Chopin nocturnes

I must admit to never having heard Moravec performing Chopin so cannot compare. With this outpouring of Moravec recommendations, I think I know what my next few piano CDs will be... Of the others mentioned above (or not mentioned - Busoni, Dutra, Bolet, Dutra, etc), on the CD format, I am partial to Evgeny Kissin (with Pollini coming in a close second) for the Preludes. I have always liked Pollini on the Etudes.

I do have many Moravec Lps, yes, he is good and recording is decent too.
As for Chopin Waltzes, DINU LIPATTI is the one hard to surpass, PERIOD. Trust me. After listen his Waltzes, you wont go back to any one else. a must have.

The Moravec nocturnes are great, probably definitive.

For mazurkas the greatest is Andrzej Wasowski's recording on Concord. Here's a review from the New York Times: http://homepages.kdsi.net/~sherman/wasowski.html

Wasowski also recorded the nocturnes. Both are wonderful, natural recordings.

Maria Joao Pires' "Nocturnes" of 1996 were reviewed by Grmaophone as being the best recording since Arthur Rubinstein. I agree. Deutsche Grammophon 447 096-2.

Dinu Lipatti simply owns the waltzes. However, it is a mono recording, though relatively clean and good piano tone, so if you can, give it a listen first.

For mazurkas, I love Kapell on RCA, but again, sound quality may be an issue (again, not bad, but they are 50s recording and not Living Stereo issue) and it's not a complete set. Transcendent recording of sonata #3 should help to ease the pain on sonic front. Sonata #2 which is also included, has terrible sonics, unfortunately, and I prefer Michelangeli, Novaes and Sokolov anyways.

Pollini is superb in polonaises and is in excellent sound on DG.

For ballades, Sviatoslav Richter is unequalled. #1 and #2 can be found on BMG's Russian Piano School set (should be able to buy single CD of it now) and #3 and #4 are on DG. Sound on DG is quite good, BMG less so but listenable.

I again return to Richter for scherzi. Best sound/performance will be found on Olympia label, although performances are better on Doremi label, albeit in poor sound.

Not sure who I can recommend for etudes. My personal reference is Cortot and I simply stopped looking for other sets when I heard these and bought 'em but the sonics are pretty bad (20s/30s recording). I guess Ashkenazy is serviceable in good sound (not sure if he released complete etudes though).