On this two-disc set, Frederic Chiu, a splendid pianist with a singularly beautiful tone and an extraordinary palette of colors and nuances, plays all 58 Chopin Mazurkas, including the early, posthumously published on... more »es, often dismissed as "juvenilia," yet revealing the seeds of the future. Written throughout Chopin's life, the Mazurkas prove that though he spent his last 18 years in France, his heart and spirit remained rooted in his native Poland; no wonder so many of them are hauntingly pensive and nostalgic. Inspired by the rhythmic, harmonic, and modal patterns of the dances of Mazovia, they range from ingenuous simplicity to utmost sophistication, from the exuberance of headlong whirling dances to melancholy introspection, and represent a unique fusion of folk music and high artistry. This results in an incredible diversity of form, texture, and expression, as well as in a wide variety of possible interpretations. In his scholarly program notes, Chiu deplores the contention that only Polish pianists can identify with the Mazurkas' rhythms and idiomatic flexibility; his excellent performance indicates that the key element is not nationality but the confidence to let the music and one's own response to it speak naturally for themselves. Favoring slow tempos, he sometimes exaggerates rubatos and contrasts, but brings out the changing character and moods, and is at his best in the most complex pieces. --Edith Eisler« less
On this two-disc set, Frederic Chiu, a splendid pianist with a singularly beautiful tone and an extraordinary palette of colors and nuances, plays all 58 Chopin Mazurkas, including the early, posthumously published ones, often dismissed as "juvenilia," yet revealing the seeds of the future. Written throughout Chopin's life, the Mazurkas prove that though he spent his last 18 years in France, his heart and spirit remained rooted in his native Poland; no wonder so many of them are hauntingly pensive and nostalgic. Inspired by the rhythmic, harmonic, and modal patterns of the dances of Mazovia, they range from ingenuous simplicity to utmost sophistication, from the exuberance of headlong whirling dances to melancholy introspection, and represent a unique fusion of folk music and high artistry. This results in an incredible diversity of form, texture, and expression, as well as in a wide variety of possible interpretations. In his scholarly program notes, Chiu deplores the contention that only Polish pianists can identify with the Mazurkas' rhythms and idiomatic flexibility; his excellent performance indicates that the key element is not nationality but the confidence to let the music and one's own response to it speak naturally for themselves. Favoring slow tempos, he sometimes exaggerates rubatos and contrasts, but brings out the changing character and moods, and is at his best in the most complex pieces. --Edith Eisler
CD Reviews
A worthy contender to the classic Rubinstein set
05/31/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Most CD guides I have read recommend the Rubenstein traversal of the Mazurkas over most modern recordings. This recording should serve well to match or even supercede that "classic" set. The playing is undeniably lovely and poetic throughout, yet with a bit more fire in places than the Rubenstein performances. Some of Mr. Chiu's tempi seem a bit slow, but I have often wondered if most performers play some of the Mazurkas faster than Chopin intended. Many of them are marked "Lento" but are often played anything but. Not here. Yet Mr. Chiu never loses the spirit of the dance, and plays with passion and power in some of the louder passages. If you like your Chopin subdued and effeminate this may not be for you. The recorded sound is excellent."
Smoky jazzy mazurkas
08/13/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Wow! I've heard many of the mazurkas performed countless times over the years, but they've never spoken to me like this. Chiu's renditions are played cleanly but with an almost magical flair for nuance that makes them sound downright jazzy at times. Chiu is a marvelous gift to the music of Chopin. Do yourself a favor and get this CD. Mine is only a week old and rarely finds itself not in use."
Chiu is the one to get
08/29/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Chiu is the one to get. After all, there is more than one way to play a classical piece, right? Well, Frederic Chiu offers us an interesting alternative. You should give it a try, even if you have never heard of him."
Track Listings (27) - Disc #1