Message: Does anybody remember this
chap? What happened to him? Has he disappeared from the
music scene?
Subject: RE: Dmitri Sgouros
Author: amplectulus
18 Sep, 2004 21:09 GMT
Message:
Hi there, Prof! Sgouros?? - you bet!! Terrific pianist. I wouldn't
be without his Rach.3 & Tchaik. 1 CD,
re-issued on Royal Classics. He made both recordings as a young
teenager - an amazing feat. I also value (on LP) his Brahms Paganini
Varns. and Liszt Transcendental Etudes. If I recall correctly, he
was also a mathematical genius and finally opted for an academic
career in that sphere. However, for a while there was a 2 CD set
available of him playing the two Brahms Concertos. I don't remember
any reviews of that issue.
[Click here to read a
review by Harold Schonberg] Cheers!
Subject: RE: Dimitris Sgouros
Author: amplectulus
18 Sep, 2004 21:45 GMT
Message:
Hello again, Prof! Straight after sending you my earlier e-mail, I
typed into the web the name DIMITRIS SGOUROS - note the spelling,
with 3 'i's in the first name. I got a whole wealth of up-to-date
info. about him which I commend to you. In brief, it appears that
D.S. is well back on the concert circuit and carving out a brilliant
career as a concert-pianist once more. It surely won't be long
before we hear of him again in the UK - especially given his London
Royal College connections. Bye for now.
Subject: RE: Dimitris Sgouros
Author: KKY
22 Sep, 2004 03:20 GMT
Message:
Yes I remember him. He came out to Australia a number of years ago
but I only heard him in a recital while holidaying in Singapore. A
memorable account of the Bach-Busoni Chaconne.
Dimitris Sgouros
featured in Gramophone Magazine
(June 2012)
Top picks -
Dimitris Sgouros, Pinchas Zukerman, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Maria Joao
Pires, New York Philharmonic
"UNMISSABLE!"
The Athens State
Orchestra performs works by Beethoven, Prokofiev and Stravinsky with piano
soloist Dimitris Sgouros under conductor Vassilis Christopoulos
Performance of
the Brahms Piano Quintet
".. the Brahms Piano Quintet in F minor
was given a poised and coherent reading that showed all parties concerned to be
on the same wavelength. Sgouros must be commended for highlighting the inner
lines of the score. The concert ended with a brilliant rendition of the Scherzo
from Dvorak's Piano Quintet Op 81. The audience applauded warmly."
Clavier Magazine
-
"Sgouros, on the basis of this
performance, seems to have the makings of one of the century's great pianists"
Dimitris Sgouros
with distinguished Austrian-Greek conductor Karolos Trikolidis (TV interview)
"We are just very good friends, and my
activities in Thessaloniki besides being chief conductor of the State Orchestra
in Thessaloniki, I founded a Conservatoire, the New Conservatory of Thessaloniki
which became the most attractive conservatoire now in Greece, and we have the
great honour that Dimitris is coming to Thessaloniki several times and giving
piano seminars, and he is teaching the most talented, select students and for
long days - last one was 10 days - very intensive, very interesting seminar, and
he's giving also lectures. He gave an excellent lecture about Franz Liszt in
Thessaloniki 2 weeks ago, and he is an extremely good pedagogue. He's also
young, he's very near to the young people, and he is kind, how he speaks, how he
is explaining, how he's helping, getting the best out of the children which is
very, very interesting and he has also I can say a great talent for pedagogy
work..."
-
Maestro Karolos Trikolidis on Sgouros
George
Li — silver medallist of 2015 International Tchaikovsky Competition — expresses his
appreciation of Dimitris Sgouros
"Our deepest appreciation.... for your
great support and powerful inspiration"
I first heard a broadcast
performance of Sgouros' Rachmaninoff 3rd several
years ago. To be sure I was impressed -- especially since he played the
massive cadenza. And he plays it WELL, keeping it up to considerable speed
and power, not slowing down as some do. I went out and bought the recording,
and that is the one I listen to most often. It remains among my favorites,
with Rachmaninoff's own performance reigning supreme. I also remember Earl
Wild's performance was quite thrilling. Argerich's performance, in my
opinion, doesn't stand up to Sgouros' in terms of sheer bravura. However,
her
performance of the Tchaikovsky #1 remains superb. I also have a recording of
Sgouros playing Tchaikovsky's first piano concerto, and Tchaikovsky's
Fantasy
for piano & orchestra, which is a stupendous performance. BTW, Arthur
Rubinstein once remarked that Sgouros was the best pianist he had ever
heard.
[...]
> Sgouros recorded several works in 1983/4 for EMI including the Rach 3(1984
> when he was 14or 15). The only recordings I
know of from the 90's areboth
> Brahms Concertos with Tabakov and the Sofia PO on Capriccio.
>
> Robert Y
>
I looked up the recording at the Tower website and found the Brahms
(Capriccio 10650 -- two discs (but no fillers), on sale for $13.99, if
anyone's interested), which actually sounds pretty good, and noticed their
quoting an ARG review of the Brahms from Nov.-Dec. 1997. In case anyone is
interested, HS's complete review of the Brahms is below.
Jonathan
[ American
Record Guide review of Sgouros' Brahms Piano Concertos by Harold
Schonberg ]
The Greek pianist Dimitris
Sgouros was 12 years old when, in 1982, he played
the Rach 3 in Carnegie Hall with the National Symphony under Rostropovich.
With a beaming Rostropovich watching from the podium, the boy then played
four encores, ending with the Liszt Feux Follets.
Now it is 1997 and Sgouros, an old man of 28, has recorded two of the
biggest pianistic challenges, the two Brahms concertos. And they are very
good. Sgouros plays with technical command, rich piano sound, strong
rhythm, power, and musical authority. They don't come much better than
this. His approach is something on the Backhaus order, which means clarity
and constant forward motion. Like Backhaus, Sgouros has no fancy ideas
about the "philosophy" of the music, and he does not try to make a Big
Statement in the slow movements. He merely maintains the melodic flow,
making almost chamber music out of his dialog with the orchestra. Very
impressive.
One peculiar thing. In the last movement of the B-flat, where those fast
double-note scales in both hands come, he has worked out something that
sounds like a simplification. I have played it a dozen times or so, gone to
my piano, and still can't figure out what he has done.
The Sofia Philharmonic is not one of the world's great ensembles, and its
strings sound rather dry. But the horns and winds are good, the director
knows his business, and the first cellist makes a handsome sound in his
solos with the piano in 2:II.
From:
"mediaone" <jonyungk@m...>
Date: Wed Dec 6, 2000 6:47 am Subject: Re: [Great Pianists] Sgouros Brahms
Concertos
> I couldn't believe the
quote in the liner notes attributed to
> Rubinstein, calling Sgouros the best pianist he had ever heard, or
> some hyperbole like that. Nevertheless, I'm still curious about how
> his Brahms piano concertos turned out . . .
>
> A
Actually, Sgouros's Brahms concertos aren't bad. There's a
chamber-music
quality to the performances, with more interplay and dovetailing of dynamics
between soloist and orchestra than one normally hears in these pieces, and
an especially hushed atmosphere in the slow movement of the D minor that
emphasizes Brahms's original inscription for this movement, "Benedictus qui
venit in nomine domine" ("Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord").
Sgouros articulates many details normally rushed through, and he does not
treat these concertos as virtuoso works at all. That does not mean he is
dull or pedantic; on the contrary, he keeps you listening and the music
fresh. His interpretive ideas are generally very mature and solid, though
his left-hand work did get a little intrusive in a couple of spots, most
noticeably in the Rondo of the D minor.
The Sofia Philharmonic isn't a first-rate orchestra -- the strings sound a
bit thin at times -- but it has a crack wind section that does very well
here, and Emil Tabakov is an excellent accompanist.
Having heard him in a recital when he was 12-13 and taken personal
photos at the time, he looks at least 3 - 4 years older in this
picture.
> It really is astonishing that he could play the Rach 3 at 14.
I have the recording and yes, it IS astounding! As we used to say at
the University, "It's all there."
Gerrie
From:
Carlos Gardels <cgardels@e...>
Date: Wed Dec 12, 2001 2:49 pm Subject: Sgouros
I must say that after hearing some of Sgouro's performances, I think he
is a genius, Even more than
Martha(no offence). He does a heroic thing-to do what others are afraid
to do-and perhaps he
"over interprets the music."
Please understand that I am not trying to be offensive in any way
against Martha Argerich, but ,its
just that I think I have found a new favourite pianists.
