Chopin Recordings

[Coopmv]

Szymon Barto's preludes Cd. This recording is great, personal musoc making. Revealing too, in terms of colours and harmonies.

Were you referring to this CD?

[Mandryka]

Were you referring to this CD?

Yes. It's eccentric, slow. But certainly well worth hearing.

The record of Kreisleriana is also very good. I've been playing that a lot these past few days. And the Schubert CD. I haven't heard his Liszt: I'll try to hear it today.

[Mandryka]

For the Preludes, I'd say get the Sokolov, download the Fiorentino (google is your friend) check out Barto and of course grab one of the earlier Cortot's, the 1926 or the 1933.

I played the Amsterdam Sokolov preludes for the first time today. I've had them for a while as you know, but it took the right sort of mood to breach the poor sound.

I'm glad I did. It's an astonishing performance. I don't rate the studio record anything like as highly as you do, but I had none of the sense of longueur that I feel in the slow music in the studio record.

His enormous dynamic range was extremely impressive. Some of the colours gave some of the preludes an almost frightening quality. But it wasn't just the texture which was new and interesting, it was the conception too.

I need to listen again a few times, but my initial reaction is that this is a major recording which should be more widely known.

You know, I've got a ticket to see him in Toulouse in summer. I've no idea what he's going to play.

[George]

Cool Mandryka!

[Drasko]

You know, I've got a ticket to see him in Toulouse in summer. I've no idea what he's going to play.

Rameau - Suite in D
Mozart - Sonata K310
Brahms - Handel Variations, 3 Intermezzi op.117

[Holden]

I played the Amsterdam Sokolov preludes for the first time today. I've had them for a while as you know, but it took the right sort of mood to breach the poor sound.

I'm glad I did. It's an astonishing performance. I don't rate the studio record anything like as highly as you do, but I had none of the sense of longueur that I feel in the slow music in the studio record.

His enormous dynamic range was extremely impressive. Some of the colours gave some of the preludes an almost frightening quality. But it wasn't just the texture which was new and interesting, it was the conception too.

I need to listen again a few times, but my initial reaction is that this is a major recording which should be more widely known.

You know, I've got a ticket to see him in Toulouse in summer. I've no idea what he's going to play.

Hello Mandryka.

Where is it available? I have the Naive preludes and while they are certainly very good I feel that there is something missing so the Amsterdam performance would be worth checking out.

[Mandryka]

Rameau - Suite in D
Mozart - Sonata K310
Brahms - Handel Variations, 3 Intermezzi op.117

oooooooo

[Mandryka]

Hello Mandryka.

Where is it available? I have the Naive preludes and while they are certainly very good I feel that there is something missing so the Amsterdam performance would be worth checking out.

It's not a commercial record unfortunately.

[North Star]

It's not a commercial record unfortunately.

So, it probably is available for very little expenses somewhere?

[DieNacht]

Chopin: Sonata 2 / Krainev But on another LP label, Eurodisc, recorded in Moscow 1968.

This was recorded one year after Krainev had finished his studies with Heinrich Neuhaus at the Moscow Conservatory, and two years before he won the Tchaikovsky Competition in that city.

I was expecting a lot of banging - and surely yes, it´s like listening to Krainev´s by the way excellent Prokofieff playing, but now with a tiring, almost total lack of any subtleties. I could hardly accept listening to it all the way thorugh, but the last movement showed to be the only one of interest, with somewhat clearer textures than many other recordings, in spite of the very fast playing (1:15).
Overall though, a disppointment, much too one-dimensional.

The album also contains the Barcarole, the Fantaisie-impromptu, Scherzo no.2 & a Mazurka, no. 13.

