I particularly love Pollini in the polonaises. Pollini really understands and exploits the fact that the piano is essentially a percussion instrument. He has an incredible sense of rhythm and powerful percussiveness that really shines in the polonaises. I was lucky to hear him perform a few of them live. His performances of these pieces take the listener to the very edge of abrasiveness without going over that edge. They make me cringe and bite my lip. The experience is like eating a really spicy dish that's almost too spicy, but just barely isn't, so it's perfect.
I feel that Pollini's more impressive live than in recordings. I once heard him around 2010 in Milan in an all-Chopin program, including the Preludes. It was a majestic, deeply moving evening, masterly in every detail. One funny thing: I was sitting near the front, and throughout kept hearing what sounded like loud snoring. Embarrased for the artist who would have had to notice... until I realized it was Pollini himself ventilating through his rather sizable nose.
I also remember Pollini's version of the Chopin Etudes as sensational when the record appeared in the seventies. As a student at the time, I was impressed by his phenomenal technical prowess.
My favorite Chopin collections are by Moravec and Ohlsson, the latter one of the few (are there others?) to have recorded the COMPLETE works of Chopin, including rarely performed works with orchestra, chamber ensemble and voice, all virtuosically and movingly.
I am glad to hear that you briefly mentioned Ivan Moravec in the Chopin Preludes, the VAI recording is one of my all time favorite classical albums among thousands of CDs and would be one of my desert island CDs. Not sure if it's a reference recording or not, I leave that to the experts!
Pollini, who passed in March 2024, was a great pianist. I never found his playing "cold" as his detractors often mentioned. Elegant, forceful and probing is how I personally considered him. If you had ever had the pleasure of hearing him in live performance, you would quickly realize the limitation of Deutsche Grammophon's recording engineers, not his piano ability. He was one of the Titans of 20th Century pianists.
I think the DG sound was a terrible disservice to him. As mentioned elsewhere, the DG piano sound of the 70s was hollow and wooden and apparently were recorded on only a single track. The first dip into the digital phase rendered a more mushy texture, as heard in his Schumann arabeske. In recent years they sound as if in a church, with little sense of spatiality or definition, as in his remake of the preludes. It's a mystery to me how such a finicky artist, who once stated each composer should have its own piano, accepted such inadequate sonics. Just listen to the EMI 1st concerto with Pollini, superior in every way.
You made me laugh aloud with your remark” piano, people are insane” because they really are. I had the great pleasure of hearing Palini three times in three different cities and it was wonderful each time. I never heard him play Chopin live, but I love these recordings. My first love is that beautiful old man Rubenstein for Chopin. But you make a good case . and now I wait for the insane piano fans to come up with 33 obscure pianists(with 33 obscure orchestras for the concertos) And insist that that is the definitive performance. And of course, many wonderful PMS recorded Chopin, and who to argue with well played Chopin?
I'm really liking this particular series because what it comes down to is not "the best" recording of so-and-so work, but good reference recordings, and as such, any of these would serve as both, the best entry point into the respective repertoire, and (for some novice collectors), perhaps the only recording they really need. No, I'm not saying anyone needs just one recording...just that for some buyers...they will just want a good, solid, and reliable version of said works.
There really are too many to pick from concerning Chopin’s preludes. I’ve actually been blessed enough to introduce two good friends to not just the preludes, but basically all Chopin’s solo piano works. I offered them a few options, but both really loved Tharaud’s preludes. One of them was particularly impressed with Kissin’s sonatas and Arrau’s nocturnes too. I may be mixed up here, but I feel like a lot of people think of Beethoven when they think of Ashkenazy. Personally, I immediately think of Chopin. Ashkenazy did the études perfectly for me. Just to throw out a few honorable mentions: -Ingrid Fliter did the Nocturnes beautifully. -Richard Goode is my go-to for the mazurkas. -Ax (who’s typically not a favorite of mine) nails the scherzos and mazurkas.
I think this about Pollini: there’s a singing Pollini before mid eighties and a mechanical Pollini after mid eighties. I stand for the Pollini before mid eighties
Hi Dave, great video! Although I would be suspicious to talk about Chopin since I am one of the devoted "Chopin's Guy". 😅 Changing the subject, could you make a video commenting on Johann Sebastian Bach's cycle of Cantatas by Bach Collegium Japan/Masaaki Suzuki? I've read some very positive reviews on ClassicsToday and would love to hear your thoughts on the complete set, thanks so much for the videos!
I will think about it. I haven't discussed it because the complete set is extremely expensive and not so much better than the others that I think it is worth the money, but it is as good as anything out there.
@@DavesClassicalGuide I was thinking about starting to listen to these pieces and I considered starting with the Harnoncourt/Leonhardt cycle but this Japanese ensemble really caught my attention.
Early Pollini (up to say 1980) was sensational. His Beethoven was very good, not great. His Schubert i loved. The only other pianist that must be noted when discussing the etudes is Cuban pianist Juana Zayas. Incredible technique. I think she recorded op. 10 & op. 25 twice. Jed Distler introduced me to Zayas in his Gramaphone overview of the etudes. She really is all that, and then some.
For Chopin Nocturnes, I would say the reference recording is Ivan Moravec
I particularly love Pollini in the polonaises. Pollini really understands and exploits the fact that the piano is essentially a percussion instrument. He has an incredible sense of rhythm and powerful percussiveness that really shines in the polonaises. I was lucky to hear him perform a few of them live. His performances of these pieces take the listener to the very edge of abrasiveness without going over that edge. They make me cringe and bite my lip. The experience is like eating a really spicy dish that's almost too spicy, but just barely isn't, so it's perfect.
