Polonaises 1-10

On this CD:

1. Polonaise for piano in C sharp minor, Op. 26/1, CT 150
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by France Clidat

2. Polonaise for piano in E flat minor, Op. 26/2, CT 151
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by France Clidat

3. Polonaise for piano in A major, Op. 40/1, CT 152
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by France Clidat

4. Polonaise for piano in C minor, Op. 40/2, CT 153
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by France Clidat

5. Polonaise for piano in F sharp minor, Op. 44, CT 154
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by France Clidat

6. Polonaise for piano in A flat major, Op. 53, CT 155
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by France Clidat

7. Polonaise-fantasy for piano in A flat major, Op. 61, CT 156
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by France Clidat

8. Polonaise for piano in D minor, Op. 71/1, CT 157
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by France Clidat

9. Polonaise for piano in B flat major, Op. 71/2, CT 158
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by France Clidat

10. Polonaise for piano in F minor, Op. 71/3, CT 159
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by France Clidat

Tracks:

24 Preludes, Op.28: I - C Major
24 Preludes, Op.28: II - A Minor
24 Preludes, Op.28: III - G Major
24 Preludes, Op.28: IV - E Minor
24 Preludes, Op.28: V - D Major
24 Preludes, Op.28: VI - B Minor
24 Preludes, Op.28: VII - A Major
24 Preludes, Op.28: VIII - F Sharp Minor
24 Preludes, Op.28: IX - E Major
24 Preludes, Op.28: X - C Sharp Minor
24 Preludes, Op.28: XI - B Major
24 Preludes, Op.28: XII - G Sharp Minor
24 Preludes, Op.28: XIII - F Sharp Major
24 Preludes, Op.28: XIV - E Flat Minor
24 Preludes, Op.28: XV - D Flat Major 'Raindrop'
24 Preludes, Op.28: XVI - B Flat Minor
24 Preludes, Op.28: XVII - A Flat Major
24 Preludes, Op.28: XVIII - F Minor
24 Preludes, Op.28: XIX - E Flat Major
24 Preludes, Op.28: XX - C Minor
24 Preludes, Op.28: XXI - B Flat Major
24 Preludes, Op.28: XXII - G Minor
24 Preludes, Op.28: XXIII - F Major
24 Preludes, Op.28: XXIV - D Minor
Prelude In C Sharp Minor, Op.45
Prelude In A Flat Major
Impromptu In A Flat Major, Op.29
Impromptu In F Sharp Major, Op.36
Impromptu In G Flat Major, Op.51
Fantaisie-Impromptu In C Sharp Minor, Op.66

Tracks:

Ballade No.1 In G Minor, Op.23
Ballade No.2 In F Major, Op.38
Ballade No.3 In A Flat Major, Op.47
Ballade No.4 In F Minor, Op.52
Scherzo No.1 In B Minor, Op.20
Scherzo No.2 In B Flat Minor, Op.31
Scherzo No.3 In C Sharp Minor, Op.39
Scherzo No.4 In E Minor, Op.54

Tracks:

3 Nocturnes, Op.9: I - B Flat Minor
3 Nocturnes, Op.9: II - E Flat Major
3 Nocturnes, Op.9: III - B Major
3 Nocturnes, Op.15: I - F Major
3 Nocturnes, Op.15: II - F Sharp Major
3 Nocturnes, Op.15: III - G Minor
2 Nocturnes, Op.27: I - C Sharp Minor
2 Nocturnes, Op.27: II - D Flat Major
2 Nocturnes, Op.32: I - B Major
2 Nocturnes, Op.32: II - A Flat Major
2 Nocturnes, Op.37: I - G Minor
2 Nocturnes, Op.37: II - G Major

Tracks:

2 Nocturnes, Op.48: I - C Minor
2 Nocturnes, Op.48: II - F Sharp Minor
2 Nocturnes, Op.55: I - F Minor
2 Nocturnes, Op.55: II - E Flat Major
2 Nocturnes, Op.62: I - B Major
2 Nocturnes, Op.62: II - E Major
Nocturne In E Minor, Op.72 No.1
Nocutrne In C Sharp Minor
Nocturne In C Minor

Tracks:

12 Etudes, Op.10: I - C Major
12 Etudes, Op.10: II - A Minor
12 Etudes, Op.10: III - E Major
12 Etudes, Op.10: IV - C Sharp Minor
12 Etudes, Op.10: V - G Flat Major 'Black Key'
12 Etudes, Op.10: VI - E Flat Minor
12 Etudes, Op.10: VII - C Major
12 Etudes, Op.10: VIII - F Major
12 Etudes, Op.10: IX - F Minor
12 Etudes, Op.10: X - A Flat Major
12 Etudes, Op.10: XI - E Flat Major
12 Etudes, Op.10: XII - C Minor 'Revolutionary'
12 Etudes, Op.25: I - A Flat Major
12 Etudes, Op.25: II - F Minor
12 Etudes, Op.25: III - F Major
12 Etudes, Op.25: IV - A Minor
12 Etudes, Op.25: V - E Minor
12 Etudes, Op.25: VI - G Sharp Minor
12 Etudes, Op.25: VII - C Sharp Minor
12 Etudes, Op.25: VIII - D Flat Major
12 Etudes, Op.25: IX - G Flat Major
12 Etudes, Op.25: X - B Minor
12 Etudes, Op.25: XI - A Minor 'Winter Wind'
12 Etudes, Op.25: XII - C Minor

Tracks:

2 Polonaises, Op.26: I - C Sharp Minor
2 Polonaises, Op.26: II - E Flat Minor
2 Polonaises, Op.40: I - A Major
2 Polonaises, Op.40: II - C Minor
Polonaise In F Sharp Minor, Op.44
Polonaise In A Flat Major, Op.53
Polonaise-fantaisie In A Flat Major, Op.61

Tracks:

3 Polonaises, Op.71: I - D Minor
3 Polonaises, Op.71: II - B Flat Major
3 Polonaises, Op.71: III - F Minor
Polonaise In B Flat Minor
Polonaise In G Flat Major
Polonaise In G Minor
Polonaise In B Flat Major
Polonaise In A Flat Major
Polonaise In G Sharp Minor

Tracks:

Waltz In E Flat Major, Op.18
3 Waltzes, Op.34: I - A Flat Major
3 Waltzes, Op.34: II - A Minor
3 Waltzes, Op.34: III - F Major
Waltz In A Flat Major, Op.42
3 Waltzes, Op.64: I - D Flat Major
3 Waltzes, Op.64: II - C Sharp Minor
3 Waltzes, Op.64: III - A Flat Major
2 Waltzes, Op.69: I - A Flat Major
2 Waltzes, Op.69: II - B Minor
3 Waltzes, Op.70: I - G Flat Major
3 Waltzes, Op.70: II - F Minor
3 Waltzes, Op.70: III - D Flat Major
Waltz In E Minor (1830)
Waltz In E Major (1829)
Waltz In A Minor (?1843)
Waltz In A Flat Major (1827)
Waltz In E Flat Major ('Sostenuto', 1840)
Waltz In E Flat Major (1829 - 1830)

Tracks:

4 Mazurkas, Op.6: I - F Sharp Minor
4 Mazurkas, Op.6: II - C Sharp Minor
4 Mazurkas, Op.6: III - E Major
4 Mazurkas, Op.6: IV - E Flat Minor
5 Mazurkas, Op.7: I - B Flat Major
5 Mazurkas, Op.7: II - A Minor
5 Mazurkas, Op.7: III - F Minor
5 Mazurkas, Op.7: IV - A Flat Major
5 Mazurkas, Op.7: V - C Major
4 Mazurkas, Op.17: I - B Flat Major
4 Mazurkas, Op.17: II - E Minor
4 Mazurkas, Op.17: III - A Flat Major
4 Mazurkas, Op.17: IV - A Minor
4 Mazurkas, Op.24: I - G Minor
4 Mazurkas, Op.24: II - C Major
4 Mazurkas, Op.24: III - A Flat Major
4 Mazurkas, Op.24: IV - B Flat Minor
4 Mazurkas, Op.30: I - C Minor
4 Mazurkas, Op.30: II - B Minor
4 Mazurkas, Op.30: III - D Flat Major
4 Mazurkas, Op.30: IV - C Sharp Minor
4 Mazurkas, Op.33: I - G Sharp Minor
4 Mazurkas, Op.33: II - D Major
4 Mazurkas, Op.33: III - C Major
4 Mazurkas, Op.33: IV - B Minor
4 Mazurkas, Op.41: I - C Sharp Minor
4 Mazurkas, Op.41: II - E Minor
4 Mazurkas, Op.41: III - B Major
4 Mazurkas, Op.41: IV - A Flat Major

Tracks:

3 Mazurkas, Op.50: I - G Major
3 Mazurkas, Op.50: II - A Flat Major
3 Mazurkas, Op.50: III - C Sharp Minor
3 Mazurkas, Op.56: I - B Major
3 Mazurkas, Op.56: II - C Major
3 Mazurkas, Op.56: III - C Minor
3 Mazurkas, Op.59: I - A Minor
3 Mazurkas, Op.59: II - A Flat Major
3 Mazurkas, Op.59: III - F Sharp Minor
3 Mazurkas, Op.63: I - B Major
3 Mazurkas, Op.63: II - F Minor
3 Mazurkas, Op.63: III - C Sharp Minor
4 Mazurkas, Op.67: I - G Major
4 Mazurkas, Op.67: II - G Minor
4 Mazurkas, Op.67: III - C Major
4 Mazurkas, Op.67: IV - A Minor
4 Mazurkas, Op.68: I - C Major
4 Mazurkas, Op.68: II - A Minor
4 Mazurkas, Op.68: III - F Major
4 Mazurkas, Op.68: IV - F Minor
Mazurka In A Minor ('a Emile Gaillard', 1840)
Mazurka In A Minor ('Notre temps', 1840)
Mazurka In B Flat Major (1826)
Mazurka In G Major (1826)
Mazurka In A Flat Major (1834)
Mazurka In C Major (1833)
Mazurka In B Flat Major (For Alexandra Wolowska, 1832)
Mazurka In D Major (1832)
Mazurka In D Major (?1820)
Mazurka In F Minor, Op.68 No. 4 - Vladimir Ashkenazy

Tracks:

Piano Sonata No.2 In B Flat Minor, Op.35: I - Grave - Doppio movimento
Piano Sonata No.2 In B Flat Minor, Op.35: II - Scherzo
Piano Sonata No.2 In B Flat Minor, Op.35: III - Marche funebre
Piano Sonata No.2 In B Flat Minor, Op.35: IV - Finale: Presto
Piano Sonata No.3 In B Minor, Op.58: I - Allegro maestoso
Piano Sonata No.3 In B Minor, Op.58: II - Scherzo: Molto vivace
Piano Sonata No.3 In B Minor, Op.58: III - Largo
Piano Sonata No.3 In B Minor, Op.58: IV - Finale: Presto, non tanto
Fantaisie In F Minor, Op. 49

Tracks:

Piano Sonata No.1 In C Minor, Op.4: I - Allegro maestoso
Piano Sonata No.1 In C Minor, Op.4: II - Minuetto - Trio
Piano Sonata No.1 In C Minor, Op.4: III - Larghetto
Piano Sonata No.1 In C Minor, Op.4: IV - Finale: Presto
Variations sur un air national allemand - E Major (1826)
Rondo In C Minor, Op.1
3 Ecossaises, Op.72 No.3: I - D Major; II - G Major; III - D Flat Major
Rondo 'a la Mazur' In F Major, Op.5
Marche funebre In C Minor, Op.72 No.2
Contredanse In G Flat Major (?1827) - Vladimir Ashkenazy
Rondo In C Major, Op.73 - Vladimir Ashkenazy
Variations In D Major For Piano Duet (1826) - Vladimir Ashkenazy

Tracks:

Variations In A Major ('Souvenir de Paganini', 1829)
Variations brillantes In B Flat Major, Op.12
Rondo In E Flat Major, Op.16
Bolero In A Minor, Op.19
Cantabile In B Flat Major
Variation In E Major
Largo In E Flat Major
Allegro de concert In A Major, Op.46
3 Nouvelles Etudes (1837): I - F Minor
3 Nouvelles Etudes (1837): II - A Flat Major
3 Nouvelles Etudes (1837): III - D Flat Major
Tarentelle In A Flat Major, Op.43
Fugue In A Minor (1841 - 42)
Albumblatt in E Major (1843)
Op.74 No.2: Wiosna - Spring
2 Bourrees (1846): I - G Minor; II - A Major
Galop Marquis
Berceuse In D Flat Major, Op.57
Barcarolle In F Sharp Major, Op.60

Customer Reviews:

My experience of this CD.......2007-04-04

My hats off to this CD collection! It was worth it!!! Chopin is a true genius for the piano, on this collection.

