Chopin Recordings

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

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 8 Guests are viewing this topic.

ccar

Quote from: Peregrine on February 07, 2009, 08:09:11 AM
Askenase has a box on DG that has quite a full selection - nicely played, he certainly had a natural feel for the composer, but personally find it a bit lightweight and prissy, although kept the waltzes as enjoyed them a fair bit.



Recently, Archipel published some 1950's recordings by Stefan Askenase - a 2CD mix with various Chopin, the Kinderszenen and 2 Mozart concerti.  
We don't hear much about this polish pianist. He was probably best Known as a prestigious teacher in Brussels (one of his students was Martha Argerich) but he performed and recorded quietly, mostly Chopin, in the 1950-70's. The 2004 DG Original Masters set may help a new generation to (re)discover him.

This is the kind of pianist who could not have a glittering career at the concert stage. His way is not fast, dazzling nor brilliant. But when you take the time to listen there is, at least for me, a subtle, imaginative and very individual handling of the musical phrasing. Somehow I find myself enjoying his individual mixture of slow tempi, a very crystalline tone and a tasteful but very free use of rubato and dynamics.  Old school sensibility perhaps but the musical artistry was certainly there.      

Carlos


Mandryka

#642
I have a cold (hope it's not flu.)

So to cheer myself up I dusted down Pletnev's record of the B-minor sonata today and gave it a spin.

Well, I hadn't  appreciated before what a strikingly original interpretation this is, and I think it is totally convincing. Bryce Morrison in Gramophone disses it because he says that the first movement doesn't flow. Either he needs some new ears or I do because to me it flows beautifully (maybe my cold helps.)

And the slow movement is startlingly impressionistic -- quite unlike any other performance I have heard.


I am going to listen again to all Pletnev's Chopin this weekend.

Does anyone have any  bootlegs? -- I have the Amsterdam Preludes and I am looking forward to revisiting them
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

George

Quote from: Mandryka on December 10, 2009, 10:34:35 AM
I have a cold (hope it's not flu.)

Me to, bro. I am dosing every three hours with The Wellness Formula.



Peregrine

Quote from: Mandryka on December 10, 2009, 10:34:35 AM

I am going to listen again to all Pletnev's Chopin this weekend.

Does anyone have any  bootlegs? -- I have the Amsterdam Preludes and I am looking forward to revisiting them

I think the few Nocturnes he has recorded are gorgeous. I also have the Amsterdam Preludes and love them - courtesy of Sidoze. Where is he these days? Don't seem to have any contact with him since I left Facebook...

But anyway, very much enjoy Pletnev/Chopin!
Yes, we have no bananas

Mandryka

Quote from: George on December 10, 2009, 11:39:16 AM
Me to, bro. I am dosing every three hours with The Wellness Formula.

More effective that The Wellness Formula I think . . .
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

bassio

Quote from: ccar on October 02, 2009, 01:49:27 PM


Recently, Archipel published some 1950's recordings by Stefan Askenase - a 2CD mix with various Chopin, the Kinderszenen and 2 Mozart concerti. 
We don't hear much about this polish pianist. He was probably best Known as a prestigious teacher in Brussels (one of his students was Martha Argerich) but he performed and recorded quietly, mostly Chopin, in the 1950-70's. The 2004 DG Original Masters set may help a new generation to (re)discover him.

This is the kind of pianist who could not have a glittering career at the concert stage. His way is not fast, dazzling nor brilliant. But when you take the time to listen there is, at least for me, a subtle, imaginative and very individual handling of the musical phrasing. Somehow I find myself enjoying his individual mixture of slow tempi, a very crystalline tone and a tasteful but very free use of rubato and dynamics.  Old school sensibility perhaps but the musical artistry was certainly there.     

Carlos

I have heard from his DG album, that was a long time ago ... however I find it severely lacking.
In fact, I could have really advised against getting the whole thing.  :D

However, it is nice to find someone who can find something in his recordings.
I doubt though I will reget the thing again  :D .. maybe will check some performances on youtube (if there are)

Lilas Pastia

#647


I already have the broadcast concert of his Chopin PC 1 from the 2005 Warsaw Competition (thanks to one of our illustrious members ;D). It's fast become one of my favourite versions of the work, second - or third - only to Horszowski and Rubinstein. The newer version is substantially different. For a start, it's almost 2 minutes slower, most of the added space being found in the huge first movement . At 41:30 it's squarely in the 'moderate' camp (Argerich and some others zip through it in 36 minutes). Then there is the orchestra. I think that for this recording Blechacz went into much detail over how he envisioned the collaboration with the orchestra. IOW this is very much a soloist's Chopin PC 1. Orchestral textures are transparent and detailed (much wwind lines come through that I hadn't really noticed before), but it's also very soft-grained. Chopin's orchestra does have some sinew and even a touch of the military to it (first movement), but it's not apparent here. Chamber music Chopin? This is very much a poet's view of the work, and a seasoned musician's one to top things off. Looking at the cover picture may give an idea: Blechacz' virile, square-jawed face, topped with a mane of dark hair, but with a wan expression and a complexion so pale that the lad looks like he has leukemia  :-\ .

