historic musical bits: Sviatoslav Richter – Chopin – Andante spianato et grande polonaise brillante in E-flat major, Op 22

Sviatoslav Richter – Chopin – Andante spianato et grande polonaise brillante in E-flat major, Op 22

Classical Vault 1

Published on May 19, 2013

Frederic Chopin
Andante spianato et grande polonaise brillante in E-flat major, Op 22

Sviatoslav Richter, piano

London Symphony Orchestra
Kyrill Kondrashin, conductor

Chopin Etude Op 25 No.11 Valentina Lisitsa

ValentinaLisitsa

Uploaded on Dec 18, 2008

The CD with Chopin and Schumann Etudes is released on Decca now! 85 minutes + ( plus 3 Nouvelles Etudes in digital album )

Sound samples here : http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/De…
or here ( different ones )
http://www.deccaclassics.com/us/cat/4…

To get it on iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/sg/album/cho…

Chopin – Variations on “Là ci darem la mano” from Mozart’s Don Giovanni: great compositions/performances

Chopin – Variations on “Là ci darem la mano” from Mozart‘s Don Giovanni

   Fledermaus1990

Frédéric Chopin’s Variations on “Là ci darem la mano” for piano and orchestra, Op. 2, was written in 1827, when he was aged only 17. “Là ci darem la mano” is a duet sung by Don Giovanni and Zerlina, from Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni. It was one of the earliest manifestations of Chopin’s incipient genius. It inspired Robert Schumann‘s famous exclamation, Hats off, gentlemen! A genius!

The work was premiered on 11 August 1829 at the Vienna Kärntnertortheater, with Chopin as the soloist. It received very positive audience and critical acclaim.

The work is in B-flat major throughout, except for the Adagio of Variation 5, which is in the minor key.

– Introduction: Largo – Poco piu mosso 0:00
– Thema: Allegretto 5:20
– Variation 1: Brillante 6:53
– Variation 2: Veloce, ma accuratamente 7:52
– Variation 3: Sempre sostenuto 8:54
– Variation 4: Con bravura 10:20
– Variation 5: Alla Polacca 11:24

Chopin Etude Op 10 No.4 Valentina Lisitsa, : great compositions/performances

Chopin Etude Op 10 No.4 Valentina Lisitsa

  ValentinaLisitsa

 

 Uploaded on Dec 19, 2008/2,682,665 views

The CD with Chopin and Schumann Etudes Symphoniques is released on Decca now! 85 minutes+( plus 3 Nouvelles Etudes in digital album)

Sound samples here : http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/De…
or here ( different ones )
http://www.deccaclassics.com/us/cat/4…

To get it on iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/sg/album/cho…

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Chopin – NOCTURNE op. 32 no. 1 in B major – Nocturno Si mayor- ANDANTE SOSTENUTO – Daniel Baremboim: great compositions/performances

Chopin – NOCTURNE op. 32 no. 1 in B major – Nocturno Si mayor- ANDANTE SOSTENUTO – Daniel Baremboim

  Adrian Dip

Tzvi Erez plays Chopin’s Prelude No. 20 in C Minor: make music aprt of your life

Tzvi Erez plays Chopin’s Prelude No. 20 in C Minor

TzviErez

Buy Now on iTunes: http://smarturl.it/Chopin-Erez
Tzvi Erez plays Chopin’s Prelude No. 20 in C Minor. Recorded on his Vintage 1912 Bosendorfer Piano. Available on the Niv Classical label. http://www.nivmusic.com

Daniil Trifonov – Glazunov Piano Concerto No 2 in B major: great compositions/performances

Daniil Trifonov – Glazunov Piano Concerto No 2 in B major

  newTheDoremika

Royal Albert Hall, August 13, 2013 at BBC Proms
London Symphony Orchestra
Valery Gergiev conductor

Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1, in E minor, Op. 11 – Emil Gilels/Phylarmonia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy: Great compositons/performances

Chopin:  Piano Concerto No. 1,
in E minor,  Op. 11

  Kanaal van viool7

Emil Gilels: piano-Philadelphia Orchestra–Eugene Ormandy: conductor-(1967)
**************************************************************
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

The Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11, is a piano concerto written by Frédéric Chopin in 1830. It was first performed on 11 October of that year, in Warsaw, with the composer as soloist, during one of his “farewell” concerts before leaving Poland.

It was the first of Chopin’s two piano concerti to be published, and was therefore given the designation of Piano Concerto “No. 1” at the time of publication, even though it was actually written immediately after what was later published as Piano Concerto No. 2. It is dedicated to Friedrich Kalkbrenner.

The concerto is scored for solo piano, pairs of flutes, oboes, clarinets, and bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, tenor trombone, timpani and strings.

