I really CANNOT UNDERSTAND this enthusiasm for Cho. (148 thumbs UP ..... !! ??) For me his interpretation is naive, completely neutral, utterly boring and particularly main-stream. No emotion, no passion, no revelation. A fridge with AI playing the piano. This is so sad to me.
What Hoffman did here is out of this world. The clarity of the melodic line coupled with that incredible finger independency on the voicing... No wonder Rachmaninov considered Hoffman as the best pianist of his time
Rubinstein is the god of Chopin. I searched endlessly if he has a live recording of this and couldn’t find one. Maybe one exists and hopefully someday someone will send to me 😢
Agree. His ritardando at the climax is just brilliant . While other pianists tend to rush through it, he slows down and emphasizes the chords in the left hand, which somehow makes the piece even more heart-wrenching.
Seong Jin-Cho’s rendition is definitely my favorite out of these! His restrained and calm approach to the section reminds me of Rubinstein’s recording, which I still regard as one of the best. Yet, he still manages to give the climax its recognition. Wang’s strong fortes and accentuated downbeats certainly give this section emphasis, but in my opinion ends up robbing the melody - and the true climax - out of its tenderness and reflective qualities. Cho is the evidence for why Chopin is so beloved!
Totally agree- instantly thought his was the best. I have no idea why everybody rushes this. Maybe just to show they can. As you said, deep tenderness and reflection, pain even.
i found it to be the most similar to Artem Tenkeli's version (besides the much quicker tempo), wich in my opinion is the most beautiful interpretation i've heard of the song. I know little about music but i think his emphasis are perfect
@@Highinsight7 :-) I know that Sokolov his highly regarded and tried hard to understand it, but I do not understand what people like about his playing.
Seong-jin Cho. In my mind. I feel that this is more convincingly "Chopin-esque". Chopin has been a hero of mine for over 60 years and I've heard this piece many, many times. The tempo is correct, the dynamics are totally under control and righteous for my old ears. More importantly, I get the emotion hit that I so much much love in music. Yuja Wang was impressive, Pogorelich's version haunting and sublime.
For me its Pollini and Seong-Jin Cho... so wonderful. I cant wait to play that piece once my health allows me again to practice more! This piece... its one of a kind, thise emotions... incredible
@@DynastieArtistiquewell that’s subjective, you can’t say that Hoffmann beats everyone just because you like him…It’s always said that in music there is no best, beauty is in the eye (in this case ear) of the beholder
Seo Jin Cho is definitely the best. Not only he played it with precision but he understands the importance of the bass notes to express Chopin's grief. His interpretation became the basis of most interpretations in 2021's competition
i didnt read the title of the video, was listening to the music in the background and when i reached his version, i thought it was a completely different song, but then i noticed it was the same. i fell in love with his interpretation
Absolutely. When I say it’s strange I don’t mean it negatively - I am just still astounded by the boldness of his interpretive choices in this and in everything. He is one of a kind
@@Pianova1 That the beautiful part about it. Pogorelich has lived an very difficult live, this is an interpretation of a broken man, which if you listen carefully can hear the pain and suffering in is interpretation. The rubato & the dynamics make this piece even more sad than it already is. I cried the first time I listened to it and had shivers during all the interpretation. Classical Music is not just about following the sheets music and the rules that has been put upon us, pianists. Sometimes breaking these rules can lead to incredible new variations and evolution. Sometimes, for romantic pieces, it's okay to go out of what the music sheets tell you to do. Listen to you heart, that what Chopin is all about ! Let your emotions play for you on the keyboard and create something amazing ;)
Honestly this is the most Scriabinesque moment in Chopin's opus. The repeating middle chords, deep octaves and heartbreaking melody in soprano... It's the one thing that stuck with Scriabin from first to last opus, and it's so beautiful
Gonna have to disagree with the commentors. Getting so wrapped up in the fact that Sofronitsky was playing, I totally forgot that Chopin wrote this. Chopin may have wrote this but Scriabin owns this particular style.
Allmost all were good but the ones that really moved my heart and soul were Seong-Jin Cho,Nikolai Lugansky,Weissenberg,Myra Hess.I found these four pianists were really passionate and deep.
It was enlightening to read all these comments. They are evidence of the emotive force of Chopin's music. I was very moved by Yuja Wang's performance. I have never heard the bass line played with such power in support of the melody. I don't know what Chopin's guiding force is but this performance opened new insights for me. Thank you for sharing all these wonderful interpretations.
My favorite definitely is Lugansky. Myra Hess presents a convincing, original, passionate, and quite intelligent interpretation. I wish we had better audio!
My favorite is Lugansky as well, he has a deep appreciation for the long phrases. I really appreciated Myra Hess and Alice Sara Ott as well. All the interpretations really were phenomenal and could transmit so much.
I like the way Nikolai Lugansky plays it, especially in the beginning, lots of colours and dynamics. Reminds me of Lang Lang the way he taught it to that little kid, but I couldn't find a full version of the 48 n1 nocturne on RUclips though.
It's Seong-Jin for me. Love his rhythm. The anxiety of the left hand rhythm and the class and poise of the right hand melody. It's classical but also highly melodical and, I dare say, beautiful as hell. It doesn't feel rushed or overly exaggerated. I love it.
Cho's playing is very polished and refined but a bit poor emotionally, in my view. On the other hand you have an Argerich that is by far too emotional and destroys the harmony with her rushed approach (ditto for Liesecki...). Sokolov is fast as well but he is able to give a convincing interpretation all the same, with incredible control (although I do not particularly like him in this coda either). Alice Sara Ott evidently does not know what 'doppio movimento' means. Gilels and Hess are out of contest: the sound is barely listenable. Hofmann also has bad sound but honestly I don't care because his version is so incredibly moving and original that renders that almost irrelevant. As a second choice, less 'romantic', I'd pick Pollini. He really has what I feel to be the right tempo and a very beautiful cantabile (to be compared with Weissenberg, that merely pushes the keys producing such an horrible sonority and a complete homogenization of the voices).
@@jasonmugisha Poor emotionally speaking, not poorly emotional (which I don't understand). His restraint approach is definitely not very outspoken. I'm not saying that he is bad, and in any case what's the problem with reading opinions different from your own?
@@daniele8716 i don’t know if you’ve heard the original without this video’s bad sound quality but cho’s version is far from being poor emotionally his rubato just is perfect. I remember his interpretation was one of my first encounters that made me fall in love with chopin’s music his delivery is far from beeing poor emotionally. I don’t have a problem reading other people’s opinions its just that certain after reading certain statement’s you just don’t feel like continuing reading
For some reason I always liked Valentina lisitsa her version on Spotify the most. It’s outstanding. Usually I think she plays pieces too fast but she plays it incredible with lots of emotion.
My absolute favorite piece by Chopin EVER! Thank so so much for assembling this, and for the warning about Pogorelich. I have absolutely no idea what he was thinking. Or if he was thinking. Cho and Argerich are my favorites, I think.
I genuinely fancy Sokolov's interpretation, but let's be honest: Hofmann sounds like each finger of his has its own separate brain, and a big heart that jolts out some of the best interpretations through them. He's not perfect in this particular recording, but still, he manages to convey a profoundly articulated message, one of great sentiments and brilliant ideas with his unmatched pianism - he's on a league of his own.
