Among the many recordings of Chopin’s two piano
concerti, there are a few favourites that I keep returning to. As a teenager, I
loved (and still do) Arthur Rubinstein’s 1961 account of the first concerto
with Stanislaw Skrowaczewski and the New Symphony of London. Soviet pianist
Emil Gilels’s recording of the same work with Eugene Ormandy and the
Philadelphia Orchestra is another that I have a soft spot for. In 2006, the Altara label released a stunning life
recording of Mr. Rubinstein playing the second concerto with the Warsaw
Philharmonic and Witold Rowicki. To my ears, this life performance towers above
all of Mr. Rubinstein’s other distinguished recordings of this concerto – and
that, I think, is saying a lot. I am pleased to say that now there is another distinguished
addition to the catalogue of Chopin concerti recordings.
I had been eagerly awaiting pianist Ingrid
Fliter’s recording of the Chopin concerti for LINN Records (a company more
known for their audio equipment), and she certainly does not disappoint. I have
always believed that there are pianists who play Chopin, and then there are
artists who are Chopin players.
Fliter clearly belongs to the latter (much smaller) group.
Chopin filled the scores of both concerti with
numerous expressive markings. To my ears, Fliter had really carefully studied
and managed to successfully realize the composer’s explicit instructions on how
every detail should be played. More importantly, she did not fall into the trap
of making the music sound like a series of beautiful episodes. Each movement
within each concerto sounds like an organic whole.,
Fliter’s partners in the recording, conductor
Jun Märkl and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra did a remarkable job of bringing
out the beauty of the orchestral writing. We must thank this conductor for
treating the orchestral writing, so underrated by many conductors and
musicologists, with the love and devotion it deserves. In both works, Chopin
writes especially lovingly and sensitively for the wind instruments, and this
is evident in the playing of the members of the orchestra. The LINN engineers
did a remarkable job in capturing the sound of both the orchestra and piano.
The playing by Fliter in these concerti is
meltingly beautiful. In the slow movements of both works, there is palpably a
feeling of hushed eloquence. I must confess that although the performance of
the first concerto is outstanding, Fliter’s playing of the second concerto is spellbinding and magical in every respect, from first note to last. I feel that
Fliter realizes Chopin’s instruction for the beginning of the third movement - semplice ma graziosamente - to
perfection.
I am guessing that Ingrid Fliter’s association with
LINN Records is a result of EMI’s (her former recording company) absorption by Warner Classics. Well, EMI’s loss is
LINN’s gain, and lovers of the Chopin concerti should immediately run out and
purchase this wonderful recording. I am already looking forward to the
pianist’s impending recording of Chopin’s Preludes,
Op. 28.