I hope Daniel and Greg won't mind: I am reviewing several Chopin CDs for MusicWeb at the moment and thought I might enlist GMG's help with a very, very short Blind Comparison Game!
Chopin: Etude Op. 25, No. 1 in A-flat major, "Aeolian Harp"
The rules are very simple. There are only five clips, and they are the full etude. Listen to all five, describe your opinion of each performance, and rank them. You may feel free to discuss, disparage, praise, in any way you see fit. If you want to guess a pianist's name, do it in tiny lettering like this. There's no bracket, so these five are all the listening you'll do for this lightning round.
Voting will be open for one week - until midnight New York City time on the night of January 11th-12th, 2013. On the 12th I will post a bonus question which you may feel free to answer, or not. Then, probably on the 14th or 15th, I will reveal the names of the five pianists.
So. One etude. Five pianists. One week. Listen, enjoy, think, critique. Simple!
Pianist #1 (https://dl.dropbox.com/u/12672585/Chopin%20etudes%20game/mysteryetudist1.mp3)
Pianist #2 (https://dl.dropbox.com/u/12672585/Chopin%20etudes%20game/mysteryetudist2.mp3)
Pianist #3 (https://dl.dropbox.com/u/12672585/Chopin%20etudes%20game/mysteryetudist3.mp3)
Pianist #4 (https://dl.dropbox.com/u/12672585/Chopin%20etudes%20game/mysteryetudist4.mp3)
Pianist #5 (https://dl.dropbox.com/u/12672585/Chopin%20etudes%20game/mysteryetudist5.mp3)
P.S. Two notes.
1. I know many of our resident pianophiles are also audiophiles. I hope they'll forgive me for my transgressions here: these clips come from a variety of sources, including MP3 download, CD rip, and, yes, even YouTube. Sound quality differs widely.
2. This will only take about 15 minutes of your time, so when the Berlioz listening game enters Round 2 soon, there's no reason whatsoever not to participate in both. And, Daniel and Greg, please don't adjust your schedule on my account. :)
Knee jerk reaction:
1, 5, 4, 2, and then 3. However, I enjoyed them all, so, so much for my "ear". ;D
After just one listen, in keeping with the "lightning round" theme. Like Bogey, I enjoyed them all. My ranking, most to least favorite, displayed WHITE ON WHITE:
- 1, rubato and voicing a bit labored, overall not even enough
- 4, evenness & shaping of line not always well controlled
- 3, melody occasionally under-projected, limited color
- 5, melody doesn't feel legato/cantabile
- 2, felt lethargic and exaggerated
1. l.h. very fluid; tune felt a little light of voice, and perhaps a bit wooden to me. I.e., treatment of the melody felt too much like an etude.
2. nice bell-like attack in r.h., and a melodic 'arc'; tune sang nicely. In contrast to 1., this felt like a Chopin piece.
3. rhythm of the tune felt a little 'deliberate' to me; some moments which struck me as near-clunky. Overall, better impression than 1., not so well done as 2.
4. a bit more emphasis on the bass, and a nicely sotto voce melody, which brought out some contrapuntal elements nicely.
5. rhythm of the melody feels like marking time to me. As it rolls along – why am I thinking of Alvin and the Chipmunks?
Ranking: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1 - 5
The timing, and the short scope of the project, hit me at just the right time.
Very glad for the comments so far, Bill, Paul, Karl! :)
Quote from: Bogey on January 05, 2013, 06:38:47 AM
I enjoyed them all, so, so much for my "ear". ;D
Not at all your ear, Bill! I intentionally chose some very, very fine performers, so these aren't garden-variety pianists we're hearing. In fact, the harsh critiques so far suggest that this etude is truly a difficult piece to express well!
Oh, what fun!
Preference: 2,4,3,1,5.#2 really stood out for me, and I will be very interested to hear who is playing that one.
