Chopin Recordings

Started by George, April 06, 2007, 06:00:36 AM

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Brian

Read the Amazon reviews for Askenase and am intrigued. Care to tell us more?

Am considering the Askenase, Ashkenazy, and (late) Rubinstein boxes now...

orbital

I was lucky enough to find a used copy of Wasowski Nocturnes today. Gave the first CD a spin. Simply wonderful, every bit as good as his Mazurkas. The phrasing is just perfectly tuned so that it is neither overly sentimental nor detached. I have to go through the whole set to have a more definite opinion which should be within the week.

Holden

Cheers

Holden

Peregrine

Quote from: Holden on February 04, 2008, 01:04:12 AM
Are you sure that this is Fiorentino?

I haven't had time to listen yet, but would have thought so. It originates from this thread:

http://groups.google.co.uk/group/rec.music.classical.recordings/browse_frm/thread/e96a1aaded152f93/69c52efa2871d6d6?hl=en#69c52efa2871d6d6

What makes you you think otherwise?
Yes, we have no bananas

samtrb

The more i listen to Chopin, the more i need to try different recordings. So far i am still stuck with the classics.
Arrau in nocturnes, (do i really need Moravec?)
Argerich/Abbado in concerto 1, included in that DG double disc "panorama" with Ashkenazy on PC n2, and argerich on preludes and sonata 2
Rubinstein in Polonaises, walzes and ballades & scherzi (all late recordings, i e 1960s), for the last two, i am really curious to explore more, I love Horowitz TV recording of the first ballade (1968) and I'd certainly try Zimerman one day
I don't listen to the Etudes a lot but the Ashkenazy sounds fine to me, i'd try Pollini one day
for concertos, other than the two i mentioned, i have Arrau on the double disc "complete music for piano and orchestra". The sound quality is not terrific, the opening is slower than others but Arrau sounds Arrau in every note, one cannot miss it!... Perahia/Mehta is not a recording i go back to anymore, principally due to sound quality and harsh orchestral playing
I am still looking for sonata n2, besides argerich, i have it by Michelangeli and i know Rubistein, i'll probably have it on the Horowitz Sony dics of the 1960s-1970s soon

Brian

Quote from: samtrb on February 04, 2008, 06:47:53 PM
I am still looking for sonata n2, besides argerich, i have it by Michelangeli and i know Rubistein, i'll probably have it on the Horowitz Sony dics of the 1960s-1970s soon
Try Ivan Moravec's newish Vox disc; comes with a beautiful Fourth Ballade and a clutch of mazurkas, too. Extraordinary live performance. :)

XB-70 Valkyrie

I haven't read every post in this thread word for word (although there are many interesting recommendations here), but I don't recall seeing any mention of Vlado Perlemuter's Chopin. I recently bought the 3-LP Vox set (the best $1.99 I've ever spent) and was blown away by his beauty of tone, and feel for the music. How is his Chopin? I'm very curious.
If you really dislike Bach you keep quiet about it! - Andras Schiff

George

Quote from: samtrb on February 04, 2008, 06:47:53 PM
The more i listen to Chopin, the more i need to try different recordings. So far i am still stuck with the classics.
Arrau in nocturnes, (do i really need Moravec?)


YES!

orbital

Quote from: samtrb on February 04, 2008, 06:47:53 PM
The more i listen to Chopin, the more i need to try different recordings. So far i am still stuck with the classics.
Arrau in nocturnes, (do i really need Moravec?)

I am not a big advocate of Arrau in nocturnes, actually next to Pires his is the only set that makes me cringe. There is slow nocturnes (Arrau) and then there is slow nocturnes (Moravec). If you like the tempo on the slower side, then I'd definitely go with Moravec. There are so many interpretations that although I don't have a favorite set there are a few that comes close. The one set that I can recommend without any hesitation is Tipo. She has grown to be my favorite overall. However, after having listened to Wasowski the last couple of days, her reign may be in jeopardy. Wasowski tends to go both ways. He has his own ideas on which noted and phrases to accentuate, and more often than not it just works for me. With the exception of op 37 g minor, his interpretations might be what I have been looking for after all.


MN Dave

Quote from: orbital on February 05, 2008, 06:12:22 AM
I am not a big advocate of Arrau in nocturnes, actually next to Pires his is the only set that makes me cringe. There is slow nocturnes (Arrau) and then there is slow nocturnes (Moravec). If you like the tempo on the slower side, then I'd definitely go with Moravec. There are so many interpretations that although I don't have a favorite set there are a few that comes close. The one set that I can recommend without any hesitation is Tipo. She has grown to be my favorite overall. However, after having listened to Wasowski the last couple of days, her reign may be in jeopardy. Wasowski tends to go both ways. He has his own ideas on which noted and phrases to accentuate, and more often than not it just works for me. With the exception of op 37 g minor, his interpretations might be what I have been looking for after all.



This subject of tempo in the nocturnes is interesting to me. How are they marked to be played? Who is playing them "properly?"

