Khatia B, as far as the eye can see
mainThe Paris-based Georgian pianist is going to new lengths to promote her latest Sony product with this publicity image.
She says: “Labyrinth” is out. I’m lost in it, lost in my mind, lost in the music. But the voice you hear is the voice of a human being – my voice, your voice. I hope you see me through your eyes, as your own reflection. You may love it, hate it, be indifferent or neglect it. In any case – this album is my love letter to you, personally written for you. 
She would do so much good — to her work as a Cartier ambassadress and to her career — if she would just desist from sharing her “thoughts.” As she has written this album as a love letter, personally to me, I think I am going to accept the option to be indifferent to it and neglect it. (Whatever the difference is).
I guess she’s saying that she plays the piano and hopes we’ll enjoy it. A laudable ambition..
Now that’s more like it.
I do wish these people would stop p+++++g about and just say “Buy my record”.
Quite!
If you want to read incoherent pompous French babbling, try amusing yourself while sitting “at your convenience” and read some of Helene Grimaud’s ramblings. Personally I prefer ‘Viz’
==this album is my love letter to you, personally written for you.
Err, we’ve never met.
>>I’m lost in the music.
Maybe. But I’m sure you’re you won’t be lost on the way to the bank. Cashing in this dreck
The blurb says “Labyrinth’ includes diverse and easy listening tracks with an appeal to a broader audience. With favourites ranging from Bach, Vivaldi and Scarlatti, to Chopin, Brahms and Satie to Glass and Gainsbourg.”
Utter nonsense
Stop giving her air time.
That would be unwise. See how many clicks & comments she gets every time something about her shows up here? She’s helping Norman keep the lights on.
Utterly empty hogwash hype, written by an underpaid millennial staffer at her label and perhaps vetted back and forth between some other staffers in an email chain. Nothing more.
Bare-breasted kitschification whereby music is hoped to be an afrodisiacum.
How far will ‘performers’ go in their prostitution exercises? And which kind of audience do they have in mind? Certainly not any serious music lover. These kind of people should leave the profession ASAP, especially in these times where the art form is under serious pressures.
Revolting piece of crap
What a shame the Ozzy Man Review was removed from YT. He saw it coming. One minute ausdrag here, though.
https://twitter.com/ozzymanreviews/status/1082091960330944514
I don’t know of Khatia B and her work; I trust her recording isn’t a piano version of ‘Into The Labyrinth’ by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies.
I might add my favourite title for any piece of music – and it’s disturbingly apt right now – is probably ‘A Sad Paven For These Distracted Times’ by ‘Max’, for string quartet, on a theme by Thomas Tomkins.
Phwoar! Anything topless love is fine with me. Just hope those hooters are in full working order.
” … this album is my love letter to you, personally written for you.” Sounds like some of the spam I get.
Oh Khatia, these are indeed tough times, but do you really find it necessary to stoop this low to get attention? How can you allow the marketing nincompoops at Sony to exploit you like this?
Interesting. No bra = no cleavage. She may want to rethink this appraoch.
Snore……
But when do we get to see the un-cropped image? 😉
There might have been at least one comment on this thread (apart from mine) if we had at least been told the actual NAME of this evident non-entity.
Nice girl, too busy promoting products to learn how to really play.
Hard to attract attention these days and few concerts around. I suspect her contract with Sony requires her to agree to its marketing department strategy.
Mozart struggled for patronage too (different circumstances but still …).
“…..as far as the eye can see” and disgusting!
Put on some clothes. Comb your hair.
She certainly is a beautiful woman, and she’s a fine pianist.
Her prose, however, is a bit purple for my taste.
Makes it sound like she wrote the music – misleading
I feel for all the very knowledgeable music purists & pros who are blowing their collective gaskets over the trivialization (and sexualization–sex sells!) of classical music into near-mass entertainment, where Boobs B, Yujia, Lang Lang, Bocelli, n John Williams of the world dominate the news n sales charts. Bring back Annie Fischer, Ira Haendel n all the great purists of the past! I don’t like it either, but i am afraid that age has past forever. We can sit here n harrumph our disdain all we want n enjoy support from fellow purists, but the modern tide is too big to overcome n will continue to steamroll forward. The connoisseur who has 60 CDs of Bruckner symphonies is going the way of the dodo bird, I’m afraid.
