Search - Frederic Chopin, Eugene Ormandy, Philadelphia Orchestra :: Shacking Up to Chopin

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scott hickel | 03/20/2003

(1 out of 5 stars)

"... The characterisitic fantasy and dremalike qulaity of Chopin's nocturnes and preludes should nto be misconstrued as porn music. This album shamelessly compromises Chopin's reputation in an effort to gain market share. What's worst of all, the recordings are second rate at best."

Shacking up?!?! Try the `Bolero' instead!

Andrew Lim | Berkeley, CA United States | 03/14/2003

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Fryderyk Chopin is one of the great composers of all time. His works for the piano, in particular, have a central position in the repertoire. However, by virtue of the intimate nature of many of his compositions as well as certain aspects of his life (he was reputedly a sensitive man whose physical frailty and delicate sensibilities limited his performances to intimate salons instead of large concert halls, and whose life was tragically cut short at an early age of 35 by tubercolosis), his music has aquired the reputation of being `romantic' and suited for intimate candle lit dinners and cosy conversation.This release by RCA takes all this a step further by suggesting that Chopin's music should be taken beyond desert and into the post-prandial activities. However, I can not agree with this judgement and believe (for a number of reasons) that it would be highly unsuitable for `shacking up'. In fact, I would even say that this music, with it's beautiful melodies and interesting harmonies and subtleties of colour, could actually distract one from the pressing task at hand. (Not very `romantic' I'm sure you'd agree). However, there are other more fundamental reasons for my opinion. `Shacking up' music should be tender yet strong, with a strong rhythmic (even metronomic) drive .. it should be of suitable length (4 minutes for the Fantasie Impromptu?!?!) .. and conclude with a bang! Unfortunately, the music on this disk simply does not fit the bill. Certainly, there are climaxes, and they are beautiful, moving and subtle, but they rarely last beyond a few seconds and usually come .. too soon. The rhythms in these compositions (while they can be strong and evocative) have the tendency at times to be whimsical .. and rubato certainly doesn't help. Finally, duration is a problem. While many of Chopin's works are pure gems, even 3 minutes of a great Mazurka (say) would, as a guess, be unsatisfying for most. In summary, I would not suggest getting this disk. `Shacking up' is more effective with a work like Ravel's Bolero with its simple melody and long steady unrelenting buildup to the fireworks and fanfare of its exhuberant and intense climax."

Retarded

scott hickel | 03/20/2003

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Are the record executives at RCA truly this shallow? Apparently so. The characterisitic fantasy and dremalike qulaity of Chopin's nocturnes and preludes should nto be misconstrued as porn music. This album shamelessly compromises Chopin's reputation in an effort to gain market share. What's worst of all, the recordings are second rate at best."