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Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2
The biggest selling classical piano piece in the recording industry ends with technique that is impossible to almost everyone who made recordings.
A virtuoso can't champion the classical piano recording industry, unless they succeed at playing this piece, or con the public into thinking they succeeded.
The biggest selling classical piano piece in the recording industry ends with technique that is impossible to almost everyone who made recordings.
A virtuoso can't champion the classical piano recording industry, unless they succeed at playing this piece, or con the public into thinking they succeeded.
I'm the American who recorded this piece. I'm the first pianist who developed the ability to play the famous alternating octaves at the end of the Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 as Liszt intended them to be played.
Russian Vladimir Horowitz was an integral part of my education as I studied with one of his students. He lacked the chops to play the octaves that move in opposite directions at the end, so he cut the passage in half, right
at the point where they became unplayable to everyone in his generation. He also simplified the chromatic chords, the second hardest passage, and he lied about level of difficulty of this arrangement in press interviews.
Austrian Alfred Brendel couldn't play the octaves that move in opposite directions at the end. He re-arranged the about 400 notes, so his hands never had to move in opposite directions. He also simplified 22 note scales into 10 note arpeggios. His recording is dishonest.
Chinese Lang Lang doesn't have the right stuff, so he plays Horowitz's easier version. His success is based on his record label conning the world into thinking that he can play anything, even though he can't play the biggest selling piece written for the instrument. He is the classic example of a dishonest pianist.
Portugese Artur Pizarro used the same European scam as Alfred Brendel, where he re-arranged about 400 notes on the last page to eliminate all the opposite hand movements.
His recording is dishonest.
Franco-Swiss Alfred Cortot used the same European scam where he re-arranged the notes on the last page to eliminate all the opposite hand movements.
His recording is dishonest.
Italian Michele Campanella used the same European scam where he re-arranged the notes on the last page to eliminate all the opposite hand movements.
His recording is dishonest.
Polish Misha Dichter used the same European scam where he re-arranged the notes on the last page to eliminate all the opposite hand movements.
His recording is dishonest.
Polish Ignacy Paderewski used the same European scam where he re-arranged the notes on the last page to eliminate all the opposite hand movements.
His recording is dishonest.
Czechoslovikian Josef Bulva used the same European scam where he re-arranged the notes on the last page to eliminate all the opposite hand movements.
His recording is dishonest.
Hungarian Georges Cziffra used the same European scam, only with a twist. On his EMI recording, he played most of the alternating octaves on the last page as written. But when he got to the hardest part, he switched to the easier version where the notes are re-arranged to eliminate the opposite hand movements. This recording is dishonest. He made an older recording that features a failed attempt at playing the ending as written.
Australian Leslie Howard borrowed the same European scam where he re-arranged the notes on the last page to eliminate all the opposite hand movements.
His recording is dishonest.
Russian Sergei Rachmaninoff used an interpretation scam to simplify the octaves an the end. Even though Liszt was emphatic about how loud he wanted the octaves to be played, Rach played quetly, clinging to the keys so the distance the hands move was shortened. This is a disingenuous interpretation, and he still missed one of the B octaves.
Canadian Marc Andre Hamelin makes a minor adjustment based on Rachmaninoff's interpretation scam that diluted the technique. Hamelin's version is different, because he brings the volume up to a respectable level. However, the octaves are a little easier when they are not hammered as loud as possible as Liszt directed. I call this the Canadian shortcut.
Russian Denis Matsuev rejected the dishonest European approach with regard to Liszt's hardest passage. On his recording, he played the octaves as written. He can execute the opposite hand movements in the studio, but he has not yet mastered playing them consistently in live performances. His Live at Carnegie Hall CD was released without this piece, which was the last thing he played. I was at the concert, everyone knew he messed up the ending. The recording released by the label is dishonest, but Denis is not. His live version on YouTube ends with missed octaves.
Russian Vladimir Horowitz was an integral part of my education as I studied with one of his students. He lacked the chops to play the octaves that move in opposite directions at the end, so he cut the passage in half, right
at the point where they became unplayable to everyone in his generation. He also simplified the chromatic chords, the second hardest passage, and he lied about level of difficulty of this arrangement in press interviews.
Austrian Alfred Brendel couldn't play the octaves that move in opposite directions at the end. He re-arranged the about 400 notes, so his hands never had to move in opposite directions. He also simplified 22 note scales into 10 note arpeggios. His recording is dishonest.
Chinese Lang Lang doesn't have the right stuff, so he plays Horowitz's easier version. His success is based on his record label conning the world into thinking that he can play anything, even though he can't play the biggest selling piece written for the instrument. He is the classic example of a dishonest pianist.
Portugese Artur Pizarro used the same European scam as Alfred Brendel, where he re-arranged about 400 notes on the last page to eliminate all the opposite hand movements.
His recording is dishonest.
Franco-Swiss Alfred Cortot used the same European scam where he re-arranged the notes on the last page to eliminate all the opposite hand movements.
His recording is dishonest.
Italian Michele Campanella used the same European scam where he re-arranged the notes on the last page to eliminate all the opposite hand movements.
His recording is dishonest.
Polish Misha Dichter used the same European scam where he re-arranged the notes on the last page to eliminate all the opposite hand movements.
His recording is dishonest.
Polish Ignacy Paderewski used the same European scam where he re-arranged the notes on the last page to eliminate all the opposite hand movements.
His recording is dishonest.
Czechoslovikian Josef Bulva used the same European scam where he re-arranged the notes on the last page to eliminate all the opposite hand movements.
His recording is dishonest.
Hungarian Georges Cziffra used the same European scam, only with a twist. On his EMI recording, he played most of the alternating octaves on the last page as written. But when he got to the hardest part, he switched to the easier version where the notes are re-arranged to eliminate the opposite hand movements. This recording is dishonest. He made an older recording that features a failed attempt at playing the ending as written.
Australian Leslie Howard borrowed the same European scam where he re-arranged the notes on the last page to eliminate all the opposite hand movements.
His recording is dishonest.
Russian Sergei Rachmaninoff used an interpretation scam to simplify the octaves an the end. Even though Liszt was emphatic about how loud he wanted the octaves to be played, Rach played quetly, clinging to the keys so the distance the hands move was shortened. This is a disingenuous interpretation, and he still missed one of the B octaves.
Canadian Marc Andre Hamelin makes a minor adjustment based on Rachmaninoff's interpretation scam that diluted the technique. Hamelin's version is different, because he brings the volume up to a respectable level. However, the octaves are a little easier when they are not hammered as loud as possible as Liszt directed. I call this the Canadian shortcut.
Russian Denis Matsuev rejected the dishonest European approach with regard to Liszt's hardest passage. On his recording, he played the octaves as written. He can execute the opposite hand movements in the studio, but he has not yet mastered playing them consistently in live performances. His Live at Carnegie Hall CD was released without this piece, which was the last thing he played. I was at the concert, everyone knew he messed up the ending. The recording released by the label is dishonest, but Denis is not. His live version on YouTube ends with missed octaves.
