Peter Frankl Plays Chopin

1. Prelude for piano in C sharp minor, Op. 45, CT 190
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
with Peter Frankl

2. Presto con leggerezza in A flat major, KK IVb/7, CT 191
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
with Peter Frankl

3. Impromptu for piano in A flat major, Op. 29, CT 43
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
with Peter Frankl

4. Impromptu for piano F sharp major, Op. 36, CT 44
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
with Peter Frankl

5. Impromptu for piano in G flat major, Op. 51, CT 45
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
with Peter Frankl

6. Fantasy-Impromptu for piano in C sharp minor, Op. 66, CT 46
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
with Peter Frankl

7. Barcarolle for piano in F sharp major, Op. 60, CT 6
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
with Peter Frankl

8. Nocturne for piano in C sharp minor, KK Anh.Ia/6 (doubtful)
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
with Peter Frankl

9. Nocturne for piano in F minor, Op. 55/1, CT 122
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
with Peter Frankl

10. Nocturne for piano in E flat major, Op. 55/2, CT 123
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
with Peter Frankl

11. Waltz for piano E flat major, KK IVa/14 (spurious)
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
with Peter Frankl

12. Waltz for piano in A flat major, KK IVa/13, CT 221
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
with Peter Frankl

13. Waltz for piano in E major, KK IV/a12, CT 220
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
with Peter Frankl

14. Andante spianato and Grande Polonaise for piano, Op. 22.
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
with Peter Frankl

Tracks:

Prld No.25 in c#, Op.45
Prld No.26 in A flat, Op.posth
Impromptu No.1 in A flat, Op.29
Impromptu No.2 in F#, Op.36
Impromptu No.3 in G flat, Op.51
Fant-Impromptu in c#, Op.66
Barcarolle in F#, Op.60
Nocturne No.20 in c#, Op.posth
Nocturne No.15 in f, Op.55 No.1
Nocturne No.16 in E flat, Op.55 No.2
Waltz No.17 in E flat, Op.posth
Waltz No.16 in A flat, Op.posth
Waltz No.15 in E, Op.posth
Andante Spianato And Grande Polonaise in E flat, Op.22: Andante Spianato/Grande Polonaise

Customer Reviews:

Elegant but Wan ; A Fine Andante Spianato & Grande Polonaise.......2004-03-18

Peter Frankl is a pianist I've heard several times in recital and with orchestra. I've always come away well-satisfied. Indeed, I recall with pleasure hearing him play a recital that was half-Chopin. Consequently, I expected this disc to be aethetically successful. But, in fact, although every note is in place and the playing is elegant, I kept feeling that there wasn't much going on emotionally in the playing. It was cool, distant, undercharacterized. This works in some of the pieces. For instance, the ever-popular (and over-played) Fantaisie-Impromptu in C sharp minor, Op. 66, was played less with bombast than with fluid grace and tenderness, particularly that middle section with the much-copied melody.

I'm possibly one of the few people who loves the Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise. It is fashionable to decry it, for some reason I don't quite understand. It concludes this disc. I wasn't expecting much. But it turns out to be the best performance on the disc even with a bit of unexpected galumphing in the Polonaise. It doesn't come up to my own personal benchmark for the piece, any of several recordings by Arthur Rubinstein, but it is in the same league poetically. I can't recommend the disc for this performance alone, but if, like I, you collect CDs that contain the piece, it might be for you.

TT=71:53

Scott Morrison

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