Kapell's Live Performance of Chopin Barcarolle in 1953

which demonstrates that it doesn't have to take 60 years to understand Chopin perfectly.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Kapell
• Chopin
• Barcarolle

[fredericfranc]

...my theory is that the reason this sounds so good is that Kapell litarerally "revoices" or "recomposes" Chopin....nobody else probably would have the nerve to try such a thing, but this guy somehow knows how to do it and "get away with it"...this sounds peculiarly "un-chopinesque" but in a desirable way...which sounds like some kind of a contradiction...

[theoryjoe]

Who disliked this? Who?

[cchris874]

@Grigor99

"You need a heart of GOLD and that I believe one is born with"

I certainly agree. The notion of "he will reach maturity with time" is in my listening experience far removed from reality. The great ones were more or less great from the start of their careers, and age can confer both benefits and deficits. Was Rubinstein greater in 1970 than in 1940? Did Gieseking really play better post war? Kapell certainly did mature, but he also had a great deal of it to begin with.

[mtierra]

This is my favorite performance of this piece. . Kapell tells the story -- with its myriad of notes a story of the heart taking flight into song of nostalgic remembrance -- what is remembered her is something farther and deeper than just one's homeland or happy childhood memories -- it is more universal than that -- that is Chopin's accomplishment but Kapell's is to reveal it, piercing through the density of notes, form, technical difficulties -- all of it -- to reach the essence.

[Grigor99]

This simply one of the truly great Chopin Barcarolles. Even with the horrendous sound, I would listen to this version over almost any others. This is where the "bar" should be set for all others to reach for. Villeggiatura is correct that Kapell proves that one does not need 60 or more years to understand Chopin. You need a heart of GOLD and that I believe one is born with.

[soami2u]

Kapell's performance really shines through the poor sound...he never forgets that it's a boat song. What an awesome talent--what a tragedy that he was cut down at so young an age.

[cchris874]

Here we see Kapell feeling his way to a new romanticism, very different from his much more tightly controlled b minor sonata disc. Despite some awful sound, his personality shines right through. With its winning combination of dynamic lyricism and electrical impulse, it must surely rank as a great barcarolle. The retard beginning at 2:30 could not have been done more beautifully, IMO. The harshness of the tone is almost certainly the fault of the poor sound, and must be controlled for though.

[antoinezygfryd]

Quel artiste incroyable....

Je croyais avoir tout de lui,et voilà cette barcarolle comme un cadeau inespéré!

Merci beaucoup pour ce merveilleux envoi!