Chopin Piano Concerto No. 1 and Ballades

[Ron Resnick]

What is your favorite performance and your favorite analog recording of Chopin Piano Concerto No. 1?

 

[tima]

What is your favorite performance and your favorite recording of Chopin Piano Concerto No. 1 - Ballades?

Ron, you are asking about 5 different pieces of music, so you want an 'and' rather than a dash. There are ... I believe 4 Ballades (No. 1,2,3,4). The Concerto stands apart.

In any event, the answer for is Horowitz, Vladimir Horowitz. Or Rubinstein, Arthur Rubinstein: --)

I'll find a representative album picture, but H's 'An Historic Return - Horowitz at Carnegie Hall' 2-Lp set should have at least one of the pieces.

 

[tima]

RCA LSC 2575

Pollini is also worth a listen



HMV ASD 370


Here is Horowitz playing Ballad No.1 G-Minor Op. 23


Columbia Masterworks M2S 728
my review

 

[the sound of Tao]

View attachment 73958

RCA LSC 2575

Pollini is also worth a listen

View attachment 73959

HMV ASD 370


Here is Horowitz playing Ballad No.1 G-Minor Op. 23
View attachment 73960

Columbia Masterworks M2S 728
my review

Lovely selections Tim... can I throw in another thought for Chopin piano concerto 1...

The great Argentine Martha Argerich with Dutoit... fantastic Chopin Piano Concertos both 1 and 2

 

[the sound of Tao]

For a small serving of the Ballades...
Perhaps Ivan Moravec

and also for the complete Nocturnes as well...

 

[Ron Resnick]

Thank you very much, gentlemen!

How do you feel these performances and recordings compare to:

 

[the sound of Tao]

Thank you very much, gentlemen!

How do you feel these performances and recordings compare to:

View attachment 73962

Will have to check it out Ron.

Tbh Tim’s choices absolutely nail it but I’d still want the Argerich as well... the Romance in Piano Concerto No.1 really is (no other words possible) sublime. But especially then also for her Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2 which gets us to a second order of sublime... or sublime+ even.

 

[Gregm]

Thank you very much, gentlemen!

How do you feel these performances and recordings compare to:

View attachment 73962

Compared to Argerich (Dutoit could have done a tad better, I believe), or Pollini, my humble response is... meh

By the way, there is a well recorded performance of Perahia / Israel PO Mehta. The sound quality is superb, IMO exceeding the performance quality by miles --

 

[zerostargeneral]

 

[zerostargeneral]

 

[zerostargeneral]

 

[iaxel]

My choice would be Krystian Zimerman for both.
Not your usual interpretations, but beware they are addictive!

 

[Ron Resnick]

Thank you, zerostargeneral!

 

[oldvinyl]

What is your favorite performance and your favorite analog recording of Chopin Piano Concerto No. 1?

For the Ballade #1 in G minor, Opus 23 - I love the Michelangeli recording. For the Piano Concerto #1, i like the Martha Argerich (LSO and Abbado) and the Pollini (Philhamonia Orchestra and Kletzki. There are many fine performances of these pieces, as others have listed above. They are part of the "required" repertoire for a performance artist. If you ever get a chance to hear Garrick Ohlsson, he is one of the finest Chopin performers of our era.

 

[Addicted to hifi]

Great piece of music. I am a big fan of classical music.