Technique and/or soul? (Pollini et al.)

[akiralx]

Thanks for pointing me to the Eschenbach Hammerklavier, Expianoman. I hadn't heard of it, but I'm always interested in fresh interpretations of this work, so I'll investigate.

I believe Eschenbach recorded the Hammerklavier twice in the studio, for DG and EMI, around 1971 and 1979.

Both have very long (~25 min) accounts of the Adagio I recall.

[smittims]

Yes indeed. The 1979 EMI recording is the slowest adagio I've heard, even slower than Solomon. I found the whole performance very moving. I've yet to hear the DG.

[akiralx]

Yes indeed. The 1979 EMI recording is the slowest adagio I've heard, even slower than Solomon. I found the whole performance very moving. I've yet to hear the DG.

You may then wish to investigate the 2012 recording by Michael Korstick - he in fact played the work on his 1975 professional debut, aged 20.

Piano Sonata No. 29 in B-Flat Major, Op. 106 "Hammerklavier": III. Adagio sostenuto,... (youtube.com)

[smittims]

Goodness, that's even slower still. Quite a difference from Egon Petri's Westminster recording at 14'22"!

Of course 'slower' doesn't necessarily mean better,as we saw with that amazing Ninth symphony that took nearly two hours. One needs to keep the pulse going: to perform, in short. I'll listen carefully to Korstick's recording; thanks for the notice.

[silvestrione]

Parti pour le bronze, il obtint l’or. L’interprétation toute de noblesse de Maurizio Pollini ne se laisse pas apprivoiser d’emblée, mais livre patiemment ses calculs raffinés, d’un clavier qui invente des mots sous chaque note. Dosée, marmoréenne, tendre et intrépide, avec une rage et des emportements tout à coup tempérés par des épisodes contemplatifs, cette Polonaise-Fantaisie est un modèle d’intégrité. « 100% Chopin », lancent les critiques.

On the Polonaise-Fantasie of Chopin, La Tribune awards the palm to Pollini, with those very carefully chosen words!

[richardfinegold]

Parti pour le bronze, il obtint l’or. L’interprétation toute de noblesse de Maurizio Pollini ne se laisse pas apprivoiser d’emblée, mais livre patiemment ses calculs raffinés, d’un clavier qui invente des mots sous chaque note. Dosée, marmoréenne, tendre et intrépide, avec une rage et des emportements tout à coup tempérés par des épisodes contemplatifs, cette Polonaise-Fantaisie est un modèle d’intégrité. « 100% Chopin », lancent les critiques.

On the Polonaise-Fantasie of Chopin, La Tribune awards the palm to Pollini, with those very carefully chosen words!

Care to translate for an ignorant Colonial?

[Sir Velo]

Care to translate for an ignorant Colonial?

Something like "Having gone for bronze, he obtained gold. Maurizio Pollini's noble interpretation does not allow itself to be tamed from the start, but patiently delivers its refined calculations, from a keyboard which invents words under each note. Balanced, marbled, tender and intrepid, with rage and outbursts suddenly tempered by contemplative episodes, this Polonaise-Fantaisie is a model of integrity. “100% Chopin,” say the critics..

[vinteuil]

... perhaps 'measured' rather than 'balanced'? And 'marmoreal' rather than 'marbled'

.

[Sir Velo]

... perhaps 'measured' rather than 'balanced'? And 'marmoreal' rather than 'marbled'

.

Infinitely better! Marbled is too redolent of butchery,

[richardfinegold]

I know of Pollini 1975 recording of the Polonaise-Fantasy. Did he re record it? It is difficult to tell when scrolling lists of retailers and streaming services

[HighlandDougie]

I know of Pollini 1975 recording of the Polonaise-Fantasy. Did he re record it? It is difficult to tell when scrolling lists of retailers and streaming services

Yes - he re-recorded it along with other later Chopin in 2015/16 in Munich for DG (479 6127) - Chopin: Late Works. Released in late 2016 (I think), it just missed being included in the 'Maurizio Pollini: Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon' which I bought when it was going for not a lot of money from one of the Amazon websites in Europe. There are various unofficial live recordings as well - see YouTube.

[akiralx]

Something like "Having gone for bronze, he obtained gold. Maurizio Pollini's noble interpretation does not allow itself to be tamed from the start, but patiently delivers its refined calculations, from a keyboard which invents words under each note. Balanced, marbled, tender and intrepid, with rage and outbursts suddenly tempered by contemplative episodes, this Polonaise-Fantaisie is a model of integrity. “100% Chopin,” say the critics..

So is it the 1975 or 2015 version which receives this encomium?

[Sir Velo]

So is it the 1975 or 2015 version which receives this encomium?

Not the faintest, sorry.

[richardfinegold]

Not the faintest, sorry.

It’s is hard when streaming to know which recording is being used. I played a Pollini recoding of the P-F that I thought was the newer, based on the date listed by the service, but immediately recognized it as the familiar to me 1975, and the timing corresponded to my CD

[Barbirollians]

And sadly now he has left us.