Josef Hofmann's is totally on another level of pianism. His projection (not just here) of the melodic line(s) is way beyond the norm - you'd think there were three hands, with that 3rd hand playing just the melody - with independent arm weight - so his tone is so so big (not loud), with tons of nuances and shaping delights. This gets more hair-raising when there are other inner lines he wanted to bring out to give contrapuntal interests to the melodic dominance. In addition, here, his tempo is just right - most of the others are way too fast and hectic and fidgety (unless they wanted to portray that, I suppose). That's also why I am intrigued by Alice Sara Ott's. Hers is actually even slower than Hofmann's, but so sensitive and elegant - there is time to enjoy that - there is time to breathe. That's another point - Hofmann's breathes. His playing is second to none, with his ability to get around the piano effortlessly. Rachmaninoff the pianist had that same quality. They both have interpretative quirks; but alas, SO very convincing though. Hofmann's singing tone is (already mentioned) enormous and that's even with such antiquated recording engineering from his days. If we listen to him several times here and then immediately go to the others, my point here will be even more noticeable and then come back to his. Just my two-cents worth - utter abandonment that is in complete control - a delightful oxymoron.
Agree about Hofmann. Ott, however, seems just too slow with not enough control and phrasing to make that tempo make sense. It just comes across as slow...
Why Hofmann's name is disregarded these days is beyond me. His pianism and sheer musicality and imagination is head and shoulders above anyone else in the history of recording.
Yes, I agree with Alec Chien in almost every point he makes in his analysis of Josef Hofmann’s performance. I believe this live performance hails from American Armed Services overseas broadcast ( it would be interesting to know what the assembled troops thought of it). By the time of this recital Hofmann was an alcoholic, and a slightly weary tone to some of this performance (plus the finger slips) betray this; but, oh what playing; it is so sophisticated, so ineffably beautiful that even given his below par form he is so far above the rest as make comparisons pointless!
Rachmaninoff had a mixed reception as a pianist of other composer's works. It tended to sound overly heavy and had a sameness about it. Hoffman is on another level to all pianists mentioned here. He was the last in a long tradition. Even Rachmaninoff said that when Hoffman played a piece, he would never be able to match it, so he took them off his own concert repetoire!
@@simonsmatthew it’s interesting what you about Rachmaninov; both Rachmaninov and Hofmann are on record as stating that each other was the greatest piano that was currently before the public, but there was criticism of Rachmaninov’s interpretation of certain pieces by Chopin: highly regarded as his recording of Chopin’s b flat minor sonata is, at the time his interpretation was considered ‘old fashioned’ , vide his performance of the funeral march movement in which he plays the return of the march section forte and then plays a slow diminuendo, imitating a receding funeral cortège; and his use of rubato was also considered suspect as in his interpretation of the popular e flat nocturne which one critic described as like ‘squeezing toothpaste from a tube’. In contrast Hofmann was considered ‘modern’ , even cool in his approach to most of the great classical composers. Certainly his use of rubato would appear much more constrained, and his playing of fioritura is always ‘a tempo’, vide his live recordings of the 2 Chopin concertos. But in terms of interpretation as a whole, he is firmly in the 19c, and shows himself to be true pupil of his great master, Anton Rubinstein. I could say more but how can one describe sublimity. Their likes’ will not be seen more.
I love your videos. Thank you so much for them. They are as informative as entertaining. And it always amazes me how many phenomenal artists are out there. I’ve played this many times. I would love to play it on a period instrument. I think it would tell us a lot about how Chopin intended it sound.
First of all i would like to thank the uploader for putting together all these absolutely wonderful artists performing Chopins masterpiece Nocturne op 48 no 1...I have never seem in one video such a wide range of artists (Chronologically and in Technique, Tempo/Phrasing)..I would say that because this is such a wonderful piece that I actually loved all the performances , the things that stood out for me was the different dynamics and tempo..I have to say that I liked Joaeph Hoffman's the best..but I also like Jan's very pronounced performance..Cho's and Yuja's flawless performance, Ivo's unique performance, Alice's very steady smooth tempo..they were all wonderful .but Joseph Hoffman takes home the 🍰!!!
I have Polini playing the complete Chopin Etudes. No pianist can produce the musicality or the beautiful richness of these etudes like Polini.... NO ONE!
@@rbarnes4076 Rubenstein for his romantic lyricism and Ashkenazy for his technical prowess, playing rapid thirds like no one else. All three artists are truly remarkable in their performances!
I've played this nocturne in recital and in a piano competition, so happy that you picked this moment, it is indeed one of my favourite's from Chopin ever! 😍 My reference performance during that time (end of 90s) was Bruno Rigutto's, and still love it to this date. 👌
While I'm not as into the live recording of Ivo Pogorelich presented here, I do highly recommend his studio recording which came out in recent years. It's astonishing. And yes, I do truly admire Samson Francois' studio recording as well.
Some especially good ones here, obviously, but I think Seong-Jin Cho's stands out above the rest as the performance that shows exactly what makes Chopin's music so special
Lugansky for me, first time I heard it I was shocked as to how deep the anguish and despair chopin's music could reach and it made me learn the whole piece... though my doppio movimento is nowhere near as good any of these pianists :p Seong Jin Cho's I love too and Ashkenazy (incredible tone) which was not included here.
Wow! Lisiecki plays with so much passion. What a crescendo! I bet he filled the concert with just as much sound as the orchestra. He is not playing notes, he's playing music. My favourite.
I’m learning this at the moment, can (just) play upto this point so hearing so many interpretations of the end is great. I personally love Tiffany Poon’s version, I have learnt so much by watching her play, very much as it is written in my view, but also enjoyable to hear so many different ways to perform this.
Thank you. Shame Lívia Rev wasn't here. She was a true Chopin performer, a lovely humble lady.i got her recordings of all Chopin nocturnes and they are so lyrical and at the right tempo. Check her out if you can. She was playing till she was 100 years old.❤❤❤❤❤
In answer to your questions: yes, it does matter that this section begins pp, is doppio movimento, and is also marked agitato. It's extraordinarily difficult to do that. What's surprising is how few famous pianists bother with any of these markings, let alone all three, even though they certainly have the chops for it. The most faithful, and therefore best performances are by (in no particular order) Sokolov, Cho, Li, and Lugansky. (None of them begin the melody really pp, but I'm satisfied to have the accompaniment pp.) The funniest performance is by Ott, who seems to think that doppio movimento means twice as slow! Now if only Zimmermann would record this Nocturne!
It’s a good thing Martha didn’t live during the Salem Witch Trials cause she’d be done for 😂 Her genius casts a spell over all of us who her that extraordinary tone
Oui Martha est une sorcière !! Une sorcière qui nous envoûte merveilleusement dans cet abîme de désespoir qu'est cet incroyable nocturne, la plus belle pièce de Chopin pour moi...
Blind listening produces interesting results. Seong-Jin Cho's reading really is wonderful, but Lugansky is equally good in a different way: an orchestral interpretation with an overwhelming climax. I was not thrilled with two of my favorite pianists, Sokolov (okay but not outstanding) and Argerich (just too hectic for me in this piece). A pleasant surprise was Pollini, who is often too cold but acquits himself well here.
It takes a certain bravery to listen "blind," since one runs the risk of disliking the pianist you love the most! But then you might discover, for instance, as you have, that Pollini is not necessarily cold!
@@dennischiapello3879 exactly! I've heard a bunch of Pollini that really is ice-cold, but this Nocturne was a pleasant revelation. Only a handful of pianists are easy to identify in any circumstances. Horowitz is obviously one of them; Sokolov is another, at least for me. In this Nocturne, I was almost certain it was Sokolov but still couldn't bring myself to like it.
