Search - Frederic Chopin, Maurizio Pollini :: Chopin: 4 Scherzi/Berceuse/Barcarolle

Bravo! You'll never hear these great pieces played better!

Alan A. Elsner | 10/20/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you've never bought any Pollini recordings before, this is a good one to start with. The performances are so totally perfected -- beautifully expressive, subtle and refined. The Berceuse and Barcarolle are among the most beautiful classical recordings I have ever heard. If you like this one, try the Beethoven Concertos collection that includes the "Choral Fantasy," or the Beethoven Sonatas collection containing "The Tempest," "Walstein," and "Les Adieux." Pollini is truly a modern day master."

Powerful, poetic and everything in between

Itamar Ronen | Boston, MA USA | 10/21/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There's an urban legend about Pollini, surely created by people who never heard him play, that he's "cold", "mechanical" etc. Nothing can be more wrong. Pollini is a pianist that his utmost concern is to convey what the composer had in mind as faithfully as possible, and he's humble enough and capable enough to do so as much as it is humanly possible. The articulation and phrasing are subtle, in many cases, but they are there, and very much so. One doesn't have to be a professional musician to realize how much joy and deep understanding of the music there is in his recordings, right from the very early ones. e.g. the Chopin 1st piano concerto that he recorded at the age of 18 (!), right after winning first prize at the Chopin competition in Warsaw (to my humble opinion - the best recording of this work). The works on this CD present a wide range of Chopin's compositional style - from the wonderfully energetic and direct first scherzo, to the elusive and almost impressionistic fourth scherzo, the beautiful berceuse, which unfolds a theme with variations that feels like a chinese landscape scroll and the monumental barcarolle. Pollini has the acuity of mind/ear/hands to match his interpretation to each and every one of the pieces. On a personal level of preference - the second scherzo gets a better treatment, I believe, from Pollini's compatriot, the late Benedetti-Michelangeli, but Pollini's performance is still a great one, and the rest of the CD is simply perfect."

Brilliant pianist, matchless music

Alan A. Elsner | Washington DC | 06/19/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In my humble opinion, no living pianist plays Chopin better than Pollini. he is muscular, sensitive, his technique is impeccable and he sees the very heart of this wonderful music. Highly highly recommended."