1 comments about Story Of Chopin In Words And Music.

1. The music is so wonderful, perhaps a better description is that the music is so beautiful that it almost seems surreal - Wow! So breathtaking, so Chopin!!! Add to the music, a great written biography on Chopin's life and you've got one incredible hour of enjoyment/learning. The first 1/2 hour mixes Chopin's story with his music; the second 1/2 hour is some of Chopin's greatest works! Great for that long drive in the car, or doing stuff around the house - you are learning! The whole family will have fun learning about Chopin's music, history, Poland, France, Liszt Etc. Just a wonderful way to learn. The CD and music are well done and recorded. Chopin's music is performed by world renowned pianist Ingrid Haebler(Chopin would be very pleased). A must for every piano teacher and Chopin enthusiast! It's just amazing what Chopin went through, and still be able to become: "The greatest composer for piano in the world!" Well done; Bravo!!!

5 comments about American Classics: Barber: COMPLETE PUBLISHED SOLO PIANO MUSIC.

1. This is a brilliant disc in every way. First, Pollack and Naxos have assembled on a single disc Barber's complete output for solo piano. Secondly, Pollack plays the music with passion, commitment, understanding and breathtaking virtuosity. For those who know Samuel Barber's music only from the Adagio, this music will come as a profound shock. It's tough, overtly modernistic, almost constructivist, if I might use that word of someone wholly American, and rather conservative to boot. Its rhythmic intensity is quite astounding. Here and there I can find hints even of Scriabin, but Samuel Barber's voice is eventually a wholly original and individual creation.



2. This CD includes a mini biography of the composer and a short description of each piece, which is always a plus. I am still amazed he wrote those 3 sketches at such a young age! Barber's music is always lyrical, even when it sounds a-tonal. While John Browning is the most popular interpreter of Barber's music, Pollack also does a wonderful job. The only problem I have is his playing of the Nocturne, op. 33, because he plays it very heavily and too fast, much unlike a nocturne should be.



3. This CD collects all the published piano music of Samuel Barber, including the highly regarded masterwork SONATA, OP.26. The SONATA, in four movements, goes from the severe in the first movement to the openly joyous in the second; the third movement builds slowly to a mighty grumbling before just as slowly resigning itself to a quiet resolve. The final movement is all energy, requiring great technical prowess, which pianist Daniel Pollack has. It's an excellent performance.
   
   Some of the other pieces, though less demanding, are most enjoyable. The four EXCURSIONS explore "regional idioms," including boogie-woogie, the blues, and country roots (this last is delightful). The four SOUVENIRS show Barber at his most humorous: the Waltz is laugh-out-loud charming, and the Hesitation Tango is just that - and very compelling. This is an excellent CD all around, from the varied and intelligent music of Barber to the assured, lyrical interpretations by Pollack. Highly recommended.



4. Samuel Barber's(1910 --1981) music is lyrical, romantic, and accessible. But his music still manages to be challenging. As is the case with many American composers, Barber tried to develop an American voice by combining art music with American themes derived from jazz and American popular culture. Again, Barber wrote in an accessible way using sophisticated 20th century compositional techniques.

   Although he did not compose a great deal of music for solo piano, much of what Barber did write is outstanding. This disc on the budget-priced Naxos label includes all of Barber's published solo piano music performed by Daniel Pollack. Pollack knows and plays this music well indeed. He performed Barber's piano sonata at the First International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in 1958. The CD includes detailed, insightful liner notes by Victor and Marina Ledin.

   Barber's piano sonata op 26 (1946) is the highlight of this disc and is a work that has become an important part of the piano repertory. The work is in four movements, and in it Barber uses an expansive musical vocabulary which includes serial composition. The work is romantic and virtuosic and immediately appealing. Vladimir Horowitz championed this music and it has been recorded many times.

   The sonata opens with a two-note falling figure with the second note heavily accented that becomes the basis for the opening allegro movement. Throughout the first movement, loud, virtuosic passages alternate with quieter sections, with feathery piano writing in the instrument's high register. The two-note figure is prominent at the end of the movement with a shift in accent to the first note of the pair. The second movement is a short, light scherzo which picks up on the quieter portions of the first movement. The third movement, an adagio, is spare and minimalist. It rises to a large climax before the music falls away pensively over a walking bass. The last movement is a fugue which begins rapidly and quickly develops to a frenzied, cataclysmic conclusion.

