Chopin's mazurkas

[Que]

Can everyone who listed Rubinstein as a favorite please indicate which of his three sets is your favorite?

Thanks!

I like "early"* Rubinstein best, his last recording the least.
But his approach over time was pretty consistent in the Mazurkas IMO.

*he was already in his forties, I believe

Q

[j winter]

Well, jwinter said the last one...

Correct  

Though I may not have given the others enough of a listen to make a fair comparison.... I've loved the stereo set for years...

[Mandryka]

Another strange experience with my "new" amp, a Radford STA 25. I bought this recording when it came out nearly 10 years ago, I've never enjoyed it, but now, with the new amp, it sounds like poetical music.



More corroboration that the playback equipment matters as much to appraisal of the performance as the instrument matters to the performance itself.

[Mandryka]

Listening to op 30 here, what's most striking is the strong kick to the rhythm. Presumably Janusz Olejniczak knows what these things would sound like as dances and has tried to integrate that into the performance. But they were never dances, he knows that, and indeed were widely criticised when they appeared for deviating from the dance models.

What the kick does is make the music sound exotic. Poland is a bit exotic I suppose, neither European nor Slav, or may both European and Slav.

But the best thing is Olejniczak's piano, and it's hard for me to go back to a bland modern instrument after this. I keep thinking of David Tudor's comment that all a modern piano has is twelve notes and they're all boring. How much more rich in overtones Olejniczak's piano is.

[staxomega]

More corroboration that the playback equipment matters as much to appraisal of the performance as the instrument matters to the performance itself.

I'm having a blast going through old piano and chamber music recordings with the ESL57s. Never discount what a good bit of hifi can do for performance enjoyment!

[Mandryka]

I'm having a blast going through old piano and chamber music recordings with the ESL57s. Never discount what a good bit of hifi can do for performance enjoyment!

What amp?

[Florestan]

Ashkenazy's take on them is really something else. Different than any other I've heard. Outstanding. Imo, the best complete set ever recorded.

[staxomega]

What amp?

Atma-Sphere M60

[vers la flamme]

Ashkenazy's take on them is really something else. Different than any other I've heard. Outstanding. Imo, the best complete set ever recorded.

Noted, I shall try and get my hands on it then. I was going to get the complete set of all Chopin's piano music by Ashkenazy, but have decided against it.

I like Idil Biret, and Artur Rubinstein. Haven't heard a whole lot of recordings of the Mazurkas outside of pianists who record 2 or 3 of them to round out their Chopin recital discs.

[Florestan]

I was going to get the complete set of all Chopin's piano music by Ashkenazy, but have decided against it.

Why? By general consensus it's one of, if not THE, most consistently good complete sets.

[Brian]

Why? By general consensus it's one of, if not THE, most consistently good complete sets.

I think a person who has the complete Rubinstein is set, there, as Rubinstein has a very similar or even greater reputation (and is my favorite in many works, though not all).

[Mandryka]

Atma-Sphere M60

Respect.

[Brian]

Hey Brian,

To me, there are too many flaws in the Rubinstein set. First features his stereo recordings, which I don't like nearly as much as his monos. Also, his set is far from complete, while Ashkenazy's comes close. Ashkenazy also has him beat for sound.   

Ah, I have the Rubinstein 140 CD Big Box which includes both almost-complete cycles and third, earlier recordings of a lot of things, too. So I didn't realize there was a specific smaller set y'all were discussing.

For completism I've got the Garrick Ohlsson set on Hyperion, which is really good for filling in gaps (great cycle of the songs, for instance).

[vers la flamme]

Why? By general consensus it's one of, if not THE, most consistently good complete sets.

It's a little out of my budget for now, especially as my income just might be at risk of grinding to a halt sometime soon. Plus, I think I'd rather get the Rubinstein Chopin Collection, at least for the time being.

[JBS]

It's a little out of my budget for now, especially as my income just might be at risk of grinding to a halt sometime soon. Plus, I think I'd rather get the Rubinstein Chopin Collection, at least for the time being.

I agree with George, that Rubinstein's mono mazurkas are better.

As far as complete sets, are you aware of this
[asin]B00N29UQZA[/asin]

Although as far as actually buying anything, I am in the same boat.

[vers la flamme]

I agree with George, that Rubinstein's mono mazurkas are better.

As far as complete sets, are you aware of this
[asin]B00N29UQZA[/asin]

Although as far as actually buying anything, I am in the same boat.

No, never heard of the pianist. Italian, I take it, younger-ish...? How would you describe his playing?

[JBS]

No, never heard of the pianist. Italian, I take it, younger-ish...? How would you describe his playing?

Middle aged now, I believe...
Playing is consistently good.  I found him through Todd.

[vers la flamme]

Middle aged now, I believe...
Playing is consistently good.  I found him through Todd.

Younger than Ashkenazy or Rubinstein, that is 

Cool, I will have to sample some of his playing.

[Brian]

De Maria favors beauty of sound - he's a romantic. I found him through Todd too and particularly like this pianist's incredible recital of three sonatas by Muzio Clementi, which he plays with such style and grace that you momentarily think Clementi must surely be as good as Mozart or Haydn. Alas...not so.

[staxomega]

Listening to op 30 here, what's most striking is the strong kick to the rhythm. Presumably Janusz Olejniczak knows what these things would sound like as dances and has tried to integrate that into the performance. But they were never dances, he knows that, and indeed were widely criticised when they appeared for deviating from the dance models.

What the kick does is make the music sound exotic. Poland is a bit exotic I suppose, neither European nor Slav, or may both European and Slav.

But the best thing is Olejniczak's piano, and it's hard for me to go back to a bland modern instrument after this. I keep thinking of David Tudor's comment that all a modern piano has is twelve notes and they're all boring. How much more rich in overtones Olejniczak's piano is.

That is an incredible sounding instrument, vibrant ringing tone, you can even hear some brief mechanical noises from it too which adds to the charm. It's an 1849 Erard, this might be it below.

His interpretations on Op. 30 are very fine as well, I'm in agreement with what you wrote. BTW the least dance like performances I've ever heard in the Mazurkas were by Andrzej Wasowski, I love those interpretations.

Really looking forward to hearing the rest, pretty sure I'll be ordering it.

I next went to Nelson Goerner from that period instrument series and straight into Ballade 2 the Pleyel doesn't sound as interesting as the Erard. Worse there is some hideous doppler type of effect (like Universal watermark, but higher in level) in the recording that makes it hard to gauge his interpretation.

Also listened to a few Preludes from Pietro de Maria, I too heard about him from Todd (Italian Invasion thread?), will write some more later.