Chopin Recordings

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

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ezodisy

Yeah true enough, I read somewhere that like most of us he's mellowed with age and his earlier performances--in this case I think Chopin's B minor sonata--were virtuosic and more extroverted. I would probably pass on it. Also I should mention that I only ever listen to the first movement of the first concerto, which I think is really wonderful. Could not care less for the other two.

orbital

Quote from: ezodisy on August 03, 2008, 02:05:38 AM
Could not care less for the other two.
This, coming from someone who loves the nocturnes?  :o

I can understand the third movement, but the Romanza, for me, is close to being one of the finest things Chopin ever wrote.
Do you feel the same about the Larghetto of the 2nd?

Maciek

At the end of last year a Diapason d'Or was awarded to Nelson Goerner's recordings from the Chopin HIP series I mentioned once (a long time ago on the other thread). Has anyone heard those? Could anyone comment?

George

I have Backhaus's recording of the Etudes on the way from an amazon third party seller. Can't wait to hear this one. It's on the Pearl label. 

Mandryka

I have recently been listening to a lot of Sonata 3 recordings and have found some great ones.

I have really enjoyed Pogorelich on DVD -- even though the slow movement is very slow, there's such a powerful forward momentum in the playing that it is irresistible to me. And he's such a master of piano colour. (I'm a bit of a Pofgorelich fan -- be warned!)

I also enjoyed an old CD of Cherkassky playing it in the 80s -- it is probably unavailable now (I picked it up second hand.) It's a really turbulent performance.

And then there's Pletnev -- I don't know what to make of this. When I first played it I hated it. So slow. Every little point underlined and emphasised.

But it's starting to grow on me. I like the piano colours. I like its impressionistic flavour. It's certainly the most oddball performance I know.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Herman

Quote from: Mandryka on January 21, 2009, 02:12:06 AM
I have recently been listening to a lot of Sonata 3 recordings and have found some great ones.

Other interesting 3ds are the Bolet as on the GPOC; Fiorentino on APR and even the Rubinstein.

Mandryka

#206
I'd very much like to hear Fiorentino, Hermann.

But I have a bit of a love hate relationship with Rubinstein.

I have enjoyed his early recording of the Scherzos. They may be the best complete set of scherzos  I know -- though I think it's hard to beat Richter for his wildness, and Pogorelich in the 3rd.

But mostly I find Rubinstein a bit too urbane and civilised. I like my Chopin to be full of Polish fire.


I wonder if you know one interesting Rubinstein Chopin  recording I recently heard -- a live Italian concert in 1961, with the second sonata and some preludes,  etudes, and waltzes?  (It's on the Fabula Classics label)

The smaller pieces are especially good.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

George

Quote from: Mandryka on January 21, 2009, 04:20:56 AM
But mostly I find Rubinstein a bit too urbane and civilised. I like my Chopin to be full of Polish fire.

It has taken me a very long time to warm to Rubinstein. Like yourself, I have enjoyed his earlier recordings and feel that often his recordings are a bit too civilized. I often have often wished he had pushed the boundaries a bit more in his performances. 

aquablob

Quote from: Mandryka on January 21, 2009, 02:12:06 AM
I have recently been listening to a lot of Sonata 3 recordings and have found some great ones.

I have really enjoyed Pogorelich on DVD -- even though the slow movement is very slow, there's such a powerful forward momentum in the playing that it is irresistible to me. And he's such a master of piano colour. (I'm a bit of a Pofgorelich fan -- be warned!)

I also enjoyed an old CD of Cherkassky playing it in the 80s -- it is probably unavailable now (I picked it up second hand.) It's a really turbulent performance.

And then there's Pletnev -- I don't know what to make of this. When I first played it I hated it. So slow. Every little point underlined and emphasised.

But it's starting to grow on me. I like the piano colours. I like its impressionistic flavour. It's certainly the most oddball performance I know.

I would like to hear the Cherkassky some time.

Anyway, I also enjoy Pogorelich... BUT...

I enjoy Cziffra, Ohlsson, and Lipatti even more! And Rubinstein is no slouch here, either!

Gilels is actually pretty convincing in this piece, too (an unexpected choice, perhaps?).

George

Quote from: aquariuswb on January 21, 2009, 04:44:20 AM
I would like to hear the Cherkassky some time.

Anyway, I also enjoy Pogorelich... BUT...

I enjoy Cziffra, Ohlsson, and Lipatti even more! And Rubinstein is no slouch here, either!

Let's not forget Anievas. I haven't heard it in awhile, but it was one of my first classical piano CDs. The accompanying Rachmaninov preludes are excellent! I think it is now OOP.

ezodisy

Quote from: Mandryka on January 21, 2009, 02:12:06 AM
I have recently been listening to a lot of Sonata 3 recordings and have found some great ones.

Pogorelich is interesting, more so (I guess) some of his recent performances of the piece. I heard one in 2005 which lasted about 50 minutes, with the second movement alone something like 8 minutes. It was fascinating (in every sense).

