Evgeny Kissin Concertos

Piano superstar Evgeny Kissin's new Prokofiev album - with his first-ever recording of Piano Concerto No. 2! For his third EMI Classics release, piano legend Evgeny Kissin has turned to repertoire from his native Russia, Sergei Prokofiev's Piano Concertos Nos.2 & 3. The performances were recorded live at the Royal Festival Hall in January 2008 with Vladimir Ashkenazy conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra. This is Kissin's first recording of Prokofiev's Concerto No.2, and the collaboration here with Vladimir Ashkenazy is an inspired choice - in addition to his renown as a conductor, fellow-Russian-born Ashkenazy is one of the finest pianists of his generation and a champion of the Russian piano repertoire. These two great artists inspire each other to the heights of artistry, and these recordings prove it!

The young Kissin was able to work wonders in Prokofiev–above all the Sixth Sonata (Kissin in Tokyo - Yevgeny Kissin). Regrettably, the mature Kissin recently delivered highly disappointing live performances of the Second and Third Concertos (Prokofiev: Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 3), indeed, regardless of the predictable rave in the British press. This 1994 recording of the First and Third Concertos is unquestionably very good, especially the youthful First, although competition is very strong–from Graffman/Szell (Prokofiev: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 3) and Argerich/Dutoit (Prokofiev: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 3 / Bartok: Piano Concerto No. 3) in this coupling, and from the complete sets by Berman/Gutierrez/Järvi, Toradze/Gergiev and Krainev/Kitaenko.

It has been clear for some time that Evgeny Kissin is a Beethoven player of rare pedigree and distinction, the finest Russian-born Beethovenian since Emil Gilels. Twelve years ago he recorded the Second and Fifth concertos in performances of flair and élan with the Philharmonia under James Levine (Sony, 9/97 – nla). His own playing was vital and fluent, the technique awesome, not least his ability to refine tone and taper dynamics in those high-lying passages where Beethoven’s expressive powers are at their most rarefied.

This is authentic Kissin, if not authentic Mozart as we have come to know him via fleet-footed, period-instrument performances. In his first recording as pianist-conductor, the Russian virtuoso, renowned for his Liszt, Scriabin and Rachmaninoff, reminds us that Mozart can withstand bold, meaty playing, with tempi slower, textures heavier and climaxes more expansive than most pianists now dare. The choice of the rich, dark D minor concerto K466, with cadenzas by Beethoven, and the final B flat K595, suits Kissin's boldness and individuality. It's not to all tastes, you can bet, but these accounts, with passionate support from the Kremerata Baltica, remind you of a performance tradition that has all but disappeared.

Since his international debut as an astonishing child prodigy in the early 1980s, Evgeny Kissin has matured into one of the finest piano virtuosos of the age. His phenomenal keyboard technique and impeccable artistry continue to astound and amaze audiences and critics alike, leading The Washington Post to call Kissin "one of the world's greatest artists".
Kissin continues his fruitful relationship with EMI Classics with this new recording of two of Mozart's most famous piano concerti: Nos.20 in D minor and 27 in B-flat Major.

This is the second of Brilliant's box sets devoted to Russian recordings from Evgeny Kissin. Labeled as early, these live concert performances from 1984 to 1990 carry us from the day after Kissin turned 13 (Mozart Cto. #12 K. 414) to age 18 (Mozart Cto. #20, K. 466), with most readings clustering in the range of 1985-89. Russians were well aware of the marvel in their midst; the pianist's American breakthrough occurred in 1990 when he debuted at Carnegie Hall's centennial season.

For Evgeny Kissin, recording Prokofiev's Third Piano Concerto must be déjà vu all over again, to quote noted American philosopher Yogi Berra, because every time the Russian pianist switches labels, he records the piece again. In 1985, he recorded it for RCA with Andrei Chistyakov and the Moscow Philharmonic, and in 1994, he recorded it for Deutsche Grammophon with Claudio Abbado and the Berliner Philharmoniker. In 2008 he recorded it for EMI with Vladimir Ashkenazy leading the Philharmonia Orchestra.

Recorded live at the Moscow Conservatory, this is a truly legendary performance. Any experienced veteran could be proud of it; that a boy of 12 should possess the necessary technique, the musical understanding and maturity, and the sustained concentration, is almost beyond belief. Reveling in his own limitless virtuosity, Kissin seems to be playing with as well as on the piano with elfin grace and delicacy; yet his command of the keyboard his warm, singing, powerful, varied tone are only tools for expressing his spontaneous response to the music.

Yevgeny Kissin - Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 / Scriabin: Four Pieces, Etude
Berliner Philharmoniker - Herbert von Karajan
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 199 MB | Full Artwork: 50 MB | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Deutsche Grammophon # 427 485-2 GH | Country/Year: Germany 1989
Genre: Classical | Style: Romantic, Early 20th Century

Although the U.S.S.R.'s system of identifying and training musically talented youngsters produced amazingly precocious pianists on a regular basis, Evgeny Kissin stood out from the rest for a talent far surpassing that of the usual Wunderkind. He has become, seemingly without difficulty, one of the finest adult pianists on the world's concert stages…