Structure

It contains the three movements typical of instrumental concertos of the period:

1. Allegro maestoso
2. Romanze – Larghetto in E major
3. Rondo – Vivace in E major

Opinions of the concerto differ. Some critics feel that the orchestral support as written is dry and uninteresting. Others feel that the orchestral backing is carefully and deliberately written to fit in with the sound of the piano, and that the simplicity of arrangement is in deliberate contrast to the complexity of the harmony.

Both the first and second movements feature unusual modulations; in the opening Allegro, the exposition modulates to the parallel major, i-I, instead of the expected i-III. This tonal relation (i-III) between the second and the third theme finally occurs in the recapitulation, where an actual i-I modulation would have been expected, producing a different effect. The Romanze, although not strictly in sonata form, has its second theme of the exposition ascribe to the classical model of modulating to the dominant (I-V), and, when it returns, it modulates to the mediant (III).

Mily Balakirev re-orchestrated the concerto (using the same orchestral forces as Chopin employed), and also wrote arrangements for violin and orchestra as well as for piano solo of the second movement.

First movement

Chopin followed the structural example of concertos in the style of Jan Ladislav Dussek and Johann Nepomuk Hummel, with which he was familiar. He was interested in neither the Beethoven-style dialogue between orchestra and soloist, nor in a Weber-style interweaving of voices.

The first movement of the E minor concerto has three themes, which are introduced by the orchestra. The piano then plays the first theme (bar 139), followed by the lyric second theme (bar 155), accompanied by the main motif of the first theme in bass counterpoint. The third theme is in E major, introduced in the exposition by the orchestra and taken over by the piano (bar 222). The development begins in bar 385, with the piano opening with the second theme; the orchestra then develops the first theme. The recapitulation begins in bar 486 again with the orchestra playing its opening theme. The coda, whose bass trill paints a gloomy backdrop, requires utmost care by the pianist.

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Frédéric Chopin – 24 Études Op. 10 & Op. 25 and 3 Nouvelles Études | Claudio Arrau, piano: make music part of your life series

Frédéric Chopin – 24 Études Op. 10 & Op. 25 and 3 Nouvelles Études | Claudio Arrau, piano

Frédéric Chopin – 12 Études Opp. 10 & 25. 3 Nouvelles Études. (Claudio Arrau, “The Philosopher of the Piano”, 1956) (2007 Digital Remastering)
Recorded: 15-22 & 29.VI. and 5.IX.1956, No.3, Abbey Road Studios, London. First issued in 1957 by Columbia Ltd. Mono/ADD
“Great Recordings of the 20th Century”. EMI Icons, EMI Classics, 2011 & Warner Classics, 2013.

I. Book No.1: 12 Etudes for Piano Op.10, 1830-32.
Before Chopin, there was a tradition of writing studies for the development of keyboard technique, but the pieces were primarily didactic. This set of 12 Études, dedicated to Liszt, represents a new form: concert pieces that serve a secondary function as development of advanced piano skills. Each étude begins with a pattern of pianistic figuration, which creates the specific technical problem for the étude and persists for the duration of the piece. That Chopin was able to create poetry in spite of such controlled and limited means of expression is a testament to his creative genius. The twelve Études published as Chopin’s Opus 10 are an indispensable tool of the modern pianist’s craft: they are a rite of passage that no serious pianist can ignore.
00:00 Nº 1 in C major. Allegro
01:59 Nº 2 in A minor. Allegro
03:23 Nº 3 in E major. Lento ma non troppo (Tritesse – L’intimite) – http://youtu.be/FKDir13g7ow
07:55 Nº 4 in C sharp minor. Presto (Torrent)
10:10 Nº 5 in G flat major. Vivace (Black Keys)
11:55 Nº 6 in E flat minor. Andante
14:49 Nº 7 in C major. Vivace (Toccata)
16:26 Nº 8 in F major. Allegro
18:51 Nº 9 in F minor. Allegro molto agitato
21:00 Nº 10 in A flat major. Vivace assai
23:14 Nº 11 in E flat major. Allegretto
26:17 Nº 12 in C minor. Allegro con fuoco (Revolutionary – Fall of Warsaw)

II. Book No.2: 12 Etudes for Piano Op.25, 1835-37.
This Op.25 collection bears a dedication to Liszt’s mistress, Countess Marie d’Agoult, a writer who used the pseudonym Daniel Stern (the Op.10 Études are dedicated to Franz Liszt). One reason Chopin attempted to capture Liszt’s sympathies with the dedications had to do with the performance design of the pieces in the two sets: each was written to highlight some facet of pianism.
28:57 Nº 1 in A flat major. Allegro sostenuto (Aeolian Harp – Shepherd Boy)
31:21 Nº 2 in F minor. Presto (Balm)
33:05 Nº 3 in F major. Allegro (Carwheel)
35:08 Nº 4 in A minor. Agitato
37:28 Nº 5 in E minor. Vivace
40:52 Nº 6 in G sharp minor. Allegro (Thirds)
43:00 Nº 7 in C sharp minor. Lento (Cello)
48:21 Nº 8 in D flat major. Vivace (Sixths)
49:30 Nº 9 in G flat major. Allegro assai (Butterfly)
50:35 Nº 10 in B minor. Allegro con fuoco
55:04 Nº 11 in A minor. Lento – Allegro con brio (Winter Wind)
58:41 Nº 12 in C minor. Allegro molto con fuoco (Ocean)