Beautiful!.......2006-08-18

This is a beautifully played collection of Chopin's work. It was a birthday gift,
and I listen to bits of it every day. I have yet to find a favorite
CD, as each is so lovely. It is well worth the price.

Well worth the money. Wonderful! Wonderful!.......2006-06-10

I am not a classical music expert but I am an expert when it comes to a great product. I have listened to the works of rubenstein and Horowitz, but nothing is comparable to this great collection of polands favorite son. The nocturnes are dreamy and romantic. The other pieces though not as mesmerizing have plenty of depth and feeling. This is a collection that you will listen to over and over again. Although this music is great anytime, it's especially meaningful during a light rainfall. Go ahead and make this investment. It's only $100.00. For the next 100 days save a dollar and you will have it paid for. I promise you won't be sorry. Excellent! Excellent!

Best investment to make.......2006-05-21

In my opinion, this is the apex of classical music. You will not find a better CD for Chopin or any piano recordings. There may be plenty of comparable CDs, but nothing can claim to surpass this.

Although some pieces are not as good as those by other artists, Ashkenazy's interpretations of Chopin are the best I've ever heard. Add in his amazing technical performance and you've got some sublime music.

Listening to these pieces have immensely helped my own Chopin reportoire. I don't play to mimic Ashkenazy, but I use his insights and apply my own style over that and end up with something exponentially better than what I could produce on my own.

The price is something you have to seriously consider. A hundred bucks. Yeah, that's a lot of money, but that's 48 cents per song. And you'll listen to these songs dozens of times, at least, I guarantee. Plus it's a great deal... if you were to get all the Ashkenazy-Chopin CDs available on Amazon, overlapping pieces as little as possible, you'd pay $30 more and still not have everything.

This is an investment for life and will definitely remain one of my favorite CD sets for decades. Decades. A hundred bucks for decades of amazing music. This stuff is larger than today, larger than life.. music this good is something you can't afford to pass up because of temporary financial difficulties.

A great pianist interpreting the most inspired composer ever !.......2005-09-15

Lets imagine that Chopin himself has recorded his own compositions in a perfectly clear CD. I am sure that some classical music reviewers would say "This is not the way Chopin is meant to be played". These classical music "pundits" are very intolerant.

Interpretation and emotion feeling is also a matter of taste, so that the only one who can give a final answer is Franois (Frederic).

Ashkenazy is gifted with a phenomenal technique, a great pianist. So that this collection is for sure 5 stars. Enjoy it.

Ah, if you like to see piano technique in action, listen to Georgy Cziffra's interpretation of Etude op. 10 no. 4. (Search the album in my reviews.)

Average customer rating:

Impecable!
Superb Playing
Really extraordinary performance of the Preludes and Etudes!
About the Etudes
This Music Doesn't Need A Title

Chopin: Etudes/Preludes/Polonaises

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Polonaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
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ASIN: B000001GE5
Release Date: 1991-02-08

Tracks:

12 Etudes Op. 10: No. 1 C-dur: Allegro
12 Etudes Op. 10: No. 2 a-moll: Allegro
12 Etudes Op. 10: No. 3 E-dur: Lento, ma non troppo
12 Etudes Op. 10: No. 4 cis-moll: Presto
12 Etudes Op. 10: No. 5 Ges-dur: Vivace
12 Etudes Op. 10: No. 6 es-moll: Andante
12 Etudes Op. 10: No. 7 C-dur: Vivace
12 Etudes Op. 10: No. 8 F-dur: Allegro
12 Etudes Op. 10: No. 9 f-moll: Allegro, molto agitato
Etudes Op. 10: No. 10 As-dur: Vivace assai
Etudes Op. 10: No. 11 Es-dur: Allegretto
Etudes Op. 10: No. 12 c-moll: Allegro con fuoco
12 Etudes Op. 25: No. 1 As-dur: Allegro sostenuto
12 Etudes Op. 25: No. 2 f-moll: Presto
12 Etudes Op. 25: No. 3 F-dur: Allegro
12 Etudes Op. 25: No. 4 a-moll: Agitato
12 Etudes Op. 25: No. 5 e-moll: Vivace
12 Etudes Op. 25: No. 6 gis-moll: Allegro
12 Etudes Op. 25: No. 7 cis-moll: Lento
12 Etudes Op. 25: No. 8 Des-dur: Vivace
12 Etudes Op. 25: No. 9 Ges-dur: Allegro assai
12 Etudes Op. 25: No. 10 h-moll: Allegro con fuoco
12 Etudes Op. 25: No. 11 a-moll: Lento - Allegro con brio
12 Etudes Op. 25: No. 12 c-moll: Molto allegro, con fuoco

Tracks:

24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 1 C-Dur: Agitato
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 2 a-moll: Lento
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 3 G-Dur: Vivace
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 4 e-moll: Largo
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 5 D-Dur: Allegro molto
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 6 h-moll: Lento assai
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 7 A-Dur: Andantino
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 8 fis-moll: Molto agitato
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 9 E-Dur: Largo
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 10 cis-moll: Allegro molto
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 11 H-Dur: Vivace
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 12 gis-moll: Presto
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 13 Fis-Dur: Lento
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 14 es-moll: Allegro
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 15 Des-Dur: Sostenuto
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 16 b-moll: Presto con fuoco
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 17 As-Dur: Allegretto
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 18 f-moll: Allegro molto
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 19 Es-Dur: Vivace
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 20 c-moll: Largo
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 21 B-Dur: Cantabile
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 22 g-moll: Molto agitato
24 Preludes Op. 28: Nr. 23 F-Dur: Moderato
24 Preludes Op. 28: No. 24 d-moll: Allegro apassionato

Tracks:

Polonaise Op. 26: No. 1: Allegro appassionato
Polonaise Op. 26: No. 2: Maestoso
Polonaise Op. 40: No. 1: Allegro con brio
Polonaise Op. 40: No. 2: Allegro maestoso
Polonaise Op. 44
Polonaise Op. 53
Polonaise-Fantasie Op. 61

Amazon.com essential recording

Chopin may have distrusted romanticism, yet no other romantic composer has worn as well. His music both stings and sings with harmonic adventurousness, together with an uncanny instinct for the geography of the keyboard. The Op. 28 Préludes exemplify Chopin's genius for telegraphing big ideas into snug spaces, while his Études provide an index to his pianistic idiom. Pollini fares best in the Préludes, where his aristocratic pacing and cool control allow the music's mood swings to speak for themselves. The Études glitter with icy accuracy, but the Polonaises lack Rubinstein's rhythmic snap and generosity of spirit. Still, Pollini's unruffled pianism remains the envy of every conservatory student and competition aspirant. DG's analog sonics are fully competitive. --Jed Distler

Customer Reviews:

Impecable!.......2005-11-09

Pollini's interpretation and execution of the 24 etudes is superb, as are his polanaises. His preludes however, no.19 especially, I feel, have a touch of delicacy which it could do without. Where marked 'vivace' it is played closer to 'presto'. Apart from this however it is a first class performance, and fully worthy of the 5 stars I have given it.

Matt

Superb Playing.......2005-08-24

While sometimes a little faster than generally performed (as my teacher put it "because he can!") Pollini exeplifies near flawless technique with wonderful interpretation of Chopin. The only complaint I personally have, is that the playing seems a bit technical, and not as much emotion is put into the actual peices. Though Etudes are not generally known for their musicality, Pollini, I feel, could still be afford a little more push/pull in some of the selections.

Pollini does bring a new freshness to the set of preludes. Overplayed and sometimes butchered by the amateur pianist, Pollini peroforms these preludes masterfully and brings them to a level that I've rarely heard.

Other than my minor complaint, I feel that for any student or teacher willing to complete, add or update their library this is a great choice. Pollini delivers a crystal clear performance, worthy of any listener. Easily one of my favorite recordings in my collection!

Really extraordinary performance of the Preludes and Etudes!.......2005-02-25

It takes a very great artist to be able to play pieces which have been overperformed and overtaught, and bring something fresh to the table. Pollini does just that, especially in his performances of the Preludes and Etudes.

I would love to take a poll of the pianists and piano teachers here to see how many times they have taught the Chopin Preludes. From my own experience, I've taught these pieces so many times that I find myself dreading teaching #4 (e minor), #6 (b minor), #7 (A Major) or #20 (c minor) -- and I think we forget that these pieces are actual music and NOT "teaching pieces".

Pollini succeeds in taking these over-played pieces and transforming them back into "music". It's really nothing short of amazing. As I listened, I began noticing secondary melodies I'd never heard, particularly in #5 (D Major), #13 (F-Sharp Major), and #14 (e-flat minor). The F-Sharp Major Prelude is particularly gorgeous -- almost heart-rendingly so in the middle section. The g-sharp minor Prelude has exactly the right sense of fire and drive to bring this piece across; the A-Flat Major, E-Flat Major and F Major Preludes are nothing short of ravishing.

I bought this CD collection on suggestion of a friend of mine (also a pianist) who has experienced the same kind of burn-out I have with Chopin pieces which are over-taught and over-played, and/or over-interpreted to the point where the pieces become parodies of themselves. (I never heard so much bad, truly affected Chopin playing as I did at the school where I initially trained as a pianist!).

Pollini's Chopin is a real breath of fresh air -- restrained, elegantly timed rubatos; enough pedal to effect tonal coloring without the overpedalling so common in so many Chopin performances; a sense of drama in the playing combined with an edge of restraint so the pieces are never "over-played"; and he has an uncanny ability to convey a strong sense of structure to these pieces.

I can say quite honestly that the performances of the Preludes and Etudes on this CD have the force of a revelation. The proof of this is that after hearing the CD (many times), I have decided to learn all 24 Preludes (plus the C-Sharp Minor Prelude, op. 45) and play them all in a recital.

The Polonaises aren't quite as spellbinding as the Preludes and as riveting as the Etudes; but the Preludes and Etudes make this a compelling collection. I strongly and enthusiastically recommend this CD compilation!

About the Etudes.......2001-02-14

This album may be the best Chopin package on the market, especially given the bargain price. That said, an out-of-print CD featuring a young Vladimir Ashkenazy, recorded in Moscow in 1959/60, would be an even better choice (with respect to the Etudes) should it ever again become available. In that legendary recording, Ashkenazy's technique - especially in Op. 25, No. 6 - sends chills down the spine, and he infuses more life into the music than does Pollini. The Ashkenazy of that vintage should not be confused with his older ghost, currently available on the London/Decca label.

What Pollini offers here are whistle-clean performances of (some of) Chopin's major solo works. Pollini's approach, if somewhat clinical, is refreshing for its lack of affectation or excess. He does not belabor the music as many other Chopin performers are inclined to do, and he plays with solid technique throughout.

