Here's a better version:

"Here's a better version"? I guess that's in the ear of the beholder, isn't it? I auditioned several and chose the Rubinstein because I thought it best represented the piece.

I'm glad you shared the Horowitz. Your statement of personal opinion as though it were fact ... not so much. Anyway, the thread is supposed to be about favorite mazurkas, not favorite performances—or one-upmanship.

Steven

It wasn't a favorite until I heard Horowitz's performance. Besides, you're are getting a little touchy (probably from online arguments ), I did put a big grin after my comment. Rubinstein is my favorite pianist, overall.

i haven't liked any Chopin Mazurka much until i heard this (by Bozhanov):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WegVrm-RwaE

The Op 59 mazurkas are my personal favorites. They are part of Chopin's later mazurkas and, therefore, bring to light his Polish and very original style. I also like the fact that the first and third very stormy mazurkas flank, as it were, the soothing second mazurka.

I have twelve favorite Mazurkas by Chopin, which I practice & make recordings of regularly (for my ears only, great for working on interpretation; or maybe friends & family can listen).

Here they are: op6n1 F#m; op6n2 C#m; op7n2 Am; op17n2 Em; op17n3 Ab; op24n2 C; op30n2 F#m (starts in Bm); op50n3 C#m; op67n2 Gm; op67n4 Am; op68n3 F; and, op68n4 Fm.

I achieved this list of faves the same way anyone should; I read through the whole book playing each piece twice or more, used post-its to mark the ones I didn't like, then went through the rest & eventually settled on my faves. Takes a few days to do this but well worth it. I've used this method with lots of collections of short works, like Mend. songs without words, Grieg lyric pieces, Scriabin preludes, etc.

Forget choosing pieces based on recordings--at least, I wouldn't do that. Play the music yourself & choose. Of course, you can always go back to the book later & play the "rejects"--often after some time you'll find some overlooked gems by doing that.

P.S. Get the book & recording "Scarlatti 60 Sonatas" by Ralph Kirkpatrick & study those pieces if you want some good background insight into these Chopin mazurkas.

Why not?

Having read through your comments, listened to the recordings and played through some of the pieces myself, I feel that I have got an idea about Chopin's Mazurkas, and (at least) know where to start.

Somehow I get the feeling that this music is "essential Chopin" - more than many of his longer and more famous pieces. It is even interesting for me to notice that there are obvious parallels between Polish and Norwegian folk music when considering characteristic intervals and rythmic anomalities. Although Chpoin's Mazurkas are not folk music, the source of inspiration often shines through.

I enjoyed listening to the relatively early Mazurkas (e.g. 30/4 and 33/2). Trying to play them, however, makes me realise that there is a long way to go to make real music out of them.

Op. 50/3 is a very interesting piece, and I may end up including this one into my repertoire.

Op.59/2 is a lovely piece with which I think it will be interesting to work. Also the other ones of Op.59 are very beautiful, and I have put them on "hold" in case I get the time to work with them.

There are two Mazurkas on the next Opus, 63/1 and 63/2, which I found more or less by accident. I haven't heard any recordings of them, but especially the first one has a great appeal to me, and I have decided to start studying it. 63/2 is a "Lento" piece with few technical obstacles, and that is also a very beautiful piece, contrasting with the previous one.

The posthumous A-minor (No.51) is a mystery to me, since it is not present in my Peters edition of the Mazurkas. I hope tp have the chance to listen to it, but if it is very challenging technically, it will probably not be my choice.

Has anyone mentioned op30 no3? It's my (new) favorite. Those ascending major passages with the trill at the top.. AHHhhh. *man tear shed*

^ Rather elderly thread, probably more so since the member who posted above you has been banned. (No fond memories of that one...)

I know that he was 'polarizing.'
Even though I was only here for a short time when he got banned and even though I'd had a whoop-de-do with him, I do have 'fond memories' of him -- he was an important member of the site -- and feel that it's too bad there wasn't a way for him to stay.

Anyway....about the mazurka that Joe posted: I like it a lot too -- especially the last note.

^ sort of a "my favorite part of school is leaving" statement? lol

I think more like never mind, I didn't mean any of what came before that.

he did leave it rather 'unfinished', didn't he

That's the problem with favourites... They change all the time.

That's one of my favorites and it is my favorite version of it, Horowitz, which I recognized on the first note. I thought there was a newer thread on the mazurkas, though.

I always think in op.nrs, so that would mean my favourite Mazurki are the ones in op. 50/56/59.

Wow! How to choose? I love the whole bunch a lot. I can't play all of them, unfortunately, so I guess I would have to name the ten or so that I have learned so far. The first one I learned is still one of my favorites, even though it is easier than most: Op. 17, No. 4.

I think you should listen to Arthur Rubinstein's set of mazurkas if you want the best interpretation ever. Of course, he did not record some that were discovered later on, but the ones he knew about were played beautifully. Lots of others do a good job, but for me, he is the master.

17 nº4 No doubt!