Regards,
Carlos
I like
Dimitris Sgouros' performing of the first and the fourths Ballades. I
remember I downloaded them at
http://www.sgourosmp3.com. Anyway you can listen to it using stream playback. He is a genius
pianist. Rubinstein said that he is the best pianist he'd ever heard!
Kandemir Basmacioglu
I have currently restarted listening to Chopin's Ballads. I've
listened to Zimerman, Perahia, Pollini, Michelangeli, Kissin,
Ashkenazy, Gulda, Francois and Horowitz's recordings. I adore
Kissin's sensitivity and warmth (and you can really see the maturity
of his technique through them). Horowitz's 1982 recording is
refreshingly powerful and passionate (some finger slips, though). I
am curious about Rubinstein (I never like his Chopin, though. I find
his Chopin too dull) and Lipatti's recordings. Has anyone heard them
or does anyone recommend any other recordings? Martha, will you
please play them, too (I think you all agree that Martha should play
more Chopin, especially his Mazurkas and Nocturnes. Martha is
probably the most sensitive Chopin pianist I have heard--besides
Kissin)? Anyone? :) Thanks!
From:
Arri Bachrach <abachrach@w...>
Date: Sun Nov 18, 2001 11:01 am Subject: Re: [cl-pianists] Sgouros Mephisto Waltz
MP3 free download
just listened to it- not "squeaky clean" but a very interesting
performance- he has a very fine ear for colors and the middle slower
section is played with quite a bit of sensitivity, especially for one so
young- there is a lot of talent there---
BTW- the sound is terrific- gorgeous acoustics and piano-
AB
SGOUROSMP3WROTE:
>Greek pianist Dimitris Sgouros performed Liszt's Mephisto Waltz for
>a recital given at the Melbourne Concert Hall in 1987. Here's an MP3
>of that performance -
>
Obviously, I was quick enough. Great performance indeed!
From:
"Barny" <barny@s...>
Date: Sun Nov 25, 2001 6:13 am Subject: Re: [cl-pianists] VISIT NEW MP3 SITE
sgourosmp3.com
Thank you very much for making us aware of Sgouros' great performances. I
remember when he was introduced in a TV talkshow as the century's greatest
piano talent. Maybe it wasn't too good for him to be exposed so early to the
media. But one thing is obvious, he is equivalent to Kissin.
----- Original Message -----
From: SGOUROSMP3
To:
classical-pianists@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Saturday, November 24, 2001 5:12 AM
Subject: [cl-pianists] VISIT NEW MP3 SITE sgourosmp3.com
NEW MP3 WEBSITE ANNOUNCEMENT!
I would like to invite all list members to come and visit a newly
established website featuring MP3s of live performances by Greek
pianist Dimitris Sgouros:
(if this URL doesn't work for you, try again in a day or so - the
domain name is new and may not have propagated all over the WWW yet)
The following MP3s are currently available for download (all are
live performances):
Solo works:
Albeniz Cordoba
Beethoven 32 Variations in C minor
Chopin Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise
Chopin Ballade No 1
Chopin Etude in Ab major Op 25 No 1
Chopin Etude in A minor Op 25 No 11
Chopin Fantasy in F minor Op 49
Chopin Nocturne in C minor Op 48 No 1
Chopin Preludes Nos 1-4
Chopin Scherzo No 2 in Bb minor Op 31
Chopin Waltz in Ab major Op 42
Liszt Mephisto Waltz No 1
Liszt Piano Sonata in B minor
Liszt Rigoletto Paraphrase
Liszt Transcendental Etude No 5 "Feux follets"
Liszt Valse-Impromptu S213
Liszt Venice and Naples I. Gondoliera II. Canzone III. Tarantella
Ravel Gaspard de la nuit
Scarlatti Piano Sonata L104
Scarlatti Piano Sonata L384
Schumann Symphonic Etudes Op 13
Concertos:
Mozart Piano Concerto K466 No 20 in D minor
Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No 3, 1st Movement
Please feel free to add any comments about Sgouros' playing to the
guestbook.
Enjoy!
From:
TMB <tblan@t...>
Date: Sun Dec 2, 2001 4:43 am Subject: Sgouros
There was some recent commentary on this discussion group about Dimitris
Sgouros, maybe a little while back. The take on him today is that he
was an extraordinary child/teen phenomenon... I do know there was a
review of his recent Carnegie Hall recital, which was very
positive. And there is a site up, www.sgourosmp3.com with some
interesting performances mostly around 1989. Many here may want to check
it out. Maybe an MP3.com page will be put together, too. Who knows?
There is a review of Sgouros' more recent playing on the page mentioned
above. Here's a quote from that review, by Harris Goldsmith from the
American Record Guide:
"His recital made it plain enough that much of his music making is
emotionally warm and communicative, and he certainly has kept his virtuoso
pianism in tip-top working condition. Not only that, his admirably
self-effacing interpretations of Schubert's B-flat Impromptu, D 935:3;
Schumann's C-major Fantasy, Op. 17; and Brahms's F-minor Sonata, Op. 5 had
an admirable structural clarity, accurate as a blueprint."
That's a far cry from the take on Sgouros some seem to have. The current
perception of him appears to be due to at least two factor which would not
reflect his playing: 1, that, as a child prodigy, one almost expects the
performer to somehow flounder or fail to live up to potential as a mature
player, and 2, that Sgouros performs more in Greece and related areas, and
less in the US. Of course, one must judge for oneself, and one still can
listen to his older recordings, some of which I personally find to exhibit
a nearly unparalleled playing (e.g., the Symphonic Etudes record). Given
these tendencies and their power to color one's listening, I'd say he
deserves a fair chance as a mature performer and might need some repeated
listenings to see what's going on in his playing today.
I've just given the site a preliminary listen. Some things sounded pretty
interesting, such as the Rigoletto Paraphrase. I heard some interesting
things in his Gaspard, too. I'm still unsure how I feel about the Grande
Polonaise Brilliant. The Liszt Sonata I'm in the
dark on so far. The
G Minor Ballade has a lot of good things in it, I think.
> Rubinstein and Martha were probably awestruck by his
virtuosity
> only, which true, is amazing for someone his
age.
I was also awestruck when I heard him at age 12 in a recital at the
Maryland Festival (now Kapell) in 1982, and not just by his
virtuosity. The 'kid' played with much musical understanding and
sensitivity and I was overwhelmed at the precision, tonal colors and
bravura of his Schumann Symphonic Etudes (which I was teaching to a
21-year-old college Junior at the time). Some Scarlatti sonatas were
done with taste and his 'closer', the Mephisto Waltz #1, remains in
my memory as a fantastic experience. I thought at the time that it
was rather unfortunate that Jorge Bolet programmed the same Mephisto
at his recital the next night. Of course, it was 'all there,' but
the fiery dynamism of Sgouros's performance was still fresh in the
audience's ears, and Bolet's was rather 'tame' by comparison.
> However, I'm sure they
> realized that at the time he was undeveloped musically. What I didn't
> sense was a distinct musical personality. Other prodigies such as
> Kissin, Pollini, Argerich, even in their teens, one can sense a
> distinct (almost overpowering) musical personality emerging.
I don't know that he was so "undeveloped musically." If some of the
great mathematicians expounded theorems at tender ages (teens and
below, I think)that affected the course of
science, why is it so hard
to believe that musical prodigies can be eloquent?
Time magazine ran an article on Sgouros in 1982 or '83, citing his
meteoric presence on the musical scene, and his performance of the
Rach 3 with the National Symphony at age 12, which it was stated that
he learned in two weeks!! I have that recording on cassette and it
IS amazing. (Even plays the 'big' cadenza!) The fact that he
hasn't 'caught on' as big as an adult as he did as a child could be
due to many factors, but certainly not ability and talent.
> --- In
classical-pianists@y..., "gerricollins2001"
> <gerricollins2001@y...>
wrote:
>
> > The 'kid' played with
much musical understanding and
> > sensitivity and I was overwhelmed at the precision, tonal colors
> > and bravura of his Schumann Symphonic Etudes
(which I was teaching
> > to a 21-year-old college Junior at the time
I too was awestruck by this performance! His Symphonic Etudes is
very fluent and musical, something very special indeed!
Unfortunately, the 128k MP3 does not do justice to the full range of
his "tonal colors" in this work.
[...]
> His playing style may be spectacular in a concert
hall, where
> projection is paramount. But under the scrutiny of the microphone,
> shortcomings become apparent. I have listened to artists who sound
> spectacular in a concert hall because of their playing style, but
> their playing doesn't record well because of lack of musicianship.
>
> Maybe Sgouros just got ahead of himself with all the "big" pieces
> when he should have been developing himself musically with Bach,
> Beethoven, Chopin, etc. and this may have been detrimental. Maybe
> he'll surprise us and do just that.
