(my first time ever making one of these) *TIMESTAMPS:* 20 - 0:00 - Etude Op. 10 No. 8 in F Major / "Sunshine" 19 - 0:39 - Grande Valse Brillante Op. 18 18 - 1:28 - Scherzo No. 4 in E Major Op. 54 17 - 2:38 - Etude Op. 10 No. 12 in C Minor / "Revolutionary" 16 - 3:29 - Prelude in B♭ Minor Op. 28 No. 16 15 - 4:02 - Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Minor Op. 21 14 - 5:03 - Etude Op. 10 No. 4 in C♯ Minor / "Torrent" 13 - 5:31 - Piano Concerto in E Minor Op. 11 12 - 6:47 - Scherzo No. 1 in B Minor Op. 20 11 - 7:36 - Piano Sonata No. 3 in B Minor Op. 58 10 - 8:16 - Etude Op. 25 No. 11 in A Minor / "Winter Wind" 9 - 9:20 - Waltz in A♭ Major Op. 42 8 - 9:52 - Polonaise in A♭ Major Op. 53 / "Heroic" 7 - 10:38 - Variations on 'La ce darem le mano' Op. 2 6 - 11:27 - Waltz in E Minor Op. Posth 5 - 12:06 - Nocturne in C Minor Op. 48 4 - 13:24 - Prelude in D Minor Op. 28 No. 24 3 - 14:14 - Ballade No. 2 in F Major Op. 38 2 - 15:50 - Scherzo in C♯ Minor Op. 39 1 - 17:01 - Ballade No. 4 in F Minor Op. 52 I highly agree with the number one spot and *in my opinion* it's the greatest piece ever composed in all mankind history. *In my opinion,* I would place the other 3 Ballades in second place, same level, simply because they are so amazing and it's hard to put one of those above another, and the 4th is really the only one that I can do that with.
@peterchan6082 I came to the same conclusion after learning Ballade 4, the 3rd Sonata has even more depth to it (probably also helped due to the fact that it's longer and thus gives more time for the listener to reflect).
Beautifully put together. And you made my day by placing the 4th Ballade as No.1 on the list. I honestly think that it is the single best (single-movement) thing ever written for solo piano.
The Barcarolle, Nocturnes op.62, Polonaise-Fantaisie, Fantaisie, and Mazurka op.56/1 all have great codas as well. Other pieces have already been mentioned by other users.
An amazing video, the comments all are useful and interesting. A great list, though I'm a bit surprised that the 1st ballade's coda didn't make it in the top 20
I think many people think that this coda is a weird ending of one of the most beautiful pieces ever written..it sounds like he had to finish it quickly
It seems to me that all of Chopin's endings are masterpieces. The same Andante spianato and grande polonaise, Scherzo Op.31, Polonaise Fantaisie...❤❤❤❤❤ Thanks for the video!
Polonaise-Fantasy took me years to “get” but I now consider one of his greatest works along with the Ballades, Barcarolle and Sonatas 2 + 3. The ending is spectacular and should have been included
Videos like this make me go through the full range of human emotions. A fantastic reminder that I'm alive and able to appreciate such beauty, although admittedly most of the theory and technical analysis goes way over my head. Thank you!