III. Trois Nouvelles Études for piano, 1839-40.
Chopin composed this set of etudes for the Méthode des methods, a publication of Ignaz Moscheles, a leading pianist and composer of his day who was not always in agreement with Chopin’s compositional techniques, and François-Joseph Fétis, a now largely forgotten Belgian musicologist.
1:01:26 Nº 1 in F minor
1:03:31 Nº 2 in A flat major
1:05:56 Nº 3 in D flat major

As always with Arrau, the Pianist takes a back seat to Music Making, are a prime example of how myth making regarding Arrau’s Recordings. Arrau approaches Chopin’s Etudes as a genuinely mature musician and sensitive interpreter. In Opus 10, No. 3, for instance, he infuses the music with a deep sadness that recalls its XIX Century title, “La Tristesse.” Incidentally, this record received the Grand Prix du Disque Frédéric Chopin from the Warsaw Chopin Society when it was re-released in 1990.

The 24 Études of Frédéric Chopin (divided into two separate opuses, 10 and 25, but actually composed almost simultaneously) remain the most significant entries in that particular musical genre. Chopin refers, in a letter dating from the fall of 1829, to having written a study “in [his] own manner,” and indeed, a great chasm stands between his achievements and the far drier études of his predecessors (one thinks of Moscheles, Czerny, and Hummel in particular). It was not Chopin’s intent, as it was with many nineteenth-century pianist-composers, to create studies of mere technique and raw dexterity; here, instead, are works with an inexhaustible array of textures, moods, and colors to explore. These are works meant for the concert hall as well as for the practice room

Despite the slightly cramped, airless sonics, Arrau’s characteristically warm and ample sonority makes itself felt in these 1956 recordings. The pianist uncovers layers of depth and disquiet in the slower Études that others merely prettify. The treacherous extensions in the E-Flat Étude, for instance, are distinctly projected and balanced, rather than strummed. Arrau’s spectacularly honest technique enables him to articulate Chopin’s sparkling figurations with a liquid legato unaided by the pedal.

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make music part of your life series: Dalia Lazar performs Chopin’s Waltz, Op. 64 No. 3 in A flat Major

[youtube.com/watch?v=HUqMH9POAb8]

Dalia Lazar performs Chopin’s Waltz, Op. 64 No. 3 in A flat Major

Frédéric Chopin‘s Waltz, Op. 64 No. 3 in A flat Major
Performed by Dalia Lazar in Hrvatski Glazbeni Zavod.
May 17, 2012 recital, Zagreb, Croatia.
http://www.dalialazar.com/

 

historic musical moments: Jan Ekier: Nocturne in G major, Op. 37, No. 2 (Chopin)

Jan Ekier: Nocturne in G major, Op. 37, No. 2 (Chopin)

Jan Ekier performs Chopin’s Nocturne in G major, Op. 37, No. 2. Issued in 1959 on the Muza label (Polskie Nagrania), SX 0071. From the Dziela Wszystkie (Complete Works) series.
——————–
Jan Ekier, pianist, music teacher, composer and editor, was born August 29, 1913 in Kracow. In 1932-34 he studied musicology with Zdzislaw Jachimecki at the Jagellonian University in Cracow. He went on to study piano with Zbigniew Drzewiecki and composition with Kazimierz Sikorski at the Warsaw Conservatory (1934-39). In 1940-41 he studied organ playing with Bronislaw Rutkowski. In 1937 he won the 8th prize in the 3rd International Frédéric Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw. Since that time he was an active concert pianist, touring Europe, South America and Japan. Jan Ekier began his teaching career in 1933 as a solfège tutor in the Wladyslaw Zelenski Music School in Cracow. After the war, he dedicated himself to the education of pianists: in 1946-47 he taught at the State Secondary Music School in Lublin, 1947-48 at the State Higher School of Music in Sopot, where he held the function of rector. In 1953 he became a professor at the State Higher School of Music in Warsaw, where in 1964-72 and from 1974 he held the chair of piano studies. Jan Ekier began his editorial work in PWM Polish Music Publishers. From 1959 he was editor-in-chief of the National Edition of Frédéric Chopin’s Works. It is to Chopin that he has devoted many of his publications. He has been honoured with numerous prizes, including the State Award, First Class for the preparation of the Polish team for the 4th Frédéric Chopin Competition in 1950, the Minister of Culture and Arts Award, First Class in 1964 and 1974, the Golden Cross of Merit in 1952, the Officer’s Cross of the Polonia Restituta Order and the 10th Anniversary Order in 1955, the Standard of Labour Order, 2nd Class in 1960. In 2004 he received the Polish Minister of Cultures Special Award, granted for the first time for outstanding contribution to the preservation and promotion of Chopin heritage, including the memorial National Edition of Frédéric Chopin’s Complete Works, which restored to European culture the art of the great Polish composer in a form which aims to be as close to the historical original as possible.