[...]
Have you heard Sgouros' Chopin Fantasy, or Chopin Ballade? There is
a lot more in these interpretations than just spectacular
showmanship.
And I actually prefer Sgouros' Chopin Nocturne Op 48 No 1 to
Argerich's. To hear this performance in the best sound, download
or stream from here (streaming doesn't require you to register) -
ferrari_63074 wrote, on Tuesday, April 09, 2002, at 19:21:
> His playing style may be spectacular in a concert
hall, where
> projection is paramount. But under the scrutiny of the microphone,
> shortcomings become apparent. I have listened to artists who sound
> spectacular in a concert hall because of their playing style, but
> their playing doesn't record well because of lack of musicianship.
Lack of musicianship? in this case? :-) I don't think so.
Few pianists are able to play something like this piece quite this well.
I agree that seasoning and guidance is important for any performer,
especially one who seems to have been so isolated in later years from
that, but the general characterization of Sgouros's flaws is just a bit
overdone, in my view. There are things in his playing of several
pieces I might 'disagree with' or not like a lot, but the guy is really
talented and musical, both.
[ re: Sgouros'
interpretation of Chopin's Nocturne Op 48 No 1 ]
Just listened to this on Mp3 and it is, as Vickie, says, a very fine,
thoughtful performance... it certainly does hold its own.
Some little things he does in the first section are better, to my ears,
than MA's, such as the lush effects in MS 10.
Argerich's performance was in 1978 and I am presuming Sgouros'
was at least in the last year or two, so it is interesting to
ponder that they were in the same age 'neighborhood' when
recording this.
Thanks! How negligent of me not to have checked his main Mp3 site.
So he was approximately 18 or 19 [
NB: he was 17 ] when he recorded this whereas
Argerich was 36 - 37. (?) All the more impressive!
From:
"Anne Smith" <ksmith13@c...> Date: Thu Aug 28, 2003
10:11 am Subject:
Re: Sgouros
I downloaded some of his piano concertos. I have a passion for Mozart. I
am listening to Sgouros play K.467. Remarkable playing.
Also what do you think about Dimitris Sgouros? I had a
masterclass
with him on March/2003 and think that while being an excellent
pianist, he also is an excellent teacher. I studied with him the
13th Rhapsody of Liszt and the things he told me changed my whole
playing.
From:
Peter <pchk@...> Date: Thu Feb 15, 2007 4:35 am Subject: Re: [ThePiano] Re: How I'm
doing with Liszt's Norma
I once heard the young lad Dimitris Sgouros play
it [Liszt's Norma] live in Hong Kong back in
the 1990s.
Perfectly, with much bravura.
Peter
Hong Kong
> ferrari_827 wrote:
> --- In
ThePiano@yahoogroups.com <mailto:ThePiano%40yahoogroups.com>,
> "virtuosafatale" <LaVirtuosa@...>
> wrote:
> >
> > Finally getting somewhere with this.
> > I have the technique
> > and can now apply my sense of daring
> > and creativity.
>
> I'm going to have to hand over the silver platter, or trophy, to you
> if only temporarily (lol). Looked at the score, cringed (felt a bit of
> bowel movement), and put it back on the shelf.
>
> If you can even play the notes decently, it's quite an accomplishment.
>
From the Sviatoslav Richtermailing list
From:
"Ross Williams" <ross.w@v...> Date: Mon May 10, 1999
11:52 am Subject: [Sviatoslav Richter]
I must confess to being somewhat baffled by some of Richter's comments and
piano partners. I heard a report that he called Dimitris Sgouros a "genius"
I used to have my piano lesson immediately after Dimitris Sgouros. It was
intimidating to say the least. Having said that, I should say that if one
takes into account his unbelievable facilities for sight-reading and memory
then he was certainly a genius in that respect. I was witness to a genuine
sight-reading of the Liszt Transcendental Etudes. Our mutual teacher would
point out corrections as he went along. Sgouros didn't stop playing but
memorised all the points made and reproduced them on his second playing. It
was truly astonishing. And he refused to wear socks.
and I frankly do not believe that he could have meant that Andrei Gavrilov
was king of all he surveyed (didn't someone mention that on this list).
For me, Gavrilov really did have the world at his feet. I think he had (has)
everything going for him except possibly some aspects of his temperament.
Any news of him recently? Gavrilov at his best is sorely missed! There have
been some rather strange bitchy remarks from Gavrilov regarding SR. He has
said, for example, that SR had enormous problems with Chopin Op.10/2. Other
things too....make of that what you will....
From the Homage to Arthur Rubinstein mailing list
From: "Jonathan Cahill" Date: Fri Aug 13, 2004 3:41 am
Subject: Thank you Sandro and Peter! (New
Photos)
Interesting
group of photos, which we could (but WON'T) put into a folder
entitled "Dying Pianists" (I admit to having a weird sense
of humor!).
[Dimitris Sgouros and his parents with
Arthur Rubinstein at his Geneva apartment, two months before his
death]
The photographs of Rubinstein with Sgouros are
especially wonderful but sad! Such an intimate setting, with the
dying Rubinstein (age 95 -not too bad!!) seemingly "passing the
baton" to a much younger generation. Well, I don't need to
oversentimentalize the setting - as Rubinstein would say about
playing Chopin: sentiment, not sentimentality!
Heinrich
Neuhaus (1888-1964) was, as most of you know, an
outstanding pianist and teacher, his most famous student being
Sviatoslav Richter!
They are great photos, and a most welcome
addition to the group!
Thanks
again!
Jon
From: Peter <pchk@...> Date:
Thu Aug 23, 2007 11:23 pm Subject: Re: Digest Number
455
I think the Greek (then boy) Dimitris Sgouros was
Artur's favourite pianist.
Peter
Hong Kong
From: "Jonathan Cahill" Date:
Fri Aug 24, 2007 12:49 am Subject: Re: "Agogics" and "Dimitris
Sgouros"
Peter,
[...]
As to Dimitris Sgouros - Many of the group members are, no doubt,
familiar with the quote attributed to Rubinstein:
"I thank God for keeping me alive so that I would be able to hear
with my own ears Sgouros play. He is the best pianist I have ever
heard, including myself".
Sgouros certainly is a talented pianist. I wonder, however, if
Rubinstein really meant that ("best pianist") or was it his
typical
kindness, especially as a 95-year old man not long for this world.
Rubinstein had the highest praise for many pianists, as evidenced
by
the well-known stories about Pollini, Richter, Gilels, and others.
Still, I would be very surprised if, indeed, he really did hold a
single pianist above all others. One of Rubinstein's "analogies"
about choosing favorites was about going to a world-class museum
and
deciding which painter (Rembrandt, Picasso, Goya, whoever) was the
GREATEST of all. Of course, they're all great in their own ways!
Same with musicians.
The Sgouros comment reminds me about about a story I read
somewhere
regarding Rubinstein performing the Brahms 2nd piano concerto. The
Third Movement, of course, has a significant part for cello solo
throughout. Rubinstein would "heap praise" upon the cellist,
telling
him that his (the cellist's) performance was the "most
heartfelt"(or
words to that effect) that he had EVER heard! The story continues
that Rubinstein did this quite often with different orchestras and
different cellists! Perhaps somewhat exaggerated, but you get the
idea!
From: "Jonathan Cahill" Date:
Fri Aug 24, 2007 4:34 am Subject: Re: Digest Number
455 (Sgouros)
I know that Rubinstein was quite impressed by the young
Dimitris
Sgouros who had visited Rubinstein during the last few months of his
(AR's)life. Indeed, "pack-rat" that I am, I have "hidden away"
within the PHOTOS section of this Group two photos of the young
pianist with his parents and AR (PHOTOS - "Colleagues") as well as
two photos showing the front/back views of the Van Cleef and Arpels
watch AR gave to him, inscribed "For Dimitri, With Love, Arthur
Rubinstein" (PHOTOS - MISC.("Odds & Ends")). Of course, Lady
Weidenfeld herself may have been instrumental in obtaining this
watch! I'm just wondering if Rubinstein actually believed that
Sgouros was the BEST pianist he had EVER heard or, rather, was being
quite generous to this up-and-coming genuine talent!
(I, of course, really do NOT know...!)
Jon
From: AWeidenfel@... Date:
Fri Aug 24, 2007 6:34 am Subject: Re: [HomageToArthurRubinstein]
Re: Digest Number 455 (Sgouros)
Just had a look at those photos with Sgouros - I
took them and sent them later to Sgouros so they must have
originally come from him or his family.
