Chopin Recordings

[abidoful]

Prompted by your remark I listened to a few today. Richter ("Authorised") and Rubinstein (50s mono)  were both pretty good.. But the performance I enjoyed the most was from Alexis Weissenberg (EMI)

This piece is full of contrasts – there are melting soft passages and more rhythmically incisive bits. I thought that sometimes Weissenberg played with the most touching humanity and with beautiful colours. And at other times he was harder toned, more monochromatic. Despite this variety, he bites the whole piece off at once. It's a unified, integrated performance

And he moves the music forward really well – it never flounders.

Anyway, FWIW I like AW in this. More than Richter and Rubinstein this time round.

I have to check that Weissenberg. Well, it is an complicated and elusive work. I love Rubinstein but sometimes he's little "sloppy" intrepetationally. I only have this feeling (funny) with works that I myself study (actually that's not so funny- i mean it's quite natural). Like the Barcarolle for instance; I feel that sometimes Cortot just "hits" it, he had a profound understanding of that work ( but the sound quality - an inferior recording thechnique or something- isn't so good so the listening experience just suffer's from that a little).

[Drasko]

POLONAISE-FANTAISIE- don't know a completely satisfactory one: (

Try Sokolov and Moravec.

[Mandryka]

Is there a recording of Cortot playing any of the scherzos on CD?

He's on youtube playing them -- but where is the CD?

[Mandryka]

I have to check that Weissenberg. Well, it is an complicated and elusive work. I love Rubinstein but sometimes he's little "sloppy" intrepetationally. I only have this feeling (funny) with works that I myself study (actually that's not so funny- i mean it's quite natural). Like the Barcarolle for instance; I feel that sometimes Cortot just "hits" it, he had a profound understanding of that work ( but the sound quality - an inferior recording thechnique or something- isn't so good so the listening experience just suffer's from that a little).

I had completely forgotten that Cortot had recorded it.

I have the 1947 recording on APR. Words like "hallucinatory" and "psychedelic" come to mind -- I think Daniel Barenboim said something like "Cortot seeks out the opium in the music", and listening to this you can see what he was getting at.

Thanks for reminding me about it.

[abidoful]

I had completely forgotten that Cortot had recorded it.

Thanks for reminding me about it.

No problem  I listened the Richter POLONAISE- FANTAISIE on YouTube and few other; Neuhaus, Roberto Poli and Cortot, couldn't find the Weissenberg... I liked the Richter less, Cortot and Neuhaus most. Both had some very good passges but still fell short in some respects Here few point's in regards on intrepetation;
- it begins Allegro Maestoso right from the start so the tempo character shodl be clear there
- the section of the B-Major section has three-part writing, that should come clear so that the bass and the upper voice should be strongest and the middle voices lighter
- the penultimate page repeats thatmusic but only  fuller and shouldn't be all just messy a la Skrjabin

[Ahasver]

Barenboim´s Chopin recital: http://www.youtube.com/user/Ahasver2009#p/c/2D19386ACB3401CF
Your comments are welcomed 

[SonicMan46]

Put the quoted post below in another Chopin thread which apparently does not get much action, so repeated here for comments - thanks:

Advice & comments!  Reading the current issue of Fanfare (May-June 2010) and the recording below was of great interest:

Chopin - Ballades et al w/ Nelson Goerner on a period piano (Pleyel instrument built in Paris in 1848) - recorded on the Polish Fryderyk Chopin Institute label (apparently being devoted to recording all of his works) - I've not heard of this pianist nor the label - any comments, recommendations, etc?  Thanks all - 

[Drasko]

Put the quoted post below in another Chopin thread which apparently does not get much action, so repeated here for comments - thanks:

You can listen online to every single track in full from all of their discs at Fryderyk Chopin Institute website, so you can decide for yourself whether you like it or not. Here is Goerner's Ballades (click on title of track, in red on right side of screen):
http://en.chopin.nifc.pl/institute/publications/musics/id/303

[Antoine Marchand]

You can listen online to every single track in full from all of their discs at Fryderyk Chopin Institute website, so you can decide for yourself whether you like it or not. Here is Goerner's Ballades (click on title of track, in red on right side of screen):
http://en.chopin.nifc.pl/institute/publications/musics/id/303

Excellent find, Drasko! I knew that site, but I was not aware about the music online. Thank you very much. 