   The other extended works on this CD are two piano suites. The first suite, "Excursions" Op. 20 (1942-1944) was also championed by Horowitz. It consists of four movements based upon American jazz and popular song. The first movement features a syncopated theme with repeated notes over a boogie-woogie theme in the bass. The second movemement develops as a blues, with a slow-drag theme that becomes more prominent as the movement progresses. It reminded me of a Gershwin piano prelude. The third movement consists of a lyrical, rippling theme in a moderate tempo which undergoes brief variations. The final movement is a foot-stomping barn dance. The movement reminded me of a conservative Charles Ives.

   The other suite in this collection is titled "Souvenirs", op 28 (1951-1952) It consists of six short dance movements. (Barber used it for a ballet.) I loved this piece. It is deliberately anachronistic in character and is a throw-back to a hotel-style elegance just before WW I. In listening to this suite, I tried to think of the tone it intended to convey. Some people find this music light and frivolus while others find it ironic. I heard it as loving, but detached and a bit distant. Barber is trying deliberately to recreate a musical experience in an idiom that is no longer his. I think the tone is affectionate, with the music played straight (rather than satirically), but with a distinct feeling of looking back. Thus the title, "Souvenirs".

   There are a number of short pieces on this CD including three sketches dating from Barber's 13th year. I enjoyed the Nocturne which is highly chromatic (op. 33) and the late Ballade, Op. 46 among these short works.

   This disc is part of the Naxos "American Classics" series. It will allow the listener to get to know some great works of 20th century American piano music.




5. I can't tell if the overly fast tempi on much of this recording is so all the works could be jammed onto one CD, or if Mr. Pollack was dared to see how fast he could go. To be fair, he starts the Sonata at the metronome marking in the score (which some performers do not) but he doesn't keep it there. He pulls back tremendously in the second theme, then rushes through much of the closing theme so quickly as if to suggest that hearing the notes is not the important part. I'm impressed at how fast he can play certain parts (and the scherzo), but what honestly is the point? Passages in the development and coda are reduced to a blurry mash. Along with this he punches many notes (first and third movements), especially in the base, that have no need for added emphasis. Barber provided enough angularity to this piece that just playing it gets the message - and the music - across. The fourth movement, I will concede, is as admirable as any other performance.
   The rest of the works on the CD fare better - in areas where a change in tempo might be tasteful, Mr. Pollack seems invariably to push ahead but it doesn't sabotage anything as badly as the Sonata.
   Despite the tempting price, a newcomer to Barber's piano output would do better to buy John Browning's recording and come back to this one later for a different viewpoint.

2 comments about The Best of Chopin.

1. This is the first cd I bought when I started my classical cd collection six years ago. Now I have over a hundred classical cds, of pianists ranging from legends like Martha Argerich, Artur Rubinstein, Glenn Gould, Alicia de la Roccha, Evgeny Kissin, Alfred Brendel, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Philippe Entremont, Daniel Barenboim, Claudio Arrau, Murray Perahia to emerging lights like Lang Lang, Yundi Li, Stanislav Bunin, Cecile Licad, etc.
   
   But I always come back to this cd, at the same time wondering why despite these deeply introspective performances, Idil Biret is not readily judged as one of Chopin's leading interpreters. This is Chopin at his best and most pure.
   
   Stand-outs are her performances of Fantasie-Impromptu in C sharp minor, Ballade No. 3 in A flat major, Farewell Waltz, Tristesse Etude, Berceuse in D flat major, and the Scherzo No. 2 in B flat minor. I prefer Biret's Ballade and Berceuse over Rubinstein's, any day.
   
   Of the hundreds of Chopin CDs out there, you cannot go wrong with this one. For the price, for the choice of works, and for insightful interpretations. Bravo, Idil Biret. Thank you!



2. The selections in this CD are taken from Idil Biret's recording of the complete piano works of Chopin (Naxos 15 CD) which won a "Grand Prix du Disque Frederic Chopin" in Poland in 1995. This competition is held once every five years and there were 46 entries that year with two winning prizes. Need one say more?

1 comments about Debussy Piano Works, Vol. 1.

1. It's very hard to find fault with this recording, but at the same time something's missing. The piano sounds a bit muted, a little hollow, but that's not the problem - from Debussy I'd hope for a little more playfulness, a little more emotional range. Thiollier performs admirably but a little mechanically.

   On the other hand, this is brilliant music, flawlessly (if blandly) performed. For a budget CD, you can not go wrong. If you just want to listen to Debussy's piano music playing in the background on a Sunday afternoon, buy this record. If you want to be swept away, look on.