I love the Arrau nocturnes. Why do they make you cringe?

George

Quote from: orbital on February 05, 2008, 06:12:22 AM
I am not a big advocate of Arrau in nocturnes, actually next to Pires his is the only set that makes me cringe. There is slow nocturnes (Arrau) and then there is slow nocturnes (Moravec). If you like the tempo on the slower side, then I'd definitely go with Moravec. There are so many interpretations that although I don't have a favorite set there are a few that comes close. The one set that I can recommend without any hesitation is Tipo. She has grown to be my favorite overall. However, after having listened to Wasowski the last couple of days, her reign may be in jeopardy. Wasowski tends to go both ways. He has his own ideas on which noted and phrases to accentuate, and more often than not it just works for me. With the exception of op 37 g minor, his interpretations might be what I have been looking for after all.



I recently read a great review of Pollini's Nocturnes: "this is a rose bush with the flowers cut off."  8)

orbital

Quote from: MN Dave on February 05, 2008, 06:14:26 AM
This subject of tempo in the nocturnes is interesting to me. How are they marked to be played? Who is playing them "properly?"

I love the Arrau nocturnes. Why do they make you cringe?
I don't know if Chopin put metronome markings on them, I don't think so though. But they have tempi indications on all of them AFAIK, like Andante Cantabile. Lento, etc.... So I'd say that the interpretation choices are pretty wide. I wouldn't know of a proper way of playing the Nocturnes (or any Chopin for that matter). It is purely personal taste IMO, some interpretations work for me, and others simply don't. I'd say, however, that the most distinguishing element of playing the nocturnes lies in the overall tempo and the amount of rubato employed. Since they are technically easy pieces for any pianist to play, the choice of these elements make a valid (or not) performance as far as I'm concerned. Then there are phrasings, accentuation, etc.. but they are only momentary and if the whole thing does not hold together there is little value on how a certain ornament is carried out.

With regards to Arrau, there is nothing wrong with his nocturnes. A lot of people have his versions as their favorite. It's just that I find his version a bit too romanticized. I don't know how to explain it coherently, but he seems to have his fingers stuck on keys and he just can't let them go  :D. I feel like he (and to a larger extent Pires) is playing these pieces as if he is under some excruciating pain. They are slow and a little melancholic pieces mostly, yes, but they are not testaments to pain and agony. With that kind of interpretation I find myself wandering off to thoughts which have nothing to do with music at all. You can have a very personal interpretation and keep the focus on music, like Rubinstein and Francois, or even, -dare I say- Gavrilov does.

orbital

Quote from: George on February 05, 2008, 06:16:45 AM
I recently read a great review of Pollini's Nocturnes: "this is a rose bush with the flowers cut off."  8)
He puts out the candle with a fire extinguisher I guess  ;D *






*The episode where Chopin instructs a student on rubato by slowly breathing out on a candle saying "This is what I mean by rubato". He, then, gives a strong blow to extinguish the candle and says "This is how you play it"

MN Dave

Quote from: orbital on February 05, 2008, 07:04:08 AM
But they have tempi indications on all of them...

Too bad they don't indicate these when you buy a recording. Though I'm sure they're easy enough to find online. Thanks.

orbital

Quote from: MN Dave on February 05, 2008, 07:11:35 AM
Too bad they don't indicate these when you buy a recording. Though I'm sure they're easy enough to find online. Thanks.
Here you go, this is from the Ciccolini rip:

MN Dave


sidoze

Quote from: Holden on February 04, 2008, 01:04:12 AM
Are you sure that this is Fiorentino?

I was surprised too--it's not very good, is it?--but on relistening I found that it matched many of his late performances -- for example the Largo of the 3rd sonata and the way he plays one of Ravel's Images (forget which number) -- in that he plays many slow movements in a very even and very heavy, even plodding way, with no sense of lilt or rubato at all. And it's amazing to say that because his waltzes are amazing (the live ones on the APR set), but just listen to Prelude 2, that is awful IMO.

sidoze

Quote from: orbital on February 03, 2008, 08:53:05 PM
I was lucky enough to find a used copy of Wasowski Nocturnes today. Gave the first CD a spin. Simply wonderful, every bit as good as his Mazurkas. The phrasing is just perfectly tuned so that it is neither overly sentimental nor detached. I have to go through the whole set to have a more definite opinion which should be within the week.

I find his sense of timing doesn't at all connect with my own. I think there's something of the dance missing from his nocturnes, but you've made me want to revisit them once more :)

rubio

I just listened to the 1st piano concerto performed by Gulda/Boult/LPO. For me this is a very good recording of this Chopin piano music accompanied by orchestra. I have not heard too many versions yet, though.

"One good thing about music, when it hits- you feel no pain" Bob Marley

BorisG

Quote from: rubio on May 01, 2008, 07:42:02 AM
I just listened to the 1st piano concerto performed by Gulda/Boult/LPO. For me this is a very good recording of this Chopin piano music accompanied by orchestra. I have not heard too many versions yet, though.


Argerich, Zimerman?