Annabelle Weidenfeld[NB: Lady
Weidenfeld was Rubinstein's girlfriend in the final decade of his
life]
From: Jonathan Cahill Date:
Fri Aug 24, 2007 6:57 am Subject: Re: "Agogics" and "
Dimitri Sgouros " (Lady Weidenfeld / Peter)
... of course, it really does not
matter, especially in
the spirit of our recent discussions. Even if Rubinstein DID say it,
we could/would still "debate" forever if he really "meant" it! His
comment, however attributed, does pay high homage to Mr. Sgouros!
Peter - your "tongue-in-cheek" comment (I assume) about Rubinstein
being his own favorite pianist illustrates a "paradox" of sorts!
Rubinstein often commented that, after making a recording and
hearing
it a few times, he would often grow weary of it, seeing new
opportunities of approach and so on. If "Rubinstein" quickly tires
of "Rubinstein" then is it the newer "Rubinstein" that "Rubinstein"
likes most or is the future "Rubinstein-to-be" that "Rubinstein"
really
likes the most??? Maybe Professor Feinberg can develop the
mathematical/analytical tools needed to sort this out! Sorta like
calculating "pi" to a million decimal places or something...
Jokes, jokes! D.Sgouros performs wherever he gets paid enough, that's for
sure! He learns fast (30 pages in a night!) although he's not as
experienced as S. Richter for example, but he's for many a fascinating
pianist...
For sheer power, the piano pendant to the feared 24 caprice, nothing beats,
imho, the recording by Dimitri Sgouros. He manages to untangle all the musical
strands in this piece with such ease, you'd be thinking he is playing "Für
Elise"! A fast and extremely accurate playing, which reveals the mastery and
rich texture of Brahms work. Worth a try...
cu
Nikos
I rather liked all the recordings I have of Sgouros. His Rachmaninoff 3rd
is tremendous - one of the few pianists who can play the long cadenza up
to speed!! His Schumann Symphonic Studies is very impressive as are the
Brahms Paganini variations. I should be interested to hear what his
Brahms concerti are like - a critic's dismissal is not the end of the
world!
His Mephisto Waltz is also very good.
Every good wish,
Yenda.
Sam Schleman (bigfish@pond.com) wrote:
: Just out of curiosity, does anyone know what happened to this young pianist?
: Supposedly Rubinstein in his waning years said he thought he was an
: outstanding young prodigy. He recorded the Rach3 on EMI a few years back, at
: age 14 (now discontinued), which was IMHO a pretty good rendition. Since
: then, he seems to have just disappeared as far as I can tell.
: -------------------------------------
: Sam Schleman
I would like to invite everyone to visit a newly established site on
MP3.COM featuring live concert performances by Greek pianist Dimitris
Sgouros in STREAMING AUDIO format:
http://soundclick.com/share?songid=3601604
(Alternate site: http://www.sgourosmp3.com )
Currently, the following music is available for free listening and
download-
Solo works:
[...]
SGOUROSMP3 wrote:
> Currently, the following music is available for free listening and
> download- [snip]
> Chopin Scherzo No 2 in Bb minor Op 31
This seems quite promising, based on the snippet I just heard. Anyone agree?
Matty
Yes, some very good stuff. (There is SO much crap at mp3 classical, the
wading can be difficult.)
John Grant
http://www.mp3.com/stations/bach_wtc_1_part1http://www.mp3.com/stations/wtc2
"Matthew Silverstein" <msilverz@umich.edu> wrote in message
news:UsAU7.7480$b7.142480@news.itd.umich.edu...
> Vicky wrote:
>
> > Currently, the following music is available for free listening and
> > download- [snip]
> > Chopin Scherzo No 2 in Bb minor Op 31
>
> This seems quite promising, based on the snippet I just heard. Anyone agree?
>
> Matty
>
"he is the best Pianist I have ever heard".
About the young Greek Pianist Dimitris Sgouros. Hear his artistry free at
http://www.sgourosmp3.com
cheers,
David Blumberg
ok fine. Here's another couple of comments:
"This boy is playing piano like the God..." - Martha Argerich "A
genius of Sgouros' scope is born only once in a century..." - Claudio
Abbado
I don't think that Abbado doles out compliments lightly (or as lightly
as Artur).
Anyway - it's worth listening to if inclined :)
Musician wrote:
>
> "he is the best Pianist I have ever heard".
(if true) When AR was ninety-five years of age and about to leave us.
> About the young Greek Pianist Dimitri Sgouros.
B. 1969, "young" could be dropped (IMO); in .this. arena, 30s is not.
> cheers,
>
> David Blumberg
V.
--
"... to absent friends ..." mailto:fm4054@attglobal.nethttp://www.osteoporosis.cahttp://www.irongrip.com
"... infrastructure; sooner or later, it matters ..." {c. ibm}
http://www.dream-escape.org/radio
I listened to Sgouros playing Grieg's Piano Concerto, live in Istanbul, a
few months ago. He was remarkably good...
[...]
Btw, I don't believe any "best pianist I have ever heard" ever exists. I
don't believe in the existence of an ever best but I do know lots of ever
worsts.
[...]
Ertugrul
--
Decode address to reply:
ertugrulinanc-at-yahoo-dot-com
View: (This is the only article in this
thread) |
Original Format
Date: 2002-03-27 13:57:26 PST
[ re: Liszt Norma Fantasy as performed by Dimitris Sgouros ]... I am utterly dumbfounded. I have not heard anything
like this since Cziffra.
--
Charles Milton Ling
Vienna, Austria
"Charles Milton Ling" <cmling@teleweb.at> wrote:
> ... I am utterly dumbfounded. I have not heard anything
> like this since Cziffra.
I'm with you. What energy!
--
-Sonarrat Citalis.
"Sonarrat Citalis" <sonarrat@postmark.net> wrote:
> "Charles Milton Ling" <cmling@teleweb.at> wrote in message
> > ... I am utterly dumbfounded. I have not heard anything
> > like this since Cziffra.
>
> I'm with you. What energy!
I listened and yes, he IS a terrific pianist. I had the pleasure of
hearing him in a recital in 1982 when he was 12-13 years old and he
absolutely 'blew my mind' with his artistry and unbelievable technical
command (Schumann Symphonic Etudes, Scarlatti Sonatas, Liszt Mephisto
#1, and more). I also have his Rach 3 recorded when he was 12 with
the National Symphony (and reputedly learned in TWO WEEKS!!!).
AMAZING!! I can't understand why Sgouros has not 'caught on' more
than he has. I think one reason might be is that he was such a
fabulous child prodigy that it is hard for him to surpass his early
monumental prowess now as an adult. So far as "not hearing anything
like this since Cziffra," have you heard one or more of Argerich's
terrific, exciting versions?
Gerrie
"Henk van Tuijl" <h.vantuijl@home.nl> wrote:
> Sgouros a Cziffra? His interpretations remind me of Tzimon Barto, not of
> Cziffra...
Sgouros reminded me more than a little bit of Argerich as far as his Prok 3rd
went, but it has more energy than either of the Argerichs I have heard. It's
free, lighthearted.
--
-Sonarrat Citalis.
Signature at http://sonarrat.stormloader.com/sonarratsig.html
My inbox is protected against all forms of bulk mail and spam.
"The cats...they're up to something. Watch them." -Christopher Titus
Henk van Tuijl wrote:
> Sgouros a Cziffra? His interpretations remind me of Tzimon Barto, not of
> Cziffra...
>
> Henk
Ah, I never said he was a Cziffra; there will never be another. I
compared the excitement his "Norma" afforded me to some Liszt
transcriptions played by Cziffra it has been my great pleasure to hear,
no more, but no less, either.
Charley
--
Charles Milton Ling
Vienna, Austria
After reading a recent thread by Sonarrat Citalis praising pianist
Dimitris Sgouros, I visited the recommended website
(http://www.sgourosmp3.com)
I was so astonished by the playing of the pianist. I know that he
performed the Rach 3 when he was 12, with Rostropovich conducting, at
Carnegie Hall and listening to the mp3 of his Rachmaninov 3rd
concerto (found on the above website) I thought it was one of the
finest interpretations I've ever heard!
Does anyone know why this pianist has been neglected? I've only
managed to find a couple of CDs by him on Amazon.com, none of them
recorded with any of the "big" companies (i.e. Warner and Universal).
How is this possible? Perhaps it is the pianist's decision not to
record so much but to perform? Can someone please give me some more
information on Sgouros's recordings?
Thanks!