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Make Music Part of Your Life Series: Chopin – Rondo à la Krakowiak, Op. 14

[youtube.com/watch?v=OEXimFK0bU8]

Chopin – Rondo à la Krakowiak, Op. 14

Compositor: Frédéric Chopin.
Obra: Rondo à la Krakowiak, Op. 14.

Pianista: Garrick Ohlsson.
Regente: Jerzy Maksymiuk.
Orquestra: Sinfônica Nacional da Rádio Polonesa .

MAKE MUSIC PART OF YOUR LIFE SERIES: Chopin – Variations on “Là ci darem la mano” from Mozart’s Don Giovanni

[youtube.com/watch?v=8dbGJJrshoU]

Chopin – Variations on “Là ci darem la mano” from Mozart‘s Don Giovanni

Frédéric Chopin’s Variations on “Là ci darem la mano” for piano and orchestra, Op. 2, was written in 1827, when he was aged only 17. “Là ci darem la mano” is a duet sung by Don Giovanni and Zerlina, from Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni. It was one of the earliest manifestations of Chopin’s incipient genius. It inspired Robert Schumann‘s famous exclamation, Hats off, gentlemen! A genius!

The work was premiered on 11 August 1829 at the Vienna Kärntnertortheater, with Chopin as the soloist. It received very positive audience and critical acclaim.

The work is in B-flat major throughout, except for the Adagio of Variation 5, which is in the minor key.

– Introduction: Largo – Poco piu mosso 0:00
– Thema: Allegretto 5:20
– Variation 1: Brillante 6:53
– Variation 2: Veloce, ma accuratamente 7:52
– Variation 3: Sempre sostenuto 8:54
– Variation 4: Con bravura 10:20
– Variation 5: Alla Polacca 11:24

Great Compositions/Performances: Chopin Fantasy f minor Op 49. Valentina Lisitsa

[youtube.com/watch?v=5s2mtaQZQn0]

Chopin Fantasy f minor Op 49. Valentina Lisitsa

FROM VALENTINA:  “This is Chopin’s response to Liszt’s “Funerailles” ( I know, I know, Liszt wrote it AFTER Chopin died – so let’s say it was Liszt’s response to Chopin’s Fantasy) The same plan – starting with a funeral introduction , same f -minor, same abundance of octaves… But Funerailles is a great piano war-horse, favorite of any “virtuoso” with a decent octave technique – sure and cheap way to impress and thrill the audiences. Fantasy in comparison is a poor cousin , underappreciated and often misunderstood : the worst offenders are often female pianists ( LOL, huuuuuge grin goes here ) playing it in overly sentimental and romanticized way – complete with hands flailing , eyes rolling and hair flying 🙂 Guys just can’t do it  🙂
How did it happen? Liszt was a great self-promotion and marketing guy – he discovered a neat trick of “programming” in music , forcing music “to tell a story”- and listeners suddenly thought ” Gee, now we understand what this music is about , how cool !” This was his trademark -but it was certainly not his invention. In fact , most if not all music has a “program” , something composer thought of when composing and something we think of when we listen .It can be something very concrete and extremely detailed ( Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique for example)- or just a vague hint of an idea that makes us think further ( Beethoven 5th Symphony ).The problem with detailed programs is that music can become “dated” , tied to a certain event that might be of no importance to future listeners. People can relate in perpetuity to ” the fate knocking on the door” of the 5th symphony. But we can never again ( hopefully ) feel what French audience must have felt on Berlioz’ premiere during the third movement with its guillotine strike. I bet their hair was standing up and Goosebumps were covering the listeners who still remembered Terror some years before…I think that even watching Avatar in 3D is nothing in comparison to that experience 🙂
Chopin was much more subtle in his “programs”-he catered to more sophisticated smaller audience of salons rather than big concert halls. These people knew the historical context and could understand him without need to spell it out . In order to fully appreciate his music we must know at least a bit of history too. Then it becomes clear that Chopin was so different from a stereotyped effeminate ,sickly romantic virtuoso image. He was a true titan, not in body but in spirit – singlehandedly ( with few brethren poets ,artists etc.)keeping the whole people from oblivion and cultural destruction. For his people , his country, was at this time a mere geographic term . Formerly a proud and powerful nation ,one of Europe superpowers, Poland has fallen so low because of internal discord that it was picked piece by piece by strong and brutal neighbors until it disappeared. New “owners” were bent on wiping national identity and pride to secure their new acquisitions. They would have succeeded was it not for Chopin. You know that musicologists call him a first” national” composer. For a good reason – he created an epic of his nation in music just as Homer created his in Odyssey or Virgil in Aeneid… And we are not only talking about things like Polonaises or Mazurkas fitting into this “national” category. Fantasy is a prime example of thinly veiled national music. Why? Bear with me while I take you through last foray into history. Chopin and his family ended up in a part of Poland that was grabbed by Russian Empire. He traveled abroad with Russian passport ( Chopin , a Russian composer ? LOL) and he had to lie on his exit visa application ( yes, I am serious ) that he is in transit to New World, Americas. He lived for almost whole his life with a stamp ” in Transit”. The single event in history that changed his life was Polish uprising of 1830-31, a noble but doomed to fail attempt by patriots to overthrow occupying forces ( Revolutionary Etude was written the night he got the news of Russian Cossacks entering Warsaw , he didn’t know if his family even survived all carnage and rape ) . The rebels was brutally destroyed and all the hope of freedom was lost. Chopin realized that he will never see his native land – or even his family. All his life he was carrying in his soul – and in his music – the memory of this event and of its unsung heroes. Fantasy is an ode to all those who lost their lives in the fight for freedom.”

