Moura Lympany link: www.classicsto... Stephen Hough link to Hyperion video: • Chopin: Nocturnes - St... Ivan Moravec plays Chopin Op. 48 No. 1: • C minor, Op.48 n?1
Thanks so much for another fabulous & stimulating review. I can't wait for your discussion of Rubinstein's important recordings! The endless fascination of these pieces played so differently by so many master pianists...a treasure trove providing lifetime of listening stimulus.
You're most welcome, and thank you again for listening, and for your kind words. As I had mentioned on Facebook, I inadvertently published two episodes yesterday. The other was devoted to the French pianist Françoise Chaffiaud, and I included a link to my Between the Keys episode featuring her wonderful artistry. Check that one out!
Great talk Jed! You always make me spend my evenings listening to fascinating recordings I had no idea about. Speaking about the Chopin Nocturnes I never understood why Cortot never recorded the complete cycle, that would have been wonderful. Such a major loss for us piano lovers😢. Keep on this wonderful podcast, best wishes.
Your kind words mean a lot to me, and I thank you for writing. The piano world is so vast, and way too many worthy artists don't get the attention they deserve. In a way, my mission is to beat the proverbial drum on their behalf, not only through this podcast but also on my weekly radio show Between the Keys (www.wwfm.org/show/between-the-keys-with-jed-distler). On this link you can find webcasts of my previous episodes. As for Cortot, a complete Nocturne cycle from him would have been fascinating, most likely, especially if he had recorded it during his prime years. My suspicion was that HMV was reluctant to assign Cortot and Rubinstein the same Chopin cycles in the 1930s: Cortot got the Preludes, Etudes, Waltzes and Ballades, while Rubinstein got the Polonaises, Scherzos, Nocturnes and Mazurkas. Of course that all changes by the 1940s, but you get my point. Again, thank you for your kindness, and I do intend to keep The Piano Maven up and running for a long time!
Hello Jed, Being on the British side of the pond i find that both yourself and Dave Hurwitz offer a different perspective to the norm over on this side. I like it and it is stimulating! I found Rubinstein's quote about Chopin which is i believe as follows:- “When the first notes of Chopin sound through the concert hall there is a happy sigh of recognition. All over the world, men and women know his music. They love it, they are moved by it yet it is not "romantic" music in the Byronic sense. It does not tell stories or paint pictures. It is expressive and personal but still a pure art form in this abstract atomic age where emotion is not fashionable - yet Chopin endures." Regarding the Chopin nocturnes i was surprised by your liking of Steven Hough, less so of Moura Lympany. I do not think they were received here with great accolades although not necessarily derided. However, there is i think a general conception that British pianists should steer clear of Chopin and stick more to the classics (German mainly) as they struggle with the Polish idiom. What little Chopin Solomon recorded has always pleased and impressed me. Having heard Hough live on multiple occasions i feel that like Solomon, John Lill, Paul Lewis and Steven Osborne all of whom i have also heard live (apart from Solomon) and have recordings by them; they have in common a consistency rarely giving a bad performance although of course, not necessarily always electrifying, and are equally as good on records as live! But, there is little Chopin played or recorded by any of them, so i must go forth and try Hough's performances. I forgot that a new young lad Benjamin Grosvenor has acquitted himself quite well in Chopin according to the critics? Thanks for your talks thus far. Regards Dave Taft
Dear Dave, Thank you for your comments, and for providing the Rubinstein quote. Although I do read record views by critics in several languages, I call performances as I hear them, and couldn't care less about whether pianists are Polish, British or Martian. Idiomatic Chopin is idiomatic Chopin, period. It is provincial and small-minded thinking to claim that musicians have some kind of stylistic advantage based on their country of origin. Unfortunately one still sees this attitude in certain reviewers. Happily, you appear to trust your own ears, and I hope that my commentaries will lead you to satisfying listening experiences.
Dear Mr. Distler, I wanted to let you know that I recently discovered your podcast and I think it's fantastic. Not only is your analysis informative, but your presentation of the material is also very calming. I believe this might be due to the cadence and tone of your voice. I'm a big fan of pianist Stephen Hough and I enjoy many of his performances, particularly his renditions of late Brahms, Rachmaninov, and Hummel, among others. However, I noticed that his Beethoven piano concerto cycle didn't receive as much attention, and I'm still debating whether or not to purchase it. I would greatly appreciate it if you could share your opinion about these performances. Thank you, and may this podcast spread and last!
Thank you for your very kind words, and I'm glad you find my presentation calming! To be honest, I haven't yet listened carefully to Stephen Hough's Beethoven cycle, mainly because I've had so much on my plate, and with so many other recent Beethoven cycles assigned to me in the past few years for review, perhaps it simply just fell through the proverbial cracks. I imagine it didn't receive the attention it deserved because there simply was too much competition in the 2020 Beethoven anniversary year. But I will make the time to listen within the next few months. Stephen is a very special pianist, and I'm also a big fan of his compositions. His late Brahms is quite wonderful, indeed, as well as his Rachmaninov Concerto cycle, and, of course, the Hummel discs that you mentioned. In addition my podcast, I invite you to check out my long-running weekly radio show Between the Keys on WWFM.org: here's a link where you can hear webcasts of earlier episodes (www.wwfm.org/show/between-the-keys-with-jed-distler). Your feedback means the world to me, and please spread the good word. Best wishes to you!
It’s Pires, not Pures. I love her Chopin Nocturnes, and I’ll eventually talk about this recording on a future episode. I certain can find many other excellent Chopin Nocturne cycles to discuss and recommend. All in good time.
