Beethoven Sonata #29 Op. 106 "Hammerklavier" Valentina Lisitsa

Thank you for playing my piece.

Hello from Poland... The tempo is blindingly fast. The touch is delicate, but fierce. She hammers at the keys, but never too hard. The utter balance of her playing style lends itself to Beethoven’s works so very well. They demand so many different emotions, and she is able to bring them all out when she needs to, and then in the next breath is able to delicately play the lightest of musics...but where she truly excels is when she has free reign to play as fast and as powerfully as she can get away with, and then the true zest for the music comes out. I am so glad I live in an age where I can just watch a world class pianist perform a legendary piece of music instantly...as many times as I like...at any time I like...truly we should all take a moment to be grateful for the lives we live.

It’s weird to think that Beethoven and Liszt were the first 2 people to ever play this piece, but now we have dozens of recordings we can listen to at our leisure

It's more a symphony for piano solo rather than a sonata. Amazing.

the great tragedy of any artist is to never know what your art means for people of the future. I'm sure with all the recognition Beethoven got, he'd never imagine he'd be considered one of the top composers of all time and probably the most Famous (maybe Mozart). and yet, he had died, his body has turned to nothing and the worms have eaten his flesh, and yet he lives on, i can feel him now, and its glorious. what a mind. what an artist.

oh boy, looks like my night's lasting about 39 and a half minutes longer lmao

You can feel the desperation for making every note louder. You can feel the sadness, depression and the anger. Beethoven hammering on the piano so he could listen to his own work, in a depressive period of his life where he thought he needed to listen to the notes. So sad, so inspiring, so beautiful

If my piano teacher had lived to witness the Internet and Youtube, she probably would have told me to turn the sound off and just watch her hands for at least one rendition. They are just spectacular, and overall Valentina is a joy to just watch her perform, let alone hear. This was awesome.

Beethoven: No one can play my piece for the next 100 years Liszt: Am I a joke to you?

Valentina, you must have some extraordinary memory to memorize all the repertoire.

I have collected the Beethoven's sonatas since late 90s and by now I might have these for over 400 performers, bigger part of them playing the complete cycle. The 'Hammerklavier' is my personal favourite for many reasons. I can say for sure that the first time I heard Lisitsa's playing the Hammerklavier, I listened to that many times in a row and I found that steadiness, bravery and expression I've never heard before. I'm pretty sure that this one of the best performances of Hammerklavier I've ever heard.

She could easily defeat thanos

I get shivers from the way she shapes some of those lines.

This woman is a gift from God,,,,

One of the many things I can't forgive this pandemic for is delaying my opportunity to listen to this sonata played by you a second time. You have displayed such spectacular improvement in all the sonatas you had already played before, which leads me to believe your Hammerklavier will be even greater yet. Words cannot describe how much I long to hear it!

It's taken me 72 years more or less but I've finally fallen in love with Opus 106. And what a performance! The scales have fallen from my eyes. (And the trills they rattle my brain.)

I can’t get over how loose your hands look! I want my hand to be that relaxed. I can’t only imagine how it feels to play with such fluidity and liberty.

Valentina Lisitsa is the greatest pianist I have ever heard in all my 71 years. And in addition, she is a beautiful woman. And I have heard most of the great pianists of the 20th and 21st centuries. Even including Rubinstein, Horowitz, and so many others. I have never ever heard anyone who plays Beethoven like she does!!

The Hammerklavier sonata, is well known for being one of the most complicated technically, also lasts approximately 40 minutes, the interpretation of Valentina, it is simply great La sonata Hammerklavier, es bien conocida por ser una de las más complicadas a nivel técnico, además dura aproximadamente 40 minutos, la interpretación de Valentina, simplemente es genial La sonata Hammerklavier, è ben nota per essere una delle più complicate tecnicamente, dura anche circa 40 minuti, l'interpretazione di Valentina, è semplicemente fantastica

A performance for the ages of an ageless masterpiece. Thank you, Beethoven. And thank you, Valentina.