Chopin Piano Concertos

Time has brushed lightly against this remarkable man … Nothing appears to have impaired Rubinstein's unique wit, his sensitity, his urbanity or his cool-headed, warm-hearted, ever-idelaistic honesty … The concertos are imbued with an extraordinary fusion of twilight sentiment and nonchalant joie de vivre. Even more remarkable, however, are the flashes of self-revelation that emerge in Rubinstein's words. (Martin Bernheimer)

Frederic Chopin - Samson François - The 2 Piano Concertos, Rondo, op.73 (2016) {Erato rec 1966}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 382 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 186 Mb
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© 1965-66, 2016 Erato / Parlophone / Warner Music | 0825646829187
Classical / Romantic / Concerto / Piano

Samson François was a pianist of mercurial brilliance and mesmeric charisma, capable of extraordinary poetry. The sense of spontaneity in his playing could at times become wilful, even provocative, but he never ceases to exercise his fascination on the listener. Chopin’s music was of essential importance to him, and here he performs both the composer’s piano concertos.

Frederic Chopin - Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor Op. 11, Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor Op. 21
Arthur Rubinstein - New Symphony Orchestra / Stanislaw Skrowaczewski & Symphony of the Air / Alfred Wallenstein
SACD ISO (2.0/MCH): 2,60 GB | 24B/88,2kHz Stereo FLAC: 1,24 GB | Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: RCA Red seal "Living Stereo" # 82876-67902-2 | Country/Year: US 2005, 1958-1961
Genre: Classical | Style: Romantic

"This is absolutely the best recording of Frederic Chopin's Piano Concertos! I heard many recordings of these familiar works (for example: Zimmermann, Polish Festival Orchestra, DG), but this recording beats my all old favorites. (…) This is excellent purchase for all classical music lovers! It is very good, that Living Stereo label publishes old masterful recordings on multi-channel SACD! Incredible!" ~sa-cd.net

This collection is an absolute steal. Three of the concerto recordings are unsurpassed. The Haskil Chopin is legendary, Richter's Liszt is colossal and Janis's Rachmaninoff is absolutely formidable. Brendel's recordings of Mozart and Beethoven are on a lesser level of achievement, but never less than good.

Unlike many budget compilations that offer only selected movements or brief excerpts, Decca's Ultimate Piano Concertos: The Essential Masterpieces presents 10 masterworks in their entirety on five CDs, giving concerto fans a satisfying listening experience. Granted, these reissues are not audiophile recordings, nor are the performers familiar in every case; but for analog recordings from the 1950s to the 1970s, and digital recordings from the 1980s, the sound is quite good, and the performers are never less than fine, though in many instances, they are indeed exceptional. These concertos are at the top of most virtuoso pianists' lists, and though fashions change, all of these concertos have staying power and are regularly played in competitions around the world.

John Field was a pupil of Muzio Clementi and a precursor to Chopin's style of piano playing (Chopin modelled his nocturnes on those by Field). In his concertos, Field combines virtuosity with incredible lyricism. While Beethoven was writing concertos that could very well be called symphonies with piano obbligato (in fact, that is precisely what ETA Hoffman called the concertos of Beethoven and Mozart), Field was striking out in an entirely different direction. More a poet than anything else, Field's concertos sound almost improvisational, with the composer going wherever the piano seems to take him.