The Ultimate Chopin Poll (WARNING: VERY long poll ahead!)

[phil13]

211 options. Please kill me now. But vote first.

Phil

[BoliverAllmon]

has anyone recorded his songs?

[jre58591]

Please kill me now.

BANG. how dare you create another one of these threads! well anyways, at least its the best and most comprehensive of them.

[ivoryplayer_amf]

What about Chopin's- Nocturne in C Sharp minor, Op. 72 No. 2 (Posth.)  ---Dont know what that means.

Anyway if its up there just point it out, I'm sorry.  But its the one that Wladyslaw Szpilman is so famous for playing (the movie the pianist)>  Its my all time favorite!!

[kelly_kelly]

!hat's the Posthumous Nocturne No. 20, which is on the list.

[ivoryplayer_amf]

!hat's the Posthumous Nocturne No. 20, which is on the list.

thanks!

[phil13]

BANG. how dare you create another one of these threads! well anyways, at least its the best and most comprehensive of them.

OHH... That feels better. Goodbye, cruel world! I was just sick of people complaining about a certain piece missing from a poll.

What about Chopin's- Nocturne in C Sharp minor, Op. 72 No. 2 (Posth.) ---Dont know what that means.

Anyway if its up there just point it out, I'm sorry. But its the one that Wladyslaw Szpilman is so famous for playing (the movie the pianist)> Its my all time favorite!!

It is up there. 72-2 is actually the Funeral March in C minor- different piece altogether, not as touching as the nocturne.

Phil

[jre58591]

OHH... That feels better. Goodbye, cruel world! I was just sick of people complaining about a certain piece missing from a poll.

yeah i give you credit for taking time to do this. hopefully we can end this nonsense once and for all.

[orlandopiano]

211 options. Please kill me now. But vote first.

Phil

Nice job Phil. This one deserves to stay at the top and be the only poll for Chopin's greatest pieces. I'd like to see the results in a month or so.

[jre58591]

Nice job Phil. This one deserves to stay at the top and be the only poll for Chopin's greatest pieces. I'd like to see the results in a month or so.

i hope nils makes this thread a sticky thread so it stays at the top and people dont make any more of these awful threads.

[phil13]

Okay, I'll make it official-

THIS IS OFFICIALLY THE LAST CHOPIN POLL TO BE CREATED. PLEASE DO NOT MAKE ANY MORE AS THEY WILL BE COMPLETELY IRRELEVANT AND ABSOLUTELY POINTLESS. YOU CANNOT GET ANY MORE SPECIFIC THAN THIS.

Thank you.

Phil

[pianote]

I vote for "Là ci darem la mano" --one of those brilliant but obscure and often missed pieces 

[jre58591]

I vote for "Là ci darem la mano" --one of those brilliant but obscure and often missed pieces 

i, too, voted for this wonderful and neglected piece. it has such a simple melody, yet it is such a profound piece.

[quantum]

I vote for "Là ci darem la mano" --one of those brilliant but obscure and often missed pieces 

Ditto 

[pianistimo]

i picked 'andante spianato.'  just listened to idol biret play it - and still feel the same way - so beautiful.  the polonaise-fantasie also attracts me because of his combining two forms together.  this was one of his latter pieces and shows a more mature chopin.  maurizio pollini plays it really well.  jaques thibodet supposedly plays chopin on the original broadwood piano.  i bought a cd a while back and can't find it.

[phil13]

Hmm...interesting.

As of now, more people have decided that I've lost my mind then have voted for any single piece.

Phil

[phil13]

has anyone recorded his songs?

Garrick Ohlsson and Elizabeth Mann.

That's the only one I found on Amazon. There are probably several others.

Phil

[apion]

The 4 Ballades

[jre58591]

The 4 Ballades

no need to yell it out.

[pianoperfmajor]

Okay, I'll make it official-

THIS IS OFFICIALLY THE LAST CHOPIN POLL TO BE CREATED. PLEASE DO NOT MAKE ANY MORE AS THEY WILL BE COMPLETELY IRRELEVANT AND ABSOLUTELY POINTLESS. YOU CANNOT GET ANY MORE SPECIFIC THAN THIS.

