(Evgeny Kissin | 1995 | Live) Brahms: Variations on a theme by Paganini, Op.35

From Evgeny Kissin's long delayed London recital debut. A dazzling, indisputable conquest of one of the most challenging pieces in the literature, even if I have to say that, revisiting it this week, it's a type of performance which is more likely to appeal to young and uncomplicated minds than it does to this 38 year old greybeard - remarkable though the playing is, and not only technically.
The Paganini variations are well anchored in piano lore, and there are several anecdotes connected with them. They came about following Brahms' meeting with Carl Tausig in Vienna in late 1862. Tausig had recently moved to the city at the time and attended a performance of Brahms' first Piano Quartet with the composer at the piano on November 16, and soon after wrote Brahms about his admiration for the work. This led to an unlikely friendship between the conservative composer and the young Liszt disciple, for whom the Paganini variations were written that same winter - evidently with the cool, digital dexterity of the Polish virtuoso in mind. Tausig did play it, but the premiere was given by Brahms himself from the still unpublished manuscript in Zurich in 1865, beating his friend to it by 16 months.
Many years later another young Polish daredevil and Liszt disciple performed it at his (professional) debut in Vienna, Moriz Rosenthal. This was reported back to Brahms who soon after invited the pianist to dinner. During its course Rosenthal asked Brahms about the structure of the set, who replied that it was fine to create a selection from both books, as Rosenthal had done, or as he had intended for his own performances to play the first book, and if there was sufficient applause, encore the second - adding humorously, "but so far this has never happened".
Evgeny Kissin takes no chances and launches immediately into Book II after the conclusion of the first, both of which are played as Brahms published them.
Johannes Brahms
00:00 - Variations on a theme by Paganini, Op.35 (Books I & II)
Evgeny Kissin, piano
Source: Radio Broadcast
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classical-pian...
Kissin's pages: classical-pian...
Brahms' pages: classical-pian...
Tausig's pages: classical-pian...
Rosenthal's pages: classical-pian...

[@user-xg4ot7yl4q]

This was live? Crazy man. This is like an alien level best

[@robertvalentinoscolaro7394]

Thank you

[@suremate]

I doubt many pianists would dare to just play a selection of both books (instead of a single book in its entirety) today, even knowing that Brahms would’ve been on their side.

[@emilgilels]

One notable pianist who did was Michelangeli, who also slightly rearranged the order of the variations that he selected.

[@leomiller2291]

Richter did.

[@irenenaselli2429]

Una versión Kissin = pura belleza.

[@pianocontortions7038]

Yuja Wang does

[@Numberonesorabjifan]

18:26 he played this fast live??

[@pvonberg]

Of course it's fantastic, but lacks Michelangeli's majesty and beauty.