This Music Doesn't Need A Title.......2001-02-09

I really like this CD because (1) I am a big Chopin fan, and (2) I know these pieces well. Chopin's good point is his romanticism. The tracks on this CD are full of his deep, pasionate feeling for his native Poland, even though he was half French and lived outside Poland in such places as Majorca. He was the archetype of the romantic exile, and did his best to live up to this image by writing appropriately evocative music.

Average customer rating:

A captivating and important achievement

Clara Schumann: Complete Piano Works

Manufacturer: Cpo Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Polonaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music
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ASIN: B00005MAV1
Release Date: 2001-08-21

Tracks:

Sonata In G Minor: Allegro
Sonata In G Minor: Adagio
Sonata In G Minor: Scherzo
Sonata In G Minor: Rondo
Romanze In B Minor
Impromptu In E Major
Romanze In A Minor
Scherzo Op. 10 In D Minor
Deuxieme Scherzo Op. 14 In C Minor
Praludium In F Minor
Soirees Musicales Op. 6: Toccatina In A Minor
Soirees Musicales Op. 6: Notturno In F Major
Soirees Musicales Op. 6: Ballade In D Minor
Soirees Musicales Op. 6: Ballade In D Minor
Soirees Musicales Op. 6: Mazurka In G Major
Soirees Musicales Op. 6: Polonaise In A Minor
Etude In A-Flat Major
Marsch In E-Flat Major

Tracks:

Praeludien Und Fugen Op. 16: Andante-Allegro Vivace
Praeludien Und Fugen Op. 16: Allegretto-Andante
Praeludien Und Fugen Op. 16: Andante-Andante Con Moto
Variationen Uber Ein Thema Von Robert sSchumann Op. 20
Trois Romances Op. 11: Andante
Trois Romances Op. 11: Andante Und Allegro
Trois Romances Op. 11: Moderato
Romance Variee Op. 3
Caprices En Forme De Valse Op. 2: Allegro Moderato
Caprices En Forme De Valse Op. 2: Allegro Moderato
Caprices En Forme De Valse Op. 2: Andantino
Caprices En Forme De Valse Op. 2: Allegro
Caprices En Forme De Valse Op. 2: Allegretto
Caprices En Forme De Valse Op. 2: Allegro Risoluto
Caprices En Forme De Valse Op. 2: Allegro Ma Non Troppo
Caprices En Forme De Valse Op. 2: Allegro Assai
Caprices En Forme De Valse Op. 2: Allegretto
Souvenir De Vienne, Impromptu Op. 9
Valses Romantiques Op. 4

Tracks:

Variatons De Concert Sur La Cavatine Du Pirate De Bellini Op. 8
Quatre Polonoises Op. 1: Polonoise In E-flat Major
Quatre Polonoises Op. 1: Polonoise In C-Major
Quatre Polonoises Op. 1: Polonoise In D Major
Quatre Polonoises Op. 1: Polonoise In C Major
Quatre Pieces Caracteristiques Op. 5: Impromptu. Le Sabbat
Quatre Pieces Caracteristiques Op. 5: Caprice A La Bolero
Quatre Pieces Caracteristiques Op. 5: Romance
Quatre Pieces Caracteristiques Op. 5: Scene Fantastique. Le Ballet Des Revenants
Quatre Pieces Fugitives Op. 15: Larghetto
Quatre Pieces Fugitives Op. 15: Un Poco Agitato
Quatre Pieces Fugitives Op. 15: Andante Espressivo
Quatre Pieces Fugitives Op. 15: Scherzo
Praludium Und Fuge
Drei Fugen Uber Themen Von J.S. Bach: Fuga A 4 Voci In E-flat Major
Drei Fugen Uber Themen Von J.S. Bach: Fuga A 4 Voci In E Major
Drei Fugen Uber Themen Von J.S. Bach: Fuga A 4 Voci In G Minor
Drei Romanzen Op. 21: Andante, Sehr Innig Bewegt, Tempo I
Drei Romanzen Op. 21: Allegretto (Sehr Zart Zu Spielen)
Drei Romanzen Op. 21: Agitato, Langsamer, Tempo I

Customer Reviews:

A captivating and important achievement.......2007-01-15

Robert Schumann was a central figure in the Romantic period of classical music. Fitting the period, the romantic idyll of Robert and Clara Schumann's trial-filled courtship and ultimate marriage against the wishes of Clara's father, Friedrich Wieck, has been endlessly written about.

But it is not until now that we have, for the first time, access to the complete piano compositions of Clara Schumann. I cannot imagine a more sensitive and nuanced performance of these works than that of Jozef De Beenhouwer, a Belgian pianist who has made a specialty of the music of both Robert and Clara Schumann. He received the Robert Schumann Prize from the City of Zwickau, Schumann's birthplace, and has completed an unfinished second concerto of Clara Schumann, not included in this set.

Clara Schumann was prepared by her father not only to be a virtuoso pianist. He also envisaged her as the first great female composer. He opposed her marriage to Robert in part because he reckoned that her probable role as a wife and mother - as well as Robert's ambitions as a comoposer - would bury her talent. Clara's first group of compositions were published when she was only 11 years of age. A surviving piano concerto, Op. 7, was performed to critical acclaim when Clara was 16.

Clara Schumann continued as a famous pianist and musical presence throughout her life (40 years after her husband's tragic death). However, although Robert recognized her compositional talent and encouraged her, the birth of eight children, and her role as a wife and pianist early curtailed her compositional activity (old Wieck was right in this respect). Her compositions have widely been regarded as worth little attention in comparison to those of her husband.

But this collection lets us make up our own minds about Clara's compositions. Most are from her early years, with a few from her later life. Except for her Concerto, many of the early works are in light genres, e.g. Polonaises (Op. 1), Romances, Impromptus, etc, but I found boldness, confidence, and originality in works from her earliest years. The Scherzi, Op. 10 and 14, are powerful and technically demanding. Some of the most remarkable pieces are preludes and fuges based on themes of J.S.Bach, and themes by Robert, written in the year, 1845, which gained favorable reviews for their skill and substance.

In summary, my wife and I both find this four-CD set both highly rewarding music beyond any novelty value associated the fame of the Schumann connection. In fact, I don't hesitate to make my own assessment that had Clara had the same opportunities as Robert, she may well have equalled him as a composer and fulfilled father Friedrich's dream.

Average customer rating:

At least 16 / 19 well spent hours
Enlightening but slighly blemished
Chopin - Luisada, Jean-Marc
Chopin - Luisada, Jean-Marc
Learn, learn, learn!

Chopin: Complete Edition
Krystian Zimerman , Claudio Arrau , Stefan Askenase , Anatol Ugorski , Maurizio Pollini , Jean-Marc Luisada , and Zilberstein, Lilya
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Bourees | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Ecossaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Galops | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Polonaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Ballads | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Rondos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Lullabies & Berceuse | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Barcarolles | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Liszt: Piano Works
Bach: Complete Works - 155 CD Box Set
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Complete Works (170 CD Box Set)
Beethoven: The Complete Piano Sonatas & Concertos
Haydn: The Masterworks [Box Set]

ASIN: B00001X58Z
Release Date: 1999-10-12

Amazon.com

On the 150th anniversary of his death, Deutsche Grammophon released this impressive box set featuring the complete works of Frédéric Chopin. Spread out over 17 CDs, it contains some truly big-name artists--Argerich, Pollini, Barenboim, and Ashkenazy--and a few you've probably never heard of. The majority of the set's nine volumes contain some music newly produced for this undertaking, and a few items (Chopin's songs, for instance) were recorded specifically for this collection. A well-illustrated book is included--it contains an essay, dateline, and illustrations--and each volume in the set gets its own liner notes. The music? It varies from great to less than great, but most of it is worth hearing. Those accustomed to Rubinstein's readings of the Mazurkas will find those played by Jean-Marc Luisada less fluid and lacking Rubinstein's power. Chopin's songs, seldom heard and filled with elements of Polish folk dances and the less-than-stellar lyrics of the composer's friend Stefan Witwicki, get a college try here by soprano Elzbieta Szmytka. They sound as good as you'll hear anywhere (if you can find them). It probably goes without saying that Martha Argerich's rousing 26 Préludes are some of the set's more exciting moments. But, really, the entire collection is solid. It should be noted that budget label Naxos has released its own Chopin edition at less than half the price of this set. With Idil Biret as the only performer on that set, you miss out on some of the diverse performances and personalities found here. Also, to please those of us who already own favorite performances of these works, each two-CD volume in the Complete Chopin Edition can be purchased individually. Bravo. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

