# Chopin - past greats vs. new performers



## endelbendel (Jul 7, 2018)

After listening to Moravec, Arrau, Bolet, Barenboim - do the new competition winners have anything unique to say???


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

If one can accept the dated sound, by far the biggest contrasts to those would be the pre-1955-stuff by other pianists ...

Argerich, Pogorelich and Kissin did some fine, often interesting recordings too, of course.

Maybe others have suggestions for post-2000 items.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

endelbendel said:


> After listening to Moravec, Arrau, Bolet, Barenboim - do the new competition winners have anything unique to say???


One big development in Chopin performance has come out of Poland, people playing on well restored old pianos. One thing I've learned is that the instrument inspires the musician, and where the instrument is new, the inspiration is fresh. That's what's happened here in, for example, Wojciech Switala's preludes and Janusz Olejniczak's mazurkas.


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

No, I feel the same with just about all modern performances.


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## endelbendel (Jul 7, 2018)

i'd forgotten Pogo.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Daniil Trifonov made some wonderful recordings.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Rogerx said:


> Daniil Trifonov made some wonderful recordings.


I'll have to listen to those, he's very romantic in his touch and would be well suited to take on the Nocturnes I feel.


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## Ras (Oct 6, 2017)

Mandryka said:


> One big development in Chopin performance has come out of Poland, people playing on well restored old pianos. One thing I've learned is that the instrument inspires the musician, and where the instrument is new, the inspiration is fresh. That's what's happened here in, for example, Wojciech Switala's preludes and Janusz Olejniczak's mazurkas.


Good timing Mandryka
- Just as I saw your post I had just read the news from AP News that the first international competition for young pianists playing Chopin on period pianos had been held in Warsaw.
*The winner of contest is a Tomasz Ritter a 23 year old Polish student from the Moscow conservertory.*
The next Chopin competition on period instruments will be held in 2023.


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## Ras (Oct 6, 2017)

*Berezovsky*

*Where does Boris Berezovsky fit in?
Somewhere between the two generations mentioned in the OP.
I have always loved his Teldec/Warner recording Chopin's Etudes* - I think it was his debut recording.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

People who say all the great players were in the past are engaging in self deception. Of course, the past has had great players but the standard of pianism is now far higher than it used to be - just listen to some of the competitions. So there are some extremely fine pianists around. the trick is finding those with personality as well as technique. There are plenty I assure you.


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## JAS (Mar 6, 2013)

DavidA said:


> Of course, the past has had great players but the standard of pianism is now far higher than it used to be . . .


I know that pianism is the right word, but I cannot help thinking that it sounds like a condition in one of those prescription medicine ads, with a quickly murmured list of 50 side-effects that are often worse than the thing being treated.


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