Frederic Chopin Artur Rubinstein - Chopin Nocturnes Nos 119 Four Scherzi (27 tracks) +Album Reviews

Search - Frederic Chopin, Artur Rubinstein :: Chopin: Nocturnes Nos, 1-19; Four Scherzi

Frederic Chopin, Artur Rubinstein
Chopin: Nocturnes Nos, 1-19; Four Scherzi
Genres: Dance & Electronic, Classical

Track Listings (16) - Disc #1
1. Nocturne No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 9 No. 1
2. Nocturne No. 2 in E flat, Op. 9 No. 2
3. Nocturne No. 3 in B, Op. 9 No. 3
4. Nocturne No. 4 in F, Op. 15 No. 1
5. Nocturne No. 5 in F sharp, Op. 15. No. 2
6. Nocturne No. 6 in G minor, Op. 15 No. 3
7. Nocturne No. 7 in C sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 1
8. Nocturne No. 8 in D flat, Op. 27 No. 2
9. Nocturne No. 9 in B, Op. 32 No. 1
10. Nocturne No. 10 in A flat, Op. 37 No. 2
11. Nocturne No. 11 in G minor, Op. 37 No. 1
12. Nocturne No. 12 in G, Op. 37 No. 2
13. Nocturne No. 13 in C minor, Op. 48 No. 1
14. Nocturne No. 14 in F sharp minor, Op. 48 No. 2
15. Nocturne No. 15 in F minor, Op. 55 No. 1
16. Nocturne No. 16 in E flat, Op. 55 No. 2
Track Listings (11) - Disc #2
1. Nocturne No. 17 in B, Op. 62 No. 1
2. Nocturne No. 18 in E, Op. 62 No. 2
3. Nocturne No. 19 in E, Op. 72 No. 1
4. Barcarolle in F sharp, Op. 60
5. Waltz in A flat, Op. 34 No. 1
6. Four Scherzi: No. 1 in B minor, Op. 20
7. Four Scherzi: No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 31
8. Four Scherzi: No. 3 in C sharp minor, Op. 39
9. Four Scherzi: No. 4 in E, Op. 54
10. Berceuse in D flat, Op. 57
11. Andante spianato & Grande polonaise brillante in E flat, Op. 22

CD Details

All Artists: Frederic Chopin, Artur Rubinstein
Title: Chopin: Nocturnes Nos, 1-19; Four Scherzi
Members Wishing: 1
Total Copies: 0
Label: EMI Classics
Original Release Date: 1/1/2008
Re-Release Date: 3/11/2008
Album Type: Original recording remastered
Genres: Dance & Electronic, Classical
Styles: Chamber Music, Forms & Genres, Concertos, Historical Periods, Classical (c.1770-1830), Modern, 20th, & 21st Century, Instruments, Keyboard
Number of Discs: 2
SwapaCD Credits: 2
UPCs: 400000005638, 5099950966721

CD Reviews

Dazzling & Poetic Chopin from the 1930s Rubinstein

Hank Drake | Cleveland, OH United States | 04/09/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Complete recorded editions of Classical music were almost unheard of in the 1930s. Artur Schnabel was making a complete version of Beethoven's 32 Sonatas, but many "musicians" didn't consider Chopin's music worthy of such attention--he was just a salon composer, after all. Arthur Rubinstein, of course, didn't believe any of that nonsense about Chopin. His respect for that composer informed both his interpretation of his music, and his decision to record his Scherzos and Nocturnes.

Rubinstein made three complete versions of Chopin's Scherzos, with this first set dating from 1932. All three versions by Rubinstein are exciting, and offer testament to the pianist's solid technique, innate virtuosity, and natural sense of musical architecture. Tempos are breathtakingly faster in these earlier performances than in the later ones. Considering the fact that editing was impossible during this era, and his considerable risk taking, Rubinstein's very few inconsequential mistakes are understandable.

For those who know Rubinstein's Chopin only from his stereo recordings, this 2-CD set Scherzos and Nocturnes will come as something of a surprise. Rubinstein's 1936-1937 Nocturnes are far different from his 1960s stereo version. His approach to these miniatures is markedly freer, with more sensitive shades of pianissimo (Rubinstein's quiet passages became louder as time progressed, possibly due to hearing loss), and far more pronounced use of rubato. As with his other two versions of these works, Rubinstein ever allows sentiment (empathy) to be confused with sentimentality (schmaltz), and the inherent dignity and structural integrity of Chopin's music is preserved.

These recordings originate from 78RPM discs. Despite the slight surface noise, and occasional tubbiness in the piano tone, Rubinstein's eternally fresh interpretations come through loud & clear."