I have a live Pletnev performance from the early 2000s or late 1990s (can't recall) which has a memorable slow movement, a quite distinctive performance as ever. His performances of Chopin are breathtaking, especially a live Preludes set I have from 2005 or so.

For the third I would recommend the live Jorge Bolet recording which Herman mentioned (on Marston Records). It's a noble and personal reading with a lovely Largo, slowly paced overall, recorded near the end of his career.

I'd also recommend the live Igor Zhukov recording which Peter Lemken on RMCR recorded in the '90s. It is very dark, pretty much manic-depressive, with a really intense Largo. I'm sure he won't mind if I share it with you, you can download it here (in flac):

http://rapidshare.com/files/187129666/Igor_Zhukov_Chopin_Sonata_3_live_-_Ann_Arbor_98.flac.html

Kemal Gekic's early recording of this piece is quite good and distinctive. You should really hear his Chopin, there is no one else like him, though this particular recording doesn't include the third sonata.

http://www.amazon.com/Kemal-Gekic-Live-In-Japan/dp/B0003U89IM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1232549019&sr=1-2

I wish Maria Tipo had recorded this piece. She would have done something magical with the Largo, judging by her unique Nocturnes.

Mandryka

#211
QuoteI enjoy Cziffra

Well I like Cziffra in Mozart and Beethoven -- in fact in everything except Chopin and Liszt (I've only heard the studio recordings though) He just seems too hard driven in the 3rd for me.

QuoteGilels is actually pretty convincing

Agreed totally. I like nearly everything that Gilels did -- I expect you know his 2nd sonata too.

It's interesting to see Bolet's name come up so often. I don't know it but I will check it out.

QuoteI'd also recommend the live Igor Zhukov recording which Peter Lemken on RMCR recorded in the '90s. It is very dark, pretty much manic-depressive, with a really intense Largo. I'm sure he won't mind if I share it with you, you can download it here (in flac):

You've made my day. I shall download it straight away!

QuoteIt has taken me a very long time to warm to Rubinstein.

It's hard to like BOTH Richter AND Rubinstein!
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Josquin des Prez

#212
I don't know if his name has been mentioned in this thread, but i just discovered the recordings of Samson Francois and i must say i'm most impressed. So far i've churned through his Mazurkas, which are good but somewhat unorthodox reading, and the Nocturnes, which are very good, right up with the great interpreters of this music. Recommended.

George

Quote from: Mandryka on January 21, 2009, 06:44:48 AM


It's hard to like BOTH Richter AND Rubinstein!


Indeed! I am trying though.

Drasko

Quote from: aquariuswb on January 21, 2009, 04:44:20 AM
Gilels is actually pretty convincing in this piece, too (an unexpected choice, perhaps?).

Which one? Two* live recordings from previous year than DG studio are considerably faster, shaving more than minute off both first movement and Largo.

* maybe these two could be the same since timings for both Brilliant (1.1977) and Melodiya (27.12.1977) are almost identical? Brilliant isn't always too reliable when it comes to dates. Does anyone have both?

For op.58 I usually reach for Cortot or Cziffra, Argerich first recording (EMI) isn't bad, and just recently got live Firkusny which sounds interesting on first listen, possibly bit swift for some tastes.

Few that I see I have and look promising on paper are Malcuzynski, Gekic, early Freire, but can't seem to recall much about any of them.

ezodisy

I used to have the Gilels recording on Brilliant and cannot say that I liked it much (found it rather stodgy). I like the heavy, dark-hued ones but Gilels seemed to be plodding along, to me anyway. You like it a bit lighter Drasko? Cziffra's rhythmic sense really comes alive in Chopin and I also like his 3rd, same with the early DG Argerich (haven't heard the EMI one), though not quite so much. I used to have an excellent live recording by Anthony Hewitt from the Wigmore Hall; he had some technical problems in the finale but the first three movements were exceedingly poetic.

Mandryka

There's an excellent recording of the Bolet performance of the third sonata here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3xJSw0emgw

I can see why people recommend it!
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

aquablob

Quote from: Mandryka on January 21, 2009, 06:44:48 AM
Well I like Cziffra in Mozart and Beethoven -- in fact in everything except Chopin and Liszt (I've only heard the studio recordings though) He just seems too hard driven in the 3rd for me.

I understand and respect that opinion, although I don't share it; I find his Chopin and Liszt indispensable!

Peregrine

That live Zhukov is probably the stand out candidate for me, but also enjoy a few others; Cziffra, Pollini, Pletnev and Demidenko OTTOMH. There's a fantastic set of Preludes from Zhukov that are also knocking around. Zhukov was a great pianist.
Yes, we have no bananas

Herman

Quote from: Mandryka on January 21, 2009, 06:44:48 AM
It's hard to like BOTH Richter AND Rubinstein!


Not at all, especially if you consider that Chopin was not really Richter's forte, while Rubinstein is, obviously a great Chopin interpret.