Never seen a ranking that nails it more for me! Plus, even discovered 1-2 pieces that I didn't know before, so thank you very much for this great work! :)
Please make a part 2, I'm a pianist at Emesp (Brazil) and I really liked your video, the details of the harmonies are phenomenal! Congratulations on the work and editing. A suggestion: Balada 3 coda and barcaroles XD
Location! Location! Location! Concept! Concept! Concept! Frederick Francois Chopin had the entire package on absolute, cosmic wrap up. He had the unflagging tenacity to flesh it out to perfection and beyond! He could do NO WRONG! PWG
Here are some pianists I'd highly recommend for a few of these pieces: - Mikhail Pletnev's Nocturne in C Minor: nobody else out of the fifty or so recordings I've heard plays this piece with nearly as wide of a colour range and clarity, it's absolutely haunting. - Eric Heidsieck's Ballade 4: also incredibly unique yet so convincing and moving, and he was taught by none other than Cortot! Richter's Ballade 4 is incredible too, the most fiery end to the coda which most people take as "too fast" but I absolutely love it. I think if we spend too much time trying to make every single note correct and perfect, we'll lose the bigger picture of music which is to convey the emotions, thoughts and ideas of the composer's mind that is recorded in notation. I feel like a lot of the pianists in competitions are stifled by caring about the precision of their playing and dedication to the score. But Chopin himself told his students not to play like he played, but rather to play what they believed they should play (I'm also reminded of a quote by Nadia Boulanger, that once we learn all the rules of music, we must learn to break them). Wonder where all of that freedom of interpretation went... - Alfred Cortot (for any Chopin composition tbh, listening to him play anything teaches you more than most real life lessons you'll pay for). - Sviatoslav Richter's Revolutionary Etude: in contrast to his very slow interpretations (such as the legendary Schubert B flat major Sonata recording), Richter unleashed his full power when he needed to. This is one of those occasions: he doesn't hold back, perhaps his playing is fueled by wartime memories from WW2. After all, he was Prokofiev's favourite pianist for a lot of his music including his wartime sonatas.
1:29 finally somebody said it! This is actually a strong contender for one of Chopin's best codas. I have to say, though, that the coda had best be thought to begin from the reprise of the last theme of the A section because from then on, there are passages that contain material not used previously in the Scherzo. Also, both the nocturnes op.62 have very touching endings.
This video was so well done-the commentary was really interesting and the music was, as the title says, spectacular. One suggestion: I’d keep the name of the piece (and maybe the name of the performer) on screen, maybe as a subtle watermark (the opacity is like 75%-well, do what looks right to you), up in a corner. It’s just nice to have the name of the piece in mind as one listens to it.
It’s note just notes…it’s human outcries, passion, emotion, energy, the only unique international language we all interpret the same (for the most part). You can’t just pound away at the keyboard, you absolutely must put the humanity into your playing, so we can hear and feel said passion and humanity, something Chopin did with remarkable ease, something I cannot play without doing.
Would've included the ending of the Polonaise-Fantaisie; odd but absolutely explosive in glory Also Ballade 3 as well; the transformation of the first bars in the introduction is powerful
I love how you say “ these double thirds are enough to make a grown man cry” about the fourth ballade and then have the ever so delicate Kate Liu performing it.
Chopin has always been to me in a class of his own as composer for the piano. The quality of the musical invention added to the technical use of the keyboard is unique. I have no interest in comparing this or that aspect of the music which speaks for itself.
I've loved the video, and I know that there might be as many lists as viewers, but I wouldn't have left out the Scherzo Op. 31 and the G minor Ballade. I think those two are way superior to any of the three waltzes or even the Polonaise Op. 53 Yes I know, it's just my opinion... 😂
Why do so many of this generation play so damn fast? That E-Flat was was beyond recognition. Pointless. And many others as well. Bravo Trifinov, Kate Liu! and others... Oh~ meant to give props and kudos to Tiffany!!! Brava, Tiffany!!!
Good list but I actually think it is missing his best ending. It is not super technically challenging or complicated but it is just indescribably perfect and that is the ending of Op 27 No 2 Nocturne
I do think you could’ve chosen more epic/iconic performances of these. Especially that one with Dang Tai Son. Pogorelic played that quite a bit better I believe
YES I totally get that - the only problem was that I ran into copyright / copyright claim issues with some of the recordings I used, so I had to find alternatives
Yes, I'm missing them, too. I did read some people saying they aren't that keen on Ballade 1 Coda because the climax is "only" a bunch of scales and not as harmonically complex as Chopin's other Codas. Think that opinion is nuts, it's so rich and powerful in expression, and most of the Coda is feared by many pianists for being so technically challenging!
@@prinlaohawirapap1599 I was really considering those pieces! I just thought it would be nice to leave space for other pieces that I thought got less attention like some of the etudes and waltzes
It seems you are choosing Tiffany Poon as some lost à la Pogorelich jewell...she did not make round 3. Yet, Kate Liu 4th balade is fortunately NOT your forgotten gem, thanks for that honesty. Lukas Geniuśas also absent.