Did you hear the f-sharp minor polonaise from his 1968 recording sessions? That I think makes the DG one sound hard and clinical.
I feel that Pollini's more impressive live than in recordings. I once heard him around 2010 in Milan in an all-Chopin program, including the Preludes. It was a majestic, deeply moving evening, masterly in every detail. One funny thing: I was sitting near the front, and throughout kept hearing what sounded like loud snoring. Embarrased for the artist who would have had to notice... until I realized it was Pollini himself ventilating through his rather sizable nose.
You can hear that in some of the recordings too. But like Gould's humming, if it made him play better, so the better.
I also remember Pollini's version of the Chopin Etudes as sensational when the record appeared in the seventies. As a student at the time, I was impressed by his phenomenal technical prowess.
My favorite Chopin collections are by Moravec and Ohlsson, the latter one of the few (are there others?) to have recorded the COMPLETE works of Chopin, including rarely performed works with orchestra, chamber ensemble and voice, all virtuosically and movingly.
I am glad to hear that you briefly mentioned Ivan Moravec in the Chopin Preludes, the VAI recording is one of my all time favorite classical albums among thousands of CDs and would be one of my desert island CDs. Not sure if it's a reference recording or not, I leave that to the experts!
Pollini, who passed in March 2024, was a great pianist. I never found his playing "cold" as his detractors often mentioned. Elegant, forceful and probing is how I personally considered him.
If you had ever had the pleasure of hearing him in live performance, you would quickly realize the limitation of Deutsche Grammophon's recording engineers, not his piano ability. He was one of the Titans of 20th Century pianists.
I think the DG sound was a terrible disservice to him. As mentioned elsewhere, the DG piano sound of the 70s was hollow and wooden and apparently were recorded on only a single track. The first dip into the digital phase rendered a more mushy texture, as heard in his Schumann arabeske. In recent years they sound as if in a church, with little sense of spatiality or definition, as in his remake of the preludes. It's a mystery to me how such a finicky artist, who once stated each composer should have its own piano, accepted such inadequate sonics. Just listen to the EMI 1st concerto with Pollini, superior in every way.
Love Pollini in this repertoire. Well, I like him in a lot of other stuff, but the Chopin is exquisite.
You made me laugh aloud with your remark” piano, people are insane” because they really are.
I had the great pleasure of hearing Palini three times in three different cities and it was wonderful each time. I never heard him play Chopin live, but I love these recordings. My first love is that beautiful old man Rubenstein for Chopin. But you make a good case . and now I wait for the insane piano fans to come up with 33 obscure pianists(with 33 obscure orchestras for the concertos) And insist that that is the definitive performance. And of course, many wonderful PMS recorded Chopin, and who to argue with well played Chopin?
I'm really liking this particular series because what it comes down to is not "the best" recording of so-and-so work, but good reference recordings, and as such, any of these would serve as both, the best entry point into the respective repertoire, and (for some novice collectors), perhaps the only recording they really need. No, I'm not saying anyone needs just one recording...just that for some buyers...they will just want a good, solid, and reliable version of said works.
I agree, we piano people are insane!
I become a baroque person after 3 decades of piano person.
There really are too many to pick from concerning Chopin’s preludes. I’ve actually been blessed enough to introduce two good friends to not just the preludes, but basically all Chopin’s solo piano works. I offered them a few options, but both really loved Tharaud’s preludes. One of them was particularly impressed with Kissin’s sonatas and Arrau’s nocturnes too.
I may be mixed up here, but I feel like a lot of people think of Beethoven when they think of Ashkenazy. Personally, I immediately think of Chopin. Ashkenazy did the études perfectly for me.
Just to throw out a few honorable mentions:
-Ingrid Fliter did the Nocturnes beautifully.
-Richard Goode is my go-to for the mazurkas.
-Ax (who’s typically not a favorite of mine) nails the scherzos and mazurkas.
I think this about Pollini: there’s a singing Pollini before mid eighties and a mechanical Pollini after mid eighties. I stand for the Pollini before mid eighties
Hi Dave, great video! Although I would be suspicious to talk about Chopin since I am one of the devoted "Chopin's Guy". 😅 Changing the subject, could you make a video commenting on Johann Sebastian Bach's cycle of Cantatas by Bach Collegium Japan/Masaaki Suzuki? I've read some very positive reviews on ClassicsToday and would love to hear your thoughts on the complete set, thanks so much for the videos!
I will think about it. I haven't discussed it because the complete set is extremely expensive and not so much better than the others that I think it is worth the money, but it is as good as anything out there.
@@DavesClassicalGuide I was thinking about starting to listen to these pieces and I considered starting with the Harnoncourt/Leonhardt cycle but this Japanese ensemble really caught my attention.
Early Pollini (up to say 1980) was sensational. His Beethoven was very good, not great. His Schubert i loved. The only other pianist that must be noted when discussing the etudes is Cuban pianist Juana Zayas. Incredible technique. I think she recorded op. 10 & op. 25 twice. Jed Distler introduced me to Zayas in his Gramaphone overview of the etudes. She really is all that, and then some.
I wonder why nobody mentions Chopin Etudes by Ashkenazy (1959/60) recording.
I wonder why you wonder why.
I do like Pollini - also Cortot
Current life expectancy of a comment... about 30 seconds 🤣🤣
If that.