Evgeny Kissin - Kissin Plays Chopin (69 tracks) +Album Reviews

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Evgeny Kissin
Kissin Plays Chopin
Genre: Classical

Track Listings (9) - Disc #1
1. Fantasy for piano in F minor/A flat major, Op. 49, C. 42
2. Waltz for piano No. 5 in A flat major, Op. 42, CT. 211
3. Waltz for piano No. 3 in A minor, Op. 34/2, CT. 209
4. Waltz for piano No. 2 in A flat major, Op. 34/1, CT. 208
5. Polonaise for piano No. 5 in F sharp minor, Op. 44, CT. 154
6. Nocturne for piano No. 10 in A flat major, Op. 32/2, CT. 117
7. Nocturne for piano No. 7 in C sharp minor, Op. 27/1, CT. 114
8. Nocturne for piano No. 8 in D flat major, Op. 27/2, CT. 115
9. Scherzo for piano No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 31, CT. 198
Track Listings (16) - Disc #2
1. Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58, CT. 203: Allegro maestoso
2. Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58, CT. 203: Scherzo
3. Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58, CT. 203: Largo
4. Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58, CT. 203: Finale: Presto, non tanto
5. Mazurka for piano No. 40 in F minor, Op. 63/2, CT. 90
6. Mazurka for piano No. 34 in C major, Op. 56/2, CT. 84
7. Mazurka for piano No. 41 in C sharp minor, Op. 63/3, CT. 91
8. Mazurka for piano No. 20 in D flat major, Op. 30/3, CT. 70
9. Mazurka for piano No. 49 in F minor, Op. 68/4, CT. 99
10. Mazurka for piano No. 30 in G major, Op. 50/1, CT. 80
11. Mazurka for piano No. 32 in C sharp minor, Op. 50/3, CT. 82
12. Mazurka for piano No. 23 in D major, Op. 33/2, CT. 73
13. Mazurka for piano No. 17 in B flat minor, Op. 24/4, CT. 67
14. Mazurka for piano No. 38 in F sharp minor, Op. 59/3, CT. 88
15. Mazurka for piano No. 13 in A minor, Op. 17/4, CT. 63
16. Mazurka for piano No. 39 in B major, Op. 63/1, CT. 89
Track Listings (7) - Disc #3
1. Ballade for piano No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23, CT. 2
2. Ballade for piano No. 2 in F major, Op. 38, CT. 3
3. Ballade for piano No. 3 in A flat major, Op. 47, CT. 4
4. Ballade for piano No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52, CT. 5
5. Berceuse for piano in D flat major, Op. 57, CT. 7
6. Barcarolle for piano in F sharp major, Op. 60, CT. 6
7. Scherzo for piano No. 4 in E major, Op. 54, CT. 200
Track Listings (29) - Disc #4
1. Prelude for piano No. 1 in C major, Op. 28/1, CT. 166
2. Prelude for piano No. 2 in A minor , Op. 28/2, CT. 167
3. Prelude for piano No. 3 in G major, Op. 28/3, CT. 168
4. Prelude for piano No. 4 in E minor, Op. 28/4, CT. 169
5. Prelude for piano No. 5 in D major, Op. 28/5, CT. 170
6. Prelude for piano No. 6 in B minor, Op. 28/6, CT. 171
7. Prelude for piano No. 7 in A major, Op. 28/7, CT. 172
8. Prelude for piano No. 8 in F sharp minor, Op. 28/8, CT. 173
9. Prelude for piano No. 9 in E major, Op. 28/9, CT. 174
10. Prelude for piano No. 10 in C sharp minor, Op. 28/10, CT. 175
11. Prelude for piano No. 11 in B major, Op. 28/11, CT. 176
12. Prelude for piano No. 12 in G sharp minor, Op. 28/12, CT. 177
13. Prelude for piano No. 13 in F sharp major, Op. 28/13, CT. 178
14. Prelude for piano No. 14 in E flat minor, Op. 28/14, CT. 179
15. Prelude for piano No. 15 in D flat major, Op. 28/15, CT. 180
16. Prelude for piano No. 16 in B flat minor, Op. 28/16, CT. 181
17. Prelude for piano No. 17 in A flat major, Op. 28/17, CT. 182
18. Prelude for piano No. 18 in F minor, Op. 28/18, CT. 183
19. Prelude for piano No. 19 in E flat major, Op. 28/19, CT. 184
20. Prelude for piano No. 20 in C minor, Op. 28/20, CT. 185
21. Prelude for piano No. 21 in B flat major, Op. 28/21, CT. 186
22. Prelude for piano No. 22 in G minor, Op. 28/22, CT. 187
23. Prelude for piano No. 23 in F major, Op. 28/23, CT. 188
24. Prelude for piano No. 24 in D minor, Op. 28/24, CT. 189
25. Piano Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 35, CT. 202: Grave; Doppio movimento
26. Piano Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 35, CT. 202: Scherzo
27. Piano Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 35, CT. 202: Marche fun?bre: Lento
28. Piano Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 35, CT. 202: Finale: Presto
29. Polonaise for piano No. 6 in A flat major ('H?roique'), Op. 53, CT. 155
Track Listings (8) - Disc #5
1. Polonaise for piano No. 1 in C sharp minor, Op. 26/1, CT. 150
2. Polonaise for piano No. 2 in E flat minor, Op. 26/2, CT. 151
3. Impromptu for piano in A flat major, Op. 29, CT. 43
4. Impromptu for piano in F sharp major, Op. 36, CT. 44
5. Impromptu for piano in G flat major, Op. 51, CT. 45
6. Fantasy-Impromptu for piano in C sharp minor, Op. 66, CT. 46
7. Polonaise for piano No. 4 in C minor, Op. 40/2, CT. 153
8. Polonaise for piano No. 6 in A flat major ('H?roique'), Op. 53, CT. 155

