I just made this one of my favorites--I'm with you, Beckmesser--never have I heard this played more beautifully. I was just listening to some other interpretations of this piece, including Arrau's (his usual late-career fussiness), the fine English pianist Howard Shelley's, and Grigory Ginzburg's. None of them even begin to compare with Cortot's version. More and more I am convinced that Cortot was the greatest Chopinist who ever lived--at least in the last century!
The music positively flows from Cortot's fingers, almost as if being improvised rather than interpreted! The rubatos are more lavish that we are used to hearing from today's pianists, but what a sound! What a naturalness, what an unforced elegance!
fresh, surprising, improvisational---the very best! no one plays it so beautifully
saunsnaen 1 day ago
My favorite, too.
Unsurpassable and unequalled, IMO.
snaaptaker 2 years ago
I just made this one of my favorites--I'm with you, Beckmesser--never have I heard this played more beautifully. I was just listening to some other interpretations of this piece, including Arrau's (his usual late-career fussiness), the fine English pianist Howard Shelley's, and Grigory Ginzburg's. None of them even begin to compare with Cortot's version. More and more I am convinced that Cortot was the greatest Chopinist who ever lived--at least in the last century!
soami2u 2 years ago
The music positively flows from Cortot's fingers, almost as if being improvised rather than interpreted! The rubatos are more lavish that we are used to hearing from today's pianists, but what a sound! What a naturalness, what an unforced elegance!
soami2u 2 years ago 2
Beautiful and warm interpretation! Chopin composed this impromptu at Nohant, in France, where he spent 8 summers.
daughtersprince 2 years ago