Best interpreter of Chopin

[Jose Echenique]

Even though he recorded too little because of his premature death, Dinu Lipatti can´t be overlooked.

He has languished in my Amazon basket for too long now, I must take the plunge.

He recorded too little to compete with the likes of Rubinstein, Cortot, Pollini or Argerich, all superb of course, as the greatest Chopin interpreter of all time, but Lipatti was very special, his playing, be it Mozart, Bach or Chopin was quite simply...heavenly, not other word will do.

[jaybee]

I thought I'd wait till we got a good list going before I asked what people's opnions on James Rhodes are

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00v9qpb

my reaction was visceral (and not in a good way) almost ruined what was an interesting documentary!

[Seán]

Murray Perahia for me. Here's my evidence...



I also like Pollini and Argerich. Of the more vintage artists I am partial to Rubinstein and Lipatti.

I love Perahia's playing and would happily buy anything and everything he's ever recorded.

[Diapason]

I thought I'd wait till we got a good list going before I asked what people's opnions on James Rhodes are

I follow him on twitter and he recently tweeted that he loves the whole "mastered for iTunes" thing and thinks it sounds great. That's enough for me!

On the Chopin front, I don't think Rubinstein would suit you JB, because I think it might be too far into the historical box (although the set is enormously cheap on US amazon at the moment). I bought this set recently:



but it seems to have doubled in price in the interim. Still, it's a solid box if you can find it at a sensible price. However I still need to buy Arrau's Nocturnes and Impromptus double CD. That's a beautiful set and very inexpensive.

[jaybee]

"mastered for iTunes" .

as in the quality of iTunes mp4's is better than CD??

He annoyed me intensely, all that "I'm a classical pianist, but I'm too rock 'n' roll to wear anything but scabby old t-shirt...."

Thanks for the heads up on Rubenstein.... You're right, I do have a watershed at some point in the sixties it would appear...beyond which the artistic interpretation becomes irrelevant in comparison with the lack of modern recording quality!

I think Barenboim's Beethoven cycle is the earliest recording I really enjoy ('66 I believe he started)