CD Details

All Artists: Evgeny Kissin
Title: Kissin Plays Chopin
Members Wishing: 1
Total Copies: 0
Label: RCA Red Seal
Original Release Date: 1/1/2010
Re-Release Date: 1/19/2010
Album Type: Import
Genre: Classical
Styles: Historical Periods, Classical (c.1770-1830)
Number of Discs: 5
SwapaCD Credits: 5
UPC: 886976253028

CD Reviews

(-) The Greatest Piano Composer and Performer in a Declining

C. Pontus T. | SE/Asia | 06/03/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Kissin and Chopin--a match made in heaven? Indeed, so it seemed when Kissin, first, in March 1984 turned in one of the most impetuously brilliant accounts of the Chopin Concertos at no more than 12 years of age--and then, still in his early 20s, gave the world some of the most accomplished and memorable Chopin playing on record captured live at Carnegie Hall in February 1993. Where to go from there?

Well, I believe Kissin could not quite answer that himself. Surely, he became the biggest star of the piano since Horowitz--similarly more often than not including works by Chopin in his sold-out concerts. Technically, he reached a level of perfection and consistency where few other pianists have been and will be able to compete. But somewhere along the way, I believe Kissin lost not only his natural-sounding spontaneity but also the close connection to the greatest composer for the piano.

Therefore, I regret to conclude that the first two discs of this collection appear to represent the peak of his relationship with Chopin's music. Not to say that the ensuing three do not contain flashes of greatness--above all the Second Ballade, Fourth Scherzo, Berceuse, Barcarolle and a select few of the fast-tempo Preludes; only that they are markedly few when compared to those two early Carnegie Hall discs. The tone production Kissin achieved there is to die for--sample any of the Waltzes, Mazurkas or Nocturnes for overwhelming evidence. Conversely, the traces of coarseness that can be heard in the 1998 Ballades grew to alarming proportions in the 1999 Preludes. As for the fifth disc, taped in July 2004 at a Verbier Festival recital, I would like to borrow an apt description from Dominy Clements's review (MusicWeb International)--'one might have hoped that greater maturity would have introduced a closer affinity to the composer Chopin rather than towards the pianist interpreting like mad. Kissin's prowess as a pianist means that technical obstacles cease to exist, or at least appear so to do, so the only direction to go is in a kind of re-invention of the music into more and more personal [or perhaps rather impersonal] directions'.

It is the two Carnegie Hall discs and half of the Ballades disc that keep this collection in the 4-star category. However, it is a pity Sony BMG was stingy enough not to include the two Concertos under Kitaenko. Had they done so, this box set would have been far easier to recommend. After all, the individual discs are all available at less than $10 on Amazon--and as little as $6 from other sellers--except for those 1984 Concertos. The added minus represents the highly unfortunate instance that the relationship between the greatest composer for the piano and the, when at his best, greatest performer of the piano has only been declining after an early peak.

REFERENCES: Carnegie Hall Recitals--Volume 1, Volume 2"

Kissin's Chopin Collection

Martha Mendelsohn | Little Rock, AR USA | 06/21/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Am so glad Evgeny Kissin finally made a collection of his Chopin pieces. It is unbeatable for the Chopin/Kissin fans."