Chopin Piano Concertos

Frédéric Chopin - Piano Concerto No. 2 / Grand Fantasia on Polish Airs / Grande Polonaise brilliante
Emanuel Ax / Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment – Sir Charles Mackerras
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 231 MB | Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Sony Classical # SK 63371 | Country/Year: Europe 1998
Genre: Classical | Style: Romantic, Piano

"…But if the concerto proves too rarefied, much sturdier fare is provided in the Fantasia on Polish Airs in A major, Op. 13, and the Andante spianato and grande polonaise, two concertante works that have moments of serene beauty similar to those in the Piano Concerto No. 2, but are balanced with bravura passages for both the pianist and orchestra. Sony's sound quality is pleasantly balanced and naturally resonant." ~allmusicguide

Rubinstein was the ultimate concert pianist. He played 100-plus engagements a year for some seven decades. Of all great pianists, Rubinstein was perhaps the least fussy. His playing, even at its greatest and most exciting, could be almost disconcertingly straightforward. For all his much-vaunted showmanship, he was a musician first and a virtuoso second. But despite his lifelong claims to the contrary, his virtuosity was formidable . . . The most characteristic features of Rubinstein's playing were his rich, and richly varied tone, his uncanny ability to 'sing' melodic lines over great stretches of time – and to project them throughout the largest halls – and his all-pervasive command of rhythm . . . this release makes for a very moving experience.So this DVD paints the regal close of a colossal reign: as indicated, the bonus is a delight, and you'll never hear more opulent, more exhilarating performances of these three pet concertos. Heartily recommended for all viewers. Including folks who normally avoid classical music.

Arrau was in his late fifties when he gave these performances; yet he had decades in front of him, too. The music of the Romantics was in his blood, and programs from 1933/34 reproduced in Joseph Horowitz’s book Conversations with Arrau reveal, for example, the Chopin B flat minor Sonata nestling between Beethoven and Ravel; Schumann, Liszt, Beethoven and Schubert all figure largely in those recitals. That the music on this present disc is music close to Arrau’s heart is an understatement.

Arrau was in his late fifties when he gave these performances; yet he had decades in front of him, too. The music of the Romantics was in his blood, and programs from 1933/34 reproduced in Joseph Horowitz’s book Conversations with Arrau reveal, for example, the Chopin B flat minor Sonata nestling between Beethoven and Ravel; Schumann, Liszt, Beethoven and Schubert all figure largely in those recitals. That the music on this present disc is music close to Arrau’s heart is an understatement.

Arrau was in his late fifties when he gave these performances; yet he had decades in front of him, too. The music of the Romantics was in his blood, and programs from 1933/34 reproduced in Joseph Horowitz’s book Conversations with Arrau reveal, for example, the Chopin B flat minor Sonata nestling between Beethoven and Ravel; Schumann, Liszt, Beethoven and Schubert all figure largely in those recitals. That the music on this present disc is music close to Arrau’s heart is an understatement.

Guiomar Novaes was one of the greatest Brazilian pianists but I didn't know that when I bought this two-disc set. What originally attracted me to this collection was the conductor, not the soloist, leading the three Piano Concertos, Otto Klemperer. Indeed, the Beethoven 4th, Chopin 2nd and Schumann are performed well with the Vienna Symphony, in good sound from the 1950s, but it is the various solo pieces that are the true highlight of this set, and showcase the real magic of Novaes' playing.