@@dennischiapello3879 a followup. I think this is Pollini's live recording from the 1960 Chopin Competition, which is worlds apart from his recent icy recording of the complete Nocturnes. The 1960 performance is elsewhere on RUclips (in full) and it's really excellent.
Argerich's performance was surprising in that the performance was very jagged, uneven. But NO ONE could surpass Argerich, in her younger years, when it came to her lightening speed octaves.
Rubinstein has always been my go-to, for the seamless yet jaw-dropping transition from the middle section, as well as that big ol' C dominant moment - BUT, from this video, I'd need to choose Hofmann, because anybody who can find and _voice_ Chopin's hidden countermelodies always gets a big check mark from me
A mí modesto entender....la interpretación de Martha y Jan Lisiekci son las que más me gustan....!!...Aunque es un verdadero placer disfrutar una y otra vez de este tan especial Nocturno,interpretado por diferentes concertistas y cada uno brindándole su impronta...!!..
Ivo Pogorelic. The God given spontaneity and freshness as if he played this the moment Chopen finished composing it. The raw passion and intellect armwrestling with the soul...and losing!
A pity that the recording quality of Myra Hess is so marred.....h o w ever you can hear the nobility of her conception😊...I had the privilege of hear her play the 2nd Sonata of Chopin in Carnegie Hall .😊
after learning the piece i always find myself going back to argerich's live recording as well as pogorelich's recent studio recording. after having seen this video i must say hofmann is amazing also.
With this piece, I look for people who in the “doppio movimento” section play the melody with straight eighth notes rather than triplet swing, which creates polyrhythm between the melody and the inner voices, making the section even more difficult than it already is. Unfortunately, these are few and far between. Rubinstein does it, but the only one in this video is Lisiecki. Hess and Sokolov have stunning changes from loud to soft, at 15:35 and 20:15 respectively. Hofmann, as usual, is so imaginative with voicing that it almost sounds like a different piece, which to me is a good thing! The voicing, amazing tone, and slow tempo make his version the most beautiful.
I think that Jan Lisiecki has it the best because he played it right after three eighths, and I would also say that he has a beautifully done dynamic there - the crescendo that culminates is absolutely divine, and I always get goosebumps.
I haven't heard the slow version of this part but it's interesting like reprise version! My favorite is Yundi Li, Seong-Jin Cho's interpretation. and there's something about the Pogorelich that touches my heart..
Pogorelich is the best interpretation i've ever heard. Powerful, emotive yet sad. Their so many emotion and it make this passage even more incredible than what it actually is. It's incredible !
Intreresting, I find it excentric and it misses to evoke any emotion at all for me. But that is the beauty of music, that it needs to be interpreted and thus anybody can have his own favorite :-)
Are you kidding? He plays ffff, it s a complete failure and nonsense. I m a big fan of Pogorelich, but the one of Gaspard, scaratti sonatas and Bach's English suites...so loooongtime ago
I believe Pogorelich lends the piece a haunting, melancholy tone. It is eccentric, yet deep and sentimental. His rendition allows the listener to sense a rush of deep despair and wonder. I do not have a biased preference, as all renditions here each have a delicate element not present in other interpretations.
@@j.rohmann3199 only that guy, who hadn't listened to Pogorelich at all. His interpretations are tricky. Some say they don't deserve do exist, some say no other interpretation deserve to exist except Pogorelich's
@@j.rohmann3199 maybe because he’s deliberately being provocative and not respecting the music? It’s a prolonged attempted at protesting against the classical music world and a cop out from actual preparation for recitals and too often people misconstrued it for being ‘deep’ or ‘otherworldly’ when if it was anyone else playing it like that they’d be deemed moronic straight away with 0 hesitation. His old recordings back before all of ‘this started was some of the best playing ever recorded. Very few would disagree. But this? It’s a protest and a cop out, nothing more. Go read about his life if you want to find out more.
It's really strange to me how many amazing pianists forget that this piece is a nocturne. There is a reason that the recapitulation in doppio movimento start in pp (pianissimo). For me Rubistein has the best interpretation because i feel how sadness can be like a bird that flies high in the night. A sublimation, and a weariness.
It's a disgrace that so many have been taught to blindly follow whatever markings the composer has written down. Chopin gave us the path, but it is up to the pianist as to how to navigate it.
Hoffman's voicing is unmatched but I still prefer Lugansky's interpretation. He tells the story with such a unique way I think. Also Pogorelich's interpretation is very emotional and unique. Pollini's interpretation is too soft for me but he's actually really great.
I agree with you. It’s in a league of its own. But what’s been uploaded to YT and streaming platforms is too low-fi. You need to buy Fou’s CD to fully appreciate it.
If you don’t mind that he can barely remember the notes and that he reduces chords in the right hand at the climax from up to four notes in the right hand down to one or two, sure. I guess he’s there interpretatively if nothing else. Too bad he didn’t record it when it was well-practiced and polished.
So much depends on the contexts. Without knowing the primo tempo how can we judge the tempo doppio? The Pollini is very clear but maybe a little prosaic, whereas Argerich is all poetry. The sheer sound in both Lugansky and Sokolov is wonderful. The sense of constructing victory out of despair is also wonderful in the Sofronitsky. Thank you for compiling these interesting examples.
Las últimas dos versiones (Sara Ott y Hofman) son las que más me gustan, porque no olvidan el hecho de que se trata de un nocturno. Los demás parecen estar tocando una balada en la mayoría de los casos; de todos modos, rescato entre ellas la de Seon Jin Cho, que considero más equilibrada y adecuadamente expresiva.
This is one of my favorite pieces for the piano repertoire, if not my absolute favorite. I'm gonna have to give the title to Claudio Arrau, even though his interpretation is not included here.
Mr. S-Bahn, thank you so much for your outstanding work. You know, much more than anyone here, how important an interpretation is. And you demonstrate it here in a facinating panorama. Thank you again. For my little and uninteresting point of view, my heart is broken by Argerich. (as usual) The way she lost herself in the violent and brutal beauty of this music is a fatal moment to me.
It’s Argerich for me. Breathtakingly tragic, near hysterical - yet held together by the steel bands of her monumental technique. As for studio recordings, two words: Ivan Moravec.
Cho is wonderful and very chopin. you may think pogorelich strange，but when you have experienced the ups and downs of life，you will understand and love pogorelich's interpretation
I love Chopins nocturnes and binge listened to the Moravec (complete nocturnes) recording, did not like any other recording Rubinstein etc. included, but to listen this passage in a lot of other interpretations is rather interesting and I like several others of them.
By definition, the doppio must be observed. Chopin is not advising, but writing it. He's not indicating a sudden vivace or prestissimo. Doppio - the double of everthing before it - tells us that Chopin is saying in this 70 seconds there is a fulfilment of all before. What is it though? Best description I have seen is that of a storm coming almost from nowhere. Starts almost as nothing and then bit by bit it is suggested in that first section with rumblings ahead of the storm. The octave section is the thunder - and then we have the full outworking of it in the Doppio - which is a release of raging power. You can find good 'recital type' performances which get close - in part. Argerich, Sokolov, etc.. But the one who really has it for me is Lisiecki. His recording is from an encore. He had the energy and spirit for it. I have a video clip.Check it out on RUclips. He performed it as a whole - 'the storm' - and gets the total thing. He reads it as Chopin intended. Also - he brings out / finds unique elements which the Doppio dynamic endows uniquely. It is fascinating, great(est?) Chopin. I don't have the ability / technique for the Doppio speed - but always sense it's requirement - and realise my inabilities....
thanks for taking the time to write this comment, it's helped me articulate the feeling that there is an importance to the doppio in transporting the listener outside of themselves, and into the depth of the emotion itself, which i never really connected with listening to the many still incredibly beautiful yet slower interpretations. and i am also fascinated to read in the comments that others have come to opposing conclusions based on their own personal emotional reactions to the piece
@@hnrysml Thanks Henry. Spot on. It is indeed a highly personal 'read' and expression for each performer. Part of my 'yes' to Lisiecki was watching him perform. Throughout he looks purely at the keyboard - concentrated. When he comes to the octaves in the second section his neck muscles tighten quite severely as he allows the thunder of the octaves through. In the Doppio again it's the neck which shows the tension. Not the face. Unusual. It's as though his face and the keyboard are locked together to extract the emotion. The agony comes therefore through his neck . The physiology of performance can be quite revealing sometimes - but perhaps I read too much into it from my feelings. Best.