RX-01
I was under the impression that he had made a CD or two for EMI years
ago. As to why there isn't much more, perhaps it wasn't his decision,
but that of the geniuses at the record companies. After all, they have
this knack for spotting great performers such as Olli Mustonen, Susan
Graham, and Pamela Frank, and then brushing them off like lint.
--
Matthew B. Tepper: WWW, science fiction, classical music, ducks!
My personal home page -- http://home.earthlink.net/~oy/index.html
My main music page --- http://home.earthlink.net/~oy/berlioz.html
To write to me, do for my address what Androcles did for the lion
Top 3 worst UK exports: Mad-cow; Foot-and-mouth; Charlotte Church
"Lars Peder Kallar Devold" <lars_world@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:<xexw8.3376$ph2.70790@news4.ulv.nextra.no>...
> My physiotherapist told me about a child prodigy who played Rachmaninoffs
> 3rd Piano Concerto at the tender age of 11[NB: he was 12], supposedly learnt it in 6 days!
> Is this true, if so, then who is it, and what has he done later on?
I think it was Dimitris Sgouros
Regards
Rajeev Aloysius
rajeev@nospam.starmail.com
"Lecter" <guitar1@hotmail.com> wrote in message http://groups.google.com/groups?selm=37Wdc...
> Dimitris Sgouros? As a 14 year old, he played a mean Rach 3!!
Plus a 'mean' Brahms-Paganini Variations and other 'smaller' works.
His Chopin Nocturne in c minor 48/1 is a gem, one of the best I've
heard. His Mephisto Waltz (#1) which I heard him play in 1982 at age
13(Maryland/Kapell Int. Piano Fest. & Comp.)put Bolet's (the *next*
night)almost to shame
>He made a few other CDs, then disappeared.
He has quite a presence on mp3 at his website.
> > What happened to Andre Watts and Tzimon Barto?
For some reason, I am not curious. :-)
Gerrie C
SGOUROSMP3 wrote:
> Besuchen Sie diese Seite:
>
> http://www.sgourosmp3.com
>
> MP3 Files von Sgouros die man herunterladen kann:
[...]
> Ravel Gaspard de la nuit
[...]
Kann ich nur empfehlen: eine der besten Karrikaturen der vergangenen 15
Jahre.
[ English translation of Mr Lemken's comments re: Sgouros' Ravel Gaspard -
"Recommended: one of the best interpretations of the last 15 years" ]
Peter Lemken
Berlin
--
Das Priester-Zoelibat ist das erfolgreichste Eugenik-Projekt der
Menschheit. Es besticht auch in Momenten scheinbaren Versagens mit der
Eleganz seines Entwurfs.
-- Mirko Liss in d.a.s.r
Comments (re:
video of Dimitris Sgouros playing the Liszt Sonata at the
2000 Montpellier Festival, France)
This is one of the most moving, beautiful performances of the Liszt
Sonata I've heard in a long while and overall it ranks with the very
best (Arrau, Gilels and Richter). The Andante Sostenuto in particular
shines with deep, heartfelt emotion. Sgouros downplays - rightly in my
mind - the virtuosic parts of the outer movements, refusing to
trivialize the music and keeping the greater message in mind. Bravo!
I have an mp3 of Sgouros playing Ravel's Gaspard. His Scarbo has to be
heard to be believed...simply leaves everyone else in the dust...it's
as menacing and sinister and thrilling as anything I've heard. Not sure
why he is not better known either.
When I watch performances like this, I remember why I need to quit
playing piano before I make a fool of myself on stage trying to
half-ass a performance of a piece like this. Why should I try anymore
when this guy could entertain the world 200 times over what I could
ever do.
He is way too talented. It makes me throw up a little.
Comments (re: Dimitris Sgouros
playing Chopin Ballade No 1)
I downloaded sgouros's performance
of this ballade in a live appearence from www.sgourosmp3.com ......it is by
far the greatest of all i have ever heard....it is flawless and when he gets
at the presto section,he gives me the chills....it is even better than
richter's own live performance,to my opinion...
Comments (re: Dimitris Sgouros
playing Ravel Gaspard de la nuit)
diese liste hat nur mit musik
und nichts mit HIFI zum tun:
meine liste ist ein auszug aus meiner
sammlung, sie ist rein LP und rein klavier: diese platten gibt es nicht
(mehr) zum kaufen sind aber, meiner meinung nach, das beste klavierspiel
das je aufgenommen wurde. die tonqualität der lipatti aufnahmen ist leider
ziemlich schlecht:
1. dinu lipatti 7, electrola EMI , C049-01
811: - franz liszt - petrarca-sonett - maurice ravel - alborada del
gracioso - george enescu - sonate für klavier 2. dinu lipatti, EMI,
1C 037 1001671: - frederic chopin, 14 walzer 3. dinu lipatti 5,
electrola EMI, C 047-00 770: - robert schumann, konzert für klavier und
orchester - edvard grieg, konzert für klavier und orchester (solopart
im ersten teil ist unglaublich!) 4. dinu lipatti 2, EMI, C047-01
282: - chopin, sonate, mazurka, nocturne 5. svjatoslav richter,
deutsche grammophon, lpm 18 597, 1959 - schumann konzert für klavier
und orchester, novellette, toccata (dynamik pur!) 6. dimitris sgouros,
EMI, 1985 - franz liszt, etudes d'execution transcendante, mephisto
waltz no.1 (alsob der teufel himself spielt)
kurzes
kommentar: wer lipatti's einspielungen gehört hat, weiß dass andere
interpreten nur noch peinlich zum anhören sind (vergleich sogar richters
einspielung von ravel mit lipatti's). wer den mephisto waltzer mal richtig
hören will kommt an sgouros' nicht vorbei. ich habe ziemlich viel von
richter - auch die bach einspielungen sind empfehlenswert.
[ English translation of driesvds' comments -
"If you want to hear the Mephisto Waltz played properly, look no
further than Sgouros."
]
1. Richard
Clayderman (ja, es gibt ihn noch, den Komponisten
und unübertroffenen Interpreten der Ballade pour
Adeline; vgl.:
www.clayderman.co.uk/home_page.htm)
2.
Helmut Schmidt (geniale Aufnahme des Konzerts für
4 Klaviere zusammen mit Justus Frantz, Christoph
Eschenbach und Gerhard Oppitz bei der DGG - gibt's
die eigentlich noch?)
3. Alfred Schnittke
(zu hören in der Einspielung von Arvo Pärts
"Tabula rasa" zusammen mit G. Kremer und T.
Grindenko bei ECM; ein Klavierspiel, das kaum noch
von dieser Welt ist)
4. Sir Simon Rattle
(hat sich in der Berliner Philharmonie als Pianist
im Endzeit-Quartett Messiaens engagiert und
bewährt - wir empfehlen die umgekehrte Karriere
der Herren Ashkenazy und Barenboim)
5.
Dimitris Sgouros (jener unvergessliche
Wunderjüngling, der schon in zartem Alter mit
hartem Repertoire zu hören war; sogar
Rachmaninoffs Elefantenkonzert hat er der
andächtig lauschenden Welt offeriert und in
manchem Mutterherz die Pianistenberufung ihres
Sohnes erweckt)
6. Lang Lang (Kommentar
inzwischen überflüssig)
__________________ Musik: Atem der
Statuen. Vielleicht: Stille der Bilder. Du Sprache
wo Sprachen enden. Du Zeit, die senkrecht steht
auf der Richtung vergehender Herzen.
(Rilke)
im Fernsehen war ich auf
einen jungen griechischen pianisten aufmerksam geworden. als ich
dann erfuhr, dass er einen klavierabend in der alten oper
Frankfurt geben würde, musste ich mit meinen freunden hingehen.
gerade das stück "Islamey" von d. Balakirev machte auf uns einen
geradezu unheimlichen eindruck. es war uns rätselhaft, wieso eine
so junger Mensch - er war vielleicht nur 16 jahre alt - ein solch
schwieriges und komplexes Klavierstück derart virtuos
interpretieren konnte. seitdem hat dieses stück immer wieder eine
besonders aufwühlende wirkung auf mich und auch anderen jungen
leuten, denen ich es vorstelle geht es ähnlich
"Wo leben die Virtuosen von
heute? Dimitris Sgouros, Marc-Andre Hamelin wo seid Ihr?"
Artur Rubinstein was quoted as saying "he doesn't suck at all". Some other
very high accolades too from some giant names.
"he plays like the baby jesus" (hype - kidding, but he is really good)
have a hear of the Liszt "Feux Follets" Etude - it doesn't get any harder
then that really.