#1 - Lithe, but perhaps lacking in color a bit. In the end, perhaps not as nuanced as Chopin can be in dynamics, but still enjoyable, though technically the hands are not always together (perhaps due to the strong rubato at times).
#2 - Here we have more play, and greater use in varied effects (with more effective rubato and more balanced sound). One feels the pianist soar with ebb and flow with a full range of expression, more so than the others I felt. The only one who uses dynamics so well - subtleties abound. Magnificent.
#3 - One perhaps feels that the sounds are not always as integrated/balanced as with #2. Still, pretty good.
#4 - Better than #3, you can hear immediately how the main theme does not ping above the rest, but like #2, flows/integrates with what the other hand is doing. On the other hand, sometimes it almost gets lost.
#5 - A bit too straight on the top line and not as well integrated with the rest.
Very interesting. I think you hear all you need to in the first seconds to form a view as they are consistent from beginning to end in how they play.
Thanks Brian!
Think of the children!
All of these are very fine indeed, thanks for the comparison, Brian.
4, 2, 3, 1, 5
I can imagine no. 2 dividing opinions, as the rubato is maybe a bit too much.
Brian, I shall certainly take part - will hopefully get it done on Wednesday evening. :)
Chopin's Etude Aeolian Harp is superb.
All the performances are very good, I really enjoyed listening to them. :)
Here's my ranking:
2,3,4,1,5.
Now this is a listening comparison I can do - short and sweet! I love comparative listening of symphonies and larger works, but time is an issue.
Here's my ranking, and thoughts:
#4: Just the right tempo, not too fast or slow. The top line stands out nicely and one can hear the inner voices that Chopin marks in the score. The climax could have opened up a bit more, but the final wind-down and ending are nicely done.
#3: Also a well-chosen tempo, similar to #4. The inner voices don't stand out as much, but the climax has a bit more passion. Overall, it's missing that last bit of delicacy and lightness, especially in the final cascade of A-flat major arpeggios.
#5: Technically strong, all the notes are there, but a bit too fast for my taste. A straightforward performance, not mannered, but not highly distinguished either.
#2: The start and end are a bit mannered to my ears - the bass trill in the next-to-last measure is really drawn out! The top and inner voices are clear, and the climax is heart-on-sleeve, my favorite of the five. Well, except for the (very loud) extraneous low B-flat around 1:34! :o
#1: Easily my least favorite of the bunch - it's rather slow and never really gets off the ground, so to speak. The rubato is a bit overdone, and I didn't hear the top or inner voices separate from the arpeggios. The climax barely registered to me.
1 - would have liked a bit more pedal in most places, and some of the rubato sounds a bit disjointed. Interesting how the pianist almost almost finds continuations of the melody within the arpeggio layers. Nice enough performance, if a bit tame in terms of magic and colour. 6
2 - would have liked more of the low Ab at the start, barely heard it. and perhaps the upbeat was held for just a tad too long and did not fit with the following tempo therefore. however, the dynamics are very nicely controlled, and overall I love the use of rubato, great especially in the climax, which is very powerful. The inner parts are beautifully brought out. Enjoyed this very much throughout, really beautiful performance! 8
3 - nice dreamy atmosphere achieved, with loads of pedal! not so sure about the shaping of the melody though.... the climax was certainly very emotional though. There are occasional particularly magical parts, achieved by very good judging of rubato. Would have prefered it just a bit slower.... but this is indeed very moving! 8
4 - hmmm.... I think the tempo fluctuations were a bit too drastic too early. Some notes I felt were too accented as well. I didn't feel the climax was powerful enough, although from there to the ending was very nicely done. 5
5 - Opening felt a tiny bit rushed, and overall I feel the tempo is a bit too fast and there is too little rubato and it is missing magic and colour, making it quite a straight-forward approach. The climax was quite touching though, although I feel this pianist is not as passionate a Chopin etudist as the others. 5
Final ranking (from favourite to least favourite) : 2, 3, 1, 5, 4.
had to listen to 2 and 3 again to decide between them, and it does remain very close between them!
