Edward Piercy

Long Live the Queen

Thursday, 3. September 2009, 17:10:26

Valentina Lisitsa.

It almost always happens. A concert virtuoso enters into the bright
lights and achieves fame as a performer. They travel the world and
play to great applause and receive the praise of the public -- some,
like Franz Liszt, achieving an almost fanatical following. But then,
eventually, someone else comes along. Someone usually younger; and
someone just a little bit better. As the pianist Abbe Vogler once said
of Beethoven, "The man is not a man, but a devil. He will play will
play us all to death." At this point the older virtuoso doesn't disappear.
They simply get pushed to the back a little and are talked about as
being "one of the greats." But their time is essentially over. They are
somehow of the greats of the past, not the present. The spotlights focus
on a new face.

Over the past decade I've considered Evgeny Kissin to be the world's
greatest pianist. Some might disagree. But I would bet that if you
would take a poll among critics and listeners that Kissin would come
in with more votes than anyone else.

Recently I ran into a new pianist -- Valentina Lisitsa. She isn't very
well known yet. But in my opinion Lisitsa is better than Kissin. And
you don't know how strange it is to write the phrase "better than
Kissin." Nevertheless I think it is true.

The King is dead. Long live the Queen.

And, I must be living right; Fate is kind. Valentina will be coming
here to Spokane next February. I already have my ticket, ordered and
paid for this morning. Fourth row, center. Only massive heart failure
or the blizzard of the century will keep me from this concert -- and
I'm not even sure about the blizzard, I might even be able to make my
way through that one. I will sit and soak it up. And, like the ladies
of old used to do with Franz Liszt, I might just swoon a bit.

Valentina in her home studio -- one of
four Bosendorfer concert grands.

Chopin: Colors and VoicesPhotos Revisited 11

Comments

PainterWoman # 3. September 2009, 17:27

Wow, that was beautiful. Her fingers were like hummingbirds on the keys.

L2D2 # 3. September 2009, 17:33

That was nice, Edward. Not being a follower of Classical music, I haven't heard of her, but I love piano.

gdare # 3. September 2009, 17:36

I looked at her hands on that video and she played that piano so easily. Perfect.

Lisitsa is similar to lisica and it means fox

edwardpiercy # 3. September 2009, 17:36

@ Pam.

Hummingbirds. That's nice! And probably much better than my "spanking the piano" metaphor.

@ Linda.

Glad you liked it. There's all sorts of great music out there, and nice to be on Opera and exposed to new things through this member or that one.

edwardpiercy # 3. September 2009, 17:37

@ Darko.

Lisica = fox. Well certainly fits in this case, yeah?

Her hands are amazing.

L2D2 # 3. September 2009, 17:39

Yes, my appreciation of music has widened exponentially from being exposed to so many different music genres on OC

edwardpiercy # 3. September 2009, 18:33

Yeah, take these recent posts on the 70s, I've listened to music from that period on people's posts here that I never listened to back in the 70s.

ricewood # 3. September 2009, 19:35

She is so good. Ear candy.

And I consider music from the seventies classical

edwardpiercy # 3. September 2009, 20:01

@ Allan

She is candy. Or onions -- bring tears to my eyes.

I suppose that everything is classical given time. Or at least it is if it's good. The bad music seems to fall by the way.

edwardpiercy # 3. September 2009, 20:06

This just in. A couple of days ago I sent Valentina an email complementing her on her playing and telling her that I would be seeing her perform here.

Well I was just on my way downtown here when my email notifier went off. This is what I got:

Thanks a lot for your kind e-mail .I am a bit sad the Spokane changed the concerto - Rach #4 to Rach #2. Not my fault :-( The publisher now charges 2K for a permission to use the score and part for #4. No wonder that piece is not played:-(Kind regards,Valentina

Whoa! I am totally blown away!

Never expected or even hoped that she would respond.

ricewood # 3. September 2009, 20:17

I am certain that she is equally blown away by the fact that you cared to compliment her. Of course she answered!

edwardpiercy # 3. September 2009, 20:45

Thanks Allan -- that is a compliment in itself.

Stardancer # 3. September 2009, 21:32

That is so cool that you've corresponded with her, Edward. So many people are just unreachable.

I grew up listening to Rachmaninoff, Chopin, Beethoven, Wagner, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Listz and others as my sister learned to play the piano and other instruments. This is like stepping back into my childhood.

edwardpiercy # 3. September 2009, 21:53

I'm glad that we could share this, Star. Of couse, we share even discussion about pork rinds. That's one thing I love about your visits.

In any cse right now I am totally PO's at the SSO for being such cheap as bastard and not giving her her heart's desire. An email to the SSO is definitely on tomorrows agenda. And maybe a few more, if neccessaty. The Rach #4 is a strange work. But if that's what she wants open the double doors, rell out the red carpet, and give her the damn Rach #4. Totally. I'm not a happy camper right now.

How's the move going? You gotta lot of hunky guys with trucks helpin ya with the move?

Stardancer # 3. September 2009, 22:06

Not moving yet.

Still waiting on paperwork.

I do have lots of guys lined up to help me move, though. They have pickup trucks, but hunky? Not so much.

All I've got to do is give them the word, and they'll show up and load everything up.

It's gonna be nice to be in my own house again. Been a long time.

No one but I will have a key to the place. Won't have to worry about some maintenance guy walking in on me while I'm taking a shower.

PainterWoman # 3. September 2009, 22:13

That's really cool that she responded to your email!

edwardpiercy # 3. September 2009, 22:33

@ Star

Yeah and showin his crack. Best to avoid that.

@ Pam

Isn't that so cool? I'm floored.

L2D2 # 4. September 2009, 06:24

Keep it. Along with the program to her concert and any autograph, etc. you might get. Archive. Posterity and all that. I am sure you will do that anyway. I would be thrilled, also.

edwardpiercy # 4. September 2009, 06:39

Well you know to be honest Linda that never even occurred to me. So I thank you for suggesting it -- you are right. The email, that one especially means so much to me.