I cannot give any accolades to pianists who omit the middle voice on occasion in order to accommodate certain difficult passages. Listen closely to these performances, and there's hardly a one of the pianists who is not guilty of this.
In the second section to get a higher tempo they almost if not always leave out the bottom note of two octave chords as it is near impossible to play this quick stretch very fast.
@@neiltassoni You evidently have trouble accepting the truth when you hear it. I would like to hear these pianists play ALL the notes that Chopin wrote, and if one cannot expect that of world-class pianists, then from whom can we expect it?
I agree- so many big name pianists completely cheat in this Etude- there is no second finger… watch George li and he completely ignores the middle voice. My teacher made me practice the whole Etude with upper voice and middle second, leaving out the thumb…. It’s so worth trying to get it honestly- Chopin knew what he was doing. Besides there’s an older version of this with the chords written as held quarter notes as you probably already know
I like Ruth Slenczynska's clear, solid, even, beautifully articulated, intelligenty phrased version best, and I frankly prefer her relatively modest tempo to the hell-bent-for-election speeds of most of the others, but Uninsky's technique was certainly praiseworthy, and Milosz Magin's may be THE most remarkable of this group from the technical standpoint. Gera Anda did some VERY interesting things with the left hand in an approach reminiscent of Cortot. Bralowsky frankly STANK. Why was he ever accepted on the cincert stage? I've never been able to understand that. Saperton's speed may have been remarkable, but his rendition was sterile -- decidedly unmusical -- and it did have some weak spots here and there. I wish Cortot had been icluded, because even though his playing was often very sloppy, his IDEAS were never less than fascinating. He did things with VOICING and finding hidden counterpoint that no one else has ever duplicated.
This piece sounds like nothing, literally just a whisper. But it mercilessly belabors the weak third, fourth, and fifth fingers of the right hand and it takes tremendous strength to play. I think it's the most taxing of all the études. Getting precisely the right conciliatory tone in the final measure is also hard, and most of the pianists here don't achieve it (but Uninsky does). There's a recording of the Chopin études by Novaes when she was quite old, and sadly she didn't have the strength to get through it properly.
Saperton: He could do it a shade slower and get a few notes better. Lovely rubati when he uses it, could use it more. 7- Brailowsky: A real interpretation at (IMHO) the right tempo. RH a bit messy, LH does lovely things and he gets the creepy feel.8+ Darre: A little 'too perfect.' She gets everything absolutely right, I just wish there was a little more individuality. 9 Uninsky: Pretty good, but why so loud?? 8 Goldsand: Amazing technique to glide so softly at that fast a tempo, but a slower one would help. 9- Anda: Being this loud, at a slower tempo than Uninsky, takes the mystery out of the piece. 6 Fiorentino: Magnificent, all sorts of subtle touches that make it the champion. 10 Slenczynska: Unique interpretation that you don't have to agree with. All sorts of interesting dynamic touches. 9- Magin: Like Goldsand, amazing to glide so fast a tempo, but has more trouble than Goldsand sustaining it. Why not slower? 8- Ciani: Aside from an unfortunate slip this is wonderful. Fascinating way he takes out the pedal at certain points. 9+
Georges Cziffra has an astonishing recording of both Op.10 & 25- you never hear a wrong note- he plays this great music with such ease and abandon......
Jeanne-Marrie Darré is definitely the best in my opinion. All others have not a so precise style with, in some cases, too much pedal or reverb. It would be interesting to compare others. Raoul Koczalski, Cortot, Kempf, etc.
J have listened J M Darre at Alger in 1958 with her always famous bis " étude en forme de valse " of Saint Saens she liked St Saens j remember J M Darre in 1970 at Marseille-Opera with the 24 studies of Chopin , she played very clear as a Teacher of CNP erea Lycette Descaves ; very good technician j prefer her St Saens; here it's Brailovsky j like by a lyricism in this study , always lyrical * also with others compositions The first pianist is a robotic machine as Glen Gould the best computer of piano for me ( music-Bach is robotic lyricism with Bach ? humm j like here Brailovsky
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Géza Anda convinced me the most. Outstanding musicality and lightness!