Thank you.

Phil

Well, not really.  This just measures everyone's "favorite" Chopin piece.  There are several other aspects one could measure that would be "more specific" than simply one's favorite piece, such as "most technically difficult" for example.

[phil13]

Well, not really.  This just measures everyone's "favorite" Chopin piece.  There are several other aspects one could measure that would be "more specific" than simply one's favorite piece, such as "most technically difficult" for example.

This is, of course, in reference to 'favorite piece by this composer'. Sorry, meant to say that. 

Phil

[thalbergmad]

I was thinking of doing a similat poll for Telemann.

I az voted for the Rondo Op16.

Thal

[phil13]

I az voted for the Rondo Op16.

Thal

Ah, excellent choice.

I have an old record of Horowitz playing the Eb rondo- I'll have to listen to that again...

Gee, I wonder why the Ballades are so popular. 

Phil

[stevie]

i believe chopin's VERY greatest pieces are -

prelude no8 i absolutely adore

prelude no 24 i adore so much

etude op 25/12 was my first chopin piece, because i love the way notes are flying around making a wonderful texture, but at its heart its a rather simple SONG, with an amazing climax and glorious finish.

etudes op25/11 and op10/4  are also favourite etudes, awesome

op10/2 is the most technically fascinating and innovative chopin piece

the 4 ballades are his greatest large works, and awesome as they are, his shorter works actually seem superior

if i had to choose my fave of all, itd be a hard choice been preludes 8 and 24, which i randomyl cant choose

[phil13]

Amazingly, there's still one Etude that's yet to be voted for.

I thought those would lead to polls. Instead, it's Ballade 4, then Ballade 1, then my loss of sanity.

Phil

[jre58591]

my loss of sanity.

thats quite understandable, phil. and its also obvious that most people would like the ballades, for many people are only interested in virtuosity.

[phil13]

thats quite understandable, phil. and its also obvious that most people would like the ballades, for many people are only interested in virtuosity.

then why don't the scherzi have more votes?

Phil

[phil13]

It's amazing that this sunk to the bottom of the page in only 10 days.

How will people know to vote if they can't see it?

BTW I like the idea of seeing what this looks like after a month. Shall we say...August 1?

Phil

[jas]

its also obvious that most people would like the ballades, for many people are only interested in virtuosity.

Do you really think the Ballades are just empty virtuosity? I think they're among the most accomplished pieces of music ever written for the piano. In fact, I'm going to listen to them right now.

[sissco]

Do you really think the Ballades are just empty virtuosity? I think they're among the most accomplished pieces of music ever written for the piano. In fact, I'm going to listen to them right now.

Hehe when I saw the votes for the ballades I was thinking "I want to here them now!" so yeah I'm going to listen to them right now. 

[phil13]

Hehe when I saw the votes for the ballades I was thinking "I want to here them now!" so yeah I'm going to listen to them right now. 

The Ballades really are amazing pieces of music, but out of Chopin's body of work, they are not my favorites- besides, I figured more people would vote for them ythan anything else, and in that assumption, I was correct.

My favorite 10, in order:

Polonaise-Fantasie Op.61
Barcarolle Op.60
Piano Sonata No.3 Op.58
Nocturne in Eb Op.55 No.2
Prelude in G#m Op.28 No.12
Nocturne in Cm Op.48 No.1
Prelude in Bm Op.28 No.6
Mazurka in Am Op.17 No.4
Polonaise in F#m Op.44
Nocturne in B Op.9 No.3

Phil

[phil13]

*bump*

[nicco]

wow phil ur leading 

[pekko]

But I can only choose 25 or less!   _{So cruel}!?!

[phil13]

But I can only choose 25 or less!   _{So cruel}!?!

Well, we wouldn't want someone to stuff the ballot boxes, so to speak, would we? 

Phil

[phil13]

Sorry, my computer has been frying itself on-again-off-again for the past month and I had no chance to tally the votes, so I will close the voting Sepember 1.

Thank you all for voting!

