Most underrated Chopin?

[edubia]

Hello everyone!

I have recently bought a CD of Vladimir Ashkenazy playing the Chopin Polonaises (which are some of my favorite pieces) along with some other, very neglected works by the composer. Along with the polonaises, it contains the surprisingly beautiful Trois nouvelles etudes, the Allegro de Concert, two Bourees, and some other works. I listened to the Allegro de Concert just a few minutes ago, and i thought it was fantastic! Maybe it lacked some of the genius of some of his other works, but its still wonderful in its own right. Its extremely underrated, for some reason I can't understand. Another piece which I found to be very underrated (although not as much) was the Polonaise in F Sharp Minor, Op. 44, which I now consider to be one of my all time favorite pieces.

So, what do you find to be the most underrated Chopin pieces?

[49410enrique]

sonata for piano and cello, op 65. freakin awesome.

[pianoplayjl]

Tarantella.

[drkilroy]

Bolero perhaps.

Best regards, Dr

[scott13]

Ballade #2 is often neglected.

I read somewhere that "Allegro de Concert" was actually Chopin's initial sketch for a 3rd piano concerto, that never developed so he published what was the first movement.

I also feel the set of Op 28 Preludes are often shunned as well, yet i feel the set shows the range of emotion better than any other of his sets.

[dafnis]

Polonaise in G sharp minor, op.posth.
Rondo, Op.16

[edubia]

I also feel the set of Op 28 Preludes are often shunned as well, yet i feel the set shows the range of emotion better than any other of his sets.

I hardly consider the preludes underrated. And another one I'd add to the list is "Cantabile in B-Flat", which Chopin really should have expanded on, because it is like a nocturne but shorter and less developed.

[pianoplayjl]

Most of his other Mazurkas are also neglected.

[werq34ac]

I'll add the other cello piece he wrote, Introduction and grand polonaise. i believe that's Op. 8?

[pianoplayjl]

I'll add the other cello piece he wrote, Introduction and grand polonaise. i believe that's Op. 8?

I don't know what you mean by 'the other cello piece.' I just found out op8 was a Piano trio!
Chopin's eccosaise are rarely played so I think they deserve mention in this thread.

[werq34ac]

I don't know what you mean by 'the other cello piece.' I just found out op8 was a Piano trio!
Chopin's eccosaise are rarely played so I think they deserve mention in this thread.

Oops, I meant Op. 3. Though the piano trio definitely deserves mention as well!

[mozartk365]

sonata no.1 in c minor, Op.4

[japanesepianist]

   Hmmmmm...... I think the marzukas are a bit underrated, and some of the nocturnes are underrated as well, but Chopin's pieces are overplayed quite a bit as well- Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2, Fantasie Impromptu, Etude Op. 10 No. 12, etc.

[scott13]

Allegro De Concert - Op 46 . In my opinion Chopin's finest composition, yet is shunned by nearly everybody.

[teccomin]

Rondo Op. 1 is pretty underrated for a very decent piece.

[werq34ac]

Allegro De Concert - Op 46 . In my opinion Chopin's finest composition, yet is shunned by nearly everybody.

It may be because it's incomplete. It was the sketches of his 3rd piano concerto but he never finished it and it was accidentally published or something like that. It's a pity Chopin died so early.

[scott13]

It may be because it's incomplete. It was the sketches of his 3rd piano concerto but he never finished it and it was accidentally published or something like that. It's a pity Chopin died so early.

True the work began life as the sketch of Concerto #3, however, Chopin struggled to orchestrate it and he himself published it believing that the piece was far better without an orchestration. One need only look at his comment about wanting to play this piece as the first he played to a free Warsaw to understand its importance and significance to him.

And in my opinion i feel it is his finest work as it contains everything that Chopin's writing style encompassed. From the emotion of the Ballades, to the virtuosity of the Etudes & Concertos, to the grace and elegance of the Valses, and the haunting melodies of the Nocturnes. 

[mlbbaseball]

I give a vote to Prelude op 45

[pianoplayjl]

Marche funebre, op 72 no 2. I thought this was the funeral march in b flat minor when searching for the score but turns out I was wrong. Fooled because of a title.
Many of his pieces we hear are maybe only 25-40% while many of his minor pieces and pieces for other instruments are rarely recorded. I'll also add the variation he composed for Liszt's Hexameron variations.

[pastlifepianist]

His Krakowiak for piano and orchestra.