Cho's control of shifts in tempi and dynamics are just breathtaking here. He gets my vote. I like that the Pogorelich version directly follows Cho. It juxtaposes the sensitivity and touch of Cho with the somewhat gruff, slovenly (OK, barbaric) playing of Pogorelich.
I think one very special recording (and probably my favorite of all) is missing from the studio rec list: that is, one by Raoul Koczalski. An absolute masterpiece of a performance. In fact, after listening to his Chopin recordings I cannot help but hear Chopin with his rubato.
Not knowing enough about what Chopin’s true intention was (would be interesting to hear an expert like Garrick Ohlsson on that), I’m drawn to the softer/prettier interpretations - so Cho and Pollini stood out.
What a great idea for a video! What I’m shocked about isn’t the arguments for this person or that person. Nope. What I’m shocked about is that NO ONE is arguing that this is Chopin’s “greatest musical moment”! (Which it is) !!!!
In my opinion, Lisiecki's rendition is the most enjoyable. However, I would have preferred a slower tempo and a more subdued approach in the first half. The second half, where he unleashes his full potential, is particularly captivating. It is as if Chopin, after nearly five minutes of refined and gentle discourse, could no longer contain his emotions and erupted with unrestrained passion/anger.
Wow! I expected to hate Alice Sara Ott's interpretation but found it quite compelling. Could not bear Pogorelich. The two ultra fast performances could not manage the emotional depth needed but were thrilling nevertheless. Wow. Sokolov was great. Pollini exquisite. Hofmann was wonderful and beyond amazing - it was like we were listening to a totally different work. Thank you for this extraordinary comparison. And yes, for me, the best studio performance by far is Rubinstein's recording from the late 50s or early 60s on RCA Victor. Heartbreaking!
Wow, what a wealth of great performances. I like Cho alot, but I'm going to go with Yundi Li. It's got the combination of being urgent and passionate while still retaining utmost sweetness, delicateness and intimacy and without coming across as rushed. Sokolov is my close second. Argerich and Liceski are too rushed, fire and brimstone exciting for sure (and both among my favorite pianists), but losing the heart and soul in the passage. And Alice is just too slow.
Rubinstein is the best. doppio movimento does not mean rushing out. The tragic and stirring need a deep, strong, and steady pace, and the most beautiful chord should be explicitly and clearly rendered, IMHO.
Seong-Jin Cho’s triggers a strong emotional response anytime I hear it
cho said he only listens his hand playing
I really CANNOT UNDERSTAND this enthusiasm for Cho. (148 thumbs UP ..... !! ??)
For me his interpretation is naive, completely neutral, utterly boring and particularly main-stream. No emotion, no passion, no revelation. A fridge with AI playing the piano. This is so sad to me.
@@Fritz_Maisenbacher its because you ARENT an artist. You d need a 6th sense.
What Hoffman did here is out of this world. The clarity of the melodic line coupled with that incredible finger independency on the voicing... No wonder Rachmaninov considered Hoffman as the best pianist of his time
He brings out inner voices i didn't know were there, but rightly done.
Rubinstein's heavier, more deliberate pacing makes it all the more profound and tormented. It's still my most preferred interpretation to this day.
Rubinstein is the god of Chopin. I searched endlessly if he has a live recording of this and couldn’t find one. Maybe one exists and hopefully someday someone will send to me 😢
Yes! Agreed! Also the dip in the dynamics to pianissimo in R's recording is just sheer genius.
Agree. His ritardando at the climax is just brilliant . While other pianists tend to rush through it, he slows down and emphasizes the chords in the left hand, which somehow makes the piece even more heart-wrenching.
@@ArgerichStan Funny, I do not like Rubinsteins Chopin playing only have the ones where I could not find any Horowitz or Moravec version.
@dejuren not everyone likes a walk in the park, I guess.
Seong Jin-Cho’s rendition is definitely my favorite out of these! His restrained and calm approach to the section reminds me of Rubinstein’s recording, which I still regard as one of the best. Yet, he still manages to give the climax its recognition. Wang’s strong fortes and accentuated downbeats certainly give this section emphasis, but in my opinion ends up robbing the melody - and the true climax - out of its tenderness and reflective qualities. Cho is the evidence for why Chopin is so beloved!
Totally agree- instantly thought his was the best. I have no idea why everybody rushes this. Maybe just to show they can. As you said, deep tenderness and reflection, pain even.
I prefer the tempo of argerich, I feel it sounds more tormented
i found it to be the most similar to Artem Tenkeli's version (besides the much quicker tempo), wich in my opinion is the most beautiful interpretation i've heard of the song. I know little about music but i think his emphasis are perfect
Cho‘s interpretation is especially beautiful, and Sokolovs dynamic control at the chosen tempo is incredible
agree...
I find Sokolovs interpretation pale, but I generally cannot relate to any of his playing, for me it lacks emotion. I am a great Horowitz fan.
@@nilsfrederking62 really... I LOVE his interpretation... very elegant... OF COURSE... Horowitz stands by himself... as always
@@Highinsight7 :-) I know that Sokolov his highly regarded and tried hard to understand it, but I do not understand what people like about his playing.
Yeah, the Sokolov left me unmoved
Seong-jin Cho. In my mind. I feel that this is more convincingly "Chopin-esque". Chopin has been a hero of mine for over 60 years and I've heard this piece many, many times. The tempo is correct, the dynamics are totally under control and righteous for my old ears. More importantly, I get the emotion hit that I so much much love in music.
Yuja Wang was impressive, Pogorelich's version haunting and sublime.
For me its Pollini and Seong-Jin Cho... so wonderful. I cant wait to play that piece once my health allows me again to practice more!
This piece... its one of a kind, thise emotions... incredible
@@DynastieArtistiquewell that’s subjective, you can’t say that Hoffmann beats everyone just because you like him…It’s always said that in music there is no best, beauty is in the eye (in this case ear) of the beholder
Seong-Jin Cho is phenomenal. He is so sensitive, yet natural. Incredibly beautiful.
Rubinstein's slower version brings tears to my eyes- it's majestic. I heard it for the first time 25 years ago
Seo Jin Cho is definitely the best. Not only he played it with precision but he understands the importance of the bass notes to express Chopin's grief. His interpretation became the basis of most interpretations in 2021's competition
I agree, I love his interpretation - it’s exquisite Chopin and not some bizarre caricature like Pogorelich’s.
I am much better
Well his surname is literally Cho, so it is reasonable to assume that he would be the best.
Yes and I don't think it's close, honestly. Yuja's is very good but I think not as reflective
For me Hofmann brings out the misery and despair in Chopin's music better than anyone else.