The biggest question is: how much pedal should be used... many pianists use it ad libitum because they get tired or because they cannot play the chromatic line completely clear or legato... One of the best versions IMO is missing here, that of young Ashkenazy (studio recording).
This comparison misses too many great pianists, including Backhaus, Cziffra, Cherkassky, Sofronitsky, and Richter. Another thing: it's not about counting wrong notes or speed, but the overall structure that matters, which is particularly difficult to achieve with this piece that tend to degenerate into a string of notes.
Dino Ciani fait bien ressortir le chant de la main gauche , il est moins mis en valeur dans les autres versions peut-être plus virtuoses mais moins poétiques
I have to say, my favourite recording of this piece is not by any historical pianist (rare indeed...) but by a certain Russian pianist by the name of Mr. Gryaznov. His interpretation is almost Godowsky-esque in the sublimely interesting voicing he uses. I would certainly recommend listening to it!
Saperton unpunctual , Brailowsky not convincing, Darre accurate, Uninsky not totally perfect, Goldsand rather good, Anda great technician, Fiorentino great technique too , Slenczynska beautiful , Magin superior, Ciani not good. Those were my first impressions.
I really like Géza Anda's version here. He plays the main theme in about 3 different ways. I especially like what he does in 7:46.
The ending is also exquisite 8:05
Jeanne Marie Darré represents well the French piano school. Just listen to that Jeu Perlé!
BEAUTIFUL ! ! ! Brava Ruth Slenczynska ! Thank you for posting !
I cannot give any accolades to pianists who omit the middle voice on occasion in order to accommodate certain difficult passages. Listen closely to these performances, and there's hardly a one of the pianists who is not guilty of this.
In the second section to get a higher tempo they almost if not always leave out the bottom note of two octave chords as it is near impossible to play this quick stretch very fast.
They scarcely need your ill-conceived accolades; save your energy for your own self-adulation...then hopefully a good round of self-flagellation.
@@neiltassoni You evidently have trouble accepting the truth when you hear it. I would like to hear these pianists play ALL the notes that Chopin wrote, and if one cannot expect that of world-class pianists, then from whom can we expect it?
I agree- so many big name pianists completely cheat in this Etude- there is no second finger… watch George li and he completely ignores the middle voice. My teacher made me practice the whole Etude with upper voice and middle second, leaving out the thumb…. It’s so worth trying to get it honestly- Chopin knew what he was doing. Besides there’s an older version of this with the chords written as held quarter notes as you probably already know
I like Ruth Slenczynska's clear, solid, even, beautifully articulated, intelligenty phrased version best, and I frankly prefer her relatively modest tempo to the hell-bent-for-election speeds of most of the others, but Uninsky's technique was certainly praiseworthy, and Milosz Magin's may be THE most remarkable of this group from the technical standpoint. Gera Anda did some VERY interesting things with the left hand in an approach reminiscent of Cortot. Bralowsky frankly STANK. Why was he ever accepted on the cincert stage? I've never been able to understand that. Saperton's speed may have been remarkable, but his rendition was sterile -- decidedly unmusical -- and it did have some weak spots here and there. I wish Cortot had been icluded, because even though his playing was often very sloppy, his IDEAS were never less than fascinating. He did things with VOICING and finding hidden counterpoint that no one else has ever duplicated.
This piece sounds like nothing, literally just a whisper. But it mercilessly belabors the weak third, fourth, and fifth fingers of the right hand and it takes tremendous strength to play. I think it's the most taxing of all the études. Getting precisely the right conciliatory tone in the final measure is also hard, and most of the pianists here don't achieve it (but Uninsky does). There's a recording of the Chopin études by Novaes when she was quite old, and sadly she didn't have the strength to get through it properly.
