Paderewski plays Chopin Ballade #3 in A flat Op. 47 on Duo Art

Ignace Jan Paderewski performs the third Chopin Ballade in A flat Opus 47, recorded January 1925 on Duo Art piano roll #6832-8 when Paderewski was 64 years old. It is played on a restored 1926/1933 Chickering 5'4" Duo-Art grand. This performance has become my favorite interpretation of this piece with its characteristic and fascinating Paderewski rubato and hesitation. So I hope the video and audio recording quality give some sense of how good this sounds standing next to the piano.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Ignace
• Jan
• Paderewski
• Chopin
• Ballade
• #3
• Op
• 47
• Chickering
• Duo
• Art
• reproducing
• piano
• roll
• historicpianos.com

[RabidCh]

One of the few piano roll recordings I have enjoyed. Thanks for posting.

[bartolomochristofari]

You're welcome, and I'm glad you enjoyed it--probably my personal favorite at the moment. It's true that few players are repaired and adjusted properly to give a true playback of the artist's performance.

[wotanskids]

Great document of Paderewski's playing! It seems like these old instruments are difficult to keep in tune though.

[tedly10027]

having worked with composers myself who asked me to perform their works -- my experience has been that the majority were ALWAYS happy to have a performer "interpret" in ways that may be different than theirs , even as they would demonstrate it. even if they are the creators -- composers are also human and recognize that a person is different and views their "works" differently.

[tedly10027]

chpin seemed to have felt it lost the "rushing", fluid feeling in the left hand..where liszt must have rearranged to give a "bigger" sound. BUT THEN chopin ALSO was reported to have greatly admired Tausig's renditions for being far louder and stronger - saying "he can poke a hole through the wood" expressing admiration that way.

[tedly10027]

@cuteshox it is known in music history that Chopin once Berated Liszt for playing chopin's final movement of Sonata 3 with the left hand final theme entrance done in more chordal style -.

[tedly10027]

many play such big works ( relative to chopin's works ) as if they are "small pieces" soon over without leaving a trace of their existence as yet another "brilliant performance"...but paderewski's leaves a feeling of WHY this or that harmony is so important , or so "revolutionary" as chopin created it...or why a motive is so important because it becomes this or that passage or section...

[tedly10027]

I would much prefer his "affected playing" than some "smooth" style so common nowadays that says -- well, nothing of real import...hiding behind the modern dictum of "let the music speak for itself" but really because the performers have NOTHING of their own to say about the music...instead -- they just show how "well" they can "play" without batting an eyelash at its difficulties...and so - they touch the senses but NOT the heart..

[tedly10027]

he gives the EAR TIME to assimilate them and appreciate them for what they are...unlike what "smoother" playing might achieve which often just "rushes by" as if nothing happened of any importance at all.

[tedly10027]

paderewski's MUSICAL intent of showing WHAT the music is MADE OF...its internal structures and relationships and his expression "affected playing" as some will say -- is actually a reflection of SHOWING that internal structure..why some notes are "climactic" or pauses, or "approaches" and "arrivals" at some harmonic pillar in the piece, etc..

[tedly10027]

Paderewski is playing in a way that SHOWS the most "unlearned" just how the complexities arrive and leave from each other. he shows how the details come together. for that - this "affected playing" has its great beauty. I am far from saying this is "playing for the uninitiated or idiots" . far from it - I know these works intimately and have played them -

[tedly10027]

@mikejr41387 I agree that in general - a great majority -- this would be considered "affected" - but ITS beauty is that to someone that might NOT be "steeped" in the "correct ways" and here's it only for the first time - the great complexities of chopin's harmonic relations are shown to a listener with FAR MORE CLARITY than the "smooth", "fluid" performances .