Isn’t this list about the music and not really the performers??? Call me crazy but I think we can still appreciate the intensity of the piece regardless of who’s playing. And besides that Tiffany Poon is an incredibly talented and accomplished performer. And at that she was still able to play at an extremely prestigious international competition. More than most people will ever be able to say. Not really sure where you were coming at with that comment.
Great list but 3:28 just isn't true. Chopin loves his happy endings. Op. 10 No. 2, 25 5, 25 6, also plenty of the nocturnes. Ballade 4 certainly deserves top spot!
(my first time ever making one of these) *TIMESTAMPS:*
20 - 0:00 - Etude Op. 10 No. 8 in F Major / "Sunshine"
19 - 0:39 - Grande Valse Brillante Op. 18
18 - 1:28 - Scherzo No. 4 in E Major Op. 54
17 - 2:38 - Etude Op. 10 No. 12 in C Minor / "Revolutionary"
16 - 3:29 - Prelude in B♭ Minor Op. 28 No. 16
15 - 4:02 - Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Minor Op. 21
14 - 5:03 - Etude Op. 10 No. 4 in C♯ Minor / "Torrent"
13 - 5:31 - Piano Concerto in E Minor Op. 11
12 - 6:47 - Scherzo No. 1 in B Minor Op. 20
11 - 7:36 - Piano Sonata No. 3 in B Minor Op. 58
10 - 8:16 - Etude Op. 25 No. 11 in A Minor / "Winter Wind"
9 - 9:20 - Waltz in A♭ Major Op. 42
8 - 9:52 - Polonaise in A♭ Major Op. 53 / "Heroic"
7 - 10:38 - Variations on 'La ce darem le mano' Op. 2
6 - 11:27 - Waltz in E Minor Op. Posth
5 - 12:06 - Nocturne in C Minor Op. 48
4 - 13:24 - Prelude in D Minor Op. 28 No. 24
3 - 14:14 - Ballade No. 2 in F Major Op. 38
2 - 15:50 - Scherzo in C♯ Minor Op. 39
1 - 17:01 - Ballade No. 4 in F Minor Op. 52
I highly agree with the number one spot and *in my opinion* it's the greatest piece ever composed in all mankind history.
*In my opinion,* I would place the other 3 Ballades in second place, same level, simply because they are so amazing and it's hard to put one of those above another, and the 4th is really the only one that I can do that with.
Thanks so much!
I think the B minor Sonata is greater than even all his Ballades combined.
@peterchan6082 I came to the same conclusion after learning Ballade 4, the 3rd Sonata has even more depth to it (probably also helped due to the fact that it's longer and thus gives more time for the listener to reflect).
@@pepero6348he may or may not be referring to the liszt sonata, probably not, but i have to mention just how amazing it is
@vvsganti he would probably say so if he was referring to liszt, b minor sonata is also chopin's 3rd sonata
love that last line "how do you even compose something like this"
18:22 The last four chords here also act as one final statement of the ballade’s main theme, making it an even more fate-sealing ending 🥶
When are u animating op 62 no 1?
I recognize that channel from somewhere… haha
@@bradyschultz808 he's the animation guy
my goat
Scherzo no 4 was Saint-Saens's favorite Chopin piece, according to Arthur Rubinstein's autobiography
if that is true that is so valid the late scherzos are some of his best easily in all compositional aspects
saint saens piano concerto second movement uses the same element from scherzo 4
Read that, too. What a fun book, eh? That man truly had a great life
Hermosa obra! Cuando tenía 20 años, la toqué en público y me lucí. Fue una buena experiencia. Viva Chopin!
Rubenstein could channel Chopin like no other !
This is a great video. The quality of the editing and the commentary are wonderful. Thanks!
Fantastic video!! I especially love the ending of the Scherzo in B minor - so much angst and drama it’s brilliant.
Beautifully put together. And you made my day by placing the 4th Ballade as No.1 on the list. I honestly think that it is the single best (single-movement) thing ever written for solo piano.
Thank you, Brady! The commentary was wonderful and the pieces chosen were amazing.
