Chopin Sokolov Olejniczak - Chopin Boxed Set (72 tracks) +Album Reviews

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Chopin, Sokolov, Olejniczak
Chopin Boxed Set
Genre: Classical

Track Listings (24) - Disc #1
1. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: Agitato in C major
2. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: Lento in A minor
3. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: Vivace in G major
4. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: Largo in E minor
5. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: Allegro molto in D major
6. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: Lento assai in B minor
7. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: Andantino in A major
8. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: Molto agitato in F sharp minor
9. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: Largo in E major
10. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: Allegro molto in C sharp minor
11. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: Vivace in B major
12. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: Presto in G sharp minor
13. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: Lento in F sharp minor
14. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: Allegro in E flat minor
15. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: Sostenuto in D flat major
16. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: Presto con fuoco in B flat minor
17. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: Allegretto in A flat major
18. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: Allegro molto in F minor
19. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: Vivace in E flat major
20. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: Largo in C minor
21. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: Cantabile in B flat major
22. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: Molto agitato in G minor
23. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: Moderato in F major
24. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: Allegro appassionato in D minor
Track Listings (16) - Disc #2
1. Piano Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 35, CT. 202: Grave. Doppio movimento
2. Piano Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 35, CT. 202: Scherzo
3. Piano Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 35, CT. 202: Marche funèbre
4. Piano Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 35, CT. 202: Presto
5. Etudes (12) for piano, Op. 25, CT. 26-37: Étude No. 1. Allegro sostenuto
6. Etudes (12) for piano, Op. 25, CT. 26-37: Étude No. 2. Presto
7. Etudes (12) for piano, Op. 25, CT. 26-37: Étude No. 3. Allegro
8. Etudes (12) for piano, Op. 25, CT. 26-37: Étude No. 4. Agitato
9. Etudes (12) for piano, Op. 25, CT. 26-37: Étude No. 5. Vivace Più lento
10. Etudes (12) for piano, Op. 25, CT. 26-37: Étude No. 6. Allegro
11. Etudes (12) for piano, Op. 25, CT. 26-37: Étude No. 7. Lento
12. Etudes (12) for piano, Op. 25, CT. 26-37: Étude No. 8. Vivace
13. Etudes (12) for piano, Op. 25, CT. 26-37: Étude No. 9. Assai Allegro
14. Etudes (12) for piano, Op. 25, CT. 26-37: Étude No. 10. Allegro con fuoco
15. Etudes (12) for piano, Op. 25, CT. 26-37: Étude No. 11. Lento
16. Etudes (12) for piano, Op. 25, CT. 26-37: Étude No. 12. Allegro molto e con fuoco
Track Listings (9) - Disc #3
1. Polonaise for piano No. 5 in F sharp minor, Op. 44, CT. 154
2. Polonaise for piano No. 4 in C minor, Op. 40/2, CT. 153
3. Polonaise for piano No. 3 in A major ('Military'), Op. 40/1, CT. 152
4. Polonaise for piano No. 1 in C sharp minor, Op. 26/1, CT. 150
5. Polonaise for piano No. 6 in A flat major ('Héroique'), Op. 53, CT. 155
6. Polonaise for piano in G minor, KK IIa/1, CT. 161 (B. 1)
7. Polonaise for piano in B flat major, KK IVa/1, CT. 160 (B. 3)
8. Polonaise for piano in A flat major, KK IVa/2, CT. 162 (B. 5)
9. Andante spianato and Grande Polonaise for piano & orchestra, Op. 22
Track Listings (23) - Disc #4
1. Mazurkas (5) for piano, Op. 7, CT. 56-59: 1. Vivace
2. Mazurkas (5) for piano, Op. 7, CT. 56-59: 2. Vivo ma non troppo
3. Mazurkas (5) for piano, Op. 7, CT. 56-59: 3. Sotto voce
4. Mazurkas (5) for piano, Op. 7, CT. 56-59: 4. Presto, ma non troppo
5. Mazurkas (5) for piano, Op. 7, CT. 56-59: 5. Vivo
6. Mazurkas (4) for piano, Op. 68, CT. 96-99: 1. Vivace
7. Mazurkas (4) for piano, Op. 68, CT. 96-99: 2. Lento
8. Mazurkas (4) for piano, Op. 68, CT. 96-99: 3. Allegro ma non troppo
9. Mazurkas (4) for piano, Op. 68, CT. 96-99: 4. Andantino
10. Mazurkas (4) for piano, Op. 24, CT. 64-67: 1. Lento
11. Mazurkas (4) for piano, Op. 24, CT. 64-67: 2. Allegro ma non troppo
12. Mazurkas (4) for piano, Op. 24, CT. 64-67: 3. Moderato con anima
13. Mazurkas (4) for piano, Op. 24, CT. 64-67: 4. Moderato
14. Mazurkas (4) for piano, Op. 17, CT. 60-63: 1. Vivo e risoluto
15. Mazurkas (4) for piano, Op. 17, CT. 60-63: 2. Lento ma non troppo
16. Mazurkas (4) for piano, Op. 17, CT. 60-63: 3. Legato assai
17. Mazurkas (4) for piano, Op. 17, CT. 60-63: 4. Lento ma non troppo
18. Mazurkas (4) for piano, Op. 30, CT. 68-71: 1. Allegro non tanto
19. Mazurkas (4) for piano, Op. 30, CT. 68-71: 2. Allegretto
20. Mazurkas (4) for piano, Op. 30, CT. 68-71: 3. Allegro non troppo
21. Mazurkas (4) for piano, Op. 30, CT. 68-71: 4. Allegretto
22. Mazurka for piano No. 27 in E minor, Op. 41/2, CT. 77
23. Mazurka for piano No. 45 in A minor, Op. 67/4, CT. 95

