Chopin Recordings

[Elgarian]

Ashkenazy's Nocturnes are excellent so don't be surprised at all. I am not familar with Leonskaja's recording. I've heard the Pires and found that she tampered with the tempo/rubato to much for my liking. I struggled to find a real flow from her in most of these works.

This is a case in point. I've had the Pires set of Nocturnes longer than any of the others - it was the first Chopin I bought, under this new dispensation of piano-tolerant ears, so she easily established herself as 'the way to go'; and when I heard the others I thought at first that by comparison they seemed a little pedestrian. But when I did this careful listening to three different performances of the same Nocturne, I could see that what I'd initially thought of as 'pedestrianism' was actually a more careful articulation, and my silky-smooth Piresian expectations were getting in the way of appreciating that.

I hope what I'll get at the end of this process is an enhanced appreciation of a variety of approaches, rather than just one or two favourites establishing themselves. I've bought the Rubenstein 10CD box (Sony) in the hope of extending the range further, and a few individual sets of Waltzes (Igoshina, Fliter and Ott), Etudes (Zayas and Perahia), Ballades (Perahia) and Preludes (Perez). Should keep me off the streets for a few years!

[Karl Henning]

I mentioned somewhere else (I forget where) that for the first time in my life I find myself able to enjoy Chopin. The reason for this baffles me - I imagine some physiological change has occurred, presumably through the ageing process, because suddenly the sound of the modern solo piano is no longer a source of auditory personal torment, as it has been for several decades. Whatever the explanation, the result is that the floodgates have opened; and for some weeks now I've wanted to listen to little else.

It seemed very early on that I had a great opportunity here to escape that prejudice-forming practice of getting to know music through one particular recording, and consequently finding subsequent recordings somehow unsatisfactory, for no reason other than them not being the version through which I grew to love the music in the first place.

So I've adopted a fairly weird scattergun approach, of acquiring a variety of different artists' recordings so that each time I listened to a particular group of Nocturnes, or Preludes, or Walzes, etc, I could listen to a different interpretation - hopefully building up acquaintance with the music, rather than with some particular interpretation of it. And I'm trying not to attach too much weight to those that I think are emerging as my 'favourite' interpretations; but instead, give those a rest  in favour of others. For instance, one evening recently I listened to three successive recordings of the Nocturne Op.15 no.1, by Pires, Ashkenazy, and Leonskaja, expecting Pires (by reputation) to blow the others out of the water. Not so. Or at least, while Pires seemed to be offering liquid gold, Ashkenazy and Leonskaja were each offering, in their different ways, something less obviously glistening but still treasure nonetheless.

I'm not in a position yet to be able to articulate some of these differences in words, but I must say I'm enjoying this new multi-recording approach, and hope to make further comments here as my listening proceeds.

Listen on, listen on in majesty . . . .

[NJ Joe]

Hi,

Can I get a recommendation or three on the Preludes?

[George]

Hi,

Can I get a recommendation or three on the Preludes?

Sokolov on Naive, Moravec on Supraphon and Cortot, 1933 on EMI.

[Holden]

Bolet Live at Carnegie (not the Decca). The whole concert is amazing!



Fiorentino - very hard to find on CD if at all

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASX7qQCKOc0

Arrau live on APR

[George]

Bolet Live at Carnegie (not the Decca). The whole concert is amazing!

Also in his GPOTTC set.

Fiorentino - very hard to find on CD if at all

Downloadable here for free: http://ceolnasidhe.blogspot.com/2009/11/sergio-fiorentino-chopin-preludes-and.html

[NJ Joe]

Sokolov on Naive

ordered!

[Holden]

The set I imprinted on

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yU6PxtOXf7E

Still excellent. I can't understand why EMI never released this on CD

[George]

The set I imprinted on

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yU6PxtOXf7E

Still excellent. I can't understand why EMI never released this on CD

I have his Rachmaninoff Piano Sonatas if you want to hear them. Never heard his Chopin.

[George]

ordered!

Enjoy!

[Lisztianwagner]

Cortot, 1933 on EMI.

When he didn't play wrong notes, Cortot was definitely amazing in Chopin. Though I prefer Rubinstein and Ashkenazy in the Preludes.

[betterthanfine]

Hi,

Can I get a recommendation or three on the Preludes?

I'm surprised no one's mentioned Argerich yet. One of my favourite recordings. Maybe not as poetic as some other pianists, but extremely passionate and energetic.

[ASIN]B000060O5B[/ASIN]

[betterthanfine]

Also:

[asin]B000GYHZ6W[/asin]

[Karl Henning]

I'm surprised no one's mentioned Argerich yet. One of my favourite recordings. Maybe not as poetic as some other pianists, but extremely passionate and energetic.

[ASIN]B000060O5B[/ASIN]

(* pounds the table *)

Also available as part of:

[ASIN]B001BWQVSG[/ASIN]

(* pounds the table again for, erm, emphasis *)

[Coopmv]

Sokolov on Naive, Moravec on Supraphon and Cortot, 1933 on EMI.

I am glad I have all these recordings in my collection ...

[Coopmv]

Also:

[asin]B000GYHZ6W[/asin]

This is an excellent recording.  I just added it to my collection a few months ago ...

[Octave]

Also:
[asin]B000GYHZ6W[/asin]

FWIW I think this disc is included in its entirety in that ULTIMATE [sic] CHOPIN 5cd box, for those who are interested (it can sometimes be found dirt cheap, and is always cheap).  The other contents: Bolet/Dutoit's concertos, Ashkenazy's Nocturnes/Ballades, and Kocsis' Waltzes (fun to say).  I only know the Ashkenazy, but I've been thinking of getting this.

[asin]B000ICMF5S[/asin]

[Bogey]

Thoughts?

[Bogey]

Is Argerich's 1965 winning recital at the Chopin Competition available? 

[Bogey]

Ah....is this the best recording out there?  But within months....not the actual recital?