Enjoyed that very much and look forward to the results! Thanks, Brian! :)
Thanks all for your continued comments! I have to say, reading these has been FASCINATING - and I daresay when you find out who the performers, you'll be fascinated too. There are some celebrated Chopin performers being described in unexpected ways.
About 56 hours to go before I ask the bonus question!
What a great idea for a thread!, we should have more of these, here's my thoughts and ratings,
1 - Slowish, hangs on every note, and stops the flow of the piece, though certainly makes the piano sing beautifully, quite a heavy left hand, and then gets indulgent at the end and starts wallowing in the beauty of the thing, it loses momentum, though still liked it a lot! - verdict = slow 7 [guess - VH].
2 - The start is too quiet, but there's a nice rubato to it, and the middle section is very inventive, there's poetry and virtuosity there, you can feel a warm fire, the ending is very tender, though a bit too long drawn out - verdict = thoughtful 8 [guess - AR].
3 - This is more like it!, almost perfect, the start is very good, nicely paced, there's a lovely virtuosity there, and a wonderful legato, and the left hand adds to the inner voicing, gets the thing flowing, the trills at the end are very endearing - verdict = poetic 9+ [guess - NM].
4 - Nice inner voice, but the whole thing sounds too detached, not involved enough, lacks poetry to a degree, the speeds are suspect too, and gets too quiet towards the end - verdict = detached 7 [guess ??].
5 - A little bit matter of fact at first, and certainly heavy handed, though there's nice drama, and it gets better and better as it goes, the fastest of the five, and there's something to be said for playing it fast, it keeps it flowing, though maybe it lacks a degree of poetry - verdict = flowing 8 [guess - MP].
preference = 3 / 5 / 2 / 4 / 1
My ranking: 5, 4, 2, 1, 3.
Preferring 5 surprised me. It's fast, straightforward, emotions held in check. Is this how Robert Eroica Duprea played it? ;D Seriously, it reminds me of Pollini's Chopin. The only one I outright disliked was 3: it felt labored and exaggerated.
Sarge
Quote from: karlhenning on January 05, 2013, 04:56:14 PM
5 – why am I thinking of Alvin and the Chipmunks?
Yeah, I heard them too for a second ;D
Sarge
Okay:
1 Technically least effective. Live. Little pathos. Ending okay.
2 Playing has a sort of "breathing" quality. Emphasis on long line vs. moment-by-moment thrills. High on pathos. Great ending.
3 Most overt playing of all. Strong left hand and bold personality. Unfortunately pianist completely misses transition at @ 1 minute in.
After that the piece becomes totally punchless. Can't see the point after botched transition but endured till end.
4 Choppier than 2, more monumental but misses some of the pathos of 2. Good ending.
5 Good emphasis on long line. Technically very impressive. Moving, but ending not as good as 2.
Final ranking:
2, 5, 4, 1, 3
Hey Brian, when we are done here can you give each a ranking point and average them out?
4, 5, 2, 3, 1
Have never heard this piece (as with many Chopin pieces) so it was interesting to compare these performances with no previous standard or preference.
Thanks all for the continued comments! I must say my fascination increases. Had I surveyed some of our resident piano-lovers before the competition, I wager that the guy they'd have thought of last is now in first, and the guy they'd have thought of first is now ranked last. Idols shall fall! Gasps shall be heard! All shall be revealed!
About 24 hours to go before the
bonus question!
Quote from: Bogey on January 10, 2013, 05:29:09 PM
Hey Brian, when we are done here can you give each a ranking point and average them out?
Sure thing! Glad to. :)
Simplicity, no wayward rubato and a singing tone also speaks of great technical excellence and #5 is a clear winner for me. #3 suggests that the pianist struggled with the technical aspects of this work so it comes last. I like #1, despite its wayward rubato and unnecessary tempo fluctuations yet the clarity is excellent. 2 and 4 sit in the middle
Quote from: Brian on January 04, 2013, 07:45:19 PM
Chopin: Etude Op. 25, No. 1 in A-flat major, "Aeolian Harp"
The rules are very simple. There are only five clips, and they are the full etude. Listen to all five, describe your opinion of each performance, and rank them.