The Barcarolle, Nocturnes op.62, Polonaise-Fantaisie, Fantaisie, and Mazurka op.56/1 all have great codas as well. Other pieces have already been mentioned by other users.
I always loved the scherzo no. 4 and the the transition with extreme chord changes to the ending is just divine..
Scherzo 4 was ahead of it's time, certainly my favorite.
An amazing video, the comments all are useful and interesting. A great list, though I'm a bit surprised that the 1st ballade's coda didn't make it in the top 20
I think many people think that this coda is a weird ending of one of the most beautiful pieces ever written..it sounds like he had to finish it quickly
I was also expecting the F Minor Fantaisie and the Polonaise Fantasy. But I agree with the ranking otherwise.
Your interpretations are purely genius (WHY AM I CRYING??)
huh...
One of the best videos about chopin
It seems to me that all of Chopin's endings are masterpieces. The same Andante spianato and grande polonaise, Scherzo Op.31, Polonaise Fantaisie...❤❤❤❤❤
Thanks for the video!
I personally think that endings of Ballade 3 and Scherzo 2 should have easily made this list, but great video!
I think this is the best classical music video I've ever seen ; the comments and the content is crazy. Well done and thank you
Polonaise-Fantasy took me years to “get” but I now consider one of his greatest works along with the Ballades, Barcarolle and Sonatas 2 + 3. The ending is spectacular and should have been included
Videos like this make me go through the full range of human emotions.
A fantastic reminder that I'm alive and able to appreciate such beauty, although admittedly most of the theory and technical analysis goes way over my head. Thank you!
Never seen a ranking that nails it more for me! Plus, even discovered 1-2 pieces that I didn't know before, so thank you very much for this great work! :)
Please make a part 2, I'm a pianist at Emesp (Brazil) and I really liked your video, the details of the harmonies are phenomenal! Congratulations on the work and editing. A suggestion: Balada 3 coda and barcaroles XD
Nossa, estudo na EMMSP , tô pertinho!!!!
amazing and relatable commentary easy to understand! great interpretation choices and editing! love this video 🤍
Location! Location! Location! Concept! Concept! Concept! Frederick Francois Chopin had the entire package on absolute, cosmic wrap up. He had the unflagging tenacity to flesh it out to perfection and beyond! He could do NO WRONG! PWG
Nocturne op 55 no 2 deserves a shout
I'm shouting now
What a treat to be able to enjoy such a wonderfully curated list. An easy decision to subscribe. Please make more content like this!
Here are some pianists I'd highly recommend for a few of these pieces:
- Mikhail Pletnev's Nocturne in C Minor: nobody else out of the fifty or so recordings I've heard plays this piece with nearly as wide of a colour range and clarity, it's absolutely haunting.
- Eric Heidsieck's Ballade 4: also incredibly unique yet so convincing and moving, and he was taught by none other than Cortot! Richter's Ballade 4 is incredible too, the most fiery end to the coda which most people take as "too fast" but I absolutely love it.
I think if we spend too much time trying to make every single note correct and perfect, we'll lose the bigger picture of music which is to convey the emotions, thoughts and ideas of the composer's mind that is recorded in notation. I feel like a lot of the pianists in competitions are stifled by caring about the precision of their playing and dedication to the score. But Chopin himself told his students not to play like he played, but rather to play what they believed they should play (I'm also reminded of a quote by Nadia Boulanger, that once we learn all the rules of music, we must learn to break them). Wonder where all of that freedom of interpretation went...
- Alfred Cortot (for any Chopin composition tbh, listening to him play anything teaches you more than most real life lessons you'll pay for).
- Sviatoslav Richter's Revolutionary Etude: in contrast to his very slow interpretations (such as the legendary Schubert B flat major Sonata recording), Richter unleashed his full power when he needed to. This is one of those occasions: he doesn't hold back, perhaps his playing is fueled by wartime memories from WW2. After all, he was Prokofiev's favourite pianist for a lot of his music including his wartime sonatas.
1:29 finally somebody said it! This is actually a strong contender for one of Chopin's best codas. I have to say, though, that the coda had best be thought to begin from the reprise of the last theme of the A section because from then on, there are passages that contain material not used previously in the Scherzo.