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Make Music Part of Your Life Series: Relaxation Piano Music I – Chopin, Schubert, Handel, Brahms & Others

Vist me on Facebook at:

https://www.facebook.com/Glen.P.Hoban

On G+ at:

https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/1047365…

A compilation of some of the more relaxing piano performances I’ve uploaded to YouTube. All pieces of music in this collection are played and recorded by myself. I’ve added in links/starting times for each piece in the collection, for those who wish to browse, or jump to a favourite spot. I have also added links to the original videos.

The pieces in this collection are:

Moment Musicaux #6 (Schubert) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_iLv…
Handel’s Largo (9:58) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_iLv…
Bethena Waltz (Scott Joplin) (16:14) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWlyc…
Waltz in #15 A Flat (Brahms) (23:46) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6K46…
Ave Maria (Schubert) (26:11) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ev9qW…
Waltz #2 (Brahms) (28:58) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjqjq…
Intermezzo in A Minor, Op. 116 #2 (Brahms) (31:44)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeTLN…
Intermezzo Op. 76 #7 (Brahms) (35:31)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCt_L…
Intermezzo In A minor Op. 118 #2 (Brahms) (39:38)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaXUJ…
Intermezzo Op. 119 #2 (Brahms) (46:46)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doySb…
Romanze (Brahms) (54:36) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWJej…
Nocturne #2 (Chopin; yes, that is a typo in the title!) (59:11)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bS_Gu…
Nocturne #16 (Chopin) (1:04:38) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bS_Gu…
Nocturne #18 (Chopin) (1:10:07) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjXUs…
Prelude #17 (Chopin) (1:16:52) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLKLL…
Prelude #23 (Chopin) (1:20:35) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Xhet…
Waltz #3 (Chopin) (1:21:43) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTGlq…
Waltz #9 ‘(Chopin) (1:28:56) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1Jax…
Prelude #4 (Chopin) (1:33:39) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtXlD…
Arabesque #1 (Debussy) (1:36:05) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7-Tv…
Deep River (Samuel Taylor Coleridge Arr.) (1:41:42)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGPAU…

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Great Compositions/Performances: Valentina Lisitsa plays Chopin “Heroic” Polonaise op 53 A flat major Valentina Lisitsa

Great Compositions/Performances: Valentina Lisitsa plays Chopin “Heroic” Polonaise op 53 A flat major Valentina Lisitsa

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F.Great Performances: Chopin : Nocturne op. 9 no. 1 in B flat minor (Rubinstein)

Chopin’s first nocturne op. 9 no. 1 in B flat minor played by Rubinstein.
The Nocturnes, Op. 9 are a set of three nocturnes written by Frédéric Chopin between 1830 and 1832 and dedicated to Madame Camille Pleyel. The work was published in 1833.
This nocturne has a rhythmic freedom that came to characterise Chopin’s later work. The left hand has an unbroken sequence of quavers in simple arpeggios throughout the entire piece, while the right hand moves with freedom in patterns of eleven, twenty, and twenty-two notes.
The opening section moves into a contrasting middle section, which flows back to the opening material in a transitional passage where the melody floats above seventeen consecutive bars of D-flat major chords. The reprise of the first section grows out of this and the nocturne concludes peacefully with a Picardy third.

MAKE MUSIC PART OF YOUR LIFE!

