Piece: Scherzo No. 4, Op. 54 Performer: Ivo Pogorelich (1998 DG) Full recording: • Chopin: Scherzo No. 4 ... My favourite pianist, playing my favourite piece, by my favourite composer. It doesn't get any better than this.
It's mindblowing how far Chopin can wander where the melodies and motifs take him, yet he always *knows* (NOT "finds") his way back "home", while being heart-rendingly beautiful at the same time. Genius.
Chopin was a master of improvisation and it shows. His contemporaries often reported that his best music was not the one he put onto paper but that which he created ad libitum in the late evenings get-togethers, when the larger part of the guests had gone and the atmosphere became intimate. George Sand said it was there he found "la note bleu"
Try his Fuga. :D:D:D Seriously, I know your comment was rhetoric. But well... I'm in love with Chopin for about 30 years now, passion not weakening and I have not found a piece (other than the Fuga) not worth listening. But that's the pieces that he A: published himself or B: survived his harsh self-criticism and weren't burned by his sister after he died. He did most certainly compose some crap - or what HE would have considered crap, he was a fierce perfectionist. You can easily imagine what he did to pieces of lesser quality than his posthumous published ones. The posth. ones at least he found worthy enough to live in his desk, lesser scraps he most certainly ripped apart and threw them in the fire. The Fuga is one of such pieces that slipped his evil eye, it very likely was never meant to be heard by anyone but his students!
@@Seleuce It was Julian Fontana who decided to ignore Chopin's last will and publish his opus posthumus. As for the Fugue in A minor, Martha Argerich has it in her repertoire.😁
@@arturkranz-dobrowolski2959 But it was Ludwika who decided not to grant Fryceks death wish to destroy all unpublished manuscripts after his death. If she had done so Julian wouldn't have had anything to publish. :) Argerich... Ah yes, always a bit edgy, the woman. :D
When I was traveling to New York to catch a flight to Israel, I discovered that I had a choice of entertainment channels. I picked the classical music channel when this scherzo was playing. I didn’t know it too well, but I recognized the A-section theme and wondered if I had missed the scherzo’s only real melody. Therefore, I felt a sigh of relief when I heard the cutoff that cleared the air for this haunting trio section. Since the scherzo is in a major key, Chopin gives us a minor-key trio, and it works wonderfully.
Can you tell me what edition of the score this is? I have the Dover edition myself but it seems there are many helpful fingerings given here that aren't in my score at all, I would be interested in finding this edition, thanks
As a person who has listened to pretty much every Chopin piece at least 2x, I have to say the scherzi are my least favorite. But that being said, the 2nd and 4th are really genius! Thank you for this wonderful snippet.
To me, the Chopin Scherzos are actually one my favorites, because they sound like a small drama or play being acted out in a theatre. The 3rd one stands out really well to me as it sounds like a romantic couple fighting each other, then forgiving each other, and then fighting each other in the end. The 4th one is really good too.
Tbh I don’t really get the 4th scherzo. The other 3 are more easy to listen to imo. I think the 4th scherzo begins to settle for the first time with the Piu Lento. What would you recommend or say about how to listen to it because I can’t really get into this scherzo. (But I want to) I think the scherzi are nevertheless masterpieces and Pogorelich is just on another level. What do your think about the new Pogorelich style?
You don’t have to force yourself to listen to a piece! In fact, I don’t like all of Chopin’s work, even though I’m an avid fan. But even so, just like you said, we should all acknowledge that his works are all masterfully crafted. For Pogorelich’s new style, just as in the past, it’s really unorthodox. It’s not what you would expect with other pianists, but he does a wonderful job at introducing new ideas to a piece which you have already heard so many times. Even though in some pieces it doesn’t hit for me, when it does it’s downright genius.
I highly recommend Greg Niemczuk on RU-vid, he’s a Polish concert pianist who has made thorough and accessible lectures on nearly every Chopin solo piano piece. His video on this scherzo seems to be exactly what you’re looking for if you want to “get it”, especially the material outside the Piu Lento
Try watching some analysis videos and different interpretations so you can better understand the piece itself. Then you can grow a better appreciation for it.
jouer mes propres compositions plutôt que des oeuvres déjà connues, bien souvent moins belles, apporterait plus à la musique. honnêtement. mais nous ne sommes pas dans un monde parfait, très clairement.😔
A section is beautiful. Più lento (B) section really hits me for its 1. Beautiful melody 2. Inner voices 3. Key changes like drifting off to another planet but manages to come home 4. That transition to the A section
