Visions Fugitives, Op.22 (Extracts): No.6 Con Eleganza
Visions Fugitives, Op.22 (Extracts): No.5 Molto Giocosa
Pno Pieces: 'Classical' Sym, Op.25: Gavotte
Pno Pieces: Son No.4, Op.29: Andante Assai
Pno Pieces: Conte De La Vielle Grand-Mere, Op.31 No.2
Pno Pieces: Conte De La Vielle Grand-Mere, Op.31 No.3
Pno Pieces: Gavotte, Op.32 No.3
Pno Pieces: Etude, Op.52
Pno Pieces: Sonatine Pastorale, Op.59 No.3
Pno Pieces: Paysage, Op.59 No.2
With some trivial exceptions, mostly piano rolls, this disc compiles Prokofiev's complete recordings as a pianist. It's a pity there are so few of them, but we are fortunate to have any. The composer's brilliance in his ow... more »n popular Third Piano Concerto has never been surpassed, not even by such contemporary virtuosi as Argerich and Toradze. The way he tosses off the showers of rushing chords just before the end of the last movement is a typical illustration of Prokofiev's amazing pianism. Even the sluggish playing of the LSO under the direction of Coppola, a company hack from French EMI, doesn't diminish the value or the thrills of this performance. The selection of piano music, brief as it is, reveals the contrasting facets of Prokofiev's style, and his playing reflects moods from the sarcastic brilliance of Suggestion diabolique to the touching poignance of the slow movement from the Fourth Piano Sonata. Superbly transferred by Mark Obert-Thorn, this listenable and compelling disc is a model of what historical reissues should be in both content and presentation. --Leslie Gerber« less
With some trivial exceptions, mostly piano rolls, this disc compiles Prokofiev's complete recordings as a pianist. It's a pity there are so few of them, but we are fortunate to have any. The composer's brilliance in his own popular Third Piano Concerto has never been surpassed, not even by such contemporary virtuosi as Argerich and Toradze. The way he tosses off the showers of rushing chords just before the end of the last movement is a typical illustration of Prokofiev's amazing pianism. Even the sluggish playing of the LSO under the direction of Coppola, a company hack from French EMI, doesn't diminish the value or the thrills of this performance. The selection of piano music, brief as it is, reveals the contrasting facets of Prokofiev's style, and his playing reflects moods from the sarcastic brilliance of Suggestion diabolique to the touching poignance of the slow movement from the Fourth Piano Sonata. Superbly transferred by Mark Obert-Thorn, this listenable and compelling disc is a model of what historical reissues should be in both content and presentation. --Leslie Gerber
CD Reviews
Definitive
Hank Drake | Cleveland, OH United States | 12/09/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The line of great composer-pianists began with Mozart, included Beethoven and Chopin, and ended with Rachmaninoff and Prokofiev. We are fortunate indeed that these last two left behind recordings of their own works. This CD brings together Prokofiev's complete recordings.
The composer recorded his most popular Piano Concerto, the Third in 1932. The performance, despite dated sound, remains extraordinary. Despite his reputation as a percussive pianist, Prokofiev brings more color and attention to phrasing here than most pianists would today. He was obviously an extraordinary technician, despite a few very minor finger slips. Contrary to the comments of the Amazon reviewer, Piero Coppola was no company hack. He was a respected conductor who specialized in opera and concertos, rather like Alfred Wallenstein and Josef Krips, who were Arthur Rubinstein's chosen accompanists two decades later. Considering that tape editing was not yet possible, and that Prokofiev's Third Concerto was not exactly the repertoire staple it is today, the London Symphony Orchestra provides a satisfactory accompaniment. Purists might quibble with the liberal use of string portamento, but the composer--who was not known for his tact--evidently had no objection.
The solo works (particularly Suggestion diabolique) demonstrate Prokofiev's exuberance, command of tone color, and ability to shift gears, pianistically.
Mark Obert-Thorn has done an excellent job restoring the original 78-RPM recordings. The sound is full and not overly filtered. This CD is not to be missed."
Historic Prokofiev!!!
Louie Bourland | Garden Grove CA | 08/06/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
""Prokofiev Plays Prokofiev" on the Naxos label collects all of the recordings made by the great Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev onto one disc. Unlike Rachmaninoff who made many recordings of his own works as well as works by other composers, Prokofiev made very few recordings. Because of this, the "Prokofiev Plays Prokofiev" disc offers a rare glimpse into the composer's talents as a pianist/performer.
Included on this disc is a one-of-a-kind performance of Prokofiev's Third Piano Concerto recorded in 1932 at the famed Abbey Road Studios (this is exactly 30 years before the Beatles made Abbey Road a household name). On this recording, Prokofiev shows off his effortless chops as a pianist while the London Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Piero Coppola provides a strong backdrop to the composer's up-front-and-center piano.