At least 16 / 19 well spent hours.......2004-10-11

In my opinion there is no more effective way to ruin a great musical performance than to record it in front of an audience who cannot control their coughs. The first disc starts out with a 1979 live recording of Chopin's first piano/orchestra concerto featuring pianist Krystian Zimerman and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam. The performance is good, but doesn't allow the listener full concentration,--and therefore not full enjoyment--as a distracting and annoying audience can be heard coughing, sneezing, and clearing their throats even above the orchestra's playing in mezzo forte - it gets worse, of course, at dynamically quieter musical parts. Other distractions, like chairs creaking, cracking and squeaking, pages being turned probably inches away from a microphone (perhaps to give the page-turner a chance to say "Did you hear that? That was me,") and people stomping/dropping things (?) add to the incapability of the listener's full enjoyment. I've heard much worse, however, but considering that the recording technique is no older than 25 years, this is on the verge of being unacceptable. Sure - there can be a certain charm in hearing such "humanity" on a recording, especially when it's older, but I don't think many would disagree that this is a bit too much. Hearing the opening of piano/orchestra concerto no.2, and knowing that the 18+ hours of music to come aren't going to be interrupted by coughs, is a big relief. My favorite Chopin interpreter is--and might always be--Rubinstein; his playing is straight forward, he cuts to the chase quickly, yet somehow manages to leave room for sensitivity and emotion. His performances, of course--since he never recorded a note for Deutsche Grammophon,--are not included in this "complete edition," so aside from suggestions that certain waltzes are missing, that is something that makes this boxed set incomplete for me. Pollini's general interpretation of Chopin is in my opinion, as in many others', quite weak in comparison to Argerich's, Zimerman's, or the passionate playing of Daniel Barenboim. Here Pollini performs Etudes, Scherzos, Sonatas and Polonaises. At times, during the Etudes of op. 10, I feel like I'm getting more Maurizio than I am getting Fryderyk, even though the performance (especially on no.3) may invite feelings of thriving despite the performer's occasional roaring in the left channel. The Scherzos feature some troublesome factors; first and foremost the sound (of this 1990 recording) isn't at all as good as one would expect. It's far worse than several older recordings of this set - at only six seconds into the first Scherzo (op.20) one can't avoid acknowledging obvious distortion - the recording has clearly been done with too much input level. Clips noises continue throughout the grainy and dull sound picture of these pieces. Second of all, the noises Pollini makes while playing can be quite off putting. At times he sounds like a boy with a voice just breaking experiencing climax of coition, and as we all know, Chopin had a prudish aversion to overt sexuality. One reason why Pollini's performance of the Scherzos being called "troublesome" might be harsh, is that musically he handles them ok, and I'd think that's what's essential, but Deutsche Grammophon has made the odd decision of including Pollini's recording of Sonata no. 2, op.35 (a.k.a. "Funeral March") from 1984 in this set, instead of Argerich's recording from 1975. First of all, Argerich's version has clearer sound (at least on the newly refurbished "The Originals" edition...but then again, that was released in 2002,) but second of all, and more importantly, her playing is far more straight forward during the first part of the Sonata (Grave,) whereas Pollini shows too much mercy both for strong dynamics and tempo throughout. Furthermore he's on the verge of playing parts of the March suggesting "lento," as if it read "rubato" (it's a MARCH!) His performance of Piano Sonata no.3 is also a bit lifeless, but the hour long disc of Polonaises recorded 1975 he handles surprisingly well (the occasional phlegmatic karaoke-roars may need a little time getting used to, though.) Several of these interpreters make some less musical noises while playing - Zimerman, for instance, breathes heavily through the nose after each and every completed phrase throughout all off his performances (although it can't be heard with orchestra.) When listening to his solo performances in head phones, the constant snuffling can distract and annoy quite a bit, but I know that I do the exact same thing when I play, myself, so perhaps I shouldn't complain until I've managed to rid the inconvenient problem myself. Besides Pollini's Polonaise interpretations, there's another (76 minute long) disc of Polonaises featuring mainly Ugorski, but also Argerich. Something that seems odd to me is that the sound quality of Argerich's 1974 recording once again is superior to a newer recording - in this case to the 1999 recording of Ugorski, which doesn't feature much middle in the sound picture, but uneven soughing and clip noises! Both their performances (but especially Argerich's,) are about as enjoyable as Chopin interpretations can be, I'd think, as is the technically and musically perfect, touching and mesmerizing Nocturne interpretations of Daniel Barenboim, recorded in 1981 - his playing here equals close to two hours of pure magic. While being a Rubinstein fan, I'm going to have to say that Barenboim's way of playing the Nocturnes is just how I think they should be played; they call for this somewhat gentle touch mixed in with their brutal sincerity, but I suggest for those who (especially) enjoy the Etudes, Sonatas and Scherzos to listen to Rubinstein's recordings of the works (available on RCA's Rubinstein Collection, vol. 26, vol. 45 and vol. 46.) Pollini is, of course, a fine performer, but I'd suggest listening to his interpretations of Prokofiev's and Stravinsky's work instead.
Rubinstein recorded the preludes (op.28) in their entirety only once, in 1946, which means that they aren't available in RCA's collection with preferable sound quality, but on this set Martha Argerich delivers a great performance of the 26 preludes (no.1-24, op.28, plus 25, op.45, and 26, op. 35,) recorded in 1975. One prelude that in my opinion should always be played as slow and gentle as possible is no.15 (a.k.a. "The Raindrop Prelude.") What I'd like to describe as a prefect version of the piece is performed by--despite my having done a lot of research--a, to me unknown performer, but runs at 6:08 minutes. Argerich rushes the whole piece a bit (the drops fall too closely -) the fact that her version runs at 4:51 should say a lot. Of the approximately 20 different performances I've heard of this particular prelude (obviously one of my favorites,) Argerich's is the shortest, and lays somewhere in the swamp among other "medium integral" versions. She delivers exciting performances of the other preludes, though - the first time I heard them, I hit repeat on my CD player, and listened to nothing else for three days.
The Mazurkas, here performed by Jean-Marc Luisada and Lilya Zilberstein, are performed--while beautifully--quite carefully and loosely. For those who'd like a more restrained performance of the pieces, RCA's Rubinstein Collection, vol. 50, is recommended.
Besides all the music for only piano(s,) Chopin also composed 80 minutes worth of chamber music, which here is performed by Beaux Arts Trio, et al. He also wrote 45+ minutes worth of songs, which here is performed by soprano Elzbieta Szmytka and pianist Malcolm Martineau on a 1999 performance. I don't feel qualified to comment on solo singing in Polish, but while I don't care for the occasional close-to-full effect vibrato, I like Martineau's piano playing and the almost folksy melodies and arrangements. This music distinguishes itself by far from the rest of the music in the set. Translations to several languages of the lyrics to the 19 songs are included.
The stereophony on all recordings is great, the overall sound quality on all discs (when considering the years of the recordings) I'd give a 4/5, but still rate the whole package 9/10 - I'd think that some (both older and newer) recordings could have been transferred better, while some sound superior to what you'd dare dream of. This is definitely the best complete edition of Chopin's music available, and perhaps the best collection of works available on disc by any classical composer. A lot of work has been put into the set's design, the sound, and certainly the amount and accuracy of interesting info given in the enclosed illustrated 140 page hard-cover book (of which a fifth is written in English) and in the 40-60 page booklets (also illustrated) included in each volume; practically everything you'll ever need to know about the composer (and these recordings) is included here along with all the music he wrote. Well worthy of your time and money.

Enlightening but slighly blemished.......2004-07-05

I commend DG on producing this comprehensive and thoughtfully packaged/annotated collection of Chopin's output. In it one can appreciate the wondrous manner in which Chopin at once appeased the conservative appetites of the Paris salon set while revolutionizing the genre of piano music in both traditional and more intimate forms.

The greatest virtue of this collection is the opportunity to hear more obscure elements of Chopin's collected ouevre. He wrote some lovely chamber music and wrote highly effective variations with and without orchestra. Among his 17 songs are a few gems.

As for the strength of the performances, some of them are rightly considered definitive. I love Zimerman in the piano concerti, Argerich owns the Op. 28 preludes, and I find in Pollini's scherzos the unbridled energy and interpretive depth required by these challenging pieces. Even if Daniel Barenboim's nocturnes do not set any records, they are well-done and completely satisfying.

I was less enthusiastic about Pollini's readings of the latter 2 piano sonatas, which I find prosaic on the whole. I was equally underwhelmed by Bunin's impromptus, which again betray interpretive rather than technical deficiencies. My greatest disappointment is Jean-Marc Luisada's controversial readings of the mazurkas. An unwieldy rubato rules the day here, and distorts the harmonic language to the point that it sounds like Debussy or Ravel's frequent (and unshakeably French-sounding) evocations of Spain. I much prefer any of the Rubinstein mazurka sets, which are colorful but rhythmically mindful of their namesakes.

Properly supplemented in the more familiar repertory (mazurkas, impromptus, sonatas, in particular), I believe this set is indispensable to anyone who appreciates or seeks a broader understanding of Chopin the composer. I recommend it highly.

Chopin - Luisada, Jean-Marc.......2002-04-14

I am a professional Pianist and Piano-pedagoge trained at the University of Graz and Vienna (Austria).
It seems as often reviewers/critics/listeners have the same opinions: I wonder if it isn't in some cases the old story of the Emperors new clothes - nobody dares to have a different opinion, as they do not want to appear stupid.
Some of the reviewers here, didn't like Luisadas performances of the Mazurkas. I hold the heretical opinion that Jean-Marc Luisadas performances are much better than Rubinsteins (I possess the three different complete Mazurka recordings of Rubinstein). There are few pianists that like Luisada know how to treat the piano as a truly polyphonic instrument, with absolute control of every line, and at the same time being able to emphasise every harmonic detail - giving every chord its differing and appropriate degree of tension. Furthermore he understands how to display the different moods and characters of the music. All these factors make Luisadas performances extremely colourful. Every Mazurka with Luisada is a unique experience.

Ps. Other recordings do occasionally wet the critical appetite: For instance the everywhere highly acclaimed Chopin recordings with Pollini are often musically awful, the Etudes opus 10 nr. 1 and opus 25 nr. 1 are examples. For the complete Etudes, buy Boris Berezovsky's recording for Teldec, it surpasses Pollini by far. Ds.

Chopin - Luisada, Jean-Marc.......2002-04-14

Learn, learn, learn!.......2000-10-16

This box set is a must for any lover of piano music.

DG deserves praise for coming with an excellent set of records as well as presentation of the booklets. It is breathtaking to have the opportunity to really know Chopin so well.

Performers are first rate and speak for themselves, and for the price of 8 CD's you get the whole collection. Yes, you can get in some cases better performances, but overall you can find a better compilation. Naxos has its own, and I am going to exchange it with a friend, problem will be to get mine back!

Tracks:

Concerto No. 2, Op. 18 In C Minor: Moderato; Allegro
Concerto No. 2, Op. 18 In C Minor: Adagio sostenuto
Concerto No. 2, Op. 18 In C Minor: Allegro scherzando
Concerto No. 3, Op. 30 In D Minor: Allegro ma non tanto
Concerto No. 3, Op. 30 In D Minor: Intermezzo: Adagio
Concerto No. 3, Op. 30 In D Minor: Finale: Alla breve

Tracks:

Concerto No. 1, Op, 1 In F Sharp Minor: Vivace
Concerto No. 1, Op, 1 In F Sharp Minor: Andante
Concerto No. 1, Op, 1 In F Sharp Minor: Allegro vivace
Concerto No. 4, Op. 40 In G Minor: Allegro vivace
Concerto No. 4, Op. 40 In G Minor: Largo
Concerto No. 4, Op. 40 In G Minor: Allegro vivace
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Introduction: Allegro vivace
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation I: (Precedente)
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Tema: L'istesso tempo
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation II: L'istesso tempo
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation III: L'istesso tempo
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation IV: Piu vivo
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation V: Tempo precedente
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation VI: L'istesso tempo
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation VII: Meno mosso, a tempo moderato
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation VIII: Tempo I
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation IX: L'istesso tempo
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation X: Poco marcato
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XI: Moderato
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XII: Tempo di minuetto
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XIII: Allegro
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XIV: L'istesso tempo
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XV: Piu vivo scherzando
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XVI: Allegretto
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XVII: (Allegretto)
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XVIII: Andante cantabile
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XIX: A tempo vivace
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XX: Un poco piu vivo
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XXI: Un poco piu vivo
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XXII: Un poco piu vivo (Alla breve)
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XXIII: L'istesso tempo
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XXIV: A tempo un poco meno mosso

Tracks:

Isle Of The Dead, Op. 29
Vocalise, Op. 34, No. 14
Symphony No.3, Op. 44 In A Minor: Lento; Allegro moderato
Symphony No.3, Op. 44 In A Minor: Adagio ma non troppo
Symphony No.3, Op. 44 In A Minor: Allegro

Tracks:

Sonata, Op. 30, No. 3 In G: Allegro assai
Sonata, Op. 30, No. 3 In G: Tempo di minuetto, ma molto moderato e grazioso
Sonata, Op. 30, No. 3 In G: Allegro vivace
Sonata D. 574 In A: Allegro moderato
Sonata D. 574 In A: Scherzo: Presto; Trio
Sonata D. 574 In A: Andantino
Sonata D. 574 In A: Allegro vivace
Sonata, Op. 45 In C Minor: Allegro molto ed appassionato
Sonata, Op. 45 In C Minor: Allegretto espressivo alla Romanza
Sonata, Op. 45 In C Minor: Allegro animato

Tracks:

Partita No. 4, BWV 828: Sarabande
Harpsichord Suite No. 5: Air And Variations - 'Harmonious Blacksmith'
Sonata, K. 331: III: Turkish March
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Thema: Allegretto
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation I
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation II
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation III
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation IV
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation V
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation VI
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation VII
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation VIII
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation IX
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation X
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation XI
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation XII
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation XIII
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation XIV
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation XIX
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation XXII
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation XXIII
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation XXIV
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation XXV
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation XXVI
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation XXVII
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation XXVIII
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation XXXI
32 Variations, WoO 80 In C Minor: Variation XXXII
Return Home
Polish Songs: The Maiden's Wish
Die schone Mullerin: Das Wandern
Schwanengesang: Serenade
Polonaise No. 2 In E
Songs Without Words, Op. 67: Spinning Song
Impromptu, Op. 90, No. 4 In A Flat
Concert Etude No. 2: Gnomenreigen
Orfeo ed Euridice: Melodie
Etude, Op. 104b, No. 2 In F
Etude, Op. 104b, No. 3 In A Minor
Spanisches Liederspeil: The Smuggler
Minuet, Op. 14, No. 1 In G
Liebesfreud

Tracks:

Sonata No. 2, Op. 35 'Funeral March': Grave; Doppio movimento
Sonata No. 2, Op. 35 'Funeral March': Scherzo
Sonata No. 2, Op. 35 'Funeral March': Marche funebre
Sonata No. 2, Op. 35 'Funeral March': Presto
Carnaval, Op. 9: Preambule
Carnaval, Op. 9: Pierrot
Carnaval, Op. 9: Arlequin
Carnaval, Op. 9: Valse noble
Carnaval, Op. 9: Eusebius
Carnaval, Op. 9: Florestan
Carnaval, Op. 9: Coquette
Carnaval, Op. 9: Replique
Carnaval, Op. 9: Sphinxes
Carnaval, Op. 9: Papillons
Carnaval, Op. 9: A. S. C. H. - S. C. H. A. (Letteres dansantes)
Carnaval, Op. 9: Chiarina
Carnaval, Op. 9: Chopin
Carnaval, Op. 9: Estrella
Carnaval, Op. 9: Reconnaissance
Carnaval, Op. 9: Pantalon et Colombine
Carnaval, Op. 9: Valse allemande
Carnaval, Op. 9: Pganini (Intermezzo)
Carnaval, Op. 9: Aveu
Carnaval, Op. 9: Promenade
Carnaval, Op. 9: Pause
Carnaval, Op. 9: Marche des 'Davidsbundler' contre les Philistins
Nocturne, Op. 9, No. 2 In E Flat
Waltz, Op. 64, No. 2 In C Sharp
Waltz, Op. 64, No. 3
Ballade No. 3, Op. 47 In A Flat
Mazurka, Op. 68, No. 2
Waltz, Op. Posth. In E Minor

Tracks:

Partita No. 3, BWV 1006: Preludio
Partita No. 3, BWV 1006: Gavotte
Partita No. 3, BWV 1006: Gigue
A Midsummer Night's Dream: Scherzo
Liebersfreud
Die schone Mullerin: The Brooklet
Polka de V.R.
Etude-tableau, Op. 39, No. 6 In A Minor
Prelude, Op. 3, No. 2 In C Sharp Minor
Sorochintsy Fair: Hopac
Lullaby, Op. 16, No.1
Tsar Saltan: Flight of the Bumblebee
The Ruins Of Athens: Turkish March
Scherzo In A Flat
The Seasons: November: Troika
Prelude No. 8, Op. 11, No. 8 In F Sharp
One Lives But Once
Powder and Paint
Polka italienne (Piano 4 Hands)

Tracks:

Concerto No. 2, Op. 18 In C Minor: Maderato; Allegro
Concerto No. 2, Op. 18 In C Minor: Adagio sostenuto
Concerto No. 2, Op. 18 In C Minor: Allegro scherzando
Prelude, Op. 23, No. 10 In G Flat
Prelude, Op. 32, No. 3 In E Major
Prelude, Op. 32, No. 7 In F Major
Prelude, Op. 32, No. 6 In F Minor
Etude-tableau, Op. 33, No. 2 in C Major
Etude-tableau, Op. 33, No. 7 In E Flat
Daisies, Op. 38, No. 3
Oriental Sketch
Melodie, Op. 3, No. 3 in E
Serenade, Op. 3, No. 5 In B Flat
Humoresque, Op. 10, No. 5 In G
Lilacs, Op. 21, No. 5
Moment Musical, Op. 16, No. 2 In E Flat

Tracks:

Mazurka, Op. 63, No. 3 In C Sharp Minor
Nocturne, Op. 15, No. 2 In F Sharp
Waltz, Op. 18 'Grande valse brilliante' In E Flat
Waltz, Op. 34, No. 3 'Valse brilliante' In F
Waltz, Op. 64, No. 1 'Minute'
Waltz, Op. 69, No. 2 In B Minor
Waltz, Op. 70, No. 1 In G Flat
Scherzo No. 3, Op. 39 In C Sharp Minor
Waltz, Op. 64, No. 1 'Minute' In D Flat
Le coucou
L'Arlesienne Suite No. 1: Minuet
Carnival Of The Animals: The Swan
Songs Without Words, Op. 67: Spinning Song
Waltz
Lyric Pieces, Op. 12: Elfin Dance
Etude, Op. 28, No. 6 In F Minor
If I Were a Bird
La jongleuse
Dr. Gradus ad Parnassum
Children's Corner: Golliwogg's Cakewalk
The Seasons: November: Troika
Humoresque, Op. 10, No. 2 In G
Waltz, Op. 40, No. 8 In A Flat

Tracks:

Prelude, Op. 23, No. 5 In G Minor
Prelude, Op. 32, No. 12 In G Sharp Minor
Prelude, Op. 3, No. 2 In C Sharp Minor
Prelude, Op. 32, No. 5 In G
Serenade, Op. 3, No. 5 In B Flat
Lilacs, Op. 21, No. 5
Polichinelle, Op. 3, No. 4 In F Sharp Minor
Polka de V.R.
Liebesleid
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2
Pastorale In E Minor
Theme and Variations
Waltz, Op. 42 'Two - Four' In A Flat
Waltz, Op. 64, No. 3 In A Flat
Polka de V.R.
Bacarolle, Op. 10, No. 3 In G Minor
Prelude, Op. 3, No. 2 In C Sharp Minor

Amazon.com

We remember Rachmaninov today mostly for the music he wrote. But as this set quickly reveals, he was one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century, able to play his own music and a great variety of others with tremendous personality and a technique that is still astonishing. There's no point picking highlights from this set, since they are everywhere. But if you've never heard Rachmaninov play Schumann's Carnaval, try starting there for one of the most imaginative recreations of a piece of music ever recorded. The set also includes Rachmaninov's only recordings as a conductor in two of his own major works. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Save some $ money! Get the newer January 2006 reissue set instead........2006-05-17

At the time of this review, whenever you search for a phrase such as "Rachmaninoff Complete", amazon's search engine always lands on this out-of-print recording (ASIN: B000003FB7) . It's also no fun to see that it costs more than a hundred bucks! But if you type "B000A2AD2S" in the search box, you'll see the new reissued set for half the price. It's the exact same 10 CDs. Just the cover art is different.

Unfortunately, this situation is a common pattern with amazon's listing of classical music: when you use your intuition and type in common-sense search phrases for Bach, Mozart, etc, you often get the ultra-expensive out-of-print ships-in-4-weeks items as the default item. It takes a lot of detective work to find the newer reissue recordings. For example, to find the new reissue without knowing the ASIN, I had to enter just "Rachmaninoff" in the search text (deliberately left the word "Complete" out of the search) so it would no longer lock me into this item page that you're looking at and give me a full listing instead. I then sorted the listing by "Original Release Date" and found it on the 2nd page. There's no picture on the new item which doesn't give you any confidence that you found the right one. Don't worry, B000A2AD2S is what you want.

For product research, it's good to have both ASIN product listings because the older out-of-print B000003FB7 has the sound samples (and also all the helpful customer reviews) while the new B000A2AD2S has the better price and availability.

To make things even more confusing, the amazon staff sometimes copies entire customer reviews to the new item which would then make THIS review seem strangely out of place. If that happens and I notice it, I will delete this review for B000003FB7.

(In another strange twist, amazon searches in rock/pop usually points you to the newer cheaper remastered/repackaged/reissued/whatever of a particular recording. I don't know why it works the opposite way in classical music?!?!)

6, or Even 7 Stars!.......2005-06-04

Hofmann hit the nail on the head when he said Rachmaninov had "arms of steel and heart of gold". From this album, we can have a clear picture of Rachmaninov's vison of music, of his musical mind and thoughts and moreover his own playing.

While Kempff's playing would often remind of the protestant church music, Rachmaninov bring to our mind the chanting of the Orthodox church, which is much thicker and darker. On top of that, his playing is orchestral which is so powerful and full colours. Yet, it is nothing like Richter, where often the whole piece is just one phrase.

Here each piece has it's own life and identity each with a focal point. It is water tight compact and yet very much natural and alive, never as hair-raising as Horowitz. But, it is not natural in Arrau's way. It is somewhere in between, closer to Argerich but with more consistency and depth. And like Casals' playing, it keeps our attention from the first note up to its focal point until its very end. But unlike Casals, he touches our hearts. It is very emotional but never to the point of being sentimental-- the performance of his own concertos, for example, can tell you that.

Sure, he did have fingers of steel that helped him to bring out whatever colour or atmostphere as appropriate. And despite that fact that there are some minor alterations on the scores like his Chopin, he is one of the few pianists who could really show you every note on the score counts and, above all, how it counts...

His Chopin may not be as neurotic as Cortot. Nonetheless, he sheds light on the dark and nervous side of Chopin so well: a very throbbing interpretation that is so unique. We also have him accompanying Kreisler on some violin sonatas, something that one could turn to time and again, year after year. What a great chamber musician and accompanist he was...!

The recorded sound of the CDs do vary, and some are more acceptable than the others. But for genuine music lovers, they should be able to get over this very soon: how else would they benefit from one of the greatest legacies of a genuinely great musician!

A must have for Piano and classical music lovers.......2005-04-04

To respond to a review about the sound quality-for those people who have no experience with historical performances i.e cortot-hofmann-etc these discs are for the most part much better recorded. There are the inevitable pops and hisses but if these things disturb you, or you cant get past them, then you shouldnt be listening to this kind of thing anyway. the importance here is in the playing, and the playing is extra ordinary. I you want to buy a disc for the reperatoire then i can think of hundreds of performances that will satisfy, but only people with a true interest to hear and study these pieces will be beyond satisfied. I know that may not sound like a lot of fun, but these discs are fun, great, and for me, almost too good to be true. Again, if sound disturbs you, then you may be listening to the music for the wrong reasons. Take from it the playing, the revelations that Rach provides to his pieces, and how fortunate we are that it sounds as good as it does.

Ah, Rachmaninoff, brilliant star of music, how we adore you.......2003-09-14

The music of Rachmaninoff is beyond words, furthermore, beyond imagination. He was a genius, no doubt, and nobody will ever understand how incredibly lucky we are to be blessed with his compositions. Furthermore, it is truly astonishing to hear Rachmaninoff play his own work. There is nothing so beautiful on this earth and there never will be.

Review from a spoiled modern listener.......2003-07-13

I'll admit that I'm a spoiled modern listener, accustomed to having the bang and hiss edited out of a recording, and it took me a while to warm to these. Rachmaninoff's performances are splendid, but if you can hardly hear them over the cacophony of background noise, what's the use? His performance of his own, often overlooked Concerto No. 4 finally made me sit up and listen, even though I've owned two versions of this piece for a number of years (Ashkenazy & Wild).

Average customer rating:

The Greatest of Music--Certainly Not of Playing
5 stars for value, 4 for performance, 3 for packaging and mastering
Worth the price, but you get what you pay for
Great!
Good Quality for the Price!