Hofmann does things in this piece that no one else has ever seen!!!
For me ivo is the one that dies that, for me ivo and 2nd Hioffman
I am really pleased tht you included Josef Hofmann: this is transcendental playing.
Pogorelich's interpretation gives me something I can't get from others it totally shatters you hard to describe.
Its like double movement, applied not to tempo but emotional movement !
Agree entirely - Ivo speaks to us with a voice that no other pianist hears.
@@yardvark100 And also with notes and rhythms that are not in the score.
i didnt read the title of the video, was listening to the music in the background and when i reached his version, i thought it was a completely different song, but then i noticed it was the same. i fell in love with his interpretation
@@mikoaj1349 Oh, you mean as Horowitz was wont to do?
Pogorelich's is strange but also strangely emotive and very interesting.
Absolutely. When I say it’s strange I don’t mean it negatively - I am just still astounded by the boldness of his interpretive choices in this and in everything. He is one of a kind
He messes the rhythm up so much it's hilarious 🤡
Come on! he plays everything fff, it is a truly unacceptable version...
@@Pianova1 That the beautiful part about it. Pogorelich has lived an very difficult live, this is an interpretation of a broken man, which if you listen carefully can hear the pain and suffering in is interpretation. The rubato & the dynamics make this piece even more sad than it already is. I cried the first time I listened to it and had shivers during all the interpretation.
Classical Music is not just about following the sheets music and the rules that has been put upon us, pianists. Sometimes breaking these rules can lead to incredible new variations and evolution. Sometimes, for romantic pieces, it's okay to go out of what the music sheets tell you to do. Listen to you heart, that what Chopin is all about ! Let your emotions play for you on the keyboard and create something amazing ;)
@@Pianova1 then you should listen to Ervin Nyiregyhazi
Honestly this is the most Scriabinesque moment in Chopin's opus. The repeating middle chords, deep octaves and heartbreaking melody in soprano... It's the one thing that stuck with Scriabin from first to last opus, and it's so beautiful
I disagree, I would call it chopinesque because Chopin was born before Scriabin. Even this piece is created before scriabin.
@@thanatouchlaothavornwong2011
Exactly.
Scriabin was the most Chopinesque here.
Chopin pre-lived Scriabin by 22+ years.
I agree with the listeners below...Chopin was the Genius, then came Scriabin...
chopin came before scriabin.
Gonna have to disagree with the commentors. Getting so wrapped up in the fact that Sofronitsky was playing, I totally forgot that Chopin wrote this. Chopin may have wrote this but Scriabin owns this particular style.
Allmost all were good but the ones that really moved my heart and soul were Seong-Jin Cho,Nikolai Lugansky,Weissenberg,Myra Hess.I found these four pianists were really passionate and deep.
It was enlightening to read all these comments. They are evidence of the emotive force of Chopin's music. I was very moved by Yuja Wang's performance. I have never heard the bass line played with such power in support of the melody. I don't know what Chopin's guiding force is but this performance opened new insights for me. Thank you for sharing all these wonderful interpretations.
My favorite definitely is Lugansky. Myra Hess presents a convincing, original, passionate, and quite intelligent interpretation. I wish we had better audio!
My favorite is Lugansky as well, he has a deep appreciation for the long phrases. I really appreciated Myra Hess and Alice Sara Ott as well. All the interpretations really were phenomenal and could transmit so much.
I like the way Nikolai Lugansky plays it, especially in the beginning, lots of colours and dynamics. Reminds me of Lang Lang the way he taught it to that little kid, but I couldn't find a full version of the 48 n1 nocturne on RUclips though.
He’s absolutely fantastic. His Rach preludes are very good
Love Ivo. It's so tormented. It's like he's thrown himself at the keyboard in deep despair and couldn't care less
what's on the page or who listens.
I love this description
I've been to a couple of this recent concerts and this a very astute description! It's not to my liking as it happens
It's just pain weird.
And how it sounds like he's playing a whole orchestra, with the concert room getting filled and permeated by the sounds of the piano
It's Seong-Jin for me. Love his rhythm. The anxiety of the left hand rhythm and the class and poise of the right hand melody. It's classical but also highly melodical and, I dare say, beautiful as hell. It doesn't feel rushed or overly exaggerated. I love it.
What Cho is doing here is the exact contrary of what I am waiting for in this piece.
Cho's playing is very polished and refined but a bit poor emotionally, in my view. On the other hand you have an Argerich that is by far too emotional and destroys the harmony with her rushed approach (ditto for Liesecki...). Sokolov is fast as well but he is able to give a convincing interpretation all the same, with incredible control (although I do not particularly like him in this coda either). Alice Sara Ott evidently does not know what 'doppio movimento' means. Gilels and Hess are out of contest: the sound is barely listenable. Hofmann also has bad sound but honestly I don't care because his version is so incredibly moving and original that renders that almost irrelevant. As a second choice, less 'romantic', I'd pick Pollini. He really has what I feel to be the right tempo and a very beautiful cantabile (to be compared with Weissenberg, that merely pushes the keys producing such an horrible sonority and a complete homogenization of the voices).
@@daniele8716 i stopped reading at cho’s is poorly emotional
@@jasonmugisha Poor emotionally speaking, not poorly emotional (which I don't understand). His restraint approach is definitely not very outspoken. I'm not saying that he is bad, and in any case what's the problem with reading opinions different from your own?
@@daniele8716 i don’t know if you’ve heard the original without this video’s bad sound quality but cho’s version is far from being poor emotionally his rubato just is perfect. I remember his interpretation was one of my first encounters that made me fall in love with chopin’s music his delivery is far from beeing poor emotionally. I don’t have a problem reading other people’s opinions its just that certain after reading certain statement’s you just don’t feel like continuing reading
For some reason I always liked Valentina lisitsa her version on Spotify the most. It’s outstanding. Usually I think she plays pieces too fast but she plays it incredible with lots of emotion.
Absolutely agree. It's one of the best versions of this beautiful piece I've ever heard.
My absolute favorite piece by Chopin EVER! Thank so so much for assembling this, and for the warning about Pogorelich. I have absolutely no idea what he was thinking. Or if he was thinking. Cho and Argerich are my favorites, I think.
Down right Bad taste
I genuinely fancy Sokolov's interpretation, but let's be honest: Hofmann sounds like each finger of his has its own separate brain, and a big heart that jolts out some of the best interpretations through them. He's not perfect in this particular recording, but still, he manages to convey a profoundly articulated message, one of great sentiments and brilliant ideas with his unmatched pianism - he's on a league of his own.
Hofmann is the greatest pianist who ever lived. He truly is the King
I love Seong-Jin Cho. There's some magic and tension that gives me chills and touches me deeply.
I just stumbled into this video, and to me the winner is Chopin. Somehow overlooked too often, at least by me, this is such great music!
imo too much is made of classical pianists finding the music and not enough of the composer being the actual genius
Josef Hofmann's is totally on another level of pianism. His projection (not just here) of the melodic line(s) is way beyond the norm - you'd think there were three hands, with that 3rd hand playing just the melody - with independent arm weight - so his tone is so so big (not loud), with tons of nuances and shaping delights. This gets more hair-raising when there are other inner lines he wanted to bring out to give contrapuntal interests to the melodic dominance. In addition, here, his tempo is just right - most of the others are way too fast and hectic and fidgety (unless they wanted to portray that, I suppose). That's also why I am intrigued by Alice Sara Ott's. Hers is actually even slower than Hofmann's, but so sensitive and elegant - there is time to enjoy that - there is time to breathe. That's another point - Hofmann's breathes. His playing is second to none, with his ability to get around the piano effortlessly. Rachmaninoff the pianist had that same quality. They both have interpretative quirks; but alas, SO very convincing though. Hofmann's singing tone is (already mentioned) enormous and that's even with such antiquated recording engineering from his days. If we listen to him several times here and then immediately go to the others, my point here will be even more noticeable and then come back to his. Just my two-cents worth - utter abandonment that is in complete control - a delightful oxymoron.
