| biography |
Frédéric
Chopin exploited the resources of one instrument to open a whole
universe
by Thomas May
Much of the music of 19th-century Romanticism was strongly inclined
toward making the Big Statement. The quest for monumentality went
hand in hand with a taste for epic forms as well as ever-more-grandiose
expansions of the traditional orchestra. Yet Frédéric
Chopin (1810-1849)--whom many consider one of the most archetypal
of Romantics--achieved lasting greatness by concentrating, for
the most part, on a variety of small forms written for a single
instrument. In fact, no other composer of similar stature worked
within such a limited domain. From his mastery of the piano, however,
Chopin explored an entire universe of self-expression. He developed
a unique, highly refined style, exploiting the instrument's resources
to such an extent that it could serve as a self-sufficient medium
to voice a tremendous range of emotional experience. [read
more...]
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| recommended
recordings |
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Chopin:
Etudes, Préludes, Polonaises / Maurizio Pollini
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Composer:
Frédéric
Chopin
Performer: Maurizio
Pollini
Uni/Deutsche Grammophon - #31221 / March 12, 1991
Click
here for more information
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Chopin may have distrusted romanticism, yet no other romantic
composer has worn as well. His music both stings and sings
with harmonic adventurousness, together with an uncanny instinct
for the geography of the keyboard. The Op. 28 Préludes
exemplify Chopin's genius for telegraphing big ideas into
snug spaces, while his Études provide an index to his
pianistic idiom. Pollini fares best in the Préludes,
where his aristocratic pacing and cool control allow the music's
mood...Read
more
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Chopin:
Impromptus, Fantasie, etc / Murray Perahia |
Composer:
Frédéric
Chopin
Performer: Murray
Perahia
Sony Classics - #39708 / January 1, 1987
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here for more information |
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Chopin's Impromptus have something of a reputation as "salon
music," largely because the form itself seems to imply something
improvised, transient, or insignificant. But when you play
them like the greatest music in the world--which is exactly
what Murray Perahia does--it's hard not to believe that the
music actually is the greatest in the world, or in
any event so fine as to make no difference. If other pianists
treat them like pieces of fluff, that's their problem. The
other two pieces are...Read
more
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Chopin:
26 Préludes, etc / Marth Argerich |
Composer:
Frédéric
Chopin
Performer: Martha
Argerich
Uni/Deutsche Grammophon - #31584 / June 18, 1991
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here for more information |
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| Is Chopin a romantic, mercurial, tempestuous
composer? For me, definitely. That's why Argerich's performance
of the Preludes speaks to me in a way no other performance
does. She is so natural and spontaneous that all other versions
seem ponderous and staid. If you're looking primarily for
"dignity" in Chopin, you should probably try someone
else. |
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The
Legendary 1984 Moscow Concert - Chopin / Evgeny Kissin
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Composer:
Frédéric
Chopin
Conductor: Dmitri
Kitayenko
Performer: Evgeni
Kissin
Ensemble: Moscow
Philharmonic Orchestra
Bmg/Rca Victor - #68378 / October 10, 1995
Click
here for more information
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Recorded live at the Moscow Conservatory, this is a truly
legendary performance. Any experienced veteran could be proud
of it; that a boy of 12 should possess the necessary technique,
the musical understanding and maturity, and the sustained
concentration, is almost beyond belief. Reveling in his own
limitless virtuosity, Kissin seems to be playing with--as
well as on--the piano with elfin grace and delicacy; yet his
command of the keyboard--his warm, singing, powerful, varied
tone--are only...Read
more
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Chopin:
Nocturnes / Ivan Moravec |
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Composer:
Frédéric
Chopin
Performer: Ivan
Moravec
Wea/Atlantic/Nonesuch - #79233 / March 26, 1991
Click
here for more information
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If Moravec had made only these recordings, he would still
be esteemed as one of our greatest pianists. He makes the
piano sing throughout this set--coloring the music with exquisite
tonal shadings, reflecting the changes of mood with total
conviction, and providing moment after moment of revelatory
beauty. Many critics consider this the greatest set of the
Chopin Nocturnes ever recorded, even finer than the superb
stereo set by Rubinstein on RCA. The 1966 recordings, made
in two different...Read
more
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