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Great Composers/Compositions: Frédéric Chopin – Grande valse brilliante

Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)

‘Les Sylphides“, op. 18; Finale: Grande valse brillinate

Cincinnati Pops Orchestra
Erich Kunzel

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Great Compositions/Performances: Arthur Rubinstein plays Chopin-Piano Concerto No.2 London Symphony Orchestra, André Previn conducting

Great Compositions/Performances:  Rubinstein-Chopin-Piano Concerto No.2

Frédéric Chopin Piano Concerto N.º 2 Op. 21 in F minor: Maestoso-Larghetto-Allegro Vivace-Arthur Rubinstein, Pianist
London Symphony Orchestra conducted by André Previn (HD video)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21, is a piano concerto composed by Frédéric Chopin in 1830. Chopin wrote the piece before he had finished his formal education, at around 20 years of age. It was first performed on 17 March 1830, in Warsaw, Poland, with the composer as soloist. It was the second of his piano concertos to be published (after the Piano Concerto No. 1), and so was designated as “No. 2”, even though it was written first.

The work contains the three movements typical of instrumental concertos of the period: Maestoso, Larghetto and Allegro vivace. What makes Chopin’s Op. 21 an early-Romantic concerto par excellence is the dominance of the piano part. After introducing the first movement, the orchestra cedes all responsibility for musical development to the piano; there is none of the true interplay of forces that is the mainstay of the classical concerto. Chopin’s orchestration is considered by many to be poor. Berlioz, himself a master orchestrator, was harsh in his appraisal, calling Chopin’s treatment “nothing but a cold and useless accompaniment.”

If the first movement bears the stamp of the stile brillante, the second shows the influence of Italian opera. The piano style of not only Chopin, but also his contemporaries, owes much to the bel canto operas of composers like Gioachino Rossini and Vincenzo Bellini, as well as to the leading singers of the day. The delicate melodic embroidery in the outer section is unmistakably operatic; so, too, is the arioso-like piano writing, over trembling strings, in the middle section. Chopin confessed in a letter, that the second movement had been inspired by his secret passion for a younger singer at the Warsaw Conservatory, with whom he had fallen in love and dreamed of for six months without once speaking to her. This larghetto remained one of his favourites, and excited the admiration of Schumann and Liszt.

In the third movement, there is another unmistakable influence. We hear the rhythm of the Polish mazurka, though in a brilliantly stylized setting. Once again, the piano, both in its poetic and virtuosic veins, dominate the music, with the orchestra largely relegated to the roles of cushion and punctuation mark.

In the finale, the violins are at one point instructed to play col legno (with the wood of the bow).

Analysis

Kevin Bazzan states “Chopin’s concertos – indeed, all of his works in classical forms – have always suffered from comparisons with those of Mozart and Beethoven. It is an old cliché that the larger classical forms he had studied at the Warsaw Conservatory were incompatible with his imagination. As early as 1852, writers such as Liszt remarked that Chopin “did violence to his genius every time he sought to fetter it by rules.” But he was not trying to re-interpret the classical concerto. He was working in a different tradition called stile brillante, made fashionable by such virtuoso pianist-composers as Weber and Hummel. Chopin borrowed from their example a conception of the concerto as a loosely organized showcase for a virtuoso soloist, as opposed to a more balanced, cohesive and densely argued musical drama in the classical vein.

There is no denying that Chopin’s concertos betray a youthful want of formal sophistication but, as one observer wrote, they “linger in the memory for the poetry of their detail rather than the strength of their structures.” Those details are so bold and colourful, so imaginative and personal, that the concertos have become the only large-scale early works of Chopin to retain a place in the repertoire.

Frédéric Chopin: Nocturne op.9 no.1 in B-flat minor (by Vadim Chaimovich)

This is my 2009 studio recording of Chopin’s Nocturne op.9 no.1.
This nocturne is one of the most beautiful short pieces by the celebrated master of the “song of the night”, it has a rhythmic freedom that came to characterize Chopin’s later work…
Enjoy!

Frederic Chopin – Nocturne op. 9 no. 1 in B-flat Minor
Vadim Chaimovich, piano

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• Chopin Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2
• FREDERIC CHOPIN – NOCTURNES complete
• nocturne

 

Great Performances: Chopin – Valentina Igoshina – Fantasie Impromptu

This is Valentina Igoshina playing Chopin’s Fantasie Impromptu in C Sharp Minor, Op. 66. Apologies for the shoddy editing! Check out my channel for information about Valentina and her music

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

 

Valentina Igoshina
Valentina Igoshina in March 2010 at Rickman Auditorium in Arnold, Missouri
Background information
Born	November 4, 1978 (age 35)
Origin	Russia
Genres	classical
Occupations	classical pianist
Instruments	piano
Labels	Warner Classics International
Website	www.valentina-igoshina.com

Valentina Igoshina (b. 4 November 1978 Bryansk, Bryansk Oblast, Russia) is a Russian classical pianist.