Thanks so much for another fabulous & stimulating review. I can't wait for your discussion of Rubinstein's important recordings! The endless fascination of these pieces played so differently by so many master pianists...a treasure trove providing lifetime of listening stimulus.
You're most welcome, and thank you again for listening, and for your kind words. As I had mentioned on Facebook, I inadvertently published two episodes yesterday. The other was devoted to the French pianist Françoise Chaffiaud, and I included a link to my Between the Keys episode featuring her wonderful artistry. Check that one out!
@@jdistler2thanks. I've just listened & will explore her recordings
@@grantparsons6205 That was quick! Many thanks for your support!
Great talk Jed! You always make me spend my evenings listening to fascinating recordings I had no idea about. Speaking about the Chopin Nocturnes I never understood why Cortot never recorded the complete cycle, that would have been wonderful. Such a major loss for us piano lovers😢.
Keep on this wonderful podcast, best wishes.
Your kind words mean a lot to me, and I thank you for writing. The piano world is so vast, and way too many worthy artists don't get the attention they deserve. In a way, my mission is to beat the proverbial drum on their behalf, not only through this podcast but also on my weekly radio show Between the Keys (www.wwfm.org/show/between-the-keys-with-jed-distler). On this link you can find webcasts of my previous episodes. As for Cortot, a complete Nocturne cycle from him would have been fascinating, most likely, especially if he had recorded it during his prime years. My suspicion was that HMV was reluctant to assign Cortot and Rubinstein the same Chopin cycles in the 1930s: Cortot got the Preludes, Etudes, Waltzes and Ballades, while Rubinstein got the Polonaises, Scherzos, Nocturnes and Mazurkas. Of course that all changes by the 1940s, but you get my point. Again, thank you for your kindness, and I do intend to keep The Piano Maven up and running for a long time!
Hi Jed, Nelson Goerner is not from Brazil, but from Argentina. Congrats for your channel.
Thank you for your correction, my mistake!
Hello Jed,
Being on the British side of the pond i find that both yourself and Dave Hurwitz offer a different perspective to the norm over on this side. I like it and it is stimulating! I found Rubinstein's quote about Chopin which is i believe as follows:-
“When the first notes of Chopin sound through the concert hall there is a happy sigh of recognition. All over the world, men and women know his music. They love it, they are moved by it yet it is not "romantic" music in the Byronic sense. It does not tell stories or paint pictures. It is expressive and personal but still a pure art form in this abstract atomic age where emotion is not fashionable - yet Chopin endures."
Regarding the Chopin nocturnes i was surprised by your liking of Steven Hough, less so of Moura Lympany. I do not think they were received here with great accolades although not necessarily derided. However, there is i think a general conception that British pianists should steer clear of Chopin and stick more to the classics (German mainly) as they struggle with the Polish idiom.
What little Chopin Solomon recorded has always pleased and impressed me. Having heard Hough live on multiple occasions i feel that like Solomon, John Lill, Paul Lewis and Steven Osborne all of whom i have also heard live (apart from Solomon) and have recordings by them; they have in common a consistency rarely giving a bad performance although of course, not necessarily always electrifying, and are equally as good on records as live! But, there is little Chopin played or recorded by any of them, so i must go forth and try Hough's performances.
I forgot that a new young lad Benjamin Grosvenor has acquitted himself quite well in Chopin according to the critics?
Thanks for your talks thus far.
Regards Dave Taft
Dear Dave, Thank you for your comments, and for providing the Rubinstein quote. Although I do read record views by critics in several languages, I call performances as I hear them, and couldn't care less about whether pianists are Polish, British or Martian. Idiomatic Chopin is idiomatic Chopin, period. It is provincial and small-minded thinking to claim that musicians have some kind of stylistic advantage based on their country of origin. Unfortunately one still sees this attitude in certain reviewers. Happily, you appear to trust your own ears, and I hope that my commentaries will lead you to satisfying listening experiences.
Dear Mr. Distler,
I wanted to let you know that I recently discovered your podcast and I think it's fantastic. Not only is your analysis informative, but your presentation of the material is also very calming. I believe this might be due to the cadence and tone of your voice. I'm a big fan of pianist Stephen Hough and I enjoy many of his performances, particularly his renditions of late Brahms, Rachmaninov, and Hummel, among others. However, I noticed that his Beethoven piano concerto cycle didn't receive as much attention, and I'm still debating whether or not to purchase it. I would greatly appreciate it if you could share your opinion about these performances. Thank you, and may this podcast spread and last!
Thank you for your very kind words, and I'm glad you find my presentation calming! To be honest, I haven't yet listened carefully to Stephen Hough's Beethoven cycle, mainly because I've had so much on my plate, and with so many other recent Beethoven cycles assigned to me in the past few years for review, perhaps it simply just fell through the proverbial cracks. I imagine it didn't receive the attention it deserved because there simply was too much competition in the 2020 Beethoven anniversary year. But I will make the time to listen within the next few months. Stephen is a very special pianist, and I'm also a big fan of his compositions. His late Brahms is quite wonderful, indeed, as well as his Rachmaninov Concerto cycle, and, of course, the Hummel discs that you mentioned. In addition my podcast, I invite you to check out my long-running weekly radio show Between the Keys on WWFM.org: here's a link where you can hear webcasts of earlier episodes (www.wwfm.org/show/between-the-keys-with-jed-distler). Your feedback means the world to me, and please spread the good word. Best wishes to you!
No Maria Joao Pures?
It’s Pires, not Pures. I love her Chopin Nocturnes, and I’ll eventually talk about this recording on a future episode. I certain can find many other excellent Chopin Nocturne cycles to discuss and recommend. All in good time.
Sorry, that was a typo!!