Oh! I'm out of compliance . . . I need to rank them yet, don't I?
Quote from: karlhenning on January 11, 2013, 01:51:17 AM
Oh! I'm out of compliance . . . I need to rank them yet, don't I?
To honor Bill's request on page 1, I will be compiling average rankings for each pianist, based on the posts which do include rankings or the posts, like Holden's, where they can be intuited. If you want to contribute to that, you're welcome to; if you don't, well, I'm not responsible for Bill's retaliation :D
Quote from: Brian on January 11, 2013, 04:33:39 AM
To honor Bill's request on page 1, I will be compiling average rankings for each pianist, based on the posts which do include rankings or the posts, like Holden's, where they can be intuited. If you want to contribute to that, you're welcome to; if you don't, well, I'm not responsible for Bill's retaliation :D
I've emended my post to include a ranking. Don't want to run afoul of Bill : )
1. Clunky
2. Ethereal
3. Unimaginative
4. Lyrical
5. Technical
Rank:
2, 4, 5, 3, 1
Thanks for that, folks! Just thought if there were seven of you that rated a certain one fairly high and I dogged it down that I might want to revisit it. I can see Brian's script now: "Almost all of us enjoyed #___, except for one outling member that rhymes with stogie." ;D
Okay, folks! The final rankings will be revealed Monday morning, but for the weekend, you may feel free to re-listen and re-consider while attempting to answer the bonus question.
The bonus question is very, very simple. :)
Please, no cheating. Base your answer solely on what you hear in the clips, and your own judgment/intuition/wild guessing.
Which of these five pianists is Lang Lang?
3 or 5. If it's 2 I quit.
Ah Lang Lang, must be No4, haha.
added later - or now i can see it as No2 maybe?
Thought i'd give the whole lot a second listen, and see if anything changed or any new insights, basically i get the same vibe, but here's the new feelings,
1 - The same, just too indulgent [either VH or IP].
2 - Again the same [AR or VA].
3 - A lot of people didn't like this, and i can see why, my second thoughts aren't quite so positive, though i still feel it's the best of the five, i can see the gear changes aren't so smooth, a bit clunky, but the middle section still wows me [thought it was NM, but now i'm sure it's NL, they do sound similar].
4 - Thought that this was detached, now i'm warming to it more, there's nice poetry there [LL or BB].
5 - I now feel this was just too straightforward, the fast speed gets in the way of tenderness and poetry [MP or AG].
so preferences are now 3 / 4 / 2 / 5 / 1, so 4 & 5 have switched places.
My guess: Lang Lang = 2
Sarge
This is fun! More of these lightning challenges! My thoughts, penned down while listening:
#1: Lacks a little clarity (might be the recording though), strange pedalling at some points. I like how the middle register is brougt out in 0.50 - 1.10 Very nice ending, apart from the thumping coming from the audience (wtf?). I appreciated this one more on the second hearing.
#2: Love the soft entrance, very romantic build-up. Restrained but flowing and emotional. Middle part is beautifully executed.
#3: I like the slow build-up and the gradual cool down towards the end, with slightly less emphasis on the melody than the others. Ending is good.
#4: Sweet and lovely, but a little plain.
#5: The tempo in this one is superb. On the verge of being too fast, but with just enough restraint to get a great flow going. I think I like this one most of all.
My ranking, from best to 'worst': 5 - 2 - 3 - 1 - 4
Can't wait to find out the names of the pianists. My guess is Pollini for number 5!
Quote from: zauberflöte on January 11, 2013, 08:11:51 PM
If it's 2 I quit.
;D ;D
Thinking about it now, it might well be 2. Either that one or 4.
Quote from: zauberflöte on January 11, 2013, 08:11:51 PM
3 or 5. If it's 2 I quit.