Unknown_Subject
Dec 26, 2001 at 20:51:21
Re: Check out
this new (classic) talent on Mp3.com
True talent...this
guy knows what he is doing that's for sure
uN-sUB..........was here !!!
softsong
Dec 26, 2001 at 20:54:23
Re: Check out
this new (classic) talent on Mp3.com
Just what I need to
relax me while working on a page here
very GOOD !
Thanks ...
andrys
Dec 26, 2001 at 20:55:11
Re: Check out
this new (classic) talent on Mp3.com
Thanks for changing
the subject title, David.
Anyway, while people are enjoying really-good classical of the Sgouros type,
also visit this same piece and other ones played by
Fiorentino
who is mic'd further away but gives it a bit more shading, lilt, character
and tension, while Sgouros is extremely clear and constant. Both versions
are really fine.
Another version of this is the first piece by young Mei-Ting Sun at
Mei-ting's Liszt station. Just goes to show how much talent goes
unheard, at least until now at mp3.com. Neat stuff, folks.
- Andrys
andrys
Dec 26, 2001 at 21:22:44
Re: Re: Check
out this new (classic) talent on Mp3.com
[...]
Thanks for the new one, David. Sgouros was an amazing prodigy. Glad he's
making a comeback.
Yup, believe
it or not. And apparently he played it very well.
Here is a link to the site with the newspaper articles about the
performance etc.
Click here
Quite amazing. Although he is close to thirty by now i would
suspect. Funny how i never heard of him until i saw this website.
But his recording of chopin included on the site (also played at 12
years old) is breathtaking.
What i wouldn't give to see that performance!!
WOW! That
kid is fantastic, especially for only 12 years old. I just can't
imagine a 12 year old playing this well! I'm listening to it right
now, and it is just amazing. I would have loved to have seen this in
person.
--------------------
"Never go to see a doctor whose office plants have died"
by the way compare these 2 feux follets recordings and tell me which
is more beautiful the fast Dimitris Sgouros version
or the Alberto Cobo ultra slow boring version
before
criticizing Dimitris sgouros
did u hear his left hand and how he sounds great he makes a musical
melody with his left hands and
right hand thumbs that other pianist can't make
feux follets is supposed to be played fast
if u wan't to taste all the hidden music
by the way Alberto Cobo version is good but still boring compared to
others it last 4min30
like a movement from a sonata i find this weird
but as u said tastes are differents
--------------------
Liszt,Rachmaninoff,Chopin,Horowitz had FIVE FINGERS I Have Five
Fingers too THEN i can Play what they Play
do u know why i prefer the fast version
i think before performing any music one must return to the sources
of music that inspired the
composer behind every liszt etude or chopin etude there is a story
concerning feux follets it's a kind of rare
meteorological phenomena that occures rarely it's a kind of flash of
thunder that comes in the form
of a ball of fire in old times people thought of it as small flames
dancing or spirits of fire
so the feux follets suggest the dance of these spirits (like gnome
etude from concert etudes)
and the propagation of fire
the second reason is because sgouros managed to give hidden sound
compare left hand of sgouros and alberto cobo u will find more [...]
in sgouros version and more rythmical dynamics which make it
exciting and sound control is better in fact if alberto cobo had
enough technique to perform it like him he would not hesitate but he
lacks it that's all
so he played slow and hesitating to avoid wrong notes but i would
agree with what's been said about horowitz op10n°4
and i don't praise virtuosity
but lhevine said :
technique is just a mean of achieving a musical aim
which cannot be achieved only by hard training
--------------------
Liszt,Rachmaninoff,Chopin,Horowitz had FIVE FINGERS I Have Five
Fingers too THEN i can Play what they Play
Okay, I've
only just listened to the two versions of Feux Follets because I
tangled myself up downloading that player thing.
I like the Sgouros version, not because it's faster but because I
like the sound better. Cobo uses too much pedal in this piece for my
taste. I think Sgouros's playing is much more even, clearer and more
delicate. Put it this way, if Sgouros played it at Cobo's speed I'd
still prefer his playing. Speed isn't the reason I like it.
The only thing I noticed about Sgouros was that he empasised the
upper notes of the double note passages so much I had a job hearing
the lower notes of the pairs. I like the sound of them played with
equal emphasis.
[...]
Posts: 31
| From: Auckland, New Zealand | Registered: May 2002
| IP:
Logged
Here is another wonderful use of soundclick -- get this mp3 while it is
available, or buy the cds/sacds in a year or so. Fine technique, good
enough recording of what is listed as a live performance. Artist has a
page full of classical recordings. A flashy performance of a Liszt piece
you might never think to purchase, but good for your classical playlist
almost anytime. Adding it to the Gugliel Reviews Classical radio
station.
_________________
www.soundclick.com/guglielmo
I was very pleased to listen to the Chopin Piano
Concerto 3rd. movement. I was the conductor at that 1982 performance
(Felipe Izcaray), that was with the Simon Bolivar National Youth
Orchestra of Venezuela. Dimitris was a very energetic 12-year old boy
then, and a superb pianist, comparable only to Martha Argerich in poise
and stamina. I am sure he has kept up his artistry.
Music Director
Orquesta Sinfonica de Salta
Salta, Argentina
".. I still just love that Sgouros
recording - it's become the definitive recording for me, with just the right
tempos (Argerich is known to play a little fast), my preferred cadenza (which
most don't perform), great accents, and overall sound." -
"rubrub" (Chicago, December 21, 2006)
J'ai la vidéo de la version Zimerman/Bernstein et
je confirme le jugement de Loïc. J'y ajouterai une superbe
version hyper éco des 2 concertos , disponible chez Capriccio
(2 CD au prix d'un Naxos ou pas loin) Emil Tabakov et
l'orchestre philharmonique de Sofia accompagnent Dimitris
Sgouros. Ce pianiste grec né en 69 a été médaille d'or au
conservatoire d'Athènes à 13 ans, a démarré une carrière
internationale à 12, a été dirigé par Bernstein, Karajan,
Rostropovitch, Solti et Mehta entre autres. Son répertoire
comprend 45 concertos, de Scarlatti (???) à Cage. Il parle 6
langues et étudie aussi les mathématiques, après des études de
littérature espagnole...(extrait de la notice). Ses concertos
sont brillants, virtuoses, dramatiques quand il le faut et
extrêmement poétiques dans les mouvements lents. L'orchestre
me paraît un peu plus pâteux que Vienne avec Bernstein, mais
quel piano !!!
[ English translation of
Zibouni's comments re: Brahms Piano Concertos Nos 1&2 -
"His concertos are brilliant,
virtuosic, dramatic when needed and extremely poetic in the
slow movements..."
]
Un forumiste aurait-il plus de
renseignements, et notamment une discographie? Ce musicien,
bien que n'ayant pas signé chez Universal et ne bénéficiant
donc pas du marketing habituel, me semble tout à fait à
suivre... Frédéric
A special kind of music to offer for Free
by Precision Blogger
(s6myfl702@sneakemail.com) on Wednesday, November
12th, 2003 @ 12:00PM
Rock Bands might want to consider what the classical pianist Dimitris
Sgouros has done. He has made many performances available FREE online in mp3
format, performances that are usually terrific and very exciting, but were
recorded under less than perfect conditions. These performances are worth
listening to for their excitement and musicality, but if you like them,
you'll want to buy his professional quality recordings.
Does
anyone know what this pianist is up to these days.
I saw him play in Australia in 87, 89, 91 and he was
hailed as one of the great pianists of the century....
Athens con at 8, Rach concertos at 11, all over the
world yada yada...... Where is he now? :-/
Logged
Fotios
Darcey is a Clinical Research Associate studying piano
with Vaila Mead (Aust. Int. Cons. Mus. in Sydney
Australia)
Hi! I
don't really know what Mr. Sgouros is doing at the
moment, as far as concerts etc. go... but you can hear
a lot of his recordings online. Some of them are quite
recent! Here's the website:
http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/335/dimitris_sgouros.html
If for some strange reason that doesn't work, go
to http://www.mp3.com/ and search for "sgouros."
[...]
Sarah
Logged
"Everything has to be a matter of life and death. The
evidence is right here. Suffering and joy. That's all
there is. They're so close, it strikes terror into the
human soul."
I searched for
him, but only one topic showed up, not much info was
given.
Do anybody still know where he is now? He
was a phenomenal child prodigy comparable to Liszt and
Mozart. Rachmaninoff 3rd at 12. Reads and masters scores
in one readthrough. Some of his live performance
recordings are available online, and many are great! He
doesn't seem to record in studio much though...
I
don't seem to get anybody talking about him in this
forum. Why isn't he in the Great Pianists list? What
about the best interpretation? The best technique? Etc,
etc...
