# Dinu Lipatti (1917-1950)



## TudorMihai

Dinu Lipatti was one the most famous Romanian pianists, noted for his interpretations of the works of Chopin, Mozart and Bach. At the age of only 13 he performed Grieg's Piano Concerto. Here are a few recordings:

Chopin's Nocturne Op. 27, No. 2






Mozart's Sonata in A minor, K310






His own Sonatina for Piano left hand


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## ptr

I have no doubt that Dinu Lipatti is one of the 5 greatest pianists of all times (at least of those that have a recorded legacy)!

/ptr


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## joen_cph

The Ravel "Alborada del Gracioso" is one of my favourites by him and it´s quite unusual:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sa-oAyKC0aI#

He also composed a bit and recorded his own tiny "Concertino in the Classical Style" for piano & orchestra, besides the already mentioned "Sonatine", but the "Sinfonia Concertante" for 2 pianos & orchestra is a bit more ambitious and interesting


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## Vaneyes

Yes, as joen mentioned, don't forget Lipatti's compositions and arrangements, available now from Luiza Borac (Avie, 2CD). :tiphat:


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## ptr

Its a pity he recorded so little Schubert! I think its an idiom right up his alley.

/ptr


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## PetrB

Apart from an expected level of virtuosity, what sets Lipatti apart is his profoundly intelligent music making, never pedant. He was one of a few where each and every note, no matter how 'minor' the role in the overall passage or piece, got full attention, each note seeming to have an independent life, quality, and 'personality' all its own. (Of a near generation, pianist Monique Haas also comes to mind, again owning both the intelligence and that same depth of musicality, though she 'did it all' she did concentrate more on newer music of her time.)

Exceedingly rare level of combined intelligence and musicality.

P.s. not being nationalist, I don't give a fig for the fact he was Romanian, and think having been Romanian, or from anywhere else, is almost of no account when you are singling out a maestro virtuoso of this caliber: Lipatti 'happened to be' Romanian.


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## Ukko

joen_cph said:


> The Ravel "Alborada del Gracioso" is one of my favourites by him and it´s quite unusual:
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sa-oAyKC0aI#
> 
> He also composed a bit and recorded his own tiny "Concertino in the Classical Style" for piano & orchestra, besides the already mentioned "Sonatine", but the "Sinfonia Concertante" for 2 pianos & orchestra is a bit more ambitious and interesting


Thanks for the link, _joen_. Wonderful playing, but the sound isn't as good as 1948 sound should be. I see that the YouTube entry traces back to a Regis CD. That outfit has a poor record (no pun intended) with transfers from 'analog discs'. Have you heard the recording in better sound?


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## Op.123

I love Lipatti's playing, it is so full of feeling, I especially love his later recordings of Schumann's piano concerto with Karajan and his recording of the chopin concerto. I think his later recordings really show the emotional turmoil he must have been going through as he knew he was going to die. if only he had lived longer, he had planned to make a recording of Brahms's b-flat concerto in 1951.


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## joen_cph

Hilltroll72 said:


> Thanks for the link, _joen_. Wonderful playing, but the sound isn't as good as 1948 sound should be. I see that the YouTube entry traces back to a Regis CD. That outfit has a poor record (no pun intended) with transfers from 'analog discs'. Have you heard the recording in better sound?


I only know an old EMI LP and the you-tube of the "Alborada". The LP has better sound, but overall, it seems to me that most Lipatti recordings have sound of not very high quality, the Chopin Waltzes being perhaps the best among them ...


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## millionrainbows

Hilltroll72 said:


> Thanks for the link, _joen_. Wonderful playing, but the sound isn't as good as 1948 sound should be. I see that the YouTube entry traces back to a Regis CD. That outfit has a poor record (no pun intended) with transfers from 'analog discs'. Have you heard the recording in better sound?


I noticed that the *Regis* label had the license in reissuing a lot of the older OOP *Melodya* recordings, like the mid-period Tatiana Nikolayeva recordings of the Shotakovich Preludes on that label. You might try *YEDANG* classics as well. Maybe sound better, but some of those Russian recordings, even from the late 1970s, lack high-end, for whatever reason. Also try the *Revelation* label.


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## flamencosketches

Bumping this older thread with a question for all of the Lipatti enthusiasts out there:

Is there a big difference in sound between the following two issues? I am looking for the best sound possible.



















The "References" disc is much cheaper than the GROC.


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## Sad Al

flamencosketches said:


> Bumping this older thread with a question for all of the Lipatti enthusiasts out there:
> 
> Is there a big difference in sound between the following two issues? I am looking for the best sound possible.
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> The "References" disc is much cheaper than the GROC.


My instinct says choose The "References" disc. All Lipatti is in dated sound anyway. Check out the last concert in 2019 sound, I have that one, it's slightly better now because it's directly from a master tape


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