Pollini Vs Liu: Interpreting Chopin Op. 27 No. 1

Wonderful...Bruce captivated me as soon as I heard his interpretation of this nocturne. It was magical. From this to the end of the competition, I knew he was going to win. And judging from his scores, he won every round...

Bruce’s interpretation! I knew he would be the winner at the Chopin competition as soon as he started playing this piece. Absolutely beautiful!!

I love Pollini but Bruce Liu’s Nocturne touched my heart more. I like this Nocturne and Scherzo No.4 the most played by B.Liu. Pollini's Nocturne also gives another impression, but this Nocturne is better played by Liu. Thank you for the great video, very well made !!!! 👍🏻

Bruce liu is really amazing.

Thank you for this video which I appreciate very much! Chopin didn't write the metronome marks, just the editor's suggestions as you probably know. It's usually risky to play slow pieces too slowly, but Liu took it very slowly to express this emotional nocturne as much as possible. Mysterious vibes and changing of subtle nuances in different dark colors are so inspiring as it is a night song -- nocturne. Liu loves operas and singing lines are more or less operatic. It's keenly played yet spontaneous, while Pollini's playing is almost straightforward. 😅

i like Pollini a lot - a true maestro, but in terms of op27-1, i definitely enjoy bruce's rendition more. the first part is like a misty/cloudy/some light but overall very dark vibe to me, and Pollini's tempo is a bit too fast for me. in the middle part, the dynamic range of bruce's version is obviously wider, which i enjoy quite a lot. to me this part is like a reminiscence, you start to tell people around you a story with ebb and flow, with tear and joy. i like bruce's way telling this story.

The most shocking aspect of Liu’s interpretation is that it is from a 26 year young artist who is already mastering audience emotions with Chopin’s greatest compositions.

How a piece of music sounds in the player's mind is reflected in his hands. I think the speed at which this melody was assembled in Bruce's mind is really beautiful. I never thought it could be expressed like this. He is a true musical artist!

I like Bruce's interpretation better because its atmospheric soundscape and slow pace are just so close to my idea of a nocturne.

El estilo de Mr Bruce Liu es incomparable. Se percibe una transferencia de su pasión por el piano que llega a conmover con cada acorde y hasta con los silencios. ❤️🎵🎶❤🎵🎶❤🎵🎶❤

Charles- hi! This may be your “Mona Lisa” of music analysis (at least so far)! I can see what you’re doing, and it’s totally “high road”. Under the rubric of “interpretation”, which some people stubbornly believe can only exist as a singularity, you provocatively show two excellent, but very different, performances of the same piece, and, rather than ask “which is right?”, or “which is better?”, you ask simply: “which do you prefer?” And, of course, intrinsic to your question is the subatomic core of interpretation itself! Genius! Reflecting for a moment on the rolling vitriol that surrounds the tempo of Chopin’s étude 10/3: by changing the marking from “fast, but not too fast” to “slow, but not too slow” (while retaining a metronome marking that most agree is hurried), Chopin guaranteed an eternity of debate. The “rubato vigilantes” see no room for discussion. I, on the other hand, can’t help but wonder if this was Chopin’s way of saying: “interpret!” 😊 Great work, Charles, and a real treat to find on a Saturday morning!

Yes, Pollini had the reputation of having "ice cold water" in his veins.

Por esto no puedo dejar de escucharlo con alma, cada día. Bruce Liu es pasión, misterio, armonía, excelencia ....🇦🇷❤️

Thank you very much for this comparison, it helps me understand what l appreciate unknowingly. I started to listed to Bruce Liu after going to his concert in Kraków recently (mainly Rameau and Ravel), and l am hooked. The range of emotions he can express is what pulls me in, so he is my favourite here.

This really illuminated some challenging concepts for me, and I want to learn more! Will listen for variety in interpretations more now. 💖 thank you for another wonderful video!

Liu, for sure! His is much more refined, mesmerizing.

Interesting explanation of two completely different interpretation of this Chopin Nocturne, both are so beautiful that it’s really not possible to choice one of them, this is the secret of classical Music….

Great video!! More videos like this please!!

Interesting comparison of opposite extremes , although a bit unfair. A studio recording is nothing like a live competition performance. Also, Pollini won the Warzav Chopin Competition 63 years ago, and his interpretation benefits from a lifetime of study. That said, both artists are wonderful. I'd rather enjoy both of them than choose one. By the way, I had the chance to listen to Pollini live a few times and met him socially once in Milan. He's actually a funny guy.

Not an accurate comparison based on the age factor, one in his twenties just launching his concert career, the other an much older veteran concert pianist! Regardless, I still prefer Bruce Liu’s interpretation.