I feel he
should be in the list without a doubt, but I think, like
Volodos, he is such a recent up-and-comer that he was
too late to be listed. His technique is out of this
world and he knows it (he plays everything just about as
fast as he can). His interpretations aren't
typically the most thought-provoking but he can sure
make fireworks - one of his favorite encores is Liszt's
Rigoletto Paraphrase which is played in almost half the
time as Bolet and Cziffra.
Yeah Sgouros is
without doubt one of the greatest piano performance
prodigies ever. The complete works of Liszt,
Beethoven and Chopin plus hundreds of smaller solo and
chamber works and 45 concertos all memorized and
performance ready (since the age of like 12) with
stellar technique and musicality to match. As if
that weren't enough, he also has a ridiculous number of
operas memorized and is fluent in several different
languages and has done graduate work in math.
Still not enough?; he was praised by Rubinstein,
after playing for him as a child, as a "gift from
God".
For all that you would think you'd
hear a lil bit more about him. I believe he is
pretty popular in Europe tho which is where he mainly
concertizes. [...]
But, I've only heard a few
Sgouros recordings--including his Rach 3 at age 12--and
I have to say that although I'm really impressed, I
would think twice about comparing his expressive nature
to greats like Rubinstein, etc...I would have to hear a
more recent recording, though. For all I know he's the
best pianist alive today...
Also, there's a story
about him involving Richter, who had made a temporary
stop at some music hall in Italy (or something like
that, dunno the specifics) before being rushed into a
back room excitedly by a piano teacher, who told Richter
that he must listen to this new prodigy. Richter, who
had heard hundreds of "prodigies" in his lifetime, was
reluctant but finally agreed to humour the man. Well,
needless to say, he was more than impressed by young
Sgouros, who played for 3 or 4 hours for Richter without
repeating a single piece (Richter could stop and say
"Ehhh....Beethoven Op. 101" and Sgouros would oblige
quickly, playing entirely from memory). Richter came out
of the hall with huge eyes and told his friend--or
whoever the man was--that he had asked the boy what he
wanted to do when he grew up. Sgouros turned to Richter
from the bench and said "Sviatoslav
Richter!"
He did not
record the Rachmaninoff d minor at 12, he recorded at 14
with the Berlin philharmonic. He is possibly the most
outstanding virtuoso under 40. Or even overall.
Absolutely
stunning.
I can play this
piece tight now, and I happen to be 14. But playing in
carnegie hall under Mytoslav Rostopovich. And playing it
to Sgouros standards is another thing. Than playing it
for the sake of playing it at a young age. Hes a
miracle.
i listened his
recordings i found on soundclick. he's strange - he does
some extraordinary things, and then... it's like it's
not the same person from one bar to the next!
oh,
and listen chopin 1st 3rd part - the caracas
philharmonic orchestra has some difficulties in playing
this
Well i was in
the same music academy with him many years ago and our
fathers (both doctors ) were friends. Definitely he is
one of the 5 most talented ever! Among all pianists
ever!( I quote what richter said for him when he
saw dimitis first time ). He performed in the
concert hall at age of 12 the 3rach concert and as a
study la campanella. The graduating exam.?.. oh... !!
after bach and scarlatti Waldstein, 24 preludes chopin ,
Gaspard de la nuit !!!!!!!, and for concert
TSAIKOWSKI! It was amazing. When he finished (to
see a 12 1/2 years old child playing all these
tremendous pieces with such comfort) all cried from what
they saw. He could play whatever from sight with
speed!!!!!. True believe me. Islamey at 11??? He can
play entire pieces a semitone up or down immediately
without thinking!! Can you believe that??? He has the
absolute ear and that is a problem sometimes.. lol. I
dont want to make other comments. You must fall in love
dimitris and suffer ( in a good way ) from what you
feel. Then... you will be the best. An advice
from an old old friend. I can tell that from the
starting chords of 2nd rachmaninoff concert you played
while ago in Athens..
I live in greece and often i have
been to many of his concerts.I think that society and
general people,are not ready to accept people like
sgouros.People often see him as something
weird.
I do not agree with them,ask anyone who
lives in greece about sgouros!.The word "sgouros" in
greek is a word you say if you think someone is highly
talented.(yes to arts it is a new word!).To me sgouros
is a prodigy.
People like him are not born every
day,i think 1 child every 100 years or so,i agree that
there are child prodigies who can play everything,but
listen,he was 12 and there wont be a child who plays
rach 3 and campanella at the age of 12 for a long
time.
And at 11 he could play islamey,and other
pieces.My teacher was there when he gave his final exams
as a pianist to get his diploma (sgouros was very
very young).Now moments like these you cant live them
every day.
I am not surprised by the fact that he
has not made a career like Richter,pollini or
horowitz,or (you can place any pianist's name here).He
is very different by nature by any other pianist.And
that is a problem for many.And there is another
problem.Everything he does even at the age he is now
-(he is no longer 12)- is not accepted,the shadow of the
child prodigy is still in him,and overshadows everything
he does.
To me his concert's are not the typical
concert you will go and hear,somewhere. I was amazed when
i heard him play Listz/verdi rigoletto (maybe the
fastest version you will ever hear in your life).And it
is not only speed,it is the way of the he played the
piece,it was no longer the typical liszt thing,the
technical abilities he had,made him treat the piece the
way he wanted (believe me i am a HUGE fan of martha
argerich and horowitz but after hearing this i was
almost ready to quit playing!it was ridiculously
fast(FAST!),and powerful!!!and all that at the age of 16
or 17 i think.I had learned to play that piece but after
i heard sgouros i no longer had the will to present it
on the concert platform anymore,i feel weak to do
so!).
So accept him the way it is.Thats the
secret.It is no use trying to accept or not things he
does a certain way or not.He is not the typical pianist
you will see.
Klassische musik über alles! Heil klassische musik!
Yep, I'm a classical music whore.
_________________
Who's the more foolish, the fool or the fool who follows him? -Obi-Wan
Kenobi
"In the unlikely event that someone comes here, hates everything we
stand for, and then donates a big chunk of money anyway, I will thank
him for his stupidity." -Darth Wong, Lord of the Sith
Proud member of the Brotherhood of the Monkey.
Customer
Review
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3, Op. 30
/ Suite No. 2 for two pianos
I fell in love with the Rach 3 in the
early 60's listening to the Byron Janis recording on Mercury. I have
listened to Van Cliburn's ponderous recording, as well as the
arthritic Horowitz recording and the master's own recordings. The
first test I have for a piano virtuoso who records this piece is the
alla marcia in the first movement - is it in tempo or has it been
slowed down? Rachmaninoff, Janis, Argerich and Sgouros all take it
in tempo. The other reviews are correct, this is a dazzling
performance - electrifying with virtuosic tempi. The liner notes
state this was recorded live in Berlin in 1982 - given Ms Argerich's
reputation as possibly the world's finest classically trained
pianist it must have been a spectacular performance live! It
certainly is spectacular on CD - however, Ms Argerich pulls her
punches - she does the shortened version of the first movement
cadenza. There are moments when I felt that she decided to be
especially virtuosic so she races furiously through a passage
Cossack-like only to slow down like the Volga - it was jarring given
other performers more lyrical approach. All three movements are
performed in roughly 40 minutes. Since this was recorded in Berlin
and the Sgouros recording was with the BPO, I can imagine a 13 y/o
Dimitris Sgouros sitting in the audience being inspired by Ms
Argerich's performance - he did after all record it two years later
when he was 14 and he took the longer first movement cadenza! The Sgouros recording is also about 40 minutes long. But to accommodate
the the longer cadenza the tempi are necessarily faster. Maybe
Sgouros hasn't lived up to the promise of this Rach 3 recording -
but his performance is the best out there (if you can find it) - if
you can't this is a reasonable second choice.
Dimitris Sgouros plays Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No 3 op 30 (EMI)
"I have a few CDs of the
Rachmaninoff PC3, by pianists including Garrick Ohlsson and Rachmaninoff...
Sgouros' is my favorite.. BY FAR"
"...
a real revelation... a heavenly reading... only Volodos and Levine could do
anything like this years later..."
