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.

Peter Heinrich
 

[...]
> Sgouros recorded several works in 1983/4 for EMI including the Rach 3(1984
> when he was 14 or 15). The only recordings I know of from the 90's are both
> 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
 

[ Excerpt from 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.
 

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.

Jonathan
 

Dear list,

I do not remember if I have posted this earlier:
http://www.sgouros-pianist.com/images_bio/sg3a.jpg

[Picture of Sgouros with Martha Argerich]

- Björn
 

--- In martha_argerich@y..., wookyoon@n... wrote:
> Sgouros looks like a little kid. How old was he in this picture ?
> Fourteen ?

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
 

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
 

Genius, isn't that a little too much? Maybe he was at twelve.
He clearly is a very good pianist, but something is missing, that forces me to
listen to same piece again and again to fully absorb its nuances and
revelations and set free the joy of its interpretation. That caliber (i.e.
Horowitz) is beyond technique.
 

-----Original Message-----
From: wupohan <wupohan@y...> [mailto:wupohan@y...]
Sent: Wednesday, January 29, 2003 5:59 PM
To: martha_argerich@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [martha_argerich] Chopin's Ballad

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!

Pohan

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

SGOUROSMP3 WROTE:
>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!
 

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 my newly
established website featuring MP3s of live performances by Greek
pianist Dimitris Sgouros:

http://www.sgourosmp3.com

(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 my
guestbook.

Enjoy!
 

There was some recent commentary on this discussion group about Dimitris
Sgouros, maybe a little while back. The take on him today is that while he
was an extraordinary child/teen phenomenon, his later playing at age 31 is
not as good. I can't say as I haven't heard his recent playing, though
that assessment was based on one review. I do know there was another
review of, I think, the same Carnegie Hall recital, which was very
positive. In any case, 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 many 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 have heard at least one performances that was a bit off, the Tchaikovsky
B flat concerto, which for some reason I still can't figure out was just
not convincing to my ears. It was released on a couple of CD's, including
a Tchaikovsky for Dummies CD, I think. In spite of that, there are moments
of remarkable technique.

I find that some of Sgouros' promo material is a bit too adulatory, and
seems not to fit in well enough with the rest of the musical world. It
seems, in a way, not as professional as it could be and might not be doing
him the best service.

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. I
wondering if at that time he was maybe pushing himself too hard/fast. The
G Minor Ballade has a lot of good things in it, I think.

Tom Blancato
 

[...]
Rubinstein and Martha were probably awestruck by his virtuosity only,
which true, is amazing for someone his age. 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 hope that I didn't seem too harsh, it's just that with all the hype
and hoopla, by some famous pianists no less, I expected more. Oh
well.
 

[...]

> 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
the 192kbps MP3 from here -

http://www.sgourosmp3.com/chopin-nocturneop48no1-sgouros.mp3
(8.4Mb)

But in fairness to Argerich, I think Sgouros can learn a lot from
her in the Prokofiev 3 Concerto, which showcases Argerich's fiery
dynamism and imagination at their very best...

[...]

Just listened to this on Mp3 and it is, as Vickie, says, a very fine,
thoughtful performance. I can't say that I prefer it to Argerich's
but it 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. However, MA's treatment of the very first 3 notes are
enough to 'separate' the performances for me. In the C Major 'poco
piu lento', I was rather surprised to hear Sgouros 'foreshortening'
some of the half-note chords (mss 29, 32, 37 - an all-too-frequent
problem with students). Argerich achieves the most velvety-smooth
transition into this section that I have ever heard and continues
this 'satin sound' until the octaves begin. Her cross rhythms in the
doppio movimento are sharper, even though her tempo is faster than
Sgouros'. 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.

Gerrie

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.
 

[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

I think the Greek (then boy) Dimitris Sgouros was Artur's favourite pianist.

Peter
Hong Kong

Actually not. He heard Sgouros just a few months before he died and he was impressed and gave him a watch. The boy was young and he just heard him once, he came to Geneva with his parents in October 1982.

Annabelle Weidenfeld  [NB: Lady Weidenfeld was Rubinstein's girlfriend in the final decade of his life]

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

--- In HomageToArthurRubinstein@yahoogroups.com, AWeidenfel@... wrote:
>
> Actually not. He heard Sgouros just a few months before he died and he was
> impressed and gave him a watch. The boy was young and he just heard him once,
> he came to Geneva with his parents in October 1982.

>Annabelle Weidenfeld
>

Actually, I am not too sure about this statement of Rubinstein's concerning Sgouros. He would not have been able to write it himself at that stage. I would have had to write it for him and he would have signed it. I do not remember doing so. I do remember going out and buying a watch for him to give the boy. My memory could be playing tricks on me, there was a lot else going on then and after, and Rubinstein was ill and very frail although totally clear in his mind. If I could see this original document, I would be sure.

Annabelle Weidenfeld  [NB: Lady Weidenfeld was Rubinstein's girlfriend in the final decade of his life]

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 

Lady Weidenfeld, 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...

A Very Tired Jon

--- In HomageToArthurRubinstein@yahoogroups.com, AWeidenfel@... wrote:
>
> Actually, I am not too sure about this statement of Rubinstein's
concerning Sgouros. ........ If I could see this original document, I
would be sure. Annabelle Weidenfeld
>

Date: 1994-02-17 02:47:07 PST
 

Date: 1995-03-15 15:54:27 PST
 

Date: 1997/05/15
 

Date: 2001-12-20 21:50:41 PST
 

Date: 2001-12-20 22:16:22 PST
 

Date: 2001-12-29 19:51:09 PST
 

Date: 2001-12-26 20:19:00 PST
 

Date: 2001-12-27 02:41:38 PST
 

Date: 2001-12-27 11:06:12 PST
 

Date: 2001-12-27 11:17:48 PST
 

Date: 2001-12-27 11:43:39 PST
 

Date: 2002-03-27 13:57:26 PST
 

Date: 2002-03-27 14:15:19 PST
 

Date: 2002-03-27 19:27:42 PST
 

Date: 2002-03-28 01:01:11 PST
 

Date: 2002-03-28 01:15:34 PST
 

Date: 2002-03-28 13:15:34 PST
 

Date: 2002-03-28 08:40:13 PST
 

Date: 2002-03-28 14:50:28 PST
 

Date: 2002-04-21 23:45:16 PST
 

Date: 2001-11-30 22:29:48 PST
 

Date: 2001-12-01 02:19:03 PST
 

Date: 2001-12-04 13:23:26 PST
 

Date: 2001-12-01 20:03:56 PST