Chopin's mazurkas

[Mandryka]

Do you know the English word petrichor? Nobody knows it, but it's a lovely word

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/learn-about/weather/types-of-weather/rain/petrichor#:~:text=Petrichor%20is%20the%20smell%20of,the%20veins%20of%20the%20immortals.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Do you know the English word petrichor? Nobody knows it, but it's a lovely word

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/learn-about/weather/types-of-weather/rain/petrichor#:~:text=Petrichor%20is%20the%20smell%20of,the%20veins%20of%20the%20immortals.

That's a beautiful word. We have a word- Madoromu- for doze, reverie.

I love the smell of rain. I particularly like the smell of subway (stations and trains) in rainy days in Tokyo. I think it's a mixture of smells of dust, mold, water, concrete, rotten things, etc.. Very urban, a little decadent smell. I wish there were a perfume of that smell.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

(The post that @Luke quoted got deleted while I checked that it was fair. It was, so here it is.)


https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chopin-Mazurkas-Dmitri-Alexeev-2015-02-27/dp/B01K8MEO60

Alexeev's mazurkas

There's a review on Amazon of this which is totally right, and it's helped me understand something about these mazurkas (assuming Google translate is totally right) viz:

欠点があるとするならば、土臭さはないので、それを求める方にはもの足りないはず。

There's nuance and sensitivity and intelligence in spadefuls. Beautifully played.  However because it's so very very polished and civilised  it becomes like a box of chocolates - after a few, despite the loveliness of them, you start to get sick of it all.

Rather monotonic attack and tone in spite of the rich timing.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

I don't know anything about him!

[Mandryka]

I don't know anything about him!

Here's an discussion with me and two (other?) opinionated, passionate and knowledgeable gentlemen about the Chopin Barcarolle. You may or may not be amused.

https://groups.google.com/g/rec.music.classical.recordings/c/dlpNCfgAj3c/m/s8kHTMlgCgAJ

I've got two things on my hard drive -- Schumann's Album for the Young (where he seems to announce each piece in Italian before playing it), and a concert with Miklos Perenyi of Beethoven sonatas (not very good IMO because of Perenyi.)

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Here's an discussion with me and two (other?) opinionated, passionate and knowledgeable gentlemen about the Chopin Barcarolle. You may or may not be amused.

https://groups.google.com/g/rec.music.classical.recordings/c/dlpNCfgAj3c/m/s8kHTMlgCgAJ

I've got two things on my hard drive -- Schumann's Album for the Young (where he seems to announce each piece in Italian before playing it), and a concert with Miklos Perenyi of Beethoven sonatas (not very good IMO because of Perenyi.)

I find his interpretations/executions fascinating. There is a dandy and urban feel in his music. A slight decadence too. Maybe his performance sounds too funky to some people?
His Liszt below.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Enjoying some Mazurkas and Etudes by Grigory Ginsburg this weekend.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Nice effort by Dina Yoffe with Pleyel. (The title of video says 67-3, but it's 17-4.) Personally I would like more ambiguity and shadow. Still this is a nice interpretation.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Steely sound. Since this is an official video from Bechstein, I guess they are proud of the sound.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

I love the slick and magical performance of the Valses by Cortot. I don't agree with all the interpretations. But his interpretations are invariably aesthetic, effective and innovative.

[Mandryka]

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9608743--chopin-mazurkas-vol-2-opp-41-50-56-59-63-posth-67-68

You know how important it is for Italians that everything is bellissimo. Well, Giuseppe Greco's mazurkas have bellissimo in spades - performance and sound. Good technique - great dynamic control and lovely cantabile.  Just indulge yourself in the beauty of it!

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9608743--chopin-mazurkas-vol-2-opp-41-50-56-59-63-posth-67-68

You know how important it is for Italians that everything is bellissimo. Well, Giuseppe Greco's mazurkas have bellissimo in spades - performance and sound. Good technique - great dynamic control and lovely cantabile.  Just indulge yourself in the beauty of it!

The performance reminds me of rich, double chocolate cake.

[Mandryka]

The performance reminds me of rich, double chocolate cake.

There's a whole load of stuff from him - Chopin preludes and Nocturnes, Mozart sonatas, a ton of Scarlatti. The usual problem that "beautiful tone" pianists have is that everything ends up sounding kind of the same - I'm not sure he falls into that trap, but maybe, in fact, probably.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

There's a whole load of stuff from him - Chopin preludes and Nocturnes, Mozart sonatas, a ton of Scarlatti. The usual problem that "beautiful tone" pianists have is that everything ends up sounding kind of the same - I'm not sure he falls into that trap, but maybe, in fact, probably.

It's a good performance. A little sunny side.

[Mandryka]

How can it be that I completely rejected Rusell Sherman's mazurkas when they were released and this morning they sound wonderful? Light, fun. The answer is in Heroclitus -  πάντα ῥεῖ.

[Mandryka]

Anyone know anything about Maria Christina Mohovich?  Some of these mazurkas seem so strong and characterful they make me think of Tipo's nocturnes. There's a good Schumann Cd too - symphonic etudes.

Back to this and I'm feeling the same way as I did in 2022, except that the comparison with Tipo doesn't do her justice. I don't like Tipo's nocturnes. Jonas's mazurkas would have been more apt. Mohovich's mazurkas are the bee's knees! A great forgotten, pianist, ripe for unearthing.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

YT list of the Ryszard Bakst recording is below.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL04EE220F08BF1FC4

Revisiting this recording on YT. Very likable playing.

[AaronSF]

Steely sound. Since this is an official video from Bechstein, I guess they are proud of the sound,

I don't think this Bechstein sounds "steely" at all; I think it has a beautiful sound.  Bechsteins can be bright, true.  But "steely"?  We all hear differently, I guess.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

I don't think this Bechstein sounds "steely" at all; I think it has a beautiful sound.  Bechsteins can be bright, true.  But "steely"?  We all hear differently, I guess.

I'm pretty bad about sound, and probably I'm wrong as you say.

[Mandryka]

Revisiting this recording on YT. Very likable playing.

I blow hot and cold about Bakst's mazurkas. There's about the colours of the piano in my transfer (Forgotten Records) which is disconcerting - it makes me think of primary colours or rich oil pastel colours. I'm not sure whether I like it or not.