CD Details

All Artists: Chopin, Sokolov, Olejniczak
Title: Chopin Boxed Set
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: Naive
Original Release Date: 1/1/2010
Re-Release Date: 1/26/2010
Album Type: Box set
Genre: Classical
Styles: Historical Periods, Classical (c.1770-1830)
Number of Discs: 4
SwapaCD Credits: 4
UPC: 709861304943

CD Reviews

A Terrific Bargain, Terrific Pianism with One Small Cavil

J Scott Morrison | Middlebury VT, USA | 02/06/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This 4CD box set from Naïve contains some marvelous Chopin playing by two extraordinary pianists. The set is a combination and reissue of previous full-price 2CDs set by Grigory Sokolov and Janusz Olejniczak. (The latter, not as well-known as Sokolov, is best remembered as the pianist who supplied the playing for Adrien Brody in 'The Pianist' and for playing Chopin himself in a French film, ' The Blue Note.') The Sokolov set, which contains the Second Sonata ('Funeral March'), Op. 25 Études, and the Op. 28 Préludes has been widely heralded as something really special. Chopin: 24 Preludes, Chopin: Preludes / Sonate 2 / Etudes Op 25. Sokolov is surely one of the great ones playing today. I've reviewed some of these CDs as well as a not-to-be-missed DVD. See my review of the original issue Grigory Sokolov - Live in Paris, now at an exorbitant price (but cheaper from a re-seller), and a reissue of the same DVD last year Grigory Sokolov: Live in Paris - Beethoven/Komitas/Prokofiev at an ordinary price. In this box set you get the same jewel box as with the separately available 2CD set but at a marked price advantage. For that reason alone, if you don't have the Sokolov Chopin set, you'll want this one.

But the lagniappe here is the 2CD set of Polish pianist Janusz Olejniczak playing a selection of Mazurkas on one disc and of Polonaises on the other. I did not review it, but Larry van de Sande did and gave it a rave Chopin: 9 Polonaises; 23 Mazurkas. I listened to it for the first time when it arrived in the current box set and am bound to say that I've had mixed feelings about it, mostly positive. In the Mazurkas he tends to insert more rubato than is generally done, but I have to admit (not being Polish, of course) that it somehow sounds authentic to me. Still, there is some taffy-pulling that is not merely noticeable but sometimes intrusive. Yet the performances grew on me. There is a gentleness and almost peasant good-humor about Olejniczak's Mazurkas. As for the Polonaises (a selection which includes three juvenile polonaises in addition to Opp. 26, 40/1&2, 44, 53 and the Andante spianato and grande polonaise brillante) they are played with suavity but not lacking in fire and brilliance. The Andante spianato sings with the best of them but the grand polonaise brillante is more douce than enflammé. (No one beats Argerich in that Polonaise, IMHO.) Still, this is a pianist who should be heard.

This knocked-down price for a 4 CD box-set of such interesting pianism shouldn't be passed up unless one already owns the single issues.

Scott Morrison"