CLIBURN MASTERPIECE: Trois Mouvements de Pétrouchka

In the very first episode of our new series we explore Igor Stravinsky's fiendishly difficult piano transcription, Trois Mouvements de Pétrouchka. Learn the story behind this masterpiece with wonderful insights from 2022 Cliburn Competition Jury Chairman and famed conductor Marin Alsop and 2013 Cliburn Gold Medalist Vadym Kholodenko. Followed by Vadym's performance of this piece from the 2013 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.

Cliburn Masterpiece is a new series that examines the who, what, when, where, and how of the greatest piano works. Cliburn laureates and other esteemed specialists, in and outside the field of music, join host Buddy Bray to lead us through the story of each piece—the composer, the background, the narrative, the characters, the technical difficulties, and more. Each episode ends with a standout, full performance of the piece from a past Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.

© 2020 The Cliburn

[JoeDoe]

Pianists who can make it look easy, win medals.

[iampracticingpiano]

Wow! I can't wait! This is a fantastic idea! Thank you, Cliburn! I think everyday the good people of The Cliburn wake up and think, "how else can we encourage pianists and promote this art?" As a pianist and a human being, I appreciate your creativity and faithful encouragement and promotion of the art of piano playing. Bravo, Cliburn!!!

[iampracticingpiano]

1:33 I would like to award Mr. Bray 10, 000 cool points for the 'Bewitched' art on his wall. 'Bewitched' has been a favorite of mine since I was a child.

[iampracticingpiano]

Mr. Kholodenko has a fascinating way, a magical way, of balancing the notes so the passages in the middle register are easily heard. Usually these notes are lost to the brilliance of the upper register and power of the bass. A compelling performance, indeed.

[pianosyllabus]

1. Danse russe 16:34
2. Chez Pétrouchka 19:14
3. La semaine grasse 23:24

[raquelholt]

What a privilege to watch/listen to this "fearsomely difficult" piece of Stravinsky as played by Kholodenko, a very talented pianist indeed! Beside his technical brillance, I also enjoyed seeing the expressions on his face. Thank you for introducing this Cliburn Masterpiece series.

[JudyDarst]

Holy Cow...What a Treat! Un believable super human strength!

[kjt]

Magical and mesmerizing performance. Wonderful intro to educate the audience on the history of the composer and this complex neo-classical composition. Thank You Cliburn for providing excellence in the arts direct from Bass Hall!

[jhysimf]

Благодарю за возможность просмотра этого контента! Стравинский в исполнении блестящего, одарённого пианиста Холденко прозвучал ярко, свежо, интересно!!! Безусловно, Петрушка Игоря Стравинского, русского гения мировой Музыки, одно из сложнейших произведений фортепианного репертуара!! Данное исполнение просто безупречно!! Пианист воссоздаёт на глазах изумленного слушателя мир с фантастическими, гротескными, яркими по характеру образами! Браво великолепному Мастеру фортепианного искусства!!!

[JahNawl]

I'm glad that YouTube pushed this to me. Anybody who can even begin to play this piece deserves superhuman status and this should be expected, this is an excellent performance that I will revisit.
Now for my probably unwanted opinion: the late great Alexander Toradze still plays the best version, IMO, even though he makes a lot more mistakes than this young fellow.
I also think Toradze gets the overall feel and timing way better than anybody else, and even though he had no audience for that particular film clip, he really did a fantastic job of "hamming it up", in a good way.

[geuros]

Would be cool to change the intro music to the represented masterpiece discussed here, this time to Petrouchka instead of Gaspard :)

[ronwalker]

I WILL NEER UNDERSTAND THE VARIETY OF CREAVITY AND BREAKING WITH ALL TRADITIONS TO INVENT THESE DIFFERENT MUSICAL MESSAGES WHICH EXIST NO WHERE ELSE IN ANYONE´S MIND. ? ALWAYS FASCINATING.

[ronwalker]

THIS LADY LOOKS LIKE JUDY DENCH, THE ENGLISH SECURITY SPY NETWORK FOR THE 007 FIL SERIES. IT´S A SPECIAL MOOD.

[blancasusanamariles]

2021 Christmas. It is interesting to know a ir en and it’s origin!
Stravinsky stayed in Spain to here many Gypsy groups play motifs that appear in his works. There may a lot of them still unrecognized. There are never new pieces just juxtaposition a little out left.
For example, Brahms was meeting a girlfriend in the Forrest when he composed his piano Sonata in F.

[thomgeo]

Петрушка есть петрушка что
в огороде что в музыке, что за
соревнования проводятся, кто
так с ума сходит от ПЕТРУШКИ...