Agree about Hofmann. Ott, however, seems just too slow with not enough control and phrasing to make that tempo make sense. It just comes across as slow...
Why Hofmann's name is disregarded these days is beyond me. His pianism and sheer musicality and imagination is head and shoulders above anyone else in the history of recording.
Yes, I agree with Alec Chien in almost every point he makes in his analysis of Josef Hofmann’s performance. I believe this live performance hails from American Armed Services overseas broadcast ( it would be interesting to know what the assembled troops thought of it). By the time of this recital Hofmann was an alcoholic, and a slightly weary tone to some of this performance (plus the finger slips) betray this; but, oh what playing; it is so sophisticated, so ineffably beautiful that even given his below par form he is so far above the rest as make comparisons pointless!
Rachmaninoff had a mixed reception as a pianist of other composer's works. It tended to sound overly heavy and had a sameness about it. Hoffman is on another level to all pianists mentioned here. He was the last in a long tradition. Even Rachmaninoff said that when Hoffman played a piece, he would never be able to match it, so he took them off his own concert repetoire!
@@simonsmatthew it’s interesting what you about Rachmaninov; both Rachmaninov and Hofmann are on record as stating that each other was the greatest piano that was currently before the public, but there was criticism of Rachmaninov’s interpretation of certain pieces by Chopin: highly regarded as his recording of Chopin’s b flat minor sonata is, at the time his interpretation was considered ‘old fashioned’ , vide his performance of the funeral march movement in which he plays the return of the march section forte and then plays a slow diminuendo, imitating a receding funeral cortège; and his use of rubato was also considered suspect as in his interpretation of the popular e flat nocturne which one critic described as like ‘squeezing toothpaste from a tube’. In contrast Hofmann was considered ‘modern’ , even cool in his approach to most of the great classical composers. Certainly his use of rubato would appear much more constrained, and his playing of fioritura is always ‘a tempo’, vide his live recordings of the 2 Chopin concertos. But in terms of interpretation as a whole, he is firmly in the 19c, and shows himself to be true pupil of his great master, Anton Rubinstein. I could say more but how can one describe sublimity. Their likes’ will not be seen more.
Behind Cho's recording, I thought I heard an orchestra. Seong-Jin cho is a true master!
Yes, I have to go for Cho too. And that is over some of my very favourite pianists
I love your videos. Thank you so much for them. They are as informative as entertaining. And it always amazes me how many phenomenal artists are out there. I’ve played this many times. I would love to play it on a period instrument. I think it would tell us a lot about how Chopin intended it sound.
First of all i would like to thank the uploader for putting together all these absolutely wonderful artists performing Chopins masterpiece Nocturne op 48 no 1...I have never seem in one video such a wide range of artists (Chronologically and in Technique, Tempo/Phrasing)..I would say that because this is such a wonderful piece that I actually loved all the performances , the things that stood out for me was the different dynamics and tempo..I have to say that I liked Joaeph Hoffman's the best..but I also like Jan's very pronounced performance..Cho's and Yuja's flawless performance, Ivo's unique performance, Alice's very steady smooth tempo..they were all wonderful .but Joseph Hoffman takes home the 🍰!!!
For me, Polini is unbeatable, the way he can sing the melody is astounding.
I have Polini playing the complete Chopin Etudes. No pianist can produce the musicality or the beautiful richness of these etudes like Polini.... NO ONE!
Agreed, Polini is just astounding. I'm also quite partial to Ashkenazy and Artur Rubinstein.
@@rbarnes4076 Rubenstein for his romantic lyricism and Ashkenazy for his technical prowess, playing rapid thirds like no one else. All three artists are truly remarkable in their performances!
@@pianoman551000 Agreed!
Except people always mimic him these days. I don't get why a lot of pianists can't just have their own style, they always copy Pollini and Zimmerman.
I've played this nocturne in recital and in a piano competition, so happy that you picked this moment, it is indeed one of my favourite's from Chopin ever! 😍
My reference performance during that time (end of 90s) was Bruno Rigutto's, and still love it to this date. 👌
Angerich - perfect technique married with an intense outpouring of emotion.
While I'm not as into the live recording of Ivo Pogorelich presented here, I do highly recommend his studio recording which came out in recent years. It's astonishing. And yes, I do truly admire Samson Francois' studio recording as well.
Some especially good ones here, obviously, but I think Seong-Jin Cho's stands out above the rest as the performance that shows exactly what makes Chopin's music so special
In my opinion, Seong-Jin Cho, Yuja Wang, and Myra Hess capture the right tempo. Not too fast, and not too slow.
Nice, this might also be my favorite Chopin passage too... Moravec's CD recording is my favorite!
Lugansky for me, first time I heard it I was shocked as to how deep the anguish and despair chopin's music could reach and it made me learn the whole piece... though my doppio movimento is nowhere near as good any of these pianists :p Seong Jin Cho's I love too and Ashkenazy (incredible tone) which was not included here.
Wow! Lisiecki plays with so much passion. What a crescendo! I bet he filled the concert with just as much sound as the orchestra. He is not playing notes, he's playing music. My favourite.
I’m learning this at the moment, can (just) play upto this point so hearing so many interpretations of the end is great. I personally love Tiffany Poon’s version, I have learnt so much by watching her play, very much as it is written in my view, but also enjoyable to hear so many different ways to perform this.
His work never fail to impress me
Thank you. Shame Lívia Rev wasn't here. She was a true Chopin performer, a lovely humble lady.i got her recordings of all Chopin nocturnes and they are so lyrical and at the right tempo. Check her out if you can. She was playing till she was 100 years old.❤❤❤❤❤
Seong-Jin Cho may have spelt that wrong but he stood out to me as the best by far
never heard pogorelich's interpretation before.... he plays it like a storm
A storm as in a complete mess where you don't understand what in the world is even going on, I agree.
@@spicy7302 i can see the the beauty in his chaos. his interprataion actually awesome and unique
Hess has very compelling phrasing, interesting voicing and surprising but convincing dynamics
In answer to your questions: yes, it does matter that this section begins pp, is doppio movimento, and is also marked agitato. It's extraordinarily difficult to do that. What's surprising is how few famous pianists bother with any of these markings, let alone all three, even though they certainly have the chops for it. The most faithful, and therefore best performances are by (in no particular order) Sokolov, Cho, Li, and Lugansky. (None of them begin the melody really pp, but I'm satisfied to have the accompaniment pp.) The funniest performance is by Ott, who seems to think that doppio movimento means twice as slow!
Now if only Zimmermann would record this Nocturne!
It’s a good thing Martha didn’t live during the Salem Witch Trials cause she’d be done for 😂
Her genius casts a spell over all of us who her that extraordinary tone
Oui Martha est une sorcière !! Une sorcière qui nous envoûte merveilleusement dans cet abîme de désespoir qu'est cet incroyable nocturne, la plus belle pièce de Chopin pour moi...
