Search - Frederic Chopin, Maurizio Pollini :: Chopin: Etudes/Preludes/Polonaises

Really extraordinary performance of the Preludes and Etudes!

Mark S. Carpenter | Austin, TX USA | 02/24/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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!"

Some of the greatest piano music ever recorded

Mark S. Carpenter | 10/28/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This set includes the Pollini's rendering of the 24 preludes, which won a Grand Prix du Disc in the original vinyl version. Both the preludes and etudes reveal Chopin at his most subtle and masterful. Pollini movingly brings to life the many voices of these amazing short pieces. If I had to take three CDs to a desert island, the preludes and etudes would be there."

About the Etudes

Mark S. Carpenter | 02/14/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"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."