[SonicMan46]

You can listen online to every single track in full from all of their discs at Fryderyk Chopin Institute website, so you can decide for yourself whether you like it or not. Here is Goerner's Ballades (click on title of track, in red on right side of screen):
http://en.chopin.nifc.pl/institute/publications/musics/id/303

Milos - great link above!  Thanks - I listened to several of the Ballades on my office computer speakers (crappy sound) and was still impressed w/ the performances.  Currently, my only recording of those works is w/ Zimerman, so I may just put the Goerner disc on my wish list!  Dave 

[Antoine Marchand]

I would like to check out this disc:



About this release:
- In celebration of the Chopin-year 2010
- The young Chopin, a child prodigy if ever there was one, soon found his surroundings in his native Warsaw too narrow, and visited the cultural capital Vienna during the years 1829-1831. Here he met the local piano manufacturer Conrad Graf and was seduced by his instruments, with their light action and delicate, pliant sound. His triumphal concerts in Vienna were played on Graf's pianos, and the young Fryderick was presented one as a gift by Graf himself.
- This disc presents works of Chopin written in his Vienna period, and here they are played on exactly such an instrument, as is still preserved in the Italian Palazzo Contucci in Montepulciano.
- The extensive booklet supplies historical background, pictures, illustrations and photos.
- Costantino Mastroprimiano already recorded extensively for Brilliant Classics: the complete keyboard music of Clementi, highly praised by international critics.

Tracklisting:
1.    Polonaise in A Flat Major (dedicated to Zywny) (1821)   04:07
2.    Rondò in C minor, Op. 1 (1825)   09:15
3.    Mazurka in G major (1825-26)   01:05
4.    Mazurka in B Flat Major, (1825-26)   01:33
5.    Polonaise in B Flat Minor (1826)   06:19
6.    Rondò à la Mazur in F major, Op. 5 (1826)   10:31
7.    Polonaise in D Minor, Op. 71 (1827-29)   06:28
8.    Polonaise in F Minor, Op. 71 (1827-29)   10:09
9.    Polonaise in B Flat Major, Op. 71 (1827-29)   07:03
10.    Polonaise in G Flat Major (1829)   08:19
11.    Variations in A major "Souvenir de Paganini" (1829)   03:52
12.    "Casta Diva" from V. Bellini's "Norma" (transcription for P. Viardot)   03:04

[SonicMan46]

I would like to check out this disc:



About this release:
- In celebration of the Chopin-year 2010
- The young Chopin, a child prodigy if ever there was one, soon found his surroundings in his native Warsaw too narrow, and visited the cultural capital Vienna during the years 1829-1831. Here he met the local piano manufacturer Conrad Graf and was seduced by his instruments, with their light action and delicate, pliant sound. His triumphal concerts in Vienna were played on Graf's pianos, and the young Fryderick was presented one as a gift by Graf himself.
- This disc presents works of Chopin written in his Vienna period, and here they are played on exactly such an instrument, as is still preserved in the Italian Palazzo Contucci in Montepulciano.
- The extensive booklet supplies historical background, pictures, illustrations and photos.
- Costantino  already recorded extensively for Brilliant Classics: the complete keyboard music of Clementi, highly praised by international critics.

Tracklisting
1.    Polonaise in A Flat Major (dedicated to Zywny) (1821)   04:07
2.    Rondò in C minor, Op. 1 (1825)   09:15
3.    Mazurka in G major (1825-26)   01:05
4.    Mazurka in B Flat Major, (1825-26)   01:33
5.    Polonaise in B Flat Minor (1826)   06:19
6.    Rondò à la Mazur in F major, Op. 5 (1826)   10:31
7.    Polonaise in D Minor, Op. 71 (1827-29)   06:28
8.    Polonaise in F Minor, Op. 71 (1827-29)   10:09
9.    Polonaise in B Flat Major, Op. 71 (1827-29)   07:03
10.    Polonaise in G Flat Major (1829)   08:19
11.    Variations in A major "Souvenir de Paganini" (1829)   03:52
12.    "Casta Diva" from V. Bellini's "Norma" (transcription for P. Viardot)   03:04

Antoine - I have this performer in a lot of Clementi, but relative to Chopin, I was interested in the Ballades - did Mastroprimiano do other Chopin works?  Have not check yet - Dave 

P.S. - boy, Chopin born in 1810 - will see a LOT of offerings about this time! 

