Arcadi Volodos Live at Carnegie Hall

The only applause not left edited out of this recording of Arcadi Volodos's Carnegie Hall debut recital--given on October 21, 1998--comes after his house-burning encore of Liszt's maniacally florid variations (à la Horowitz) on the famous Mendelssohn "Wedding March." But the volley of enthusiastic cheers and wallops that ensues is enough to register the charismatic spell this young Russian pianist must have cast over his audience. Only in his mid-20s, Volodos seems to channel a bygone era of the Russian variety of Romantic virtuosity in its dual aspect, from hyperathletic prowess to exquisitely poised lyrical refinement. The recital opens with dazzlingly calibrated fireworks for Liszt's 15th Hungarian Rhapsody ("after Vladimir Horowitz," with whom Volodos justifiably invites comparison--as he did on his spectacular debut album--for his sinewy, larger-than-life negotiation of its thunderous octave runs and tangle of skittering flourishes). A far different world is brought to life in the enigmatic, compressed motivic echoes of the Scriabin pieces. The multiply trilled outbursts of ecstatic transport in his Sonata No. 10 beckon and dissipate like voluptuous hallucinations. Volodos can master the kind of interior poetry--breathtaking in its simple eloquence--needed for the two Rachmaninoff Études-tableaux. So too the aching, barely achieved tranquillity Schumann calls for in the most introspective of the "Bunte Blätter." Indeed, the variety of tonal color, warm legato, playful animation, and fully voiced harmonies Volodos brings out suggests the "varicolored leaves" of the collection's title. This is pianistic poetry that lingers long in the mind's ear, as it undoubtedly did for the lucky audience that night in Carnegie Hall. --Thomas May Amazon.com

Totally Captivating Pianism

There are loads of pianists nowadays who can impress with quick fingures and so called artistry, but in fact nothing much is happening artistically if you listen to their playing attentively. Argerich, Pollini, Sokolov, Kissin, Ashkenazy, Katsaris, immediately come to my mind.

And there are very few pianists whose playing seems to make time stand still, and you feel as if another universe is unfolding in front of you. Richter, Rubinstein, Horowitz in 60-70s, Leon Fleisher, Sofronitsky, H.Neuhaus, Pogorelich in early 80s.

Volodos belongs to the latter although he made his name first as a Titan of virtuoso performance, as the two liszt/Horowitz transciptions in this recital show. But rest of the recital consists of more inward-looking works by Scriabin, Rachmaninov and Schumann. Here Volodos' playing is totally spell-binding with his limitless variety of tonal colour and intricacy, even though it takes repeated listenings to fully appreciate his artistry. So if you expect only fireworks on this cd, you are bound to get disappointed as it includes only two works of that kind. But if you can appreciate the pianism of real depth and artistry. This is a very rewarding recital to treasure. March 3, 2008

Perhaps unlimited potentials

The question I have is whether his genius extends to bringing out the individual idiom of each composer in sufficient contrast. This will sound like a knock - sorry - but as much as I enjoy his thrilling and virtuosic playing, I oftentimes hear more Volodos than the personality of the composer coming through. Each pianist places his or her individual personality on the music, no doubt about it, but I find that I sometimes have to fight... to work hard... to hear the Rachmaninov in Rachmaninov, the Schumann in Schumann, the Scriabin in Scriabin, because his pianistic performance can sometimes be so overridingly, and I believe, unintentionally dominant. Perhaps each composer's idiom will come through more clearly with repeated listenings or as Volodos matures. In the meantime, I'd love for him to commune with the genius of the composer as much he does with his own. If not, he is likely to fall far short of Horowitz's musicality except for his transcendent technique, and that would be a great loss. May 26, 2007

Volodos is the heir and superior of Horowitz

Time will tell the whole tale but based on this recording Mr. Volodos must be considered one of the greatest pianists to have ever played the instrument. It is interesting to me that much of the criticism that has been leveled against the man comes from a music establishment whose members and stars are plainly unable to play such pieces with anything close to the same speed, precision, and power. They simply can't do it and so they chide the one who can; the one whose talent exist on a higher plain than their own. And yet the way Mr. Volodos plays such masterpieces somehow rings true to the original intent of the composers. Without question that is true of Liszt whose works for solo piano have seldom, if ever, been played convincingly since Cziffra, similarly scorned by a less-talented establishment, dazzled those whose egos would let them truly hear. Poor Earl Wild and Andre Watts must be quaking in their mediocrity to hear such greatness. The grotesquely oversold Lang Lang must be hiding under a table somewhere, sure that the world has found him out. Don't worry guys; the establishment can't recognize greatness without seeing their own lack of it. There is little chance of that happening. As of today, 9/25/05, I ask of Sony Classical, where is Mr. Volodos? Where is the newsletter promised on his website? Where is his itinerary? He recently played the Far East yet Sony refused to even notify his info-starved fans. Why isn't he promoted? Volodos, you need another label. You need representation, promotion, exposure. Please come to the USA! Every time I listen to my worn old recordings of the great Cziffra my heart cries out: Where is Arcadi Volodos?
September 25, 2005

FANTASTIC !! - And Well Recorded.

From a Pianist to a Pianist:

This CD is incredible. Volodos, as "Marc-Andre Hamelin" is one of the greatest living pianists. After Horowitz (the Incarnation of the piano itself) , I'm glad to hear such marvellous interpretations and the variety of the pieces, control of technik, luminous touch, and deepness. Very Passionate.
Congratulations Volodos, try to make your own Encores also, like Horowiz made it.
This CD is a Must Have!

Dihelson Mendonça - Brazil - www.dihelson.com July 6, 2004

Volodos is at Home in Late Romantic Virtuoso Repertoire...

Arcadi Volodos has easily become one of my favorites after listening to this phenomenal debut CD. I dare anyone to listen to the first track (the diabolical Horowitz version of Liszt's fifteenth Hungarian Rhapsody) and not listen to the album in its entirety. The Scriabin is exotic and poetically introspective, the Rachmaninov is rich and nostalgic, and the Liszt is a triumph of virtuosity. My only reservation is Volodos' decision to record Bunte Blatter when so many other more successful piano-cycles exist in the Schumann catalogue (imagine an artist of this kind of versatility tackling Carnaval or Kreisleriana). I would also like to suggest Volodos' CD of virtuoso piano transcriptions and his Rach 3. He is a brilliant artist with the rare ability to combine keyboard pyrotechnics, a full-bodied tonal palette, and an inimitable sense of style. This CD is highly recommended. July 7, 2003

More reviews at Amazon.com ...