Last week I heard a quite mediocre performance of the Rach 3.  For the
pianist's sake it should be stated that the guy was 19 years old, the
winner of the prestigious Rubinstein competition (named after the great
pianist) that takes place in Israel every two years, bringing young
pianists from all over the globe.  Igor Tcheutuyev is the equievelent of
the minor characters in the old testemant:  his presence is in order to
emphasize the main character himself by of comparison- Vladimir Horowitz.

Technically the kid is quite impressive but does not reach the hight of
velocity and articulation that Horowitz does in very specifically important
passages in this masterpiece.  He doesn't suceed in filling the task of
playing the extremely difficult task of playing pianissimo but still
hearing clearly the notes and the polyphony.  This is a field that Horowitz
mastered.  He played quitely yet very clear.  You will never miss the
details in his brilliant playing.

Concerto in Italian means race and there is some truth in music, especially
Rachmaninof.  The melodies are developed by conflict between the orchestra
and piano.  This for sure appears in the first movement.  Horowitz uses
much rubato and gradually increases the tempo and the dynamics.  This is
a crowd-capturing attribute.

I felt that Igor's cadenza did not meet the hieghts, the Olympus the
outright pathos that Horowitz reaches.

The vituosity in Horowitz's third movement is bewildering.  Igor had a
tough time tackling some of the hard passages.  Horowitz captures the long,
broad and typical Russian melodies.

The biggest advantage of Horowitz over any other pianist is his
imagination.  This definitely is his trademark.  When you here a Horowiz
playing you can easily identify it from other pianists.  If it his rubato
and touch and pedal work in Mozart.  if it his sole interpretation in
Russuan music.  He has a tendency to emphasize inner voices and details
which wouldn't have been paid attention to by other pianists.  He has his
own sound and a large pallot of colours which is g-dly.Technique is not
even a problem for him and he is a mater of this field.

Gal Shalev <[log in to unmask]>