Before moving to the F minor Concerto 2nd movement, I neglected to
mention in Part 1 the very impressive conducting for most of the surveyed
versions.  Kord and Dutoit were very good with the others at even higher
levels.  Although the recorded sound was not good in a few cases, the
excellence of the orchestral contributions uniformly came through strongly.
As Emanuel Ax states, "I must confess that, in spite of general opinion, I
am extremely fond of the orchestral writing and feel that it accomplishes
everything that Chopin requires of an orchestra - powerful tuttis and
wonderful backgrounds as soon as the pianist enters".  But I do want to
emphasize that the pianist is the primary source of the overall quality
of any version; a great pianist saddled with a merely competent conductor
can still provide an excellent performance, but turn things around and the
performance sinks.

F minor Concerto Second Movement(Larghetto) - The form of the Larghetto
consists of an orchestral ritornello at the beginning and end of the
movement framing a theme and two ornamental variations.  The music is
very "sweet" and absolutely gorgeous with a very tense and dramatic middle
section.  Many adherents of Chopin's piano concerto feel that this second
movement represents the heart and soul of the work.  But for me, the first
movement is the heart of the F minor and the most inspired movement of the
concerto.  It is interesting to note that the second movement was written
before the first and is a reflection of unrequited love on the young
Chopin's part (some men don't get the partners they crave).

Bachauer does much better in the Larghetto, providing a heart-felt
interpretation with ample strength and drama.  The other pianists are also
excellent.  As for the conductors, Dutoit is alone in not delivering the
needed tension to the strongest passages, and Argerich's sound in the high
notes can be a trial to get through.  Overall, excepting for the Argerich
version, I find the performances equally enjoyable.  Concerning tempos,
the range is from Francois at 8'19" to Zimerman II clocking in at 11'6".
Although that's a sizeable difference, I didn't feel that any version was
too fast or slow; each one well supported the tempo used.  Perhaps I'm
not being discriminating enough with the second movement, but with the
exception noted above, my conclusion is that each version provided a
wealth of beauty, drama, and tension.

F minor Concerto Third Movement(Allegro vivace) - This lively and basically
happy movement is dance-like, having a mazurka and waltz.  It can be a very
exciting and/or playful piece.  What damages the music most is a "heavy"
interpretation which dilutes the inherent exuberance.  And that's the
performance that Ax/Mackerras deliver; it feels as if it has little life to
it and struggles to keep going.  Argerich/Dutoit aren't particularly heavy
or exciting or playful - just dull; nothing about it impacts me.  Arrau,
Rubinstein, Ohlsson, and Zimerman II are significantly better.  Arrau is
perfect in the mazurka, although he's a little heavy and not very playful
elsewhere.  Rubinstein is excellent with the mazurka, but there's some
insufficient piano projection which lessens the excitement quotient.
Ohlsson provides a very nice performance, but it's not angular enough.
Zimerman II has some very exciting moments but is a little hard-driven.

That leaves Zimerman I, Francois, Pires, and Bachauer as the exceptional
readings; these are performances which are exciting, playful, and reveal
a wealth of events.  Zimerman I is the most exciting; his fingers perform
wonders.  Bachauer is very exciting and playful with Dorati providing
superb support, and his brass are fantastic.  Pires and Francois are the
best versions.  Pires is power personified; what impresses me greatly is
how well she also delivers poetry, playfulness, and a wide range of events.
Also, she and the orchestra begin the movement in rather hushed tones which
I find a very nice touch.  Hers is a thrilling performance.  Francois is
deliciously playful throughout with ample power and drama; more that with
any other version, his sounds so fresh with each additional listening.

Summary of Concerto in F minor:

Francois has the distinction of being the only recording among the best
in each movement.  I think he digs into the heart of the music better
than any other pianist in the survey.  He's creative, lyrical, powerful,
playful, dynamic, etc.  The only feature Francois does not provide is
"thrills"; I listen to Francois and feel I have experienced the best that
Chopin offers, not that I've experienced the heights of technical wizardry.

Ax, Zimerman II, and Pires are must-buy versions.  With the exception
of the third movement, Ax/Mackerras is outstanding, and I'd want this
recording just for the superb first movement.  But do beware of that third
movement and realize that the sound of Ax's Erard is quite different from
the modern piano.  It has plenty of richness but does not project as well
as its current counterpart.  Zimerman II also has an outstanding first
movement.  Overall, Zimerman is highly exciting with ample poetry; the
recorded sound is excellent.  Pires is very good in the first two movements
and superb in the third; hers is a great mainstream version.

Strongly recommended are Zimerman I, Rubinstein, Arrau, and Bachauer.
Zimerman does very well throughout the concerto, Rubinstein is outstanding
in the more poetic sections, Arrau is high on power and drama, and
Bachauer, after a shaky first movement, is among the best thereafter.
An advantage for Bachauer is the exceptional conducting of Dorati.

I can recommend Ohlsson as a fine and lovely reading.  However, it has a
smoothness and comfort level which is too high.  The performances never
soar in any direction.

Argerich/Dutoit is not recommended.  First, the piano sound is not
acceptable, with high piano notes which are piercing, distracting, and
ultimately highly damaging to enjoyment.  Second, Dutoit, while perfectly
respectable, takes a back seat to each of the other conductors except for
Kord.  Third, there is nothing in Argerich's playing which maintains my
interest.  It could well be that the basic problem is the sound and not
Argerich.  Regardless, they come as a package, and when adding Dutoit to
the mix, the results just don't justify purchase.  I'm aware that this
recording received many accolades and that Gramophone considers the disc
the best on record.  I don't hear any of that greatness; using different
equipment, various audio settings, different times of the day - the
performance still sounds the same to me.

Don Satz
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