But really, he's not a bad pianist. I think one has to take into account that he has been improving. 10 years ago, he was all flash, but from I hear more recently (in various youtube postings), there seems to be some added depth that wasn't there before. Or maybe he's getting better at picking repertoire suited to him.
Second listen:
Order still pretty much the same but 3 now jumps from last to first! The problem spot - the transition at about 1 minute in - bothered me much less this time around whereas my previous favorite 2 didn't quite have that "breathing" quality I initially felt. The "breathing" felt a bit like a mannerism this time around.
I no longer feel 3 is Lang Lang and so delete my post.
So new order: 3, 2, 5, 4, 1.
RESULTS
We had 15 votes cast. Every one of our five pianists was chosen as a favorite, by at least two people, and #2 and #4 were chosen as a favorite by four voters.
A word about the numerical average: this is the average place on ballot, which means lower scores are better. If someone's score here were reported as 1.0, they would have been ranked first on every single ballot.
Without further ado...
Fifth place: Pianist #1 (3.73)
"rubato and voicing a bit labored, overall not even enough" "l.h. very fluid; tune felt a little light of voice, and perhaps a bit wooden" "Lithe, but perhaps lacking in color...enjoyable, though technically the hands are not always together" "The rubato is a bit overdone, and I didn't hear the top or inner voices separate from the arpeggios. The climax barely registered" "some of the rubato sounds a bit disjointed. Interesting how the pianist almost finds continuations of the melody within the arpeggio layers" "Slowish, hangs on every note, and stops the flow of the piece, though certainly makes the piano sing beautifully" "little pathos" "clunky" "too indulgent" "I like how the middle register is brougt out in 0.50 - 1.10 Very nice ending"
Pianist #1 is...
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61mq4-hmxYL.jpg)
KEMAL GEKIC
Elsewhere on GMG, Drasko says: "at his best he is wonderfully imaginative pianist at his worst plain fussy."
Fourth place: Pianist #5 (3.20)
"melody doesn't feel legato/cantabile" "feels like marking time" "A bit too straight on the top line and not as well integrated with the rest" "A straightforward performance, not mannered, but not highly distinguished" "a bit too fast and there is too little rubato and it is missing magic and colour" "I feel this pianist is not as passionate a Chopin etudist as the others." "it gets better and better as it goes" "Preferring 5 surprised me. It's fast, straightforward, emotions held in check." "Good emphasis on long line. Technically very impressive." "Simplicity, no wayward rubato and a singing tone also speaks of great technical excellence" "just too straightforward" "The tempo in this one is superb. On the verge of being too fast, but with just enough restraint to get a great flow going" "guess: Maurizio Pollini" "reminds me of Pollini" "My guess is Pollini"
Pianist #5 is...
[asin]B000001G5H[/asin]
MAURIZIO POLLINI (DG)
Credit to Octo_Russ, Sergeant Rock, and betterthanfine for their accurate guesses!
Third place: Pianist #3 (3.07)
"melody occasionally under-projected, limited color" "some moments which struck me as near-clunky" " sounds are not always as integrated/balanced as with #2" "pretty good" "the climax has a bit more passion. Overall, it's missing that last bit of delicacy and lightness" "nice dreamy atmosphere achieved, with loads of pedal! not so sure about the shaping of the melody" "almost perfect" "labored and exaggerated" "Most overt playing of all" "the pianist struggled with the technical aspects" "unimaginative" "a bit clunky, but the middle section still wows me" "slightly less emphasis on the melody than the others"
Pianist #3 is...
[asin]B000001Q8O[/asin]
IVAN MORAVEC
Moravec was the third-place choice of 5 out of 15 voters. Two voters ranked him first, three voters ranked him last, and one of the two voters who ranked him first originally ranked him last!
And now a word about the top two pianists. The top two pianists were separated by a single ranking on a single ballot. That is to say, had the second-place pianist been ranked just one place higher on just one ballot, we would have had a first-place tie. And if either zauberflöte or mc ukrneal had switched their top two, first and second place would have reversed!
