Chopin Recordings

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

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Herman

Quote from: Drasko on January 21, 2009, 08:04:01 AM
, and just recently got live Firkusny which sounds interesting on first listen, possibly bit swift for some tastes.

I like it fine.

George

Quote from: Herman on January 21, 2009, 11:38:47 AM
Not at all, especially if you consider that Chopin was not really Richter's forte, while Rubinstein is, obviously a great Chopin interpret.

Good point Herman. Though I usually don't prefer Rubinstein for any of the Chopin works (except the bercuese and maybe a few others) I will admit that he is one of the great Chopin interpreters. Moravec remains for me what Rubinstein is to many others.

aquablob

Quote from: George on January 21, 2009, 11:57:06 AM
Moravec remains for me what Rubinstein is to many others.

I'll take Moravec, Rubinstein, and Richter! No need to deprive myself of any of these fine Chopin performers (and yes, I consider Richter a fine Chopin performer)!

But I must admit... Moravec + Chopin = very special place in my heart...

Peregrine

Yes, we have no bananas

George

Quote from: aquariuswb on January 21, 2009, 12:17:09 PM
But I must admit... Moravec + Chopin = very special place in my heart...

0:)

Dancing Divertimentian

Quote from: ezodisy on January 21, 2009, 09:01:12 AM
I like the heavy, dark-hued ones [3rd sonata] but Gilels seemed to be plodding along...

Speaking of heavy 3rds, or at least heavy-ish, you might find Katchen's from 1955 interesting. There's a darkish element to his playing too though I'd call him more 'grey' with finely etched contrasts.

But he's not at all plodding. In fact, his agility is what's most impressive, though it's hard not to be swept up in his many flights of poetry. In the end everything hangs together for an impressive showing.






Veit Bach-a baker who found his greatest pleasure in a little cittern which he took with him even into the mill and played while the grinding was going on. In this way he had a chance to have the rhythm drilled into him. And this was the beginning of a musical inclination in his descendants. JS Bach

Mandryka

 
QuoteI usually don't prefer Rubinstein for any of the Chopin works (except the bercuese and maybe a few others)

Josef Hoffman is King of the Berceuse, in my opinion.

Though I think you'd have a hard time nodding off to sleep with him playing it.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Mandryka

#227
What do you guys think of Horowitz's Chopin?

I know he was variable, so which are the essential Horowitz Chopin performances to know?

Here's on of my favourites:
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Dancing Divertimentian

Quote from: George on January 21, 2009, 11:57:06 AM
Moravec remains for me what Rubinstein is to many others.

For high poetry, beauty of tone, and the most exhilarating accents, Moravec is king.



Veit Bach-a baker who found his greatest pleasure in a little cittern which he took with him even into the mill and played while the grinding was going on. In this way he had a chance to have the rhythm drilled into him. And this was the beginning of a musical inclination in his descendants. JS Bach

zamyrabyrd

Chopin recordings, glad you asked!!!

Ebay shipment just arrived with Ashkenazy on London: Polonaises that include many unpublished ones, the Ballades and Scherzi (the latter enjoyed many years ago on LP). Really excellent, attention to detail that artistically fuse into a whole concept.

But astonishing was the recording by Geza Anda of the Chopin Waltzes on the Philips Great Pianists' series. He takes them at a slower pace, on the whole, but derives so much more music from them.

ZB
"Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, one by one."

― Charles MacKay, Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds

orbital

Quote from: Mandryka on January 21, 2009, 09:24:33 PM
What do you guys think of Horowitz's Chopin?

I know he was variable, so which are the essential Horowitz Chopin performances to know?

Granted I have not heard his Chopin much, what I have heard (a few nocturnes, mazurkas, a butchered up g minor ballade and a few others) doesn't not warrant looking for more. His kind of idiosyncrasy does not go well with Chopin IMO

Herman

Horowitz' Chopin seems to be channeled cia Scriabin: neurotic and unstructured. All the classicism jas been taken out.

Peregrine

Horowitz is one of the few pianists that I have really not enjoyed at all in Chopin, much to do with the neurotic that Herman alludes to.
Yes, we have no bananas

rubio

How is Cortot in these sonatas?

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

Holden

Quote from: aquariuswb on January 21, 2009, 12:17:09 PM
I'll take Moravec, Rubinstein, and Richter! No need to deprive myself of any of these fine Chopin performers (and yes, I consider Richter a fine Chopin performer)!

But I must admit... Moravec + Chopin = very special place in my heart...

