Chopin Recordings

[George]

To continue a discussion begun on the previous board:

I'm shocked to see that every threads dedicated to Chopin are dead... and short!

He's my favorite piano composer, maybe even my favorite composer, no matter the discipline; his music just speaks to me. I want all of his music played by his "best" interpreters, starting with his Preludes. Witch pianist should i check out for these particular works?

NOTE: I prefer emotional interpretations over "technical fantasy"; the more faithful to the scores, the better.

Off the top of my head: 

Preludes: Argerich for a white-hot, extrovert performance. Moravec for a more poetic, subdued take. Both are emotional, though here (and below) I don't know about which is truer to the score.

Nocturnes: Rubinstein's second set, comes on two CD's with a great recording of the Scherzos. Or Moravec, again for his gorgeous tone and better sonics. Or Arrau, who I enjoy most of all for his deep, expressive readings.

Ballades: I really like Perahia here in all four. I like Rubinstein for a more extrovert approach.

Mazurkas: Luisada is great, very romantic with tons of rubato. Rubinstein is good too.

Etudes: Richter's my favorite here, but he didn't record them all. Ashkenazy has more refinement, but still is intense. Perahia is a bit less intense, but very poetic.

Waltzes: I recently got Lipatti here and enjoy his playing. For better sound and great performance and value, Ashkenazy is excellent. His set includes the Preludes and the Schuerzos. This 2 CD set is a great intro to his Chopin, which I find solid, consistent and impressive. Haven't heard Rubinstein, but I know that the issue on RCA red seal is a better, clearer transfer than the one that appeared in the AR Collection.

Scherzos: Rubinstein, either coupled with his Nocturnes or his later version coupled with the Ballades. Richter has these recorded with many but not all of the Preludes on Regis.

Polonaises: Ashkenazy is the only one I have heard, but they are so good I haven't looked elsewhere.

Sonatas: For all three, I really love Andsnes. His are avail cheap too. Also, Ashkenazy's are coupled with his superb Etudes. Many other pianists have recorded individual sonatas, but I think its better to start with all three, especially since #1 is neglected.

Concertos: Argerich/Dutoit great performance and sonics. 

[Novi]

To continue a discussion begun on the previous board:

Off the top of my head: 

Preludes: Argerich for a white-hot, extrovert performance. Moravec for a more poetic, subdued take. Both are emotional, though here (and below) I don't know about which is truer to the score.

Nocturnes: Rubinstein's second set, comes on two CD's with a great recording of the Scherzos. Or Moravec, again for his gorgeous tone and better sonics. Or Arrau, who I enjoy most of all for his deep, expressive readings.

Ballades: I really like Perahia here in all four. I like Rubinstein for a more extrovert approach.

Mazurkas: Luisada is great, very romantic with tons of rubato. Rubinstein is good too.

Etudes: Richter's my favorite here, but he didn't record them all. Ashkenazy has more refinement, but still is intense. Perahia is a bit less intense, but very poetic.

Waltzes: I recently got Lipatti here and enjoy his playing. For better sound and great performance and value, Ashkenazy is excellent. His set includes the Preludes and the Schuerzos. This 2 CD set is a great intro to his Chopin, which I find solid, consistent and impressive. Haven't heard Rubinstein, but I know that the issue on RCA red seal is a better, clearer transfer than the one that appeared in the AR Collection.

Scherzos: Rubinstein, either coupled with his Nocturnes or his later version coupled with the Ballades. Richter has these recorded with many but not all of the Preludes on Regis.

Polonaises: Ashkenazy is the only one I have heard, but they are so good I haven't looked elsewhere.

Sonatas: For all three, I really love Andsnes. His are avail cheap too. Also, Ashkenazy's are coupled with his superb Etudes. Many other pianists have recorded individual sonatas, but I think its better to start with all three, especially since #1 is neglected.

Concertos: Argerich/Dutoit great performance and sonics. 

No love for Cortot? 

[George]

No love for Cortot? 

I have a couple CD's on Naxos, the Waltzes and the Preludes/Impromptus. I don't know them well enough to recommend them, but they didn't wow me the first time I listened. 

[aquablob]

Some of my favorite Chopin (note: these are not all complete sets, some are listed for just a few excellent individual recordings):

Preludes: Arrau (studio or live, they are both excellent), Gulda (a mixed bag, but he fares particularly well in the faster ones), Argerich, Richter (9 of them on the BBC Music Special Issue recording)

Nocturnes: Moravec, Rubinstein, and I've heard some of the recent live Gavrilov recordings and am seriously impressed. Pollini's set has its merits but if you don't like Pollini you won't like his nocturnes.

