Chopin Recordings

[Brian]

Thanks for the summary, Brian.  I do not have McDermott's Prokofiev but I like her Bach.  I already have many Chopin recordings but was wondering if there are any current generation pianists whose recordings are worth adding to my Chopin collection ...

Ivan Moravec loves the Chopin of Rafal Blechacz, but many in this thread and many critics elsewhere find him rather dull. I can vouch for Alexandre Tharaud's disc of the complete waltzes (2006) as being one of my favorite Chopin CDs from any era; his most recent recital ("Journal intime") I have not yet heard. I have been an enthusiastic proponent of Yevgeny Sudbin's CD on BIS, which I listened to a dozen times last year.

I recommend you partake in the current Blind Listening Game: two of those five pianists were recorded in the last ten years. There will be, I suspect, future Blind Listening Games centering on my favorite Chopin nocturne (Op 48 No 1) and perhaps the Fantaisie in F minor.

[Coopmv]

Ivan Moravec loves the Chopin of Rafal Blechacz, but many in this thread and many critics elsewhere find him rather dull. I can vouch for Alexandre Tharaud's disc of the complete waltzes (2006) as being one of my favorite Chopin CDs from any era; his most recent recital ("Journal intime") I have not yet heard. I have been an enthusiastic proponent of Yevgeny Sudbin's CD on BIS, which I listened to a dozen times last year.

I recommend you partake in the current Blind Listening Game: two of those five pianists were recorded in the last ten years. There will be, I suspect, future Blind Listening Games centering on my favorite Chopin nocturne (Op 48 No 1) and perhaps the Fantaisie in F minor.

I already have a number of Chopin reordings by Tharaud, though I am still not totally sold on him ...

[Holden]

About Chopin's etudes,  I really wonder why Artur Rubinstein, one of the finest interpreters of that music (if not the finest one), never recorded the complete set.....

In his biography it is mentioned that AR actually feared trying to play all of the etudes. He strongly felt that he did not have the technique to perform them as they should be played. I can think of a few pianists who should also have thought about this approach.

[Lisztianwagner]

In his biography it is mentioned that AR actually feared trying to play all of the etudes. He strongly felt that he did not have the technique to perform them as they should be played. I can think of a few pianists who should also have thought about this approach.

I didn't know that, thank you for the explanation. It is rather incredible that Rubinstein didn't feel to have the technique to perfectly perform the Études, he was absolutely at his best in Chopin.

[PaulSC]

I didn't know that, thank you for the explanation. It is rather incredible that Rubinstein didn't feel to have the technique to perfectly perform the Études, he was absolutely at his best in Chopin.

As much as I enjoy his Chopin, I feel he's even better in Schumann and Brahms.

[George]

I didn't know that, thank you for the explanation. It is rather incredible that Rubinstein didn't feel to have the technique to perfectly perform the Études, he was absolutely at his best in Chopin.

His recordings of the Nouvelle Etudes are wonderful! 

[Brian]

His recordings of the Nouvelle Etudes are wonderful!

George, wondering if you'd care to join the ongoing blind listening game?  One of (y)our favorite pianists is in grave danger of placing last!

[George]

George, wondering if you'd care to join the ongoing blind listening game?  One of (y)our favorite pianists is in grave danger of placing last!

If I have time tomorrow, I will check it out. But I have always had a thing for underdogs.

[DavidA]

I have a set of Martha Argerich at Lugano 2010. Her Concerto that year we Chopin number one and it is the best performance I've ever heard of that piece. Utterly sublime pianism caught live.

[Bogey]

Same recordings?

[George]

Yes, Bill.

[Bogey]

Yes, Bill.

Thanks.  Just saved me $40 on music I already had buddy.

[Karl Henning]

Whose Nocturnes does everyone cherish?

[Mandryka]

Whose Nocturnes does everyone cherish?

Weissenberg's

[Brian]

Whose Nocturnes does everyone cherish?

Moravec's.


"I'm surprising nobody by praising this, and indeed there is really very little I can add to the chorus. Donald Manildi, American Record Guide: "one of the great Chopin recordings of all time." Henry Fogel, Fanfare: "among the great piano recordings of the 20th century." Steve Smith, New York Times: "truly, this is an essential document." Leslie Gerber: "moment after moment of revelatory beauty. Many critics consider this the greatest set of the Chopin nocturnes ever recorded..." There is only one qualm to point out: this set does not include the two nocturnes published posthumously. I very much wish it did, because few if any pianists achieve this sort of beauty in every single work."

- me

[George]

Whose Nocturnes does everyone cherish?

Arrau, Tipo, Wasowski (which I believe you have) and Moravec (in pretty much any Chopin.)


(nice avatar!) 

[Karl Henning]

Good morning, George! I have Wasowski in the Mazurkas, should have guessed he would do the Nocturnes nicely.

[Karl Henning]

Not surprisingly, the Wasowski Nocturnes are troppo caro.  Pulled the trigger on Arrau, Nocturnes & Impromptus.

[kishnevi]

For me in the Nocturnes, Rubinstein rules (specifically, the 1965 recording).  But he too only recorded 19.

(This is said without prejudice to Moravec, which I haven't heard.)

[Mandryka]

Another very good one is Dino Ciani's. And I think Pollini's record is outstanding. I'm glad to have Moravec's: even though he doesn't give me what I want I can see he's good.  If you just want something to put in at night and let some vaguely anodyne nocturnal tunes wash over you, then Moravec's perfect. I thought Arrau's set was less interesting, and I never got any pleasure at all from Wasowski.

About two years ago I made a list of favourite nocturne recordings, just to kill some time:


1, , Op. 9 No. 1, Rachmaninov, Kapell
2, , Op. 9 No. 2, , Sofronitsky Cortot, Rachmaninov (The naxos transfer was a real revelation here)
3, , Op. 9 No. 3, Sofronitsky Richter
4, , Op. 15 No. 1, Sofronitsky Richter, Cortot, Argerich
5, , Op. 15 No. 2, Soffronitsky, Cortot, Busoni, Rachmaninov
6, , Op. 15 No. 3, Pollini
7, , Op. 27 No. 1, Sofronitsky, Cortot, Brand, Virssaladze, Moravec (live)
8, , Op. 27 No. 2, Sofronitsky Moravec, Brand, Virssaladze
9, , Op. 32 No. 1, Moravec (live)
10, , Op. 32 No. 2, Ciani, Moravec
11, , Op. 37 No. 1, Godowsky
12, , Op. 37 No. 2, Sofronitsky Moiseiewitsch (live),
13, , Op. 48 No. 1, Sofronitsky, Weissenberg, Pletnev, Gilels, Arrau, Argerich
14, , Op. 48 No. 2, Arrau
15, , Op. 55 No. 1, Pletnev, Sofronitsky, Cortot, Hambourg, Pogorelich, Cherkassky
16, , Op. 55 No. 2, Cortot, Friedman, Pogorelich, Kapell, Argerich
17, , Op. 62 No. 1, Dino Ciani (Tribute CD), Arrau live on Ermitage, Sirota
18, , Op. 62 No. 2, Pletnev, Sokolov, Pogorelich, Richter
19, , Op. 72, Jonas, Virssaladze
20, , Op. P 1 No. 16, Pletnev Weissenberg Sirota
21, , Op. P 2 No. 8, No idea

I haven't played the music much over the past couple of years, so I'm not sure I would still feel the same way. The difference in conception between Moravec and Pollini say, in this music, is astonishing. What set to buy depends on what you want the music for.