Chopin Fantaisie Impromptu Op 66 Cortot Rec 1933

This was the first recording that I ever owned of Chopins Fantaisie Impromptu and I have always been fond of it. I bought it in its original 78rpm format. However, you may notice, that at 49-50 and 340-341, Cortot plays F# instead of E. I originally thought that it was a finger slip. However, since he plays the section the same way twice, I now believe that Cortot was leading the top notes of these passages from E to F# to the climactic G# which is the first note of the descending chromatic scale. Neither the first draft nor final version of this Impromptu (actually the first of the four) is so written. I will leave it to others to decide whether this is an improvement or not. (Or is it a finger slip?)

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Chopin
• Fantaisie
• Impromptu
• Cortot
• Rec
• 1933

[ThePianoconcerto]

Cortot`s interpretations are so deep and so intense...

This is my favourite interpretation of the piece.

And who cares about "slips"? If you want every notes right listen to a midi file.

[Noshirm]

A magnificent and most original performance by the great Cortot...and I can see that there are the usual fatuous comments here about 'wrong notes' and 'too fast'....Well, it's par for the course with know-nothings who favor the likes of Pogorelich in Chopin...or who believe they have precise formulas for the timing of each piece by Bach! (;-D) Thanks for this post. I've been gorging on late Cortot today...gorgeous sound.

[BassicStorm]

Cortot is underrated LEGEND

[gerardbedecarter]

@saunsnaen ... this was not the reason. it couldn't have been the reason.

[gerardbedecarter]

@clifdavol --- 1. yes; 2. yes.

[Pollinikrys]

romantic!

[chouzouris]

@ThePianoconcerto

That's right mate! Interpretation is what matters after all. And that singing line sounds soo sweet..

[saunsnaen]

Thanks Beckmesser for posting this wonderful performance. I've never understood why Chopin considered this piece unworthy of publication. Thank God for his old Polish friend Julian Fontana who who returned to Paris, overuled Chopin's express directive to destroy all unpublished works, and edited the posthumous edition.

[billyguns2]

This is not one of Cortot's best recorded efforts, IMO. While it is supremely musical, especially in his handling of the famous "tune," there are too many wrong notes and the overall tempo is too fast for me to completely enjoy it. Ah, but that singing line...as if the piano was an extension of the human voice!

[BachScholar]

clifdavol: Cortot was famous for his fast tempos. Personally, I don't like his playing that much because he just rushed through everything. His finger slips and mistakes don't bother me though, it's just that I generally don't like his interpretations. This one is better than most though. For example, his G-minor Ballade is awful.