Arthur Rubinstein - Chopin Polonaise in C Minor, Op. 40 No. 2

[Twinkytoe]

People should watch Valentina Lisitsa play this. Many people play this far too slowly, despite Chopin's original marking of Allegro Maestoso... although this is nice to listen to, and I do enjoy it among other recordings of this at such a slow tempo, its worth noting that playing it so slowly goes completely against what we understand of the composer's intentions, and thus quite musically inappropriate.

[Matteo7419]

I grew up with Rubinstein's Polonaises (among other great recordings) and I still consider his recording the best possible...

[bjkcvd]

əladi

[musicmusicmusic97]

im learning this on piano. WISH ME LUCK.

[TheJogurtas]

@musicmusicmusic97 Good luck ! think my teacher will give me this piece too :)

[musicmusicmusic97]

@TheJogurtas well then good luck to you to!

[1993allende]

Suits Rubinstein down to the ground.

[mrshmuga9]

Bender: Oh cruel fate, to be thusly boned. Ask not for whom the bone bones, it bones for thee.

lol, That is all.

[cornbagel]

@mrshmuga9 This is how I found this song too! I play piano, so I intend to learn this just in case I ever find myself drifting in space for all eternity.

[LashingMrX01]

@mrshmuga9 same reason i looked this up XD

[XabysmalreleaseX]

@mrshmuga9 HAHAHAHA somehow I knew that would be the top comment

[mrshmuga9]

@XabysmalreleaseX

Cool, I made it to a top comment.

[mrkbrown92]

I'm pretty sure @The55555SSSSS you couldn't play this if you tried!!!!!!!

[mar4etoOo]

This polonaise is great.. So much emotion... Thank you for this recording, we should teach from the best musicians and this site and the recordings like this one give us that opportunity . Thank you! :) P.s. - Sorry for my bad english! :)

[paopaomanalansan]

How much do those chords weigh?

[FourtySven]

i love the darkness

[lovesGenet]

Chopin is just too unhealthy here. This is too dark.kissin,Pogo ,Pollini is this foreboding or the terror itself speaking. I had never realized how great this nocturne was. It is something I can only pretend to.I can't have this experience .It is Chopin's addiction.Morbidity.I will not ever touch this music again. I really chose Schumann about a decade ago after being a chopinzee for 2 decades. IT IS NOT HEALTHY.Boulez.Messaien,Barraq­ues,Scelsi,Berio these are where I want to be!

[equitater]

Fabulous playing....gorgeous piano!

[markiss111]

This is wonderful.

[OriginalBasaliskos]

This is horrid. Rubinstein is horrid.

[The55555SSSSS]

@OriginalBasaliskos

You are horrid.

What an absurd thing to say.

[OriginalBasaliskos]

@The55555SSSSS Am I? His playing is so rigid. There's absolutely no feel to it.

[The55555SSSSS]

@OriginalBasaliskos

No feelings?

Rigid?

Are you talking about Arthur Rubinstein playing the 4th Polonaise of Chopin?

Or is it another video you are talking about?

My friend,his performance is so touching that I always cry when I hear it.

[OriginalBasaliskos]

@The55555SSSSS I'll admit I was exaggerating in my initial comment, but I still feel it's too rigid. There's little sense of rubato. His right hand just feels so... constant. I don't mean to compare, but just to get an idea of what I'm saying, listen to the differences in Biret's recording. I believe it's on Youtube.

[Arfat]

@OriginalBasaliskos Chopin didn't want a lot of Rubato in his pieces

[OriginalBasaliskos]

@Arfat It's an old comment, and I no longer agree with it, but I just had to respond because it doesn't matter what Chopin wanted. The way a piece is played is entirely up to the musician.

[Arfat]

@OriginalBasaliskos it DOES matter what chopin wanted. He's the composer, and 99% of the time, the composer, the guy who writes the piece, knows best.

[OriginalBasaliskos]

@Arfat Pieces of music become independent of the composer once they have been published, and especially once copyright wears out. What makes each and every musician unique in their sound is the way they handle a certain piece. Ask any serious musician if they play things to their liking or if they play things strictly to how the composer would have wanted it. You won't get very many of the latter.

A lot of modern recordings play Firebird differently than Stravinsky, and they sound much better.

[megadodd]

@OriginalBasaliskos But I think most pianists respect the composers wish, but ofcourse puts in something of her/his own bend. Atleast that is what i've been thought. When learning a piece, respect the wish of the composer.