tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957911.post600873435398960567..comments2024-03-28T12:59:05.739-07:00Comments on Iron Tongue of Midnight: Don't BotherLisa Hirschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14014924958428072675noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957911.post-48824610783117932942007-09-10T17:07:00.000-07:002007-09-10T17:07:00.000-07:00Hi, Ivan!Yes, the Chopin waltzes CD that was publi...Hi, Ivan!<BR/><BR/>Yes, the Chopin waltzes CD that was published on EMI. I've never heard Goode's Chopin. I don't like his Beethoven that much; it seems very, very middle of the road and I prefer more individual interpreters. But then, I didn't care much for Perahia's famous Mozart concerto series, and I loved his Goldberg Variations.<BR/><BR/>I'll give Kovacevich's Ravel another listen. Where would I find yours?<BR/><BR/>I agree that Kovacevich is underrated, and I don't understand why. He is so great in Beethoven and Schubert! I also love his Brahms but realize not everyone does.Lisa Hirschhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14014924958428072675noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957911.post-34184521124372475192007-09-02T09:14:00.000-07:002007-09-02T09:14:00.000-07:00I picked up the Chopin waltzes CD at the local lib...I picked up the Chopin waltzes CD at the local library (if that's the one you're referring to?) and was similarly disappointed. <BR/><BR/>Richard Goode is an example of a Beethoven pianist who can do wonders with Chopin, if his Barcarolle is any indication, so Beethoven-Chopin 'crossover' is possible. <BR/><BR/>To Kovacevich's credit, the <B>Ravel</B> Waltzes on that same album are among the finest I've ever heard. The <I>Valses nobles et sentimentales</I> is an elusive piece (I've recorded it myself) and he's right on the money: spontaneous, vibrant and the sound is electric. <BR/><BR/>This, in many ways, is even more surprising because Beethoven's and Ravel's aesthetic have so little in common, whereas Chopin's pianistic genius is an extension of Beethoven's innovation.<BR/><BR/>Kovacevich is more versatile than some think. I heard him do the Prokofiev flute sonata, and it was also very suited to him. It did sound a LOT like Beethoven, but, hey, that's a totally coherent way of reading Prokofiev. <BR/><BR/>For me Kovacevich remains one of the most underrated pianists around, along with Ivan Moravec. Either of them deserve the notoriety of a Pollini.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com