# What is your favorite Chopin piece?



## Chopinist (3 mo ago)

I have recently picked up a new interest in the music of F.Chopin and wanted some suggestions on what I should listen to, I have heard all of his Etudes, Concertos, Scherzi, Nocturnes, Barcarolle, Fantasie, Polonaises, Preludes, Mazurkas (except for Op. 30), Ballads, Fugue, Cantabile, Sonatas, and his 12 polish songs. Are there any more pieces I should listen to that are by Chopin?


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

The last pair of piano sonatas, preludes including op 45, waltzes possibly




Chopinist said:


> Are there any more pieces I should listen to that are my Chopin?


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## Mister Meow (10 mo ago)

Be sure to check out all of his Waltzes! If you haven't already.


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## EdwardBast (Nov 25, 2013)

Definitely the third piano sonata. I'd recommend the second but you already know that one — parts at least.


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## Highwayman (Jul 16, 2018)

My favourites are his Mazurkas and Ballades. I`m not sure if you "should" listen to them but I like his Piano Trio and Cello Sonata and they don`t often get many mentions around these parts.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

High on my list ; Mazurkas - Four Ballades & Four Scherzos- Waltzes-Nocturnes. 
If you want a masterpiece : Krakowiak - Concert Rondo in F, Op. 14 but that is with orchestra.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

EdwardBast said:


> Definitely the third piano sonata. I'd recommend the second but you already know that one — parts at least.


Have you heard this one, Edward? Presumably the first recording.


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## clachat (11 mo ago)

Berceuse in D flat major, Op. 57
Jayson Gillham


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## Georgieva (7 mo ago)

One of my favorite Mazurkas: Op. 30: III. Allegro non troppo in D-Flat Major and Op. 30: II. Vivace in B Minor


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## Josquin13 (Nov 7, 2017)

I agree about the 51 Mazurkas, which are difficult to play well. Franz Liszt said of this music that each of Chopin's Mazurkas requires a pianist of the first rank. Three pianists that play them exceptionally well are Maryla Jonas, Halina-Czerny Stefanska (complete), & Nadia Reisenberg (complete).










While others like Artur Rubinstein (who recorded the complete set twice), Ignaz Friedman, Samson François (complete), & Moriz Rosenthal. In more recent times, I've liked Vladimir Ashkenazy (complete), Roland Pöntinen, Stanislav Bunin, & Ivan Moravec in this music.

Here is one of my favorite Mazurkas, played by three different pianists:

--Mazurka in A Minor, Op. 17 No. 4:





Mazurka in A minor, Op. 17, No. 4
Mazurkas, Op. 17: No. 4 in A Minor

Chopin: Mazurka No.1 In F Sharp Minor Op.6 No.1

Chopin Mazurkas - Rubinstein (rec. 1938, 1939) - complete

I'd also recommend the 14 Waltzes, & especially a recording by Jeanne-Marie Darré, who is superior to most in this music, IMO, though Dinu Lipatti is worth hearing, too:

Darre Plays Waltzes Chopin Vangaurd 1417

& of course the 24 Preludes, which are essential Chopin, & especially when played by Ivan Moravec (who recorded them twice, both favorites of mine), and Vladimir Ashkenazy (on his first Decca recording & the live one in England):

Chopin / Ivan Moravec, 1981: Preludes, Op. 28 - Complete - MHS / Supraphon Vinyl LP
IVAN MORAVEC plays CHOPIN 24 Préludes Op.28 (1965)
Chopin: 24 Préludes, Op. 28 - No. 1 in C Major: Agitato
Vladimir Ashkenazy: Frédéric Chopin - 24 Préludes Opus 28

I'd also recommend hearing Chopin's 4 Impromptus, as well. The recordings by Tamas Vasary & Agustin Anievas are both first rate (also Dubravka Tomsic's),






Impromptu No. 1 in A-Flat Major, Op. 29

Lastly, like others, I'd strongly recommend Chopin's Berceuse, & especially when played by either Jeanne-Marie Darré, Maryla Jonas, Harold Bauer, Ivan Moravec, or Vladimir Ashkenazy (who has recorded it twice):

