Chopin Piano Concerto No. 1 and Ballades

Ron Resnick

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

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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.
 
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the sound of Tao

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the sound of Tao

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

and also for the complete Nocturnes as well...
497938EA-247E-4F4F-8AD4-53FD5A17E712.jpeg
 
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Ron Resnick

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Thank you very much, gentlemen!

How do you feel these performances and recordings compare to:

00C3793A-7EFC-418B-9CDC-1A3C0BAC6FF5.jpeg
 

the sound of Tao

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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.
 
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Gregm

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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 --
 

iaxel

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


 

Ron Resnick

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Thank you, zerostargeneral! :)
 

oldvinyl

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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.

R-11377614-1515243024-2224.jpeg.jpg
 
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