Chopin: Complete Piano Music
Idil Biret , Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra , and Robert Stankovsky
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Bourees | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Ecossaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Galops | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Polonaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Ballads | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Rondos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Lullabies & Berceuse | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Barcarolles | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Rachmaninov: Piano Music (Box Set)
Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas
Brahms: Works for Solo Piano
Schubert: The Piano Sonatas
Liszt: Piano Works

ASIN: B00001NTN0
Release Date: 1999-09-28

Tracks:

Ballades - Berceuse - Fantaisie - Trois nouvelles des - Galop Marquis - Largo - Marche fune - Cantabile
Ballade No.2 In F Major, Op.38
Ballade No.3 In A Flat Major, Op.47
Ballade No.4 In F Minor, Op.52
Berceuse In D Flat Major, Op.57
No.1 In F Minor
No.2 In A Flat Major
No.3 In D Flat Major
Fantaisie In F Minor, Op.49
Galop Marquis In A Flat Major
Largo In E Flat Major, BI 109
Marche Funebre
Cantabile In B Flat Major

Tracks:

Etudes
No.2 In A Minor
No.3 In E Major
No.4 In C Sharp Minor
No.5 In G Flat Major, 'Black Keys'
No.6 In E Flat Minor
No.7 In C Major
No.8 In F Major
No.9 In F Minor
No.10 In A Flat Major
No.11 In E Flat Major
No.12 In C Minor, 'Revolutionary'
No.1 In A Flat Major
No.2 In F Minor
No.3 In F Major
No.4 In A Minor
No.5 In E Minor
No.6 In G Sharp Minor
No.7 In C Sharp Minor
No.8 In D Flat Major
No.9 In G Flat Major
No.10 In B Minor
No.11 In A Minor, 'Winter Wind'
No.12 In C Minor

Tracks:

Mazurkas - Volume 1
No.2 In C Sharp Minor, Op.6/2
No.3 In E Major, Op.6/3
No.4 In A Flat Minor, Op.6/4
No.5 In B Flat Major, Op.7/1
No.6 In A Minor, Op.7/2
No.7 In F Minor, Op.7/3
No.8 In A Flat Major, Op.7/4
No.9 In C Major, Op.7/5
No.10 In B Flat Major, Op.17/1
No.11 In E Minor, Op.17/2
No.2 In A Flat Major, Op.17/3
No.13 In A Minor, Op.17/4
No.14 In G Minor, Op.24/1
No.15 In C Major, Op.24/2
No.16 In A Flat Major, Op.24/3
No.17 In B Flat Minor, Op.24/4
No.18 In C Minor, Op.30/1
No.19 In B Minor, Op.30/2
No.20 In D Flat Major, Op.30/3
No.21 In G Sharp Minor, Op.30/4
No.22 In G Sharp Minor, Op.33/1
No.23 In D Major, Op.33/2
No.24 In C Major, Op.33/3
No.25 In B Minor, Op.33/4
No.26 In C Sharp Minor, Op.41/1

Tracks:

Mazurkas - Volume 2
No.28 In B Major, Op.41/3
No.29 In A Flat Major, Op.41/4
No.30 In G Major, Op.50/1
No.31 In A Flat Major, Op.50/2
No.32 In C Sharp Minor, Op.50/3
No.33 In B Major, Op56/1
No.34 In C Major, Op.56/2
No.35 In C Minor, Op.56/3
No.36 In A Minor, Op.59/1
No.37 In A Flat Major, Op.59/2
No.38 In F Sharp Minor, Op.59/3
No.39 In B Major, Op.63/1
No.40 In F Minor, Op.63/2
No.41 In C Sharp Minor, Op.63/3
No.42 In G Major, Op.67/1
No.43 In G Minor, Op.67/2
No.44 In C Major, Op.67/3
No.45 In A Minor, Op.67/4
No.46 In C Major, Op.68/1
No.47 In A Minor, Op.68/2
No.48 In F Major, Op.68/3
No.49 In F Minor, Op.68/4
No.50 In A Minor, Op. Posth.
No.51 In A Minor, Op. Posth.

Tracks:

Nocturnes - Volume 1
E Flat Major, Op.9, No.2
B Major, Op.9, No.3
F Major, Op.15, No.1
F Sharp Major, Op.15, No.2
G Minor, Op.15, No.3
C Sharp Minor, Op.27, No.1
D Flat Major, Op.27, No.2
B Major, Op.32, No.1
A Flat Major, Op.32, No.2
C Minor, B.I. 108
C Sharp Minor, B.I. 49

Tracks:

Nocturnes - Volume 2
G Major, Op.37, No.2
C Minor, Op.48, No.1
F Sharp Minor, Op.48, No.2
F Minor, Op.55, No.1
E Flat Major, Op.55, No.2
B Major, Op.62, No.1
E Major, Op.62, No.2
E Minor, Op.72, No.1 (Posth.)

Tracks:

Piano Sonatas
Menuetto
Larghetto
Fianle
Grave - Doppio Movimento
Scherzo
Marche Funebre: Lento
Finale: Presto
Allegro Maestoso
Scherzo: Molto Vivace
Largo
Finale: Presto, Non Tanto

Tracks:

Polonaises - Volume 1
E Flat Minor, Op.26, No.2
A Major, Op.40, No.1, 'Military'
C Minor, Op.40, No.2
F Sharp Minor, Op.44
A Flat Major, Op.53, 'Heroic'
A Flat Major, Op.61, 'Polonaise-Fantaisie'

Tracks:

Polonaises - Volume 2
B Flat Major, Op.71, No.2
F Minor, Op.71, No.3
G Minor, BI 1
B Flat Major, BI 3
A Flat Major, BI 5
G Sharp Minor, BI 6
B Flat Minor, 'Adieu', BI 13
G Flat Major, BI 36
Andante Spianato
Grande Polonaise

Tracks:

Preludes (Including "The Raindrop) - Barcarolle - Bolero
No.2
No.3
No.4
No.5
No.6
No.7
No.8
No.9
No.10
No.11
No.12
No.13
No.14
No.15
No.16
No.17
No.18
No.19
No.20
No.21
No.22
No.23
No.24
Prelude In A Flat Major, Op. Posth.
Prelude In C Sharp Minor, Op.45
Barcarolle, Op.60
Bolero, Op.19
Bourree I
Bourree II
Wiosna
Feuille D'Album
Fugue

Tracks:

Rondos and Variations
Rondo A La Mazurka, Op.5
Rondo, Op.16
Rondo, Op.73
Mazurka In G Major, BI 16
Mazurka In B Flat Major, BI 16
Mazurka In B Flat Major, BI 73
Mazurka In C Major, BI 82
Mazurka In A Flat Major, BI 7
Mazurka In D Major, BI 4
Variations Brillantes, Op.12
Variations On A German Air
Variations On A March From Bellini's I Puritani
Variations 'Souvenir De Paganini'
Variations In D Major For Two Pianos

Tracks:

Scherzi and Impromptus - Allegro de concert
No.2 In B Flat Minor, Op.31
No.3 In C Sharp Minor, Op.39
No.4 In E Major, Op.54
No.1 In A Flat Major, Op.29
No.2 In F Sharp Major, Op.36
No.3 In G Flat Major, Op.51
No.4 In C Sharp Minor, Op.66, 'Fantaisie-Impromptu'
Allegro De Concert, Op.46

Tracks:

Waltzes - Contredanse - Ecossaises - Tarantelle
In A Flat Major, Op.34/1
In A Minor, Op.34/2
In F Major, Op.34/3
Valse In A Flat Major, Op.42
Valse In D Flat Major, Op.64/1, 'Minute'
Valse In C Sharp Minor, Op.64/2
Valse In A Flat Major, Op.64/3
Valse In A Flat Major, Op.69/1, 'L'adieu'
Valse In B Minor, Op.69/2
Valse In G Flat Major, Op.70/1
Valse In F Minor, Op.70/2
Valse In D Flat Major, Op.70/3
Valse In A Flat Major, BI 21
Valse In E Major, BI 44
Valse In E Minor, BI 56
Valse In A Minor, BI 150
Valse In E Flat Major, BI 133, 'Sostenuto'
Valse In E Flat Major, BI 46
Contredanse In G Flat Major, BI 17
No.1 In D Major
No.2 In G Major
No.3 In D Flat Major
Tarantelle In A Flat Major, Op.43

Tracks:

Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 2
Romanza: Larghetto
Rondo: Vivace
Maestoso
Larghetto
Allegretto Vivace

Tracks:

Fantasia on Polish Airs - Krakowiak - Variations on "Li darem la mano" Andante spianato and Grande Polonaise
Air: Juz Miesiac Zaszedi: Andantino
Theme De Charles Kurpinski: Allegretto
Kujawiak: Vivace
Allegro Maestoso
Scherzo: Molto Vivace
Introduction: Largo
Tema: Allegretto
Variation I: Brillante
Variation II: Veloce, Ma Accuratamente
Variation III: Sempre Sostenuto
Variation IV: Con Bravura
Variation V: Adagio - Alla Polacca
Introduction: Andantino Quasi Allegretto
Rondo: Allegro Non Troppo

Amazon.com

This 15-disc set, recorded from 1990 to 1992, is a truly complete survey of Chopin's piano music, including juvenilia and the works for piano and orchestra. It may not be quite the triumph of Biret's Brahms set, in which the performances are competitive with the best to be heard anywhere. But all of this playing is thoroughly worthy of the music, and Biret's technique is strong enough to deal with such hurdles as the Études and Scherzi without flinching. Her style is a bit more straightforward than that of the most famous Chopin poets (such as Rubinstein and Cortot), making these recordings a particularly good bet for students and listeners who are first learning to love Chopin. One can often come up with a (more expensive) recording that expresses even more of the poetry of the music than Biret does: Moravec's Nocturnes, Rubinstein's Mazurkas, Zayas's Études, and so on. And occasionally some of the lesser-known music (such as the First Sonata) might be better skipped except by scholars and curious listeners who want to know why these pieces are so obscure. But finding 15 well-filled CDs of such great music, in such excellent performances, so well recorded, for such an absurdly low price becomes an irresistible bargain. Even connoisseurs who know the great Chopin recordings of the past may well find these recordings a refreshing alternate view of the music. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

The Greatest of Music--Certainly Not of Playing.......2007-05-11

Having been listening to Chopin's celestial piano music ever since I was a young boy, I will probably never stop marveling at the pure beauty of his unique way of conjuring up those dangerously memorable themes, harmonies and figurations. There are days when one of his Etudes, Preludes, Mazurkas or Nocturnes just starts playing itself inside my head, to the extent that I simply have to get to my hi-fi equipment. Whilst still young, I purchased a large amount of Naxos CDs, of which Chopin's piano music account for a major part. Today, I still find a great deal of pleasure in Szekely's Ballades, Scherzos, Waltzes, Sonatas and Concertos (though not as much in his Etudes), in Szokolay's Barcarolle and Fantaisie-Impromptu as well as in Zartitzkaya's Polonaise-Fantaisie.

Of course, playing any well written piano music is difficult--that is to do it so well that the music emerges as an autonomous being. In the case of Chopin, it is even more difficult as his music is composed with such flexibility and plasticity that the chances of going wrong are so immense. Generally, Ms Biret avoids going so much wrong that the result is less than adequate. Alas, though, there are a number of occasions where her playing is not worthy of preserving on disc--most notably the Allegro de Concert, the Barcarolle, the Nocturnes, the Mazurkas, and most of all the Etudes (this certainly not what the music says!--cf. e.g. Op 10 Nos 1, 8 & 12 or Op 25 Nos 3, 8 & 11). So, what is then the problem with Biret's Chopin playing? Well, it can rather neatly be summed up in that it is driven by her very own erratic will rather than the natural force inherent in the music. This implies highly eccentric tempos and rubatos, exaggerated sforzandos, weird pedaling, stiff keystroke, and a clumsy technique that simply is not refined enough to handle the music.

Considering the fact that the 13-disc Ashkenazy set (Decca--review pending) is available at virtually the same price (even less on amazon.com!), there is really no rational motivation whatsoever acquiring the Biret set. Ashkenazy is always good, sometimes great; Biret is mostly functional, sometimes poor. For Chopin playing of out-and-out excellence, one needs to turn to the likes of Argerich, Ohlsson, Pletnev, Perahia, Zimerman, Demidenko or Rubinstein.

Nowadays, Naxos certainly knows how to record the piano (e.g. for Glemser in Scriabin, Prokofiev and Schumann). The recordings given to Biret are, if consistent, among the ugliest ever given to the instrument. The sound is sharp, boxy and clunky, making the piano sounding more like a digital Yamaha than a Bösendorfer concert grand (indeed it is--not a Steinway).

5 stars for value, 4 for performance, 3 for packaging and mastering.......2006-08-01

I got this box set because I wanted to have all of Chopin's piano music without investing in the redundancies of various artists' recordings. In that respect the price value is unbeatable. Much has been said about Idil Biret's playing and it is fine enough.

