Arthur Rubinstein plays Chopin [Box Set] | Ludwig van Beethoven, Frederic Chopin, ...

Arthur Rubinstein plays Chopin [Box Set] | Ludwig van Beethoven, Frederic Chopin, ... | THE GREATEST OF CHOPIN PIANISTS

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Arthur Rubinstein ...

	Arthur Rubinstein plays Chopin [Box Set] Ludwig van Beethoven, Frederic Chopin, ... EMI Classics, 1994 average customer review:based on 8 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Love it.

This is my favorite album. I think that not even Rubinstein's later recordings attain this quality of musical involvment.

There is a fair amount of background noise, but the music helps to forget it rather quickly overall.

THE GREATEST OF CHOPIN PIANISTS

These are the earlier discs of Rubinstein's Chopin, recorded by HMV in London during the 1930's. It is less complete than his later recordings for RCA - no Sonatas, no Ballades, no Etudes. The sound is naturally of its time - but in many ways more natural than the sharply-lit, slightly edgy piano sound RCA favoured in the 50's and 60's. Nevertheless, these are the Chopin performances I return to most.

Rubinstein's natural affinity with Chopin is legendary. He seemed always able to capture precisely the right degree of rubato at exactly the right moment in these pieces. And he had a unique ability in his countryman's music to balance the lyrical with the impassioned, what seems completely spontaneous with what is clearly deeply considered. The Nocturnes here are, I think, the best you'll hear anywhere on disc. In the greatest of them - the Opp.37 & 48 sets, for example - Rubinstein gets the contrast between the dreamy nocturnal outer sections with the darker, more impassioned central sections just right. These are not salon miniatures in his hands but big works, if not in length then in content. And no-one can match Rubinstein in the elusive diversity of this complete set of Mazurkas. The two Concerti both have Barbirolli as the sympathetic conductor, following Rubinstein's lead in the ebb and flow of phrases and whole sections of these gorgeous and often maligned works. Interestingly the recording of Concerto No.2 (actually the first composed) dates from before the pianist's famous withdrawal from public performance to reconstruct his technique and his approach, that of Concerto No.1 from after. Perhaps one can detect a touch more maturity and refinement in his approach to the latter, but they are both ravishing performances.

Many of the performances on these 5 discs are the greatest Chopin you're likely to hear. And the ear soon adjusts to the somewhat old-fashioned recorded piano sound. This is a highly desirable set for any lover of Chopin and/or great piano playing.

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The greatest interpretation

The interpretation is stunning. Mono - but no matter for solo piano - and a wee bit hissy but still quite superb.

RECORDING QUALITY IS A FACTOR

Otherwise, I would have given 5 stars. The fact that these have a hiss (and you can practically hear him close the piano on several numbers) should be mentioned. I guess we are spoiled to audio quality, but this is an expensive collection and this fact was glaringly omitted. That said, I have enjoyed the recordings, in spite of the very audible hiss.

