Gaspard de la Nuit

Started by cliftwood, July 23, 2009, 11:25:28 AM

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cliftwood

This remarkable work has been recorded by many of the great pianists.

I have a few favorites but they are , of course, my choices only and I'm certain there will be many other preferences that have merit.

Mine would be:

Frederich Gulda on Philips (1953)

Walter Gieseking on Philips (1938)

Martha Argerich on DG (1974)

In addition, Ivo Pogorelich's DG recording from 1982 is wildly wonderful, although I'd not pick his interpretation over the above three.

Who do you like?

George

Quote from: cliftwood on July 23, 2009, 11:25:28 AM
Mine would be:

Frederich Gulda on Philips (1953)


I wasn't aware of that one. Is it still in print?

bhodges

I have two: Ashkenazy (Decca) and Minoru Nojima (Reference Recordings), and no complaints with either.  The Nojima has particularly terrific sound, if I recall.  But haven't heard them in awhile and wouldn't mind a new version.

--Bruce

Drasko

#3
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (London 1959)
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (Tokyo 1973)
Ivo Pogorelich
Samson Francois (just Scarbo recorded in 1947 or so)
Marta Argerich (DG)

springrite

#4
First movement: Michalengeli
Second movement: Pogorelich
Third movement: Nojima

Overall, Nojima

(That is from about 15 recordings that I own and 40 or so that I have listened to at least once, complete)
Do what I must do, and let what must happen happen.

not edward

For some strange reason, I have none of Michelangeli's recordings of this work.

I do, however, love Gavrilov (1977) to distraction.
"I don't at all mind actively disliking a piece of contemporary music, but in order to feel happy about it I must consciously understand why I dislike it. Otherwise it remains in my mind as unfinished business."
-- Aaron Copland, The Pleasures of Music

Air

You all have mentioned some great recordings, but I just wanted to add one I find particularly unique:

Vlado Perlemuter on Nimbus Records (1979)
"Summit or death, either way, I win." ~ Robert Schumann

MishaK

Absolutely nothing beats Michelangeli live 1960 Prague. Unbelievable control and a much better dramatic arc than in his other live appearances. Used to be available on a 2CD set from Music & Arts with a killer Bach/Busoni Chaconne and a set of Paganini Variations for the ages.

Sean

The Pogorelich is among the most absolutely amazing piano recordings of all time, completely transcending the medium; the original Prok 6 coupling is of the same order. Check out the Ravel Pogorelich video on Youtube.

Todd

Pogorelich, Schuch (tentatively), Michelangeli (can't remember the date), and Casadesus for me.
The universe is change; life is opinion. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

People would rather believe than know - E.O. Wilson

Propaganda death ensemble - Tom Araya

Peregrine

I'll throw Naida Cole into the mix.
Yes, we have no bananas

Drasko

Quote from: Sean on July 23, 2009, 12:59:16 PM
The Pogorelich is among the most absolutely amazing piano recordings of all time, completely transcending the medium; the original Prok 6 coupling is of the same order. Check out the Ravel Pogorelich video on Youtube.

Pogorelich slightly bothers me in Le Gibet where he buries those tolling B-flats too much in the texture. Actually not to repeat myself here is my comment on the same matter from last year:
As for Le Gibet, for me that piece generally comes down to those tolling b-flats and particularly to how Michelangeli keeps them clean, clear, monomaniacally persistent and totally inevitable to the point where manages to completely freak me out. Pogorelich (in his studio recording) plays them softer and buries them more into texture.
http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,33.msg240955.html#msg240955

Sean

Okay Drasko, but the blood-red colours have never been so explicit and weird- it's an amazing achievement.

MishaK

Quote from: Sean on July 23, 2009, 01:52:31 PM
Okay Drasko, but the blood-red colours have never been so explicit and weird- it's an amazing achievement.

Have you heard any of the Michelangeli recordings? Pogorelich has some amazing moments, but for me he doesn't hold the whole together nearly as compellingly.

Sean

No I haven't but I can imagine, he's usually in the zone and possessed like no pianists today.

val

Argerich is my preferred. Then Samson François (because of Scarbo). Perlemuter because the sound of his piano and his wonderful sense of the details.

Dancing Divertimentian

#16
Quote from: O Mensch on July 23, 2009, 12:48:05 PM
Absolutely nothing beats Michelangeli live 1960 Prague.

Michelangeli's 1969 Helsinki performance trumps everything.
Veit Bach-a baker who found his greatest pleasure in a little cittern which he took with him even into the mill and played while the grinding was going on. In this way he had a chance to have the rhythm drilled into him. And this was the beginning of a musical inclination in his descendants. JS Bach

Holden

Quote from: O Mensch on July 23, 2009, 12:48:05 PM
Absolutely nothing beats Michelangeli live 1960 Prague. Unbelievable control and a much better dramatic arc than in his other live appearances. Used to be available on a 2CD set from Music & Arts with a killer Bach/Busoni Chaconne and a set of Paganini Variations for the ages.

I concur, mine is on a Multisonic CD that also includes Carnaval and Richter playing the C major Fantasie Op 17 - all top performances.


Cheers

Holden

Dancing Divertimentian

#18
Quote from: George on July 23, 2009, 11:35:29 AM
I wasn't aware of that one. Is it still in print?

Last I saw of it George Philips included it in one of their Gulda volumes in the old GPOTC series.

I used to have it and fondly remember its attributes but the recording levels on the set were irritatingly low - too low for me anyway - and I sold it. But this was years ago and perhaps today I'd think differently about the sound.
Veit Bach-a baker who found his greatest pleasure in a little cittern which he took with him even into the mill and played while the grinding was going on. In this way he had a chance to have the rhythm drilled into him. And this was the beginning of a musical inclination in his descendants. JS Bach

MishaK

Quote from: Dancing Divertimentian on July 24, 2009, 02:49:37 PM
Michelangeli's 1969 Helsinki performance trumps everything.

Really? I'm not even aware of that one. On what label was that issued?