Rubinstein is one of the finest interpreters of Chopin ever. His unmannered, unfussy yet warm approach in most of the repertoire is hard to beat. Yes, you can look to separate performances of individual works, but overall AR is the definitive performer just like Cortot was in his era.

I also agree about Moravec with the Nocturnes but would stop short there. There is also Bolet's fantastic live Preludes and the Ashkenazy Waltzes and Polonaises. The Richter Scherzos are very special. But when I really want to go back to Chopin I invariably return to Rubinstein.

As for the Berceuse yes, Hofman is exceptional but you need to hear Solomon play this.
Cheers

Holden

Maciek

So i guess no one on this forum has heard the Nelson Goerner disc?

(Interesting, BTW, how Rubinstein is automatically associated with Chopin, even though he did not play much Chopin at the beginnings of his career, AFAIK; I don't imagine he ever considered himself a "Chopin pianist" - Chopin was just one of a group of favorite composers, along with Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Liszt)

ezodisy

Quote from: donwyn on January 21, 2009, 09:16:42 PM
Speaking of heavy 3rds, or at least heavy-ish, you might find Katchen's from 1955 interesting. There's a darkish element to his playing too though I'd call him more 'grey' with finely etched contrasts.

But he's not at all plodding. In fact, his agility is what's most impressive, though it's hard not to be swept up in his many flights of poetry. In the end everything hangs together for an impressive showing.

I know I've heard that but cannot remember at all what it was like.

I agree about Horowitz's Chopin, something about it that I can't connect with.

Quote from: Holden on January 22, 2009, 12:15:16 AM
There is also Bolet's fantastic live Preludes

yeah that's a wonderful set, with the live Arrau on APR, live Pletnev and the live Zhukov recording which Peregrine mentioned, those are the 4 I would keep (all live in fact).

Drasko

Quote from: ezodisy on January 21, 2009, 09:01:12 AM
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)

Yes, it looks I do. Have to admit never could really warm up to Zhukov, much too heavy weather. But I did like some live Pogorelich from 80's (those recent 45 minute fantasias on Chopin sonata are really hard to compare with anything). Do you know is somewhere available some 80s broadcast in decent sound?
Argerich EMI recording always grabs me with its awesomely imperious opening, entire first movement is very strong. Haven't heard it recently but seem to recall that EMI is touch less nervous and abrasive than DG.

Quote from: donwyn on January 21, 2009, 09:35:28 PM
For high poetry, beauty of tone, and the most exhilarating accents, Moravec is king.

Although I love the way he accents (or is it accentuates?) 4th Ballade, for most exilarating accents Gekic or Cziffra come to my mind before Moravec.

Quote from: rubio on January 21, 2009, 11:42:37 PM
How is Cortot in these sonatas?

Don't know which are those but in 1931 3rd I have he is superb, typical Cotrot in his effortless rightness in spite of not so perfect tehnique.



 

ezodisy

Quote from: Drasko on January 22, 2009, 01:25:04 AM
Do you know is somewhere available some 80s broadcast in decent sound?

There are some, yeah, though I don't know where to get them from right now. I used to have a live recording from Carnegie Hall around '90, not sure if I sent that one to you (the one that ended with Islamey as an encore). Other than that the only '80s recordings I had were his Chopin competition recordings (which I've still got, minus sonata 2, which is on Youtube I think), and a live Prokofiev PC 3 from London played soon after the competition. Actually I have his Rachmaninoff Sonata 2 supposedly recorded in '91. It's hard to find a live recording in good sound as most were made from the audience.

Quotefor most exilarating accents Gekic or Cziffra come to my mind

Gekic, Cziffra and Natan Brand. There was only one time I associated the word exhilarating with Moravec and that was after hearing his live Prokofiev PC 1 which is utterly diabolical (in a good way). Anyone ever hear Moravec's first recording of the Preludes? Never was able to find it.

Drasko

Quote from: ezodisy on January 22, 2009, 01:46:31 AM
There are some, yeah, though I don't know where to get them from right now. I used to have a live recording from Carnegie Hall around '90, not sure if I sent that one to you (the one that ended with Islamey as an encore).

If you mean Chopin's 3rd, than definitely no, you haven't sent it. There is poor sounding '83 recording from Japanese TV on youtube, so I thought it could have been a radio broadcast as well.

QuoteGekic, Cziffra and Natan Brand

Yes, Brand, absolutely. He had predilection to accent some odd inner voice when you least expect it, especially in Schumann.