Second place: Pianist #4 (2.53)
"brought out some contrapuntal elements nicely" "main theme flows/integrates with what the other hand is doing" " one can hear the inner voices that Chopin marks in the score" "the tempo fluctuations were a bit too drastic too early. Some notes I felt were too accented as well. I didn't feel the climax was powerful enough" "detached, not involved enough, lacks poetry" "lyrical" "there's nice poetry there" "Sweet and lovely, but a little plain"
Pianist #4 is...
[asin]B001F4YGUA[/asin]
GARRICK OHLSSON
...and just 0.06 ahead of Ohlsson is...
First place: Pianist #2 (2.47)
"felt lethargic and exaggerated" "a melodic 'arc'; tune sang nicely" "One feels the pianist soar with ebb and flow with a full range of expression, more so than the others I felt. The only one who uses dynamics so well" "I can imagine no. 2 dividing opinions, as the rubato is maybe a bit too much." "a bit mannered to my ears" "heart-on-sleeve" "the dynamics are very nicely controlled, and overall I love the use of rubato, great especially in the climax, which is very powerful." "there's poetry and virtuosity there, you can feel a warm fire" "Emphasis on long line vs. moment-by-moment thrills. High on pathos" "ethereal" "Restrained but flowing and emotional. Middle part is beautifully executed" "The "breathing" felt a bit like a mannerism" "My guess: Lang Lang = 2" "If Lang Lang is pianist 2 I quit."
Sorry, zauberflöte! Pianist #2 is indeed...
[asin]B0091XIZO0[/asin]
Man oh man. I did not see that coming. Sarge guessed Lang Lang's identity correctly, but I don't think anybody would have guessed he would place first, ahead of the likes of Moravec and Pollini. Least of all zauberflöte. ;D
Truly a fascinating round!
Quote from: Brian on January 14, 2013, 08:57:14 AM
Truly a fascinating round!
Indeed! Makes one (well,
me at least) wonder just
how much of our listening is conditioned by knowing/ ignoring who performs... ;D
Good show, Brian!
Am currently quite speechless..... ;)
Can't believe Lang Lang was my favourite - maybe I'll just have to listen to some more of his performances, but only through blind listening of course ;)
Darn.... I put Ohlsohn last and his is the boxset is the one I've just got.... ??? ;)
Keen to hear more of Moravec's Chopin now!
And did I really call Pollini an unpassionate Chopin etudist....?!! oh dear.... :-[
Thank you for this, Brian, was great fun, if very surprising!!
Quote from: madaboutmahler on January 14, 2013, 09:48:08 AM
Darn.... I put Ohlsohn last and his is the boxset is the one I've just got.... ??? ;)
Well, I ranked him second (and I love his Polonaises, the only Chopin of his I currently own)...so you can send the box to me. I'd probably love it ;D ;)
Sarge
My own post from a year ago: "I thought Ohlsson's Sonata 2, Ballades, Nocturnes, and especially the Mazurkas were standout performances, while the Scherzi were a little too dry and unvirtuosic, and some of his romanticizing tendencies can become a little too-much. But overall it was a wonderful experience, and the disc with Ewa Podles singing the complete songs is simply divine."
Quote from: madaboutmahler on January 14, 2013, 09:48:08 AM
And did I really call Pollini an unpassionate Chopin etudist....?!! oh dear.... :-[
Indeed, the second-biggest laugh I had while running this game - behind, of course, "If [Lang Lang]'s 2 I quit." ;D
Not to say you're wrong! You may after all be right. But I think your reaction sums it up. :)
Quote from: Sergeant Rock on January 14, 2013, 12:10:32 PM
Well, I ranked him second (and I love his Polonaises, the only Chopin of his I currently own)...so you can send the box to me. I'd probably love it ;D ;)
Sarge
Quote from: Brian on January 14, 2013, 12:31:35 PM
My own post from a year ago: "I thought Ohlsson's Sonata 2, Ballades, Nocturnes, and especially the Mazurkas were standout performances, while the Scherzi were a little too dry and unvirtuosic, and some of his romanticizing tendencies can become a little too-much. But overall it was a wonderful experience, and the disc with Ewa Podles singing the complete songs is simply divine."