No comments about Chopin: Favorite Pieces.

No comments about Mad About Piano.

2 comments about Mad about Chopin.

1. Well, if two points determine a line than this review will certainly reinforce the idea that "Mad About Chopin" is missing some of the essential works by the composer. Yes, we have the "Minute Waltz," but we do not have either the "Military Polonaise" or the "Polonaise in A Major," not to mention the "Nocturne in E-Flat Major." So while this is an adequate Chopin collection, it is certainly not the best in my collection. For some reason, the "Mad About" series is not as strong when it focuses on a particular composer. Go figure.



2. This CD is a very good start for anyone that's not familiar with Chopin's music. It includes about every facet of his work, including a sonata, a ballade, mazurkas, polonaises etc... But no nocturnes? And not even one movement of a piano concerto? And only one impromptu? Also, there are a little too much mazurkas on the CD. Aside from these defects, the CD really is a great buy.

1 comments about Brahms: Piano Sonata No. 3; Ballades, Op. 10.

1. I've just recently heard Brahms's Op. 1 and 2 piano sonatas for the first time, performed by Idil Biret on the Naxos label. While I think the Op. 1 and 2 are remarkable for having been conceived by a 20 year old Brahms, they were still light and admittedly average. I find myself completely shocked, however, at the progression found in this third sonata. In addition to this sonata, the Ballades are also powerful and exquisite gems that deserve as much praise as the Op. 5. For those already familiar with the works, I'm afraid I won't be of much help in comparing Biret to Perahia or Kissin or anyone else. My familiarity with these pieces stems only from Biret's recording here. Nevertheless, she plays these works with astounding endurance, intensity and passion. I don't know if her interpretation is the most refined or if her phrasing is immaculate. But she plays with fire and energy that surely enhances the inherent drama in these works. In the lyrical sections, she is warm, gentle, melancholy and very patient to express all that Brahms has to say.
   
   The Piano Sonata No. 3 is mindboggling. The music material and the caliber of the themes is much improved from the last two sonatas. I don't know what happened in between Op. 2 and Op. 5, but Brahms has written his greatest piano sonata here. It's a shame he didn't return to the form later in his life since at the tender age of 20 he has managed to compose such a good one. The first movement sounds more like Liszt with its virtuosic flare; of course the dark but majestic main theme is pure Brahms. Biret really creates a hellfire of torrential piano chords during the course of this movement. She contrasts this in the gentle moments where her delicacy is quite apparent. The second movement is another stunning piece. Where did Brahms find these ideas? His melancholy and passion is absolutely sublime in this movement; the gradual release of romantic feelings at the end is of such gorgeous proportions. It also seems reminiscent of Liszt. Biret really taps into her reflective side and actually gives vocal powers to the piano strings.
   
   The last three movements of this sonata are original and melodically unique. The Scherzo contains a delightful waltz-like theme and a contemplative trio section. Biret plays both sections with outstanding dynamics and control. The Intermezzo is a splendid and poignant work that explores a dark mood, very similar to Beethoven's Funeral March movement from his Piano Sonata No. 12. Some of the most quiet and brooding music occurs in the middle and Biret showcases her tremendous mastery of dynamics. She bids pianissimo and then commands forte in a single bar. The finale is an exciting epilogue to this grand sonata, played with energy and enthusiasm. Biret's fusion of technique and singing tone is especially emphasized here. The music itself is wonderful all throughout. Under Biret's fingers, the virtuosic sections scintillate in the style of Alkan and Chopin.
   
   Although I have no other recording to use as a measure, I believe Biret does a magnificent job with the Ballades. She delivers drama and raw emotion. And there is nothing missing or weak in her execution. The first Ballade is mindblowing in its originality and its overwhelming sinister nature. Again, I am reminded of Liszt with the menacing bass chords and funeral atmosphere. Biret plays this piece with full-blooded passion, creating a cloud of angst throughout the work. The second Ballade explores lighter and more romantic material; Biret exhibits her graceful touch and ability to summon a serene wall of sound from the piano. The third Ballade is my least favorite but still attractive with its ternary form in the style of an Intermezzo. The fourth Ballade, though, is my personal favorite. Brahms unearths a ghostly mist of haunting music. Biret understands this music and she plays with all the appropriate depth and feeling.
   
   Bottom line: For piano masterpieces of Brahms's youth, this CD is a must-have. Biret's virtuosity and nuanced playing makes these works incredibly engrossing. The music breathes, the drama is bursting, the melodies are clear, and the budget price of this disc makes it highly recommendable.