Blind listening produces interesting results. Seong-Jin Cho's reading really is wonderful, but Lugansky is equally good in a different way: an orchestral interpretation with an overwhelming climax. I was not thrilled with two of my favorite pianists, Sokolov (okay but not outstanding) and Argerich (just too hectic for me in this piece). A pleasant surprise was Pollini, who is often too cold but acquits himself well here.
I go with Rubinstein
It takes a certain bravery to listen "blind," since one runs the risk of disliking the pianist you love the most! But then you might discover, for instance, as you have, that Pollini is not necessarily cold!
@@dennischiapello3879 exactly! I've heard a bunch of Pollini that really is ice-cold, but this Nocturne was a pleasant revelation. Only a handful of pianists are easy to identify in any circumstances. Horowitz is obviously one of them; Sokolov is another, at least for me. In this Nocturne, I was almost certain it was Sokolov but still couldn't bring myself to like it.
@@dennischiapello3879 a followup. I think this is Pollini's live recording from the 1960 Chopin Competition, which is worlds apart from his recent icy recording of the complete Nocturnes. The 1960 performance is elsewhere on RUclips (in full) and it's really excellent.
Argerich's performance was surprising in that the performance was very jagged, uneven. But NO ONE could surpass Argerich, in her younger years, when it came to her lightening speed octaves.
Rubinstein’s version has made me cry multiple times. True confession.
Yes, it is very good.
Rubinstein has always been my go-to, for the seamless yet jaw-dropping transition from the middle section, as well as that big ol' C dominant moment - BUT, from this video, I'd need to choose Hofmann, because anybody who can find and _voice_ Chopin's hidden countermelodies always gets a big check mark from me
A mí modesto entender....la interpretación de Martha y Jan Lisiekci son las que más me gustan....!!...Aunque es un verdadero placer disfrutar una y otra vez de este tan especial Nocturno,interpretado por diferentes concertistas y cada uno brindándole su impronta...!!..
Totalement d'accord !! Martha is the best of the best et Jan est très très bien.
Ivo Pogorelic. The God given spontaneity and freshness as if he played this the moment Chopen finished composing it. The raw passion and intellect armwrestling with the soul...and losing!
A pity that the recording quality of Myra Hess is so marred.....h o w ever you can hear the nobility of her conception😊...I had the privilege of hear her play the 2nd Sonata of Chopin in Carnegie Hall .😊
Hoffman’ two voice towards the end made me cry, never heard anything like that before😭
His performance is absolutely overwhelming
after learning the piece i always find myself going back to argerich's live recording as well as pogorelich's recent studio recording. after having seen this video i must say hofmann is amazing also.
Ivo Pogorelich never dissappoints me, i love his way of thinking and his musicality.
With this piece, I look for people who in the “doppio movimento” section play the melody with straight eighth notes rather than triplet swing, which creates polyrhythm between the melody and the inner voices, making the section even more difficult than it already is. Unfortunately, these are few and far between. Rubinstein does it, but the only one in this video is Lisiecki.
Hess and Sokolov have stunning changes from loud to soft, at 15:35 and 20:15 respectively.
Hofmann, as usual, is so imaginative with voicing that it almost sounds like a different piece, which to me is a good thing! The voicing, amazing tone, and slow tempo make his version the most beautiful.
I think that Jan Lisiecki has it the best because he played it right after three eighths, and I would also say that he has a beautifully done dynamic there - the crescendo that culminates is absolutely divine, and I always get goosebumps.
I haven't heard the slow version of this part but it's interesting like reprise version!
My favorite is Yundi Li, Seong-Jin Cho's interpretation.
and there's something about the Pogorelich that touches my heart..
Pogorelich is the best interpretation i've ever heard. Powerful, emotive yet sad. Their so many emotion and it make this passage even more incredible than what it actually is. It's incredible !
1000% agreed!
Intreresting, I find it excentric and it misses to evoke any emotion at all for me. But that is the beauty of music, that it needs to be interpreted and thus anybody can have his own favorite :-)
It should be "doppio movimento"...
Are you kidding? He plays ffff, it s a complete failure and nonsense. I m a big fan of Pogorelich, but the one of Gaspard, scaratti sonatas and Bach's English suites...so loooongtime ago
Indeed. It is a crescendo starting with pp. Complete misinterpretation of Pogorelich
I believe Pogorelich lends the piece a haunting, melancholy tone. It is eccentric, yet deep and sentimental. His rendition allows the listener to sense a rush of deep despair and wonder. I do not have a biased preference, as all renditions here each have a delicate element not present in other interpretations.
For me it’s Porgorelich. His interpretation is just earthshattering
Lol it’s garbage, Pog has lost the plot
@@joeyblogsy how?
@@joeyblogsy "Its garbage"... how can someone say that? Have some respect at least. If you dont like it, say it in a respecful manner.
@@j.rohmann3199 only that guy, who hadn't listened to Pogorelich at all. His interpretations are tricky. Some say they don't deserve do exist, some say no other interpretation deserve to exist except Pogorelich's
@@j.rohmann3199 maybe because he’s deliberately being provocative and not respecting the music? It’s a prolonged attempted at protesting against the classical music world and a cop out from actual preparation for recitals and too often people misconstrued it for being ‘deep’ or ‘otherworldly’ when if it was anyone else playing it like that they’d be deemed moronic straight away with 0 hesitation. His old recordings back before all of ‘this started was some of the best playing ever recorded. Very few would disagree. But this? It’s a protest and a cop out, nothing more. Go read about his life if you want to find out more.
It's really strange to me how many amazing pianists forget that this piece is a nocturne. There is a reason that the recapitulation in doppio movimento start in pp (pianissimo). For me Rubistein has the best interpretation because i feel how sadness can be like a bird that flies high in the night. A sublimation, and a weariness.
It's a disgrace that so many have been taught to blindly follow whatever markings the composer has written down. Chopin gave us the path, but it is up to the pianist as to how to navigate it.
@@bobchin5662if by navigating you mean walking off the path.
@@ywoisug8845 so you say that they have found their own path? That's perfectly fine
@@bobchin5662 why even play the correct notes while we're at it
I love your description of sadness and completely agree with your opinion. Rubinstein is the only one I listened to more than once.
Hoffman's voicing is unmatched but I still prefer Lugansky's interpretation. He tells the story with such a unique way I think. Also Pogorelich's interpretation is very emotional and unique. Pollini's interpretation is too soft for me but he's actually really great.
The best coda on this piece is unquestionably Fou Ts’ong. I don’t believe he even has any competition. And I’ve heard them ALL.
I agree with you. It’s in a league of its own. But what’s been uploaded to YT and streaming platforms is too low-fi. You need to buy Fou’s CD to fully appreciate it.
I like Seong-Jin Cho's performance, and favor Myra Hess' one.
Usually i don't like Yuja Yang, but on my opinion here is the best.
I love Cho's but where is Alexei Sultanov's😭
one of my favorite pianists, gone too soon :(
The way Hofmann sings the melody is amazing
If you don’t mind that he can barely remember the notes and that he reduces chords in the right hand at the climax from up to four notes in the right hand down to one or two, sure. I guess he’s there interpretatively if nothing else. Too bad he didn’t record it when it was well-practiced and polished.
So much depends on the contexts. Without knowing the primo tempo how can we judge the tempo doppio? The Pollini is very clear but maybe a little prosaic, whereas Argerich is all poetry. The sheer sound in both Lugansky and Sokolov is wonderful. The sense of constructing victory out of despair is also wonderful in the Sofronitsky. Thank you for compiling these interesting examples.