[Holden]

First I listened to this



and then this (thank you NML)



By 1965 AR's interpretation of the Nocturnes had developed an almost languid quality that especially suits these pieces and it is one of my favourite recordings of these works and one I return to often. But for the first time I had a listen to the set from 1949/50 and was made to sit up and take notice. Noticeably more dramatic than the other set without being too idiosyncratic I'm starting to wonder if this is the better version. There are drawbacks of course. AR's piano tone is a little more steely in places though that could simply be the recording quality.

[George]

Have you heard his first recording of the Nocturnes, Holden? It's my favorite of the three.

[Scion7]

On CD, I've got Rubinstein's "Living Stereo" 1958/1961 Piano Concertos No.1 & No.1 with Skrowaczewski and Wallenstein - and these are very, very good.

My long-serving vinyl is this one from 1976:

                      click to enlarge


Jame Roy of Broadcast Music International (BMI) had this to say about Syme's recording of the Chopin Concerto No.1: "His performance is the closest I have heard in technique, style and expression to the legendary interpretations of such masters of the past as Josef Hoffman, Arthur Rubinstein and Alfred Cortot."

[Que]

Have you heard his first recording of the Nocturnes, Holden? It's my favorite of the three.

I have all three, and the 1st is my favourite as well. 

Q

[George]

I have all three, and the 1st is my favourite as well. 

Q

Yes, I have you to thank for introducing me to that set. Thanks! 

[Scion7]

Does anyone remember BLUE ANGEL RECORDS - a mail-order company out of Maryland - went bust around 1986 or so?
They specialized in European boxed sets of classical music (and a little rock stuff, mostly from Germany, here and there.)
I used to get quite a bit of stuff from them.  They had this one on sale and I got a copy - 1980?  1981?  Anyway, yeah, it's just a 'best of' sorta, but it's magnificent stuff - choice selections.
I put it on pretty often.



I have an amusing (well, to me!  ) story about an incident I had with BLUE ANGEL RECORDS , but that's a tale for a Brahms thread.

[Holden]

Have you heard his first recording of the Nocturnes, Holden? It's my favorite of the three.

Listening to it now. Once again, thank you to NML. A very promising start with Op 9/1. I want to hear how he recreates the drama in Op 48/1 and how he integrates the sections of one of my favourite Nocturnes, Opp 55/1. It's the one I enjoy playing the most, for some reason, even though others are more challenging.

This brings up the subject of great complete recordings of these works (which I know has been discussed before). Obviously all three of AR's have to be there but the only other one I've heard that I would recommend is Ivan Moravec's. Arrau is often mentioned but I find him too idiosyncratic - too much rubato with these works for my taste. It's a trap that many fall into.

[Scion7]

What about .... ?

[George]

On another site, I set up a blind listening test of 10 performances of Chopin's Berceuse. I thought including it here might generate some interesting discussion. I uploaded the 10 performances complete over at 4 shared, so they can all be heard without downloading them. Let me know what you think of each one, which are your favorites, who you think the pianists are, etc:

#1 - http://www.4shared.com/mp3/K__8oiaX/1_online.html

#2 - http://www.4shared.com/mp3/DST3Y3oQ/2_online.html

#3 - http://www.4shared.com/mp3/x3RlB3tK/3_online.html

#4 - http://www.4shared.com/mp3/Gv30Akou/4_online.html

#5 - http://www.4shared.com/mp3/3PVTLu82/5_online.html

#6 - http://www.4shared.com/mp3/qFvcjIXp/6_online.html

#7 - http://www.4shared.com/mp3/zIjFsViI/7_online.html

#8 - http://www.4shared.com/mp3/-qzNwZkJ/8_online.html

#9 - http://www.4shared.com/mp3/1nxVa3SD/9_online.html

#10 - http://www.4shared.com/mp3/T7Ux23gR/10_online.html


They can also be downloaded in FLAC and MP3 format here: http://www.mediafire.com/?kw32k40nmc78z

[Drasko]

Looks very interesting George. Unfortunately I really don't have the time to seriously sit down and listen during next few weeks. Will have to pass on this one, sorry.