Chopin: Sonata no.2, op.35 (Alfred Cortot, 1933)

This is one of my favorite recordings of this sonata, the 1928 recording by Cortot is also good. I went with the 1933 recording mostly because of the better audio, but the playing in here is brilliant too. I think Cortot plays the funeral march beautify, I especially like the scary crescendo at 13:36. I hope you enjoy the recording :)
0:00 - 1. Grave
4:55 - 2. Scherzo
9:27 - 3. Marche funèbre
15:52 - 4. Presto

[@Schubertd960]

That crescendo at 13:36, sustained for an entire incredible minute, is the best thing I have heard in pianism for a long time. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recording.

[@user-st7fb2ty3u]

He was an oustanding performer in Chopin's interpretation and was good at colorful sounds and rubato.

[@M.Arsenault]

indeed

[@karlportland3280]

Arguably the best recording of this work ever made. I’m generally partial to the more measured and precise Rachmaninov recording, but I sometimes prefer Cortot’s more whimsical, frenetic, and spontaneous approach. And I definitely prefer the return of the main theme in the funeral march to start off softly, as here, rather than with Rachmaninov’s thundering chords, which was a musical mistake on his part, if you ask me (yes, he had his logic, but frankly it simply didn’t work there). There are some very good modern recordings of this work, but none can quite compare to Cortot and Rachmaninov. I dislike the Hofmann and Horowitz recordings, although there are some by Rubinstein that I enjoy, along with a few from pianists born into the post-WWII generations. Cortot was a pianist who took risks. They didn’t always work out, but when they did, as here, dayum!

[@ladivinafanatic]

For me Rachmaninov is the best and Cortot is the close second. Nobody else comes close to them.

[@marksmith3947]

​@@josephli7164I also don't care for how Rachmaninoff plays the presto. It sounds odd

[@ConcordMass]

2:48