# Chopin piano a Concerto No 1



## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

One of my favourite concertos. Which version(s) do you like best?

I'll start with three great performances:

Argerich at Lugano - bewitching

Graffman albeit with truncated intro

Gilels with Ormandy

Any others?


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

Four favourites here:

- Argerich, Dutoit EMI 1999 (haven´t heard the Lugano)
- Yundi Li, A.Davis

+ the historical corner:

- Rubinstein/Barbirolli 1937
- Moriz Rosenthal, Weissmann 1931


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## nightscape (Jun 22, 2013)

I have the Argerich/Dutoit recordings. Great stuff, highly recommended.


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## EDaddy (Nov 16, 2013)

Yes! Garrick Ohlsson on piano with Danielle Laval; Paolo Bordoni. Hard to beat.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

nightscape said:


> I have the Argerich/Dutoit recordings. Great stuff, highly recommended.


Yes I have the Argerich / Dutoit too. Wonderful, but I think the Lugano is even better.


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## DrKilroy (Sep 29, 2012)

Zimmerman/Giulini recording also deserves a mention, I think.

Best regards, Dr


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## GioCar (Oct 30, 2013)

Pollini/Kletzki, recorded in 1960. 
Pollini was 18 years old, he had just won the Warsaw piano competition.

I am not familiar with other performances, but many think this is still the reference recording.


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## Mal (Jan 1, 2016)

Argerich / Dutoit just won BBC "Building a Library".


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Pires / Krivine & Zimmerman/ Guilini


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## brianvds (May 1, 2013)

And don't overlook the one Kissin did when he was 12 or 13 or thereabouts...


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## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

Rubinstein/Skrowaczewski (RCA)
Perahia/Mehta (Sony)
Francois/Tzipine (EMI)
Argerich/Dutoit (EMI)


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

Pollini/Kletzki gets my vote. I also love both Zimmerman recordings. Although there is much praise for Argerich/Dutoit, I'm only impressed with their 3rd movement.


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## Mal (Jan 1, 2016)

I prefer Szekely / Nemeth to Argerich / Dutoit.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Emanuel Ax (piano) The Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy is also a fine recording.


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## Janspe (Nov 10, 2012)

There are plenty of fine recordings of this great concerto available - many of them already mentioned here - but the one pianist I always go back to is Krystian Zimerman. I think he has recorded the piece three times, and each of those interpretations is interesting and fresh in their own way. Thoroughly recommended!


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## Mal (Jan 1, 2016)

Pugg said:


> Emanuel Ax (piano) The Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy is also a fine recording.


He was first up on "Building a Library", playing a "historical" piano with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. The orchestra was amazing, justifying the "launch the show" placing, with that long orchestral introduction played to maximum effect. But, like the reviewer, I didn't like the sound of the historical piano. Of the many recordings I've sampled over the last week I'm finding it difficult to find an orchestra I like! Alongside OAE, the best I've heard is Walter's 1947 NYPO (with Rubinstein), but the sound hasn't aged well, and there seems to be a loud cough every few seconds. Thanks for the recommendation, I'll check out Ax / Ormandy.


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## Mal (Jan 1, 2016)

Janspe said:


> There are plenty of fine recordings of this great concerto available - many of them already mentioned here - but the one pianist I always go back to is Krystian Zimerman. I think he has recorded the piece three times, and each of those interpretations is interesting and fresh in their own way. Thoroughly recommended!


The reviewer (Sara Mohr-Pietsch) was initially impressed by Zimerman, but (on second thoughts) rejected him for being too quirky. Must check him out at some time though. Any favourite amongst the three versions?


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## Mal (Jan 1, 2016)

Bulldog said:


> Pollini/Kletzki gets my vote. I also love both Zimmerman recordings. Although there is much praise for Argerich/Dutoit, I'm only impressed with their 3rd movement.


Pollini was dismissed in BAL for being too unemotional and distant. The clip sounded fine, to me, though, so I must listen to it. My favourite, Szekely, is also quite restrained, and the reviewer didn't mention him. So perhaps she likes "emotional" more than me?


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

Mal said:


> The reviewer (Sara Mohr-Pietsch) was initially impressed by Zimerman, but (on second thoughts) rejected him for being too quirky. Must check him out at some time though. Any favourite amongst the three versions?


I would be hesitant with the later DG recording. Didn´t grab me at all.


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## Mal (Jan 1, 2016)

joen_cph said:


> I would be hesitant with the later DG recording. Didn´t grab me at all.


I tried the earlier DG recording with Giulini/LAPO, and I have a new benchmark, one without any obvious drawbacks! It's actually top of the recommendations in the 1999 Penguin guide, so I should have bought it in 1999, perhaps, instead of going for the Naxos bargain  Then again Szekeley's performance is one I still rate highly, and will keep & listen to again. But Zimerman is more sparkling, while matching the poetry and restraint. Plus Giulini/LAPO are first rate. As the Penguin guide says, "difficult to beat".


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

Mal said:


> I tried the earlier DG recording with Giulini/LAPO, and I have a new benchmark, one without any obvious drawbacks! It's actually top of the recommendations in the 1999 Penguin guide, so I should have bought it in 1999, perhaps, instead of going for the Naxos bargain  Then again Szekeley's performance is one I still rate highly, and will keep & listen to again. But Zimerman is more sparkling, while matching the poetry and restraint. Plus Giulini/LAPO are first rate. As the Penguin guide says, "difficult to beat".


I meant the later one with Zimerman also conducting, of course.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

My favorite is the Rubinstein studio recording with Stanislav what's-his-name.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Mal said:


> He was first up on "Building a Library", playing a "historical" piano with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. The orchestra was amazing, justifying the "launch the show" placing, with that long orchestral introduction played to maximum effect. But, like the reviewer, I didn't like the sound of the historical piano. Of the many recordings I've sampled over the last week I'm finding it difficult to find an orchestra I like! Alongside OAE, the best I've heard is Walter's 1947 NYPO (with Rubinstein), but the sound hasn't aged well, and there seems to be a loud cough every few seconds. Thanks for the recommendation, I'll check out Ax / Ormandy.


And .... did you find what you are looked for?


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Tamas Vasary/Berlin Phil


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

hpowders said:


> My favorite is the Rubinstein studio recording with Stanislav what's-his-name.


Oh yes, groovy Skrowy ...


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## Animal the Drummer (Nov 14, 2015)

Mal said:


> Pollini was dismissed in BAL for being too unemotional and distant. The clip sounded fine, to me, though, so I must listen to it. My favourite, Szekely, is also quite restrained, and the reviewer didn't mention him. So perhaps she likes "emotional" more than me?


Quite possibly, but I wonder whether there's another factor in play here. Some of Pollini's later recordings have sounded a little chilly to me, but that one absolutely doesn't. Seems to me that this reviewer heard what she was expecting to hear.


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## Mal (Jan 1, 2016)

Pugg said:


> And .... did you find what you are looked for?


Yes, I found an orchestra that matched OAE, with a modern piano, & Walter's NYPO with good, modern sound, and ticked all my other boxes: Giulini/Zimerman. But I must hear Rubinstein/Skrowaczewski... and several others...


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