haha ;) Thanks for the feedback, Sarge and Brian. Listening again to his recording, and it's certainly not painful to listen to, despite a few accents I found too harsh. I'm still definitely very excited to hear his box set. I heard some of his Mazurkas and Waltzes and they were just outstanding.
Quote from: Brian on January 14, 2013, 12:31:35 PM
Indeed, the second-biggest laugh I had while running this game - behind, of course, "If [Lang Lang]'s 2 I quit." ;D
Not to say you're wrong! You may after all be right. But I think your reaction sums it up. :)
haha, I can imagine! ;) Quite shocked I thought that, even more so as I put Lang Lang first....!! ??? ;)
I think this result shows exactly why blind listening can be so good. On the other hand, I would not read so much into it. Lang Lang did better in roughly 1 minute thirty seconds or so of music? His bigger issue for me is the long line, which I often have issues with in his playing. In a short piece, he can hide this. But if we look at more complex/longer pieces, I'd be interested if he can sustain this high level. That said, he's always had skills, and I think he is too easy a target to bash.
Go me, I guessed Pollini right! Rightfully so, as he is one of my favourite pianists, especially in Chopin. :)
I'm echoing others here, but maybe it is indeed time to explore Lang Lang's recent recordings, heh. Who'd have thunk him to ever come out on top in a challenge like this!?
I would have put Moravec #1 if I had not listened....however, I ranked him 5th. Ouch.
My favorite was the lowest ranked 5th, KEMAL GEKIC. Ha! Thanks, Brian.
If Rubinstein would have been in the mix, I am sure I would have ranked him #1....Riiiiiiight. ;D
Hey Brian....how about a nocturne round? :D
Very enlightening, this was a great exercise, so in honour of placing Ivan Moravec first, i'm now buying this disc set, maybe we could have a Bach Prelude & Fugue next?
(http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2012/Sept12/Chopin_Nocturnes_SU40972.jpg)
Quote from: Brian on January 14, 2013, 08:57:14 AM
Moravec was the third-place choice of 5 out of 15 voters. Two voters ranked him first, three voters ranked him last, and one of the two voters who ranked him first originally ranked him last!
Wow! Glad I listened again! Moravec is one of my favorite pianists.
Very interesting results. :) Thanks, Brian.
So let's see, I flip-flopped on Moravec and also sort of flip-flopped on Lang Lang. I guess that's what familiarity can do for a recording, either expose its strengths or its weaknesses. The initial "thrill" of Lang Lang's recording gave way to slight irritation as his "mannerism" intruded too much for me, whereas my disappointment at Moravec's seeming misstep made much more sense the second go-round.
Sheesh, I wonder what I'd think after a THIRD listen! ;D
Quote from: Dancing Divertimentian on January 14, 2013, 04:14:50 PM
Wow! Glad I listened again! Moravec is one of my favorite pianists.
Very interesting results. :) Thanks, Brian.
So let's see, I flip-flopped on Moravec and also sort of flip-flopped on Lang Lang. I guess that's what familiarity can do for a recording, either expose its strengths or its weaknesses. The initial "thrill" of Lang Lang's recording gave way to slight irritation as his "mannerism" intruded too much for me, whereas my disappointment at Moravec's seeming misstep made much more sense the second go-round.
Sheesh, I wonder what I'd think after a THIRD listen! ;D
That's it! Knee jerk reaction on my part. Moravec is still #1 for my Chopin! (Does pathetic back flip) Thanks, Don!
I'm more embarrassed I had Moravec second to last than that my favorite was Lang Lang. I LOVE Moravec's Chopin and I called it unimaginative. I'll have to listen again. Either he was having a bad day or I was.
