Here is a film of Misha Dichter playing the third movement of Prokofiev's Seventh Sonata, as directed by Stanley Donen (with multi-screen awesomeness):
Wow, this is by far the fastest and one of the most punctuated performances of this piece I have heard. He can only get away with this tempo because he is playing extremely clearly- but is this piece meant to be played as fast as possible? I am one who thinks not. Much of the excitement, in my opinion, comes from the discipline of the inner rhythmic pulse, not the outward reckless abandon of the frantic melody. Additionally, he takes sweeping liberties with rubato in the middle section, which the score most certainly does not call for. Toward the end where the texture gets thicker his sound becomes less focused because at that tempo it is simply impossible to execute those sweeping chord shifts with a focused sound. I prefer Boris Berman's recording on the Chandos label, but I still have high respect for Mr. Dichter as a pianist and musician. His Tchaikovsky 1st concerto recording is magnificent.
I too prefer clarity above velocity in the last movement. Perhaps Misha was a little put out so many cameras pointed at him. I feel nervous enough with one of the darned things rolling, let alone a half dozen...
Wow, this is by far the fastest and one of the most punctuated performances of this piece I have heard. He can only get away with this tempo because he is playing extremely clearly- but is this piece meant to be played as fast as possible? I am one who thinks not. Much of the excitement, in my opinion, comes from the discipline of the inner rhythmic pulse, not the outward reckless abandon of the frantic melody. Additionally, he takes sweeping liberties with rubato in the middle section, which the score most certainly does not call for. Toward the end where the texture gets thicker his sound becomes less focused because at that tempo it is simply impossible to execute those sweeping chord shifts with a focused sound. I prefer Boris Berman's recording on the Chandos label, but I still have high respect for Mr. Dichter as a pianist and musician. His Tchaikovsky 1st concerto recording is magnificent.
ReplyDeleteI too prefer clarity above velocity in the last movement. Perhaps Misha was a little put out so many cameras pointed at him. I feel nervous enough with one of the darned things rolling, let alone a half dozen...
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