2 comments about Debussy: Solo Piano Music, Vol. 2.

1. This is an essential CD. The most poetic and finest reading of Debussy's masterly etudes. Far better than Uchida and anybody else. Get your copy before it becomes unavailable.



2. In this second installment of Frankl's fine traversal of Debussy, we find him tackling the more esoteric piano works: Estampes, the Twelve Etudes, Nocturne, La Boite A Joujoux and the curious Masques. Simultaneously, he offers up the obviously more familiar: the Children's Corner, Danse, L'Isle Joyeuse and, of course, Pour le Piano.

   Frankl, at no time, is anything less than an instinctive and sensitive interpreter of Debussy. Some may cavil at tempi or a lack of warmth here and there, but these are rare occurences. It is true that Frankl's Debussy is direct, yet he never really misses the mark, and he is far from wayward.

   His Estampes are finely-etched "prints," incisive and satisfying, keenly reined impressionism at its purest. True, as well, is his excellent performance of Pour le Piano. Just give a listen to the way he pedals the overtones in the opening "Prelude." It washes over you. And following "Sarabande" is atmospheric and noble; the "Toccata," spritely. It's lovely pianism.

   The Children's Corner is charming, its opening "Dr. Gradus" spontaneously halting and uncertain--- exactly as would be a child's-eye-view of the problems inherent in Clementi. "Jimbo's Lullaby" is, perhaps, given a tad more gravitas than we're used to, but in the process Frankl evokes a most unusual sense of nostalgic mystery, as he does equally well in "Snow Is Dancing."

   The reader should be reminded that when these original vinyls were released (@1964), Frankl was one of the first artists to tackle Debussy's last works, the Twelve Etudes for Piano, and, the Uchida set on Philips not withstanding (amazingly!), his performance of this music is as imaginative and penetrating as it was nearly 40 years ago--- and can stand (almost) next to Uchida, which is no mean compliment.

   The La Boite A Joujoux is a delight... and a wise choice to situate after the monumental Twelve Etudes.

   The sound, as on Volume 1, is well-rounded, full and mercifully lacking in resonant ambience. The piano SOUNDS like a piano, and with Frankl's impeccable touch and technique, his style and detail, well, we get to hear everything.

   Yet another Vox Box two-fer well worth the money.

4 comments about Chopin: Complete Piano Music, Vol. 1.

1. Idil Biret's first recording in this Naxos series looks pretty promising: the four Ballades, the Berceuse, the Fantasy Op. 49 and even the BI 130 etudes. This choice of selections is even more unusual with the addition of the Marche funebre in C minor, and three other rare pieces from Chopin: Galop Marquis, Largo in E flat major, and the Cantabile in B flat major.
   
   Having heard so many pianists play the Ballades, I'm afraid Biret is not in the top tier of interpreters here. Her rendition of the first Ballade is occasionally dramatic, but she fails to deliver the songful aspect that I've heard so many pianists accomplish. Even in the passionate and loud sections she displays technique but no melding of the passagework; she makes a choppy onslaught instead of a fiery stream. Fortunately, she makes up for it with the second Ballade in F major. Biret creates equal force in both the sudden outbursts and the fragile soft moments. However, in the third Ballade, Biret is rather average. The virtuosic sections sound dry in her hands; all the rubato in the world won't save this piece without a perfect legato touch. At least Biret is really "on" in the fourth Ballade. She manages to bring out the expressive qualities and lyricism of this fine music while also emphasizing the raw drama.
   
   Astonishingly, Biret makes a better case for her pianism and musicality in the rest of the pieces here. The Berceuse is an angelic lullaby through Biret's delicious and tasteful representation. The first BI 130 etude receives stellar phrasing and is played with perfect poetic feeling. The gorgeous second etude is similarly effective because Biret has such a handle on Chopin's improvisatory sound. So I'm really scratching my head at her earlier lackluster spectacle in the first and third Ballade. Biret's major triumph, though, is the monumental Fantasy in F minor Op. 49. Combined with the poise and exquisite rubato this work requires, Biret's meditative mood and muscular attack makes this rendering outstanding. Her dynamic control is breathtaking: her lilting melancholy (3:15-3:25) and explosive passion (3:47-3:57) is incredible. Where is this warm legato, spirit and vitality in her Ballades? It's so odd that she made a milestone with the Fantasy but couldn't quite make it in the Ballades.
   