The reason I'm not embarrassed about missing Lang Lang was I haven't listened to him in a long time and listened only sporadically at best at anytime. I'm happy to give him another chance. Now I'm ready to compare him to Cortot. :o
I think I need to lie down.
I also thought the Pollini might be Pollini. I like Pollini in the etudes. But while many of his are electrifying some lack poetry, notably this one and Op. 10, No. 3.
Quote from: Bogey on January 14, 2013, 04:34:07 PM
That's it! Knee jerk reaction on my part. Moravec is still #1 for my Chopin! (Does pathetic back flip) Thanks, Don!
Good one, Bill! ;D ;D ;D
So, what I'm hearing is, there's still hope!!!
I have to say, that this does make me want to give Pollini a go, as I had him second. Maybe the Etudes is were I start.
Howevr, I feel very fortunate that Brian did not stick in Argerich. Throwing her and Moravec under the bus in one fell swoop would have made me cancel my account here. :D
Quote from: Bogey on January 14, 2013, 06:43:20 PM
However, I feel very fortunate that Brian did not stick in Argerich. Throwing her and Moravec under the bus in one fell swoop would have made me cancel my account here. :D
(* chortle *)
Wow, quite surprising results!
No.2 was my favourite, so the Lang Lang; I'm not mad about Lang Lang, but I have to say that I really enjoyed his performance of Chopin's etude, it was extremely well played. I'm a little speechless I ranked Pollini in the last position: among all those Chopin's interpreters, he's the one I know best.
Oh, no Ashkenazy?!? :o
I ranked Pollini first and for the reasons I listed in my previous post. I like my Chopin unmannered and unfussy and all the others were all guilty of making unnecessary tempo fluctuations which they might call rubato but I don't. As an aside, I listened to the Lang Lang on Spotify (before these results) and he doesn't do too bad a job on Op 25 but not good enough for me to rate it.
Time to wrap this up!
Two thoughts on Lang Lang that I felt were especially useful to me as I review the Lang Lang Chopin CD:
Quote from: mc ukrneal on January 14, 2013, 01:23:02 PM
Lang Lang did better in roughly 2 minutes thirty seconds or so of music? His bigger issue for me is the long line, ...In a short piece, he can hide this. But if we look at more complex/longer pieces, I'd be interested if he can sustain this high level.
Quote from: Dancing Divertimentian on January 14, 2013, 04:14:50 PMThe initial "thrill" of Lang Lang's recording gave way to slight irritation as his "mannerism" intruded too much for me, whereas my disappointment at Moravec's seeming misstep made much more sense the second go-round.
Now, then as for future games! The Berlioz game is back up and running in round 2 right now. And...
Quote from: Octo_Russ on January 14, 2013, 03:52:35 PMmaybe we could have a Bach Prelude & Fugue next?
I think that would be an excellent choice for this game! I know little to nothing about Bach's keyboard music, so this is a great idea for another GMGer to take up and lead. :)
By the way, Octo_Russ, that photo you posted is the cover, not just of the Moravec Chopin nocturnes, but specifically of my own personal copy! I wrote that MusicWeb review. :)
And speaking of nocturnes...
Quote from: Bogey on January 14, 2013, 03:45:09 PM
Hey Brian....how about a nocturne round? :D
Yes, yes, yes! In fact I already have a list of 10 pianists who will be competing in Chopin's Nocturne Op 48 No 1. It's my favorite of all the nocturnes, and one that offers up many interpretive pathways. Unfortunately after the current Berlioz game is through I'm due to take charge of a full-sized game focusing on Ravel's
Gaspard de la Nuit, so that Chopin nocturne will have to wait a few more months yet. :)
Many thanks for playing, everyone! And Neal with the final word...
Quote from: mc ukrneal on January 14, 2013, 01:23:02 PM
I think this result shows exactly why blind listening can be so good.
:)