Chopin Recordings

[Opus106]

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

I seem to vaguely remember that past recitals (featuring many now well-known names) were released -- probably in the last year or two -- by a label which was almost entirely devoted to the competition.

[Mandryka]

The Argerich competition recording used to be uploaded on a blog somewhere, just google it. I haven't heard it myself.

[Bogey]

The Argerich competition recording used to be uploaded on a blog somewhere, just google it. I haven't heard it myself.

So, probably no disc?  Or just an excerpt part of another disc?

Here is why I ask:





http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-FIRST-RELEASE-ARGERICH-FIRST-PRICE-WINNER-LP-/360466246310?pt=Music_on_Vinyl&hash=item53ed766aa6

[Mandryka]

There's an online Argerich discography which shows all that stuff is on CD


http://andrys.com/adisc-pg.html#chopin

[Opus106]

I seem to vaguely remember that past recitals (featuring many now well-known names) were released -- probably in the last year or two -- by a label which was almost entirely devoted to the competition.

I may have been thinking about this...

[asin]B003C7L7KK[/asin]

[Holden]

I believe I have a copy of it but I'll have to check. It's a CDR that someone sent me years ago.

[Bogey]

Thanks, folks.  Is that the '65 on there 106?

[Opus106]

Is that the '65 on there 106?

One would assume so, as it is stated (on the back cover) that these are 'Live Recordings from the Chopin Competition Warsaw'.

[Holden]

The CD I have is indeed of Argerich live at the Chopin Competition and contains the following material.

PC 1

Etude Op 10/1

Etude Op10/10

Nocturne Op 55/2

Waltz Op 34/1

[Bogey]

The CD I have is indeed of Argerich live at the Chopin Competition and contains the following material.

PC 1

Etude Op 10/1

Etude Op10/10

Nocturne Op 55/2

Waltz Op 34/1

Do you have a link to one, Holden?

[Holden]

Do you have a link to one, Holden?

Unfortunately no. I looked last night but couldn't find anything relating to the recordings I have apart from some old LPs but even they didn't have what I have here. Also, there were mazurkas in the performance and they don't appear on the CD-R. From memory, I think that these were not taken from a CD but another source (MP3?) files and were offered to me in exchange for something equally rare that I had in my possession. The performances are good. I remember finding some reference to them years ago on some website but I forget where. I also got another CD-R from him with something very rare for Argerich - LvB piano sonatas. (Op 10/3 and Op 101).  If you want a copy then let me know.

Do the Chopin Competition archives have copies of these performances?

EDIT: I found this  http://ceolnasidhe.blogspot.com.au/2011/06/happy-70th-birthday-martha-argerich.html

[North Star]

Op 11 by Zimerman/PFO, no need for anything else...

No need for any other Chopin?

[Sammy]

Op 11 by Zimerman/PFO, no need for anything else...

The Zimerman is outstanding, but I'd have to take Francois first.

[Sammy]

I have both Tzipine and Fremaux and they are nowhere close for me. The sound of both is abysmal and maybe it's a match for pianism but quality of Polish Festival Orchestra is very extraordinary the way I see it

Bad sound from the Fremaux?  I found it exceptional for the mid 1960's.

[Bogey]

No need for any other Chopin?

The world can be a scary place, NS.

Thread duty:

Though a very thin layer, blew the dust off of this beauty and will be playing it all week at work:

[North Star]

The world can be a scary place, NS.

Thread duty:

Though a very thin layer, blew the dust off of this beauty and will be playing it all week at work:

Aye, just hadn't realized before how scary!
That Rubinstein collection pic is removed or private, doesn't show.

[Mandryka]

In The Romantic Generation Rosen goes to a lot of trouble to make out that Chopn was good at counterpoint.

Was he right? Or is the left hand mostly just an accompaniment for the right? I'm not sure, though listening to Katsaris play the Walzes makes me think that Rosen was possibly onto something. Rosen's own recording of the barcarolle is not without contrapuntal interest -- I would very much like to hear his Cd of mazurkas but it has disappeared without trace.

Which Chopinists bring out the tensions between the different voices most imaginatively? I'm most interested in the solo piano music.

[North Star]

The Etude in A minor, Op.10/2 is a rather obvious one. But often the left hand is far from mere accompaniment.

[Mandryka]

The Etude in A minor, Op.10/2 is a rather obvious one. But often the left hand is far from mere accompaniment.

Yes  --  Vitalj Margulis made me see that there are interesting contrapuntal ideas latent in op 10/2 -- though you'd never guess from the way most people play it. Thanks for reminding me about him.

[aquablob]

Chopin's writing for the left hand tends to straddle the line between homophony (defined as main melody + accompaniment) and counterpoint (defined as multiple parts with a relatively high degree of independence). "Within" the accompaniment, the voice-leading is often chromatic and adventurous, and he's extraordinarily conscientious about handling dissonance. Secondary counter-melodies are common (think of the mazurkas, or of the [second?] return of the main theme in the 4th Ballade). That's the kind of stuff that Rosen is getting at in my view.

I find that Ivan Moravec has a convincing sense for when to bring out which voices.