Saperton: He could do it a shade slower and get a few notes better. Lovely rubati when he uses it, could use it more. 7-
Brailowsky: A real interpretation at (IMHO) the right tempo. RH a bit messy, LH does lovely things and he gets the creepy feel.8+
Darre: A little 'too perfect.' She gets everything absolutely right, I just wish there was a little more individuality. 9
Uninsky: Pretty good, but why so loud?? 8
Goldsand: Amazing technique to glide so softly at that fast a tempo, but a slower one would help. 9-
Anda: Being this loud, at a slower tempo than Uninsky, takes the mystery out of the piece. 6
Fiorentino: Magnificent, all sorts of subtle touches that make it the champion. 10
Slenczynska: Unique interpretation that you don't have to agree with. All sorts of interesting dynamic touches. 9-
Magin: Like Goldsand, amazing to glide so fast a tempo, but has more trouble than Goldsand sustaining it. Why not slower? 8-
Ciani: Aside from an unfortunate slip this is wonderful. Fascinating way he takes out the pedal at certain points. 9+
Jeanne-Marie Darré - love her
Georges Cziffra has an astonishing recording of both Op.10 & 25-
you never hear a wrong note- he plays this great music with such ease and abandon......
Backhaus is also super great
Jeanne-Marrie Darré is definitely the best in my opinion. All others have not a so precise style with, in some cases, too much pedal or reverb. It would be interesting to compare others. Raoul Koczalski, Cortot, Kempf, etc.
J have listened J M Darre at Alger in 1958 with her always famous bis " étude en forme de valse " of Saint Saens she liked St Saens j remember J M Darre in 1970 at Marseille-Opera with the 24 studies of Chopin , she played very clear as a Teacher of CNP erea Lycette Descaves ; very good technician j prefer her St Saens; here it's Brailovsky j like by a lyricism in this study , always lyrical * also with others compositions The first pianist is a robotic machine as Glen Gould the best computer of piano for me ( music-Bach is robotic lyricism with Bach ? humm j like here Brailovsky
Géza Anda convinced me the most. Outstanding musicality and lightness!
G Anda better in Mozart his records are always wonderfull * with his otchedtra * Chopin ??
The biggest question is: how much pedal should be used... many pianists use it ad libitum because they get tired or because they cannot play the chromatic line completely clear or legato...
One of the best versions IMO is missing here, that of young Ashkenazy (studio recording).
0:42
Vitalij Margulis!
Géza Anda do an awesome pedaling in this piece
This comparison misses too many great pianists, including Backhaus, Cziffra, Cherkassky, Sofronitsky, and Richter.
Another thing: it's not about counting wrong notes or speed, but the overall structure that matters, which is particularly difficult to achieve with this piece that tend to degenerate into a string of notes.
Ruth Slenczynska: really interesting !
Should have added margulis’s version , one of the more unique interpretations
Could you please add links to pianists?
Rosita Renard should be on this list!
Thanks !
I add David Saperton in the super great category
Géza Anda, Jeanne-Marie Darré, Ruth Slenczynska : hyper great
Dino Ciani, Sergio Fiorentino, Milosz Magin, Alexander Uninsky : super great
Dino Ciani fait bien ressortir le chant de la main gauche , il est moins mis en valeur dans les autres versions peut-être plus virtuoses mais moins poétiques
C'est exact. I am tout à fait d'accord. Merci bien.
I have to say, my favourite recording of this piece is not by any historical pianist (rare indeed...) but by a certain Russian pianist by the name of Mr. Gryaznov. His interpretation is almost Godowsky-esque in the sublimely interesting voicing he uses. I would certainly recommend listening to it!
+Haotian Yu IMO, they're all great.
I always wonder which you like best. But maybe the game is not to know
1. Sergio Fiorentino
2. Ruth Slenczynska
3. David Saperton
..disappointing: Geza Anda, er ist 'taktlos'! ;-)
Milosz Magin takes home the prize
No Vitalij Margulis ?!?
th-cam.com/video/rmayKaD52LU/w-d-xo.html
John Browning version is good too
Brailowsky: Oy vay.
Sergio Fiorentino
Agreed
Cziffra still playing the best version imo
no
Of this list, Saperton and Slenczynska stand out. Not on this list, Trifonov and Shishkin.
Saperton unpunctual , Brailowsky not convincing, Darre accurate, Uninsky not totally perfect, Goldsand rather good,
Anda great technician, Fiorentino great technique too , Slenczynska beautiful , Magin superior, Ciani not good.
Those were my first impressions.
Magin a calamity j listened in live , Darre very good technician Brailovsky always lyrical