Скачать или смотреть ONE OF THE BEST ENCORE PIANO PERFORMANCES: Horowitz plays his "Carmen Variations" - 1977

Hello everyone! As promised from last time, I am posting YouTube videos more frequently, and this video is a way to show that I'm upholding that promise! Now, for those of you who don't know who Horowitz is, I suggest you check out my previous video as I provide context on his life there, as well as why I am making videos on him. I will be brief for newcomers, though: Vladimir Horowitz was (and is to this day) one of the greatest pianists of all time. I am currently working on a YouTube documentary on Horowitz's life and am showing rarely heard performances of his for you all to see his pianistic and musical genius, whether he's at his best or not. In the last video, I showed you a performance of Horowitz when he was at his worst - well, 441 of you thought it was interesting enough to click on! So, I am showing you another one of his performances, and this time it's him 6 years earlier, well and healthy! Now, a bit of background for the piece you're hearing: Horowitz's Carmen Variations are based off of Bizet's famous Carmen suite. While some may not know the composer or the suite, many will know the suite's most famous melodies:
   • Georges Bizet - "Les Toreadors" from Carme...  
   • Carmen Suite No. 2: II. Habanera  

The piece that Horowitz is basing his Carmen Variations off of is the finale of the Carmen suite: the gypsy song -    • Bizet: "Danse bohème" (Gypsy Dance) from C...  .

Horowitz originally composed his Carmen Variations in the 1920's, when he was at his absolute technical and physical peak. As one might expect, this original composition was (and is) really, REALLY hard. However, for a young buck like him, it wasn't much of a challenge. He played the piece regularly throughout the '20s-'40s. However, as he got older, Horowitz didn't play the piece as frequently - his aging fingers couldn't keep up with the youthful virtuosity that his original Carmen Variations demanded. However, instead of deciding to give up playing his piece altogether, Horowitz decided to revise it a bit. He made his prized composition a bit easier on his hands, but far more percussive, free-spirited and orchestral. Horowitz played his revised version in the '60s and '70s, and as far as I know, 1978 was the last year Horowitz played his Carmen Variations.

Now, it is not that I do not like Horowitz's recorded performances of his Carmen Variations in his sixties and seventies, because I absolutely adore them - they're stellar in their own right. However, in these recordings, the piece comes off as a bit too much for Horowitz at times, as he is heard flubbing notes and nervously pausing multiple times (even though he was completely healthy). It also was evident that even his revisions (which were supposed to make his piece easier) weren't enough to keep him from slowing down. Now, some many think I am criticizing Horowitz here, but I'm really not. I mean, to be completely fair, even the "easier" version of his Carmen Variations is still SUPER HARD for any pianist that tries to tackle it.

I'd like to give credit to Michael Brown, beloved Horowitz afficionado and collector, who kindly posted many of Horowitz's complete concert programs to the public (including this recording). Now, let's talk about the performance in the video.

This is from November 6, 1977, when he was touring in Chicago. This was the end of the first of two concerts that he would play there (Horowitz played a week later on November 13). For those who don't know, this was an important tour, as this marked just the second time that Horowitz was seen on livestream television - it was a "60 minutes" segment that showed Horowitz and his wife (Wanda Toscanini) being interviewed by then-CBS news anchor Mike Wallace.
   • Horowitz TV Interview 1977  

Now, in my opinion, this recording that you'll hear is Horowitz's ABSOLUTE BEST performance of the Carmen Variations...ever! There are no nervous pauses, he plays in a consistent tempo throughout the piece, and while he flubs a note or two, he makes up for those little mistakes ten-fold with an astonishing final section that starts at 3:32. That last minute alone showcases Horowitz at his absolute craziest, as he plays this section much faster than any of his other performances at that time. He is able to accomplish the orchestral, percussive and free-willed spirit that his revised version of the Carmen Variations encourages and is ALSO able to turn tight corners around the most finger-twisting passages, demonstrating his younger and virtuous side as well! This kind of balance between Horowitz's older, more extravagant side and his younger, more metallically precise side is a true treasure to listen to. This is an absolute masterpiece of a performance, and I really hope you think so too! Enjoy!