Ballades: Zimerman, Ashkenazy, Rubinstein, Richter, Gulda, Rachmaninov (#3), Michelangeli

Mazurkas: Rubinstein, Rachmaninov (in the two that he recorded)

Etudes: Pollini, Ashkenazy (specifically the early recording, although what I've heard of his later recording is top-notch as well), Cziffra, Richter (at least for those I've heard)

Waltzes: Rubinstein, Rachmaninov

Scherzi: Rubinstein, Ashkenazy, Argerich, Rachmaninov (#3), Richter

Polonaises: Rubinstein, Ashkenazy

Sonatas: Michelangeli, Rachmaninov, Rubinstein

Concertos: These are not really my favorite Chopin works, but I find Zimerman and Rubinstein perfectly satisfying here; Gulda is also excellent in the 1st.

As you can see, Rubinstein shows up more times than any other name. This is because I have yet to find a pianist that turns out as reliably superb Chopin nearly every time, covering almost his entire output. Ashkenazy, Rachmaninov, Michelangeli, Richter, and Zimerman are those that I've found to come the closest (although I must admit that my familiarity with Chopin pianists is not nearly as vast as someone's like sidoze's).

[SimonGodders]

For the Preludes, I'ld go for these at present:

Zhukov (Live), Pollini, Sokolov and Francois. Probably in that order 

[Don]

Preludes - Argerich, Freire and Bolet.

[Holden]

Here goes, my first post on the new forum (thanks Rob)

Preludes - Argerich, Bolet, Orozco (wish I could find that on CD)

Etudes Op 10 - Gavrilov, Ashkenazy, Pollini, Anievas, Cortot

Etudes Op 25 - Ginsburg, Ashkenazy, Cziffra

Nocturnes - Rubinstein (1960s), Moravec

Polonaises - Ashkenazy

Mazurkas - Rubinstein

Ballades - Rubinstein

Scherzos - Rubinstein, Richter

Waltzes 1 to 19 - Ashkenazy, Anievas,

Sonata No 1 - Ashkenazy

Sonata no 2 - Rachmaninov, Rubinstein (Moscow '64), Pollini

Sonata No 3 - Kissin, Cortot, Argerich

Berceuse - Solomon

[MishaK]

Berceuse - Michelangeli 1942

[Don]

Barcarolle - Laura Favre-Khan/Arion

[Drasko]

Mazurka in C major op.68/1 - Grigory Ginzburg (Arlecchino)

[SimonGodders]

Completely OT, but I consider Drasko's picture in his/her profile to be the most beautiful woman in the entire universe, Beart is delectable....

[rubio]

Polonaises: Rubinstein, Ashkenazy

How does Ashkenazy's Polonaises (Decca?) compare with Rubinstein? Do you refer to Rubinstein's classic 2nd mono set (Vol. 28) on RCA?

[aquablob]

How does Ashkenazy's Polonaises (Decca?) compare with Rubinstein? Do you refer to Rubinstein's classic 2nd mono set (Vol. 28) on RCA?

My Rubinstein is "The Chopin Collection" (11-disc RCA "Gold Seal" set); I can't be sure that it is the RCA recording of which you speak, but I imagine that it is. Either way, it's a hell of a set.

I can't give a blow-by-blow comparison of the polonaises at the moment, but I will say that I probably listen to the Ashkenazy (approximately) as frequently as I do the Rubinstein. Ashkenazy fares particularly well with the famous A Major ("Military") one, for what it's worth.

P.S. Have you heard Argerich in Op. 53?

[George]

Antone know if the Ultima release of Moravec's Nocturnes has better sound than the Electra Nonesuch?

Also, any idea where or if the Ultima is available? 

[aquablob]

Antone know if the Ultima release of Moravec's Nocturnes has better sound than the Electra Nonesuch?

Also, any idea where or if the Ultima is available? 

No, and no. Sorry George!

[George]

No, and no. Sorry George!

Its quite alright.

I just read through the rmcr archives for about an hour.

One guy says that the difference is negligible, another prefers the Nonesuch, as the Ultima to him is too top heavy and lacks that darker low end sound that the Nonesuch has.

[Drasko]

Also, any idea where or if the Ultima is available? 

http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/hnum/6192701/rk/classic/rsk/hitlist

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Chopin-Noctunes-Fryderyk-Franciszek/dp/B000027ETF

Sidoze was selling a copy way back, don't know if he sold it

[George]

http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/hnum/6192701/rk/classic/rsk/hitlist

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Chopin-Noctunes-Fryderyk-Franciszek/dp/B000027ETF

Sidoze was selling a copy way back, don't know if he sold it

I can't imagine why, this is some incrdibly gorgeous playing!

Thanks for the links. 

[Holden]

How does Ashkenazy's Polonaises (Decca?) compare with Rubinstein? Do you refer to Rubinstein's classic 2nd mono set (Vol. 28) on RCA?

I prefer the Ashkenazy for two reasons. First, it contains all the Polonaises on 2CDs and there is some good music outside of the famous 7 which are normally recorded. I also think that Ashkenazy is the far better technician in these works yet creates the same sensation of 'dance rhythm' that Rubinstein does. To hear the way that VA plays the left hand octaves in the so called 'cavalry charge' section of the Op 53 is but one example of his affinity and feel for the rhythm of Chopin's works, just as Rubinstein had.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Great Chopin recs...here's one to add to the list: