classical music:

	#1 Piano Album No. 1 Piano Album Decca, 2002 average customer review:based on 2 reviews view larger image
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That said, these CD's opened my eyes to some of the greatest piano works of all time, those including: Schubert Impromptu in A-flat, Rondo Capriccioso, Liszt's Liebestraum, Liszt's second Hungarian Rhapsody, Islamey, all three Rachmaninoff preludes, Granados' Goyescas, and Prokofiev's Toccata in C. I have begun learning a good many of these pieces as a result.

This set will not dissapoint. Do yourself a favor and buy it.

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A great and daring mix of pieces performed by the best in the business!

I must agree with the prior review - there are SO many classical piano compilations that have the same overplayed Romantic-era pieces on them - and usually not terrific performances of them at that. Decca put together the opposite of your average "piano for relaxation" collection here. I'll just make a quick list of why this is better than the rest - an atypical review for me, but necessary to point out why this album stands far above what's generally a lousy genre of compilation CDs.

-The first CD is generally Romantic-period and prior music and progresses in roughly chronological order. The second is composed of primarily 20th century pieces - sure, the order is not totally faithful on either CD, but it is refreshing to see a collection arranged so that one can literally listen to the trends in piano composition grow and fade.

-Decca chose top-notch pianists, many of whom are widely regarded as the supreme interpreters of Composer X. For this reason, you have a very simple piece like Grieg's Notturno played with an emotional urgency and crystal clarity you're unlikely to hear from a lesser pianist than Emil Gilels, or a very complex, often banged-out piece like Prokofiev's Toccata navigated fearlessly by the Argentine goddess of piano, Martha Argerich.

-They showed some guts in their choice of pieces. Sure, no Schoenberg appears here, but this is not your typical conservative don't-rock-the-boat piano collection. Bartok's aggressive, relentless Allegro Barbaro pairs wonderfully with the Ravel and Prokofiev toccatas on either side of it on disc 2; a quick tour of Rachmaninoff's Preludes follows an incredible rendition of Balakirev's harrowingly difficult Islamey. One of the most beautiful piano works ever composed - and ignored by 99% of piano music compilers - makes an appearance in the middle of disc 2: Granados's Goyescas (Quejas, o la maja y el ruiseñor), an infinitely subtle and sublime - and modern twist on the late Romantic/Impressionistic piano tradition - handled impeccably by the composer's compatriot and student Alicia de Larrocha.

I haven't said quite enough about CD 1 - sure, their choices of Chopin, Schubert, and Liszt works are good as well. But I'm showing where my heart lies in solo classical piano - impressionists and early 20th century composers, I feel, are as good as it gets. Für Elise makes its token appearance, but even it seems well contextualized on the first CD between the immortal Adagio of the Moonlight Sonata and Chopin's delightfully simple Nocturne in E Flat, which immediately recalls Roman Polanski's "The Pianist" for those who have seen it.

In short, CD 1 and 2 share the unique qualities of a careful yet daring selection of piano pieces played by indisputable masters of the instrument. If CD1 is good as gold, then CD2 is platinum. Simply amazing. Thanks Decca!

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Tracks
Piano Sonata No. 15 In C, K 545: Allegro - Mitsuko Uchida | Piano Sonata No. 11 In A, K 331 'Alla Turca': Alla Turca (Allegretto) - Ingrid Haebler | Piano Sonata No. 14 In C Sharp Minor, Op. 27 No.2 'Moonlight': Adagio Sostenuto - Claudio Arrau | Fur Elise(Bagatelle In A Minor, Woo 59) - Alfred Brendel | Nocturen No.2 In E Flat, Op.9 No.2 - Tamas Vasary | Mazurka No.4 In B Minor, Op. 33 - Nikita Magaloff | Walt No.6 In D Flat, Op.64 No.1 'Minute Waltz' - Tamas Vasary | Polonaise No.6 In A Flat, Op. 53 - Shura Cherkassky | Moments Musicaux, Op.94 D 780 No.3 In F Minor (Allegro Moderato) - Mitsuko Uchida | Impromptus D 935, Op. 142 No. 2 In A Flat - Allegretto - Wilhelm Kempff | Kinderszenen, Op. 15 Traumerei - Alfred Brendel | Three Romances, Op.28 Einfach - Wilhelm Kempff | Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 14 - Wilhelm Backhaus | Songsw Without Words, Op. 62 'Spring Song' - Daniel Barenboim | Liebestraum No. 3, Op. 62 - Jorge Bolet | Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 In C Sharp Minor - Misha Dichet | Lyric Pieces Notturno, Op. 54 No. 4 - Emil Gilels | Islamey - Julius Katchen | Rhapsodie No. 2 In G Minor, Op. 79 - Amrtha Argerich | Etude In C Sharp Minor, Op. 42 No. 5 - Yevgeny Kissin | Prelude In C Sharp Minor, Op.3 No.2 - Shura Cherkassky | Prelude In G Minor, Op.23 No.5 - Sviatoslav Ricther | Prelude In G, Op.32 No.5 - Vladimir Ashkenazy | Goyescas, Book 1 Quejas O La Maja El Ruisenor - Alicia De Larrocha | Gymnopedie No. 1 - Pascal Roge | Suite Bergamasque: Clair De Lune - Jorg Demus | Preludes, Book 1 : Girl With The Flaxen Hair - Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli | Etude No. 11 Pour Les Arpeges Composes - Alexis Weissenberg | Jeux D'eau - Matrtha Argerich | Pavane For A Dead Princess - Vladimir Ashkenazy | Le Tombeau De Couperin - Pascal Roge | Allegro Barbaro, BB 63, SZ 49 - Zoltan Kocsis | Tocacata In C, OP.11 - Martha Argerich | Prelude In C Sharp Minor: Andante Con Moto E Poco Rubato) - Werner Haas | Prelude No.23 In F (Moderato), Op.34 - Olli Mustonen | Prelude No.24 In D Minor (Allegretto), Op.34 - Olli Mustonen

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