BaL 18.03.23 - Chopin: Piano Concerto no. 2 in F minor

[MickyD]

https://www.prestomusic.com/classica...ver-a-majorque

Also available from QOBUZ in 48/24.

That's the one! A lovely recital. The CD format seems to have disappeared, maybe a limited run of copies.
The museum in Valdemossa, Mallorca is well worth a visit, lots of scores on display and as you might expect, the villa and gardens are absolutely delightful, a real haven of peace.

[Pulcinella]

Vasary/BPO/Kulka and Szekely/Budapest SO/Nemeth here.
Surprisingly, perhaps, neither of the Chopin PCs (nor either of the Liszt) has appeared on a BBC MM CD.

[Wolfram]

I listen to a lot of Chopin, but the PCs with their Orchestra obligatto parts don’t do much for me.

I am afraid I think this is correct. After an extremely arresting, almost Brahmsian, opening orchestral tutti the orchestra sinks back into the role of passive accompanist. You could almost describe it as a sonata for solo piano with obligatto orchestra. I do like it though.

[Darloboy]

Last covered by BaL in October 2000 when Piers Lane chose Argerich/Dutoit, with Perahia/Mehta as 2nd choice & Rubinstein/Wallenstein as mid price choice.

[Barbirollians]

Last covered by BaL in October 2000 when Piers Lane chose Argerich/Dutoit, with Perahia/Mehta as 2nd choice & Rubinstein/Wallenstein as mid price choice.

Hard to argue with any of those three - all excellent.

I would add the Vasary, Pires/Previn,Argerich/Rostropovich , Fliter and Grosvenor .

Struck that no recordings by Howard Shelley who has recorded so many other romantic concertos and made an excellent HIPP recording of the Second and Third Sonatas.

[mikealdren]

Last covered by BaL in October 2000 when Piers Lane chose Argerich/Dutoit, with Perahia/Mehta as 2nd choice & Rubinstein/Wallenstein as mid price choice.

These are what I have (plus Argerich/Rostropovich) so maybe I don't need to listen!?!?!

[gurnemanz]

Last covered by BaL in October 2000 when Piers Lane chose Argerich/Dutoit, with Perahia/Mehta as 2nd choice & Rubinstein/Wallenstein as mid price choice.

I have the BBC Legends box with Rubinstein/Giulini/Philharmonia rec live in Festival Hall. It came out in 2002 so wouldn't have figured in that BaL. Jed Distler at Classsics Today wrote:

"Here Rubinstein’s animated, characterful, and flexible phrasing reaches levels of inspiration and poetry that easily transcend the pianist’s four studio efforts." https://www.classicstoday.com/review/review-8631/

I've just played it again after not hearing it for a while and agree with those comments.

[LeMartinPecheur]

I have the version with Krystian Zimerman and The Polish Festival Orchestra, which I bought about 20 years ago after hearing him interviewed on the radio. The CD is still in its sellophane wrapping. Now would be a good time to listen.

Give yourself plenty of time - it's so slo-o-o-ow

But still worth hearing I guess, as Wolfram says.

[ardcarp]

I listen to a lot of Chopin, but the PCs with their Orchestra obligatto parts don’t do much for me.

I agree with that. For me Chopin is unsurpassed in his Waltzes, Mazurkas, Ballades, Impromptus, etc, etc (some of which I attempt to play) but I get a gut feeling that he struggles a bit with orchestration and the concerto format. Would he be known for the latter if he were not famous for the former?

[RichardB]

I get a gut feeling that he struggles a bit with orchestration

He doesn't so much struggle with it as not really bother with it at all! But the piano writing is as beautiful as ever, don't you think? especially in the slow movements.

[jayne lee wilson]

I guess you all know about Pletnev's reorchestrations?

Idiosyncratic readings, passing through the landscape full of wonder. Trifonov as ever the hypnotic magician, spinning shining webs across dawn's Left Field...
Chopin's spirit tells me he loves them; so I absent myself, into my dreams...





Chopin: Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No. 1 in E Minor, Op.11; No. 2 In F Minor, Op. 21 (Arr. By Mikhail Pletnev).
Daniil Trifonov (Piano).
Released on 04/08/2017 by Deutsche Grammophon (DG)

[smittims]

Chopin's orchestration has never been a problem for me. For him, the orchestra was there simply to provide a 'backing', when he needed to appear at an orchestral concert. I'd much rather this that that he made some clumsy overdone attempt at rich-and-subtle. It's part of his whole view of life. He knew what he was good at and stuck to it.

[MickyD]

Chopin's orchestration has never been a problem for me. For him, the orchestra was there simply to provide a 'backing', when he needed to appear at an orchestral concert. I'd much rather this that that he made some clumsy overdone attempt at rich-and-subtle. It's part of his whole view of life. He knew what he was good at and stuck to it.

I fully agree.

[Barbirollians]

I fully agree.

Me too - and for what its worth I find the orchestration in particular the horn solo of the slow movement rather lovely.

On the other hand I do remember PG saying they are horrible concertos for the first and second violins to play.

[gurnemanz]

I came across a lovely rendition of the slow movement from Ingrid Fliter at the Warsaw Chopin Competition in 2000. She came second.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Tk6k92H7RQ