Filling out the disc are solo piano recordings made by Prokofiev in Paris in 1935. Here, he gives authentic renditions of his "Suggestion Diabolique" as well as stellar excerpts from his 20-part "Visions Fugitives", the Gavotte movement from his famous "Classical Symphony" (Symphony No.1), the closing movement of his Fourth Piano Sonata and other shorter piano pieces.
Getting to hear Prokofiev play his own music brings a definitve sense of authenticity to the music. You get to hear the composer perform the music as they originally intended it to be executed. While he is not as powerful of a pianist as Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev does display a dynamic and flawless technique on these historic recordings. The audio restoration and digital remastering is amazing bringing clarity and depth to the original recordings without much surface noise or imperfections that are common with old 78 RPM records. The enclosed liner notes while somewhat brief, offering an excellent insight not only to the music but to the actual recordings themselves.
With this said, "Prokofiev Plays Prokofiev" is definitely a must-have for the die-hard Prokofiev fan. It's a genuine treat to hear the genius at work and with its price tag of under eight dollars, this disc is an absolute steal."
The composer as performer
Dr. Paul R. Terry | Bedworth, Warwickshire United Kingdom | 10/11/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is an excellent issue, enabling us to hear Prokoviev's own take on his music. He combines both dynamic excitement with lyricism, and the effect is at once powerful and relaxed. Excellent transfers. Once again a real winner for Naxos ..."
Great, But Not "Definitive" Performances
Jeffrey Lipscomb | Sacramento, CA United States | 06/24/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"There is certainly a range of opinions among the reviewers here as to the merits of these composer-played performances. So here are a few dissenting remarks of my own. I have to take issue with Amazon editorialist Leslie Gerber's characterization of Piero Coppola as a "hack" conductor. In addition to his work here in Prokofiev's 3rd Piano Concerto, Coppola left many very distinguished 78 rpm recordings: one of the earliest and best accounts of Bizet's "Carmen," a great reading of the Saint-Saens Organ Symphony, and many pathbreaking accounts of Debussy, Ravel, Roussel, etc.
As the typically well-written and informative review here by Hank Drake indicates, Piero Coppola was also grandfather of the famed film director Francis Ford Coppola. It's interesting to note that the latter's "Godfather" films are essentially grand operas of pride and revenge (especially III, where the climactic final scenes are actually set in an opera house during a performance of Mascagni's similarly-themed "Cavalleria Rusticana"). Piero's son Carmine Coppola was a film composer (e.g., a small part of the otherwise Rota-composed Godfather films, and a very Satie-esque, Gymnopedie-like film score for "The Black Stallion"). It's also worth noting that the Prokofiev 3rd can be heard as a prize-winning peformance in the delightful film "The Competition," starring Richard Dreyfuss and Amy Irving (the Prokofiev excerpts heard in the film were played by pianist Daniel Pollack).
I'm afraid I can't agree with Mr. Drake's characterization of this 3rd Concerto's performance as "definitive." There are just too many equally valid ways to perform a great work, none of which should be called the "one and only." Even when I feel that a reading is as close to definitive as possible (say, Richter's recording of the Prokofiev 5th Concerto), I am more inclined to say "best I've heard" or "finest known to me" or something along those lines, simply because I haven't heard them ALL.
The 3rd Piano Concerto has had no shortage of fine recordings. In fact, I was amazed to discover that the Philips CD series "Great Pianists of the 20th Century" contains no fewer than FIVE of them: Argerich, Gavrilov, Janis, Kapell and Katchen. Of those, I prefer the Kapell (with Dorati; Kapell also left a great "live" recording with Stokowski on M&A, but the sound is poor). Yes, I think this Prokofiev/Coppola account is a GREAT one, and I am happy to own it along with those two by William Kapell, the quirky version by Samson Francois (with Andre Cluytens on EMI), the fine collaboration of Alexander Uninsky with Willem von Otterloo (Epic LP), and a brilliant "live" account from Nikita Magaloff with conductor Lovro von Matacic (Disques Montaigne).
Prokofiev is especially remarkable here in the short solo pieces like "Visions fugitives," and his accounts are among my very favorites, along with those by Richter, Neuhaus and Katz.
Incidentally, Prokofiev also made a 1938 recording, this time as a CONDUCTOR, of badly-played selections from his own "Romeo & Juliet" with the Moscow Philharmonic (available on a Parnassus CD). Judging from that evidence, I won't hesitate to say that Prokofiev was DEFINITELY better as a composer/pianist than he was as a composer/conductor!
Is this Prokofiev 3rd Concerto a "definitive" recording? No, I don't believe there is such a thing. Is it a VERY GREAT recording that's a "must-hear?" Absolutely!
Highly recommended.
Jeff Lipscomb"
I'm happy with this
Josquin Desprez | as part of the earth | 11/22/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Prokofiev is already known as one of the greatest composer of his time, and one of the most versatile; but he proves that his piano and interpretive skills are second to none. I hate to compare people because it's petty, but I much prefer the elfish lightness of Prokofiev's reflexes to the "power" of Rachmaninoff."
Track Listings (21) - Disc #1