BaL 12.05.12 Chopin's Mazurkas

[MickyD]

Before getting that superb NIFC box, I also had a set of the nocturnes played on a lovely-sounding 1845 Broadwood by Luc Devos, recorded for Ricercar. I doubt if it is available anymore, that label's recordings seem to be hard to track down.

[Barbirollians]

I like David Owen Norris generally but there is always a risk with letting a pianist do a piano BAL . They tend to choose artists who play them as they either do or would like to . I know I bang on about this from time to time but Richter's interpretation of the Rachmaninov 2 was so far away from Lucy Parham's own tepid reading she clearly did not get it .

[Panjandrum]

Having just caught up with this edition, I have to say I was disappointed that only integrales were considered. IMO, Perahia, Kissin et al have all offered marvellous performances of individual mazurkas, none of which was even touched upon by Norris' survey. Moreover, I have to disagree with the inference that Ashkenazy over egged these miniatures. It's trite to take an example of one out of 50 odd pieces and make a one size fits all judgement. I'm extremely tempted to look out the Michelangeli recordings on the basis of Norris' dismissal of them.

[BBMmk2]

I have always liked the way Ashkenazy plays Chopin, generally and his playing of the Mazurkas is as ones ghat expect from an artist of the calibre as VA.

[silvestrione]

I'm extremely tempted to look out the Michelangeli recordings on the basis of Norris' dismissal of them.

Do! The whole DG Chopin recital is terrific.

[silvestrione]

I have always liked the way Ashkenazy plays Chopin, generally and his playing of the Mazurkas is as ones ghat expect from an artist of the calibre as VA.

I completely agree, and DON's eventual dismissal of them was on very shaky generalised grounds, I thought.

[silvestrione]

Rubinstein's RCA recordings are now available in a 10 CD box quite cheaply from the usual sources, e.g. about £17. I've just listened to the stereo mazurkas, and what an impact these pieces make in these magisterial performances: the pieces grow in depth and complexity as one listens, and some of them are just extraordinary. No wonder R loved them enough to record them all three times. I now have all three of his versions, and the first one, and this stereo, are both very special.