Phil

[jspash]

hmmm. i thought i had every piece of Chopin sheet music, but i can't seem to find "Phil has absolutely lost his mind" 

[pianohenry]

What about Chopin's- Nocturne in C Sharp minor, Op. 72 No. 2 (Posth.)  ---Dont know what that means.

Anyway if its up there just point it out, I'm sorry.  But its the one that Wladyslaw Szpilman is so famous for playing (the movie the pianist)>  Its my all time favorite!!

posthumous = it was finished after he died.

I think thats what it means, at least someone told me and i didnt check, i could be cOMPLETELY Wrong.

[phil13]

posthumous = it was finished after he died.

I think thats what it means, at least someone told me and i didnt check, i could be cOMPLETELY Wrong.

Close, actually. It means it was PUBLISHED after he died.

Phil

[gyzzzmo]

Nice extensive poll 

Though the outcome is a bit discutable ofcourse since pieces like ballade no1 wouldnt be this highly ranked when the movie 'The Pianist' wouldnt have left Hollywood.

Gyzzzmo

[franz_]

COULD SOMEBODY POST THE AUDIO FILE OF THE TWO WORKS FOR PIANO AND ORCHESTRA BUT NOT THE PIANO CONCERTO'S.
THANKS IN ADVANCE!

[jre58591]

COULD SOMEBODY POST THE AUDIO FILE OF THE TWO WORKS FOR PIANO AND ORCHESTRA BUT NOT THE PIANO CONCERTO'S.
THANKS IN ADVANCE!

there are more than two pieces that he wrote for piano/orchestra besides the concertos. there is "la ci darem la mano", the fantasy on polish airs, "krakowiak", and the grande polonaise brillante. no need to shout, someone will fulfiull your requests (probably).

[phil13]

Nice extensive poll 

Though the outcome is a bit discutable ofcourse since pieces like ballade no1 wouldnt be this highly ranked when the movie 'The Pianist' wouldnt have left Hollywood.

Gyzzzmo

I would imagine, actually, that Ballade No.1 was quite popular even before that film.

Besides that, I believe it is stupid to think that a film has power over the popularity of a work amongst classical musicians. It's those that don't usually listen to classical music that are affected more.

It's just like saying that Rach 3 would not have been popular if not for 'Shine'.

Phil

[pianohenry]

ahh ty for clearing that posthumous thing up phil

[phil13]

HAHAHA the pollster giveth and the pollster taketh away.

The results are in, people!

And the winners are...

1. Ballade No.1 Op.23 in G minor: 36 votes
2. Etude Op.25 No.11 in A minor 'Winter Wind': 31 votes
2. Ballade No.4 Op.52 in F minor: 31 votes
4. Etude Op.25 No.12 in C minor 'Ocean': 29 votes
5. Scherzo No.2 Op.31 in Bb minor: 28 votes
5. Piano Sonata No.3  Op.58 in B minor: 28 votes
7. Piano Sonata No.2 Op.35 in Bb minor: 27 votes
7. Polonaise Op.53 in Ab 'Heroic': 27 votes
9. Etude Op.10 No.1 in C: 26 votes
9. Etude Op.10 No.4 in C# minor: 26 votes

Runners-up:

11. Fantasie-Impromptu in C# minor Op.66: 23 votes
12. Ballade No.2 Op.38 in F: 22 votes

Special Award:

Phil has absolutely lost his mind: 40 F***ING VOTES

Hey, someone want to help me find that again?

Phil

[jre58591]

the good news is that people wont need to make these stupid threads anymore. great job phil. im sure bernhard will help you find your mind.

[phil13]

the good news is that people wont need to make these stupid threads anymore.

If only that were true, but there will always be threads of this kind as long as new members avoid using the search feature. I guess we haven't made that option clear enough.

Phil

[jre58591]

i guess someone has to keep bumping this thread then. also, you may have to change the topic, incase people are too lazy to open the thread.

[ihatepop]

I was thinking of doing a similat poll for Telemann.

Thal

Poll?

Thal, you never do polls....

[jre58591]

nils, can you make this thread a sticky thread, so as to help prevent future threads like this?