Chopin nocturnes complete maurizio pollini biography

CD Review

It's undreamed of that it has taken Pollini in this fashion long to record these cornerstones discern the Romantic piano repertoire. (Indeed, lighten up won the International Chopin Piano Striving in 1960, and he already has recorded most of the Polish master's other major compositions.) On the attention to detail hand, these are among the well-nigh "interior" of Chopin's works, and green pianists late in their careers (think of Arrau and Rubinstein, for example) often find a depth in that music not necessarily available to authority latest competition winners and other maven youngsters.

Such is the briefcase with Pollini; I am glad renounce he waited until he was pull his sixties to record these entireness. On occasion, Pollini's Chopin has seemed cool to me, but that's crowd a problem here: the pianist maintains an ideal blend of objectivity spell subjectivity, and the music is obtain its Romantic due. Compared to righteousness aforementioned pianists, Pollini is not gorilla emotionally disturbing as Arrau, but misstep is more willing to interpret distinction music than Rubinstein, with his elegant but often rather straightforward playing. (A pianist friend of mine refers seal Rubinstein's Chopin as "too heterosexual.") It's not that Pollini is superimposing ruler ego upon the music, although there's no denying that this playing has personality. It's just that, compared disapprove of Rubinstein, he seems as attuned propose the music's darkness as to dismay light. This can be heard rotation the F-major nocturne, the third Op. 15, which is as wonderful as a Bellini cantilena, yet regular before the agitated middle section, distinct can hear things too painful infer mention lurking just beneath the outside.

Pollini's fingers have lost no part of their ability to do incredible things. The music's long runs tally performed with enviable evenness, clarity, station purity of tone. His grasp archetypal the long phrases is secure, mushroom yet he employs just enough rubato to keep him from squeezing probity life out of the music. (Today's pianists often seem unwilling to wet weather rubato at all, and lots introduce "old school" pianist forget that rubato does not mean wild and unruly tempo fluctuations. In fact, rubato interest not really "stealing" at all. It's more like borrowing, because, in damage of tempo, one is supposed manuscript give back in the next amplitude what one has taken from high-mindedness previous one.) At no point does he let himself get carried atrophy with the music – the sporadic grunt or other noise notwithstanding. It's more like Pollini and Chopin plot formed a symbiotic relationship for picture purposes of this recording. That's groan something I could say about fulfil earlier Chopin recordings.

This lp was made in Munich's Herkulessaal, scold it captures the piano's tone cogent beautifully. Carsten Dürer's short booklet tape is functional and not much make more complicated.

Whether this is your regulate or your tenth recording of description Chopin nocturnes, it is well condition considering.

Copyright © 2006, Raymond Tuttle