Also, both the nocturnes op.62 have very touching endings.
finally, someone has considered putting Kate Liu's interpretation of the 4th ballade !
the best
Kate Lius Ballade interpretations are some of the best I’ve ever heard.
This video was so well done-the commentary was really interesting and the music was, as the title says, spectacular.
One suggestion: I’d keep the name of the piece (and maybe the name of the performer) on screen, maybe as a subtle watermark (the opacity is like 75%-well, do what looks right to you), up in a corner. It’s just nice to have the name of the piece in mind as one listens to it.
It’s note just notes…it’s human outcries, passion, emotion, energy, the only unique international language we all interpret the same (for the most part). You can’t just pound away at the keyboard, you absolutely must put the humanity into your playing, so we can hear and feel said passion and humanity, something Chopin did with remarkable ease, something I cannot play without doing.
Would've included the ending of the Polonaise-Fantaisie; odd but absolutely explosive in glory
Also Ballade 3 as well; the transformation of the first bars in the introduction is powerful
The best video i've seen this year. Thank you 🎉🎉🎉
Pogorelich's version of the 24th is equally astonishing. Fresh video, thanks for your compilation.
I've been waiting for someone to make this video. Thank you very much! Nice pick and analysis! (But i would place the third Sonata's ending in 1)
Amazing…just amazing. What kind of practice and preparation enables pianists to play those passages?
When I was younger I spent about 6 months learning the F Major Ballade just so I could experience playing those last two pages. It was well worth it!
More videos like these please! Maybe "20 most beautiful melodies" or something in the future. Keep up the good work
why nobody ever talk about chopin cello sonata? (his most underrated work)
I love how you say “ these double thirds are enough to make a grown man cry” about the fourth ballade and then have the ever so delicate Kate Liu performing it.
Thank you so much 😊
Also Polonaise-Fantaisie has one of the most underrated Chopin's endings
great video! great commentations! :) thank you!
Great picks!
I only missed the wonderful phrase that is played at the end of the Barcarolle by the left hand, while the right one raves in quarters.
3:52 Cb Major, not B Major. Although they are enharmonic, Cb Major makes more sense due to the development of the Neapolitan progression.
@yuk_notkim7658 Gotcha
@@bradyschultz808 Woah, that was quick
Nice seeing you here
I LOVE this videoo omgg
Some epic hairstyles too
i really love ending of polonaise Fantasie its amazing and corelated to whole piece.
12:33 Apparently it did. Not an arm and a leg, but your lungs.
I like your top, but i think You should have added ballad 1 and 3 in my opinion
Spectacular! Thank you so much for sharing!
The coda from Ballade No. 1 (Gm) is my personal favorite.
Ballade no.4 is always the top ❤
Chopin has always been to me in a class of his own as composer for the piano. The quality of the musical invention added to the technical use of the keyboard is unique. I have no interest in comparing this or that aspect of the music which speaks for itself.
I really think Charles Hamelin should’ve won the first prize. His 2nd concerto is so spellbindingly outstanding.
Chopin!
Good list, but the third Ballade deserves more praising. That ending is glorious!
thanks!
What about barcarolle and 1st ballade? I guess you need to make another video. I thouroughly enjoyed this, hoping for another one.
I've loved the video, and I know that there might be as many lists as viewers, but I wouldn't have left out the Scherzo Op. 31 and the G minor Ballade. I think those two are way superior to any of the three waltzes or even the Polonaise Op. 53
Yes I know, it's just my opinion... 😂
Why do so many of this generation play so damn fast? That E-Flat was was beyond recognition. Pointless. And many others as well. Bravo Trifinov, Kate Liu! and others... Oh~ meant to give props and kudos to Tiffany!!! Brava, Tiffany!!!
why do you put like ten spaces in between all your sentences
I’d say a chromatic succession of rolled diminished seventh chords is not at the top of Chopins ingenuities
Good list but I actually think it is missing his best ending. It is not super technically challenging or complicated but it is just indescribably perfect and that is the ending of Op 27 No 2 Nocturne
I miss the ending of Ballade no 1, but overall I really like your picks!