Finally just learned this one by ear - so happy I can play it now.
My favourite is Argerich, but I know her’s is a bit unconventionally played.
I favor Pogorelich.....at least he understand this passion cannot be metronomic.
The others don't?
Absolutely !
I love pogorelich scherzos
I Sofronitsky❤❤❤
Actually pogorelich is never metronomic XD ❤❤❤❤
Las últimas dos versiones (Sara Ott y Hofman) son las que más me gustan, porque no olvidan el hecho de que se trata de un nocturno. Los demás parecen estar tocando una balada en la mayoría de los casos; de todos modos, rescato entre ellas la de Seon Jin Cho, que considero más equilibrada y adecuadamente expresiva.
This is one of my favorite pieces for the piano repertoire, if not my absolute favorite. I'm gonna have to give the title to Claudio Arrau, even though his interpretation is not included here.
Mr. S-Bahn, thank you so much for your outstanding work.
You know, much more than anyone here, how important an interpretation is.
And you demonstrate it here in a facinating panorama.
Thank you again.
For my little and uninteresting point of view, my heart is broken by Argerich. (as usual)
The way she lost herself in the violent and brutal beauty of this music is a fatal moment to me.
May your soul be found once again!!
@@ArgerichStan
Wahrscheinlich nicht mehr ..
It’s Argerich for me. Breathtakingly tragic, near hysterical - yet held together by the steel bands of her monumental technique. As for studio recordings, two words: Ivan Moravec.
Moravec’s studio recording is beyond great. He does have a live recording from 2005 but I honestly don’t like it as much as the studio…..
Tragic.
@@Fritz_Maisenbacher What is tragic?
@@thepianocornertpc Argerich is.
Way too fast for my liking, honestly. You don’t get the time to really soak everything in and bask in the beauty of the pinnacle of the piece
Cho is wonderful and very chopin. you may think pogorelich strange，but when you have experienced the ups and downs of life，you will understand and love pogorelich's interpretation
Pollini, Cho, Wang and in first place Lugansky, he gave me goosebumps. Other versions too fast, too slow, or bad sound.
I love Chopins nocturnes and binge listened to the Moravec (complete nocturnes) recording, did not like any other recording Rubinstein etc. included, but to listen this passage in a lot of other interpretations is rather interesting and I like several others of them.
I would love to hear Martha Argerich perform this now...I bet her interpretation might be more profound. This recording was from 50 years ago.
I especially like version of Cho, Lugansky and Pollini. However pogorelich’s version is so particular, it evokes deeper and darker feelings
Rubinstein, of course
Now I need the whole Argerich recording!
By definition, the doppio must be observed. Chopin is not advising, but writing it. He's not indicating a sudden vivace or prestissimo. Doppio - the double of everthing before it - tells us that Chopin is saying in this 70 seconds there is a fulfilment of all before. What is it though? Best description I have seen is that of a storm coming almost from nowhere.
Starts almost as nothing and then bit by bit it is suggested in that first section with rumblings ahead of the storm. The octave section is the thunder - and then we have the full outworking of it in the Doppio - which is a release of raging power.
You can find good 'recital type' performances which get close - in part. Argerich, Sokolov, etc.. But the one who really has it for me is Lisiecki. His recording is from an encore. He had the energy and spirit for it. I have a video clip.Check it out on RUclips. He performed it as a whole - 'the storm' - and gets the total thing. He reads it as Chopin intended. Also - he brings out / finds unique elements which the Doppio dynamic endows uniquely.
It is fascinating, great(est?) Chopin. I don't have the ability / technique for the Doppio speed - but always sense it's requirement - and realise my inabilities....
thanks for taking the time to write this comment, it's helped me articulate the feeling that there is an importance to the doppio in transporting the listener outside of themselves, and into the depth of the emotion itself, which i never really connected with listening to the many still incredibly beautiful yet slower interpretations. and i am also fascinated to read in the comments that others have come to opposing conclusions based on their own personal emotional reactions to the piece
@@hnrysml Thanks Henry. Spot on. It is indeed a highly personal 'read' and expression for each performer. Part of my 'yes' to Lisiecki was watching him perform. Throughout he looks purely at the keyboard - concentrated. When he comes to the octaves in the second section his neck muscles tighten quite severely as he allows the thunder of the octaves through. In the Doppio again it's the neck which shows the tension. Not the face. Unusual. It's as though his face and the keyboard are locked together to extract the emotion. The agony comes therefore through his neck .
The physiology of performance can be quite revealing sometimes - but perhaps I read too much into it from my feelings. Best.
Cho's control of shifts in tempi and dynamics are just breathtaking here. He gets my vote. I like that the Pogorelich version directly follows Cho. It juxtaposes the sensitivity and touch of Cho with the somewhat gruff, slovenly (OK, barbaric) playing of Pogorelich.
I love Pogorelich's version, also Hofmann.
Favorite part, with tears every time.
I think one very special recording (and probably my favorite of all) is missing from the studio rec list: that is, one by Raoul Koczalski. An absolute masterpiece of a performance. In fact, after listening to his Chopin recordings I cannot help but hear Chopin with his rubato.
ruclips.net/video/u-VgyjLS3ok/видео.html - for reference
Cho has the true sonority and taste for this great Chopin masterpiece of the modern players.....Hess and Hofmann reference stature.....
Not knowing enough about what Chopin’s true intention was (would be interesting to hear an expert like Garrick Ohlsson on that), I’m drawn to the softer/prettier interpretations - so Cho and Pollini stood out.
What a great idea for a video!
What I’m shocked about isn’t the arguments for this person or that person.
Nope.
What I’m shocked about is that NO ONE is arguing that this is Chopin’s “greatest musical moment”!
(Which it is) !!!!
In my opinion, Lisiecki's rendition is the most enjoyable. However, I would have preferred a slower tempo and a more subdued approach in the first half. The second half, where he unleashes his full potential, is particularly captivating. It is as if Chopin, after nearly five minutes of refined and gentle discourse, could no longer contain his emotions and erupted with unrestrained passion/anger.
yea i never heard anyone plat it this section like him.. he was incredible.. i watched him perform it again and it was not the same.. not sure why
Ivo played it basically to match when the theme was first presented in the beginning, and just made the added accompaniment fit in how he wanted
My favourites ones are Sokolov's and Cho's.
I think Seong is my favorite and Yuja is a very close second.
In my opinion Seong-Jin Cho's interpretation is the best, and then comes Yundi Li's.
Wow! I expected to hate Alice Sara Ott's interpretation but found it quite compelling. Could not bear Pogorelich. The two ultra fast performances could not manage the emotional depth needed but were thrilling nevertheless. Wow. Sokolov was great. Pollini exquisite.
Hofmann was wonderful and beyond amazing - it was like we were listening to a totally different work.
Thank you for this extraordinary comparison.
And yes, for me, the best studio performance by far is Rubinstein's recording from the late 50s or early 60s on RCA Victor. Heartbreaking!
Wow, what a wealth of great performances. I like Cho alot, but I'm going to go with Yundi Li. It's got the combination of being urgent and passionate while still retaining utmost sweetness, delicateness and intimacy and without coming across as rushed. Sokolov is my close second. Argerich and Liceski are too rushed, fire and brimstone exciting for sure (and both among my favorite pianists), but losing the heart and soul in the passage. And Alice is just too slow.
Rubinstein is the best. doppio movimento does not mean rushing out. The tragic and stirring need a deep, strong, and steady pace, and the most beautiful chord should be explicitly and clearly rendered, IMHO.