Not necessarily. The corona storm may simply blow away the dead leaves of silly, parasitical exploitation, to prepare for a purist spring.
There is no shortage of first class talent. The media spotlight just happens to be focused elsewhere.
You comment brings to mind this Annie Fischer rehearsal vid, where she is attired like a hausfrau and takes drags on her cigarette in down moments from the piano bench during a Mozart Concerto rehearsal; it’s priceless. Then again, Clara Haskil was mistaken at one point for a washerwoman when she walked into the Musikverein in Vienna for a “washer woman” and handed a mop and a bucket. (At least that’s how the story goes.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7Uf_M-s1eA Today sex sells, between Khatiya, Yuja, Valentina and Lola, they all wear outfits female pianists would not have been caught dead in 20 years ago. All four have successful social media everywhere, in fact Instagram/Facebook/Twitter/Youtube made Valentina and Lola stars. Yuja and Khatiya didn’t need it, but it sure helped.
The mind can see even further!
Kind of sad what people think they have to do in order to get publicity.
You forget how difficult it is for musicians now that the CD market has fallen so much: many fine artists are never heard of and even the top ones make very few recordings and so get very few royalties.
Did she forget to wear her Cartier?
Whatever. There’s some breathtaking pianism here, though, and the instrument is stunning (I’m guessing Bösendorfer). Among the many highlights: an especially introspective Brahms Intermezzo, Op. 118, No. 2; Ligeti’s Arc-en-ciel from Études, Bk 1; the Badinerie from Bach’s 2nd Orchestral Suite, niftily spun out with Khatia’s older sister Gvantsa; and Villa-Lobos’ Valsa Da Dor. These are deeply personal, intimate performances, which in this sincere, unique artist’s hands can stretch at times to eccentric lengths, but unaffectedly.
I’m reminded of the last time I heard her in concert: a Schubert D.960 whose first two movements were trancelike – bizarrely, even infuriatingly elongated – and yet the last two were coruscating in their brilliance. Her Liszt and Schubert-Liszt were also magisterial and utterly compelling.
Why is it necessary to go to body shaming to make a point. Please make an effort to address the relevant issues and leave your lack of respect to yourself.
What a nonsense. This lady needs a brain job, not a nose job.
Well I bought it. I also bought “Spem in Alium” by the Ora Singers coupled with “Vidi Aquam” by Sir James MacMillan. To be strongly recommended.
Every aspect of that comment is distasteful. To address only the most important element: “everybody” does NOT recognise any such thing about prostitutes. Many people realise that at least some of the women in this line of endeavour are driven to it by poverty, and lack of opportunity — perhaps lack of education, or abuse in childhood followed by the runaway route leading to homelessness and the street.
I am not personally acquainted with any prostitutes, but I do know some café owners whose premises are frequented by “working girls” on breaks. They tell a very different story, of nice women just trying to get by, mostly having children to raise. They are filthy neither physically nor spiritually.
You, on the other hand, seem to have a distinctly muddy spirit when it comes to across-the-board judgment of others.
This reminds me of a wonderful Walter Matthau film where when a mature lady threatens to take off her bra he exclaims ” No ! No ! Don’t let ’em out ”
The same feelings are induced in me now
I’m lost in day-to-day existence and that’s plenty.
If she’s bringing new listeners to classical music, good for her. I hope she has a lengthy future before the public, because her early work, though excessively mannered at times, is promising.
Also, based on my single interaction with her- a lovely person.
Next step, cam girl…..almost willing to bet there will be an Only Fans, or Patreon account. I might join for a month.
Mr Lebrecht, if you post something on female pianists, could it be, please, on Yeol Eum Son or Beatrice Rana?
Please.
Thanks Norman for keeping us abreast of Khatia’s new endeavors.
I too think that there has been too much attention drawn to her bosom. Doesn’t she also have a gorgeous butt?