. Then again it most probably is a question of personal taste.

It most certainly is only a question of personal taste. (because there's no way she is superior than someone like, say Uchida or Argerich.....)

It most certainly is only a question of personal taste. (because there's no way she is superior than someone like, say Uchida or Argerich.....)