(Ignaz Friedman | 1923-30 | Studio) Complete Chopin Mazurka Recordings

Classical Pianists
Classical Pianists
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Published 2023-01-27
For listeners who are new to the name, welcome to one of the most beloved recording series of the 78-rpm era. Friedman's Chopin Mazurkas are little marvels of personality, rhythmic freedom, orchestral voicing, and folk-like temperament which have charmed, amused, intrigued, and amazed piano people for generations. Every one of the recordings he made is worthwhile, especially those from the main set, but if you'd rather not listen through the entire series - duplicates and all - then added below are a few recommendations (*) where you may wish to lend him an extra ear...


FRYDERYK CHOPIN
Main Set
00:00 - (1930-09-13) Mazurka in B-flat major, Op.7 No.1 (*)
01:57 - (1930-09-13) Mazurka in A minor, Op.7 No.2 (*)
04:32 - (1930-09-13) Mazurka in F minor, Op.7 No.3 (*)
06:28 - (1930-09-13) Mazurka in B-flat minor, Op.24 No.4 (*)
10:15 - (1930-09-13) Mazurka in D major, Op.33 No.3 (*)
12:22 - (1930-09-13) Mazurka in B minor, Op.33 No.4 (*)
16:34 - (1930-09-17) Mazurka in C-sharp minor, Op.41 No.4
19:37 - (1930-09-13) Mazurka in A-flat major, Op.50 No.2
22:41 - (1930-09-13) Mazurka in C-sharp minor, Op.63 No.3
24:53 - (1930-09-13) Mazurka in C major, Op.67 No.3 (*)
26:08 - (1930-09-13) Mazurka in A minor, Op.67 No.4 (*)
28:06 - (1930-09-13) Mazurka in A minor, Op.68 No.2
Superseded Recordings
30:39 - (1923-12-29) Mazurka in C-sharp minor, Op.63 No.3
32:51 - (1924-03-15) Mazurka in D major, Op.33 No.3
35:19 - (1925-12-29) Mazurka in D major, Op.33 No.3
37:38 - (1926-09-06) Mazurka in B minor, Op.33 No.4
41:00 - (1928-02-09) Mazurka in B-flat major, Op.7 No.1
43:05 - (1929-10-10) Mazurka in C-sharp minor, Op.41 No.4 (*)
Rejected Takes
46:10 - (1930-02-17) Mazurka in B-flat minor, Op.24 No.4 (*)
50:08 - (1929-10-10 or 1930-02-17) Mazurka in B minor, Op.33 No.4

Ignaz Friedman, piano
Source: Columbia Studio Recordings

Columbia Studios, New York City (1923, 1924, 1925)
Petty France Studios, London (1926)
Fyvie Hall, London (1928)
Westminster Central Hall, London (1929, 1930)

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All Comments (15)
  • @schnabelite
    the tapping of the dancers, the excitement of the dance are set before your eyes... how fittingly those sudden accents come about... Friedman, joy of my life
  • @evifnoskcaj
    Wow. I've never heard these recordings and I quite like them. Excellent sense of style, massive dynamic range, great control, and very precise playing overall.
  • @Johannes_Brahms65
    I like this a lot. However I wonder what would happen if anyone would play like this at the Chopin competition, or even at their conservatory exam. Good old days! What I always wonder about is the little amount of pedaling in old recordings.
  • @Architravsky
    Ignacy Friedman was born and raised in Podgórze, now a district of Krakow. Poland. In his youth he used to go with his father to dances organised in villages near Krakow. And it was this experience that determined the style of his mazurka performances - a peasant style, not a courtly salon style. Friedman himself said this in an interview.
  • @schnabelite
    what a poet of wordliness he is... I invite you to listen to 43:05 , I doubt it gets any better than this
  • @josephlaredo5272
    Who today plays so quietly and with such delicacy and fantasy? No one in my (fairly extensive) experience. Magical.