[williampiano]

Impromptu no. 3 in G flat
Mazurka op. 6 no. 2
Rondo in c minor op. 1

[fftransform]

I think that Chopin's music is played quite a bit too much for any of it to be considered underrated, in the grand scheme of piano repertoire.  The Fantasy Op. 49 is probably one that I think should get more playtime than some of his others, though.

[richterfan1]

i think most of Mazurkas are underrated

[megadodd]

His Valse in E major.
It really paints the picture in your head.

[williampiano]

This piece is beautiful. It's a bummer people rarely play it.

[chopinlover96]

  Another piece which I found to be very underrated (although not as much) was the Polonaise in F Sharp Minor, Op. 44, which I now consider to be one of my all time favorite pieces.

So, what do you find to be the most underrated Chopin pieces?

I totally agree with that polonaise maybe my favourite chopin piece along with the 4th ballade an the Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise.
I do think that some of the nocturnes are underplayed. They have some of the most beautifull melodies he ever composed. However some of the nocturnes are played rather alot. (Not that that is a bad thing)

[49410enrique]

the chopin fugue is seldom mentioned most don't even know it exists, not considered a very good composition vs his other work but still relevant and important   even as an 'exercise' in composition it has some nice elements

[chopin1993]

His pieces written for Cello and piano trio.
Also his Bolero and some of his Mazurkas should be played a bit more!

Valerie

[fftransform]

Did somebody really say Ballade No. 2?  Anyway, maybe you guys should look into other composers who are completely neglected, instead of the idolatry of anything related to Chopin.  Great works by lesser-known composers will often be better than Chopin's more mediocre stuff.

Also, I remember when I thought the Allegro de Concert was a good piece.  I was about 13.  It's like bad, early Massenet or something.  Clunk clunk clunk clunk clunk.

[jas_sorian]

I give a vote to Prelude op 45

Agreed. 

[transitional]

Sonata No. 1 Op. 4 - it follows an ideal and a mood not typical of Chopin. I can enjoy it much more than other Chopin pieces. It has an enjoyable polish vibe but not overly introspective or dull. Quite long and creative. the first movement literally has 4 voices how often does chopin do that??? Only minuet Chopin ever wrote in this sonata. that 5/4 3rd movement! 4th movement is great too. not over the top like most chopin, it's all the things I like about chopin in a new format, but clearly inspired from beethoven and bach. I could enjoy chopin much much more if he went on like this.

That and the three Impromptus that aren't No. 4


Most overrated? The op 48 no 1 nocturne,  posthumous c# nocturne, op 9 no 2 nocturne, scherzo no 2, FI sounds good but is compositionally weak.

[lelle]

Sonata No. 1 Op. 4 - it follows an ideal and a mood not typical of Chopin. I can enjoy it much more than other Chopin pieces. It has an enjoyable polish vibe but not overly introspective or dull. Quite long and creative. the first movement literally has 4 voices how often does chopin do that??? Only minuet Chopin ever wrote in this sonata. that 5/4 3rd movement! 4th movement is great too. not over the top like most chopin, it's all the things I like about chopin in a new format, but clearly inspired from beethoven and bach. I could enjoy chopin much much more if he went on like this.

That and the three Impromptus that aren't No. 4


Most overrated? The op 48 no 1 nocturne,  posthumous c# nocturne, op 9 no 2 nocturne, scherzo no 2, FI sounds good but is compositionally weak.

I think that first sonata is just not very memorable. I think it shows the young Chopin experimenting compositionally and finding his voice, but the result is not successful for the listener. Do you find it interesting to listen to?

[transitional]

I think that first sonata is just not very memorable. I think it shows the young Chopin experimenting compositionally and finding his voice, but the result is not successful for the listener. Do you find it interesting to listen to?

Yes, definitely. Experimentation is not a bad thing. I think with the mature chopin works he's really going for perfection and frankly, that can frequently get boring. The 1st sonata is full of rich ideas. It's true that it may not be memorable in terms of motifs, and what makes it so memorable to me is its dynamic contrast, rich compositional techniques, and gripping thoughts .. But this is a mausoleum of chopin and more ... it clearly takes ideas for etudes/polonaises to come. I hear the 2nd sonata funeral march in the slow movement of this sonata, but it's also almost a more daring take on the nocturne. i almost get a "haunted house" vibe from the main motif that I'd compare to the appassionata or d 784 sonatas.

Just my grain of salt. I see many compositions much differently from how other peopledo.  I suppose really a subjective thing.

[piabanoch]

i think that an underrated chopin would mazurkas, sonata n 1, op 9 n 3