BaL 25.01.20 - Chopin: Four Scherzi

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

9.30
Building a Library: Iain Burnside compares recordings of Chopin's four scherzi for piano, Opuses 20, 31, 39 and 54 - and picks a favourite.
Scherzo No 1 in B minor Op 20
Scherzo No 2 in B flat minor Op 31
Scherzo No 3 in C sharp minor Op 39
Scherzo No 4 in E major Op 54
Chopin's four scherzi, much loved and oft recorded by the world's greatest pianists, are a feat of technique, lyricism and musical story-telling. Each is a mini drama and they were written for concert performance rather than the salon. The scherzi also span Chopin's own compositional journey. Whilst the first scherzo is defiant and assertive, demonstrating the youthful energy of the composer, the fourth, written towards the end of his life, is more elusive. Together with the ballades, Chopin's four scherzi stand supreme amongst his entire output for solo piano. (I didn't write any of this - EA)

Available versions:

Claudio Arrau
Bernard d'Ascoli
Vladimir Ashkenazy
Emanuel Ax
Idil Biret
Felicja Blumental
Jorge Bolet
Nikolai Demidenko
Marta Deyanova
Samuel Dilworth-Leslie
François-René Duchâble
Sebastien Dupuis *
Pavel Egorov *
Philippe Entremont
Bruno d’Espiney
Sergio Fiorentino
Samson François
Nelson Freire
Bernd Glemser
Benjamin Grosvenor
Stephen Hough
Cyril Huvé
Ivo Kahánek
Cyprien Katsaris *
Lang Lang
Lang Lang (DVD/Blu-ray)
Elisabeth Leonskaja (SACD)
Yundi Li *
Louis Lortie
Nikita Magaloff
Islam Manafov
Ivan Moravec
Eugene Mursky
Garrick Ohlsson
Cécile Ousset *
Piotr Paleczny
Alexander Paley *
Nikolai Petrov
Mikhail Pletnev *
Ivo Pogorelich
Maurizio Pollini
Sviatoslav Richter
Sviatoslav Richter (Munich 1977)
Sviatoslav Richter
Charles Rosen *
Arthur Rubinstein
Arthur Rubinstein
Arthur Rubinstein
Burkard Schliessmann (SACD)
Basinia Shulman *
Abbey Simon
Ruth Slenczynska *
Giampaolo Stuani *
Istvan Szekely *
Roberto Szidon *
Simon Trpčeski *
Valerie Tryon
Vazgen Vartanian
Earl Wild

* = download only

[Ein Heldenleben]

Thanks yet again for this sterling work. I have yet to hear the perfect performances of these works. Part of the problem are the internal repetitions - that makes all four in a row a bit of a hard listen ( and an almost impossible play) . I am glad you didn’t write the blurb as I don’t think they stand supreme. For me that would be the Barcarolle , Polonaise-Fantasie and F minor Ballade ..

[Stanfordian]

Arthur Rubinstein is superb in the Four Scherzi and I also admire Simon Trpčeski (I have the CD not download).

[Ein Heldenleben]

Agree with you on Rubinstein - I haven’t heard the Simon T. though I have some of his Rachmaninov recordings which are absolutely excellent .
The only complete set I’ve bought is Pletnev which I really don’t like -far too pulled about tempi Wise . What I’ve heard of Grosvenor I’ve been impressed by. I have a few historic recordings of individual scherzi e.g Rachmaninov, Hoffman of which I am fond. I shall certainly be listening tomorrow....

[vinteuil]

I shall certainly be listening tomorrow....

... tomorrow (18 Jan: ) will be Beethoven Symphony nr 1.

The Chopin is due the week following (25 Jan: )

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[Ein Heldenleben]

... tomorrow (18 Jan: ) will be Beethoven Symphony nr 1.

The Chopin is due the week following (25 Jan: )

.

Thanks! - and I ll be listening tomorrow as well...

[vinteuil]

I am glad you didn’t write the blurb as I don’t think they stand supreme. For me that would be the Barcarolle , Polonaise-Fantasie and F minor Ballade ..

... they are not my favourite Chopin works; I don't think Cortot or Michelangeli recorded all four.

In the set of the 'Real Chopin' from the Chopin Institute (Narodowy Instytut Fryderyka Chopina, NIFC) the works are performed by Dina Yoffe, Janusz Dejniczak, and Kevin Kenner :

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003DQIQ7C

I like the 'historical' performances by Benno Moisewitsch

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Moiseiwitsch-Plays-Chopin-Vol-2/dp/B00007DNDN

.

.

[Bryn]

Opera 31 and 54 are two of my favourite Chopin works. I will listen with considerable interest and hope that, for once, BaL is done well.

[Ein Heldenleben]

... they are not my favourite Chopin works; I don't think Cortot or Michelangeli recorded all four.

In the set of the 'Real Chopin' from the Chopin Institute (Narodowy Instytut Fryderyka Chopina, NIFC) the works are performed by Dina Yoffe, Janusz Dejniczak, and Kevin Kenner :

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003DQIQ7C

I like the 'historical' performances by Benno Moisewitsch

.

I don’t think Perahia has either . Though I love the works My ‘problem’ is the B major folk tune in the B minor and the endless repeats in the E major . Haven’t heard the Moisewitsch ...must do.

[BBMmk2]

I haven’t a recording of these. I rather like Ashkenazy in Chopin.

[Jonathan]

In my humble opinion, I've not heard one pianist who can do these 4 works justice as a set - they seem to be too different in temprement for one individual to provide an ideal performance. I shall be listening with interest to see if I am wrong!

[Pulcinella]

In my humble opinion, I've not heard one pianist who can do these 4 works justice as a set - they seem to be too different in temprement for one individual to provide an ideal performance. I shall be listening with interest to see if I am wrong!

Maybe they need to be played on a well-tempered klavier.

[Bryn]

In . . . humble opinion, I've not heard one pianist who can do these 4 works justice as a set - they seem to be too different in temprement for one individual to provide an ideal performance. I shall be listening with interest to see if I am wrong!

In your case, Lisztening, surely?

[Ein Heldenleben]

In my humble opinion, I've not heard one pianist who can do these 4 works justice as a set - they seem to be too different in temprement for one individual to provide an ideal performance. I shall be listening with interest to see if I am wrong!

I don’t think they are really playable as a set except in the artificial conditions of the recording studio . I think they wear out the patience of both player and listener ...

[Bryn]

I don’t think they are really playable as a set except in the artificial conditions of the recording studio . I think they wear out the patience of both player and listener ...