reviews: page 1, 2

Tracks
Piano Concerto No. 1 In E minor, Op. 11: Allegro maestoso risoluto | Piano Concerto No. 1 In E minor, Op. 11: Romanze (Larghetto) - | Piano Concerto No. 1 In E minor, Op. 11: Rondo vivace | Piano Concerto No. 2 In F minor, Op. 21: Maestoso | Piano Concerto No. 2 In F minor, Op. 21: Larghetto | Piano Concerto No. 2 In F minor, Op. 21: Allegro vivace | Waltz In C Sharp Minor, Op. 64, No. 2 | Nocturne No. 1 In B Flat Minor, Op. 9 No. 1 | Nocturne No. 2 In E Flat Major, Op. 9 No. 2 | Nocturne No. 3 In B Major, Op. 9 No. 3 | Nocturne No. 4 In F Major, Op. 15 No. 1 | Nocturne No. 5 In F Sharp Major, Op. 15 No. 2 | Nocturne No. 6 In G Minor, Op. 15 No. 3 | Nocturne No. 7 In C Sharp Minor, Op. 27 No. 1 | Nocturne No. 8 In D Flat Major, Op. 27 No. 2 | Nocturne No. 9 In B Major, Op. 32 No. 1 | Nocturne No. 10 In A Flat Major, Op. 32 No. 2 | Nocturne No. 11 In G Minor, Op. 37 No. 1 | Nocturne No. 12 In G Major, Op. 37 No. 2 | Nocturne No. 13 In C Minor, Op. 48 No. 1 | Nocturne No. 14 In F Sharp Minor, Op. 48 No. 2 | Nocturne No. 15 In F Minor, Op. 55 No. 1 | Nocturne No. 16 In E Flat Major, Op. 55 No. 2 | Nocturne No. 17 In B Major, Op. 62 No. 1 | Nocturne No. 18 In E Major, Op. 62 No. 2 | Nocturne No. 19 In E Minor, Op. 71 No. 1 (posth.) | Waltz In A-Flat Major, Op. 34, No. 1 | Mazurka In F-Sharp Minor, Op. 6, No.1 | Mazurka In C-Sharp Minor, Op. 6, No.2 | Mazurka In E-Major, Op. 6, No.3 | Mazurka In E-Flat Major, Op.6, No.4 | Mazurka In B-Flat Major, Op. 7, No. 1 | Mazurka In A-Minor, Op. 7, No.2 | Mazurka In F-Minor, Op. 7, No. 3 | Mazurka In A-Flat Major, Op. 7, No.4 | Mazurka In C-Major, Op. 7, No. 5 | Mazurka In B-Flat Major, Op. 17, No.1 | Mazurka In E-Minor, Op. 17, No. 2 | Mazurka In A-Flat Major, Op. 17, No. 3 | Mazurka In A-Minor, Op. 17, No. 4 | Mazurka In G-Minor, Op. 24, No. 1 | Mazurka In C-Major, Op. 24, No. 2 | Mazurka In A-Flat Major, Op. 24, No. 3 | Mazurka In B-Flat Minor, Op. 24, No. 4 | Mazurka In C-Minor, Op. 30, No. 1 | Mazurka In B-Minor, Op. 30, No. 2 | Mazurka In D-Flat Major, Op. 30, No. 3 | Mazurka In C-Sharp Minor, Op. 30, No. 4 | Mazurka In G-Sharp Minor, Op. 33, No. 1 | Mazurka In D-Major, Op. 33, No. 2 | Mazurka In C-Minor, Op. 33, No. 3 | Mazurka In B-Minor, Op. 33, No. 4 | Mazurka In C-Sharp Minor, Op. 41, No. 1 | Mazurka In E-Minor, Op. 41, No. 2 | Mazurka In B-Major, Op. 41, No. 3 | Mazurka In A-Flat Major, Op. 42, No. 4 | Mazurka In G-Major, Op. 50, No. 1 | Mazurka In A-Flat Major, Op. 50, No. 2 | Mazurka In C-Sharp Minor, Op. 50, No. 3 | Mazurka In B-Major, Op. 56, No. 1 | Mazurka In C-Major, Op. 56, No. 2 | Mazurka In C-Minor, Op. 56, No. 3 | Mazurka In A-Minor, Op. 59, No. 1 | Mazurka In A-Flat Major, Op. 56, No. 2 | Mazurka In F-Sharp Minor, Op. 56, No. 3 | Mazurka In B-Major, Op. 63, No. 1 | Mazurka In F-Minor, Op. 63, No. 2 | Mazurka In C-Sharp minor, Op. 63, No. 3 | Mazurka In G-Major, Op. 67, No. 1 | Mazurka In G-Minor, Op. 67, No. 2 | Mazurka In C-Major, Op. 67, No. 3 | Mazurka In A-Minor, Op. 67, No. 4 | Mazurka In C-Major, Op. 68, No. 1 | Mazurka In A-Minor, Op. 68, No. 2 | Mazurka In F-Major, Op. 68, No. 3 | Mazurka In F-Monor, Op. 68, No. 4 | Mazurka In A-Minor, Op. Posth. (A son ami Emile Gaillard) | Mazurka In A-Minor, Op. posth. (Notre temps) | Scherzi In B-Minor, Op. 20 | Scherzi In B-Flat Minor, Op. 31 | Scherzi In C-Sharp Minor, Op. 39 | Scherzi In E-Major, Op. 54 | Barcaolle In F-Sharp Major, Op. 60 | Berseuse In D-Flar Major | Polonaise In C-Sharp Major, Op. 26, No. 1 | Polonaise In E-Flat Major, Op. 26, No.2 | Polonaise In A-Major, Op. 40, No. 1 | Polonaise In C-Minor, Op. 40, No. 2 | Polonaise In F-Sharp Major, Op. 44 | Polonaise In A-Flat Major, Op. 53 (Heroic) | Polonaise In A-Flat Major, Op. 61 (Polonaise-Fantaisie) | Andante splanato & polonaise brillante In E-Flat Major, Op. 22

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