Mind you, his interpretation is still way above the average pianist, and even above the seasoned chopinist. His attention to details of phrasing and dynamics is arresting. Time and again my ears perked up at the sheer beauty and refinement of his pianism. I never had the impression of prissiness or of mere note-spinning (there are many notes in this concerto, and the sign of an artist at work is to make the listener hear and factor in each of them). Altogether, he is less bold and commanding than Rubinstein(*), who also delivers breathtaking bits of poetic refinement, and he is not as sheerly sensual and elegant as Horszowski. Chopin's PC 1 is among the very first works I got to know (some 40 years ago, in Rubinstein's version). Blechacz' achievement is to make me go back to my favourite versions and conclude he's not wanting at all, even if I find him not as effortlessly commanding as the old wizards. Quite an achievement.

(*) I refer to Rubinstein's stereo version with the superb Stanislaw Skrowaczewski - the very best "accompanist" I've heard in this work.

George

Not a recording, but this performance is getting discussion elsewhere, so I thought I'd post a link here:

http://sites.radiofrance.fr/francemusique/ev/fiche.php?eve_id=255000185

It's Alexei Volodine playing Chopin's Barcarolle and the complete Preludes live. (Streaming)

Holden

Quote from: George on February 04, 2010, 04:00:38 AM
Not a recording, but this performance is getting discussion elsewhere, so I thought I'd post a link here:

http://sites.radiofrance.fr/francemusique/ev/fiche.php?eve_id=255000185

It's Alexei Volodine playing Chopin's Barcarolle and the complete Preludes live. (Streaming)

The Barcarolle was very ordinary indeed and while there were some nice moments in the Preludes this is very middle of the road Chopin. The best description I can come up with of the playing is monochromatic.

If it's getting rave reviews then the reviewers haven't heard the likes of: Cortot, Argerich, Fiorentino, Sokolov, Bolet, Arrau, Orozco, Pollini etc.

I'm happy to elaborate on a piece by piece basis but will I really have to?
Cheers

Holden

George

Quote from: Holden on February 05, 2010, 02:39:10 AM
The Barcarolle was very ordinary indeed and while there were some nice moments in the Preludes this is very middle of the road Chopin. The best description I can come up with of the playing is monochromatic.

Yeah, I didn't even listen to the whole thing. Just thought I'd present it here.


Drasko

#651
There is new series from Universal Japan - Chopin Historical Masterpieces. Brailowsky and Karolyi issues could be interesting. No idea will the series get international release but what puzzles me is which Chopin did Cziffra and Moravec record for Decca (or Philips)?

http://www.hmv.co.jp/en/fl/12/567/1/



edit: I'm guessing for Cziffra could be Etudes, originally recorded for Philips.

Maciek

#652
I'm guessing this for Moravec?
http://www.ivanmoravec.net/albums/al-4569102.html

And another possibility for Cziffra below.

Drasko

#653
Quote from: Maciek on February 06, 2010, 02:26:35 AM
I'm guessing this for Moravec?
http://www.ivanmoravec.net/albums/al-4569102.html

No, I've been blind, there is tracklisting for each CD when you scroll down a bit, and when cross referenced with Moravec site it seems to be Prague 1969 sessions for Connoisseur Society (most of it, don't see 2nd Scherzo and 68/4 Mazurka). which would then mean that few of the mazurkas are first time on CD.

Cziffra is not complete etudes but mixed recital. He apparently recorded for Philips in early 60s much more than I was aware of.


Herman

Quote from: Holden on February 05, 2010, 02:39:10 AM
If it's getting rave reviews then the reviewers haven't heard the likes of: Cortot, Argerich, Fiorentino, Sokolov, Bolet, Arrau, Orozco, Pollini etc.

A couple of days ago I listened / watched the Volodin in Nantes recital, too, and was severely unimpressed, particularly as it was presented by some people as the Second Coming. What struck me most was how uninteresting Volodin's rhythms are. Especially in preludes with an 'accompanying' left hand this was a big problem. No fluid motion whatsoever, just strict observation of the beat. I suspect it's not easy to perform the Opus 28 in its entirety (although I see no other way in this day and age), and Volodin seems primarily focused on making it to the end without mishaps, even though he seems amply gifted techically. On the other hand, the Baracarolle wasn't sensational either.