Valentina Igoshina began studying piano with her mother,^[1] and first took lessons at home at the age of four. At the age of twelve she began attending the Moscow Central School of Music and became a student of Sergei Dorensky and Larissa Dedova at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory.^[2]

Igoshina has also served as a teacher of piano at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow. Between recitals and concerts, she currently divides her time between Moscow and Paris.^[3] Her home in France is near Giverny in Haute-Normandie.

 

 

 

Great Performances: Rubinstein-Chopin-Piano Concerto No.2

Great Performances:  Rubinstein-Chopin-Piano Concerto No.2
Frédéric Chopin Piano Concerto N.º 2 Op. 21 in F minor: Maestoso-Larghetto-Allegro Vivace-Arthur Rubinstein, Pianist
London Symphony Orchestra conducted by André Previn (HD video)

From Wikipedia
The Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21, is a piano concerto composed by Frédéric Chopin in 1830. Chopin wrote the piece before he had finished his formal education, at around 20 years of age. It was first performed on 17 March 1830, in Warsaw, Poland, with the composer as soloist. It was the second of his piano concertos to be published (after the Piano Concerto No. 1), and so was designated as “No. 2”, even though it was written first.
The work contains the three movements typical of instrumental concertos of the period:

1. Maestoso, 
2. Larghetto and 
3. Allegro vivace.

What makes Chopin’s Op. 21 an early-Romantic concerto par excellence is the dominance of the piano part. After introducing the first movement, the orchestra cedes all responsibility for musical development to the piano; there is none of the true interplay of forces that is the mainstay of the classical concerto.

Related articles

• Frederic Chopin – Piano Concertos Nr 1 & 2 (Krystian Zimerman) (1986) (allerlei2013riffmaster.wordpress.com)
• Music at its Best! (susanhrach.wordpress.com)

Great Musical Moments: Rubinstein-Chopin-Piano Concerto No.2

Frédéric Chopin Piano Concerto N.º 2 Op. 21 in F minor: Maestoso-Larghetto-Allegro Vivace-Arthur Rubinstein, Pianist
London Symphony Orchestra conducted by André Previn

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21, is a piano concerto composed by Frédéric Chopin in 1830. Chopin wrote the piece before he had finished his formal education, at around 20 years of age. It was first performed on 17 March 1830, in Warsaw, Poland, with the composer as soloist. It was the second of his piano concertos to be published (after the Piano Concerto No. 1), and so was designated as “No. 2”, even though it was written first.
The work contains the three movements typical of instrumental concertos of the period:
Maestoso,
Larghetto and
Allegro vivace. 

Hypnotic Performances: Valentina Lisitsa Plays Chopin Nocturne Op 27 # 2 D Flat Major

From Valentina:  “I went through love-hate “relationship” with this Nocturne. When I was asked by Lanaudiere Fesitval to select 7 Nocturnes for the concert ( I never played any before – to my utter shame ) I had to quickly flip through the sheet music and pick ones I thought I might stand 🙂 This one was number “last” on my list of things to do. I didn’t start learning it until it was almost too late ( those who watched my webcast of practice can confirm :-)). I dreaded the moment when I will get sick and tired of this sweetest thing ever written with its gorgeous but repetitious melody….
Then I had my “eureka” moment . it happened when I started looking at Chopin’s metronome markings – in all other Nocturnes they were perfectly in sync with today’s consensus – maybe little faster here , slower there… But this one – oh my God ! Lento Sostenuto marked as 50 beats per minute in half-measure ( 150BPM in eights ). You know how fast is it ???? Check-it out and see if you can keep up with Mr. Chopin LOL ….. i can’t , I still play it waaaaaay under tempo .Let’s see how many “critics” will leave comments saying it is too fast …..But , no matter what it makes a perfect sense- and suddenly my dread turned into astonishment at Chopin’s genius.The whole piece is suddenly transformed from overly long sugary-syrupy chant to an exalted and impassioned speech- you make whatever you want of this speech , maybe it is a declaration of love ? after all – the piece ends with the most beautiful duet of two voices….”

 

Valentina Lisitsa: Chopin Nocturne Op 48 No.1 C minor (What a precious musical interpretation!)

