Great Recordings of Chopin's Second Concerto???

[gapoc459]

I think the F minor is almost always performed in the shadow of the great E minor, but it is a gem in its own right. I am wondering if you guys have any recordings in mind that really draw your attention. While I am interested especially in the F minor, any great recommendations of the E minor would be appreciated as well.

The recordings I am most familiar with, in order of preference, are Zimerman (PFO), Ohlsson (Warsaw), Argerich (Dutoit/Montreal), Lisiecki (terrible orchestral playing...), and Barenboim (ew...).

[lelle]

Cortot. The playing, especially in the second movement, is absolutely breathtaking.

[dima_76557]

While I am interested especially in the F minor, any great recommendations of the E minor would be appreciated as well.

For the F minor, Grigory Sokolov is certainly worth mentioning:

For the E minor: Emil Gilels:

[pianoman53]

Raoul Koczalski is obviously of historical interest. He was a student of Mikuli, who was a student of Chopin.

[oorakoora]

Absolutely with you on your choice of Cortot lelle.....fabulous luxuriant performance.......ahhhhhh!

[richard black]

Another shout for Cortot: Haskil is also well worth hearing (she may have recorded it more than once - the one I know is with the Orchestre Lamoureux cond. Markevitch).

[blazekenny]

My favorites are old Rubinstein and Cortot

[kriatina]

I have heard many different concerts/recordings of Chopin Piano Concerto No.2, but the very, very best I have ever heard is definitely the LP (Music For Pleasure LTD, EMI Records Limited) recording from 1960 by Malcuzynski together with the London Symphony Orchestra under Walter Susskind.

This recording is in my opinion still the absolute perfect recording. Everything on this record is just perfect: Malcuzynsky at his most sensitive best, together with the London Symphony Orchestra at their very best, tonality (humidity etc.) on the day of recording for all the instruments at its very best, together with the tone-engineers at their very best, in fact, in this recording everything is just perfectly “jellying together” on a perfect day. It certainly could not have been done any better.

There is one problem though, if you have heard the very best of Chopin Piano Concerto No.2 : every other recording/concert becomes only second best with a huge gap in between...
 
By the way: I remember noticing this record in a junk-shop and the cover looked so meaningless with a colourful ridiculous-looking fan at the front and I remember wondering whether I should bother to buy it or not, but fortunately my curiosity took over and I bought it for a few pence.

I am so glad that I did because it just proves again that one should  never be fooled by a ridiculous looking front-cover, because it gave a chance to discover a real gem inside...

[amelialw]

Ivo Pogorelich

[kevinhall]

F Minor: Rubinstein with the Philadelphia under Ormandy.
E Minor: Perahia with the LA under Mehta

[thesixthsensemusic]

My all-time favourite is the 1944 one with Alfred Cortot and the Orchestre de Paris under Willlem Mengelberg's baton. The 1935 one with Barbirolli conducting is great too, but I just can't help being a huge Mengelberg fan... to me nothing beats the combination of my all-time favourite pianist and all-time favourite conductor.