The recording doesn't disappoint. Each concerto is a perfect showcase for her talent, and she effortlessly tackles all that Rachmaninov's impressive music throws her way - from lively bubbling semiquavers in the opening of Concerto No.

• Valentina Lisitsa Nocturne
• Lisitsa Youtube

Valentina Lisitsa is one of the most frequently viewed pianists on YouTube, who sold out her debut performance at the Royal Albert Hall after attracting an internet.

1, to moments of understated beauty in the famous No. Fans of Rachmaninov's expansive piano melodies and beautifully soupy Romantic moments will not be disappointed, but there's much more to this album than a few hummable tunes. In tackling these huge cornerstones of the piano repertoire in her debut studio album, Valentina Lisitsa proves it's not just Rachmaninov who should be taken seriously. This is a thoroughly engrossing account of one of the 20th century's greatest bodies of piano works. It has all the power and passion you'd want, without any of the grandstanding and excessive rubato that sometimes goes with it. What makes it different from many competing accounts is that Lisitsa has at many points followed Rachmaninov's own Rachmaninov recordings rather than the published scores.

The young Michael Francis does a tremendous job of keeping the music moving while allowing that vital ebb and flow of expression. Concertos 1 and 4: Lisitsa plays both of them with a lot of fire and energy, emphasizing the quite advanced romantic harmonies in No. 1 and treating No. 4 as anything but an unsuccessful sequel to the two that came before.

Her command of the keyboard is extraordinary, and one should really look at her videos to see why; her elongated, thin, and flexible fingers, graceful and smooth, make her feats of prestidigitation quite fluent and flawless, and a perfect set of hands needed for a composer like Rachmaninov. her fast tempos give a new and rather breathtaking dimension. Paganini Variations: Her playing reminds me. Of a younger Martha Argerich, the same robust tone and tempestuousness of temperament. Michael Francis learned of Lisitsa's intention via solo recordings that she made of each movement, as they did not have the means to meet before the sessions began. He does a fine job, coaxing the. Londoners into some truly inspired playing.

Decca's sound is for the most part wide and involving. This is what it probably really sounded like in the studio, and the results are most exciting. Lisitsa has given us a set fully worthy of her predecessors. Francis and the London Symphony Orchestra provide consistently world-class, shapely orchestral frameworks and beautifully characterised first-desk solos throughout. Supple filigree and textural lightness by Lisitsa.

The Second Concerto's first movement fares best, where Lisitsa's rubato in the second subject has an unforced give and take. the brass and winds make a powerful impact in the Fourth Concerto, which boasts Lisitsa's most sharply characterised playing; note the sustained lyricism in the Largo's extended solo passages and the finale's exciting build-up shortly after the reprise of the first movement's introduction. Powerhouse performances. Vivid - exciting - passionate.

Lisitsa has a commanding technique, and she is equal to Rachmaninov's demands, technically. While her playing could not be described as lush, there's poetry too, and plenty of imagination, despite the fast speeds and forceful execution. The Decca recording is excellent: clear, forward, and very vivid, allowing lots of subtle detail to be heard. The heavy brass sounds very immediate, but the piano is always well-balanced and clear. An impressive achievement! Lisitsa's interpretations are extroverted but never crass; she has a good, singing line and is tasteful when playing an accompanimental role.

She is consistently fleet and impetuous. The first theme of the Second has sweep and momentum; the second theme is free but expressive. The opening 'quasi gliss' of the third movement is spectacular. Her fearless tempos in the Fourth Concerto are reminiscent of the composer's own. Her playing is impressively accurate. The recording, for the most part, is outstanding. The piano is captured close-up, but orchestral details are still clear.

Her set is therewith recommended.

Biography Valentina Lisitsa is one of the most frequently viewed pianists on YouTube, who sold out her debut performance at the Royal Albert Hall after attracting an internet fan base of millions. Life and Music Born in the Ukraine in 1973, Lisitsa took up the piano at the age of three and performed her first solo recital aged just four. After gaining a place at the Lysenko Music School for Gifted Children, she went on to study at the Kiev Conservatory under Ludmilla Tsvierko. Her husband, Alexei Kuznetsoff, is also a gifted pianist. They often perform together, and won first prize duetting in The Murray Dranoff Two Piano Competition in 1991.

Lisitsa burst on to the international classical music scene after uploading videos of her performances to YouTube, which have now received more than 45million views. After attracting a loyal internet audience, she was able to sell out the entire Royal Albert Hall for her debut performance. This concert was recorded on CD and streamed online – so far more than 100,000 people have watched the two hour internet video in its entirety. Despite fuelling her solo career using social media alone, without the help of a recording company or marketing team, Lisitsa has now signed to Decca Classics and released her debut album. Did you know? Valentina Lisitsa has a soft spot for Rachmaninov – not least because her performance of his Etude Tableau Op. 6, (“Little Red Riding Hood”) was the first video to burst on to the viral video scene.

Valentina Lisitsa Nocturne

Lisitsa Youtube

Before she was introduced to the Russian maestro’s music, she loved the music of Bach.