One of Chopin’s most priceless performance remarks is at the beginning of this Nocturne — “sotto voce“. Just like that : not a girlish “piano” , not an ambivalent “mezzo forte” , not even meaty forte ( the last thing you want here is an “opera” voice for this melody ).It effectively bars all over-the-top cheap and showy “expressive emotions” — no eye rolling allowed , no hair flailing, no hands flying , no sobs , no visible tears…. A musical equivalent of the famed British ” keeping a stiff upper lip “- this “sotto voce” gives us the right sense of what this piece is about .Just as Chopin’s 2nd sonata this nocturne deals directly and openly with such tragic subjects as death, loss and grief … except , here you are allowed to leave personal comments. 2nd sonata is a depiction of all those things , this Nocturne is a commentary- or an epitaph…..the fifth movement that would come after the Finale …If you ever visit La Madeleine in Paris ( Chopin’s parish church where his funeral was held on October 30th ) think about this Nocturne , OK?

PS. Talking about parallels between Rachmaninoff and Chopin works , don’t you think that “doppio movimento” part ( last pages ) sounds ominously like Rachmaninoff Etude-Tableau E flat Minor Op39?

Frederic Chopin – Variations on a Theme by Rossini – Flute & Piano

Flutist Jonathan Brahms and pianist Kenneth Gartner perform Chopin’s Variations on a Theme of Rossini, opus posthumous, at The Kosciusko Foundation in New York City on February 18, 1989. The theme is from “La Cenerentola” (Cinderella).

Tema: Andantino
Variation 1: Allegretto
Variation 2: Andante
Variation 3: Allegretto 
Variation 4: Allegro assai

 

Chopin – Valentina Igoshina – Prelude Op. 28, No. 15

This is Valentina Igoshina playing rather beautifully Chopin’s ‘Raindrop’ Prelude in D Flat Major, Op. 28, No. 15. 

Chopin Grande Valse Brillante Op. 18 Valentina Lisitsa

Michael Krücker spielt / plays Frédéric Chopin: “Nocturne g-Moll Op. 15/3 (1833)”

The renown German pianist Michael Krücker plays Fredericc Chopin’s Nocturne in G, Op.15/3
More information at: www.MichaelKruecker.com

 

Frederic Chopin – Nocturne in G Major – Op. 37 No. 2

Chopin‘s Nocturne in G Major.

The Nocturne in G major is initially marked as andantino and is in 6/8 meter, remaining so for all 139 measures. It is written in the style of a Venetian barcarolle, which, according to Dubal, is engendered by the main theme’s “euphonious thirds and sixths”. Huneker commented that “pianists usually take the first part too fast, the second too slowly” and play the piece like an étude. Friskin commented that the sixths “require care to get evenness of tone control.” The piece has the structure ABABA, somewhat unusual for a Chopin nocturne. The melody in thirds and sixths is similarly unusual, all other Chopin nocturnes opening with single-voice melodies.

The nocturne has been acclaimed as one of the most beautiful melodies that Chopin has ever composed. 

 

Arthur Rubinstein – Chopin Nocturnes Op. 48, No. 1 in C minor

RUBINSTEIN – CHOPIN Andante Spianato & Grande Polonaise in Eb, Op. 22 (2)

Buy “Andante Spianato and Grand Polonaise, Op. 22 in E-flat: Grand Polonaise” on

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• Artist
  Arthur Rubinstein

Chopin: Ballade No. 4, Op. 52 Arthur Rubinstein

Buy “Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 52” on

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Arthur Rubinstein – Chopin Scherzo No. 4 in E major, Op. 54

English: Arthur Rubinstein, pianist, in Prague 1914 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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• Frédéric Chopin and George Sand: A Collaborative Union (wqxr.org)

Arthur Rubinstein plays Chopin: Concerto no. 2

The most astonishing music ever written, of a unique sensibility: Chopin, unique in every way!

Arthur Rubinstein is accompanied here by the Israel Philharmonic with Zubin Mehta at the Royal Festival Hall in London in 1968.

From Wikipedia: “The Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21, is a piano concerto composed by Frédéric Chopin in 1830. Chopin wrote the piece before he had finished his formal education, at around 20 years of age. It was first performed on 17 March 1830, in Warsaw, Poland, with the composer as soloist. It was the second of his piano concertos to be published (after the Piano Concerto No. 1), and so was designated as “No. 2”, even though it was written first.

The work contains the three movements typical of instrumental concertos of the period.

1. Maestoso
2. Larghetto
3. Allegro vivace

What makes Chopin’s Op. 21 an early-Romantic concerto par excellence is the dominance of the piano part. After introducing the first movement, the orchestra cedes all responsibility for musical development to the piano; there is none of the true interplay of forces that is the mainstay of the classical concerto. The idea that Chopin is a poor orchestrator is an oft-flogged dead horse of music criticism; Berlioz, himself a master orchestrator, was harsh in his appraisal, calling Chopin’s treatment “nothing but a cold and useless accompaniment.” Again, the criticism seems moot. If Chopin treated the orchestra merely as a platter on which to serve the piano, it was because the genre demanded it.”

Indeed a concert for Piano and Orchestra, rather than the other way around: I personally think that an orchestra couldn’t serve for better company for a piano, than in this concert!