What piece of music is used in the thumbnail for this video???
@@chrisbullPiano Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2
Amazing, thanks!! 😄🎶🎹
Great video, Grand polonaise could be also in the list
thx!!
You've missed the finale of Prelude Op. 28 No. 24. It is a must in the spectalurar Chopin's endings.
13:24
I do think you could’ve chosen more epic/iconic performances of these. Especially that one with Dang Tai Son. Pogorelic played that quite a bit better I believe
YES I totally get that - the only problem was that I ran into copyright / copyright claim issues with some of the recordings I used, so I had to find alternatives
Ah yes. Shame. Good vid though
Sonata 2, 4th movement (around 1' 20'' duration). Interpretation by Rachmaninov (1930)
You left out Trifonov end of polonaise fantasy?
11:47 !!
yeah a perfectly deceptive cadenza .
but ahh just a name for such a special effect .
The exquisite machinery of Ballade #4's conclusion is sacrificed to speed here. Please, just a little slower throughout so that it does not vaporize.
Ballad 1???
I just wish I could play all of them 😔
Good list. Shame the Barcarolle didn't make it in though.
hows ballade no. 1 coda not even in top 20? It's one of my favorites :(
It seems more than reasonable that Saint-Saens admired this piece,given his homage to it in his Second Concerto!
wish you could have had the Kobayashi Prelude in D-minor. Blew my mind.
Piano concerto no.2 first movement is missing
What is the name of the pianist playing Etude "Revolutionary"?
Charles Richard-Hamelin
My personal favourite Chopin ending is ballade in g minor
Same here
Same here
What about Ballade 1 and op61
Yes, I'm missing them, too.
I did read some people saying they aren't that keen on Ballade 1 Coda because the climax is "only" a bunch of scales and not as harmonically complex as Chopin's other Codas. Think that opinion is nuts, it's so rich and powerful in expression, and most of the Coda is feared by many pianists for being so technically challenging!
@@prinlaohawirapap1599 I was really considering those pieces! I just thought it would be nice to leave space for other pieces that I thought got less attention like some of the etudes and waltzes
@@bradyschultz808 Right, in that case you are forgiven! Great parade, anyway, and Merry Christmas. 🎄🎶🌹
10:23
I think feel more like knyaz if we are speaking about polonaise :)
Piano sonata 2 need a to be mentioned
3 better
The sonata 2 ending (fourth movement) is so confusing if not played by absolute masters, while sonata 3 is easier for listeners
13:42..... eh i still prefer pogo over everyone else... his recording is quite the rollercoaster. this is from 1980 ?
Grande Polonaise Brillante Op.22;
Sonata No.2 Op.35 First Movement
I thought Charles Hamelin was Marc Andre Hamelin's son,
He isn't💀
Missed op. 22 😊
7:17 that made my ears bleed, what a mess!
Good way or bad way?
Anyone with proper ears can answer to that.@@Piasznist
All monsters!!!!👹😈👺
It seems you are choosing Tiffany Poon as some lost à la Pogorelich jewell...she did not make round 3. Yet, Kate Liu 4th balade is fortunately NOT your forgotten gem, thanks for that honesty. Lukas Geniuśas also absent.
Isn’t this list about the music and not really the performers??? Call me crazy but I think we can still appreciate the intensity of the piece regardless of who’s playing. And besides that Tiffany Poon is an incredibly talented and accomplished performer. And at that she was still able to play at an extremely prestigious international competition. More than most people will ever be able to say. Not really sure where you were coming at with that comment.
9:46 DUDE WHAAAT???
I would remove the pedal for most of these pianists.
I saw this video 2x.
I myself was pretty spectacular
I also disagree with the number one spot. Ballade 4 doesn't hit me as much as others.
Should’ve been Zimerman for op.52 and/or op.23 and Yundi for op.22
Great list but 3:28 just isn't true. Chopin loves his happy endings. Op. 10 No. 2, 25 5, 25 6, also plenty of the nocturnes. Ballade 4 certainly deserves top spot!
The don juan variation I prefer Bruce Liu’s version
Comment for the algorithm 🤯