Impressive Rach 3 By Andrei Nikolsky

International Elisabeth Competition in 1987: (start of the "big" cadenza) P.S.: I was present that evening, maybe that's why this footage of the concert during the finales is so special to me. I still hope that the poor sound and video will give you an impression of the atmosphere that was there and of the enormous capabilities of this ill-fated pianist. It was simply unbelievable. First of all, Nikolsky chose not to wear the expected outfit, but showed up in a Kosak costume. He was forgiven immediately, though, when he gave this unforgettable performance of Rach3 and took a deserved first prize. P.S.1: He had the largest hands I have ever seen in any pianist. P.S.2: It was terribly hot in the hall. No air conditioning. EDIT: The subtitles that regularly appear ("Niet meer telefoneren; Alle kaarten zijn uitgedeeld") mean: "Please stop calling; all tickets have been distributed." This was a live broadcast by the BRT (Belgian television) that got an avalanche of last-minute phone calls by people who wanted to attend the competition after Nikolsky had started playing... Paul