[Que]

I would like to check out this disc:

Very interesting ineed! Mastroprimiano's Clementi is excellent, and I have a very soft spot for Graf fortepianos.

The Chopin Institute's period instruments series, seems so far to me just that: period instruments but little historically informed performances - modern pianism on old instruments... Could Brilliant fill the gap?

Q

[abidoful]

I would like to check out this disc:



About this release:
- In celebration of the Chopin-year 2010
- The young Chopin, a child prodigy if ever there was one, soon found his surroundings in his native Warsaw too narrow, and visited the cultural capital Vienna during the years 1829-1831. Here he met the local piano manufacturer Conrad Graf and was seduced by his instruments, with their light action and delicate, pliant sound. His triumphal concerts in Vienna were played on Graf's pianos, and the young Fryderick was presented one as a gift by Graf himself.
- This disc presents works of Chopin written in his Vienna period, and here they are played on exactly such an instrument, as is still preserved in the Italian Palazzo Contucci in Montepulciano.
- The extensive booklet supplies historical background, pictures, illustrations and photos.
- Costantino Mastroprimiano already recorded extensively for Brilliant Classics: the complete keyboard music of Clementi, highly praised by international critics.

Tracklisting:
1.    Polonaise in A Flat Major (dedicated to Zywny) (1821)   04:07
2.    Rondò in C minor, Op. 1 (1825)   09:15
3.    Mazurka in G major (1825-26)   01:05
4.    Mazurka in B Flat Major, (1825-26)   01:33
5.    Polonaise in B Flat Minor (1826)   06:19
6.    Rondò à la Mazur in F major, Op. 5 (1826)   10:31
7.    Polonaise in D Minor, Op. 71 (1827-29)   06:28
8.    Polonaise in F Minor, Op. 71 (1827-29)   10:09
9.    Polonaise in B Flat Major, Op. 71 (1827-29)   07:03
10.    Polonaise in G Flat Major (1829)   08:19
11.    Variations in A major "Souvenir de Paganini" (1829)   03:52
12.    "Casta Diva" from V. Bellini's "Norma" (transcription for P. Viardot)   03:04

Now THAT'S an interesting disc!!! (never heard the casta diva transcription- only that he made one).

[james66]

You can listen online to every single track in full from all of their discs at Fryderyk Chopin Institute website, so you can decide for yourself whether you like it or not. Here is Goerner's Ballades (click on title of track, in red on right side of screen):
http://en.chopin.nifc.pl/institute/publications/musics/id/303

Thanks for the link, this is superb playing on a gorgeous-sounding instrument! Tried a few other samples from other CDs. Chopin sounds wonderful on period pianos.

[Mandryka]

I just listened to a whole bunch of Op 48/1s – Gilels(1942); Sofronitsky (1949); Rubinstein (1930s and 1950s); Pletnev; Weissenberg.

One interesting thing was the strength of Sofronitsky's performance – something to do with his rhythmic sense, and his grasp of the musical gestures. I can't really explain it, but I thought it was wonderful.

Weissenberg was good too – very humane in the more lyrical music. And, of course, at times almost frighteningly dramatic. I think Weissenberg's nocturnes are really underrated.

I liked the early Rubinstein one too. Energetic, like Sofronotsky he seems to understand Chopin's gestures so well. The performance is completely integrated  -- he bites it off in one mouthful.

The 50s one seemed stiffer. Much less successful I thought.

Pletnev I need to hear more often – slow, obviously personal. I don't know why, but it hasn't gotten under my skin like some of the others. I am not so convinced that the 1942 Gilels is such an interesting recording. But maybe I have missed something—I know it has advocates.

[George]

Mandryka, your inbox is full!

[Mandryka]

I can't recommend this recording too enthusiastically.

It comes from a period when Sofronitsky's Chopin  style was rather austere. But the drama of the music making is unbelievable.

The mazurka set seems to me to be a real summit of Chopin playing. Same for the Waltzes.

Sound quality is excellent by anyones's standards.

[Verena]

I can't recommend this recording too enthusiastically.

It comes from a period when Sofronitsky's Chopin  style was rather austere. But the drama of the music making is unbelievable.

The mazurka set seems to me to be a real summit of Chopin playing. Same for the Waltzes.

Sound quality is excellent by anyones's standards.

Mandryka, can you give details please? Which label?

[George]

Mandryka, can you give details please? Which label?

Seconded. From the image, it appears that its a VHS.