02 Jeanne-Marie Darré - Berceuse in D-Flat Major, Op. 57 - Classical Music Masterpieces, Vol. XVI
Berceuse in D-Flat Major, Op. 57
Harold Bauer plays Chopin Berceuse (1939 rec.)
* Ashkenazy plays Chopin (Op.57 Berceuse)
Moravec plays Chopin Berceuse
Chopin: Berceuse in D flat, Op. 57

Nevertheless, my most favorite Chopin works are his Nocturnes. Over the decades the best complete recordings that I've heard have come from Claudio Arrau, Guiomar Novaes, Maria João Pires, Ivan Moravec, Nikita Magaloff, Livia Rev, & Samson François; as well as sets by Brigitte Engerer, François Chaplin, & Israela Margalit in more recent times.









Chopin - The 21 Nocturnes + Presentation (recording of the Century : Claudio Arrau)


❤️ If you like CM//RR content, please consider membership at our Patreon page. Thank you :) https://www.patreon.com/cmrrFrédéric François Chopin (1810-1849) ...




www.youtube.com












Guiomar Novaes plays Chopin Nocturnes Op.9 No.1, 2 & 3


00:00 - No.105:39 - No.209:53 - No.3no copyright infringement intendedhttp://www.youtube.com/newfranzferencliszt




www.youtube.com












Frédéric Chopin - The Nocturnes [Maria João Pires]


Album: The NocturnesComposer: Frédéric ChopinPerformer: Maria João PiresYear: 1996Tracklist:No.1 In B Flat Minor, Op.9 No.1: Larghetto (00:00:00)No.2 In E Fl...




www.youtube.com





So, those would be my top ten recordings of these works, though I like many individual recordings of the Nocturnes, as well, such as those by Maryla Jonas, for example, who is probably the finest Nocturne player I've ever heard,









Nocturne in E-Flat Major, Op. 9 No. 2


Provided to YouTube by Sony ClassicalNocturne in E-Flat Major, Op. 9 No. 2 · Maryla Jonas · Frédéric ChopinThe Maryla Jonas Story - Her Complete Piano Record...




www.youtube.com


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## phyared (May 27, 2012)

Chopinist said:


> I have recently picked up a new interest in the music of F.Chopin and wanted some suggestions on what I should listen to, I have heard all of his Etudes, Concertos, Scherzi, Nocturnes, Barcarolle, Fantasie, Polonaises, Mazurkas (except for Op. 30), Ballads, Fugue, and Cantabile. Are there any more pieces I should listen to that are my Chopin?


1st movement of the third sonata with a pianist able to make its main theme sing like one of the most beautiful themes that it is. My recommendation is Véronique Bonnecaze's first recording


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## nohopeinmyheart (3 mo ago)

His etude op. 25 no 7 and his ballades no 2 and 4


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

Highwayman said:


> I`m not sure if you "should" listen to them but I like his Piano Trio and Cello Sonata and they don`t often get many mentions around these parts.


The cello sonata is a major piece, both among Chopin's and among the cello sonata genre. The trio is very early but quite nice. I even like the cheesy early cello polonaise but it's certainly not essential.
My favs otherwise are Ballades, Polonaise-fantaisie, Preludes, Etudes op.25, and 3rd sonata but I dislike little Chopin (e.g. I don't care for the non-concerto works for piano and orchestra).


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

Not a huge fan of Chopin, but the _Piano Sonatas_, _Ballades_, _Nocturnes_ and _Preludes_ are favorites of mine. His songs are actually quite good, too.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

phyared said:


> 1st movement of the third sonata with a pianist able to make its main theme sing like one of the most beautiful themes that it is. My recommendation is Véronique Bonnecaze's first recording


If you can find it, you may enjoy Hamelin's performance of that movement, not so much from the point of view of interpretation, but from the point of view of technique, the legato cantabile.


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## verandai (Dec 10, 2021)

I also like the Impromptus from Chopin! IMHO they can't keep up with many of the other works, but as the title suggests, they were not meant to be as elaborated as other pieces (improvisation-like).


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## Gallus (Feb 8, 2018)

Probably the Nocturne op.55 no.2 






Bittersweet like a piece of dark chocolate, full of transcendent yearning but in the quiet knowledge that it all may be hopeless...


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