Klavierkonzert 1/Klavierkonzert 3 [Doppel-CD]
von Sgouros/Simonov/Bp/Lpo (Künstler),
Tschaikowsky/Rachmaninoff (Komponist)
Eine hervorragende Interpretation des dritten
Klavierkonzertes von Rachmaninoff. Dimitris Sgouros
versteht es glänzend, die grossen Spannungsbögen dieses
Konzertes hervorzuheben. Der Durchführungsteil sowie die
Kadenz des ersten Satzes vom dritten Klavierkonzert von
Rachmaninoff lösen bei mir beim Zuhören regelmässig eine
Gänsehaut aus! Eine ergreifendere und dramtischere
Interpretaion habe ich bisher noch nicht gehört. Sgouros
spielt hierbei die schwierigere akkordische Kadenz von
Rachmaninoff, welche der Komponist aus mir
unverständlichen Gründen - falsche Bescheidenheit ? - zu
seinen Lebzeiten leider in öffentlichen Aufführungen
gemieden hat. Das Gespann Sgouros - Simonov versteht es
hervorragend, die düstere Weltuntergangsstimmung in diesem
Konzert dem Zuhörer zu vermitteln. Es gibt gewiss
Aufnahmen dieses Konzertes, welche in gewissen Details
transparenter und differenzierter interpretiert werden.
Aber mit Ausnahme der hervorragenden Aufnahme von Zoltan
Kocsis, welcher leider die kürzere Kadenz im ersten Satz
spielt, kenne ich keine Aufnahme dieses Konzertes, welche
die grossen Linien und Spannungsbögen dieses Werkes
dermassen hervorragend zum Ausdruck bringt und damit den
Zuhörer in den Bann zu ziehen vermag.
Lobenswert sind bei dieser Aufnahme
auch die Wahl der Tempi, welche sich ganz an die Vorgaben
von Rachmaninoff halten.
Eine packende Interpreation des dritten Klavierkonzertes
von Rachmaninoff, welche - hoffentlich - bald wieder neu
aufgelegt werden sollte !
Neben der Aufnahme von Zoltan Kocsis
wohl die beste Einspielung auf dem Markt für das dritte
Klavierkonzert von Rachmaninoff.
Brahms Klavierkonzerte
1 & 2 von Sgouros/Tabakov/Sofia PO
5.0 von 5 Sternen Wiedersehen mit
einem der ganz Großen !, 19. Oktober 2007
Ich war mehr als überrascht, als ich diese CD bei Amazon
entdeckte. Dimitris Sgouros mit den 2 Klavierkonzerten von J.Brahms. Es wurden
alte Erinnerungen wach, Erinnerungen an ein junges Genie, das mit 12 Jahren
Rach.3.Klavierkonzert in der Carnegie-Hall spielte, was der Beginn einer
Weltkarriere bedeutete, die 7 Jahre dauerte und dann ein abruptes Ende fand, als
Sgouros sich nach Athen zurückzog. Umso gespannter war ich auf diese Aufnahme,
die 2005 gemacht wurde. Und ich wurde nicht enttäuscht ! Geblieben ist Sgouros
unerschüttlicher Instinkt für Musik, gepaart mit einer superben Technik, mit
Hilfe derer er musikalisch alles umzusetzen vermag. Sgouros spielt einen
wunderbar gesanglichen Brahms, ohne dabei ins Uferlose abzutauchen. Sein
legato-Spiel ohne Pedal ist wunderbar, absolut Weltklasse. Ein Traum ist der
2.Satz des 1.Klavierkonzertes, indem Sgouros seine ganze Musikalität zeigt und
man als Zuhörer für einige Momente völlig abzutauchen vermag. Das Sofia
Philharmonic Orchestra ist zwar nicht das Chicago-Orchestra, jedoch spielen die
Musiker sehr musikalisch, so dass deren Klang mit Sgouros Auffassung perfekt
harmoniert. Es ist ein Jammer, dass diese hochkarätige Aufnahme so wenig
Beachtung findet und ein Schattendasein unter den Klavierkonzert-Aufnahmen von
J.Brahms führt. Klare Kaufempfehlung !
Listen
to an interview with Dimitris Sgouros discussing the challenges of the Brahms
Piano Concertos:-
In
questa pagina diverse composizioni di Chopin da poter
ascoltare gratuitamente. Il pianista é Dimitris Sgouros, é
un pianista greco, altro non so. In questo momento sto
ascoltando, da questa pagina la Ballata n°1.
En la
rue de Cascades
Registrado: 14 Nov 2005Mensajes: 317Ubicación: Barcelona-Bilbao
Se me olvidaba Zorgky, lo
que comentabas de recopilar versiones de obras de Chopin, igual te puedo
ayudar, tengo varias, los preludios por Pollini, Argerich, de Larrocha,
Estudios por Sequera Costa, Ashkenazy, Pollini, Valses por Lipatti (para
mi gusto la mejor version), etc. tu diras. Pues nose a mi Rachmaninov me
encanta, te recomendaria sus estudios Op. 33 y 39, preludios Op. 23 y
32, sus 4 conciertos, la rapsodia sobre tema de paganini, sus momentos
musicales, uff la verdad que no pararia... de Mompou sus 'impressions
intimes' son preciosas, su 'Musica Callada' genial, de Liszt su 'Mephisto
waltz nº 1' (arreglo para piano) interpretado por Dimitris Sgouros, de
Nikolai Medtner conoces algo? sus conciertos una pasada, y sus sonatas
hay que escucharlas, es una pena que este 'olvidado' (y digo olvidado
entre comillas), nose te podria decir tantas...
saludos,
l.o.g.
_________________
Por muy alta que se la montaña, no puede tapar el sol.
I did meet the Placido Domingo (the opera singer). I sang with him (as part of a 50+ person choir
) but I did get to shake his hand and he said I have a beautiful name
I
was also penpals with Dimitris Sgouros, a greek pianist. We were both
teens and he was one of these genius kid musicians back then.
I've also met some scientists but they're even less famous than classical musicians
Logged
"I
have such ambitious dreams and wishes, and none of my plans include not
growing up because I wound up being food." - Young Frog
Guts and a grand ambition
February 15 2003
Name Aaron McMillan Age
26 Occupation Pianist, composer,
entrepreneur Philosophy "I didn't learn the piano just to
have a go. I wanted to become a great pianist."
How do you get to the Sydney Opera House? Practise, practise, practise,
goes the old joke, but Aaron McMillan has some more daring advice. His
rented city apartment, where he does practise for seven hours a
day, looks down on the white shells of the concert hall, where he will
stage his own solo piano concert on February 25, just two weeks after his
26th birthday.
"It's the thing you dream about when you're a little fellow," he says.
"But so many things go against an Australian pianist putting on a concert
at the Opera House." Box-office records show that only Roger Woodward and
David Helfgott have given solo recitals in the concert hall to full
audiences.
McMillan went there as a 12-year-old to see the brilliant young Greek
pianist Dimitris Sgouros. "I had terrible seats behind the lid, where I
couldn't even see him, but it was this incredible sound. I came away
feeling really elated, as though I could get out and do anything."
[...]
What are your
greatest influences?
"When I was young I saw Dimitris
Sgouros perform Rachmaninov’s Third Piano Concerto at the Sydney
Opera House. I was captivated. Needless to say the romantics were a great
influence for me, particularly Chopin and all things in C minor. In fact,
every piece I wrote at that time was dramatic and in C minor, without
exception."
Best musical experience...
"By far the concert by Steinway
and Sons for its 150-year anniversary where Demetris Sgouros performed..."
I've heard about a man who was imprisoned in a hole each
day. He occupied himself by imagining he was playing a round of golf with
his mates, walking around their favourite course. He visualized each shot
together with the complete emotional experience. After his rescue, he was
back home and found that his golf had considerably improved. This
illustrates the power of mental rehearsal. Perhaps VFL footballers could
help you with that? A lot of them would be used to scans
anyway?
From: Frederick Mendelsohn
(expert)
25/06/2004 12:15:55 PM
Subject: re: Forum on the brain
post id: 665
Yes, mental rehearsal does seem to be able to improve
performance at least in some tasks. I remember the young pianist - I think
it was Dimitris Sgouros who said that most of his practice was mental
rehearsal of the music and the minority was at the
keyboard
From: Max Coltheart
(expert)
25/06/2004 12:21:00 PM
Subject: re: Forum on the brain
post id: 679
Expert pianists have told me the same thing. And sometimes
they may spend an hour or so AFTER the performance replaying it in their
heads and improving the (mental) performance. This must be producing
changes in the brain, changes which will make them perform better next
time. So purely mental work can clearly make important changes in the
brain.
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I highly recommend the Liszt pieces. In your face, Zaia!
January 21, 2005
GUIDA ALL' ASCOLTO DELLA MUSICA CLASSICA
Publicado:
Lun Nov 21, 2005 4:26 pm
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) but I did get to shake his hand and he said I have a beautiful name 
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Comments (re: video of Dimitris Sgouros playing the Liszt Sonata at the 2000 Montpellier Festival, France)
richterfreak