Ivan Moravec

[George]

Let's travel over to Colorado and teach him. 

Road Trip!!!! 

[bhodges]

I have been using VLC Media Player, a free download here, and so far it seems to play everything.  I even borrowed a DVD coded "Region 2" from a friend, and VLC played that just fine, too.

--Bruce

[Coopmv]

Let's travel over to Colorado and teach him. 

Yeah, get out those snow boots ...     

[Coopmv]

No, that's not necessary. Windows has players which can play FLAC without problem. [Link]

Thanks opus106.  I bookmarked your link and will give it a try ...

[Bogey]

Let's travel over to Colorado and teach him. 

Based on yours and George's avatar, I would stick to "today's number".

[Mandryka]

Moravec plays Mozart K333, 570, 475, 457 (Supraphon)


The overall spirit of this CD is Mozart seen through a romantic lens.

This disc is a bit complicated because it comes from three different sources and two different epochs.

The K333 is from 1982 while all the rest are from the 60s. And what a difference! Not just in the sound quality – the 60s recordings are dry, the 80s one wet. But also in quality – the 60s performances seemed very special indeed. But I have learned that with Moravec I need to start  paying attention to the time period of the recording – early is not the same as later in terms of inspiration, I think.

In K570 I don't think Moravec finds quite the candour and spontaneity of Gilels in  the 50s (on Testament), but I can imagine that some people would find Gilels's expansive lyricism annoying , and they may well prefer the relative thrust of Moravec. To give you an idea, Gilels  is sad in the second subject of the adagio –Moravec defiant, almost aggressive.

Nobody comes close to Gould in K475. That is my considered and unalterable opinion. But still Moravec is pretty damn good.

I think K457 is the most interesting performance on the disc. Some  recordings I have heard rush and bang too much in this piece -- you know, in an attempt to bring excitement to the opening movement they use too much force, to much forward drive. Moravec avoids that. He glitters. He sings. On pianoforte, the only performance which rivals it IMO is Arrau's live one on Orfeo.

Of course, on fortepiano the story would be very different: I'm not sure whether it's fair to even bring fortepiano into the picture. Suffice it to say that Newman and Lubimov and Bezuidenhout and Hakkila have very interesting things to say in these pieces.

This is a good CD. Moravec makes romantic Mozart quite convincing on his big grand piano. My only niggle -- no humour. I miss the cheeky, mischievous wit of Anthony Newman.

[Peregrine]

Some kind soul has been transfering Moravec playing Chopin from LP's and been putting them up on Demonoid over the past week. Haven't had a proper listen yet, but there's some Mazurka recordings that were previously not available AFAIK.

[George]

Some kind soul has been transfering Moravec playing Chopin from LP's and been putting them up on Demonoid over the past week. Haven't had a proper listen yet, but there's some Mazurka recordings that were previously not available AFAIK.

Do you know which torrent contains the unreleased Mazurkas?

[Peregrine]

Do you know which torrent contains the unreleased Mazurkas?

http://www.demonoid.com/files/details/2148266/4651332/

http://www.demonoid.com/files/details/2146199/6976998/

The same guy has also put torrents up for Moravec's Nocturnes, Preludes and Ballades

[George]

http://www.demonoid.com/files/details/2148266/4651332/

http://www.demonoid.com/files/details/2146199/6976998/

The same guy has also put torrents up for Moravec's Nocturnes, Preludes and Ballades

I wonder if those were among the stuff released on those rare VAI CDs. I will check later. Thanks!

The LP rip he did is simply the VOX CD with Debussy and Chopin. 

[Peregrine]

I wonder if those were among the stuff released on those rare VAI CDs. I will check later. Thanks!

The LP rip he did is simply the VOX CD with Debussy and Chopin.

Quite a handy discography here:

http://www.ivanmoravec.net/discography/discography.html

Will have to check my computer when I get home and see what I have downloaded, but I think the Preludes are a different recording to what I have.

[Drasko]

http://www.demonoid.com/files/details/2148266/4651332/

http://www.demonoid.com/files/details/2146199/6976998/

None of this is previously unreleased anymore. Digital one is Vox and that other LP has been recently released on Japanese Decca:

http://www.hmv.co.jp/en/product/detail/3675760
http://www.amazon.de/Moravec-Plays-Chopin-Ivan/dp/B002OIH7RU

I did some checking when that come out and those are 1969 Prague recordings:

http://www.ivanmoravec.net/discography/discography.html#pr1969

Which then would mean that Barcarolle is same as on Supraphon, Etude and Scherzo appeared on VAI, some of the Mazurkas on his Philips Great Pianists volume. That leaves three mazurkas as previously unreleased op. 7/2, 17/4 and 24/2 (previous to Japanese Decca).

Moravec recorded pretty much same bunch of Mazurkas four years earlier in Vienna (according to Supraphon) and those are on Supraphon CD with Ballades, but VAI who released some of those gives 1969 as recording date for Mazurkas, so there is possibility these are actually the same as on Supraphon. Could anyone downloading this torrent check these three mazurkas against ones on Supraphon?

[George]

That leaves three mazurkas as previously unreleased op. 7/2, 17/4 and 24/2 (previous to Japanese Decca).

These were recorded from 1966 to 1969 and were released on CD - VAIA 1092.

[George]

http://www.demonoid.com/files/details/2148266/4651332/

The first one was released on CD as this:

http://www.demonoid.com/files/details/2146199/6976998/

This one was released across two CD releases. This one:



and the other VAI one I just posted above:

[George]

Will have to check my computer when I get home and see what I have downloaded, but I think the Preludes are a different recording to what I have.

The VAI preludes were recorded in 1965 and are better than the ones that he recorded later on Supraphon.

[Peregrine]

Great work, George, most informative.

Thanks

[George]

Great work, George, most informative.

Thanks

You're very welcome, my friend! 

[Peregrine]

You're very welcome, my friend! 

And, Drasko as well of course. Thanks to you both! Currently listening to the 1965 Preludes recording - only previously owned the later recording.

[George]

And, Drasko as well of course. Thanks to you both! Currently listening to the 1965 Preludes recording - only previously owned the later recording.

Let me know what you think of it!

[Bogey]

So, what is available only on lp?