   The last works to mention are the rarities. The Galop Marquis, a short piece barely under a minute, contains a charming little theme, but doesn't really go anywhere. It's like someone plucked a single theme out of a longer work and played it once; it doesn't even feel like there's an agreeable cadence at the end. On the other hand, the Largo in E flat major is a wondrous little piece, presenting some fine bars of exalted melancholy. I wish I could say the same of the Cantabile in B flat major, but there is not enough substance here. The flawless diamond in this sea of flawed gems is the magisterial and dark Marche funebre in C minor. One wonders how this phenomenally potent funeral march could be so neglected. In fact, this is the first time I've heard it. I must tell the curious Chopin cohorts out there that this is made of high quality stuff: a gloomy and powerful funeral march forms the outer shells of a profound and sorrowful trio section. It's a first-rate Chopin work and deserves greater fame.
   
   Bottom line: I've heard much better realizations of the Ballades. Although I advise those who are interested in hearing superb interpretations of the Ballades to continue their search, I feel this CD shouldn't even be bought for the Ballades. Biret is at her best in the BI 130 etudes, the Fantasie Op. 49 and the Marche funebre. Considering that these pieces are rather obscure, I think this CD is invaluable for offering them at such a low price.



2. First, I must say Idil Biret has a sense of the beauty contained within Chopin's repetoire as few others do. Her playing of the slower pieces (as well as most of the faster ones)is astonishingly touching and artistically of the highest order.
   However, when the technical demands become greatest, especially in the etudes (which are maddeningly difficult)and the Polonaises, there are some very blatant note errors. (To be fair, most recordings are edited nowadays, this one is not.)
   If you care more about art for art's sake and less about a note-perfect performance for the sake of pianistic athleticism (e.g. Maurizio Pollini) you will be moved and delighted. If you are searching for technical perfection (which is really not the point of Chopin's music) you will not find it here.
   My rating is more accurately: musicality-4.9 technique-3.0



3. This is the first in a series of fifteen CDs by the Turkish pianist Idel Biret of the complete piano works of Chopin. And what a CD it is! Biret studied with Boulanger, Corot, and Kempff and yet remains too little known as a pianist. Her Naxos recordings of Chopin's complete piano music received the Grand Prix du Disque in 1995 and sell at a budget price.
   
   Chopin's four Ballades are among the greatest of his works, as is the Fantasia in F minor also included on this disk. The Ballades were composed between 1835 and 1843 and are generally believed to be based upon works by the Polish poet Adam Mickiewicz. Regardless of that, this is music in the style of the medieval troubador, with singing lyrical sections alternating with music of wild passions, big chords, chromatic passages, and virtuosic runs. Whether the music calls to mind some epochal military encounter or a quiet scene by a lake it is wonderfully evocative. The first and fourth ballades, in G minor and F minor, tend to be more stormy and passionate while the second and third, in F major and A flat major are more reflective and lyrical. Biret gives a beautiful rendition of this music with beautiful, free rhythm, attention to dynamics and phrasing, and a full use of the resources of the piano. She captures magnificently the wild, virtuosic concluding passages in the first and fourth ballades.
   
   Chopin's Berceuse in D flat major, op. 57, is a miniature but one of his most beautiful compositions. It features a simple rocking theme in the left hand with feathery runs and filigree in the upper reaches of the piano in the right hand. I enjoyed playing this recording of the Berceuse for my newborn granddaughter together with a collection of lullabies.
   
   The final major work on this CD is the Fantasie in F minor, opus 49, regarded by some as Chopin's greatest composition. This work opens with a slow march-like theme in F minor and progresses gradually to a more triumphal march in A flat. The music is kaleidoscopic in character with varying moods and themes woven together. Ms. Biret's playing matches the music in its shifts of theme and mood.
   
   The CD also includes a number of Chopin's lesser-known works including the posthumously published "three new etudes", a funeral march (not to be confused with the funeral march in the second piano sonata) and three other short works.
   
   Although there is a great deal of competition on CDs of Chopin's Ballades, Fantasia and Berceuse, this recording will stand with the best. Please don't be skeptical of this CD as a result of its budget price or of the relative unfamiliarity of Idel Biret. This CD and its companions are an ideal way of getting to know Chopin.
   
   Robin Friedman



4. As the title says Biret = Chopin.Actually it tells evrything... Listen and understand what I mean.The Ballades are more beautiful from her hands.The price is very cheap for this album too.