Holden

Quote from: Herman on February 06, 2010, 03:14:01 AM
A couple of days ago I listened / watched the Volodin in Nantes recital, too, and was severely unimpressed, particularly as it was presented by some people as the Second Coming. What struck me most was how uninteresting Volodin's rhythms are. Especially in preludes with an 'accompanying' left hand this was a big problem. No fluid motion whatsoever, just strict observation of the beat. I suspect it's not easy to perform the Opus 28 in its entirety (although I see no other way in this day and age), and Volodin seems primarily focused on making it to the end without mishaps, even though he seems amply gifted techically. On the other hand, the Baracarolle wasn't sensational either.

The other thing that Volodin fails to do is bring out the tonal palette that Chopin created. This are especially important in the simple little Preludes such as numbers 2, 4, 6, 7, 15 and 20. Without that shading they are really quite ordinary and this is exactly how they sounded - ordinary and dull.
Cheers

Holden

Lilas Pastia

I have Samson François in the Ballades, Scherzos, Preludes, Mazurkas and Études. I find his tone a bit 'clear', but he finds a narrative tread in everything he plays. His Chopin is never blocky or rythmically dull.

Mandryka

#657
Quote from: Barak on February 07, 2010, 05:30:35 AM
I have Samson François in the Ballades, Scherzos, Preludes, Mazurkas and Études. I find his tone a bit 'clear', but he finds a narrative tread in everything he plays. His Chopin is never blocky or rythmically dull.

I don't know a better modern reading of the Mazurkas.

I don't count the first Rubinstein set as modern. I don't like the later Rubinstein recordings. Beautiful pianism but, for me, too aloof.

And although Luisada and Zilberstein are very good, I prefer a sort of lightness which I hear in Francois.

But, as I said, Luisada and Zilberstein are pretty good really.

I very much like Michelangeli in this -- but he doesn't do many.

I have just bought Koroliov's CD. I have listened to it a couple of times and I find it quite challenging actually.  My initial reaction is that there's a bit too much of the folk-dance about some of the performances for my taste. But he may welll grow on me.

I'm into those Mazurkas big time.

Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

George

Quote from: Mandryka on February 07, 2010, 07:13:50 AM
I don't know a better modern reading of the Mazurkas.

How do you like the rest of Samson's EMI Chopin set? I have resisted buying it for quite awhile.

Mandryka

#659
Quote from: George on February 07, 2010, 07:31:18 AM
How do you like the rest of Samson's EMI Chopin set? I have resisted buying it for quite awhile.

Generally, I like his Chopin for a sort of free spirit feeling. there's nothing buttoned -up about Samson Francois. And he's a happy soul -- this is totally insouciant music making.

I like the Waltzes very much. Next to Kocsis and Cortot it's my favourite big Waltz set. Again it's light and clean and lively.

He doesn't have the depth of Kocsis -- but he's not at all a salonard. And his speeds are more conventional than Kocsis.  And he is certainly much more charming than Kocsis, and much much much more charming than Katsaris (who also plays the waltzes interestingly.)

And he And he's nowhere near as good as Cortot or Rosenthal or Sofronitsky in the Waltzes. No one is or ever will be.

In terms of mood, he's the exact polar opposite of those Waltzes Richter plays on that Salzburg recital.

I like most of the nocturnes too. For the same reasons.  And he's without the cloying sentimentality you get with Moravec and Wasowski and Tipo some performers. But he's not as cool and serious as Rubinstein's stereo recordings.  And he's not as dramatic as Pollini. Not as hard and shocking as Weissenberg can be. He's special-- his own man.

Francois's nocturnes are wide awake and lively. You don't go into Moravec's half awake world . They are played energetically without being at all driven. And the overall feeling is happy -- this is a fun, joyful  interpretation.

Some of the nocturnes aren't  recorded as well as the waltzes or mazurkas. For me it's never a problem. The piano tone is quite hard, and the recording is quite dry. But for me it's never been a problem: it's not like Fiorentino's Ravel, for example.

Opus 62/1 -- my favourite nocturne. Samson Francois -- one of my favourite performers of it.

I will have to listen again to the Etudes and Preludes and Sonatas  before I comment. I haven't heard the concertos.

(I can't imagine the Preludes, in fact. I must try to hear them tonight.)

I would be very surprised if you regretted having the set. But I believe that a big box of his complete recordings will be launched from EMI France this Autumn (there has been a discussion about him recently on RMCR and this came up.)
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen