Frederic Chopin Ronald Smith - Chopin Mazurkas (58 tracks) +Album Reviews

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Frederic Chopin, Ronald Smith
Chopin: Mazurkas
Genres: Special Interest, Classical

Track Listings (29) - Disc #1
1. No.1 In F Sharp Minor, Op.6 No.1
2. No.2 In C Sharp Minor, Op.6 No.2
3. No.3 In E Major, Op.6 No.3
4. No.4 In E Flat Minor, Op.6 No.4
5. No.5 In B Flat Major, Op.7 No.1
6. No.6 In A Minor, Op.7 No.3
7. No.7 In F Minor, Op.7 No.3
8. No.8 In A Flat Major, Op.7 No.5
9. No.9 In C Major, Op.7 No.5
10. No.10 In B Flat Major, Op.17 No.1
11. No.11 In E Minor, Op.17 No.2
12. No.12 In A Flat Major, Op.17 No.3
13. No.13 In A Minor, Op.17 No.4
14. No.14 In G Minor, Op.24, No.1
15. No.15 In C Major, Op.21 No.2
16. No.16 In A Flat Major, Op.24 No.3
17. No.17 In B Flat Minor, Op.24 No.4
18. No.18 In C Minor, Op.30 No.1
19. No.19 In B Minor, Op.30 No.2
20. No.20 In D Flat Major, Op.30 No.3
21. No.21 In C Sharp Minor, Op.30 No.4
22. No.22 In G Sharp Minor, Op.33 No.1
23. No.23 In D Major, Op.33 No.2
24. No.24 In C Major, Op.33 No.3
25. No.25 In B Minor, Op.33 No.4
26. No.26 In C Sharp Minor, Op.41 No.1
27. No.27 In E Minor, Op.41 No.2
28. No.28 In B Major, Op.41 No.3
29. No.29 In A Flat Major, Op.41 No.4
Track Listings (29) - Disc #2
1. No.30 In G Major, Op.50 No.1
2. No.31 In A Flat Major, Op.50 No.2
3. No.32 In C Sharp Minor, Op.50 No.3
4. No.33 In B Major, Op.56 No.1
5. No.34 In C Major, Op.56 No.2
6. No.35 In C Minor, Op.56 No.3
7. No.36 In A Minor, Op.59 No.1
8. No.37 In A Flat Major, Op.59
9. No.38 In F Sharp Minor, Op.59
10. No.39 In B Flat Major, Op.63 No.1
11. No.40 In F Minor, Op.63 No.2
12. No.41 In C Sharp Minor, Op.63 No.3
13. No.42 In A Minor (Emile Gaillard)
14. No.43 In A Minor (Notre Temps No.2)
15. No.44 In G Major, Op.67 No.1
16. No.45 In G Minor, Op.67 No.2
17. No.46 In C Major, Op.67 No.3
18. No.47 In A Minor, Op.67 No.4
19. No.48 In C Major, Op.68 No.1
20. No.49 In A Minor, Op.68 No.2
21. No.50 In F Major, Op.68 No.3
22. No.51 In F Minor, Op.68 No.4
23. No.52 In B Flat Major, Op. Posth.
24. No.53 In G Major, Op. Posth.
25. No.54 In D Major, Op. Posth.
26. No.55 In D Major, Op. Posth.
27. No.56 In B Flat Major, Op. Posth
28. No.57 In C Major, Op. Posth.
29. No.58 In A Flat Major, Op. Posth.

CD Details

All Artists: Frederic Chopin, Ronald Smith
Title: Chopin: Mazurkas
Members Wishing: 1
Total Copies: 0
Label: EMI Classics
Release Date: 8/10/2004
Album Type: Original recording remastered
Genres: Special Interest, Classical
Styles: Chamber Music, Historical Periods, Classical (c.1770-1830)
Number of Discs: 2
SwapaCD Credits: 2
UPC: 724358576726

CD Reviews

Unvarnished,honest musicality.

Peter Heddon | 06/20/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Ronald Smith was one of the great post war British Pianists who was more than simply an Alkan specialist.I was lucky enough to catch him live towards the end of his life:his 80th birthday concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall and some years earlier at the De Le Warr Pavillion /Bexhill.He was a commanding presence at the keyboard and a brilliant communicator (verbally as well)

The Mazurkas are given a rough hewn treatment which is utterly individual in conception.No narcissism or sentimentality here.

Smith's account may not sooth but it holds ones attention."

Ronald Smith's Mazurkas...

Sébastien Melmoth | Hôtel d'Alsace, PARIS | 01/29/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

".

It scarcely needs saying that the genre of the mazurka (along with the polonaise) was dear to Chopin's Polish heart; and that he essayed both genres throughout his career, pouring some of his most sincere and intense thoughts into their forms.

A superb issue on the budget-priced EMI remastered 2-fer series, Smith's readings here are technically brilliant, well-balanced, insightful, and deeply revealing.

The late English pianist Dr. Ronald Smith was expert with the darkly-coloured Romantic school of Chopin, Liszt, and Alkan.

Smith was an extremely talented and assured musician who chose to teach and record rather than extensively concertize.

With some extremely brief aperçu-like readings here, Smith's poised performances may be the most preferable complete Mazurka set in print.

(Note, for example:

B-major Op. 56, No. 1 [00'40"];

f#-minor Op. 59, No. 3 [00'52"].)

.

Cf. Skryabin's complete Mazurkas:

Scriabin: Mazurkas - Complete / Long

Alexander Skriabin: Mazurkas

Smith's Balakirev:

Balakirev and Mussorgsky: Piano Music

."