Brilliant, youthful, poetic Chopin from one of the best
06/10/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Perahia has long been one of my favorite pianists, so there is a certain bias to my review. I was somewhat disappointed in his recent Chopin disc (ballades, etc) but nevertheless, I have 4 different recordings of these sonatas (rubinstein, pollini, Ax, and this one), have listened to them all dozens of times, as well as many others, and this is one of the best. Any pianist will tell you that these are among the most technically and musically demanding pieces in the romantic repertoire, and Perahia gets all the power and poetry these pieces require. At the same time, he loses none of the introspection and thoughtfulness. I don't think any pianist has ever played the slow movement of the 3rd sonata with greater tenderness. And in the phenomenal rondo that closes out this piece he just builds momentum like few pianists can do, most peak way too soon, and then have to crash through to the end. The familiar 2nd sonata is also thoughtfully played but lacks nothing in drama, especially the opening movement and the finale. The second movement is full of rhythmic energy and has plenty of brilliante. This is Perahia 20 years younger, but he was great then, as he is now."
Perfect!
Doctor Quartz | Huntington Beach, CA USA | 03/17/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is one of those few "absolutely perfect" works of art or nature one comes across in one's liftime. It's like Michelangelo's "David" or the best moonrise you've ever seen over a desert mountain. It's shocking, it's so good. It will leave you overwhelmed. I've never heard any other recording of Chopin come anywhere close to being as magic as this. Anyone who can do this kind of sorcery, if only once, should be showered with garlands and their name should be praised for centuries. I always thrill when I discover a friend has never heard this and I can play it for them. Just thinking about the preformance/the recording, actually hurts in a wonderful way--the piano playing is so sublime. I'm filled with longing. That does it! I'm going to finish typing this sentence, get up, turn on my CD player and play this perfect angel of a recording right now!"
A Perahian Low Point
C. Pontus T. | SE/Asia | 09/27/2008
(2 out of 5 stars)
"Do I admire the pianism of Perahia? Oh yes, most definitely--especially in Bach, Mozart and Beethoven. Also his Chopin Ballades are quite good (if slightly overrated, especially by Gramophone), his Etudes quite excellent, and his Concertos marvelous. But this coupling of the Second and Third Sonatas apparently belongs to his altogether less successful recorded outings.
So, what are the problems? Start with the first track, the highly charged first movement of the Second Sonata, which in Perahia's hands turns into pure dullness; continue with the second movement Scherzo, where the huge intrinsic contrasts just are nowhere to be found; then the static Funeral March that only remains, well, static; and finally the scary Presto that hardly makes you shiver at all played with this kind of 'gravely' indifference. The Third Sonata fares somewhat better--at least in the first movement; however, the quicksilver second movement Scherzo gets one of the least fluid accounts in the catalogue. The lovely nocturne of the Largo third movement gladly gets some gorgeous legato and pianissimo playing, whereas the Finale rather severely lacks the required energy, vitality and dynamic escalation (more often than not for some reason underplayed by the vast majority of pianists).
Indeed, it's rather surprising to learn that both David Hurwitz (who normally is one of the most reliable 'professional' reviewers) and the Penguin Guide hold this recording as one of the benchmark versions of this popular coupling. I would prefer most other versions in preference to this--most notably Ohlsson, Rubinstein and Argerich but also Andsnes, Pizarro and even Szekely. By the way, CBS's recorded sound is one of the worst of the 1970s."
Track Listings (8) - Disc #1
