2nd International Chopin Competition on Period Instruments

[Belle]

First round. Wonderful!! The music sounds so totally different on these early pianos. I love it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uf7-zTzpzRY

I found this too:

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/71333/7 ... 1333-h.htm

[barney]

Thank you for posting this. I look forward to listening.

[david johnson]

interesting sound. Thank you

[Belle]

I'm listening to the current session (and had been enjoying the changes of piano in the earlier session), where we are onto an all-Chopin program, as opposed to the mixture of composers for the first sessions.

Oh my word, this is proving to be very fraught. The Italian pianist Alice Baccalini (last pianist in this afternoon's session) has been having difficulties with the Chopin Sonata in B Flat Minor. It seems to go out of control in some of the passagework in first and second movements, which is unfortunate; it's as thought the piano has her in its vice-like grip. Some slips also in evidence. You cannot afford for the Pleyel to sound anything less than magisterial, which is its normal tone IMO. A quite different kind of attack and intonation is needed compared to that of the modern concert grand. (Ergo, this competition.) For some reason the Pleyel sounds more full and grand in the Lento movement; it's a piano which seems more problematic in faster, lighter passagework - cf the final, difficult movement. Maybe its just the musician. One of the problems seems to be keeping the instrument in tune!! See/hear for yourselves:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZoHYI5AY_U

Is there a demand for period instrument performances of Chopin? We've become used to it with the Viennese classicists, less so with Schubert. This necessarily implies smaller venues, eg. Wigmore Hall and the like. In short, somewhat self-limiting.

[Belle]

Today's session was mixed. The two outstanding pianists were from Austria and Poland with the latter being absolutely superb. Prior to those two today I don't think there was much to write home about. Piotr Pawlak played 4 Waltzes by Chopin and the first was a bit heavy-handed and I was missing the lightness of touch which told me it was, after all, an elegant dance. But the rest of his program was superb. This fellow is one to watch out for.

There is very good information about the pianos available for playing and I've learned a lot from this. Some very fine and expensive instruments here and in excellent condition. Some restorations but others are originals!! Perfection. I'm not an aficionado when it comes to the mechanics of the piano, especially fortepianos and early grands. This competition is a treat for HIP enthusiasts like myself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z1X5YeMwRc

I remember being in Zentralfriedhof, Wien, at the grove for composers and an Asian woman was there taking pictures of the monuments. She looked across curiously at the black triangular headstone for Nannette Streicher and gave a puzzled look, until I informed her that Nannette Streicher was a famous fortepiano maker at the time of Beethoven and was actually a friend of the composer. She had taken over the business of her late father who made the Stein piano. So, a woman was a famous piano-maker during the great Viennese classical period!!

As for Chopin himself:

"When he shall die,
Take him and cut him out in little stars,
And he will make the face of heaven so fine
That all the world will be in love with night
And pay no worship to the garish sun.”

[Lance]

Chopin and period pianos. We all know the work of pianist Emanuel Ax, the Arthur Rubinstein Competition winner. I caught on to him when he first emerged and have greatly admire his art to this day. I had the pleasure of preparing a piano for him in concert. Another fine gentleman with whom to work! Among his Sony Classical recordings [60771], also available now in his complete RCA/Columbia recordings [18338] is a recording of Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1, a Grande Valse Brillante, and La ci darem la mano Variations - Charles Mackerras conducting. I was immediately entranced with his work on a period piano. Strongly recommend you try to give this one a hearing. I feel you will be delighted!

[Belle]

Thanks so much for this!! Yes, I'm sure I would love it. Manny Ax is a fave musician of mine. And he speaks about music so eloquently, just like Stephen Kovacevich.

[Belle]

Meet the winner; yet another Asian Canadian. What's in the drinking water in that country??!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9cp2zFLd8w