The packaging is unimaginative. You get the fifteen individual CDs of the series tucked in a slip case. That's a lot of jewel box plastic and shelf space that could have been cut down to at least half. The booklets give thumbnail analyses of the works, but much of the historical background is repeated. Fifteen iterations of "Iterpreting Chopin" and Biret's biography is just a waste of paper. Naxos has made its name with quality, no-frills, budget releases. They may have done a cost analysis against repackaging but there seems little consideration toward the end user experience.

The mastering is careless. In the Variations and Sonatas, for instance, the attack for one track happens at the tail end of the previous track. This becomes evident and annoying when listening on an mp3 player. You get First movement-S[squib-pause]econd movement resumed. If the track indexing was done by an automated system they should have calibrated it a few milliseconds earlier. If it was done by a human, shame on you.

Worth the price, but you get what you pay for.......2005-07-28

Ms. Gerber sums it up very well above: the playing is not what you'd find from Rubinstein, Cortot, or Ashkenazy, but it is still better than many recordings out there, and is a tremendous bargain.

Chopin only wrote one piece in his entire life that didn't include the piano, so a collection this complete of his piano music is a fascinating look into Chopin's creative life, and as a study in music history, it is worth the time. Nevertheless, people who are searching out definitive performances of more familiar works should probably search elsewhere.

Now, I am not a professional music critic, and I would never say that you should trust me over the critics. In fact, much of the acclaim this set receives is merited. Her first and fourth ballades are fine performances, and the scherzi and polonaise in A flat are well executed. That being said, I personally found several other performances to be large disappointments. (For the record, her recording was not universally praised, and some of the favourable reviews, like mine, are somewhat back-handed, but overall the set was a critical success.)

In particular, I couldn't help but think that the Berceuse, third ballade, several of the preludes, the First Concerto, and the Barcarolle were mediocre. In the Barcarolle, Biret's tempi are erratic and constantly changing, sometimes in the opposite way as Chopin indicated! (Where Chopin writes "poco piu mosso" at the transition to the B section, Biret slows to a crawl) Her dynamics are similarly strange and sometimes backward, and the climax is rushed and unmoving. For the third Opus 28 Prelude in e minor--probably one of the best-known preludes after the Raindrop in D flat--Biret takes almost a full measure's worth to play the opening figure (which is written to last one beat), and then proceeds to choose an allegretto tempo despite Chopin's directions to play slowly. She indulges here, and throughout much of the rest of the CDs, in a rubato that breaks momentum and makes it very difficult to follow the melody. It is as if a singer were to take a breath in the middle of important words--it quickly becomes hard to understand a thing she was saying.

It is true that many performers deviate from the score, sometimes in ways that enhance the musicality of the performance. Indeed, even Chopin was reported to play with dynamics that were different than the ones he himself wrote in the score, but Biret's indulgences take away from, rather than add to, the performances. I personally found many of the interpretative decisions to be distracting, or even unmusical.

I don't mean this to sound at all mean-spirited, but if I were to sum up my feelings of this set in one sentence, it would be this:

It is worth every dollar of its relatively low price.

Great!.......2005-02-13

I really enjoyed listening to Biret's approach of chopin on these 15 discs. I have heard other pianists play and i personally find every one of them comparable and each have their own pros and cons. The price of this influenced me over the grammophon's boxset.

Good Quality for the Price!.......2003-05-26

This 15-CD set, covering all of Chopin's piano solo music, is the only complete set out there, and at a bargain price, it is one of the best sets out there that everyone should have.

Some of the playing and interpretations are controversial, such as the lack of noticable dynamics in the nocturnes and other pieces. However, overall, the quality and the price is hard to beat.

Tracks:

Pno Conc No.1 in e, Op.11. I: Allegro Maestoso - Monte Carlo National Opera Orch/Luis Fremaux
Pno Conc No.1 in e, Op.11: II. Romanze: Larghetto - Monte Carlo National Opera Orch/Luis Fremaux
Pno Conc No.1 in e, Op.11: III. Rondo: Vivace - Monte Carlo National Opera Orch/Luis Fremaux
Pno Conc No.2 in f, Op.21: I. Maestoso - Monte Carlo National Opera Orch/Luis Fremaux
Pno Conc No.2 in f, Op.21: II. Larghetto - Monte Carlo National Opera Orch/Luis Fremaux
Pno Conc No.2 in f, Op.21: III. Allegro Vivace - Monte Carlo National Opera Orch/Luis Fremaux

Tracks:

Polonaise No.1 in c#, Op.26 No.1 - Pierre Barbizet
Polonaise No.2 in e flat, Op.26 No.2 - Pierre Barbizet
Polonaise No.3 in A 'Militaire', Op.40 No.1 - Pierre Barbizet
Polonaise No.4 in c, Op.40 No.1 - Pierre Barbizet
Polonaise No.5 in f#, Op.44 - Pierre Barbizet
Polonaise No.6 in A flat 'Heroique', Op.53 - Pierre Barbizet
Polonaise No.7 in A flat 'Polonaise Brillante', Op.61 - Pierre Barbizet
Andante Spianato Et Grande Polonaise in E flat, Op.22 - Pierre Barbizet

Tracks:

Polonaises Posthumes in d, Op.71 No.1 - Pierre Barbizet
Polonaises Posthumes in B flat, Op.71 No.2 - Pierre Barbizet
Polonaises Posthumes in f, Op.71 No.3 - Pierre Barbizet
Fant in f, Op.49 - Pierre Barbizet
Tarentelle in a flat, Op.43 - Pierre Barbizet
Barcarolle in F#, Op.60 - Pierre Barbizet
Rondo in C, Op.73 - Pierre Barbizet

Tracks:

Ballade No.1 in g, Op.23
Ballade No.2 in F, Op.38
Ballade No.3 in A flat, Op.47
Ballade No.4 in f, Op.52
Scherzo No.1 in b, Op.20
Scherzo No.2 in b flat, Op.31
Scherzo No.3 in c#, Op.39
Scherzo No.4 in E, Op.54

Tracks:

Valse No.1 in E flat 'Grande Valse Brillante', Op.18
Valse No.2 in A flat 'Valse Brillante', Op.34 No.1
Valse No.3 in a, Op.34 No.2
Valse No.4 in F 'Valse Brillante', Op.34 No.3
Grande Valse No.5 in A flat, Op.42
Valse No.6 in D flat, Op.64 No.1
Valse No.7 in c#, Op.64 No.2
Valse No.8 in A flat, Op.64 No.3
Valse No.9 in A flat, Op.69 No.1
Valse No.10 in b, Op.69 No.2
Valse No.11 in G flat, Op.70 No.1
Valse No.12 in f, Op.70 No.2
Valse No.13 in D flat, Op.70 No.3
Valse No.14 in e, 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
Impromptu No.4 in c# 'Fant-Impromptu', Op.66

Tracks:

Son No.2 in b flat, Op.35: I. Grave - Doppio Movt
Son No.2 in b flat, Op.35: II. Scherzo: Presto, Ma Non Troppo - Piu Lento - Tempo I
Son No.2 in b flat, Op.35: III. Marche Funebre: Lento
Son No.2 in b flat, Op.35: IV. Finale: Presto
Son No.3 in b, Op.58: I. Allegretto Maestoso
Son No.3 in b, Op.58: II. Scherzo: Molto Vivace
Son No.3 in b, Op.58: III. Largo
Son No.3 in b, Op.58: IV. Finale: Presto, Ma Non Tanto
Mazurka No.1 in f#, Op.6 No.1
Mazurka No.2 in c#, Op.6 No.2
Mazurka No.3 in E, Op.6 No.3
Mazurka No.4 in e flat, Op.6 No.4
Mazurka No.5 in B flat, Op.7 No.1
Mazurka No.6 in a, Op.7 No.2
Mazurka No.7 in f, Op.7 No.3
Mazurka No.8 in A flat, Op.7 No.4
Mazurka No.9 in C, Op.7 No.5
Mazurka No.10 in B flat, Op.17 No.1
Mazurka No.11 in e, Op.17 No.2
Mazurka No.12 in A flat, Op.17 No.3
Mazurka No.13 in a, Op.17 No.4
Mazurka No.14 in g, Op.24 No.1
Mazurka No.15 in C, Op.24 No.2
Mazurka No.16 in A flat, Op.24 No.3
Mazurka No.17 in b flat, Op.24 No.4

Tracks:

Mazurka No.18 in c, Op.30 No.1
Mazurka No.19 in b, Op.30 No.2
Mazurka No.20 in D flat, Op.30 No.3
Mazurka No.21 in c#, Op.30 No.4
Mazurka No.22 in g#, Op.33 No.1
Mazurka No.23 in D, Op.33 No.2
Mazurka No.24 in C, Op.33 No.3
Mazurka No.25 in B, Op.33 No.4
Mazurka No.26 in c#, Op.41 No.1
Mazurka No.27 in e, Op.41 No.2
Mazurka No.28 in B, Op.41 No.3
Mazurka No.29 in A flat, Op.41 No.4
Mazurka No.30 in G, Op.50 No.1
Mazurka No.31 in A flat, Op.50 No.2
Mazurka No.32 in c#, Op.50 No.2
Mazurka No.33 in B, Op.56 No.1
Mazurka No.34 in C, Op.56 No.2
Mazurka No.35 in c, Op.56 No.3
Mazurka No.36 in a, Op.59 No.1
Mazurka No.37 in A flat, Op.59 No.2
Mazurka No.38 in f#, Op.59 No.3
Mazurka No.39 in B, Op.63 No.1
Mazurka No.40 in f, Op.63 No.2
Mazurka No.41 in c#, Op.63 No.3
Mazurka No.42 in G, Op.67 No.1
Mazurka No.43 in g, Op.67 No.2
Mazurka No.44 in C, Op.67 No.3
Mazurka No.45 in a, Op.67 No.4
Mazurka No.46 in C, Op.68 No.1
Mazurka No.47 in a, Op.68 No.2
Mazurka No.48 in F, Op.68 No.3
Mazurka No.49 in f, Op.68 No.4
Mazurka No.50 in a
Mazurka No.51 in a

Tracks:

Etudes, Op.10: No.1 in C
Etudes, Op.10: No.2 in a
Etudes, Op.10: No.3 in E
Etudes, Op.10: No.4 in c#
Etudes, Op.10: No.5 in G flat
Etudes, Op.10: No.6 in e flat
Etudes, Op.10: No.7 in C
Etudes, Op.10: No.8 in F
Etudes, Op.10: No.9 in f
Etudes, Op.10: No.10 in A flat
Etudes, Op.10: No.11 in E flat
Etudes, Op.10: No.12 in c
Etudes, Op.25: No.1 in A flat
Etudes, Op.25: No.2 in f
Etudes, Op.25: No.3 in F
Etudes, Op.25: No.4 in a
Etudes, Op.25: No.5 in e
Etudes, Op.25: No.6 in g#
Etudes, Op.25: No.7 in c#
Etudes, Op.25: No.8 in D flat
Etudes, Op.25: No.9 in G flat
Etudes, Op.25: No.10 in b
Etudes, Op.25: No.11 in a
Etudes, Op.25: No.12 in c
Nouvelles Etudes, Op.Posth: No.1 in f
Nouvelles Etudes, Op.Posth: No.2 in D flat
Nouvelles Etudes, Op.Posth: No.3 in A flat

Tracks:

Nocturne No.1 in b flat, Op.9 No.1
Nocturne No.2 in E flat, Op.9 No.2
Nocturne No.3 in B, Op.9 No.3
Nocturne No.4 in F, Op.15 No.1
Nocturne No.5 in F#, Op.15 No.2
Nocturne No.6 in g, Op.15 No.3
Nocturne No.7 in c#, Op.27 No.1
Nocturne No.8 in D flat, Op.27 No.2
Nocturne No.9 in B, Op.32 No.1
Nocturne No.10 in A flat, Op.32 No.2
Nocturne No.11 in g, Op.37 No.1
Nocturne No.12 in g, Op.37 No.2
Nocturne No.13 in c, Op.48 No.1

Tracks:

Nocturne No.14 in f#, Op.48 No.2
Nocturne No.15 in f, Op.55 No.1
Nocturne No.16 in E flat, Op.55 No.2
Nocturne No.17 in B, Op.62 No.1
Nocturne No.18 in E, Op.62 No.2
Nocturne No.19 in e, Op.72 No.1
Prlds, Op.28 No.1 in C
Prlds, Op.28 No.2 in a
Prlds, Op.28 No.3 in G
Prlds, Op.28 No.4 in e
Prlds, Op.28 No.5 in D
Prlds, Op.28 No.6 in b
Prlds, Op.28 No.7 in A
Prlds, Op.28 No.8 in f#
Prlds, Op.28 No.9 in E
Prlds, Op.28 No.10 in c#
Prlds, Op.28 No.11 in B
Prlds, Op.28 No.12 in g#
Prlds, Op.28 No.13 in F#
Prlds, Op.28 No.14 in e flat
Prlds, Op.28 No.15 in D flat
Prlds, Op.28 No.16 in b flat
Prlds, Op.28 No.17 in A flat
Prlds, Op.28 No.18 in f
Prlds, Op.28 No.19 in E flat
Prlds, Op.28 No.20 in c
Prlds, Op.28 No.21 in B flat
Prlds, Op.28 No.22 in g
Prlds, Op.28 No.23 in F
Prlds, Op.28 No.24 in d

Customer Reviews:

The idiosyncratic gaze! .......2006-08-17

Samson Francois' Chopin has overtly overtopped and even redefined the whole concept around Chopin's universe.

