It's wonderful to find a video recording of Rudolf Firkusny playing the Dvorak. For decades he was the great advocate of the piece, playing it often and recording it twice. His 1970's recording with Walter Susskind and the St. Louis Symphony is the best performance of this work which is unfortunately seldom recorded.
Magnificent performance by a master pianist of an all too rarely performed concerto. Appreciate any artist willing to depart or performing the same tired war horses! While not a masterpiece of the order of Beethoven, Brahms or Mozart concerto, this piece has wonderful melodies and is deserving of far more live performances than it gets.
Definitive! I remember seeing Firkusny in the '60s with the Cleveland Orchestra under George Szell. A soloist and conductor with that special affinity for music from Czech composers.
I got the same experience - I especially like the fairy-tale character of this movement with its intricately woven, rhythmically very interesting, thematic material
What a great recording! Firkušný si completely smashing it ;) And you can see the president, Václav Havel with his wife Olga, sitting in the lodge, at the beginning of this concert.
This took place in 1992 when Fikunsky was 80. (Jiří Bělohlávek conducting Czech Philharmonic in Rudolfinum in Prague during 1992 Prague Spring festival)
Found it out exactly: festival.cz/cz/archiv/6122 It is Jiří Bělohlávek conducting Czech Philharmonic in Rudolfinum in Prague during 1992 Prague Spring festival
@@GregSpradlin I've loved the violin concerto since I was a kid (I'm 80). But I've never quite "gotten" the piano concerto. For me, it doesn't have the sustained inspiration of the violin concerto and certainly not the cello concerto. Maybe it should be filed with the first Piano Quintet (Op. 5) as one of Dvorak's few failures.
The recorded balance between the piano and the orchestra is poor. I have the feeling he is key-mashing a bit, but this is probably an extension of the former point.
He's 80 year old in this performance. That may be a factor, too. (Jiří Bělohlávek conducting Czech Philharmonic in Rudolfinum in Prague during 1992 Prague Spring festival)
Sempre grande Firkusny, sentito più volte a Torino ! Pianista grandissimo!
Great performance of a splendid composition. Thank you.
It's wonderful to find a video recording of Rudolf Firkusny playing the Dvorak. For decades he was the great advocate of the piece, playing it often and recording it twice. His 1970's recording with Walter Susskind and the St. Louis Symphony is the best performance of this work which is unfortunately seldom recorded.
czcams.com/video/5QHzrUeHMeU/video.html
Magnificent performance by a master pianist of an all too rarely performed concerto. Appreciate any artist willing to depart or performing the same tired war horses! While not a masterpiece of the order of Beethoven, Brahms or Mozart concerto, this piece has wonderful melodies and is deserving of far more live performances than it gets.
Definitive! I remember seeing Firkusny in the '60s with the Cleveland Orchestra under George Szell. A soloist and conductor with that special affinity for music from Czech composers.
ONE OF MY FAVORITE CONCERTS-FOR ME THE PERFORMER IS ONE OF BEST. JOHAN BRUN
The 2nd movement moves me overwhelmingly. A new discovery.
I got the same experience - I especially like the fairy-tale character of this movement with its intricately woven, rhythmically very interesting, thematic material
Mvmt 1 00:47
Mvmt 2 18:33
Mvmt 3 26:11
What a great recording! Firkušný si completely smashing it ;) And you can see the president, Václav Havel with his wife Olga, sitting in the lodge, at the beginning of this concert.
I wonder whether this little melody in 5:37 reminds some folk song?
Zdá sa že tento urývok je ako folk song.
@@alaalfa8839, myslím si, že ne. Vypadá to na stylizovanou melodii à la lidovou.
The cadenza of the last three minutes...look at those hands go 🤌🤌
Firkusny owns this work. None better.
He performed this with Beecham and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1941: incredible.
Thank you so much for posting this wonderful and historic performance. Firkusny was indeed one of the great pianists of the 20th century.
You are welcome!
Excelente interpretación!!!
Peça sublime . Pianista brilhante.
Years ago, I heard RF play this at Saratoga. Wow!
Wonderful, performance overall...
Une référence absolue!!!
Elegant und souverän, im hohen Alter noch so virtuos!
Interprétation idéale du grand R. Firkusny, loin de la froideur de Richter
Ideal interpretation of the great R. Firkusny, far from Richter's coldness
I also love the recording of Richter and Kleiber.
Why in heaven's name is this wonderful concerto never played?
I don't understand why 🙄
From what I’ve read, it’s because of the piano writing does not really work and has to be changed to accommodate the pianist to play it?
What a fantastic rendition of this work. A truly mesmerizing performance. Does anybody know if there is a professional recording?
Yes. On RCA.
18:33
don't know for sure but the conductor looks like Jiri Belohlavek circa 1980s or 1990s given Fikunsky died in 1994
It must be after velvet revolution (1989), because you can see Václav Havel above president flag around 0:20
stephen cuunjieng
It is Jiri Belohlavek.
This took place in 1992 when Fikunsky was 80. (Jiří Bělohlávek conducting Czech Philharmonic in Rudolfinum in Prague during 1992 Prague Spring festival)
@@vesejir thanks
18:33 26:10
Who conducts? What orchestra?
Found it out exactly: festival.cz/cz/archiv/6122
It is Jiří Bělohlávek conducting Czech Philharmonic in Rudolfinum in Prague during 1992 Prague Spring festival
Was the Czech Philharmonic an all-male orchestra at the this point in history?
Not exactly, but mostly, nevertheless it also depended on particular set of players for particular concert
When was this recorded?
Who is the conductor here
I hate when audiences clap after the first movement but if they did it here I would’ve understood it.
His cello concerto is Op. 104. He was a better composer by then.
His violin concerto is also better. But this is a good concerto, and deserves some attention and respect.
@@GregSpradlin I've loved the violin concerto since I was a kid (I'm 80). But I've never quite "gotten" the piano concerto. For me, it doesn't have the sustained inspiration of the violin concerto and certainly not the cello concerto. Maybe it should be filed with the first Piano Quintet (Op. 5) as one of Dvorak's few failures.
The recorded balance between the piano and the orchestra is poor. I have the feeling he is key-mashing a bit, but this is probably an extension of the former point.
He's 80 year old in this performance. That may be a factor, too. (Jiří Bělohlávek conducting Czech Philharmonic in Rudolfinum in Prague during 1992 Prague Spring festival)