COMPOSERS: Chopin
LABELS: Philips Duo
WORKS: Nocturnes (complete); Impromptus (complete)
PERFORMER: Claudio Arrau (piano)
CATALOGUE NO: 456 336-2 ADD
These are among the noblest and most profound Chopin recordings ever made. Eloquent, unfailingly beautiful in tone and almost entirely free of distracting mannerism, Arrau manages here to combine the directness and simplicity required of all great Chopin players with the inner tension that so often lies just below the surface of the music. The sound is gloriously rich throughout, the pianist’s big, singing legato soars, eagle-like, over the supplest of accompaniments, and his rhythm is continuously on the move. Jeremy Siepmann
Chopin: Nocturnes (complete); Impromptus (complete)
These are among the noblest and most profound Chopin recordings ever made. Eloquent, unfailingly beautiful in tone and almost entirely free of distracting mannerism, Arrau manages here to combine the directness and simplicity required of all great Chopin players with the inner tension that so often lies just below the surface of the music. The sound is gloriously rich throughout, the pianist’s big, singing legato soars, eagle-like, over the supplest of accompaniments, and his rhythm is continuously on the move. Jeremy Siepmann
Our rating
5
Published: January 20, 2012 at 2:39 pm