As a matter of fact, Alfred Cortot, Dinu Lipatti, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli brought not only a refreshing vision but still better, new perspectives of interpretation, leaving behind the romanticism and approaching him under the idiosyncratic emblem of a bygone era. That's what the previous reviewers have denominated eccentric rather than interpretative renovation, where the dimension of every piece is considered in its own individuality and specific weight, where the concept of miniaturist composer has been substituted by the thinker poet, earning an organic quality and major dramatic scope.

I cannot think about another pianist who may phrase Chopin as Francois did it. So, please do me a favor and firmly decide to acquire it. You will surprise yourself!

Fascinating Chopin.......2006-02-17

I understand Francois was somewhat of an eccentric, and in a way his playing of these familiar great works are sometimes eccentric, for instance in the tempos of the first movement of the First Concerto and the first movement of the B-flat minor sonata. He is a great magician and poet, however, and these well-recorded readings have given me immense pleasure. Great for a more non-traditional look at Chopin, a composer that allows the performer a lot of leeway to engage in fluctuations of line and tempo without diminishing the works. The Noctures, Ballades, Concerti, Sonatas, Preludes, Polonaises and Etudes are wonderful. The Mazurkas seem pretty cold-hearted and are the low point of the set. However, the highs far outweigh the lows, and I highly recommend this modestly priced set as a very interesting alternative to more traditional approaches. A unique artist.

The One and Only One Chopinist?.......2005-01-25

Samson Francois is more well-known in Europe (or even in Asia) than in US.

Philips, advised by Alfred Brendel among others, presented Samson Francois as one of the greatest pianists of the century. In Philips' list, we do have some extraordinary Chopinists. Fridedman's Mazurkas are said to be unsurpassble, so are Cortot's Preludes & Etudes (or all his Chopin), or Lipatti's Waltzes. Or else, Hofmann's or Rachmaninov's Chopin are just marvelous. But those are historic recordings. While some prefer Moravec or even Arrau's Nocturnes, Rubinstein's Nocturnes, and particularly his Polonaises, like Agerich's Preludes are a sensation. Cziffra's Chopin is superb, so is Freire in general. But we can't leave out Samson as a leading Chopin interpreter.

Samson was perhaps the greatest of Cortot's pupils. From his Chopin Ballades, there are all-embracing colours (by the subtlety of using the pedal among other things) creating rainbow after rainbow. The harmonic suspensions as the nub of the Ballades adds so much to the potency of music. His Nocturnes, darkening the colours in the background creating the right atmostphere together with the poignancy of his narrative power, compare favourably with Arrau's. His Preludes may not be a fiery as Agerich's, but they are more bitter, so bitter that he is a type of his own...

The Nocturnes are recorded in '66. And in any event the earliest recording in the boxset was made in '54 and the re-mastering is so good that unless you make an effort, you won't be able to tell them from modern recordings and yet they are sold at bargain price. Grap it while it is still available.

Excellent, Eccentric Chopin.......2004-01-18

The Chopin "Piano Works" featured in this 10 CD set from EMI's "Budget Box Series" are excellent, yet eccentric. Those used to the romance and poetry of Rubinstein, the deliberateness and precision of Horowitz, or the power and grace of Pollini may well be in for a shock when it comes to Samson Francois' Chopin. The Piano Concertos, performed with Louis Fremaux conducting the Monte Carlo National Opera Orchestra from 1965 (and available as a single disc in EMI's "Great Recordings of the Century" series) are strikingly different from accounts I am more familiar with by Argerich, Bachauer and Gilels. To say their defining characteristic is that they are more French sounding is an understatement. The highlight of this set, which by the way is not a "complete" volume of all of Chopin's piano music, has to be the Ballades (though, like much of the material in this set they are in mono) and the Nocturnes (in stereo from 1966). In turn, the low point is most certainly the Mazurkas -- Artur, where are you when we need you? In all, this is certainly an amazing musical document, and at this budget price, a nice alternative to more accepted readings. But my five-star rating comes with the caveat that this Box Set is not for those looking for there one and only Chopin collection.

Average customer rating:

THE BIG LEAGUE

Chopin: uvres pour piano

Manufacturer: EMI Classics Imports
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Polonaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Ballads | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Barcarolles | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Liszt: Works For Piano
Les introuvables de Cziffra
Rendez-vous de Senlis

ASIN: B00008LLIS
Release Date: 2004-02-10

Tracks:

19 Valses
Polonaise Op. 53 - Heroique
Polonaise Op. 40 No.1 - Militaire
Polonaise Op. 40 No.2
Polonaise Op. 44
Polonaise-Fantasy Op. 76
Bolero Op. 19
Tarentelle Op. 43
Barcarolle Op. 60
Impromptu No. 1 Op. 29
Impromptu No. 2 Op. 36
Impromptu No. 3 Op. 51
Fantasie-Impromtu Op. 66
Ballade No. 4
Sonata No. 2 Op. 35
Sonata No. 3 Op. 58
12 Etudes Op. 10
12 Etudes Op. 25
Concerto Pour Piano No. 1 Op. 11
Krakowiak Op. 14
2 Chants Polonais (Trans. Liszt)
Fantasie Op. 49

Customer Reviews:

THE BIG LEAGUE.......2004-11-19

Cziffra, unlike Horowitz, took days off from being a showman. His Grieg concerto is not at all showy nor, I believe, is his Tchaikovsky, and nothing on these two discs of Chopin has anything like the flamboyance of his set of the studies. He is probably the most likeable super-virtuoso of them all, and there is a certain innocence about him (Horowitz is much 'badder'). His lyric manner has an unaffected naturalness that propels some of his interpretations to the top of my preferences, there is a sense of sky and air about much of his playing that has the rest sounding laboured or contrived, and occasionally he is oddly low-key -- the military polonaise ends in a slightly apologetic 'er, that's it' way, and the two pieces in F# (the second impromptu and the Barcarolle) are definitely too restrained in my opinion. The F# impromptu is an odd and very original piece, and I liked Cziffra's imaginative pedalling in the two little fanfare passages, but in the middle section the voltage is far too low. I'll stick with Rubinstein for this and also with Rubinstein and Horowitz for the celestial Barcarolle, my own outright favourite of all Chopin's works. Rubinstein's urbane manner suits it very well, but he is not afraid to let himself go when the big tune surges out in all its magnificence. Cziffra, even more than Lipatti, seems overly concerned not to be virtuosic, and he even plays the entire opening phrase quietly, where my edition and every other performance I know has it starting loudly followed by a diminuendo. Horowitz has no such inhibitions of course, and his is my favourite version of all with his superlative double-trills, the thrilling way be blazes out into forte in the second section and the touch of suffused sparkle in the quiet right-hand runs just before the end. Much of Chopin's work has a feel of etude about it, not just the 27 pieces that he gave that name to, and the Barcarolle seems to me to be in part a study in pedalling and trills. Cziffra was a master among masters of pedalling, but if I have one criticism of his almighty technique it is that his trilling is often casual-sounding, here and elsewhere. His pedalling is another matter altogether, a miracle of alertness, sensitivity and imagination.

Of the other smaller pieces, I would say that this version of the A flat polonaise is not as good as the one on his record of the studies, nor as the one on the Senlis disc. Here Cziffra doesn't use that ultimate technical command, that Rubinstein hasn't quite got, to give the middle section the treatment it deserves -- slip the gears the way Horowitz and Ashkenazy do. His Polonaise-fantasy is good but not as searching as Rubinstein's still less Richter's, nor as defiant as Horowitz's if that is the way you prefer it. There is little to choose between him and Rubinstein in the other 3 polonaises, but I prefer his touch in the central mazurka in the F# minor and in the Fantasy-impromptu. In the Bolero he has the edge on Rubinstein for easy-going virtuosity, and in the Tarantella he easily outshines him without even bothering with virtuosity. In the first and third impromptus there is little between them, both taking a fairly relaxed speed as opposed to the old-fashioned high-velocity treatment of the first impromptu by Moiseivitsch or the not-very-convincing in-between approach adopted by Horowitz.

In both the sonatas he is my new top choice. In the B flat minor he mercifully spares us the repeats -- the work's intense 'dwarf-star' quality comes over better without them -- his funeral march is the best I ever heard, and he has a very original way, bleak indeed, with the finale, even if he doesn't dislodge Michelangeli from first place in that. In the B minor he makes more sense, to my ears, of the first movement development than Rubinstein or Lipatti -- it all coheres as one consistent process for once. His simple lyric style keeps the Largo from sounding too long, the trio of the scherzo comes over as music not as an exercise, and the piece as a whole is less intellectually-driven than by Lipatti and has, for me anyway, just an indefinable edge in freshness over Rubinstein.

For completeness, there are 2 of Chopin's Polish songs messed about with by Cziffra's beloved Liszt but played as superbly as you would expect.

Average customer rating:

Chopin: 26 Preludes; Polonaises, etc.

Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Polonaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Barcarolles | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Martha Argerich Plays Chopin: The Legendary 1965 Recording
Chopin: 26 Préludes, etc / Martha Argerich
Chopin: Polonaises / Maurizio Pollini
Rachmaninoff: Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30 / Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 23
Chopin, Liszt: Piano Concertos / Martha Argerich, London Symphony Orchestra

ASIN: B00000E32T
Release Date: 1987-08-10

Tracks:

24 Prudes, Op.28
Prude No.25 In C Sharp Minor, Op.45 - Sostenuto
Prude No.26 In A Flat, Op.Posth. - Presto Con Leggierezza
Barcarolle In F Sharp, Op.60
Polonaise No.6 In A Flat, Op.53 -"Heroic" - Maestoso
Scherzo No.2 In B Flat Minor, Op.31 - Presto

Chopin: Piano Works - Polonaises No. 6; Impromptus No. 4; Waltzes, Nocturnes - played by Nikita Magaloff, Peter Katin, Iliana Vered, Peter Davis, etc.

Average customer rating:

Chopin: Piano Works - Polonaises No. 6; Impromptus No. 4; Waltzes, Nocturnes - played by Nikita Magaloff, Peter Katin, Iliana Vered, Peter Davis, etc.

Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Polonaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000E3B2
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks: