Why did I think it was going to be played by 11 pianists all at the same time

Everyone commenting is naming someone else as their favorite. This is a good sign. Music lives on.

My mother was a concert pianist in Germany and in the United States. I was blessed by the age of three to hear her playing this on the baby grand that sat in the living room. Even before I knew who wrote it or the name of the melody, I recognized the butterflies and called it "Butterfly." There are three I'm actually torn between for styles similar to hers: 01-Daniil Trifonov, 02-Samson François, and 11-Valentina Lisitasa. Ever since I lost her some time ago, I have searched for the closest thing to her style, like angels kissing her fingertips as they danced ever so lightly across the keys. Thank you for this blend of styles: each still puts a smile of remembrance on my face, not only of her, but of one of the few memories I actually have of my childhood. I'm grateful beyond words!

My favorite is Stanislav Bunin. It's a bit slower and gentler, a little less spiky, it's lovely to listen to. And it really plays up the drama! The rubatos are really free and drawn out. It's like we don't even care that it's an etude anymore, we're going to play it like a ballade.

Samson Francois. His slower and sensitive approach brings out the intrinsic beauty of the melody. Less bravura, more attention to the musical line.

Ashkenazy and Lisitsa give the most fluid and magical interpretation. No exageration or distortion, not too fast or too slow. Trifonov's version is very sweet and delicate. My 3 favourite for this lovely short etude.

Lang lang does tend to play pieces at much higher speeds than most people would like, but he didnt donit much if at all for this, and it works really well.

Absolutely Cziffra

I like Cziffra the most. But all are very well played, too. 😊

Thanks for putting this together. I like the variance between the artists. I actually like Cziffra’s interpretation the best! No nonsense, balls to the walls playing but with expressiveness as well!

Boris Berezovsky followed closely by György Cziffra. I'm blown away.

Sokolov and Lisitsa are my favorites. So clean!

1. Bunin (the best gradation), 2. Berezovsky (the most interesting articulation), 3. Trifonov (light as a feather).

9:13!! Vladimir!

Definitely Daniil Trifonov! He plays this piece in such a balanced way with not too much rubato.

I like the performers that hold that long Db in the left hand towards the end. The sheet music shows it as a dotted eighth note but half of them are holding it for way longer than that. The let it ring until it decays on it own. I think it's held with the middle pedal because everything else around it is staccato.

My top 3 "Butterfly" etude performances of this set are Sokolov, Lang Lang, and Cziffra's. Cziffra and Sokolov's playing of this etude has a heavier sound with the bass notes and just stand out from the rest. I like Sokolov's overall dynamics the best here. Lang Lang's interpretation is lighter as it doesn't have the heavy bass note, and I like the placement of his rubatos.

Jan Lisiecki's is my fav - I could feel the sweep and swoop of the butterfly. A few performances felt like the butterfly had met its end on the front grill of a car, or had been trampled by an elephant.

Lisiecki interpretation and Trifonov one are the very best! Well-balanced and so playfully played (Also, do not forget, that the name Butterfly was NOT given by CHOPIN, so it is irrelevant to say, "I cannot hear the butterfly", because when Chopin was composing this piece, I think the last thing, which he had on his mind was a butterfly ... ) So, do not please say, it is not so "butterfly" or it doesnt sounds like it, because originally it even should NOT .... The names given to the etudes were rather orientational than some RULE of how to play that piece. Stay logical and realise what is the truth based on the history! Listen which interpretation is mostly like Chopin or which one is mostly following the sheet music, then you may objectively say which one is the best, if you focus on following sheet music BY Chopin. But subjective opinion counts as well! But not when it contains argument about butterfly ...

같은곡 같은음인데도 치는사람마다의 개성과 느낌이 가지각색인게 피아노뿐만이 아닌 악기의 최대매력이라 생각한다..결론은 치프라 사랑해요!!♥

Grigory sokolov and boris are the best in my opinion. That piece is a direct reference to the life of a butterfly; short but joyful and they represent this the best

Sokolov, Lisista Vladimir...I don't despute the other interpretations though, all sound amazing.

Sokolov and.... Valentina. Never thought I'd say I like her version the best, but that was super clean.

So glad to see Valentina on this list. I love how she plays Chopin. My all time favorite

Lang Lang’s interpretation at 4:51 is so beautiful, easily my favorite performance.

According to me Cziffra's version is very much precise and sounds in a very harmonic flow at the same time That's what a perfectionist sounds like

Stanislav Bunin is so warm and elegant. Not as fast as other players but it's to my taste.

My favorite performance among these 11: Sokolov.

Berezovsky's interpretation here is closest to the one I favour most, though I forget who performed my favourite version of this.

Despite the similarities any piece of music will inevitably have with other objects in the universe, a piece of music is its own object, created by the artistic use of compositional principles, such as motifs, patterns and harmonic balance. Chopin was in love with these principles and he intentionally didn’t give his pieces metaphorical names because he wanted to highlight the fact that he wasn’t trying to compose something beautiful that sounded or looked like a butterfly, waterfall, or harp. He was using the laws of sound to create something tremendously balanced and complex that, as a result, sounded like something beautiful you hadn’t ever experienced. In the case of the etudes, his co-main goal is to use each piece as a study of specific musical principles.

I Loved Lang Lang's version the most (and Valentina's) !!!! and yes, I am also a pianist and love this piece.

György Cziffra. NUMBER ONE

All of them are marvelous. The more I listen to them, the more I prefer Mr. Bunin’s interpretation. So profound. 😊

BRINGING THE CLASSICAL MUSIC BACK BEAUTIFUL

Surprisingly, Bunin on this one!

I see lang lang bobbing his head like he usually does with this piece

I love the Butterfly etude!!!!😍😍😍😍❤❤❤❤

I quite liked Lang Lang's version the most. It has its own unique style compared to the rest... I loved Lang Lang's nuances throughout the music, made it more original and uniquely his own interpretation

POLLINI❤️

Lisiecki's interpretation is making the most of what was written. It dances and sets a graceful course.

No one plays this passage better than Cziffra: 8:46 - 8:55

Daniil Trifonov, Stanislav Bunin, Lukas Geniusas

Me encantan estas comparativas! Gracias!

Boris Berezovsky

I wanna hear Chopin play it

berezovsky version is awesome. like a butterfly is in harm!

So little of Sokolov on You Tube, but I thought he was streaks ahead. Thanks for these interesting compilations. Irresistible, judging these giants of the piano in this way - or maybe that's not the idea!

Bunin and Lang Lang are my favourite.

Daniil Trifonov is the best to me

Chopin to najpiękniejsza spuścizna dla ludzkości.

Samson played it well, I think he played it at the perfect tempo.

Samson François, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Stanislav Bunin and Lukas Geniusas are The Best!

Boris' version has more personality for me. Cziffra’s version was my favorite alongside it, because it sounds more like a butterfly, it’s fast and strong and defined, but also sounds so effortless, as if flying (and playing this) is just second nature.

if im being honest i like Rousseau's version the best. mostly cuz of the slower ending. its very similar to Grigory Sokolov's rendition.

Length of the video is very satisfying

당신은 한국인 댓글을 찾았다. 축하한다.

This piece is so beautiful! My choice is Grigory Sokolov's interpretation.

Valentina Lisitsa FTW!!!

Samson François and Grigory Sokolov are really fantastic.

베레조프스키...♡

Lang Lang. He is my favourite

상송 프랑수아, 부닌, 소콜로프 저의 pick 입니다!

Grigory Sokolov was my favorite

Samson François The Best!

This is fun! What would be more fun would be to have the "Butterfly" Etude and Chopin's Sonata No. 2, Opus 35 (the sonata with the funeral march movement), on the same album! What other Chopin works could we add to this mix?

мне понравилось исполнение Березовского. наиболее выразительная фразировка без потери темпа. - Соколов превосходен. Георги Циффра 👍

For me, Sokolov is the most musically satisfying....nice balance of all the beauties inherent in this piece.

Boris and Lang Lang are my favorite interpretation amongst the best

Cziffra is the best

My top pics are Samson FrancoisI and Stanislav Bunin. I prefer the slower paces. I like Lang Lang's clatity.I started listening to this compilation a few days ago, and at the end of one of the artist's performance, my cell phone notification goes off. 😊😯😲 The notification bell is exactly the last 3 beats of this study. I was like "OMG!!!" The last 5 notes of this Etude, or very similar notes are on my cell phone 😊. In addition, I'm really enjoying learning the melody and the accompaniment. The more of it I memorize, the more interesting the whole piece becomes. I really love the bouncy rhythm too.

0:07 Trifonov 1:03 François 2:08 Berezovsky 3:05 Bunin 4:17 Lang 5:17 Lisiecki 6:12 Sokolov 7:08 Geniušas 8:16 Cziffra 9:13 Ashkenazy 10:10 Lisitsa

Super cat joined the chat... 😻😻😻

I liked Lista, full hands relaxed with gravity feed....

Cziffra's the best by far, he is not affraid of anything! Best interpretation for my opinion!

Cziffra is amazing, his LH is the best among all versions

Cziffra 100%

Definitely think Lang Lang's interpretation is most Chopinesque. But my personal favorite is François. Tempo is just right

Personally, I preferred Sokolov: gorgeous legato, sang the tune without unnecessary accents, nuanced and fairly subtle phrasing.

Grigory Sokolov !!!

Samson Francois take the cake here! just a perfect rendition

Jan plays it great

I usually don’t like Lisitsa, but here is th favorite

My Personal favorite is Pollini, though he isnt in this list for some reason. Out of this compilation, my favorite would be Ashkenazy, because his interpretation matches very good with how I myself play and understand this piece.

6/ Jan Lisiecki :)

3 best : me,me and me i'm kiding pollini,litista and sokolov

For me absolutely Lang Lang! As much as he's not my favourite of these 11 pianists, this very etude sounds as if Chopin wrote it just for him!

Superbe

Even tho Murray Perahia's speciality is like Bach, Mozart and Beethoven he plays the best chopin i haver ever heard and probably will ever hear. In almost all pieces, etudes, waltzes, polonaises, mazurkas everything! Even tho this video has gathered 11 extremely talented pianists none of them will ever touch me as murray perahias version. If you didnt hear go on SPOTIFY and listen to it right now, you wont regret it.

Cziffra!

i like the ones that maintain the smooth melody. i think that was Chopins point here.

lisiecki and lisitsa

Definitiely #2....Samson Francois....hands down!!

Man, Trifinov with the uneven tempo. NYET.

I found, Sokolov showed inside this video - under this 11 pianists - for my the most greatest performance, but for the more light mood, some pianists here suit better. But it could be always better and better - in the future of the history.

Where is Alexander Romanovsky??!?!??!!!

Valentina Lisitsa - Some of those other "Butterflies" were a bit heavy. Hers were slightly more delicate.

lovE

sokolov is my FAVORITE WITH THIS SONG

György Cziffra is best 👏👏😁

Stanislav Bunin is BEST!